Today’s News 13th July 2023

• The Death Games Of Ukraine
  The Death Games Of Ukraine

  Authored by David Patrikarakos via UnHerd,

  Down in a bunker a little way back from the Ukraine frontline, I am watching a staple of modern warfare: a drone attack in real time.

  

  The command centre is a small room with three TV monitors, two of which are divided into four screens. All are showing drone footage from different parts of the front’s 20 kilometres of trenches. Four men sit in front of the screens. Two men sit off at the side — one on a laptop, one manning a two-way radio. In the centre of the room stands Bereza, the Brigade commander, barking voicenotes into his phone.

  Two of the screens go black and a message pops up: “Your livestream will play again as soon as it’s available. Get Ready!”  I’m told it happens all the time. The screens cut in and out for all manner of unpredictable reasons. But, then, the image reappears and we are looking at a forest. A Russian tank is on the move — changing direction and wheeling around. The men inside this room are trying to destroy it. Their constant banter —  about girls and weapons — doesn’t seem to affect the focus with which they pursue the tank. One man shouts into the radio; Bereza growls into his phone. A screen goes black again. “Your livestream will play again as soon as it’s available. Get Ready!”

  A screen flashes with light. Then billowing smoke. The men whoop and cheer. I have just seen a successful strike. Dima grins. The atmosphere is electric but also strangely banal. The exclusively male cohort, the puerile jokes, the screens, the repeated invocation to “Get Ready!”. It’s like they are all playing a video game.

  “This is modern war, David” says Dima. “The war online.”

  In some respects, 21st-century warfare began the first time a US MQ-1 Predator UAV (that’s an unmanned Aerial Vehicle) drone flew over the Taliban’s positions to photograph the scene below. The Americans realised drones could be used for more than snooping. They could be modified for combat, armed with missiles and other incendiary devices. China, Iran and Turkey joined the arms race, and now they flood the market with their own cheap and effective drones.

  For any state fighting without the wealth of the United States and China (which is everyone else), what is cheap and effective is also necessary. Out in Ukraine, the skies throng with Chinese-made DJI Mavics, Iranian Shaheds, Russian Orlan-10s and Turkish Bayraktar TB2s. Drones may not have the same payload or firepower as a fighter jet, but then again you can’t buy a fighter jet on the internet. For the price of one F-35, you can buy 55,000 DJI Mavic 3s. For less established militaries, drones offer the chance of levelling the field to at least some degree.

  I spot a DJI Mavic 3 drone amid the scattered clothing, food and weaponry in the Dnipro 1 base. It’s not more than around 13×12 inches. This is a civilian camera drone — anyone can buy it online for around $3,000. If resource constraints breed creativity, then the Ukrainians are becoming artists. When I covered the battle of Bakhmut, an officer there explained to me how his unit could take out a multi-million-dollar T90 Russian tank by simply buying a Mavic online and fitting it with a small explosive. The Ukrainians have become masters of modifying consumer drones for conflict; of weaponising the everyday into something far more potent.

  There is an atmosphere of relaxed watchfulness here. The sound of shells and rockets is distant but constant. The soldiers are fighting the Russians up close with tanks, rockets, artillery, sometimes even rifles. And always drones. Some, including the Iranian-made HESA Shahed 136 that the Russians use, are designed to directly strike targets. These are generally expensive — though the Shahed comes in at around $10,000 upwards, which makes it affordable enough to be expendable (only increasing their threat). But the Ukrainians mainly use drones as “eyes in the sky” — they use the cheaper camera ones to spot enemy targets and then call in their coordinates to other units, mainly artillery, to enable them to strike them more accurately. When ammunition and equipment stocks are low, firing must be accurate. On the front, there are few second chances.

  “If I had had this technology in 2014, Putin would not have been able to occupy any of our territories. Fact,” says Dnipro 1 commander Yuriy Bereza. “The most important thing now is online comms. The most important thing is that I can see the reality on the ground.” He’s whittling a piece of cardboard with a knife, which he waves it around for emphasis as he makes his point. “When soldiers are on the front they are stressed and often give the wrong information, but with a drone I can see the situation calmly on the screen… I see the reality, the truth of it all — from above. It impacts how quickly I can make a decision. And whoever is quicker wins.

  “It’s incredible how drones are changing the war. If I turn on my phone – a rocket will come out of the sky and land on me. The Russians can track it and they have orders to kill me. So many things in war now are about WhatsApp, Facetime, Signal — wars are being run out of phones. And if you leave a phone on in the wrong place you can die.”

  The next morning after coffee, Bereza calls over a soldier who introduces himself as Oleksiy and who was part of the team last night. He is a studious-looking man who before the war was, like Dima, an IT engineer. Once those fighting here would have been the most physically impressive. Now they are recruited for their digital skills. Contemporary conflicts now require different types of soldiers — and they’re neither AI-generated nor Olympians.

  He explains that what I had seen yesterday was part of a multi-pronged mission to stop two Russian tanks trying to destroy Ukrainians positions on the zero line while simultaneously trying to draw the unit’s attention away from an attack from the other side. “My role is to coordinate the direction of fire and to give tasks to the different units around me. Those who pilot the drone; those who analyse the coordinates; those who shoot — all of them I coordinate on the battlefield.”

  He picks up a book from the table. “Look at this book on how to be a commander. It’s several years old, but we need to react to events as they are now. Military doctrine is like a computer program, it needs to be updated every six months. Drones are the best for choosing tactics, not tomorrow, but right now.”

  And you need to be creative. Last night one of the tanks managed to get away but they got the other one by sending the drone up to follow it in real time and then send its coordinates to the artillery as it moved. They could direct their fire in such a way that while they didn’t hit it directly, they forced the tank onto a mine, blowing it up. The whole operation took about three minutes. How would they have done this operation without drones?  “Before drones,” he replies, “the only eyes we had were of the infantry. We sucked.”

  What about the air force? He smiles. “Well, for a start the Russians also have more planes. But even so, maybe you can hear a tank from a plane, but you cannot work out where it is. Especially if the tank is hidden and then two minutes later comes out of its hiding place — and the Russians use jamming systems to disguise their movements, but we use drones from a big distance to get around this. Drones allow us to watch the battle in real time.” The benefits drones bring are more than just narrowly military. For a start, there is the question of morale. One of the unit’s key tasks, Oleksiy explains, is to aid their infantry. “When they see us over their heads, [they know] we are protecting them, so they are happier to stay on their frontlines positions, because they know we can be there in one minute,” he says. This, in the end, it’s what it’s all about in war: speed. And drones, if used properly, give you that. Right now, the Ukrainians are reaping the rewards.

  The Russians are neither stupid nor technologically naive. According to reports, Ukraine is losing around 10,000 drones per month to Russian electronic warfare. When I spoke to Dima earlier in the year, he told me how much better the enemy was getting at jamming and disrupting his attacks and how much more advanced they were in medium-range drones. Now, 18 months on, despite all their problems, the Russians remain in the field and they are getting better. They have significant technological capabilities — and, crucially, they are learning from their mistakes.

  The Ukrainians, meanwhile, are forced to crowdfund for drones (and indeed other equipment). The Russians, bereft of international or often popular domestic support, are reliant on Moscow to keep delivering. It does so inadequately and with little concern for its own men. But its artillery is still firing, and its drones are still in the air. And as the counteroffensive intensifies all the way up and down the line of contact, it is becoming clear that whoever wins the drone wars will come to hold the upper hand in the war — perhaps for good.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 07/13/2023 – 02:00

• Here's What's Really Behind The Global Reset And Sustainable Development Agenda 2030
  Here’s What’s Really Behind The Global Reset And Sustainable Development Agenda 2030

  Authored by Chris Macintosh via InternationalMan.com,

  Captive in the so-called 15-minute cities, eat bugs and no meat, immerse in the metaverse, and a never ending feed of pharmaceuticals, and all that by force, otherwise your universal basic income (UBI) gets cut off.

  

  Energy? Dirty.

  Lower motorway speeds and driving ban in plan to tackle oil reliance. Here’s an extract from Daily Echo article

  Lowering motorway speed limits and introducing driving bans on Sunday are ideas being suggested to cut Britain’s reliance on oil.

  The ideas are part of a ten-point plan proposed by the International Energy Agency in a bid to reduce global oil demand by 2.7 million barrels per day.

  Motorway speed limits would be reduced by 6 mph across the country under the proposals, while the plan also suggests a ban on driving in cities every Sunday.

  This is horseshit! It has nothing to do with “reducing reliance on oil” and everything to do with the WEF and UN “sustainable development Agenda 2030.”

  You know what’s going to happen? The existing stream of folks leaving countries implementing these policies will turn into a flood (more on this in a minute). With it will come capital controls, because the sociopaths driving this agenda will never see their own policies as the problem. No, it’s always those silly peasants who are the problem.

  In case you’re wondering… that’s you.

  Meat? Dirty.

  Irish considering massive cattle culling. We are flabbergasted that killing 200,000 head of cattle is even a consideration…

  

  Wasn’t Ireland “famous” for its potato famine? You would think that people would learn from history. I am coming to the view that little/nothing is learnt by studying history.

  When will folks wake up to this delusional stuff going on? Perhaps when their living standards take a bat to the knees.

  In any event, the Irish merely considering the elimination of 10% of their cattle herd highlights just how strong this climate narrative is. But it’s not solely an Irish issue. This cancer has spread to all of the West.

