Oct 10

Today’s News 10th October 2024

  • Austria Faces Political Deadlock As Federal President Resists Giving Victorious FPÖ A Mandate To Form A Government
    Austria Faces Political Deadlock As Federal President Resists Giving Victorious FPÖ A Mandate To Form A Government

    By Thomas Brooke of RMX.News

    Austria remains in political limbo following last month’s national elections, as Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen announced that no party has been given a mandate to form a government yet.

    After hosting talks with the leaders of the FPÖ, ÖVP, SPÖ, NEOS, and the Greens at the Hofburg Palace on Wednesday, Van der Bellen made it clear that he expects more clarity from the top three parties by the end of next week before any mandate is issued.

    The right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), led by Herbert Kickl, emerged as the clear election winner with a record 28.8 percent of the vote, but it faces challenges in forming a government.

    President Van der Bellen emphasized the unusual nature of the current political landscape, stating, “On the one hand, the FPÖ is the election winner and Kickl is claiming the chancellorship. On the other hand, no one trusts him enough to form a coalition. Who should he negotiate with?”

    As is often the case across Europe, liberal parties have refused to cooperate with victorious conservative factions — a move that could see a “coalition of losers” that risks creating a serious democratic deficit.

    “So far, it has been common practice to entrust the election winner with leading substantive discussions. But as you can see, the situation is anything but usual,” Van der Bellen said.

    “Respect for you, the voters of all parties, dictates that we have to be safe here. Does everyone involved mean what they said? I want clarity for Austria. I ask Kickl, Nehammer, and Babler to have discussions with each other,” he added, referencing the leaders of the FPÖ, the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), and the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ).

    Reports suggest current Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) may pursue a three-party coalition with the liberal NEOS and the Socialists, though it remains unclear how the SPÖ will proceed.

    Continue reading at RMX.news

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 10/10/2024 – 02:00

  • What's Really Outrageous About Woodward's New Book
    What’s Really Outrageous About Woodward’s New Book

    Authored by Alan Tonelson via RealityChek,

    So much outrage (including from Vice President and Democratic presidential contender Kamala Harris) about the claim in Bob Woodward’s upcoming book that Donald Trump during his presidency sent some test kits to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin at the height of the Covid pandemic when they were scarce in the United States. And about the famed journalist’s report that the former president called Putin seven times since the former left the Oval Office in January, 2021. (See, e.g., here.)

    And so little about by far the biggest outrage described in War (if true, of course – as with the above revelations): that President Biden may have pushed the United States, and the world, to within a coin flip of nuclear war in Ukraine.

    Getty Images

    Think I’m kidding? Here’s the description by CNN – which broke the news about Woodward’s book – his account of a crucial moment in U.S. policy toward Russia’s invasion. It’s worth quoting in full:

    By September 2022, US intelligence reports deemed “exquisite” revealed a “deeply unnerving assessment” of Putin — that he was so desperate about battlefield losses that he might use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

    “Based on the alarming new intelligence reports, the White House believed there was a 50% chance Russia would use a tactical nuclear weapon — a striking assessment that had skyrocketed up from 5% and then 10%, Woodward reports.

    “’On all channels, get on the line with the Russians,’ Biden instructed his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. ‘Tell them what we will do in response,’ he said, according to Woodward.”

    That’s the key phrase: “Tell them what we will do in response.”

    It doesn’t necessarily mean that Mr. Biden had decided to use a nuclear weapon against Russia itself, or even against Russian forces inside Ukraine, or was considering such actions. Nor does it necessarily mean that the president had decided to deploy U.S. military forces in Ukraine in response.

    But it’s difficult to imagine what else President Biden might have been thinking of that would deter the Russians from a step like tactical nuclear weapons use, or that would have convinced them to abandon this policy after firing one nuclear shot.

    Simon & Schuster plans to publish the book on Oct. 15

    And the real outrage here – again, if Woodward has the story right – is that Mr. Biden actually was prepared to run such a catastrophic risk on behalf of a country whose fate Washington had never officially considered to be a remotely vital American security interest even at the height of the Cold War — and still hasn’t.

    It’s one thing to threaten nuclear weapons use to protect a country or region that has been deemed a vital interest by U.S. leaders – like Western Europe or Japan. Or to do so when adversaries try to place nuclear weapons close to the American homeland (as was the case with the Soviet Union during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962).

    But even to contemplate Armageddon in a situation meeting absolutely none of these characteristics? How can that be viewed as anything but needlessly reckless and even suicidal?

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    Keep that in mind the next time you hear that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is too dangerously off his rocker to be fit for the presidency (in particular that his warnings about the current administration bringing World War III closer are nothing more than fear-mongering). And that the aforementioned Kamala Harris, when asked what she would have done differently from Mr. Biden, responded, “Not a thing that comes to mind.”

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 23:25

  • America's Homeless Population Reaches Record High Under Biden-Harris Admin
    America’s Homeless Population Reaches Record High Under Biden-Harris Admin

    According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s latest report on homelessness in the United States, 653,104 Americans were homeless in 2023.

    Last year, levels of homelessness climbed for the sixth year.

    While in 2017 and 2018, growth was slow, Statista’s Katharina Buchholz reports that homelessness increased more in 2019 and 2020 and finally skyrocketed in 2023 by growing 12 percent compared to the year prior and even climbing 10 percent above the 2007-2022 average.

    Infographic: America's Homeless Population on the Rise | Statista

    You will find more infographics at Statista

    As Covid-era protection programs expired and the cost-of-living crisis hit the country, homelessness numbers rose.

    At the same time, Covid restrictions on shelter capacity ended, leading to more homeless individuals living in shelters once again.

    During Covid-19, most of the increase in homeless populations had come from unhoused individuals.

    In 2023, sheltered populations rose by almost 14 percent, while unhoused populations rose by less than 10 percent.

    However, the share of the sheltered homeless population held steady at around 60-61 percent since the pandemic started.

    Despite previous increases, the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January when the count is carried out had always stayed below Great Recession levels, which had been highest in 2007 when the data was first reported.

    The 2023 number now retired that record, surpassing it by 1 percent.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 23:00

  • Canada, AUKUS, And The Strategic Imperative Of Restraint
    Canada, AUKUS, And The Strategic Imperative Of Restraint

    Authored by Andrew Latham via RealClearDefense,

    When AUKUS—an unprecedented defense pact between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia—was announced in 2021, many Canadian defense commentators expressed concern that Canada’s exclusion from the agreement marked a significant setback.

    To some, it signaled a diminution of Canada’s standing as a so-called middle power, a nation accustomed to “punching above its weight” in the international peace and security field. This perception led to calls for Canada to seek formal inclusion in the pact, particularly in Pillar 2, which focuses on advanced military technology development, from cyber warfare to artificial intelligence. However, while there are valid reasons for Canada to consider joining AUKUS, this decision must be made with strategic restraint and in line with Canada’s long-term security interests. In particular, Canada’s involvement in AUKUS should not draw it into an Indo-Pacific security alliance that could distract from its more pressing obligations in the North Pacific, Arctic, and North Atlantic.

    The Strategic Logic of Pillar 2 Participation

    AUKUS was conceived primarily as a response to rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, especially concerning China’s growing influence and assertiveness. While the agreement’s first pillar involves Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines—a development less relevant to Canada’s immediate military needs—Pillar 2 offers a more attractive opportunity. This component focuses on advancing cooperation in high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber capabilities, and advanced undersea technologies.

    Canada’s participation in Pillar 2 would offer several advantages. First, it would allow Canada to access and contribute to innovative military technologies that are vital to modern warfare and national security. Canada’s defense capabilities in areas such as cyber defense and artificial intelligence are limited compared to larger military powers, and AUKUS Pillar 2 could provide a critical opportunity for enhancing these capabilities. Additionally, collaboration with close allies such as the United States and the United Kingdom could strengthen Canada’s ability to defend its national infrastructure from cyberattacks and to maintain a competitive edge in military technology development.

