Jul 31

Today’s News 31st July 2024

  • Blinken, Foreign Ministers "Seriously Concerned" About Indo-Pacific Security
    Blinken, Foreign Ministers “Seriously Concerned” About Indo-Pacific Security

    Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times,

    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and top diplomats from Australia, India, and Japan said they are “seriously concerned” about the situation in the South and East China seas and are working on ways to maintain maritime safety and security in the region.

    Mr. Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar were in Tokyo on July 29 for a ministerial meeting of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) partners.

    In a joint statement following their meeting, the four diplomats expressed their concerns about recent Chinese maritime activities, without directly mentioning China.

    “We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China seas and reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,” the foreign ministers stated.

    “We continue to express our serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea.

    “We also express our serious concern about the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, the increasing use of various kinds of dangerous maneuvers, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities.”

    In recent months, China’s coast guard and other forces have clashed with Philippine ships seeking to bring supplies to its military personnel stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal. There appears to be an easing of tensions after the Armed Forces of the Philippines successfully transported supplies to the shoal without any incident on July 27, after the two sides reached a provisional agreement on July 21.

    The Quad partners said they are working on multiple initiatives to maintain “the free and open maritime order,” including assisting partners to enhance maritime domain awareness through satellite data, training, and capacity building. They also announced a plan to launch “a Quad maritime legal dialogue” to support their efforts to “uphold the rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific.”

    Additionally, the Quad partners said they intend to “geographically expand” the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness to the Indian Ocean region. The initiative was launched in 2022 to better track illegal fishing and “dark shipping” in the Indo-Pacific.

    “All countries have a role in contributing to regional peace, stability, and prosperity, while seeking a region in which no country dominates and no country is dominated, competition is managed responsibly, and each country is free from coercion in all its forms and can exercise its agency to determine its own future,” the partners stated.

    ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’

    The four Quad partners held a joint news conference following their meeting, and they spoke of their shared vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”

    “We are charting a course for a more secure and open Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region by bolstering maritime security,” Mr. Blinken told reporters after the meeting.

    “In practical terms what does this mean? It means strengthening the capacity of partners across the region to know what’s happening in their own waters.”

    The United States will continue to ensure freedom of navigation, overflight, and the unimpeded flow of lawful maritime commerce, he said.

    Mr. Jaishankar said the Quad partners are working together “for a free and open Indo-Pacific, for a rules-based order, and for global good.”

    Asked about the Quad’s concerns about the South and East China seas at a regular briefing on July 29, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian accused the group of “artificially creating tension” and “inciting confrontation” in the region, according to China’s state-run media.

    Mr. Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also met with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Tokyo on July 29. According to a readout of the meeting from the Pentagon, the three officials discussed opportunities to continue expanding trilateral cooperation with South Korea.

    On July 28, Mr. Austin, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, and Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara signed a memorandum institutionalizing trilateral security cooperation, including information sharing and trilateral exercises, according to a Pentagon statement. Their shared aim is to bring stability to the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.

    Also on July 28, Mr. Blinken, Mr. Austin, Ms. Kamikawa, and Mr. Kihara held a “2+2” security meeting, where they agreed that China’s foreign policy “seeks to reshape the international order” and that threats from China are “the greatest strategic challenge,” according to a statement. They agreed to further bolster bilateral military cooperation by upgrading the command and control of the U.S. forces in Japan.

    The four U.S. and Japanese officials also emphasized the importance of peace across the Taiwan Strait as “an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the international community.”

    Taiwan, which is under the threat of China’s military, welcomed the support voiced by the Japanese and U.S. officials.

    “As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan will work steadfastly to deepen cooperation with the United States, Japan, and other like-minded nations to jointly safeguard the shared values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law,” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement on July 28.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 07/31/2024 – 02:00

  • Are The Olympics A Trial-Run For A 1984-Style Digital-State?
    Are The Olympics A Trial-Run For A 1984-Style Digital-State?

    Authored by Aaron Hertzberg via The Brownstone Institute,

    First-person report of QR Codes, Digital IDs, and police militarization of Paris

    This is a guest post from a friend who is on the ground in Paris reporting what the situation is like.

    The best way to begin might be to say that there are three distinct categories of Olympic games sites that the City of Paris wants to make ultra-safe for visitors and athletes, each with its own unique security challenges. 

    First, there are the many official, already-existing sporting venues (stadiums, arenas, tennis courts, aquatic centers, etc.) located throughout Paris and France. These require the least amount of novel security measures, whether in the form of protective perimeters or the (unusual) methods used to maintain them. 

    Included among these is the historic Grand Palais, an architectural jewel from 1900 located at the foot of the Champs-Elysées. A monumentally massive building with a marvelously versatile interior space, it regularly plays host to museum exhibitions of all types, in addition to galas, elaborate fashion shows, concerts, conventions, and even an ice-skating rink. Turning it into an Olympic sporting event site wouldn’t have been very difficult. 

    Second, and complementing these dedicated sporting facilities, are several famous outdoor public monuments and historic landmarks that have been transformed into temporary games sites. 

    These comprise, most notably, the Trocadero and the area next to the Eiffel Tower, the Château de Versailles, the Place de la Concorde, the Alexandre III Bridge, and the expansive lawns in front of the Hôtel des Invalides. 

    Massive amounts of bleachers and facilities for ticketed spectators have been brought in and creatively set up to adapt to the often unusual contours and spatial constraints of these areas. Seeing the obelisk at la Place de la Concorde hidden behind a patchwork of crisscrossing bars and stands was strange indeed. From the outside, the expansive fenced-in area, with giant stands rising out from the emptied-out streets, looks like a curious sort of fairground. 

    Third, and arguably most importantly, there is the Seine River itself, which will be the location of the opening ceremony as well as several aquatic competitions. 

    From a security standpoint, the first category of venues is the most straightforward because entrances and exits are already part of the structures. All that is necessary to guarantee spectator and athlete safety is to set up slightly expanded perimeters around the buildings and flood the access points with staff and security guards so that no one – or anything – dangerous gets through. 

    Think of the Barclays Center on game night. Plenty of space to accommodate the crowds at the entrance waiting to go through security, with minimal disruptions to the immediate surroundings. 

    The second category of event sites, as mentioned above, significantly modify public spaces outdoors; they pose greater security and logistical challenges, as the physical enclosures separating “outside from inside” – separating the ticketed spectators from the unticketed – have to be brought in on trucks and set up. 

    These barriers are made up of hundreds of miles of what are essentially chain link fence units (about 10 feet long and 7 feet high) set into concrete slabs that can be moved around and connected as needed. 

    They wrap around the temporary outdoor sporting event sites in odd, unsightly ways and, notwithstanding the considerable effort to line them up neatly, look to many like human kennels. (Upset Parisians are referring to them as cages.) 

    The last site/category of Olympic events, and the location of the opening ceremony, the Seine River, is the most problematic in terms of security perimeters. 

    In fact, in order to meet the endless safety, commercial, and sanitary needs associated with the many uses to which the river is being put, an unprecedented thing has taken place: for 8 days leading up to the opening ceremony (tomorrow), the Seine and its immediate surroundings have undergone a form of privatization that has kept almost the entirety of the Parisian population off its riverbanks and away from its nearest surrounding streets and bridges. 

    Implementing this shutting down of the river has involved widespread use of the aforementioned chainlink-type moveable fences – thousands of them – along with a novel but not entirely unfamiliar technological device: the QR-coded pass. 

    To help explain what this is looking like on the ground, I’ll attempt to draw a hypothetical analogy with NYC. 

    It’s a highly flawed comparison due to the very different layout and features of the two cities, with the proportions off, but it’s the best I could come up with under pressure to illustrate the point. 

    Imagine that 42nd Street in NYC was the Seine River, and that all of the Avenues slicing through it were Paris’ many bridges connecting the North and South sides of the city. 

    Now picture the sidewalks of 42nd Street as Paris’ Right and Left banks, or riversides, and all the buildings on the North and South sides of 42nd Street, extending down its entire length, like the rows of charming old Parisian apartment buildings you see overlooking the Seine in postcards. 

    Okay, now think of what life would be like in Manhattan if, for 8 days, all of 42nd Street (street, sidewalks, avenues, entire blocks of buildings) was completely off limits to all motorized traffic and most foot and cycle traffic, with only two avenues – one on the East Side (say, 2nd Avenue), and one on the West Side (say, 8th Avenue) – left open to handle all of midtown Manhattan’s North-to-South movements: foot, bicycle, and motorized traffic. 

    On top of these restrictions on 42nd Street, imagine the entire area encompassing 41st and 43rd Streets – cross streets and all – every inch, being cut off to all motorized traffic for 8 days, except for emergency and police vehicles. Buses would be rerouted out of the area. 

    Random pedestrians and cyclists approaching from uptown or downtown could move freely within this outlying area immediately to the north and south of 42nd Street, but they could still not access 42nd Street itself, and as they entered into the outlying pedestrian areas through police checkpoints, they would be subject to random bag searches by a police presence resembling that of an occupying army. 

    Subway service would continue to run uninterrupted through the zone, but would not make any stops on 41st, 42nd and 43rd Streets. All major subway hubs in the area would be completely closed for those 8 days, including MetroNorth and LIRR trains running into and out of Grand Central. 

    Drivers wishing to travel from, say, the Upper East Side to Kip’s Bay might find it faster and easier at rush hour to take the Queensborough Bridge to the Queens Midtown Tunnel, swinging back again into Manhattan, rather than sitting in the bottleneck forming for blocks and blocks along the approach to the 2nd Avenue 42nd Street southbound crossing. 

    Imagine in addition that more than half of the width of 42nd Street sidewalks was completely taken up with metal stands and bleachers in preparation for an opening ceremony parade of slow-moving trucks that would traverse 42nd Street from east to west all the way across. 

    (In Paris, the opening ceremony will feature decked-out boats gliding down the river representing the participating nations, so in addition to the river banks, most of the bridges in the center of Paris are also filled with empty steep metal bleachers. 

    My fanciful comparison with NYC, unfortunately, doesn’t allow the avenues to behave like bridges, but if you can picture the Park Avenue Viaduct over 42nd Street filled with empty seats and benches stacked high and looking down over the street, you can get a sense of how this vitally important public space has been turned into one vast seating area, sitting idle for 8 days.)

    Controlled access to the thousands of residences, businesses, and shops on 42nd Street via the many otherwise closed-off avenues would begin as far away as 41st and 43rd Streets (and sometimes one or two streets farther removed) behind hundreds of feet of the aforementioned chainlink barriers and through select access points guarded by police units 24/7. 

    Entry would be granted only to authorized individuals in possession of a special QR-coded “Games Pass.” 