  Upcoming Steak Prohibition.

  German authorities have advised residents of Germany to consume no more than 10 grams of meat per day, as discussed in an article published by Eastern Herald

  The black market trade in steaks is going to be absolutely loco. When they told us we’d eat the bugs, they didn’t mention the word “willingly.”

  Here’s how it works in case you’ve not figured it out or if you need to explain things to friends who have perhaps thus far been gullible enough to buy into the entire “the world is going through a climate crisis” and life itself will end in [pick your suitable date]” hogwash.

  The financial considerations that need to be made in order to meet idiotic green energy targets mean that all things that currently sustain life itself (energy and food being at the top of the list) become uneconomical and are shut down.

  This is creating the greatest convexity I’ve ever seen in my career. In fact, it is the greatest I’ve ever seen relative to my readings of history going back hundreds of years. What is obvious is the sectors coming under attack. What is more challenging is determining from an investment standpoint the jurisdictions/countries which will ultimately repudiate this Malthusian genocidal eugenic agenda.

  More lies regarding the “renewable energy transition”.

  We need ‘+330 mines in 12 years’ to feed battery demand according to Stockhead.

  Yeah, it ain’t gonna happen. Simple math, which a 10-year-old should be able to do, reveals that this entire charade is not only going to fall short. It is not going to come anywhere near close, which begs the question: what is it that is planned?

  The answer is that the sociopaths at the UN and in Washington have no real intent for the peasants to continue with their current standard of living. They intend for us all to live in our 15-minute cities, eating bugs, immersed in the metaverse, and hooked up to a neverending feed of pharmaceuticals, which we’ll be forced to take, otherwise your UBI (universal basic income) gets cut off.

  That is their plan, and it is currently under implementation. It is surprisingly successful. The pushback is rather mediocre, and that is more easily understood by the 4th Turning. By and large, the West is in a fourth turning. People are fat, well fed, lazy physically and intellectually. Unprepared to sacrifice their relative comforts, they will be largely sacrificed. The next generation will have to come out stronger. This may happen in some places. We can certainly hope so. What is also possible and not discussed much is that a long dark age could take hold. Certainly it’s happened before.

  What I do know is that nothing happens in a vacuum… and we are seeing this. The weakening of the entire Western middle class is being met with both emigration of the awake and typically wealthy class to pockets which are benefitting from the collapse.

  *  *  *

  The Western system is undergoing substantial changes, and the signs of moral decay, corruption, and increasing debt are impossible to ignore. With the Great Reset in motion, the United Nations, World Economic Forum, IMF, WHO, World Bank, and Davos man are all promoting a unified agenda that will affect us all. To get ahead of the chaos, download our free PDF report “Clash of the Systems: Thoughts on Investing at a Unique Point in Time” by clicking here.

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 23:40

• Hong Kong Warns Of Japanese Seafood Ban If Fukushima Dumps Nuke Water Into Ocean
  Hong Kong Warns Of Japanese Seafood Ban If Fukushima Dumps Nuke Water Into Ocean

  Last week, the UN nuclear watchdog gave Japan the “greenlight” to dump ‘treated’ radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima plant into the ocean. The plan upset China, the biggest buyer of its seafood exports, and has since sparked concerns in Hong Kong. 

  On Wednesday, Hong Kong’s Environment and ecology department head Tse Chin-wan warned if Japan discharges 500 Olympic swimming pools of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean, that would trigger a ban on imports of all frozen, refrigerated, dried, or otherwise preserved aquatic products, sea salt, and unprocessed or processed seaweed, according to Reuters. 

  The threat of a ban comes one day after Hong Kong leader John Lee said the city would ban seafood products from a “large number” of Japanese prefectures if Tokyo decided to discharge the treated radioactive water. 

  Fukushima Nuke Plant Water Tanks 

  

  Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded that Japan’s plans to release treated radioactive water from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean are consistent with international safety standards. 

  Almost immediately, that didn’t sit well with China, the largest buyer of Japan’s seafood exports, who said it would increase monitoring of edible products from Japan and continue bans on seafood imports from 10 prefectures. The General Administration of Customs said this was a move to prevent contaminated food from hitting Chinese supermarkets. 

  Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin addressed the issue on Tuesday during a press briefing: 

  “If some people think that the nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima is safe to drink or swim in, we suggest that Japan save the nuclear-contaminated water for these people to drink or swim in instead of releasing it into the sea and causing widespread concerns internationally.” 

  If Tokyo decides to dump the Fukushima water, and China and Hong Kong tighten restrictions on food imports from Japan, let’s hope none of this questionable seafood ends up in the US. 

   

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 23:20

• Supreme Court Revives Whistleblowers' Medicare, Medicaid Fraud Lawsuits
  Supreme Court Revives Whistleblowers’ Medicare, Medicaid Fraud Lawsuits

  Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  The Supreme Court resurrected two whistleblower lawsuits against companies for allegedly defrauding Medicare and Medicaid.

  

  The cases concern the federal False Claims Act (FCA), a key tool the government uses to combat health care fraud, and “scienter,” a legal term meaning prior intent or knowledge of wrongdoing.

  Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has called the FCA “the centerpiece of the government’s anti-fraud arsenal.”

  The new orders followed the court’s unanimous decision on June 1 to reinstate whistleblower actions against pharmacy operators SuperValu and Safeway for allegedly overcharging the government by filing false Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement claims for prescription drugs they sold.

  That ruling, United States ex rel. Schutte v. SuperValu, held that the scienter requirement under the False Claims Act, which asks whether an accused party “knowingly” filed a “false” claim with the government, refers to the party’s knowledge and subjective beliefs, as opposed to what an objectively reasonable person may have believed.

  Sometimes called the Lincoln Law, the FCA was enacted in 1863 to deal with defense contractor fraud during the Civil War.

  The act currently provides that anyone who knowingly files false claims with the government is liable for triple damages plus a $2,000 penalty for each false claim.

  The FCA allows the government to pursue perpetrators on its own and for private citizens to sue those who defraud the government on behalf of the government in what are known as qui tam suits. Such private citizens, who are called relators, may be awarded part of what the government recovers.

  To prove scienter under the statute, the government or the whistleblower must demonstrate that the company acted “knowingly,” or with “reckless disregard,” or “deliberate ignorance” of the law in question.

  On June 30, in Olhausen v. Arriva Medical LLC and United States ex rel. Sheldon v. Allergan Sales LLC, the Supreme Court summarily granted the petitions of two whistleblowers while at the same time skipping over the oral argument phase when the merits of the case would have been considered.

  The court issued unsigned orders in the two cases in a flurry of eleventh-hour rulings as it wrapped up its regular term and recessed for the summer. The court did not explain why it made the two new decisions. No justices dissented.

  At the same time, the court vacated the judgments of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Olhausen and of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Sheldon, remanding those respective cases to those lower courts in light of its decision last month in United States ex rel. Schutte v. SuperValu.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 23:00

• MyPillow Auctioning Off Equipment After These Big-Box Retailers Canceled Mike Lindell
  MyPillow Auctioning Off Equipment After These Big-Box Retailers Canceled Mike Lindell

  MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says that his company is auctioning off hundreds of pieces of equipment and subleasing manufacturing space after several big-box retailers and shopping networks ditched the company’s products over Lindell’s personal views.

  

  Lindell, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump who has gone to great lengths to dispute the results of the 2020 election, told the Star Tribune that he’s lost $100 million from ‘attacks by the box stores.’

  “It was a massive, massive cancellation,” said Lindell. “We lost $100 million from attacks by the box stores, the shopping networks, the shopping channels, all of them did cancel culture on us.”

  The stores which dropped MyPillow products include;

  • Walmart
  • Bed Bath & Beyond
  • Slumberland Furniture

  Now, Lindell is selling over 850 pieces of ‘surplus equipment’ online, including sewing machines, industrial fabric spreaders, conveyor belts, electric forklifts, and more.

  

  As the Tribune notes, the auction doesn’t appear related to a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against MyPillow and Lindell brought by Dominion Voting Systems, which alleges Lindell defamed the company as part of his campaign to show that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged.”

  Lindell has not backed down from his assertions that there was something wrong with the 2020 election and its results. He said he plans to host an event next month detailing a new way to hold elections.

  But the ongoing controversy over his claims has forced major shifts in his business. After some shopping networks dropped his products, the company has moved to direct sales, shooting new television commercials and trying to boost its presence through email marketing, radio spots and direct mailing. -Star Tribune

  According to Lindell, the company is also subleasing some of its manufacturing space because the packaging for direct sales is different than what the company required when producing products for large retailers.

  “We kind of needed a building and a half, but now with these moves we’re making, we can get it down to our one building,” he said.

  “If the box stores ever came back we could have it if we needed it, but we don’t need that,” Lindell continued. “It affected a lot of things when you lose that big of a chunk [of revenue].“

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 22:40

• Chinese Military May Have Had COVID-19 Virus In Its Possession As Early As September 2019
  Chinese Military May Have Had COVID-19 Virus In Its Possession As Early As September 2019

  Authored by Joe Wang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  According to the World Health Organization, there have been 6,947,192 confirmed COVID-19 deaths globally as of June 28. Of those, 1,127,152 occurred in the United States, making the number of Americans killed by the virus more than 19 times the number of American soldiers killed in the Vietnam War.