    Yet, while the opportunity to join AUKUS Pillar 2 offers clear technological and defense benefits, it is essential that Canada approaches this decision with caution. The logic of participating in AUKUS should not be driven by a desire to uphold Canada’s traditional middle-power status or to be seen as an essential player in global security forums. Instead, it should be guided by a sober assessment of Canada’s own defense needs and its core regional interests.

    Avoiding Indo-Pacific Overextension

    Canada’s involvement in AUKUS must be carefully calibrated to avoid being drawn into the larger strategic focus of the pact: the Indo-Pacific. AUKUS was designed in large part to counter China’s growing influence in that region, and while the Indo-Pacific is of significant importance to Canadian trade and foreign policy, it does not represent Canada’s most pressing security concern. For Canada, the key security challenges lie in the North Pacific, the Arctic, and the North Atlantic. The country’s vast and vulnerable Arctic region, in particular, presents growing concerns amid climate change and increasing interest from Russia and China. Meanwhile, the North Atlantic remains a critical theater for Canada’s NATO commitments and defense of the North American continent alongside the United States.

    Joining AUKUS should not be seen as an opportunity to expand Canada’s military presence in the Indo-Pacific at the expense of these more critical regions. It is imperative that Canada’s defense strategy remain focused on securing its northern flank and fulfilling its NATO obligations in the Atlantic. While a presence in the Indo-Pacific may be warranted in specific circumstances, such as freedom of navigation operations or peacekeeping missions, Canada must resist the temptation to overextend its limited military resources in a region where its core security interests are not at stake.

    By focusing on Pillar 2, Canada could enhance its technological capabilities without being drawn into the full scope of AUKUS’s Indo-Pacific focus. This would allow Canada to reap the benefits of the agreement—improved cyber defense, advanced technologies, and closer military cooperation with key allies—while avoiding a deeper commitment to Indo-Pacific military operations that do not align with its security priorities.

    The Limits of the Middle Power Mentality

    Canada’s foreign policy has long been shaped by the idea that it is a middle power with a responsibility to participate in global security efforts, even in regions far from its own borders. This mentality has often led Canada to participate in international coalitions and interventions, from peacekeeping missions in Africa to military engagements in Afghanistan. However, in the current era of great-power competition and rising regional tensions, Canada must reassess its role in the international system.

    The belief that Canada must join every significant defense initiative to maintain its middle-power status is misguided. Canada should prioritize its own security needs over any perceived obligation to project influence globally. In the context of AUKUS, this means recognizing that Canada’s inclusion in the pact should not be driven by a desire to uphold its middle-power identity, but rather by the practical benefits it can derive from participation—specifically, in the realm of advanced military technologies.

    Furthermore, the notion of Canada as a global middle power no longer aligns with the realities of the international security landscape. The geopolitical environment has shifted, with regions such as the Arctic and the North Pacific becoming increasingly important for Canadian security. Canada must embrace its identity as a North Pacific, Arctic, and North Atlantic power, focusing its defense strategy on these regions rather than spreading its resources thin by participating in global military alliances that do not directly serve its interests.

    Balancing Opportunities with National Interests

    In considering formal participation in AUKUS, Canada must carefully weigh the potential benefits against the risks. While participation in Pillar 2 offers significant opportunities for technological advancement and military cooperation, it should not lead to a shift in Canada’s strategic focus away from the regions where its core security interests lie.

    Canada’s defense establishment is already facing significant challenges, from underfunded procurement processes to recruitment shortfalls and aging military infrastructure. Committing to AUKUS’s broader Indo-Pacific objectives could further strain Canada’s limited defense resources and distract from the more urgent task of securing its northern and Atlantic approaches.

    At the same time, Canada must not shy away from opportunities for technological collaboration with its closest allies. By participating in Pillar 2 of AUKUS, Canada can enhance its military capabilities and ensure that it remains competitive in the rapidly evolving field of military technology. This is not only essential for national defense but also for maintaining Canada’s credibility as a reliable ally within NATO and the broader Western alliance.

    Conclusion

    Canada’s decision to potentially join AUKUS must be grounded in a clear-eyed assessment of its national interests. While the technological benefits of participation in Pillar 2 are significant, Canada must avoid being drawn into the broader Indo-Pacific security focus of the pact. Nor should Canada’s involvement in AUKUS be driven by an outdated sense of middle-power identity. Instead, Canada should embrace its role as a North Pacific, Arctic, and North Atlantic power, focusing its defense efforts on securing these critical regions while selectively engaging in global security initiatives that directly serve its national interests.

    By participating in AUKUS on its own terms—focused on advanced military technology development rather than broader geopolitical ambitions—Canada can enhance its defense capabilities without sacrificing its strategic priorities. This is the path of restraint and pragmatism that should guide Canada’s approach to AUKUS and future international security partnerships.

    Andrew Latham is a professor of international relations at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., a senior Washington fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy, and a non-resident fellow at Defense Priorities in Washington, D.C. He regularly teaches courses on international security, Chinese foreign policy, war and peace in the Middle East, Regional Security in the Indo-Pacific Region, and the World Wars. Professor Latham has been published in outlets such as The Hill, The Diplomat, Canadian Defence Quarterly, The Conversation, Wavell Room/British Military Thought, Defense One, and Responsible Statecraft.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 22:35

  • Largest California Cannabis Delivery Company Shutting Down
    Largest California Cannabis Delivery Company Shutting Down

    Authored by Cynthia Cai via The Epoch Times,

    The largest cannabis delivery company in California will shut down by the end of the year, according to a letter from the chief executive officer Sunday, joining a growing number of marijuana businesses in the state that are going belly up.

    In the note published on LinkedIn, Eaze CEO Cory Azzalino said that “ongoing challenges” in the state’s cannabis industry led to the foreclosure of company assets on Aug. 6.

    He added that the San Francisco-based company is “winding down” current operations and is expected to fully close around Dec. 31.

    Eaze’s management team is working with a group to transfer the assets under new ownership and to determine whether operations will reopen next year.

    Around 500 workers could face layoffs as a result, according to United Food and Commercial Workers, the union representing those employees.

    Founded in 2014, the company says on its website that it provides on-demand delivery to adults across California and Michigan. After California legalized recreational marijuana in 2018, the business rapidly grew to become one of the largest cannabis delivery companies in the state.

    It was once valued at $700 million, but top executives have faced financial issues over the years. Former Eaze CEO James Patterson pleaded guilty in 2021 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. His case was related to that of Hamid Akhavan, a consultant for the company, who was convicted of deceiving credit card companies into processing marijuana transactions, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

    In that same year, tech investor and co-founder of Netscape James Henry Clark invested in the company but was embroiled in lawsuits with other investors in the following years. In 2022, he loaned Eaze $36.9 million but foreclosed on the company at the start of this year, according to federal court documents first reported by WeedWeek.

    Then in August, Clark took ownership of Eaze after purchasing the company for $54 million at auction, but his plans for the company are currently unclear.

    The Epoch Times reached out to Eaze and United Food and Commercial Workers for comment but did not hear back by deadline.

    The delivery company joins a growing number of cannabis-related businesses in California that are closing. Five companies have downsized or closed since 2023. This includes MedMen, which faced financial difficulties earlier this year, leading the company to close all but two of its stores. Similarly, Herbl, a cannabis distribution business, closed at the end of 2023 due to a financial collapse. Flow Kana closed early last year. High Times sold some assets after failing to repay roughly $29 million in loans. GrassDoor also closed late last year after liquidating its assets.

    A report by GreenWave Advisors found that marijuana companies owe California around $732 million in unpaid sales, excise, and cultivation taxes which include penalties and interest. However, 72 percent of those taxes are owed by businesses that are no longer in operation.