    The “authorized” individuals allowed to enter this area, on foot or on bicycle only, would be: local residents, owners, or employees of shops and businesses on 42nd Street, and/or tourists and others with valid reasons for needing to be there. 

    The latter reasons would include and be essentially limited to medical appointments, lunch/dinner reservations in restaurants, and the need for guests staying at hotels or Airbnbs within this “secure” perimeter to return to their accommodations. 

    The QR-coded “Games Pass” itself would be issued to applicants only after the successful submission of detailed personal information and supporting documents to the NYPD well in advance of the shutdown period. 

    The NYPD would record all the personal information about who lived and worked within this soon-to-be shut-down perimeter, presumably verify the accuracy of the information provided, and then give, or withhold giving, the green light for issuance of the “Games Pass.”

    For reasons unknown, many employees of small businesses would never get their QR-coded “Games Pass” after correctly providing all necessary personal information to the authorities. 

    (In Paris, this inexplicable failure to issue “Games Passes” to employees whose workplaces were inside the locked-down areas, whether due to human or machine error, initially created much tension between cops and workers at numerous access points, as the latter tried by many means (getting their bosses on the phone, showing proof of employment, providing friendly assurances, etc., often in vain, to justify their right and need to enter the area.)

    On the afternoon of the opening ceremony, the bleachers lining the sidewalks of 42nd Street, along with the rows of stands looking down from the Park Avenue Viaduct, would slowly fill up with the more than 300,000 ticketed spectators allowed to watch the Olympic Parade. 

    No one else in NYC – unless they happened to be lucky enough to live in a building on 42nd Street with a window facing the street – would be allowed to get close enough to the event to see it with their own two eyes. 

    It’s hard to capture the universal exasperation caused by this 8-day near-total shutdown of the Seine River, its upper and lower riverbanks, the buildings all around it, and most of its bridges. 

    The rerouting of motorized traffic and resulting colossal bottlenecks around this central part of the city have been an absolute nightmare to taxis and commuters at rush hour – even after the significant reduction in the number of vehicles on the roads following the seasonal exodus of Parisians fleeing the city for summer homes and foreign vacation destinations.

    But it’s the restrictions on pedestrian and cyclist movements around the water and riverside areas that have enraged Parisians the most. 

    Hemmed in and funneled through long narrow spaces between sidewalks and empty roads, local residents and visitors to Paris alike are bristling at the intrusive, intimidating metal fences, which are more in line with the types of structures you would see at a detention center or migrant camp than at an international sporting event. 

    It’s hard to overstate how violently these unsightly barriers clash with the otherwise beautiful surroundings they are keeping people out of. 

    All of these restrictions have, not surprisingly, led to a serious dropoff in tourist activities in the area. Restaurants within the cordoned-off “security perimeters” are making 30%-70% less than this time last year. This is the case even in the buffer zones leading up to the river where motorized traffic is prohibited but foot and bicycle access is allowed without restrictions. Terraces and restaurant interiors are empty here too. 

    (Fortunately, the many other stadium/arena/transformed venues around Paris that will be hosting events in the days following the opening ceremony will not cause similar disruptions to neighboring businesses, interrupting traffic flows in the immediate area only for a few hours preceding and following the events. 

    In such spots, the QR-Coded Games Pass will play a less important role, and won’t be needed by local residents or shopkeepers because no shops or businesses open to the public will be located on the same site as the sporting venue. Only visitors/spectators to these sites will have to worry about QR codes and QR-coded tickets.)

    But to return to the river opening ceremony “security” preparations, in order to monitor the hundreds of access points along the North and South banks of the Seine (as well as to monitor the many other Olympic Games venues around the city), 45,000 police and gendarmes have been mobilized, with thousands pouring into Paris from all over France. 

    I spoke with about a dozen such officers stationed at checkpoints all along the river, and I asked them how things were going. Most – in carefully chosen words and professional tones — said it was a shitshow. 

    Interestingly, all the police I happened upon were from other parts of France and most were not at all familiar with Paris and its streets and bridges. So when asked by annoyed locals or confused/lost tourists about how to navigate around the off-limit zones, such officers were often of little to no help. 

    On the two occasions I witnessed local Parisians ask how to get around a closed-off area, the out-of-town police shrugged and apologetically explained how they weren’t from Paris and didn’t know.

    Standing for hours on end at the hundreds of cordoned-off access points, they would repeat calmly and patiently that they were stationed there solely to check passes and make sure unauthorized persons did not get beyond them. It was unreasonable to expect anything more of them, they seemed to be saying. 

    This led me to ask how the actual process of checking the “Games Pass” – their primary responsibility – was unfolding. 

    It turns out that the way things were supposed to happen was that a person in possession of a “Games Pass” seeking access to the restricted area also needed to show police a separate ID, and sometimes further proof of what they claimed to be doing in the area (if they didn’t live or work there), at which the police could cross-check the name with the information called up by the QR-code scanner. 

    But it seems there are not (or at least weren’t as of Monday) enough scanners to go around, and, making matters worse, the scanner screens can’t be read properly on sunny days due to the glare. 

    So in such situations – which also include instances of people not receiving their “Games Pass,” or having lost their paper copy – the police have to “use their best judgment,” and let people through on the basis of simple ID checks and the believability of the person’s story for needing to be in the off-limits area. 

    The police officers I spoke with said a small number of people, like myself, objected to the use of QR-coded passes on principle, saying that it reminded them of the health and vaccine pass nightmares and that hosting an international event was no justification for denying freedom of movement in this way. 

    When I asked what they themselves thought of the kennel-like security restrictions, and if they agreed with any of the freedom of movement concerns raised by angry residents, most seemed to miss the point entirely. They would invariably utter something about the size and scope of the event requiring the extraordinary security measures, that terrorists would be plotting, etc. Almost like a pre-recorded message (though eloquently conveyed). 

    But one cop I spoke to at length raised another issue I hadn’t thought of keeping the entire city away from the Seine for 8 days and nights was also aimed at preventing the newly cleaned river from filling up with human garbage again. 

    The banks of the river in the warm summer months are thronged with revelers all through the evenings, and this leads to tons of junk and pollution ending up in the water. 

    It turns out that 1.4 billion euros went into a massive 6-year river cleanup project, beginning in 2018, to make the Seine safe enough to swim in for the handful of aquatic events set to take place in it this summer. 

    E coli and other bacteria seem to have disappeared (or at least no longer pose a threat to human health) and the number of fish species has made a huge comeback, jumping from 3 to 30 in the last few years due to the significant increase in oxygen in the water. 

    Understandably, the Olympic Games organizers and the City of Paris didn’t want flotsam in the form of empty wine bottles to be seen bobbing up and down between the parade boats on the opening night, so they decided not to take any chances and simply banned everyone from getting within spitting distance of the water. 

    This got me thinking. 

    This whole 8-day Seine shutdown – which in some ways amounts to privatizing the river, making access available to only a fraction of the tax-paying population – could not have been imaginable without the availability of digital passes such as this QR-coded “Games Pass,” which can store and instantly call up huge amounts of pre-vetted personal data. 

    Though there aren’t enough of the scanners to go around, there are enough to just about make it all work. 

    Without such on-the-spot digital data-storage technology, the thousands of local residents and other “authorized” persons needing to access the areas around the river on a daily basis would have to carry around with them at all times: IDs, proof of residence, and proof of employment papers. And they would need to show them all every day to every cop they came across at the checkpoints.

    Police stationed at these checkpoints, in turn, would have to spend endless time cross-checking all these documents, and querying every non-resident about their purpose for being in the area – a mini-interrogation each time a local resident or worker sought to cross an access point. 

    It’s hard to imagine the proposal to shut down the Seine River for over a week being taken seriously even in an informal spitballing session of city counselors (let alone in a national-level ministerial meeting) if it involved local residents living by the river having to produce reams of documentation every time they came back from work or the supermarket. 

    One would hope that such an imaginary discussion, after eliciting groans at the idea of such intrusive on-the-spot background and ID checking by police, would have quickly led to other considerations being raised, such as freedom of movement and the unreasonable obligation to justify one’s presence in public areas.

    So there had to be a way to streamline such an extensively coordinated, large-scale shutdown of a heavily populated urban area requiring such tight control of people and their movements, ideally, without people taking too much notice of the personal intrusions and infringements on certain rights and freedoms. 

    Cue the QR-coded “Games Pass.”

    Had there been no sophisticated QR-coded tools to facilitate such an undertaking, it’s likely the hair-brained and outrageous idea of emptying out and privatizing the center of a major metropolis – with all its attendant civil rights questions – would have been immediately apparent. 

    One wonders if questions over the feasibility and legality/constitutionality of such a proposal were ever brought up in official discussions in 2016. Perhaps, instead, the fascination with the vast organizational and control/surveillance potential of the QR-coded “Games Passes” caused such concerns to be dismissed or downplayed – or eclipsed entirely – once again revealing the dangerous hidden biases of these digital technologies.  

    In my experience, asking proponents of surveillance/control tools like QR-coded “Games Passes” or Health/Vaccine Passports about the totalitarian nature of the use cases that such technologies inevitably give rise to typically elicits ironic eye-rolling and accusations of alarmism, followed by reassurances about the benefits of enhanced security on a limited time scale. 

    In the case of the Paris “Games Pass,” such enthusiasts are also quick to highlight the added bonus of having a cleaned-up river to enjoy going forward. The 100-year ban on swimming on the Seine is set to be lifted after the Summer Games, with the opening up of select swimming areas along the river next summer.

    But those of us who lived for two-plus years under the totalitarian Corona regime, with its QR-coded health and vaccine passes, see this as a clear attempt to continue testing out these technologies in new contexts involving restrictions on basic rights and freedoms, slowly and steadily conditioning public acceptance of their use in preparation for the inevitable rollout of digital IDs in France and the EU (unless the Europeans start organizing to oppose these out-in-the-open Orwellian plans).

    Indeed, it seems the French government misses no opportunity these days to insinuate QR codes into large-scale public celebrations and gatherings where they are not needed. 

    To wit, the annual Bal des Pompiers (Fireman’s Ball) this year (a uniquely French outdoor celebration held inside the courtyards of Fire Stations all over France on the 13th and 14th of July, which is free and open to the public and draws massive crowds of revelers, featuring the presence of French Foreign Legionnaires and other elite military personnel), for the first time ever, prohibited the use of cash and credit cards for purchases of food and drink and instead required partygoers to buy a QR-coded “credit card” at the entrance.

    In order to consume food or alcohol within the firehouse, one had to line up at a special booth and exchange money for a special one-off QR-coded plastic card (the size and shape of a credit card) which then became the only accepted form of currency for purchases during the all-night outdoor celebration. 