  

  And yet, over three years since the beginning of the pandemic, we still don’t know where the virus originated. The fear is that the next time around, the number of deaths could be much higher; because we didn’t learn from this pandemic, we wouldn’t be as prepared as we should for the next one.

  This fear is shared by all Americans. That is probably why in March, the U.S. Congress unanimously passed the “COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023,” requesting that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) “declassify all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of COVID-19.” “The ODNI must submit to Congress an unclassified report with all such information with redactions only as necessary to protect sources and methods,” the new law says.

  On June 23, ODNI released a 10-page report titled “Potential Links Between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Origin of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” As someone who has been following this development closely, ODNI’s report told me nothing beyond what I already knew, except for one little gem on page 5: that the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) had developed a technique that “left no traces of genetic modification of SARS-like coronaviruses.”

  “Some of the WIV’s genetic engineering projects on coronaviruses involved techniques that could make it difficult to detect intentional changes,” the report stated.

  Why did the WIV want to develop such a technique? Scientists at the institute had been publishing their research on viruses in the best scientific journals, including on “genetic modification of SARS-like coronaviruses,” so it didn’t look like they wanted to hide what they had been doing. Maybe what they published was only part of their research, and they wanted to conceal the research they didn’t publish? What would that be?

  Before the ODNI report, U.S. investigative journalists revealed in early June that three WIV researchers, Ben Hu, Ping Yu, and Yan Zhu, were allegedly the first COVID-19 patients, having fallen ill in the fall of 2019. They were reportedly conducting research on SARS-like viruses and engaging in “gain-of-function” experiments. Gain-of-function, which involves altering the properties of a pathogen in order to study its potential impact on human health, increases the infectiousness of viruses and/or makes them more lethal.

  The WIV denied such allegations. “The recent news about so-called ‘patient zero’ in WIV are absolutely rumors and ridiculous,” Ben Hu told the journal Science in June.

  I was hoping that the ODNI report would shed more light on the origin of SARS-CoV-2. It didn’t, but a patent application I found through a web search strongly suggests that the Liberation Army (PLA) had the genetic sequence of the virus in its possession as early as September 2019. This would fit well with the allegation that the three WIV scientists were infected by the virus in the fall of 2019.

  It’s worth noting that the same allegation was made by the Department of Justice in a fact sheet published Jan. 15, 2021, which said the U.S. government had “reason to believe that several researchers inside the WIV became sick in autumn 2019, before the first identified case of the outbreak.”

  Officially, World Learned of Virus in January 2020

  The first cases of the atypical pneumonia (later known as COVID-19) were reported in Wuhan in December 2019. The news was soon supressed by the Chinese Communist Party, as China was preparing to celebrate the Lunar New Year—a time that no bad news is allowed. Whistleblowers like Dr. Wenliang Li were punished. Officially, Chinese virologists did not have a chance to study the novel virus until early January 2020.

  On Jan. 11, 2020, Professor Yong-Zhen Zhang’s group from Fudan University in Shanghai submitted the genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2 to GenBank (accession number MN908947.1) in Maryland. Prof. Zhang obtained the virus by collecting bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from a 41-year old male patient in Wuhan, who had been admitted to hospital on Dec. 26, 2019. Chinese state media reported his death on Jan. 11, 2020.

  Jan. 11, 2020, was the day that SARS-CoV-2 officially became known to the world. WHO announced that it had received the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus from the Chinese regime and would soon make it public.

  

  PLA’s Warp Speed Vaccine Research

  On Feb. 24, 2020, Dr. Yusen Zhou and 10 other inventors from the PLA’s Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology in Beijing filed a patent application (number 202010112679.9) titled “Novel coronavirus titled “COVID-19 vaccine, preparation methods and applications.” The application described in detail the design of the vaccine, the method to produce the vaccine, and the immunogenicity of the vaccine.

  I am a vaccine scientist who worked for one of the world’s largest vaccine companies for more than 10 years, and I spearheaded SARS-CoV-1 vaccine development in 2003. I was stunned by the speed these PLA inventors were able to not only study the new virus and develop and test a vaccine so quickly, but also put together a patent application in merely 44 days (from Jan. 11 to Feb. 24)!

  Vaccine development is an arduous process, usually taking about 10-15 years on average to accomplish. Before COVID-19, the fastest a vaccine that had ever been developed was the mumps vaccine in 1967, which took four years.

  Of course, the U.S. government’s “Operation Warp Speed” made it possible for vaccine companies to accelerate their processes, which we now know compromised safety and effectiveness. Moderna published their Phase I/II clinical data on July 14, 2020, and Pfizer published theirs on Aug. 12, 2020. Then in December of that year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines Emergency Use Authorization.

  When I worked in the vaccine industry, I was the liaison between R&D (Research and Development) scientists (which I was also a member of) and our in-house lawyers in the IP (Intellectual Property) office. I was personally involved in the filing of dozens of patent applications. Normally, patent applications should be filed as soon as scientists discover something new, useful, and non-obvious—the three properties patent lawyers stress that scientists keep an eye out for and document.

  A patent application can be filed before a vaccine is tested and granted for distribution. One could argue that the PLA’s application was “provisional,” meaning it would serve as a placeholder so that experimental results could be added later when available, hence it is possible that it only took 44 days to draft their patent application.

  Yes, when things move extremely smoothly, a patent application could be put together in about one and a half months. However, the PLA’s filing contains real experimental data that would take time and effort to perform and collect. This makes it extremely unlikely that the scientists only received access to the virus information on or after Jan. 11, 2020.

  Telling Timeline

  If the PLA did have access to the virus, maybe they got the information from Prof. Zhang before he submitted the genetic sequence to GenBank, or maybe they got it elsewhere. Or it could be that since the scientists are with the PLA, how they obtained the virus constitutes a military secret.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 22:20

• Is Amazon Prime Day One Giant "Marketing Scheme"?
  Is Amazon Prime Day One Giant “Marketing Scheme”?

  Today marks the final day of Amazon Prime Day. Customers are scouring the e-commerce website for the best deals. So far, there have been hefty discounts on certain appliances and electronics. However, some Twitter users have raised concerns about potential ‘misleading advertising’ strategies by vendors.

  Twitter user Chad|Money Matters has brought to our attention possible deceptive marketing tactics by an Amazon vendor. The item in focus is an Ottman footstool sold by the Amazon Basics Store. He posted a screenshot of the item selling for $69.08 on Monday, one day before Prime Day. On Tuesday, the first day of Prime Day, the item was listed for the same price but had a red label reading “37% off … Prime Day Deal” and was marked down from a typical price of $110.40.

  

  Everyone hurry to grab those “Prime Day Deals” 🙄🙄🙄 pic.twitter.com/n3JHKdJiXk

  — Chad | Money Matters (@Chadmoneymatter) July 11, 2023

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  Amazon price tracking website Camelcamelcamel shows prices for the Ottman footstool were around the $69 mark throughout June, then days before Prime Day rocketed to $109.80. 

  

  Twitter users weren’t thrilled by this development. 

  “Wait, are you suggesting it’s all just a marketing scheme and it’s not really about great savings,” one person said. 

  Someone else said, “Amazon prime day just tried to scam me. They showed me an item that I bought before, but raised up the price artificially then told me that they lowered the price making it the same, but tricking that it’s cheaper.” 

  “I did some research here. I have software tools that can verify price. This was 78.00 and more a while ago. But the true recent price was 69.00 and today its $65.63. $3.00 off which is really nothing. Its been Prime exclusive 69.00 for a while,” another Twitter user said. 

  The folks at the Federal Trade Commission should take a look at this.

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 22:00

• Secret Service To Brief Congress On Thursday As Biden White House Accused Of "Cocaine Cover-Up"
  Secret Service To Brief Congress On Thursday As Biden White House Accused Of “Cocaine Cover-Up”

  Authored by Debra Heine via American Greatness,

  Biden critics are accusing the White House of a “cocaine cover-up” as the Secret Service investigation into “CocaineGate” drags on with no resolution.

  

  Amid growing skepticism regarding the trustworthiness of the “ongoing investigation,” the Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday didn’t have an update for reporters.

  “Do you have any update on the investigation into the cocaine at the White House?” a reporter inquired.

  “I don’t have any updates,” Jean-Pierre responded. “I just don’t have anything updated. I would refer you to the Secret Service on that particular question.”

  “Do you have any update on the investigation into the cocaine at the White House?”

  Karine Jean-Pierre: “I don’t have any updates … I just don’t have anything updated.” pic.twitter.com/WWumCUu8A4

  — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 11, 2023

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  The USSS have not been answering to press inquiries about the discovery, however, telling news outlets that they cannot comment on ongoing investigations. The Secret Service will be briefing Congress on Thursday, after House Oversight Chairman James Comer Comer fired off a letter to USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle demanding to be briefed on the White House security failures that led to the “unacceptable and shameful” discovery of cocaine in the West Wing.

  Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) also called for a briefing in a letter on July 5.

  “If the White House complex is not secure, Congress needs to know the details, as well as your plan to correct any flaws,” the Republican senator wrote, demanding a list be provided of every individual who has access to the White House without passing through a security screening.

  Congress and the American people deserve to know how cocaine got into the White House. pic.twitter.com/Fps9AJ6hSQ

  — Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) July 5, 2023

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  According to the Daily Mail, Cotton has not yet received a reply from Cheatle.