    This comes as California Gov. Gavin Newsom last month proposed emergency regulations to ban THC from foods and drinks accessible by people under 21 years old. Meanwhile, he signed Assembly Bill 1775 last week to allow cannabis consumption lounges to operate statewide.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 21:45

  • Ghost Gun Seizures Nearly Triple In Two Years
    Ghost Gun Seizures Nearly Triple In Two Years

    The number of ghost guns recovered by U.S. law enforcement rose swiftly between 2016 and 2022, the same year the Biden Administration introduced background checks and outlawed accessible built-at-home kits without serial numbers for these types of firearms which had previously evaded tracing due to their DIY nature.

    Infographic: Ghost Gun Seizures Nearly Triple in Two Years | Statista

    You will find more infographics at Statista

    Now, as Statista’s Katharina Buchholz reports, the Supreme Court is hearing a case that pro-gun groups, manufacturers and citizens have brought against the U.S. government trying to overturn these rules that they say are based on an unjust expansion of the term firearm and therefore are beyond the power of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to enforce.

    A lower court sided with the plaintiffs and the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case back in April.

    Since the introduction of the new rules and states also passing their own bans and regulations on the subject, there are indications that the proliferation of ghost guns has slowed.

    There are no 2023 numbers available from ATF.

    However, an analysis of police department data from 34 cities by Everytown Research showed a well-known manufacturer of ghost gun kits, Polymer80, was still the seventh most common source of guns used in crimes in 2023 across these municipalities at 1.5 percent.

    The number of 670 recovered Polymer80 guns that year was a step down from 933 in 2022 (across continuously reporting municipalities).

    The most used manufacturer was Glock at 18.4 percent.

    Polymer80, whose name alludes to the 80 percent-ready firearm kits if produces, has ceased operation in July.

    It was headquartered in Nevada, a state that decided to ban and regulate ghost guns in 2021.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 21:20

  • Fasting Activates Cell Repair Mechanism, Reverses Disease
    Fasting Activates Cell Repair Mechanism, Reverses Disease

    Authored by Jingduan Yang, M.D. via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Fasting helps with weight loss and activates the body’s autophagy, allowing deep-seated cell repair and improving cell health. As a result, fasting has been found to help prevent various diseases, slow aging, and effectively treat some illnesses.

    Research has found that fasting and calorie restriction can stimulate autophagy in diabetic mice, thereby improving vascular health. Julia Mikhaylova/Shutterstock

    What Is Autophagy?

    Autophagy is an important function that every cell possesses. As the name suggests, it means self-engulfing and is an essential cellular self-cleaning process.

    Each cell contains multiple parts that keep it functioning continuously. Over time, these parts may become defective or stop performing and become waste inside an otherwise healthy cell. For example, when damaged proteins, discarded organelles, or other wastes appear inside our cells, the efficiency of normal cell operation is reduced.

    Autophagy is equivalent to the body’s cellular recycling system that decomposes and recycles cell parts and waste. At the same time, it repurposes the salvageable bits and pieces into new, usable cell parts to generate energy and repair the cells, keeping the latter healthy and helping to prevent the incidence of diseases.

    A 2013 study published in Ageing Research Reviews has found that with normal autophagy in place, the body is able to resist disease effectively and can even delay aging. When autophagy slows, the waste removal process from the cells becomes less reliable, which may lead to various health issues, culminating in neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, and even cancer.

    Fasting and Autophagy

    How are fasting and autophagy related? When we fast, our cells sense a decrease in energy supply, signaling that they need to start cleaning up their internal “inventory,” initiating autophagy to recycle and utilize the resources already present in the cell.

    Studies have shown that autophagy is a dynamic catabolic process that is strictly regulated. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), known as the “cell energy regulator,” acts like a switch to energy-saving mode in the cell organelle. It is activated whenever it senses a low energy condition, and the cell will then reduce the synthesis of new proteins and start autophagy.

    Fasting triggers the autophagy process, and cells will automatically enter self-repair mode. This helps to remove waste from our bodies and improves the health of cells.

    Research has found that regular fasting can reduce weight and improve aging-related health problems, including cardiometabolic, cancer, and neurocognitive outcomes. Another study found that metabolic profiles related to lung and colorectal cancer risk were reduced after fasting during Ramadan.

    Case Sharing From My Medical Practice

    1. An older man with Alzheimer’s disease: After trying various treatment options, the man’s family decided he should try an intermittent fasting program of fasting for 14 to 16 hours a day, eating only between an 8 to 10-hour time span. After four months, his cognitive function improved significantly. Scans of his brain showed a decrease in the buildup of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. This improvement may be closely related to the autophagy process activated during fasting, which helps clear harmful proteins from the brain.

    2. A breast cancer cancer patient: This patient fasted for 48 hours before chemotherapy. The side effects from chemotherapy were significantly reduced while producing a much better effect from chemotherapy treatment. This is because, during fasting, the autophagy process helps clear damaged cell structures and promotes the regeneration of the immune system, thus enhancing the effectiveness of the treatment. However, some cancer patients suffer from cachexia or are unable to eat at all. In these cases, fasting is not appropriate.

    3. A middle-aged woman with lupus erythematosus (achronic autoimmune disease): This patient found that her symptoms improved significantly after intermittent fasting, and her dependence on hormonal drugs was significantly reduced. This is because autophagy effectively cleans up waste in the body and reduces the inflammatory response.

    These cases demonstrate that fasting can profoundly affect the health of our cells and even help treat diseases.

    However, fasting is not for everyone. People with chronic illnesses or special health needs are advised to consult a physician or nutritionist specialized in this area before beginning any fasting program.

    Two Popular Fasting Routines

    Healthy adults who want to try fasting can start with short-term or intermittent fasting.

    16:8 Fasting: One of the most popular intermittent fasting methods. Fast for 16 hours a day and eat within the remaining eight hours. For example, restrict yourself to eating only between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

    5:20 Fasting: Eat normally for five days of the week and limit your daily caloric intake to 500 to 600 calories on the remaining two days. This approach is also effective at kick-starting autophagy while making it easier for you to stick with it.

    Fasting is not about starving yourself, but rather managing your diet more intelligently so that your body has time to repair itself. During the fasting period, drink enough water and keep up with nutritional balance by choosing the right foods in your meals to ensure adequate nutritional intake.

    Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 20:55

  • Landfall Imminent For Powerful Hurricane Milton
    Landfall Imminent For Powerful Hurricane Milton

    Update (2045ET):

    Official.

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    Ominous sign. 

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    Update (2030ET) 

    Milton is about to make landfall as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday evening on Florida’s central west coast. 

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    “The northern eyewall of Hurricane Milton is beginning to move onshore of the Florida Gulf Coast near Tampa and St. Petersburg, where an Extreme Wind Warning is now in effect. Please shelter in place as these extremely dangerous hurricane-force winds overspread the region,” NHC warned.

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    The storm’s landfall location is between Bradenton and Sarasota. 

    Tornado mania across South Florida. 

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    Half a million customers are without power. 

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    A dire warning from NWS about “catastrophic flash floods”… 

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     Scenes from Sarasota:

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    Live weather cameras: 

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    Milton strengthened overnight into a devastating Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds in excess of 160 mph. The National Hurricane Center reported early Wednseday that Milton was located about 300 miles southwest of Tampa, traversing the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico towards the northeast at 14 mph.

    “On the forecast track, the center of Milton will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico today, make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida late tonight or early Thursday morning, and move off the east coast of Florida over the western Atlantic Ocean Thursday afternoon,” NHC wrote in an advisory note.

    The latest forecast states Milton will make landfall near Sarasota between 0200 ET and 0600 ET Thursday morning as a Category 4 storm.