    Unlike previous years, where the firemen serving food and alcohol also handled cash and credit cards, this year they were armed with little scanners, with which they beeped and deducted credit from these disposable digital money cards. 

    It introduced a wholly unnecessary, illogical, time-wasting step into the normal “money-food” transaction process on the grounds that it would streamline the handover of food and drink in an extremely busy and crowded space by freeing vendors from the need to handle money. 

    It of course did exactly the opposite, causing people to waste more time standing in the QR-coded card line each time they wanted to buy or top up their card. Worse still, drunk party-goers undoubtedly lost hundreds, if not thousands of euros, from putting more money on their QR-cards than they were able (or remembered) to spend on food and alcohol during the rollicking festivities. 

    To those of us still reeling from the use of the health passes, it was a terrifying, flagrant further example of the incremental social engineering that has been going on in Europe for the last 4 years, with its two-fold aim of phasing out cash while preparing the public for a sudden shift to a digital euro during the next manufactured emergency. 

    I can only hope the uproar caused by the Summer Games’ disruptions to people’s ability to live, work in, and enjoy their city will shine a light on these dangerous technologies of control and surveillance that I believe are irreconcilably incompatible with the values and principles of a free society.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 23:45

  • School That Gave Child COVID-19 Vaccine Against Parents' Wishes Immune From Lawsuits: Court
    School That Gave Child COVID-19 Vaccine Against Parents’ Wishes Immune From Lawsuits: Court

    Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    A school that injected a minor with a COVID-19 vaccine despite the boy’s parents telling school officials they did not want him to receive a COVID-19 vaccine is immune under federal law, the Vermont Supreme Court has ruled.

    A health care worker prepares a COVID-19 vaccine, in this file photograph. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

    The Federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) protects state and school officials who were named as defendants in a lawsuit brought by the minor’s parents, justices said in a July 26 decision.

    “We conclude that when the federal PREP Act immunizes a defendant, the PREP Act bars all state-law claims against that defendant as a matter of law,” Justice Karen Carroll said.

    The PREP Act, signed in 2005, grants immunity to administrators of covered vaccines except in cases involving willful misconduct. COVID-19 vaccines are covered because of a 2020 declaration, extended multiple times thereafter, by the U.S. health secretary.

    Dario and Shujen Politella sued officials after their son was injected with a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 shot in 2021 at the Academy School in the Windham Southeast School District. Before the school hosted a vaccine clinic, district and state officials confirmed that students needed parental consent to receive a vaccine, and the boy’s parents said they did not consent. Just days before holding the clinic, Mr. Politella emphasized to the school’s assistant principal that the parents did not want the boy to receive a shot.

    The boy was removed from class on the day of the clinic and labeled as another child, who had already been vaccinated. The boy told workers his father said not to give him a vaccine, but they distracted him with a stuffed animal and gave him a shot, according to court documents.

    The Vermont Superior Court dismissed the suit from the parents, finding that they needed to bring litigation in federal court under the PREP Act’s immunity exemption.

    Lawyers for the parents, though, argued that officials did not show that the PREP Act covered their actions and that the case should play out in state court according to state laws. In a brief to Vermont justices, they pointed to other cases in which that has happened.

    Justices said that each defendant, including the school’s nurse, is covered by the PREP Act and that the allegations against them are related to the administration of the vaccine, which makes all defendants immune.

    While there have been rulings in other cases that the PREP Act only preempts claims against covered people for willful misconduct, “none of these cases supports the proposition that plaintiffs can proceed in state court against defendants who are completely immunized from liability under the Act,” Justice Carroll said.

    She wrote later that “other state courts faced with similar facts have concluded that state-law claims against immunized defendants cannot proceed in state court in light of the PREP Act’s immunity and preemption provisions, including claims based on the failure to secure parental consent.”

    Attorneys representing Mr. and Mrs. Politella and the defendants did not respond to requests for comment.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 22:55

  • Israeli Police Detain Soldiers Suspected Of Raping A Palestinian, Sparking Protests
    Israeli Police Detain Soldiers Suspected Of Raping A Palestinian, Sparking Protests

    Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

    On Monday, Israeli military police detained Israeli soldiers who were suspected of raping a Palestinian prisoner at the notorious Sde Teiman prison in southern Israel. Israeli media reported that the Palestinian prisoner was transferred from Sde Teiman to a hospital with an injury to his anus that was so severe he could not walk.

    When the Israeli military police went to Sde Teiman to detain soldiers suspected of forcibly sodomizing the Palestinian man, they were met with resistance. A security source told Haaretz that Israeli soldiers at the facility refused to leave and barricaded themselves in. They also reportedly used pepper spray on the military police.

    The police ended up detaining nine out of 10 of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers suspected of abusing the Palestinian detainee. The arrest of the suspected rapists sparked protests from far-right Israeli activists.

    Members of the Israeli Knesset joined protesters as they stormed Sde Teiman, including Zvi Sukkot of the Religious Zionism party. At least one member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition was spotted among the protesters, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, a member of the Jewish Power party. Later in the day, protesters stormed Beit Lid, the base where the Israeli soldiers are being held.

    Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power party, praised the detained Israeli soldiers, calling them the “best heroes” and denouncing their arrest as “shameful.”

    According to The Telegraph, Ben Gvir said the Israeli security establishment should support the soldiers and “learn from the prison service: light treatment of terrorists is over. Soldiers need to have our full support.” According to CBS News:

    Lawmaker Hanoch Milwidsky was asked as he defended the alleged abuse whether it was legitimate, “to insert a stick into a person’s rectum?”

    “Yes!” he shouted in reply to his fellow parliamentarian. “If he is a Nukhba [Hamas militant], everything is legitimate to do! Everything!”

    Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who’s drawn U.S. reprimands with his provocative actions since the war started, wrote in a post on social media: “Take your hands off the reservists.”

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    Israeli whistleblowers have detailed widespread abuse and torture at the Sde Teiman prison, which holds Palestinians detained from Gaza. The New York Times reported last month that Palestinians who made it out of the facility said they were subject to sexual torture.

    Younis al-Hamlawi, a senior nurse who was detained by Israeli forces in Gaza after he left Al-Shifa Hospital over allegations that he was tied to Hamas, told the Times that Israeli soldiers penetrated his rectum with a metal stick, causing him to bleed and leaving him in “unbearable pain.“

    All of this was sparked due to an internal Israeli military investigation, after pressure from US officials…

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    The Times report said a leaked report from the UN “cited a 41-year-old detainee who said that interrogators ‘made me sit on something like a hot metal stick and it felt like fire,’ and also said that another detainee ‘died after they put the electric stick up’ his anus.”

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 22:30

  • Democrats Vs. The Man Who Could Get To The Bottom Of The Trump Shooting
    Democrats Vs. The Man Who Could Get To The Bottom Of The Trump Shooting

    Authored by Julie Kelly via RealClearInvestigations,

    After the evasive House testimony of now-former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and FBI Director Christopher Wray’s shortlived suggestion that Donald Trump may not have been hit by a bullet, one man alone may help allay Republican fears that the Biden administration will not conduct a forthright investigation into the attempted assassination of Trump last month: Joseph Cuffari.

    The Trump-appointed inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security has already opened two investigations into the U.S. Secret Service, which is under the purview of the DHS, related to the agency’s handling of the July 13 shooting.

    But some Republicans are concerned because, they say, Cuffari has been stonewalled by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on other internal examinations – including one that might have revealed Secret Service lapses that might have prevented the attempt on Trump’s life. 

    Specifically, congressional sources tell RCI that Cuffari’s report, “USSS Preparation for and Response to the Events of January 6, 2021,” has been on Mayorkas’ desk since at least April.

    The report, according to Politico, will “cast light on a series of embarrassing security lapses for the agency.” And given some comparisons between Jan. 6 and July 13, the report might shed light on systemic issues that impacted both events.

    For example, unanswered questions remain as to why the Secret Service allowed Trump to take the stage at The Ellipse outside the White House around noon on Jan. 6 amid reports of individuals with weapons in the vicinity – a question many Americans have about the July 13 assassination attempt. Law enforcement and spectators noted the presence of a suspicious individual, later identified as the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, at least a half hour before Trump took the stage in Butler, Pennsylvania.

    In addition, no one has explained how the Secret Service failed to notice an alleged pipe bomb found outside the Democrat National Committee DC office on Jan. 6 – while then Vice President-elect Harris was inside the building. Previous reporting by RCI shows multiple law enforcement officers, including one with a bomb-sniffing dog, walking past the bench where the device was found. 

    Rep. Barry Loudermilk, chairman of a House subcommittee tasked with a separate investigation into Jan. 6 as well as the now-defunct J6 committee, recently accused Mayorkas of intentionally holding the release of the report. The Georgia Republican told Mayorkas in a letter that “the failure to provide an in-depth review of the department’s security planning and operational failures related to January 6 not only raises concerns about the department’s botched planning for former president Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024, but it is quite possible that such reports could have prevented the security breakdown that resulted in the near assassination of a former president and presidential candidate.”

    Top Democrats have long sought to remove Cuffari – a former investigator for the Air Force and Department of Justice whom Trump appointed in 2019 in 2019 – from office. The coordinated effort began when the IG notified Congress that a trove of Secret Service texts from January 5 and 6, 2021 had been deleted in late January 2021 under the Biden administration. The purge occurred weeks after every federal agency received a directive from Congress to preserve all evidence related to January 6. 

    Cuffari said messages belonging to at least 24 Secret Service officials including then director James Murray and Cheatle, who was an assistant director of the agency on January 6, were gone. So, too, were the texts of then acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and acting deputy secretary Ken Cuccinelli, both Trump appointees.

    His office subsequently opened a criminal investigation into the matter.

    “The USSS erased those text messages after OIG [Office of Inspector General] requested records of electronic communications from the USSS, as part of our evaluation of events at the Capitol on January 6,” the inspector general wrote in a July 2022 letter to chairmen of both the Senate and House Homeland Security committees, including Rep. Bennie Thompson, who also chaired the Jan. 6 committee at the same time. 

    Cuffari further flagged the DHS’s lack of cooperation with his inquiry, something he had already pointed out in an earlier report to the committees. “DHS personnel have repeatedly told OIG inspectors that they were not permitted to provide records directly to OIG and that such records had to first undergo review by DHS attorneys,” Cuffari continued in the letter.

    Not true, responded Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. He claimed the texts had been deleted when cell phones were reset to factory settings as part of a device replacement program. “The insinuation that the Secret Service maliciously deleted text messages following a request is false.” (Guglielmi’s truthfulness was brought into question recently when he claimed it was “absolutely false” that the Secret Service rejected the Trump campaign’s multiple requests for additional security prior to the Pennsylvania rally. The Washington Post later confirmed that top Secret Service officials “repeatedly denied” requests for more manpower and equipment to protect the former president at large events.)