  Details about where the cocaine baggie was found have changed multiple times since the discovery was made on July 2.

  Initially, a spokesman for the USSS told reporters that Secret Service officers “located an unknown item on the White House complex.” Then, an audio recording from the Hazmat team sent to the White House  to investigate the substance indicated it was located in the library. Next, the White House said it was found in the highly trafficked West Wing lobby.

  White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday strongly suggested that a member of the public on a tour may have left the drug in a “heavily-traveled area” of the West Wing.

  “This is a heavily, heavily trafficked – heavily traveled to be more accurate – area of the campus of the White House. And it is where visitors to the West Wing come,” Jean-Pierre insisted.

  “I just don’t have anything else—I’m not going to speculate on who it was.”

  Finally, on Thursday, NBC News reported that the contraband was found in a cubby near the “much more secure” West Executive entrance—not the West Wing lobby.

  According to NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, “average people just can’t get in” where the cocaine baggie was found.

  Although fingerprint and DNA analysis were done last week on the “dime-sized zipper baggie” the drug was found in, no results have yet been shared. The investigation was expected to be concluded by Monday.

  Now, some are accusing the Biden White House of engaging in a cover up to protect the culprit.

  On Fox News Monday,  Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) said the Biden White House is refusing to hand over the results of the finger print analysis.

  “If the cocaine was found on a bag, doesn’t it have fingerprints on it? And how long would it take to answer that question? Weeks, days, hours?” asked Fox News host Martha MacCallum.

  “I asked some of our State Troopers, Texas Rangers and Sheriffs—those kinds of people who do this for a living—and they all said to me that on very porous surfaces like bags and envelopes, you’ll be able to determine within an hour if there’s fingerprints on it,” Rep Fallon replied.

  “By my math we’re 192 hours from the time it was discovered yet we don’t know.” Fallon noted that “if there were no fingerprints, they could have told us immediately.”

  The Texas congressman also said the fingerprints may have been run through a database and pointed out that the cocaine was found in an area “where high level aides and staffers are,”
  most of whom “have been fingerprinted at one time or another.”

  Fallon told MacCallum that the Secret Service “very well may already know who it belongs to and aren’t sharing with us.”

  Rep. Pat Fallon on the cocaine found at the White House: “If there [were] no fingerprints, they could have told us immediately. So I suspect there are fingerprints…” pic.twitter.com/o7OovkXoE3

  — The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 10, 2023

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  Kash Patel, a former House Intelligence Committee staffer, and chief of staff to the acting United States secretary of defense under President Donald Trump, told former Trump official Sebastian Gorka on Tuesday that local law enforcement, not just the Secret Service, should be involved in the investigation.

  “The White House is subjected to law enforcement and we’re talking about felony levels of narcotics,” he said.

  I talk to @KashsCorner, author of the new book “Government Gangsters,” about the bizarre cocaine scandal in the Biden White House.

  FULL INTERVIEW HERE: https://t.co/pxtGChok10 pic.twitter.com/PeWJdg7iRI

  — Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) July 11, 2023

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  In an interview with Just the News, former FBI agent and acting commissioner of the Customs and Border Protection Agency Mark Morgan said last week that the White House cocaine mystery should take “about 30 minutes to solve.”

  “I was there countless times, I put my cell phone in that exact box that they’re talking about. I know it well. Oftentimes, there is a marine that’s standing there. This literally should take them about 30 minutes to solve,” Morgan said on Wednesday.

  According to former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino, the culprit has to be a member of the Biden family because everyone else has to go through a strict security checkpoint. “It had to be one of the protectees—there’s no other explanation,” Bongino declared in a video posted on Rumble. “That would never have gotten through the checkpoint. Not a chance in Hell.”

  On Friday, even an MSNBC reporter questioned the Secret Service’s line that the mystery may never be solved, saying it’s “hard to believe” the Secret Service can’t figure out who brought the cocaine to the White House, given the heavy security.

  Even MSNBC agrees: “Hard to believe” @SecretService can’t figure out who’s bringing cocaine into the WH pic.twitter.com/0FVNUhV8CU

  — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) July 7, 2023

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  “The cocaine cover-up is officially ridiculous,” said Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton in a video commentary posted onto Twitter.

  The Biden White House cocaine cover-up is officially ridiculous. But, per usual, @JudicialWatch stepping up with independent investigation. pic.twitter.com/4x5HLbA0iE

  — Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) July 10, 2023

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  Cheatle will brief members of the powerful House Oversight Committee on Thursday at 10 a.m., the Daily Mail reported.

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 21:40

• Waiting For 'Buyers To Come': Unsold Electric Vehicles Piling Up In Car Dealerships, Says Report
  Waiting For ‘Buyers To Come’: Unsold Electric Vehicles Piling Up In Car Dealerships, Says Report

  Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  The number of unsold electric vehicles at dealers in the second quarter tripled compared to the past year, signaling a weakened demand for the segment, said a recent report by leading auto-dealer data company Cox Automotive.

  

  In second quarter 2023, the average inventory for electric vehicles (EVs) topped more than 92,000 units on the ground at dealer lots, according to the 2023 Cox Automotive Mid-Year Review presentation. This is up 342 percent compared to second quarter 2022. During this period, the new “EV days’ supply,” which refers to the average number of days a warehouse holds inventory before selling it, rose 166 percent, to 92 days from 38.5 days. While the pace of EV sales is up, it is “not rising as fast as inventory builds,” said Jonathan Gregory, senior manager, Economic and Industry Insights.

  Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are facing a “field of dreams moment,” he stated. “They have built inventory, and now they wait for buyers to come. This is one of the hottest topics we’ve had this year.”

  Brands like Jaguar, Infiniti, and Lincoln had the highest days of supply, at over 100 days. The lowest numbers were seen among Toyota, Honda, Kia, and Lexus, with each brand having less than 30 days of supply.

  

  Tesla continued to dominate the luxury EV segment with a market share of 25.5 percent, followed by Mercedes at 12.5 percent, BMW at 12.2 percent, and Lexus at 11 percent. Among EVs priced above $50,000, Ford held the biggest share at 22.1 percent, followed by Chevrolet at 12.1 percent.

  Unlike other parts of the world, U.S. citizens remain on the sidelines when considering an EV purchase.

  According to an April 2023 report by consumer intelligence company JD Power, more Americans are unwilling to buy EVs. In March, 21 percent of new vehicle shoppers said they were “very unlikely” to consider an EV, up from 17.8 percent in January.

  During this period, the proportion of people who said they were “very likely” to buy an EV remained flat at around 26 percent.

  “Lack of public charging infrastructure and price have been the top two concerns for the past 10 months, along with related issues involving range anxiety, time required to charge, and power outage and grid concerns,” the report said.

  Dealer-Customer EV Expectations Diverge

  While inventory is building up at dealer lots, a study by Cox Automotive found a wide gap between dealers and customers regarding future expectations of EV use.

  According to Cox Automotive’s 2023 Path to “EV Adoption: Consumer and Dealer Perspectives” study, even though 53 percent of consumers see EVs as a future and that such vehicles will replace gas engines over time, only 31 percent of dealers held such a view.

  “Nearly half (45 percent) of dealers surveyed feel that EVs still need to prove themselves in the marketplace,” said a press release on June 27.

  In addition, the study also found that while customer interest in EVs is rapidly rising, sales continue to remain far lower in comparison. The research found that 51 percent of consumers were considering a new or used EV even though electric vehicles are only expected to make up less than 8 percent of total new vehicle sales this year.

  Cox Automotive is expecting the sale of new EVs to surpass one million units for the first time in 2023. According to the firm’s Dealer Sentiment Index, the biggest factor which held back EV dealers during the second quarter was the state of the economy. This was followed by interest rates, limited inventory, market conditions, and credit availability for consumers.

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 21:20

• Joe Biden’s Climate Policies Weaken The U.S. And Strengthen China
  Joe Biden’s Climate Policies Weaken The U.S. And Strengthen China

  Authored by Andy Pudzer & Sanjai Bhagat via RealClear Wire,

  President Biden’s commitment to end fossil fuels has been ineffective in reducing the demand for oil – but very effective in both weakening the U.S. and empowering our primary global adversary, China. Assuming that a reduction in global carbon emissions is necessary to fight “climate change” (a disputed proposition), it nonetheless makes little sense environmentally, economically, or strategically to hobble the American fossil fuel sector (cancelling pipelines, discouraging financing, restricting leases, and slow walking permits) before sufficient sources of renewable energy with a proven capacity to meet global demand can be demonstrated.  

  

  In its World Energy Outlook 2022, even the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that if the supply of oil “were to transition faster than demand, with a drop in fossil fuel investment preceding a surge in clean technologies, this would lead to much higher prices – possibly for a prolonged period.” The IEA’s warning had the advantage of being written after the war in Ukraine threatened worldwide energy supplies, which, more effectively than any desk-top research, demonstrated the global economic threat posed by a too-rapid retreat from fossil fuels.

  Worldwide demand for crude oil is currently forecast to hit an all-time high in 2023. China’s demand, in particular, is surging. In May, the IEA “revised up” its forecast for growth in global demand, with “China accounting for nearly 60% of global growth in 2023.”  