    One of the main concerns across the Tampa to Sarasota region will be the storm’s dangerous eye and eyewall unleashing record storm surges. Warnings have already been posted for much of Florida’s western coast. 

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    Not good. 

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    “Tampa is on a knife’s edge, but Sarasota, Siesta Key, Venice, Englewood, Port Charlotte, and Punta Gorda continue to look to experience the worst of the storm surge under this scenario,” Ben Noll, a meteorologist with New Zealand’s National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, wrote on X. 

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    Noll continued. 

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    Since Sunday, evacuations in the state have been the largest since 2017. 

    According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, here are the areas under mandatory evacuation orders:

    Charlotte County; Citrus County; Collier County; Hillsborough County; Hernando County; Lee County; Levy County; Manatee County; Pasco County; Pinellas County; Sarasota County; St. John’s County and Volusia County;

    And voluntary evacuation orders:

    Glades County; Okeechobee County; Dixie County; Hardee County; Miami-Dade County and Union County.

    Evacuation order map: 

    GTFO.

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    Meanwhile, Tampa-area Sheriff Chad Chronister of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office told residents anyone who has not evacuated is “on their own.” 

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 20:30

  • These Are America's Most Popular Cars (By Generation)
    These Are America’s Most Popular Cars (By Generation)

    This chart, via Visual Capitalist’s Pallavi Rao, ranks America’s most popular cars amongst different generations. Data was sourced from Insurify, as of August 2024.

    To create this ranking Insurify analyzed car ownership rates by brand and model across different generations, based on 4.5 million customer applications between 2023 and 2024.

    They followed the Pew Research Center’s definition to categorize the generations:

    • Baby Boomers: 1946–1964

    • Generation X: 1965–1980

    • Millennials: 1981–1996

    • Generation Z: 1997–2012

    Rankings are based on a car model having the highest rate of ownership in a generation versus the national average for that model. Please visit the source (linked above) for full details on their methodology.

    America’s Favorite Cars by Age Groups

    The Ford F-series pickup truck is the most popular vehicle for Baby Boomers and Gen X.

    However, for Millennials, the Ford pickup ranks sixth by ownership, and it doesn’t appear in Gen Z’s top choices at all.

    Trucks in general do better with older generations, as evidenced also by the Chevrolet Silverado’s presence. It’s ranked fifth for Baby Boomers and Gen X, 10th for Millennials, and once again not in the top choices for Gen Z.

    Older generations also seem to like—and can probably afford—bigger cars. Baby Boomers and Gen X both have SUVs in their top 10 (Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, and the Chevrolet Equinox) while Millennials and Gen Z have none.

    Across all generations, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord consistently rank in the top five. Interestingly both car brands rank in the top five for reliability.

    These are about car models, how do generations feel about brands? Check out America’s Top Car Brands, by Generation. Spoiler: Hyundai ranks 6th across all four.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 20:30

  • 3.3% Of High Schoolers Identify As Transgender; CDC Survey Claims
    3.3% Of High Schoolers Identify As Transgender; CDC Survey Claims

    Authored by Ken Silva via HeadlineUSA.com,

    The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released the results of a 2023 survey on Tuesday, finding that 3.3% of U.S. high school students identified as transgender as of last year.

    The CDC survey also found that 2.2% of students “identified as questioning.” The study, from the 2023 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey, was touted as the first of its kind.

    “Until recently, population-based data describing the experiences of transgender students and students questioning whether they are transgender (questioning) have been limited,” the agency said Tuesday.

    Of the trans-identifying students, about 47.5% of them identified as female.

    There were also apparently fewer black transgender students.

    “A lower proportion of transgender students identified as Black and higher proportion identified as White compared with cisgender or questioning students. In addition, for questioning students, differences in grade distribution were observed,” the CDC said.

    The CDC survey found that trans students perform more poorly than their “cisgender” counterparts in just about every metric.

    “Transgender and questioning students experienced a higher prevalence of violence, poor mental health, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and unstable housing, and a lower prevalence of school connectedness than their cisgender peers,” the CDC said, defining “cisgender” students as “those whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth.”

    According to the CDC, some 40% of transgender and questioning students were bullied at school, and 69% of questioning students and 72% of transgender students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness—a marker for experiencing depressive symptoms.

    “Approximately 26% of transgender and questioning students attempted suicide in the past year compared with 5% of cisgender male and 11% of cisgender female students,” the CDC said.

    Trans students are also gayer than cisgender ones, the survey found.

    “Most cisgender students reported their sexual identity as heterosexual (79.4%), whereas only 8.7% of transgender students and 7.5% of questioning students identified as heterosexual. Transgender questioning students had a higher prevalence of questioning their sexual identity (20.4%) than both cisgender and transgender students (4.1% and 7.0%, respectively),” the CDC said.

    “The prevalence of students who described their sexual identity in some other way was greatest among transgender students (32.8%), followed by transgender questioning students (23.2%), with only 2.9% of cisgender students identifying as such.”

    X user Robert Sterling summed up the farce perfectly:

    The idea that one out of every 33 high school kids is trans is patently absurd.

    The DSM-IV, which psychologists used from 1994 until 2013, estimated the prevalence of transsexualism to be 1 out of every 30,000 males and 100,000 females.

    You really mean to tell us all that researchers just 30 years ago were off by a factor of 1000x?

    I’m sorry but it’s not bigotry to call this a social contagion, and we’re doing our kids a disservice by pretending otherwise.

    As another X user noted, “This is failed parenting on a grand display. America is screwed.”

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 20:05

  • IDF Troops Raise Israeli Flag Over Southern Lebanon Town
    IDF Troops Raise Israeli Flag Over Southern Lebanon Town

    The Israeli Broadcasting Authority featured footage from Lebanon this week which showed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops raising the Israeli flag on Lebanese territory, after pushing Hezbollah out of the area.

    The ongoing ground invasion to degrade and dismantle Hezbollah had been previewed as ‘limited’ and as expected to last for a few weeks, according to government officials, but the highly controversial planting of the flag could suggest an indefinite occupation of some parts of southern Lebanon.

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    The incident happened Tuesday, and involved several IDF troops planting the flag in the village of Maroun el-Ras in Bint Jbeil district in Nabatieh. This location is about a kilometer away from the border.

    The soldiers can be heard saying in Hebrew in the video: “Pay attention to the Iranian promenade/boardwalk, in front of Avivim” – in reference to the closest Israeli settlement on the other side of the UN-demarcated border.

    Iranian officials over the years were known to have visited the now destroyed spot, which is called “Iran Garden” – and is a vantage point from which Iranian leaders could peer into Israel from a high point, and which had memorials to past Hezbollah and Iranian officials.

    Lebanese tourism guide companies have described it as “a place that commemorates Hezbollah’s resilience against the Israeli invasion in 2006.”

    Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had reportedly visited the spot over a decade ago. It now appears to be rubble after this week’s fighting. Israel’s YNet has described of the location:

    The garden was well-maintained with tables for hosting visitors, a green plaza with seating areas, a cafeteria and an amphitheater overlooking Avivim. It also featured a playground for children, guard towers facing Israel, stone arches, a parking lot and a water well.

    Its centerpiece was a model of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, and a cutout of the former Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, pointing toward Israel was also present at the site.

    Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen in follow-up has confirmed the Israeli army has effectively “occupied” the village and “destroyed the houses from which Hezbollah launched anti-tank missiles at Israeli civilians.”

    And Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the same day strongly signaled expanded operations are coming, also as an Israeli Navy warship is parked off the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre. He called for the Lebanese population to “free” the country from Hezbollah or they will face “destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza.”

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 19:40

  • Schizophrenia Drug Linked To Pneumonia, Gut Disorders In 25-Year Follow-Up Study
    Schizophrenia Drug Linked To Pneumonia, Gut Disorders In 25-Year Follow-Up Study

    Authored by Huey Freeman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Recent research has linked clozapine, a powerful medication for schizophrenia, to an increased risk of mortality associated with pneumonia and severe gastrointestinal complications.