    And despite initially insisting the texts were not lost, Guglielmi shortly thereafter said the missing Jan. 6-related messages were not recoverable. Cuffari did acquire the cell phones of two dozen Secret Service agents on duty that day, which did not have texts from that day but could have other pertinent information.

    But rather than demand that the DHS use its extensive investigative tools to retrieve the texts, Thompson instead turned his fire on Cuffari. Thompson suggested Cuffari’s alleged delay in notifying the committee about the purged texts represented a cover-up and “cost investigators precious time to capture relevant evidence.” Cuffari had, in fact, notified the Homeland Security committee of both the Senate and House, of which Thompson was chairman, at least twice that DHS officials were not cooperating in his J6 probe.

    “The Department repeatedly suggested that OIG might not have a right of access to the records sought, but during the months-long period in which access was delayed the Department did not cite any legal authority – that would have justified withholding the information,” Cuffari disclosed in a September 2021 report to Congress.

    Despite Cuffari’s warnings related to stonewalling by DHS brass, Thompson accused Cuffari of withholding news of the deleted messages. In a July 2022 letter, just two weeks after Cuffari disclosed the missing texts, Thompson asked him to step aside from the J6 inquiry. Calls for Cuffari’s dismissal have also been driven by the nonprofit “watchdog” group, the Project on Government Oversight. The vice chair of POGO’s board is Debra Katz, a lawyer for Brett Kavanagh’s accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, during his tawdry Supreme Court nomination hearings.   

    Critics say Thompson’s demand for Cuffari’s recusal appeared to contradict his stated mission to find the truth about Jan. 6. For example, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, a star witness for the committee, provided a shocking account about how Trump allegedly assaulted one of the Secret Service agents on his detail that afternoon. Wouldn’t Thompson and the other committee members want records to prove her claims, which are now in dispute by several individuals, including the driver she said Trump tried to attack? Why would Thompson want to get rid of the watchdog attempting to locate messages critical to filling an important missing piece of the Jan. 6 puzzle? 

    In fact, Thompson told Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky) in February his committee “could have had a better, more thorough report had we had access to all those records.” Thompson further said that the deletions not only violated the Federal Records Act but may have also amounted to obstruction of justice since he had issued a subpoena, the only one his committee sought from an executive office, seeking the records.

    Talk but No Action

    But neither his committee nor a Democrat-controlled Congress did anything about it. Unlike the committee’s criminal referral to the Department of Justice against Trump for obstructing an official proceeding, Thompson did not pursue criminal charges against any DHS official responsible for erasing the text records.

    But Thompson did continue his attacks on Cuffari aided by his House colleagues and DHS IG employees, who wrote a letter accusing Cuffari of “continued mismanagement.” “IG Cuffari has made it clear that he wishes to remain in his position, even in the face of prolonged, deserved criticism in the media, from Congress, from other oversight entities and from his own staff. A true leader would recognize the effect of his actions on his workforce and understand the right thing to do would be to step aside,” anonymous staffers wrote in a September 2022 letter to Joe Biden asking him to fire Cuffari.

    The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, or CIGIE, which oversees federal inspector generals, also went after Cuffari by opening a flood of inquiries into the DHS IG’s office. In response, Cuffari filed a lawsuit seeking relief  from “an unjust, Kafkaesque system produced by an unconstitutionally structured entity and abetted by a complete absence of independent oversight, accountability and lawful due process.”  A federal judge dismissed his effort to stop the investigation, ruling that he had not suffered any harm. 

    CIGIE is mired in its own scandals; in May, several Republican House members sent a letter to a top CIGIE official demanding answers about the “politicization” of the organization. During a House hearing on July 24, committee members accused CIGIE chairman Mark Greenblatt of a lack of transparency and the “subjective” nature of CIGIE’s work.

    House Democrats, including Thompson, continue to seek Cuffari’s resignation more recently for deleting text messages off his government device. Cuffari told Congress he did not consider the texts applicable under the Federal Records Act.

    Intriguingly, as Cuffari begins his probe of the attempt on Trump’s life, his Jan. 6 report may shed light on an alleged threat to Vice President Harris.  

    More than three-and-a-half years later, investigators still have not arrested anyone for planting pipe bombs outside the headquarters of both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee on the evening of Jan. 5. The FBI’s investigation reportedly remains open but apparently went cold.

    For reasons still unknown, Harris left Capitol Hill around 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 6 following a briefing for the Senate Intelligence Committee. Although an official schedule indicated she planned to go home, she instead arrived at DNC headquarters along with a Secret Service detail at 11:25 a.m.

    Video captured by a security camera outside the building showed a bomb-sniffing dog conducting a vehicle search at 9:44 a.m., roughly two hours before Harris’ arrival. The canine did not detect the explosive device sitting just a few feet away near an outdoor bench.

    Neither did officers from Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police, who intermittently arrived at the building throughout the morning and into the early afternoon. Harris’ Secret Service detail did not appear to conduct any meaningful search of the premises before or during her visit.

    And when a plainclothes Capitol Police officer discovered the pipe bomb at 1:07 p.m., no officer appeared overly concerned that a device the FBI later said was viable and deadly was within distance of the incoming vice president.

    She was evacuated about 10 minutes later.

    How did the Secret Service miss the device in plain view? Was anyone fired for failing to properly sweep the area and endangering the life of their protectee? Were new protocols put in place to avoid repeating such a frightening scenario in the future?

    Cuffari’s report presumably will finally answer those questions because agency officials have not.

    Not only are the FBI and Secret Service tight-lipped about the incident, but Harris herself has yet to discuss it publicly. 

    Harris has not explained why she, a sitting U.S. senator at the time, left the Capitol 90 minutes before the beginning of the joint session of Congress to certify her groundbreaking election. She appears to have been the only senator not in attendance as the proceedings commenced. Why did she plan to miss such a historic event? How did she feel when she was told of the alleged bomb?

    It would be nearly impossible for the national news media to continue to ignore her ties to the pipe bomb story if Cuffari addressed it in his investigation. 

    “Any delay or obstruction by Mayorkas is unacceptable,” Loudermilk said in an email, “especially now that the DHS IG is investigating the serious USSS security failures at the Trump rally in Butler PA.”

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 22:05

  • FDA Approves New Blood Test For Colon Cancer
    FDA Approves New Blood Test For Colon Cancer

    Authored by Chase Smith via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new blood test for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening for adults ages 45 and older who are at average risk for the disease, according to a statement from Guardant Health Inc.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in White Oak, Md., on June 5, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

    The FDA’s decision follows a strong recommendation for approval from an advisory committee panel in May 2024.

    The approval of Guardant Health’s “Shield” test marks the first time that a blood test has been recognized by the FDA as a primary screening option for CRC, offering a noninvasive alternative to traditional methods such as colonoscopies and stool-based tests, according to the statement.

    Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, with the American Cancer Society estimating more than 150,000 new diagnoses and 53,000 deaths in 2024 alone.

    Early detection is crucial, as the five-year relative survival rate is 91 percent when CRC is identified early, compared with just 14 percent if the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, according to the company’s statement.

    The screening rate for CRC in the United States stands at about 59 percent, significantly below the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable’s goal of at least 80 percent. Many people avoid traditional screening methods because of their invasive and unpleasant nature, according to the statement.

    “The persistent gap in colorectal cancer screening rates shows that the existing screening options do not appeal to millions of people,” Dr. Daniel Chung, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in the statement.

    “The FDA’s approval of the Shield blood test marks a tremendous leap forward, offering a compelling new solution to close this gap. This decision will help make screening tests more broadly accessible and propel blood-based testing and CRC screening into a new era.

    “With increased screening rates and early cancer detection, many more lives can be saved.”

    The Shield blood test has been in development for more than a decade, according to the company.

    A major clinical trial, the ECLIPSE study, demonstrated that the Shield test has an 83 percent sensitivity for detecting CRC and a 90 percent specificity for advanced neoplasia, according to the company. The results are comparable to those of other noninvasive screening methods currently recommended by guidelines, according to the statement.

    “Shield can help improve colorectal cancer screening rates so we can detect more cancers at an early stage, when they are treatable,” Guardant Health Co-CEO AmirAli Talasaz said in the statement.

    The advisory committee panel acknowledged the test’s reliability for detecting stages 2, 3, and 4 CRC and emphasized the benefit of having a blood test that can achieve higher adherence rates among patients who avoid colonoscopies or stool-based tests. However, it stressed that Guardant Health must make sure that consumers are aware that the blood test is not equivalent to a colonoscopy in its ability to detect and remove benign polyps before they can become cancerous.

    The panel highlighted the importance of clear labeling and patient education to mitigate risks associated with the test’s lower sensitivity for detecting pre-cancerous advanced adenomas, according to the minutes from the panel’s meeting.

    The panel noted that patients with pre-cancerous advanced adenomas have a high risk of developing CRC and that Shield’s lower test sensitivity for detecting these adenomas means that there is a risk that patients might receive a negative test result despite having pre-cancerous advanced adenomas, potentially leading to missed opportunities for early intervention.

    The panel said it’s crucial that the test’s limitations were clearly communicated for patients to understand that while the Shield test is an effective tool for CRC screening, it “is not a replacement for diagnostic colonoscopy or for surveillance colonoscopy in high-risk individuals.”

    Guardant Health’s Shield test will be available by prescription and is expected to be covered by Medicare for eligible beneficiaries. Commercial insurance coverage is also anticipated to expand following future guideline inclusions by the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, according to the statement.

    “The test, which has an accuracy rate for colon cancer detection similar to stool tests used for early detection of cancer, could offer an alternative for patients who may otherwise decline current screening options,” said Dr. William M. Grady, a gastroenterologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 21:40

  • The Top 3 Proxy Wars To Determine WW3 And Reshape The World Order
    The Top 3 Proxy Wars To Determine WW3 And Reshape The World Order

    Authored by Nick Giambruno via InternationalMan.com,

    Today, I will closely examine the most important proxy wars of World War 3, which I believe will be decisive in determining who wins the overall conflict and gets to shape the new world order.

    Proxy wars are a method by which major powers fight their battles indirectly, using smaller nations or groups as stand-ins rather than confronting each other directly.

    Major powers support, equip, and finance smaller groups or nations in a proxy war to fight against a common adversary. This support can include military training, weapons, funding, and other resources. The critical point is that the major powers do not engage directly in combat.

    There are numerous ongoing proxy wars in World War 3.