  In the U.S., 79% of energy consumption comes from fossil fuels, while 13% comes from renewable energy sources, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). That’s after tens of billions of dollars in government spending in support of renewables, particularly wind and solar, which combined account for a mere 5% of our energy consumption. The bottom line: so-called renewables are insufficient – and lack the necessary dependability – to meet our energy needs. 

  Despite this heavy fossil fuel dependence, over the past two decades carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. have declined by 15% while China’s have grown by 216%, according to the EIA. The U.S. emissions reductions were due, in great part, to an increase in the use of inexpensive and clean-burning natural gas, which, thanks to fracking, the U.S. has and can produce in abundance. 

  If the goal is actually to reduce global carbon emissions without causing global economic chaos, increased use of dependable and abundant American natural gas makes far more sense than curtailing U.S. production and spending billions on unreliable and expensive “renewable” energy sources. Let’s face it, if renewables were economically viable, dependable, and available in sufficient supply, the Chinese would be using them. In fact, they have every incentive to do so. 

  Most of the processing of the minerals needed for electric-vehicle batteries happens in China. Using wind, solar, and batteries for energy production and transportation requires significantly more metals (three times more copper, seven times more rare earths, 19 times more nickel, 25 times more graphite, and 42 times more lithium) than natural gas, oil, or coal production and transportation. The U.S. mines and processes a negligible amount of these metals, which primarily come from countries such as Australia, China, Congo, and Indonesia. Notably, 60% of rare earths are mined in China. Chemical processing, battery components, and assembly are mostly done by Chinese companies. China also processes 87% of rare earths, 65% of cobalt, 58% of lithium, and 40% of copper.

  As a result, China’s economy has benefitted significantly from the global push toward renewable energy. Of the 12.7 million jobs worldwide related to renewable energy, 5.4 million jobs are in China, 0.9 million in the U.S., and 1.2 million in Europe. Of the worldwide jobs related to solar energy manufacturing, 68% are in China, as are 48% of jobs related to wind power. 

  To further reduce U.S. carbon emissions, the Biden administration proposes spending hundreds of billions to increase our dependence on unreliable wind and solar power. This plan is set forth in the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, a green energy bill that does virtually nothing to reduce inflation. According to a summary of the act by Senate Democrats, the bill would “reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40% by 2030.” 

  But there would be consequences. Using a clone of the Biden’s EIA’s energy model,  a Heritage Foundation study found that reducing carbon dioxide emissions 44% by 2030 would cause 1.2 million in annual average job losses in the U.S., plus an aggregate GDP loss of $7.7 trillion through 2040 – or $87,000 per family of four. Average household electricity expenses for American families would increase by 23%. All to replace reliable and abundant energy sources that have been reducing U.S. carbon dioxide emissions for two decades. 

  Biden’s energy policies are needlessly weakening the U.S. and strengthening China. Since the 1970s, with the help of its innovative energy industry, America has won independence from OPEC. It makes no sense to implement policies that weaken our economy while once again putting our access to energy at the mercy of a hostile and even more dangerous adversary.

  Andy Puzder is the former CEO of CKE Restaurants and a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and Pepperdine University, and he is a member of RealClearEnergy’s Brain Trust, a group of strategists offering insight and guidance on today’s critical energy topics. 

  Sanjai Bhagat serves on corporate boards, is author of Financial Crisis, Corporate Governance, and Bank Capital (Cambridge University Press), and Professor of Finance at University of Colorado.

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 21:00

• Data Brokers To Be Barred From Selling Your Location Data Under Proposed Massachusetts Law
  Data Brokers To Be Barred From Selling Your Location Data Under Proposed Massachusetts Law

  A law under consideration in Massachusetts would ban data brokers from selling cell phone location data, Gizmodo reports.

  

  For those who have been living under a rock, data brokers are constantly selling cellular location data to various entities, including state, federal, foreign, and local governments. While the data is supposed to be anonymized, it can very easily be de-anonymized.

  The Location Shield Act would outlaw “selling, leasing, trading, or renting location data” in the state of Massachusetts, and would require companies to obtain user consent if they want to collect or process such data. Noncompliance with the law would expose companies to state legal action via the AG’s office, along with class-action litigation.

  The law appears to have been catalyzed by the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Ever since federal protections for abortion were abolished, the issue of data privacy has taken on new relevance for women. Rights advocates fear that digital evidence of all sorts (including, potentially, data of the kind that the Shield Act tackles) may be used to prosecute women for breaking abortion laws. As a result, a number of rights groups, including the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, pushed for the adoption of the Shield Act, partially as a means of protecting abortion-seekers from prosecution, should they choose to travel to the state for medical procedures. Massachusetts is considered a safe haven for women from other states who may travel there to seek abortions. -Gizmodo

  “Every day, unregulated data brokers buy and sell personal location data from apps on our cellphones, revealing where we live, work, play, and more. To protect our privacy, safety, access to abortion and other essential health care, Massachusetts needs to ban this practice now by passing the Location Shield Act,” wrote the ACLU on its website. 

  Now to see if it passes, and if so, whether other states will follow suit.

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 20:40

• CCP Poised to Expand Security Footprint In Latin America With New Port In Argentina
  CCP Poised to Expand Security Footprint In Latin America With New Port In Argentina

  Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  China’s rapidly expanding military and surveillance initiatives across Latin America have become more than just a thorn in the side of Washington.

  

  In Argentina’s southern tip, Tierra del Fuego, on June 5, Governor Gustavo Melella greenlit a”multi-purpose” Chinese-operated port facility through decree  3312/22, which entered the provincial legislature the same day. The country currently houses a Chinese military-run facility operating in the remote Neuquén Province.

  Final approval is still needed from the national government and the undersecretary of ports, waterways, and merchant Marine to move forward.

  The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-affiliated company involved in the port facility is Shaanxi Chemical Industry Group. Though civilian on the surface, the U.S. State Department expressed concern over Beijing’s prioritization of “military-civilian fusion,” a state strategy that forces Chinese companies to share technology and assets with the CCP military.

  In the agreement signed by Melella, it states, “The smooth construction of the project will be exemplary for the investment of Chinese companies in southern Argentina.”

  In March, top U.S. military officers, including U.S. Southern Command Gen. Laura Richardson, warned that China’s “aggressive” expansion in Latin America isn’t some long-term threat to U.S. interests and security.

  It’s happening right now.

  “The PRC [People’s Republic of China] has expanded its ability to extract resources, establish port, manipulate governments through predatory investment practices, and build potential dual-use space facilities,” Ms. Richardson said during a March 8 House Armed Services Committee hearing.

  Like-minded security analysts and a former Argentine government official have expressed similar concerns over potential military and surveillance applications of China’s new port being built in the town of Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego.

  Ideally situated near the Straights of Magellan, a CCP port facility in Rio Grande offers direct access—and potential control—over the world’s second most important shipping lane between the Western and Eastern hemispheres.

  Secondary Benefits

  Cuba is a good lens for understanding how CCP projects with Latin American governments typically unfold.

  Interstingly, the Rio Grande project was approved a week before The Wall Street Journal published a story discussing China’s “Project 141” initiative—the regime’s blueprint for how it intends to grow a global military and logistical support network.

  One of the projects identified was a joint China-Cuba spy facility near Havana. The Biden administration later confirmed the existence of a Chinese spy base operating in Havana since 2019.

  “I believe there is an integral alliance at all levels between the CCP regime and the Castro-Canel regime. We know training is taking place. It’s documented,” regional analyst and author Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat told The Epoch Times.

  Military and surveillance cooperation between China and Cuba isn’t anything new, but Mr. Gutiérrez-Boronat believes a deeper level of security engagement between the two nations offers a means of helping Cuba’s communist government a way to hold fast to its faltering grip on power.

  “We know that Chinese companies quickly acted to cut internet access in Cuba during the popular uprising of July 11, 2021,” he said, adding, “I think the regime seeks the Chinese presence in order to guard itself from its own people.”

  

  But Cuba’s regime isn’t the only Latin American government on the ropes with its own people. As the October presidential election closes in, insiders say Argentina’s Peronist government is scrambling to create economic stability in a bid to stay in power.

  And cooperation with CCP security initiatives is part of the deal when it comes to cashing the checks they write.

  “Evan as a private port facility, the opportunities it creates are important for those running that facility,” Evan Ellis, a Latin America research professor for the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, told The Epoch Times.

  Mr. Ellis noted that while China’s engagement in the region is mostly economic, the CCP is “increasingly operating in strategic spaces” with secondary benefits and military purposes.

  And the Rio Grande facility in Tierra del Fugeo offers an enticing opportunity for strategic and military applications.

  “China has never hidden their desire to create military options,” Mr. Ellis said.

  While dual-use port facilities in Rio Grande and the China-Cuba surveillance project may not seem like huge steps forward, Ellis noted the CCP is definitely “stepping up their game.”

  For China, Ellis says it’s all about creating “strategic options.”

  Selective Patriotism

  Presently, there’s no more eager friend of China than Argentina’s Peronist regime. Within the leftist government, controversial politician and Vice President Cristina Kirchner is Peronism’s greatest champion.

  A self-described “militant” Peronist, Ms. Kirchner’s disastrous economic practices during her presidency from 2007 to 2015 laid the policy foundation for the nation’s current astronomical inflation. In June, Argentinian economist Carlos Perez predicted the country’s inflation would average 147 percent in 2023 while the GDP is expected to fall up to 3.5 percent.