    Clozapine is the only drug in the United States approved to treat “treatment-resistant schizophrenia,” which affects one in five schizophrenic patients. It was removed from global markets in the 1970s due to its association with dangerously low white blood cell counts in 2 percent of users.

    Billion Photos/Shutterstock

    Following its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1989, it has been clinically available in the United States since 1990.

    A comprehensive analysis of 25 years of patient data revealed that within 20 years of initiating treatment, 30 percent of schizophrenic patients on clozapine developed pneumonia, while 5 percent experienced intestinal blockages.

    These complications are reportedly more severe than previously documented and are linked to an increased risk of death, the researchers wrote.

    “Clozapine-induced pneumonia and intestinal blockage should be taken as seriously as the white blood cell drop once was,” Dr. Jukka Koskela, leader of the study conducted at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) at the University of Helsinki, said in a press release.

    The study was recently published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. It was based on data from 2,659 participants with a schizophrenia diagnosis in FinnGen, which tracks electronic health records in Finland.

    Participants had an average duration of clozapine use of more than eight years.

    Clozapine’s Role in Treating Schizophrenia

    The authors of the study tracked the electronic health records of over 30,000 patients over 25 years, with a particular focus on schizophrenic patients and clozapine users.

    They identified several serious adverse effects associated with clozapine use, including ileus—a condition in which the gastrointestinal tract malfunctions—seizures, pneumonia, and other respiratory infections.

    Clozapine was also linked to low white blood cell counts, Type 2 diabetes, and rapid heart rates. The reasons for these adverse events remain unclear.

    The loss of white blood cells may be linked to immune suppression, Dr. Peter Breggin, a psychiatrist, told The Epoch Times. He argues that while clozapine may outperform other medications in suppressing symptoms, it does not address the underlying issues faced by schizophrenic patients, ultimately making them more manageable rather than fundamentally treated.

    The medication works by affecting the release of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. Psychiatrists prescribe clozapine because it may improve suicidality, cognition, and mood in patients.

    “The use of clozapine is, however, hampered by adverse drug events (ADEs), some of which are life-threatening and have relegated clozapine to a third-line treatment option,” the Finnish researchers wrote.

    Clozapine is metabolized in the liver, and some people with genetic variations affecting its breakdown may experience adverse effects.

    High concentrations and clozapine metabolites have been linked to seizures, sedation, and excess salivation, the authors wrote. The study revealed that overall, 70 percent of clozapine users experienced at least one adverse event during treatment.

    The authors particularly highlighted the link between pneumonia and ileus, which can occur years after initiating clozapine use. Both conditions are also significantly linked with increased mortality.

    Having ileus more than quadrupled the risk of death among clozapine users, while pneumonia tripled the odds of mortality.

    The prolonged follow-up period of the study allowed for a more accurate assessment of clozapine’s side effects, Dr. Juulia Partanen, a research physician at FIMM and study co-author, said in the press release.

    “Previous studies have mainly identified side effects that occur shortly after starting the medication,” she said.

    The research was funded by several institutions, including the Doctoral Program in Population Health at the University of Helsinki, the Finnish Medical Foundation, the Swedish Society for Medical Research, the Academy of Finland, and the Academy of Finland Center of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 19:15

  • Severe Geomagnetic Storm To Hit Earth As Hurricane Batters Florida
    Severe Geomagnetic Storm To Hit Earth As Hurricane Batters Florida

    NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) warned Wednseday that a super fast Earth-facing coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the sun at a speed of 1200 to 1300 km/s and would spark a severe (G4) geomagnetic storm on Thursday, potentially disrupting critical assets on the grid that are crucial for powering modern society.

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    According to SWPC’s website, the space weather event will “likely arrive at Earth on 10 October,” adding, “We won’t know the characteristics of the CME until it arrives 1 million miles from Earth and its speed and magnetic intensity are measured by the DSCOVR and ACE satellites.” 

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    The NOAA Geomagnetic Storm Scale indicates a G4 storm can disrupt “key assets” on the grid… 

    Visualize it.

    The solar storm is set to arrive just hours after Hurricane Milton pounds Central Florida early Thursday morning.

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    SWPC’s Aurora forecast for tomorrow shows that northern lights will be visible as low as the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Mid-Alantic, and Northeast. 

    It appears as if the NYC is in play. 

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    Last week, the sun fired off a massive X9.05 solar flare… 

    “Today’s incredible X9.0-class solar flare, the most intense flare since 2017. An Earth-directed solar storm is highly likely, given the spot region is faced directly at Earth,” Space Weather Watch wrote on X. 

    All this solar activity comes as Solar Cycle 25 has reached a maximum period. 

    Last year, we pointed out that Cycle 25 is expected to peak sometime in 2025. 

    It was noted that the ‘first traces’ of Solar Cycle 26 had been detected. 

    In early May, one of the most powerful solar storms in years blasted Earth. Fortunately, the digital economy held up, and Starlink’s massive satellite constellation also survived. 

    Remember, we’ve outlined for years how fragile modern society has become in a solar maximum period of heightened Earth-facing space weather. 

    Hurricanes, solar storms, and the looming threats of World War III in the Middle East and Eastern Europe—what a time to be alive.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 18:50

  • Waste Of The Day: San Antonio To Spend $500K On Trees For Apes
    Waste Of The Day: San Antonio To Spend $500K On Trees For Apes

    Authored by Jeremy Portnoy via RealClearInvestigations,

    Topline: The City of San Antonio will spend $500,000 on planting trees to provide shade for gorillas, according to the city budget approved this month.

    Key facts: A San Antonio Zoo spokesperson told the San Antonio Report that the money will be used on “trees for animal wellbeing and guest comfort, providing more shade and greenery within the zoo grounds.”

    The cash will be taken out of the city’s Tree Canopy Preservation and Mitigation Fund, which charges urban developers for cutting down trees during construction. 

    The fees, worth up to $600 per inch of tree trunk diameter, are supposed to be used to replant greenery in the same streets and neighborhoods they were removed from — not to acquiesce to napping apes.

    The fund collected $9 million last year and used it to plant 12,600 trees, according to the San Antonio Report. The nonprofit San Antonio Trees, which advocated for the fund’s creation in 1996, told the news site that the zoo is violating the ordinance’s intent. 

    The zoo’s two-acre gorilla exhibit is expected to open in late 2025. It includes a 60-foot viewing tower for an “immersive experience” that FOX says will “blur the lines” between “gorillas and visitors.”

    Background: The gorilla exhibit is part of a planned $65 million renovation of the zoo, funded by both private and public money. The nonprofit San Antonio Zoological Society has already secured a $10 million bond from the city, and another $10 million in property taxes will be redirected to the zoo. 

    The project began with a new $13 million entrance unveiled in December, complete with a gigantic gorilla topiary and a canopy of model butterflies stretched over visitors’ heads.

    Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com. 

    Summary: While caring for gorillas is noble, that’s not why these funds were collected in the first place. And with millions in public funds already going to the zoo, the gorillas should be fine without a $500,000 government handout.

    The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 18:25

  • America's Biggest Adversary? Kamala Harris Is Absorbing Absurd Cheney Talking Points
    America’s Biggest Adversary? Kamala Harris Is Absorbing Absurd Cheney Talking Points

    The Biden administration has long talked about Russia as America’s greatest adversary, particularly in the context of the long-raging Ukraine war. The CIA and US national intelligence community, as well as the Pentagon, have more broadly named China as America’s #1 ‘pacing threat’ globally and in the long term.