    However, the ones I believe will prove decisive will be in Taiwan, Ukraine, and the Middle East. The other proxy wars are peripheral in comparison.

    Proxy War #1: Taiwan

    Recently, China performed a two-day military exercise around Taiwan, named Joint Sharp Sword-2024A, as a response to what it calls Taiwan’s separatist acts.

    This drill involved the Chinese air force and navy completely surrounding the island of Taiwan with ships and warplanes. It aimed at testing their combat readiness for a full-scale attack.

    Many believe the drills are practice for an invasion.

    This show of force comes just after Taiwan’s new President, Lai Ching-te, took office. Lai once expressed support for Taiwan’s independence.

    If Taiwan officially declared independence, it would be tantamount to declaring war with China.

    The unofficial status quo maintains an ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s sovereignty; they aren’t declaring independence (yet), nor are they committing to reunifying with China.

    Lai’s presidency is significant in the context of the already strained China-Taiwan relations. A new president with pro-independence sympathies could be the tipping point that causes China to act.

    However, I am skeptical that the US military would directly intervene.

    That’s because China (and Russia) are the only countries with sophisticated enough nuclear arsenals to go toe-to-toe with the US up to the top of the military escalation ladder, a concept that describes how the severity of a military conflict can increase.

    In other words, the US military can’t attack China with impunity because Beijing can match each move up to all-out nuclear war—the very top of the military escalation ladder.

    The operative question is, will the US risk nuclear Armageddon over Taiwan?

    I don’t think it will.

    Considering everything, China seems to have the advantage and will reunify Taiwan in the not-so-distant future.

    I think China—and thus BRICS+—will prevail in this crucial proxy war of World War 3. If that happens, it will likely permanently alter the geopolitical landscape of East Asia.

    Proxy War #2: Ukraine

    Ukraine has been the arena of choice for NATO & Friends to confront Russia for many years.

    To briefly summarize, the US has been spending many billions meddling in Ukraine long before the current conflict broke out in February of 2022.

    It has been estimated that the US spent around $5 billion on “democratization” in Ukraine before 2022. What that means is covert mischief executed through nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), which are simply fronts for the CIA.

    A partial list of the culprits includes USAID, the National Democratic Institute, and the International Republican Institute, as well as nominally nongovernmental organizations like Freedom House, George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, and the National Endowment for Democracy.

    It all culminated in the violent overthrow of Ukraine’s corrupt pro-Russia government in 2014, which a corrupt pro-US government replaced. It sowed the seeds for the current conflict.

    As I write this, in mid-2024, the conflict in Ukraine appears to be reaching a tipping point.

    Ukraine has suffered serious battlefield setbacks as Russia has steadily gained territory. The Russians now have the momentum and initiative.

    US funding is also drying up. American and European voters are increasingly tired of the war as regular people struggle with a sputtering economy and rising inflation.

    In short, there’s not much more that NATO & Friends can do to turn things around for Ukraine.

    They can’t intervene directly; the Russians have been clear they would view that as a declaration of direct and open war, which could lead to nuclear exchanges.

    About all NATO & Friends can do is send more weapons shipments to Kiev.

    However, that is unlikely to deliver victory to Ukraine. At best, it will only prolong the conflict without changing the ultimate outcome.

    Further, it seems Russian patience is wearing thin on this issue.

    In response to NATO & Friends supplying arms to Ukraine, Putin recently announced that Russia will start supplying arms to countries in conflict with the US and other NATO countries.

    Dmitry Medvedev is a former Russian president and prime minister. He is now the deputy chairman of the Security Council and recently said this regarding the new policy:

    “Now, may the United States and its allies experience firsthand the direct use of Russian weapons by third parties.

    These persons or regions have been intentionally left unnamed, but they can include all those who consider Yankeeland & Co. their enemy, regardless of their political outlook and international recognition.

    Their enemy is the US, which means they are friends to us.”

    There is little doubt that the countries and groups to receive Russian arms that Medvedev was referring to would include those in the Middle East, which is the third key proxy war of World War 3. An influx of Russian arms in the Middle East could tip the balance in this crucial region.

    When you consider everything regarding Ukraine, it seems that a negotiated settlement that is mainly favorable to Russia will eventually be reached.

    Absent that, I expect the Russians to continue to make steady gains.

    Either way, I believe the Russians will win through battlefield gains or a favorable negotiated settlement.

    Here’s the bottom line.

    All signs point to an eventual Russian victory in Ukraine and another critical World War 3 proxy war that will end in favor of BRICS+. If that happens, it will likely permanently alter the geopolitical landscape of Europe.

    Proxy War #3: The Middle East

    I think it’s clear the proxy wars in Ukraine and Taiwan are likely to end in favor of BRICS+.

    That’s why I expect NATO & Friends will make their last stand to scuttle the emergence of a multipolar world order and preserve the US-led world order in the Middle East.

    In my next article, I’ll examine the Middle East in-depth and how I think it will play out.

    Here’s the bottom line.

    I think the Middle East will be the decisive battleground that determines who wins WW3 and gets to shape the new world order.

    The stakes could not be higher.

    Countless millions throughout history were wiped out financially—or worse—during the previous world wars because they failed to see the correct Big Picture and take appropriate action.

    Fortunately, WW3 doesn’t have to blindside you, your family, or your portfolio.

    Quite the contrary.

    That’s exactly why I just released an urgent new report with all the details, including what you must do to prepare. Click here to download the PDF now.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 21:15

  • "Hundreds" Of Cars Stolen And Robbed Each Year From Seattle Airport "Park-N-Fly" Lots
    “Hundreds” Of Cars Stolen And Robbed Each Year From Seattle Airport “Park-N-Fly” Lots

    ‘Hundreds’ of cars are being stolen from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport every year, investigators from KING NBC 5 have found. 

    Car thieves frequently target hotel and motel lots offering “park-n-fly” or “stay-n-fly” packages. Data reviewed by KING NBC 5 shows that some of the most well-known lodging names have the highest crime rates, leaving customers liable.

    According to public records, the airport Marriott tops the list for crimes at hotel and “park-n-fly” lots. Data from the King County Sheriff’s Office shows 94 car thefts and prowls in 2023, including 27 stolen vehicles. In 2022, there were 74 reported incidents, according to KING NBC 5. 

    Carol Olson of Snohomish County commented: “Something needs to be done.”

    KING NBC 5 reported that her insurance covered $15,000 in repairs after her truck was stolen and trashed at the Seattle Airport Marriott on South 176th Street in December. She returned from a trip to Disneyland with her grandkids to find her parking spot empty.

    Another woman Piper Logg told hotel security her truck was gone and wasn’t happy with the response: “They all made it sound like this is an everyday, normal thing and that nobody was surprised that it happens all the time. It seems like it’s something that happens all the time and they’re choosing to do nothing.”

    Logg said the lot’s cameras weren’t recording, and thieves evaded the pay gates. A SeaTac police officer explained that no charge applies if exiting within 15-20 minutes. Thieves often tailgate behind an accomplice or a paying customer, and one report mentioned a thief ramming the gate to escape.

    “It’s even more disconcerting because Marriott is a well-known company. You actually think it is going to be safer than the smaller hotels,” another woman said. “It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.”

    Can’t we just go back to the days when things made sense and cars were only being stolen from their owners in designated, marked autonomous zones in the center of the city?

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 20:50

  • Trump's VP Pick Is A Climate Skeptic, And The Knives Are Out
    Trump’s VP Pick Is A Climate Skeptic, And The Knives Are Out

    Authored by Tilak Doshi via RealClearEnergy,

    Within a day of ex-President Trump’s announcement of “climate denier” Mr. J. D. Vance as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, the climate industrial complex and supportive mainstream media had the knives out. A few headlines of the past 24 hours are an indication.

    • The New York Times: “JD Vance Is an Oil Booster and Doubter of Human-Caused Climate Change”

    • The Independent: JD Vance: “Climate activists alarmed by Trump’s ‘dangerous’ pick for vice president”

    • The Guardian: “Climate advocates fear picking JD Vance for VP is ‘a dangerous step backward’”

    The umbrage taken by media commentators is familiar. CNBC laments that “the former venture capitalist though is a known critic of climate change and renewable energy [italics added].” UK’s The Independent newspaper reports that “[c]ampaigners are responding with alarm to the selection of climate denier and Ohio senator JD Vance as Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee, with activists warning he represents a “dangerous” voice for the US.” Mr. Vance’s “eagerness to please Donald Trump” adds to the image of the vice-presidential nominee as an unprincipled politician seeking office.

    Climate advocacy group Fossil Free Media spokesperson Cassidy DiPaola asserted that “This [VP] choice signals that a potential Trump-Vance administration would likely double down on fossil fuel expansion at a time when we desperately need to transition to clean energy.” Communications director Stevie O’Hanlon of Sunrise Movement, a climate activist organization, said that “Like Donald Trump, JD Vance has proven that he will make it a top priority to roll back climate protections while answering to the demands of oil and gas CEOs.”

    Does Mr. Vance have a principled stand and is his stance on climate and energy policy worthy of consideration?

    Climate Denialism

    As the highly polarized debate over climate change over the past few decades has amply demonstrated, the discourse often descends into ad hominem attacks and name calling. “Climate denier” is a charge that is often used by proponents of climate alarm to shut down critical debate and to deplatform climate sceptics. Lena Moffitt, executive director of the environmental advocacy group Evergreen Action, said this of Mr. Vance: “Donald Trump has chosen an avowed climate denier as his running mate who has used his time in Congress to vote against the environment and shill for fossil fuel corporations at every opportunity.”

    The “denier” accusation is among the more pernicious if popular epithets used to denigrate sceptics of the so-called “consensus science.” It invokes a comparison to those who engage in Holocaust denial. To be sure, most observers would consider it ludicrous to suggest that questioning the accuracy and predictive power of scientific models is like questioning the historical fact of the genocide of Jews in Europe.

    What Is Mr. Vance’s Position on Climate?

    Putting aside epithets and journalistic hit-pieces, it seems a fair question to ask just what do politicians skeptical of the climate alarmist narrative believe? And what are their policy positions regarding the Paris Agreement’s “net zero by 2050” target. This policy target is an imperative, at least nominally, for most current governments in North America and Western Europe?

    Mr. Vance – lawyer, businessman, former Marine and writer of the bestselling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy”, arisen from the humblest working class background – places himself firmly in the populist right movement. It now looks very likely that Mr. Trump will be the next US president. The assassination attempt Saturday, his miraculous split-second turn of the head which saved him and the iconic picture of his raised fist with the US flag in the background seconds after being injured make him almost irresistible. Thus Mr. Vance will likely join the Donald Trump next year as his VP in an administration that will seek to rapidly unwind the myriad policy and regulatory constraints that the Biden administration has imposed to shackle the US oil and gas industry at every turn.