  Today, Argentina’s peso has plummeted dramatically. The currency’s official exchange rate has devaluated more than 100 percent in the past year amid international loan defaults, dwindling foreign currency reserves, and soaring poverty rates.

  But Ms. Kirchner’s supporters remain loyal at both the legislative and civilian levels. Among the cornerstone philosophies of “Kirchnerism”—as it’s locally known—is a favorable disposition toward China’s interests.

  And Tierra del Fuego’s Governor Melella is an ardent disciple of “Kirchnerism.”

  “His position is very pro-China,” former Argentinian government official and political analyst Fabian Calle told The Epoch Times.

  The debate surrounding the port aside, Mr. Calle thinks the national government may still approve the Rio Grande project. He says the current stall is due to ongoing negotiations for a new round of loans and repayment extensions from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 20:20

• Biden Administration Helping CCP By Restricting Domestic Mining: Minnesota Senator
  Biden Administration Helping CCP By Restricting Domestic Mining: Minnesota Senator

  A Minnesota state senator says that the Biden administration’s restrictive stance towards domestic mining projects is making the US dependent on the Chinese Communist Party.

  

  “We need to change the narrative on mining in this country,” said Sen. Tom Bakk in an appearance before the House Ways and Means Committee on July 10. “It’s contrary to their own objectives.”

  Mr. Bakk testified during a field hearing in Kimball, Minnesota. He said northeast Minnesota has the largest deposits of copper, cobalt, nickel, platinum group metals, and other products the renewable energy industry needs.

  Mr. Bakk said the United States could be a net exporter of these items. The CCP’s July 3 announcement of new state controls that restrict exports of germanium and gallium, elements used in producing high-performance computer chips, shows it is willing to disrupt supply chains, he said. –Epoch Times

  “It’s bad for Minnesota; it’s bad for the country. Frankly, I think it’s bad for the world,” said Bakk, who added that the Biden administration has severely hobbled mining in the United States, leaving China with a monopoly.

  “It’s urgent that we stop putting up roadblocks to domestic mineral production because our ability to avoid devastating supply chain disruptions and build a greener future depends on it,” he said, referring to the Duluth Complex in the northeast tip of the state near Lake Superior.

  Bakk said that mining has been a significant industry in the area for 140 years, and that it could be once again with the growing interest in green technology, as the rich deposits could not only be used for domestic needs, but exported to other countries.

  “That deposit would have supported several generations of miners,” said Bakk, adding that the US Government seems to be divided on its support for green energy.

  On one hand, President Joe Biden told American auto workers last September that they would be building electric cars.

  “Companies have announced new investments of more than $36 billion in electric vehicles and $48 billion in batteries manufacturing in the U.S.,” said Biden.

  

  But for that to happen, the Biden administration needs to allow domestic mining of raw materials.

  “It’s a fact of life; if you don’t get the minerals, you won’t be able to complete them,” said Bakk.

  More via the Epoch Times;

  Mining Leases Canceled on Duluth Complex

  Mining had yet to take place on the site to that point.

  In 2018, the Trump administration reversed that decision and renewed the leases. In January 2022, the Interior Department determined that the Trump decision violated the law, did not consider the U.S. Forestry Service’s consent authority, and failed to consider all possible environmental impacts.

  Not only were the leases canceled, but all mining operations in the forest were prohibited. This includes any studies related to mining.

  According to Mr. Bakk, this will cause the kind of environmental damage the lease opponents want to prevent. At the same time, it will make the United States more vulnerable to the CCP. He said importing the products would have an added environmental impact.

  “Consider the greenhouse gas emissions associated with [importing the metals],” he said.

  China Has Too Much Control

  Mr. Bakk said the best way for America to address climate change is with its raw materials.

  “The data is clear. We need to mine these materials, and we’re going to successfully combat the negative effects of climate change,” he said.

  Committee member Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) agreed with Mr. Bakk. He expressed concern over China’s willingness to engage in trade wars with the United States and the rest of the world. He said the United States is squandering an opportunity to become more prominent internationally and to solidify its relations with other countries.

  “China has a long history of engaging in trade wars with the United States and other countries, and the world is increasingly dependent on critical minerals.

  “We have an incredible opportunity to export these minerals to allies and partners around the globe, lessening the grip of countries like China and global supply chains,” Mr. Stauber said.

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 20:00

• Samsung Fights Back Against Beijing's Tech Theft, Sues Chinese Firm BOE Over Patent Infringement
  Samsung Fights Back Against Beijing’s Tech Theft, Sues Chinese Firm BOE Over Patent Infringement

  Authored by Lisa Bian and Sean Tseng via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  Amid escalating tension between South Korea and China, Samsung has drawn attention by pulling out of the Shanghai Mobile World Congress for the first time in six years and initiating its maiden patent lawsuit against Chinese company BOE. The moves come in the wake of repeated allegations of technology theft by China against Samsung’s technology.

  

  Samsung Display took a decisive step on June 26, instigating a patent infringement lawsuit against BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. (BOE), China’s premier display company. The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District Court of Texas, asserts that BOE had unlawfully appropriated four of Samsung’s patented organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technologies that it uses in the iPhone 12.

  This legal action marks Samsung’s first patent lawsuit against BOE after it repeated warnings against unauthorized appropriation of Samsung’s technology.

  BOE is a public company with its headquarters in Beijing’s Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone, and its business empire spans displays, sensors, smart systems, and health services.

  In the lawsuit, Samsung Display articulated its grievance, stating that BOE has infringed upon the company’s patent rights by selling panels identical to those that Samsung Display has utilized for the iPhone 12 in the U.S. market.

  This litigation extends the ongoing legal feud between Samsung Display and BOE that surfaced last year.

  In May 2022, Samsung Display issued a notice of patent infringement to BOE, followed by a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) against 17 U.S. component wholesalers in December of that same year.

  Samsung sought to ban the use of counterfeit components and display panels allegedly based on its sophisticated OLED patents, including one on its “Diamond Pixel” technology.

  The move was triggered by U.S. smartphone repair shops using both genuine Samsung Display panels and counterfeit Chinese products when replacing iPhone 12 OLED display panels. It requested the U.S. tribunal ban 17 U.S. smartphone parts wholesalers from importing such parts and panels that allegedly use its patented technology into the United States.

  Confronted with this unfavorable situation, BOE retaliated in May this year by filing a counterclaim against Samsung Display’s and Samsung Electronics’ Chinese legal entity. The lawsuit, filed with a court in Chongqing, China, accused Samsung Display of plagiarizing its OLED display panel technology.

  South Korean public opinion suggests that Samsung Display, having grown weary of the CCP’s alleged acts of thievery, decided to retaliate with a countersuit.

  

  Grappling With Significant Losses Due to China’s Brazen Technology Theft

  Beijing’s alleged global technology theft operation wreaks havoc worldwide, with South Korea, an electronics industry powerhouse, bearing the brunt of its onslaught. Samsung Electronics, a global leader in semiconductors and OLED display panels, struggles to protect its technology.

  A recent large-scale technology theft by Beijing, revealed to be of significant detriment to South Korea, exemplifies the severity of the situation.

  In mid-June, South Korea’s Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office filed a lawsuit against a former Samsung Electronics executive surnamed Choi for allegedly stealing design data from a Samsung Electronics semiconductor factory and attempting to build a replica factory in China.

  Choi, 65, a South Korean tech industry veteran, reportedly received approximately $360 million from the Chengdu government to establish a semiconductor company in China, recruiting over 200 key personnel from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

  Choi was once lauded with titles for his innovation, hands-on approach, and round-the-clock dedication. However, this time, the government that honored him as a national tech hero is accusing him of industrial espionage on a grand scale.

  Prosecutors described the defendant in a statement as an “undisputed top domestic expert in semiconductor manufacturing.”

  “The data, which Samsung Electronics obtained through more than 30 years of research and development, is worth 300 billion to trillions of won (about $200 million to billions). It is not only a company’s trade secret but also a national core technology,” prosecutors said.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 19:40

• China Warns NATO Must Not Ever Expand Into Asia-Pacific
  China Warns NATO Must Not Ever Expand Into Asia-Pacific

  China is furious at signals it is observing at the Vilnius summit regarding potential future NATO expansion into the Pacific region, and into China’s ‘own backyard’ of southeast Asia.

  Beijing on Wednesday vowed a “resolute response” if NATO should ever expand this far east. China’s mission to the European Union issued a scathing statement following the NATO communique published Tuesday. “The China-related content of the communique disregards basic facts, wantonly distorts China’s position and policies, and deliberately discredits China. We firmly oppose and reject this,” China’s diplomats said.

  

  Specifically, the NATO communique said, “The PRC employs a broad range of political, economic, and military tools to increase its global footprint and project power, while remaining opaque about its strategy, intentions and military build-up.”

  “The PRC’s malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation target Allies and harm Alliance security,” it added. 

  The Chinese mission had emphasized in its response that it opposed NATO’s “eastward movement into the Asia-Pacific region,” while warning that, “Any act that jeopardises China’s legitimate rights and interests will be met with a resolute response.”

  Certainly Beijing is also very closely following the presence of four regional allies of the US, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol–all who were in attendance at the major NATO summit in Lithuania.