    This is why it’s somewhat curious and unexpected for Vice President Kamala Harris to name Iran as the United States’ top “adversary” when asked in her 60 Minutes interview. It seems she’s just jumping on the bandwagon, going with the geopolitical hot spot of the moment which happens to be grabbing the headlines, just as Israel is poised to retaliate against Iran.

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    Asked by the show host about which country is America’s “greatest adversary,” she responded, “I think there’s an obvious one in mind which is Iran. Iran has American blood on their hands.”

    “And what we saw in terms of just this attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles, what we need to do to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power, that is one of my highest priorities,” she continued.

    In follow-up Harris was asked whether she would approve military action against Iran if it became evident country had nuclear weapons. She responded, “I’m not gonna talk about hypotheticals at this moment.”

    An independent journalist and analyst of the region, Zaid Jilani, pointed out the following:

    Kamala Harris says Iran is America’s greatest adversary. How is a country with 60 times smaller GDP than ours our biggest adversary? It does suggest that her lack of policy knowledge just has her absorbing silly Cheney talking points.

    Perhaps she’s also doing the pre-election let me demonstrate my full commitment to Israel ritual which pretty much every candidate of the past decades on both sides of the aisle has done.

    Harris has of late repeatedly touted 

    As for current Washington consensus on who’s the ‘big threat’, the 2022 National Defense Strategy labels China the “most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security strategy.”

    And it identifies Russia as a close second. Iran finds mention as merely in the category of “persistent threats” – which also includes small non-state actors like al-Qaeda.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 18:00

  • Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices Could Change Attitudes On Vaccines
    Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices Could Change Attitudes On Vaccines

    Authored by Charles Sauer via RealClearHealth,

    There are sundry problems with our healthcare system, and, unfortunately, many of our most significant challenges originate with government policies and public health recommendations – well-meaning intentions seldom have the outcome that was designed.

    Too frequently, critics argue, government policies pick winners and losers vis-à-vis health care. Such policy decisions are often settled deep within government bureaucracies at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    Health care advocates need to stay focused on the health policy decisions impacting the relationship between physicians and patients; on vaccine protocols; and myriad other rulings which have direct consequence on access to care. Patient organizations and the health policy community can help government agencies call ‘balls and strikes’ in a fair, pro-science approach.

    Later this month the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is likely to vote on new recommendations relating to pneumococcal vaccinations. Specifically, ACIP is expected to endorse a recommendation to lower the age for routine pneumococcal vaccination from age 65 to 50. Such a policy change will save lives by expanding access to immunizations. Greater access to life-affirming care is a policy move that must be lauded from all quarters of the health care debate.

    Greater access, though, is only half of what patients need when it comes to their medicine – greater access must be linked with more choice. Who should decide what medicine is best for a patient? The answer is simple and grounded in good science: patients with their doctors. So, with its decision to back the new recommendation to lower the age for pneumococcal vaccination to 50 and older, ACIP must not pick a ‘winner’ or a ‘loser’ regarding FDA approved vaccines in this health space.

    There are two primary FDA-approved vaccines for pneumococcal disease. Health advocates and policy experts are not pushing one over the other, and neither should ACIP. Both vaccines should be included in ACIP’s recommendation to physicians.

    It makes no good health-sense for these decisions – the right medicine for the right patient at the right time – to happen anywhere outside of the exam room. ACIP is comprised of the very best minds on vaccine practices, which is why they are serving in Atlanta at the CDC. However, gifted physicians and professionals in Atlanta should not be making intimate health decisions for patients in rural North Carolina or the Southside of Chicago. Modern medicine demands greater access (lowering the recommended age) and more choice (recommending both FDA-approved vaccines).

    Given the post-COVID distrust many patients hold toward public health experts, ACIP (an agency unaccountable to the public) must not exclude innovations that could save lives. We know vaccines save lives; why limit recommendations on what vaccine a doctor should prescribe? Decisions made at the CDC impact Medicare and private insurance coverage so limiting patients to only one vaccine could impact compliance. ACIP’s recommendation will affect patients – positively or negatively –  from coast to coast.

    Recommending one vaccine raises several concerns:

    • The patient-physician relationship is breached
    • Lack of insurance coverage, higher out-of-pocket costs, and non-compliance
    • Sufficient supply
    • Lack of competition (we know drug costs come down as competition increases)

    Greater access and more choice make for good vaccine policy. Patients deserve a healthcare system that encourages competition, allows for innovation, and promotes the doctor-patient relationship. What’s more, ACIP’s decision on pneumococcal vaccinations could help reset the public’s attitude toward the public health community.

    Charles Sauer (@CharlesSauer) is president of the Market Institute and author of “Profit Motive: What Drives the Things We Do.” He has previously worked on Capitol Hill, for a governor, and for an academic think tank. 

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 17:40

  • Seoul Alleges North Korean Troops Are Fighting & Dying In Ukraine
    Seoul Alleges North Korean Troops Are Fighting & Dying In Ukraine

    The South Korean government this week has made a big and bold accusation – it says North Korean troops are currently fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. 

    The charge was specifically made by Seoul’s defense minister Kim Yong-hyun on Tuesday. He described that he has reason to believe that six North Korean officers were killed in Donetsk when a Ukrainian missile hit their location on October 3rd. He called reports which first surfaced in Ukrainian media “highly likely”.

    The defense minister in a briefing with South Korean political leaders said, “We assess that the occurrence of casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine is highly likely, considering various circumstances.”

    “The issue of deploying regular troops is highly likely due to the mutual agreements that resemble a military alliance between Russia and North Korea,” he noted further.

    Seoul expects that more North Korean troops will be sent to the conflict. The accusation, which lacks hard evidence, comes after months of official US allegations saying the north has sent arms and ammo into Russia by the trainload.

    What is clear is that Moscow and Pyongyang have made no secret that they are deepening their ties, including on the military front, but both sides have denied North Korean involvement in Ukraine.

    There have been several exchanges of defense delegations, and Kim has visited Russia, and Putin even made a very rare visit to Pyongyang in June. The two leaders signed a mutual defense agreement this past summer.

    Below is how the initial claims of North Korean officer deaths were reported in Ukrainian and US media:

    Six North Korean military officers were among about 20 military personnel killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on Russian-occupied territory near the city of Donetsk, a Ukrainian news agency reported. 

    Citing sources in Ukraine’s military intelligence, Interfax-Ukraine said three North Korean servicemen were also wounded. Ukraine’s Kyiv Post reported that the attack happened on Thursday, citing intelligence sources.

    Interfax-Ukraine, in its report on Friday, cited Russian bloggers as saying that North Korean military officers were visiting the front as part of an “exchange of experience” program. 

    The North Korean military was shown how the Russians were “preparing for assault actions, for defense,” when “a missile strike was launched on the training ground,” the Ukrainian news agency added.

    If true this would mark a major escalation of N.Korea’s involvement. “More North Korean troops could be deployed in the war,” Seoul has warned.

    The West wouldn’t be able to do much, having already put fairly maximum sanctions on both Russia and North Korea. It could be another dangerous sign that the Ukraine war is getting more and more internationalized.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 17:20

  • Global Crackdown: How Foreign Censorship Threatens American Free Speech
    Global Crackdown: How Foreign Censorship Threatens American Free Speech

    Authored by Ben Weingarten via RealClearInvestigations,

    On the eve of a highly-anticipated live X “Spaces” conversation between Elon Musk and former president Donald Trump, the powerful (former) European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton warned in August that authorities would be “monitoring” the conversation for “content that may incite violence, hate, and racism.” 

    While reminding Musk that the EU was already investigating X for alleged failures “to combat disinformation,” Breton said he and his colleagues “will not hesitate to make full use of our toolbox … to protect EU citizens from serious harm.”

    The European Commission distanced itself from Breton, who would eventually resign his post while facing scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers for threatening Musk and Americans’ free speech and interfering in domestic politics. But the EU probe of X, which could result in crippling fines, persists.