    Vance has also criticized the “green energy fantasy” of the Biden administration, pointing out that “solar panels can’t power a modern manufacturing economy” and “that’s why the Chinese are building coal power plants.” He has similarly called out wind power turbines. At the Turning Point Action conference last year, he said “they’re hideously ugly. They kill all the birds. And they’re mostly made in China.” The Biden administration’s all-out support for EVs comes in for the same critique. In a July 2022 radio interview, he said: “The whole EV thing is a scam. If you plug it into your wall, do these people think there are Keebler elves back there making electricity in the wall? It comes, of course, from fossil fuels.”

    Mr. Vance’s climate skepticism goes beyond encouraging US oil and gas dominance in global markets once again – a strong theme of Trump’s first term in office – if the Republicans get elected to office. He has come out fiercely against the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) movement. In an interview with Breitbart in 2022, he said “ESG is basically a massive racket to enrich Wall Street and enrich the financial sector of the country, at the expense of the industries that actually employ a lot of Ohio’s workers for middle-class jobs.” The push against ESG occurring through the red states in the U.S. and the increasingly evident lack of success of ESG-focused firms and investment advisors suggests that Mr. Vance has probably got a better finger on the pulse than his critics would care to admit.

    Who’s More Credible?

    As a climate change skeptic, Mr. Vance stands in good company. For instance, the 2022 Nobel Laureate in physics John Clauser exposed in a recent lecture how the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) models and analyses do not meet basic standards of scientific enquiry.  IPCC models have been used as “proof” of scientific consensus by politicians and activists to support claims of a “climate crisis.” Another example would be Richard Lindzen, an American atmospheric physicist and Emeritus Professor of Meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who published an assessment of the global warming narrative in 2022. Prof. Lindzen finds climate alarmism “a quasi-religious movement predicated on an absurd ‘scientific’ narrative. The policies invoked on behalf of this movement have led to the US hobbling its energy system.” Whatever one’s views on climate science, it is apparent that Mr. Vance is not a wild-eyed outlier in his skepticism of the claims of climate policy advocates as asserted by his many critics.

    JD Vance’s criticisms of subsidy-supported renewable energy and EV sectors accord with the empirical evidence emerging in the current context of higher inflation, higher interest rates and a deep slump in renewable energy stocks. For instance, an Associated Press report last November described the travails of the Biden administration’s ambitious plans for offshore wind: “The cancellation of two large offshore wind projects in New Jersey is the latest in a series of setbacks for the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry, jeopardizing the Biden administration’s goals of powering 10 million homes from towering ocean-based turbines by 2030 and establishing a carbon-free electric grid five years later.” This news was preceded by earlier reports of developers cancelling three offshore wind power projects in New England. They said their projects were “no longer financially feasible” despite the ample subsidies on offer.

    The news on the EV front, called out as a “scam” by Mr. Vance, is just as dire for green technology enthusiasts. As David Blackmon, a keen observer of the renewable energy space, notes: surveys show that the vast majority of US car buyers will not purchase an EV even at “bargain basement” prices (and despite government subsidies); the overall growth in private EV sales in the US has slowed “to a trickle”, just as is happening in the UK and EU; and the market for used EVs is practically non-existent. “Pure play” EV maker Fisker recently declared bankruptcy while Rivian approaches the same fate. Giant US automakers GM and Ford have turned to gasoline-powered vehicles to sustain their profits as the global EV sales slowdown force them to delay investments and cuts costs in their EV production lines.

    Partisans may criticize the man all they want, but the realities of thermodynamics and economics support JD Vance. He may prove to be the best Vice President in a Republican administration geared to supporting the country’s oil and gas industries and Making America Great Again.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 20:25

  • "Absolutely Stunning": CRE Analyst Lists Latest Office Tower & Mall Valuation Collapses 
    “Absolutely Stunning”: CRE Analyst Lists Latest Office Tower & Mall Valuation Collapses 

    The commercial real estate downturn is still underway, posing significant risks for investors across financial markets. CRE-linked equities, corporate credit, structured credit, and private markets all feel the impacts of major unwinds as property prices plunge. 

    While headwinds from high interest rates may diminish in the coming quarters, with rate traders pricing in the possibility of the first 25bps cut as early as the mid-September FOMC meeting, the critical question is whether these projected rate cuts will be adequate to cushion the landing. 

    Office tower valuations remain sloped in a downward trend, plummeting in many cases, as vacancy rates soar as remote work trends keep white-collar workers out of the office and at home. These imploding values remain a massive threat to regional banks, with the CRE crisis likely to persist through 2025. 

    X user Triple Net Investor offers a sobering reality of the CRE space. He closely follows the space and noted dozens of recent valuation declines for malls, towers, and multi-family properties. 

    Here are the examples of why the CRE storm is not over:

    One of Maryland’s largest malls, called White Marsh Mall, located in a northeast suburb of Baltimore County, had a stunning valuation plunge… 

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    “This is a commercial real estate apocalypse,” Triple Net Investor said. 

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    He said, “This is absolutely insane.” 

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    He pointed out Trump’s “incredibly well-timed deal” to sell the Trump International Hotel in 2022. 

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    A multi-family complex in foreclosure in Dallas, Texas. 

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    He said, “Blackstone has filed to foreclose on the 33-story McGraw-Hill skyscraper in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.” 

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    And this. 

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    More pain. 

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    It just gets worse.

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    Oops. 

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    GnS Economics analysts Mate Suto and Tuomas Malinen recently warned:

    “Basically, almost every bank in the US is holding some type of CRE loan on their balance sheets. Therefore, it is no surprise that this is an area warranting close observation, especially because the risks posed by CRE exposure spread quite unevenly between large and small banks.”

    Fed Powell has a rolling crisis on his hands. And the goal is to save the fireworks for after the election. 

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 20:00

  • Starter Homes Cost At Least $1 Million In 117 California Cities
    Starter Homes Cost At Least $1 Million In 117 California Cities

    Authored by Summer Lane via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    California is one of the most expensive places to buy a starter home in the country, as 117 cities in the state have so-called starter homes priced at $1 million or more, according to a real estate analysis from Zillow.

    A sign outside a home for sale in San Francisco on May 11, 2023. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

    New York was second to California, with $1 million starter homes in 31 different cities.

    According to the analysis, such homes are priced among the lowest third of home values in a given region. Nationwide, $1 million starter homes are for sale in 237 cities, up from 84 in 2019.

    Across the United States, the average starter home is $196,611. Over the past five years, those home values have increased by about 54 percent, according to Zillow.

    The company’s data showed that this rapid rise in prices had slightly increased the median age of a first-time home buyer from 34 in 2019 to 35 in 2023.

    The San Francisco metro area had the highest count of $1 million starter homes within its 44 cities, second to the New York City metro—which includes New Jersey and Pennsylvania—with 48 cities.

    In California, the Los Angeles metro follows closely behind San Francisco with 35 cities having such priced starter homes, and 15 in the San Jose area.

    The Southern California city of Irvine—with a population of over 300,000—is the largest city in the nation with $1 million starter homes, according to the analysis.

    According to the National Association of Realtors, first-time homebuyers in America represent 32 percent of the real estate market and their median income is $95,900.

    “Home buyers are battling affordability and availability today. So much so that $1 million is the norm for a starter home in hundreds of cities,” said Zillow senior economist Orphe Divounguy in a July statement.

    But he also said there would be “good news” ahead for first-time buyers.

    “More homes are for sale, price cuts are on the rise, and buyers have a few more days to weigh their options as homes sit on the market,” he said.

    Sophie Li contributed to this report.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 19:40

  • Texas Crude Oil Pipelines Near Full Capacity, Potential Export Constraints Near 
    Texas Crude Oil Pipelines Near Full Capacity, Potential Export Constraints Near 

    Pipelines transporting crude from America’s top-producing shale basin to major export hubs in Texas are nearing capacity limits. With US crude production hitting record highs, these pipeline constraints could throttle US oil exports at a time when uncertainty looms in the energy and geopolitical spaces.

    Bloomberg cites new data from energy researcher East Daley Analytics, which says major pipelines between the Permian Basin and the Port of Corpus Christi pipeline are currently more than 90% full. That number could easily rise to 94% or 95% by the second half of 2025.

    Bloomberg pointed out, “While output is set to keep growing, it will be difficult for that incremental output to reach international buyers without ample pipeline space.” 

    Some of this crude will likely be redirected to the Houston area to ease congestion. Specifically, OneOK’s Longhorn and BridgeTex pipelines could serve as alternative routes for transporting crude to the Gulf Coast. 

    Meanwhile, Enbridge’s Gray Oak pipeline expansion could help alleviate some of the bottlenecks in the Corpus Christi route.  

    “Still, East Daley estimates even the company’s goal of increasing capacity on the line by 120,000 barrels per day won’t bring overall regional utilization below 90%,” Bloomberg said. 

    With the US leading the world in crude oil production…

    Export limitations on US energy products will spell disaster for the EU and other major trading partners that heavily rely on the US more than ever.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 19:20

  • The Fiscal And Monetary Problem Is Not Hopeless
    The Fiscal And Monetary Problem Is Not Hopeless

    Authored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Epoch Times,

    A major factor in public ignorance of economics is the manner in which economic forces transcend politics. These days, if something is going on of some major sort that seems either out of the control of politics or involves both major political parties, it is easily disappeared from public life.

    That is the very essence of the inflation problem that has so seriously harmed the American standard of living. In the best estimate, the purchasing power of the dollar has fallen some 20 percent over four years. But depending on what you buy, or decline to buy simply because it is too expensive, the dollar could have lost 30 percent or even 50 percent depending on how one measures these things.

    How and why did this happen? Economists for many hundreds of years have attempted to point to the real source. Nobel Prizes have been given out for sweeping and deeply empirical studies trying to show this. Reduced to its very essence, the problem of inflation traces to the money stock. If it expands more quickly than economic output, the value of all existing units of money will decline.

    This is a law of nature, like gravity. There are complications within the law, of course, such as the precise mechanism by which newly created money lands in people’s bank accounts and is spent. There are other ways the scenario could unfold. Banks could hold the new money and not lend it out (2008 and following) or people could stuff new money in their mattress (1932 and following) thereby reducing money velocity.

    Still, by and large, and over the long term, the price level reflects the money stock. The last four years have provided a near-perfect demonstration of that fact. We can see it by overlaying M2 (the most accurate measure of the stock of money we have) with the price of commodities purchased by producers (which are unchanged in quality and not subjected to crazy adjustment schemes). The result shows the direct relationship: prices respond to the expanded money stock with a time lag.