  Starting in May, Kishida talked up future NATO membership for his country, but plans to open a NATO liason office in Tokyo were halted this week.

  “Nato appears to have shelved plans to open a liaison office in Tokyo, a proposal that had been discussed as part of the western military alliance’s plans to deepen cooperation with partners in the Asia-Pacific but which was strongly opposed by China,” The Guardian writes Wednesday, after there was no mention of the office anywhere in the lengthy communique.

  🧵 Macron’s resistance to a @NATO office in Japan is a storm in a teacup, but also an opportunity for the US to clarify its expectations of all its allies in any major war. One possible result of a Taiwan war is the fragmentation of NATO. Why is this?https://t.co/nRe1hzhg94

  — John Hemmings (@JohnHemmings2) July 12, 2023

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  A sentence acknowledging the NATO liaison office had reportedly been included in an initial draft of the communique, and survived multiple rounds of editing, but did not make it into the final publication.

  With the already raging controversy over Ukraine’s future in NATO (or lack thereof), perhaps the Western allies weren’t ready to deal with China’s wrath at this time? 

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 19:20

• MbS To Blinken: 'No' To Israeli Normalization, 'Yes' To Syrian Reconciliation
  MbS To Blinken: ‘No’ To Israeli Normalization, ‘Yes’ To Syrian Reconciliation

  Authored by Hasan Illaik via The Cradle,

  In his interview with CNN on July 9th, US President Joe Biden announced that “we are still far away” from reaching agreements to normalize Saudi-Israeli relations, establish a Saudi civilian nuclear program, and a Washington guarantee for Saudi security.

  What Biden revealed was based primarily on his feedback from a June 7th after-midnight meeting held in Jeddah between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

  During their tete-a-tete, the two men spent an hour and forty minutes discussing various issues of mutual interest. But the first goal of the meeting was to improve US-Saudi relations, which have not yet reverted to pre-2018 levels when the US accused MbS of masterminding the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

  

  New US ‘rules’ on engaging with Saudis

  US Ambassador to Riyadh Michael Ratney is the policy architect leading the charge to improve bilateral relations. Sources familiar with the contents of Saudi diplomatic reports tell The Cradle that Ratney has previously sent the US State Department a set of “rules” which he believes will help improve relations between his country and Saudi Arabia. 

  The first of these rules is to stop targeting MbS personally. There is a longstanding Saudi tradition of zero tolerance for disparagement of the country’s ruler, whoever he may be, by any external state. Ratney noted that while MbS can live with US criticism of Saudi politics, he will not tolerate criticism of him personally because he sees it as an attempt to undermine his rule and destroy his image. The US ambassador made clear that continued attacks on bin Salman will hinder the improvement of relations between Washington and Riyadh. 

  Ratney’s second rule is to change the way US officials communicate with the crown prince. American envoys have typically been very reserved when holding talks with the Saudi rulers (king or crown prince), not delving into the details of vital issues, which they reserve for discussions with ministers and advisers. Ratney advised that discussions with MbS should be detailed and that US proposals should be clear.

  Blinken came to Saudi Arabia having adopted his ambassador’s recommendations. In his meeting with MbS, he outlined the issues clearly. The Cradle reviewed part of the content of their discussions pertaining to two US policies: the project to normalize Israeli-Saudi relations, and Washington’s desire to thwart improved ties between Riyadh and Damascus.

  The American demands were direct: We want a normalization agreement between you and Israel; your rapprochement with the Syrian regime is useless at this stage.

  ‘No’ to normalization with Tel Aviv

  According to The Cradle’s Arab and western diplomatic sources, Blinken asked his host: “Why don’t you do with Israel what you did with Iran?”

  MbS’ response was equally direct. On the issue of a ‘peace agreement’ with Israel, he replied with three points, which Blinken later reported were unclear in terms of their order of importance: 

  First, the Saudi crown prince clarified that King Salman bin Abdulaziz still opposes an agreement with Tel Aviv. Second, MbS reported that fruitful communication continues between Saudi and Israeli authorities – such as allowing the passage of civilian aircraft into Saudi airspace and lifting the ban on Israeli players in international sporting events – with the following caveat: 

  “But these contacts will not soon lead to a peace agreement and normalization. We remain committed to the Arab Peace Initiative (the 2001 Beirut Summit Initiative), which is to grant the Palestinians an independent State in exchange for a comprehensive peace. Israel has treated the Abraham Accords as an incentive to ignore the Palestinians and undermine the foundations of the peace process with the Palestinians, rather than seeing them as an opportunity to enhance the chances of reaching a lasting peace. The Israeli government is approving more settlement projects, compounding the obstacles to any future solution.”

  Therefore, from MbS’ perspective, Saudi Arabia has yet to see a reason to abandon its own Arab peace initiative. Third,  the sources say, the Saudi crown prince asked his American guest: 

  “Why should we give you an agreement with Israel? For what? You refuse our having a peaceful nuclear project. Since your administration came to power, you have revoked the Houthi designation as a terrorist organization. You are demanding a reduction in the price of oil to the detriment of our interests. So why do you expect us to give you a peace agreement with Israel? We are ready to go even beyond normalization with Israel, and achieve regional integration for Tel Aviv, but only if it serves the interests of our country.”

  MbS: ‘We will invest in Syria’

  On Syria, MbS stressed two things in his discussion with Blinken. The first was Saudi Arabia’s direct security interest. He said that the illicit flow of drugs to the kingdom is a threat to the security of its people: 

  “This is one of our priorities. We know as well as you that the number one source of Captagon is Syrian territory. You have issued a special law to combat the export of Captagon from Syria, and you have considered that the smuggling of this drug harms the interests of the United States. We believe that a solution to this crisis is not possible without communication and coordination with the Syrian government. In this sense, we see it as in our interest to improve our relationship with the Syrian government.”

  MbS’ second point addressed future Saudi investments in Syria, which Washington seeks to prevent in order to uphold and deepen its economic siege on the country. The Cradle’s diplomatic sources say Blinken was told point blank: 

  “The war that was aimed at toppling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is over. You know our orientation to ensure stability throughout the region. We are ready to invest in Syria to prove to the Syrian people who secure their interests and the prosperity of their country. This is beneficial to regional stability, as it will weaken non-Arab forces in Syria,”  – a possible reference to Iran, Turkiye, and Russia.

  Sources familiar with the content of US-Saudi meetings say that Saudi officials no longer use anti-Iranian rhetoric in their meetings since the signing of the Beijing-brokered Iran-Saudi rapprochement agreement on 10 March, 2023. 

  Brilliant & devastating critique of US sanctions on #Syria

  By @frrodriguezc
  Professor at @josefkorbel School at @UofDenver https://t.co/JKroMcvsPq pic.twitter.com/NJDYHsxA4c

  — Joshua Landis (@joshua_landis) July 10, 2023

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  US-Saudi differences magnified

  On both issues – normalization with Israel and reconciliation with Syria – Blinken had clear points of disagreement with MbS. The US secretary of state reiterated that his country still believes in a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, rejects plans to expand settlements in the West Bank, and continues to seek a solution to the conflict while upholding Israel’s security needs. 

  Blinken pointed out that the Biden administration is pressuring the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing the US president’s refusal to receive him in the White House since his return to power. And he has praised the Saudi advances with Israel, pointing out that these must be strengthened in order to reach a peace agreement ultimately. 

  Regarding Syria, Blinken stressed that any openness to Assad means granting him a pass on all the crimes that he has committed, and strengthens Iran’s position in Syria. Opening up to Damascus without a political solution, he argued, makes the Syrian government, and behind it, Iran and Russia, more intransigent in the face of its opponents. 

  US pressure will continue

  But Blinken did not hesitate to put his own spin on his private discussion with MbS two days after the meeting, again pushing the issue of Saudi-Israeli normalization, this time in public: “We will continue to work  for it to push it in the coming days, weeks and months.” In saying so, he eliminates any deadlines for when this could happen, just as Biden did in his CNN interview.

  Regardless of what MbS relayed to Blinken, it appears that Washington will continue to pressure its allies to reach normalization agreements with Israel, a policy crafted to isolate Palestinians and their demands for a just, negotiated solution.

  The US will also continue to seek to tighten its devastating economic blockade of Syria in order to prevent the government in Damascus from extending its authority over all of its territory, to obstruct the post-war reconstruction of the country, or to force Syria to change its strategic direction. Despite the war’s end, Washington still hopes to extract concessions from Syria that it could not force through military means. 

  It appears, however, that these US policies do not line up with MbS’s current ambitions and vision of Saudi interests, particularly given the monumental geopolitical shifts taking place both in West Asia and the rest of the world. 

  But do not mistake this for a Saudi rebellion against US decisions. While Washington wants a comprehensive agreement for normalization and peace quickly, MbS is merely slowing the process down, demanding high prices for any concessions. At the same time, he has granted Israel liberties in various fields, free of charge, in a way that guarantees him protection from US pressure on the one hand, and on the other hand, continued Israeli support for him in US decision-making circles.

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 19:00

• Disney's Feminist Indiana Jones Sequel Bombs Hard – Media Pretends They Don't Know Why
  Disney’s Feminist Indiana Jones Sequel Bombs Hard – Media Pretends They Don’t Know Why

  Disney’s $4.05 billion acquisition of the once venerated Lucasfilm in 2012 was initially seen as a potential goldmine for the company that would bring them billions in revenues for decades to come.  However, much like their ill fated acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Disney made a host of errors in the handling of their newfound creative properties.  The primary error being that they did not care about the franchises they were purchasing.  