    Although litigation, congressional oversight efforts, and reportage led by the Twitter Files have helped expose the U.S. government’s efforts to pressure social media companies to censor protected political speech, the recent rumblings from Europe underscore the escalating challenges American-based social media platforms are facing from foreign authorities – not just from repressive regimes such as China and Iran, but also from the EU, the U.K., Brazil, and other democracies. 

    Free speech advocates warn that foreign demands that tech companies comply with their censorious legal and regulatory standards that violate the First Amendment’s protections will hamper the ability of Americans to communicate freely in the digital public square. Facebook’s Community Standards, for example, “apply to everyone, all around the world.” Academics have termed the tendency of companies to apply the strictest local guidelines globally as the “Brussels Effect.”

    Mike Benz, a former State Department cyber official and executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, argues that foreign efforts to cast populist narratives on matters such as election integrity, immigration, and public health as mis- and dis-information constitute a surreptitious “transatlantic flank attack” on American speech. 

    However, evidence suggests that U.S. authorities and U.S.-supported NGOs that have sought greater restrictions on speech have, at minimum, indirectly supported these foreign efforts, creating a backdoor method to suppress protected speech at home.

    For instance, the White House pressured platforms to censor content pertaining to COVID-19 and election integrity. Agencies from the Justice Department to the Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Communications Commission have probed Musk’s enterprises during the Biden years.

    Defining Illegal Content

    The U.S. government has used the FBI and the State Department, among other agencies, to coordinate counter-disinformation efforts globally with other nations. The goal is said to build “a more resilient global information system, where objective facts are elevated and deceptive messages gain less traction,” in the words of  Secretary of State Antony Blinken. 

    As a State Department spokesman told RealClearInvestigations, “The United States is committed to advancing a rights-respecting approach to technology that mitigates potential harms while maintaining the free and open use of digital platforms.”

    “We are concerned by actions to limit access to information anywhere in the world,” the spokesman added.

    The European Union’s Digital Services Act is seen by champions of stringent content moderation standards and critics alike as the strongest global effort to regulate speech. 

    Adopted in 2022 and praised by former President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the measure imposes a slew of regulatory requirements on the more than a dozen social media platforms and search engines that have at least 45 million users in the EU.

    It requires these platforms to take measures to counter “illegal content online,” not only responding to user-flagged posts but those fingered by “specialised ‘trusted flaggers’” for removal, according to a European Commission Q&A.

    “Illegal content,” the Commission writes, includes “illegal hate speech” and other prohibited rhetoric, pursuant to EU law or those within any of its 27 member states. Platforms also must take “risk-based action,” including undergoing independent audits to combat “disinformation or election manipulation” – with the expectation those measures should be taken in consultation with “independent experts and civil society organisations.” The Commission says these measures are aimed at mitigating “systemic issues such as … hoaxes and manipulation during pandemics, harms to vulnerable groups and other emerging societal harms” driven by “harmful” but not illegal content.

    The DSA also references a Code of Practice on Disinformation, under which Big Tech companies such as Google, Meta, and Microsoft have agreed to demonetize purported disinformation pursuant to European Commission guidance.

    Notable signatories and contributors to the “self-regulatory” code include the U.S.-based NewsGuard (which took issue, to a degree, with the final product) and the U.K.-based Global Disinformation Index – both of which have received U.S. government funding – and the Brussels-based World Federation of Advertisers.

    These organizations have each allegedly targeted the advertising revenue of independent media outlets – with NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index disparaging RealClearPolitics – by working with major brands and advertising agencies to blacklist outlets that publish work that challenges official narratives.

    The DSA suggests that compliance with the Code of Practice on Disinformation may satisfy its “risk mitigation” standards. European regulators have called for formally incorporating the “voluntary” code into the DSA’s “co-regulatory framework.”

    X and Meta in the Crosshairs

    X and Meta have both faced “formal proceedings” under the Digital Service Act over the last year concerning potentially non-compliant practices touching on political speech. (Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently expressed regret for caving in to pressure from the FBI and Biden-Harris administration to censor political content the government didn’t want Americans to see). 

    Those ongoing investigations can impose fines of up to 6% of annual global revenue and even suspension, should platforms fail to remedy violations. Neither X nor Meta responded to RCI’s requests for comment. Punitive threats, along with the broader business imperative to access the EU’s 450-million-person marketplace, have led many to speculate that a Brussels Effect will take hold.

    Adam Candeub, a former Trump administration Commerce Department official who teaches at Michigan State University, worries that platforms “may very well decide to run the[mselves] consistent with the wishes of the EU – rather than deal with the cost and administrative burdens of running one DSA-compliant version in Europe and another, First Amendment-consistent version in the United States.”

    He likens the model created by the Digital Services Act in Europe to the “whole-of-society” model to stifle disfavored information – a system of censorship pioneered by the U.S. government in the run-up to the 2020 election and codified in the Biden administration’s National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism. The Digital Services Act, Candeub notes, mandates this architecture by creating “a surveillance structure in which there is intimate government involvement at multiple layers.”

    George Washington University Law School Professor Dawn Carla Nunziato concurs that “the DSA’s substantive content moderation and notice and take down provisions will likely incentivize the platforms to remove large swaths of content – including political speech, criticism of political figures, parody, and pro-LGBTQ+ speech – that may be flagged by private entities as illegal under EU countries’ laws.”

    Some American players who favor greater content restriction welcome the Brussels Effect. “If it weren’t for the European Union and the Digital Services Act, I don’t know that we’d have much hope of rectifying” the spread of mis- and dis-information, George Washington University Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics Director Rebekah Tromble said during a panel discussion on the Center for Democracy & Technology’s Report.

    “Hopefully,” she added, “as the DSA begins to come into force and the platforms feel the real pressure of actual enforcement action,” it would spur them to re-staff relevant positions and re-focus on content moderation.

    Tromble did not respond to RCI’s request for comment.

    When asked whether it would defend American companies targeted under the regulatory regime, a State Department spokesman told RCI, “We are engaging with our European colleagues on some specific concerns on the DSA … which we believe would make it easier to achieve transatlantic cooperation and alignment on these critical issues.” 

    Brazil Leads Crackdown

    Brazil’s government recently took the extraordinary step of banning X over the platform’s refusal to comply with orders from its Supreme Court that it take down the accounts of former President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters in a sweeping effort to curtail the speech of the country’s populist-nationalist right. 

    This marked the climax of a fight in which X’s legal representative faced the threat of arrest, Musk found himself under criminal investigation, and Brazil seized funds from his Starlink satellite Internet service companies’ accounts to satisfy fines. 

    Musk noted the risks of challenging Brazil’s authorities back in April, claiming, “We will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there.” He vowed to defy Brasília. 

    But in September, X agreed to comply with orders from Brazil’s Supreme Court. With roughly five times as many X users in the EU as in Brazil, free speech advocates worry that the social media giant might bow to European Commission pressure just as quickly.

    Under the same pressure to remove disfavored content creators, YouTube alternative Rumble announced it would be leaving Brazil last December. 

    French authorities arrested Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov in August for allegedly permitting criminal activity on the messaging application and refusing to turn over information or documents with investigators pursuant to law, drawing outcries from Musk and other free speech proponents.

    Telegram, too, eventually agreed to comply with government requests for user data concerning alleged crimes.

    That same month, amid anti-immigration fervor sparked by a stabbing attack resulting in the murder of three British children – wrongly attributed in viral social media posts to an asylum seeker – Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley threatened extradition and jail time for Americans should they violate British speech laws concerning “incitement,” “stirring up racial hatred,” or other “terrorist offenses regarding the publishing of material.”

    “[W]hether you’re in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online, we will come after you,” Rowley warned.