    (Data: Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), St. Louis Fed; Chart: Jeffrey A. Tucker)

    To be sure, there are other moving pieces. Deficit spending by Congress is what prompts the Treasury Department to issue the debt that the central bank (Federal Reserve) buys with computer entries (money printing). Without that step, the Fed would likely be called upon to intervene. But when the debt explodes, it cries out for a market of buyers. The Fed is there to pick up the tab. The result is an expansion of the money stock.

    Simple, right? I think so. One might suppose that this would be common knowledge. It is not. This is because we have propagandized for many decades that the central bank is the solution and not the cause of inflation. Yes, it is frustrating. But such is the nature of the world around us. Truth usually takes a back seat to political opportunism and institutional protection.

    Based on what I’m able to discern from existing data, it appears to be that the inflation problem (for now) has largely stopped getting worse at a fast rate. Writing in the summer of 2024, it does appear that annualized inflation is running at a rate consistent with the pre-lockdown past, at or below 2 percent. That does not mean that money is growing more valuable. It means that it is losing value at a rate far more slowly than in the most recent history.

    That said, we all need to disabuse ourselves of the possibility that prices will go back to 2019 levels. The damage is done. The standard of living has been deeply harmed. It is what it is and nothing will change that. To be sure, there are ways to drag the price level back but that would require a dramatic deflation. That would simply never happen, not under present conditions. All we can really do is accept this sad reality and move on with our lives.

    People are only now fully realizing what this inflation, even if it is stopped now, has done to their bank balances. The pain arrives every time you go to the store. If you have to replace some household appliance or a car, there is nothing but shock. Things are simply not adding up. A middle class income is now not enough. It’s a shocking reality and just now fully dawning on people. The media has been trumpeting a mythical recovery that does not exist.

    That’s not to say that there are no answers to improving our future. In some ways, the Trump team is correct to put the focus on one answer: a freed-up energy sector that enables more drilling and refining. There are oceans of wealth under our feet. Its extraction has been seriously throttled by the Biden administration in the name of climate control, if you can believe it. Reversing those policies will indeed drive down the price of oil and gas and make transportation more affordable.

    That will put downward pressure on prices. That would be much welcome. That said, a lower price for oil also reduces profitability and calls forth a reduction in drilling. It’s supply and demand. The only way to overcome this is dramatic deregulation that has some permanence to it, which is to say, a big regime change that becomes the new normal and cannot be reversed in four years by a new administration. That’s not easy.

    The only great challenge is the fiscal problem. The reason the Fed swung into action is entirely traceable to Congress and the wild spending that took place from 2020 and following. The resulting debt has to be dealt with somehow.

    I’m not among those who say that it can never be paid. Even awful fiscal problems are fixable with the right steps. The problem is that the steps absolutely must include dramatic spending cuts, meaning 1 to 2 percent of GDP for starters or about $280–500 billion, which is not even on the table.

    It could happen just like what happened in Argentina. The new president elected only last year slashed the budget and incredibly fixed the fiscal problem almost immediately. If you have high economic growth and a dramatically shrinking federal budget, plus mass deregulation, you inspire investors, lenders, consumers, and everyone. Even seemingly intractable problems can be made to evaporate rather quickly.

    The trouble is that there is very little political will in this country right now to cut the budget. And by cut, again, I don’t mean cuts in the rate of increase, like Washington language always says. I mean real cuts with whole agencies being made to disappear, dozens of them instantly. Doing this is entirely possible with political will. But I’ve yet to see any evidence that such will exists in the United States today.

    Argentina had to reach the point of full collapse before the population was ready to try radical solutions. But those solutions have so far worked. It would be wise and smart to pursue the solution before the emergency hits.

    For now, it seems like the inflation problem is not going to get dramatically worse. The damage is done and you feel it every time you go out shopping. This is our new reality. The money supply is relatively flat to gently rising so we can expect continued low rates of inflation using the existing price structures as the benchmark.

    That said, everyone should be worried about this idea of September rate cuts. Yes, everyone would welcome lower rates on mortgages and credit cards. But with that comes a loosening of money aggregates and a genuine risk of restarting the inflationary fires. The Fed still sits on a massively ballooned balance sheet with a monetary base in the range of $6 trillion. This has some serious inflationary potential.

    Remember what happened in the 1970s. There were fully three waves before the final horror hit in 1979-80. Is this our future? It does not have to be.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 19:00

  • The Totalitarian Tactic Of The Smear Has No Place In Our National Discourse
    The Totalitarian Tactic Of The Smear Has No Place In Our National Discourse

    Authored by Jeff Minick via The Epoch Times,

    Thomas Jefferson proclaimed “all men are created equal” as a self-evident truth, but was a slaveholder. Ulysses S. Grant led the Northern armies to victory in the Civil War, but was a long-time alcoholic and also far too trusting of others, a fault that damaged his reputation and left him bankrupt at the end of his life. George Patton is recognized as one of our nation’s most brilliant generals, but possessed an explosive temper and a gutter vocabulary to go with it.

    All of these figures are flawed heroes, as are all the other great men and women from our past. The reason for this is simple: Heroes spring from the same clay as the rest of us, and to be human is to be flawed.

    Most of us accept small imperfections in others and in ourselves as part and parcel of the human package.

    Marriages and friendships survive, and are often enriched, by turning a blind eye to another’s shortcomings or making it a subject for gentle teasing.

    In the broader arena of public affairs, most of us follow this same route of discernment when supporting certain politicians. They draw us to their cause by their words and deeds, and though we see their weaknesses and defects, we cut them some slack. We deem their deeds greater than their defects. As for those politicians we oppose, our enmity should ideally derive from the programs they have proposed or from their voting records rather than from the half-truths conveyed via the news. Common decency demands we exercise wisdom and prudence in reaching our conclusions.

    Unfortunately, American politics has become a battleground of mudslinging and defamation.

    Both private citizens and those prominent in the public arena, including certain members of the media, tag those they consider their political enemies with derisive nicknames or broad labels, like sexist, fascist, or racist. They slap these often baseless smears onto an enemy hoping they will stick and so silence their opponent and shame their supporters. There’s no middle ground, no nuanced reflections, only the desire to attack and destroy.

    A penchant for vilification has poisoned our politics. Worst, it is corrupting our morals.

    When we call our opponents Nazis or libtards, deplorables or snowflakes, or any of the other often groundless insults making the rounds these days, we objectify those people, stripping them of their humanity. Though we may not realize it, by diminishing them we diminish ourselves.

    Totalitarians use this tactic of the smear all the time to create a scapegoat or to divide a population.

    The Nazis dehumanized Jews by depicting them as vermin. Soviet propaganda labeled middle-class farmers as kulaks, a word meaning “fist,” and depicted them in posters as fat and avaricious enemies of the state. The Chinese communist Cultural Revolution savaged tradition, intellectuals, and the middle class, and led to the death of millions.

    Our country is entering what will certainly become a nastier and even more acrimonious battle of charges and countercharges. Leaders and commentators who practice this totalitarian strategy, who flag entire groups of people by some derogatory name or who defame individuals with lies and absurd labels, deserve neither our respect nor support.

    By no means does this mean that we must yield on our principles or our causes.

    If anything, when this dangerous totalitarian tool of the smear is brought into play, we should stand even more steadfast for our beliefs. We must never surrender to these glib and ugly attacks on our basic principles.

    In the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, some of our leaders have called for lowering the heated rhetoric that has marked our national conversation. We’ll soon see whether they’ll practice what they preach.

    In the meantime, we ourselves, you and I, can refuse to engage in the vicious name-calling and slurs that are tearing apart our country.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 18:20

  • Thai Customers Angered By BYD Price Cuts Amidst "Chaotic" EV Market Competition
    Thai Customers Angered By BYD Price Cuts Amidst “Chaotic” EV Market Competition

    Price cuts on BYD vehicles in Thailand are “angering” current owners of the vehicles, just days after we noted how Chinese EV manufacturers were disrupting the EV market in the country. 

    BYD slashed prices on its Atto 3 SUV this month, aiming to stay ahead in a crowded market. Discounts of up to 340,000 baht ($9,460) are lowering the resale value for current owners, according to Nikkei Asia. 

    One owner named Darakorn, who bought a BYD in January 2023, said: “I was told the price would go up in two months, after the government subsidy expired. Usually, insurance covers 80% of the new car value, and it depreciates 10% per year, but the discount pushes it even lower.”

    According to Nikkei, with a bank loan and a government subsidy of 100,000 baht, the SUV cost him 1.19 million baht. Now, even the latest Atto models are priced under 1 million baht.

    Darakorn organized BYD owners on Facebook to explore a class-action lawsuit. Complaints have reached the Consumer Protection Board, which is now investigating the discounts offered by BYD and its competitors.

    “If you announced then that the price would drop 340,000 baht a year later, do you think anyone would have bought your cars at all?” he exclaimed.

    Photo: Nikkei Asia

    Recall, days ago we noted that it wasn’t just in Europe and the U.S. where the EV industry is seeing jolting effects of Chinese EVs entering their respective markets.

    The industry in Thailand has accidentally also set off chaos in their home market by offering subsidies to Chinese EV makers, a move that Nikkei Asia reported last week was “wreaking havoc” in Thailand. 

    The unintended consequences of EV subsidies have also affected supply chains, with at least a dozen parts producers shutting down as subsidized Chinese EV makers avoid buying from most of them.

    Since the Thai government introduced the EV subsidy scheme in 2022, 185,029 EVs have been imported. However, new EV registrations stand at 86,043, indicating an oversupply of around 90,000 vehicles.

    EVAT President Krisda Utamote, noting more Chinese EV makers are now investing in Thai production, said: “We are experiencing an EV oversupply as plenty of EVs imported from China over the past two years [remain in dealer] inventories.”

    The EV subsidy program, initiated in 2022 under the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement, aimed to make EVs more affordable by offering up to 150,000 baht ($4,130) per vehicle and eliminating tariffs on Chinese imports, provided the manufacturers produce an equivalent number in Thailand. Manufacturing was required to begin this year.

    Nikkei Asia reports that BYD, China’s largest EV maker, aggressively cut the price of its Atto model by 37%, while Neta reduced its V-II model price by 9%. When fully operational, Chinese EV makers in Thailand will have the capacity to produce about 750,000 vehicles annually.

    These subsidies have impacted the Thai automotive sector, which employs over 750,000 workers and contributes 11% to the GDP. The automotive sector is the fourth-largest economic contributor, following tourism (18%), retail (16%), and ahead of agriculture (8.6%).