  Disney thought that in buying Lucasfilm they were actually buying the fandom that comes with it, but you can’t buy the fans and force them to consume your poorly written fodder, as much as corporations surely wish they could.  This same stunted manner of thinking was also revealed to be a driving force behind Amazon’s conquest of the Lord Of The Rings properties – The idea that if you build it, no matter how terrible it is, the fans will come watch it because they are simpering cattle.  

  Well, this didn’t turn out to be true for Amazon or Disney because they weren’t actually buying a fandom, they were taking on the stewardship of beloved classic characters.  And once a company mistreats those characters, either out of stupidity, lack of talent or because they have a political agenda, the fans are out the door along with their precious box office cash.  

  Disney’s next mistake was putting a rabid feminist like Kathleen Kennedy at the helm of some of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history.  Kennedy is perhaps best known as Steven Spielberg’s coffee girl, a secretary that he himself noted was not very good at her job.  Somehow, she managed to weasel her way into assistant producing in her 20s (who knows what she did to climb the ladder so quickly).  

  Looking at her production credits people might think Kennedy is incredibly accomplished, but few if any of her successes occurred without a major director like Spielberg closely monitoring and controlling each project.  And once she was truly on her own, the bombs started rolling in.  

  The latest and perhaps greatest failure by Kennedy is ironically the last franchise IP that Lucasfilm had yet to ruin:  Indiana Jones.

  Disney’s Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny was clearly a forced scheme to bring back a favored male hero and replace him with a narcissistic female protagonist that spouts woke rhetoric.  It’s the same formula Disney and Lucasfilm have been using with every major reboot for the past several years.  But now, it’s beginning to cost them…

  Dial Of Destiny has generated a dismal box office of around $250 million, and Disney needs a projected $900 million just to break even (this includes marketing costs).  The movie is now on track to becoming one of Disney’s worst flops of all time.  

  The massive initial cost of making the film ($300 million) crippled Lucasfilm’s chances from the very beginning.  The inclusion of notorious woke activist Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the actress slated to take the reins of the franchise didn’t help matters.

  

  Based on serial TV shows and pulp comics from the 1940s and 1950s, the appeal of George Lucas’ Indiana Jones movies was that they brought men’s adventure stories to life on the big screen.  Indiana Jones is an archetype of the courageous explorer willing to take risks in the pursuit of discovery, all while defeating the bad guys and getting the girl along the way.  It wins with audiences because the premise is simple and the characters are well written.  

  The best way to destroy such a successful formula is by complicating it with personal politics, as well as putting a feminist in charge of a man’s fantasy tale.       

  The rise of woke marketing and agenda based storytelling in Hollywood hit its peak early, with 2016 being the “coming out party” year for far-left ideology in films.  Hollywood has always been annoyingly progressive in their messaging, but they were usually kept in check by the business side of movie making.  Bringing in the box office meant keeping your politics to yourself, to a point. But, by 2016 production companies apparently determined that they now cared more about asserting their cultism than making profits.

  Both American and foreign audiences have caught up to the game, and this has resulted in 2023 becoming one of the worst seasons for big studio films in recent memory. In the meantime, the establishment media continues to pretend as if they don’t know why this is happening.  They no longer have covid lockdowns to blame for poor theatrical showings and are scrambling to come up with a rationale.  

  The reason is, of course, easy to see for everyone outside of Southern California and the corporate media – Get woke, go broke.  They’ll never admit it, but they also can’t hide it.  The epic fail of Dial Of Destiny might just signal the final death knell for woke Hollywood.     

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 18:40

• 'Crucified': Black Georgia State Rep Switches To Republican Party
  ‘Crucified’: Black Georgia State Rep Switches To Republican Party

  Authored by David Zuckerman via American Thinker,

  Mesha Mainor represents District 56 in the Georgia state House of Representatives.  On July 11, Ms. Mainor announced that she was leaving the Democrat party to become a Republican member in the Georgia House.  Here is part of her statement, quoted at Breitbart:

  My name is Rep. Meisha Mainor and today I made the decision to leave the Democrat Party. I represent a blue district in the city of Atlanta so this wasn’t a political decision for me. It was a a MORAL one. I will NEVER apologize for being a black woman with a mind of my own.

  My name is Rep. Meisha Mainor and today I made the decision to leave the Democrat Party.

  I represent a blue district in the city of Atlanta so this wasn’t a political decision for me. It was a a MORAL one.

  I will NEVER apologize for being a black woman with a mind of my own. pic.twitter.com/q3snDGejCN

  — Rep. Mesha Mainor (@MeshaMainor) July 11, 2023

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  The Breitbart report said that Ms. Mainor felt “crucified” by her Democrat colleagues when she backed school choice and opposed defunding police.  Here is another part of her announcement, quoted by Fox Digital:

  “When I decided to stand up on behalf of disadvantaged children in support of school choice, my Democrat colleagues didn’t stand by me,” Mainor explained of her decision in a statement to Fox News Digital.

  “They crucified me. When I decided to stand up in support of safe communities and refused to support efforts to defund the police, they didn’t back me. They abandoned me.”

  “For far too long, the Democrat Party has gotten away with using and abusing the black community,” she added. “For decades, the Democrat Party has received the support of more than 90% of the black community. And what do we have to show for it? I represent a solidly blue district in the city of Atlanta. This isn’t a political decision for me. It’s a moral one.”

  For present purposes, I focus on the key sentence, exalting individual liberty, in Ms. Mainor’s declaration of separation from Georgia Democrats: “I will NEVER apologize for being a black woman with a mind of my own.”

  

  In fifteen words, Rep. Mainor sums up what the Democrat party — local, state, and federal levels — is all about.  The Democrat party has become a despotic clique, intolerant of free, independent thought.  To be a Democrat, as Ms. Mainor makes clear, one must endorse the party line — with intent to crush alternative viewpoints.  To be a Democrat, one must regard every institution in American life, public or private, as subservient to the will of the empowered despots.

  Ms. Mainor raised a personal banner of freedom, joining the party of freedom, exactly one week after U.S. district judge Terry A. Doughty (whose name, literally, means “brave and persistent”) stood tall against the White House and its federal minions in defense of the First Amendment, the hallmark of the spirit of American liberty.

  And what is the First Amendment all about if not protecting the right of every single citizen to have “a mind of my own”?

  Those five words are abhorrent to the totalitarians of the left, for whom the population should have all the diversity, in terms of ideas, of mindless robots.

  To be candid, this writer thought, reading of Ms. Mainor’s decision to leave the despotic party for the freedom party, that this was a significant switch in the U.S. House of Representatives.  That the switch is at the state level in Georgia is not to be downplayed, however.  Bear in mind that Georgia has a state prosecutor ready to be of assistance to the Despotic Clique in Washington with yet another political prosecution of Donald J. Trump.  Ms. Mainor’s protest against the monolithic mindset among Georgia Democrats cannot be other than an embarrassment to the groupthinkers who hold sway in the Peach State.

  To borrow from Winston S. Churchill, the decision of Mesha Mainor to switch to the Republican Party is clearly not the end of rule by the Despotic Clique in Washington, but it may augur the beginning of the end of Bidenism.

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 18:20

• Trump Blasts Cluster Bombs For Ukraine: 'Biden Dragging US Into WW3!'
  Trump Blasts Cluster Bombs For Ukraine: ‘Biden Dragging US Into WW3!’

  Former President Donald Trump, who currently leads in polling for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has blasted President Biden’s decision to approve sending cluster bombs to Ukraine, saying this week that Biden is “dragging” the American People “into World War III” with this latest escalation.

  “Joe Biden should not be dragging us further toward World War III by sending cluster munitions to Ukraine—he should be trying to END the war and stop the horrific death and destruction being caused by an incompetent administration,” he said in the Tuesday statement.

  “These unexploded cluster munitions will be killing and maiming innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children for decades to come, long after the war—we pray—has ended,” Trump continued.

  

  Both President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken have acknowledged this week that Ukraine is running out of ammunition. Biden had told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Friday that the transfer is necessary because Kyiv is “running out of ammunition” after 500 days of war, a grim milestone reached Saturday.

  “It was a very difficult decision on my part. And by the way, I discussed this with our allies, I discussed this with our friends up on the Hill,” he explained. He then bluntly stated: “The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition.” 

  Trump in his fresh statements addressed this admission as well, saying that if true, this “only further emphasizes the urgency of immediately deescalating this bloody, dangerous, and out of control conflict.”

  “It certainly means we should not be sending Ukraine our last stockpiles at a time when our own arsenals, according to Crooked Joe Biden, are so perilously diminished,” the former president argued, stressing again that handing tens of billions over to Kiev has “tremendously weakened” the US.

  “Joe Biden is needlessly and dangerously leading us into World War three, which would be a nightmare beyond imagination—obliteration!” Trump concluded.

  Meanwhile, the opposite point of view was voiced in interviews this week by Trump’s own former VP…

  We need to give the Ukrainian military what they need to fight and win and repel the Russian invasion, and then and only then can we move forward with welcoming them into NATO. pic.twitter.com/m2xgmQzbpJ

  — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) July 12, 2023

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  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 07/12/2023 – 18:00

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