    Stiff Fines for Offending Speech

    The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act serves as a likely legal basis for Rowley’s remarks. Starting in 2025, the U.K.’s regulator, Ofcom, will be able to charge firms up to 10% of their global annual revenues should they fail to “take robust action” against content that includes “racially or religiously aggravated public order offences,” “inciting violence” – or apparently even raising concerns about “illegal immigration.” 

    In September, U.K. officials held talks with X regarding “the spread of misinformation and other harmful content,” according to a CNBC report, as it had other platforms, following calls by one lawmaker to summon Musk for questions before parliament.

    Australia, too, recently indicated it will fine platforms up to 5% of their global revenue should they fail to prevent the spread of “misinformation” online, specifically around elections and public health.

    The Biden-Harris administration’s general silence on these matters has drawn the ire of Republican lawmakers, who see quiet in the face of foreign authorities’ targeting of American entities as acquiescing to, if not tacitly endorsing, the practice of interfering with Americans’ First Amendment rights.

    The House Judiciary Committee reportedly subpoenaed the State Department for information regarding its communications with the EU following Breton’s threats regarding the Musk-Trump discussion. The committee sent the European Commission a letter on Sept. 10 calling on it to provide information on any communications it has had with the White House “to use EU law as a way to bypass the First Amendment.”

    Foggy Bottom did not respond to RCI’s inquiries concerning potential coordination with foreign authorities targeting Americans’ speech, particularly in the EU or Brazil.

    Journalist Michael Shellenberger reported in August 2023 on an apparent quid pro quo during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the White House protected social media platforms from European data privacy regulations after platforms bowed to the administration’s own censorship demands.

    Benz has called the Digital Services Act an “EU-to-U.S. censorship pipeline” that he sees as a successor to Germany’s NetzDG law, passed in the wake of the 2016 elections, that saw populist victories across the West under pressure from former State Department officials. 

    That law, Benz said, “forced YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to begin adopting AI censorship techniques across the board for continuity with global markets, boomeranging back on Americans.” The Digital Services Act, he contends, is “designed to force platforms to hire more censors, who in turn will focus on U.S. affairs.”

    House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, told RCI that “The Biden-Harris administration’s failure to stand up to Brazil’s institutional harassment of X, Musk, and Starlink is yet another display of their weakness on the world stage. Their timidity signals, once again, that American leadership is in retreat, and allows enemies of free speech everywhere to grow bolder and flourish.”

    White House Supports Foreign Censors

    Senior Biden administration officials reportedly told former President Jair Bolsonaro prior to the 2022 general election that he ought not to cast doubt on the integrity of Brazil’s election system in connection with that race.

    After leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won the election by a small margin, Presidents Biden and Lula delivered a joint statement “reaffirm[ing] their intention to build societal resilience to disinformation, and agree[ing] to work together on these issues.” The State Department did not respond to RCI about what that work has entailed.

    In May, Paulo Figueiredo, a popular Brazilian journalist and television show host targeted by Brazil’s Supreme Court, marshaled evidence in testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee that “the U.S. government and NGOs acted directly in strengthening Brazil’s censorship apparatus.” 

    The Biden administration has previously consulted with foreign governments and NGOs regarding disfavored speech, according to evidence obtained by America First Legal, a conservative organization that fights “lawless executive actions.” As part of the National Security Council’s 2021 interagency meetings on COVID-related speech, the White House hosted the United Kingdom’s Counter Disinformation Unit. 

    The administration appears to have adopted some of the unit’s recommendations, including establishing a National Election Command Post within the FBI that flagged Americans’ accounts to Twitter for potential censorship over allegedly spreading “misinformation” regarding the 2022 midterm election.

    America First Legal also notes that the White House “solicited policy recommendations from the British-based Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) – the group behind the U.K. Online Safety Act – and adopted commitments to hold companies accountable through DOJ prosecutions and FTC enforcement actions for allowing ‘online harassment’ on their platforms.”

    The Center for Countering Digital Hate, a group led by multiple individuals tied to Britain’s Labour Party, “works to stop the spread of online hate and disinformation through innovative research, public campaigns and policy advocacy.” It published a report on “The Disinformation Dozen” calling for social media platforms to suppress prominent skeptics of public health orthodoxy regarding COVID-19, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that Biden administration officials and Democratic Party state attorneys general used to press the companies accordingly.

    A State Department spokesperson told RCI that the U.S. is a “champion of and leader in the protection of freedom of expression.” But both the House Foreign Affairs and Small Business Committees have presented evidence indicating that the U.S. government has used foreign-facing offices purportedly aimed at targeting foreign propaganda – including the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which has granted taxpayer dollars to counter-disinformation entities – to suppress the protected speech of Americans.

    The Small Business Committee reported that the Global Engagement Center “sourced, developed, then platformed and promoted” private-sector tools for targeting purported “mis-, dis-, and mal-information” to tech platforms “with the ability to moderate domestic speech and impact domestic business operations,” including working with foreign governments to test said products.

    In a March 2024 speech on “Building a More Resilient Information Environment” during the third “Summit for Democracy,” Secretary Blinken argued that “disinformation transcends borders. It crosses platforms. No single country, no single entity can meet this challenge alone.”

    To create “a healthier information environment,” he added, the administration is using “diplomacy, advancing a shared understanding of the problem as well as creative solutions to address it.”

    These diplomatic efforts include “aligning partners and allies around a framework to counter information manipulation by foreign adversaries,” “training partners to analyze disinformation,” sharing best practices, and “co-chairing the OECD’s new Misinformation and Disinformation Hub, helping governments shift from ad hoc tactics to more holistic policies that enable reliable information to thrive.”

    With the Biden-Harris administration silent in the face of the targeting of American platforms, Republicans are bringing forth legislation to combat foreign threats to domestic speech.

    Last month, House Republicans introduced two bills – the No Censors on our Shores Act and the No Funding or Enforcement of Censorship Abroad Act – to punish foreign individuals and entities that promote or engage in the censorship of American speech.

    A sponsor of the No Censors Act, Rep. Darrell Issa of California, told RCI, “The First Amendment rights of the American people are threatened not only by malign actors in the FBI or State Department – or even the EU, UK, or Brazil – but by the entirety of the Censorship Industrial Complex at home and abroad. Our response must be no less comprehensive, and that’s why Congress can’t look away from a continuing scandal that grows worse with every revelation. We need to be committed and creative if we’re going to win the fight for free speech.”

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 17:00

  • Watch: Reporter Goes Nuclear On State Dept Spox On Ukraine, Gaza, Iran Conflicts
    Watch: Reporter Goes Nuclear On State Dept Spox On Ukraine, Gaza, Iran Conflicts

    In a very rare moment, a journalist who was invited to the State Department’s daily briefing had enough of the US government’s constant foreign policy double-speak, contradictory statements, and war-mongering abroad. The Biden administration has for months been playing a game of nuclear chicken with Russia as it gives Ukraine more and more leeway in striking targets deep in Russian territory. 

    This is happening as several wars are already unfolding at once from Ukraine to Gaza to Lebanon, and now a broader war could at any moment erupt between Iran and Israel – yet Washington has persisted in passing out billions in weaponry in these war zones. Escalatory policies persist as Kiev and Tel Aviv are armed to the teeth, and thousands die weekly, and all the while concepts like “negotiations” or “ceasefire” are bad words. There simply seems no ‘climb down’ option on the horizon, and Congress is missing in action, leaving all of this far outside of the American people’s control.

    The Grayzone’s Liam Cosgrove, who may soon see his State Dept press credentials revoked, went off on spokesman Matthew Miller, in a one-and-a-half minute segment that’s a thing of beauty. “People are sick of the bullshit here,” Cosgrove exclaims at one point, while a shocked government spokesman tried to shut him down. Watch the exchange unfold below…

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    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 10/09/2024 – 16:40

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