    Sales of fossil fuel vehicles have declined since the subsidies, significantly affecting Japanese automakers who produce 90% of these vehicles in Thailand. Additionally, economic weaknesses have led consumers to cut back on expensive purchases, with vehicle sales in the first five months of the year down 23% from the same period in 2023, the lowest in a decade, according to the article. 

    Recall, we have also extensively covered how the EU is attempting to tariff their way out of oversupply problems and what the Union sees as a price distortions as a result of China’s contributions to the industry. 

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 18:00

  • Minimum-Wage Increase Takes Toll On California's Fast-Food Restaurants, Survey Finds
    Minimum-Wage Increase Takes Toll On California’s Fast-Food Restaurants, Survey Finds

    Authored by Travis Gilmore via The Epoch Times,

    Two-thirds of California fast food restaurant operators who responded to an online survey believe their costs will increase at least $100,000 annually per location, according to a report released July 19 by the Employment Policies Institute—a Washington D.C.-based lobby group.

    Approximately 26 percent of respondents said they expect costs to increase by more than $200,000 at each location.

    In June and July, 182 operators were polled on their thoughts about a new minimum wage law requiring quick service restaurants with at least 60 locations nationwide to pay employees a minimum of $20 per hour. The law took effect April 1.

    “Even before the $20 wage went into effect, fast food restaurants made it clear they would not be able to survive,” Rebekah Paxton, research director for the institute, said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times.

    “Now after just a few months, the policy has been a disaster, killing jobs and shuttering restaurants.”

    The report did not say how many restaurants have closed, but a study published July 10 by restaurant technology firm Snappy found that 897 fast food locations in the state have permanently closed since April 1.

    Ms. Paxton said state officials “should be listening to small business owners and their employees instead of trying to sugarcoat the truth.”

    Pointing to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data that shows growing employment in the fast food industry since the new minimum wage law took effect, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office rejected the survey results and any claims that the higher wage is jeopardizing the industry.

    Alex Stack, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, called the survey a “bogus online survey conducted by a DC lobbying firm.”

    “Federal government data shows the actual facts here—fast food jobs have increased every month this year, including since California raised the minimum wage for workers,” Mr. Stack told The Epoch Times.

    According to its website, the Employment Policies Institute is a nonprofit think tank that studies the impact of minimum wages and other issues that affect entry-level employment. Its founder, attorney Richard Berman, also owns Berman and Company, a public relations firm based in Arlington, Virginia. Both companies have a history of focusing on leisure, hospitality, and restaurant-related issues.

    The labor statistics data shows five consecutive months of job growth and an increase of nearly 3,000 jobs in the past year, with about 745,600 employed in the sector, in California, in May.

    Mr. Stack said higher wages for employees are proving beneficial for families and the state.

    “Simply put, what’s good for workers is good for California,” he said.

    The institute, however, said the data cited by the governor’s office is inaccurate because it is not seasonally adjusted and highlighted Federal Reserve data that suggests the industry is losing jobs—down about 6,300 since January and approximately 3,000 since the law took effect.

    “Employees are losing their jobs … restaurants are shutting down or moving out of state … [and] customers are eating out less,” Ms. Paxton said. “This isn’t good for workers, … restaurants, or California consumers.”

    When questioned about the impact of the higher costs, 98 percent of operators surveyed said they have already raised menu prices.

    Believing that some consumers are increasingly more price conscious, 92 percent of the restaurant operators surveyed said they expect the higher prices to reduce foot traffic.

    With the goal of reducing costs, 89 percent of survey respondents said they are reducing employee hours. Nearly three-quarters said they are limiting overtime, and 70 percent said they have reduced staff or consolidated positions.

    The number of employees at each location is expected to decrease, according to 75 percent of operators, with 25 percent saying staff levels will “significantly decrease.”

    Some restaurants have closed California locations in the past months, and nearly three-quarters of operators questioned said the likelihood of shutting down their restaurants has increased.

    Regarding future investments, 89 percent of owners said they are not expecting to expand their operations—with 73 percent saying they are “significantly less likely” to develop more locations.

    However, 59 percent said they are now more likely to invest in expansion outside of California.

    Determining the impact of the law, to date, is challenging, given the short time frame since higher wages were implemented.

    But now about three months into the new law, 93 percent of survey respondents said they will be forced to raise menu prices again in the next year, 87 percent will cut hours, and 74 percent will reduce staff.

    Some fast-food chains are charging significantly more for the same meal in California compared to locations in other states. Del Taco’s price for a combo meal with two tacos costs $14.79 in the Golden State, compared with $8.79 in Ohio, according to the company’s website.

    Executives representing some fast food chains anticipated such challenges earlier this year before the law took effect.

    “As we look to 2024 with elevated … prices and muted consumer confidence, we believe that consumers will continue to be more discriminating with their dollars,” Chris Kempczinski, president and CEO of McDonald’s, said in a February earnings call.

    The iconic Big Mac meal is now $13.69 in California, nearly $5 more than in Texas, where the average price is $8.79, according to Grubhub.

    Such price discrepancies are “because of the impact … of what we’re going to have to work through in California… and the significant wage increases,” Ian Borden, executive vice president and chief financial officer at McDonald’s, said in the earnings call. “We certainly know consumers are more wary or weary of pricing, and we’re going to continue to be consumer-led in our pricing decisions as we kind of look forward to 2024 and knowing that the environment will continue to be competitive.”

    The week after the new law became effective, managers at several fast-food restaurants across the state told The Epoch Times that menu prices would increase, and staff hours would be reduced to maintain profitability.

    “We already raised prices, and we’re … reducing hours and the amount of people working,” said Kevin Cortez, general manager of a Wendy’s location in Northern California.

    Some businesses are focusing on improving efficiencies and increasing automation using robots and artificial intelligence to reduce the number of employees needed.

    Others, including some Taco Bell and El Pollo Loco locations in Northern California, have installed kiosks in lobbies to take orders, reducing staff needed, and freeing up employees to work in the kitchen and perform other tasks.

    The 15-question survey was emailed to a list of quick-service operators in California—including some associated with partners of the surveyor–and researchers reported a margin of error of 7 percent.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 17:40

  • Streaming Wars: Amazon Prime Video Shakes Up Streaming Ad Market, Undercutting Netflix
    Streaming Wars: Amazon Prime Video Shakes Up Streaming Ad Market, Undercutting Netflix

    The introduction of Amazon Prime Video’s ad-supported tier has pressured Netflix’s advertising plans and forced other top players in the streaming space to lower advertising prices amid ongoing ‘streaming wars.’ 

    Financial Times reported that the streaming ad market was upended earlier this year when Amazon announced plans to incorporate ads into movies and TV shows streamed on its Prime Video Service. 

    At the time, Amazon told customers, “This will allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time, adding, “We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers. No action is required from you, and there is no change to the current price of your Prime membership.” 

    Amazon allowed customers to pay an additional $2.99 per month to avoid advertisements. 

    FT noted that Amazon entered a highly competitive market for ad-supported streaming services. Its rivals, including Netflix, Max, Paramount+, and Disney+, have already introduced ad tiers for cash-strapped consumers.   

    FT pointed out that Amazon is currently in the “up front” process, in other words, selling TV advertising time months in advance.

    “Amazon’s Prime Video is undercutting rival Netflix on advertising pricing, as it battles for marketers’ attention in an increasingly crowded field of ad-funded streaming services,” FT said. 

    Executives at rival platforms and advertising execs say the spot price for ad space on Amazon is cheaper than Netflix but slightly higher than Disney.

    According to advertising insiders, Amazon’s move into the video ad market has already forced rivals to lower rates.

    One rival executive mentioned Amazon’s “vast supply of inventory” has pressured prices lower. He said, “They knew what they were doing in terms of flipping everybody over into the tier.”

    Amazon converted more than 200 million global subscribers to the ad tier unless they opt out by paying for the premium ad-free service. This means the platform has one of the most massive audiences to attract advertisers. Netflix, on the other hand, has about 40 million on its ad tier.

    “Amazon is, in many ways, building the killer app,” John Terrana, chief media officer at the ad firm VaynerMedia, told The Wall Street Journal last month. It has “premium content, live sports, immense scale,” and advertisers can target ads to their customers and often see if a viewer bought the product on the platform.

    Jonathan Carson, chief executive of industry data provider Antenna, told FT that Amazon’s move earlier this year left it with a “sudden accumulation of an advertising audience, which is pretty powerful.” 

    In June, analysts at JPMorgan told clients that Amazon’s multibillion-dollar advertising business was one of the company’s “fastest-increasing revenue streams and one of its highest-margin businesses.”

    Chief executive Andy Jassy believes Prime Video can be “a large and profitable business on its own.”  

    So, as the streaming wars progress, Amazon’s move to convert its entire Prime Video subscriber base to a new ad-supported version will be enough to increase market share in the ad space, driving down rates, which in return crushes competition. 

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 17:20

  • Hamas Leader Haniyeh Assassinated In Iran By Israeli Strike
    Hamas Leader Haniyeh Assassinated In Iran By Israeli Strike

    Update (2310ET): Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps has confirmed the death of Ismail Haniyeh, the top political leader of Hamas, during an inauguration event for Iran’s new president. Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, and an Iranian security guard were reportedly killed at their place of residence.

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    Israel had vowed to kill Hamas leaders soon after the group’s incursion on Oct. 7.

    The attack follows a strike by Israel on Beirut on Tuesday that targeted senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr. Shukr, reportedly the mastermind behind a recent attack that killed 12 children in the Golan Heights, is believed to have died in the strike. The Lebanese health ministry reported that the strike killed three civilians, including two children, and injured 74 others.

    The death of the Hamas leader took place just hours after a significant portion of Israeli airspace was closed for unexplained reasons.

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    Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed a stern response to the Golan Heights strike, which Hezbollah denied responsibility for. Lebanon’s current prime minister condemned the airstrike and plans to file a complaint with the U.N. Security Council.In Tehran, during the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, senior figures from groups within Iran’s “axis of resistance,” including Haniyeh, were present.

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    Shortly after his speech asserting support for Palestinians, news of Haniyeh’s assassination broke. Immediately after the news of Haniyeh’s death broke, multiple reports emerged that Hamas vengeance would be swift. Member of the Hamas Political Bureau, Musa Abu Marzouk said that the assassination of Haniyeh is a cowardly act and will not be in vain.

    The price of oil rose after the report hitting a session high.

    * * *

    Update(1715ET): The Lebanese government has condemned the “blatant act of aggression” following the Israeli airstrikes on southern Beirut. While some reports have claimed US warships are moving closer to Lebanon in the wake of the crisis, the reality is that American warships and military assets were already in the eastern Mediterranean region.

    Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) has reported that a female civilian was killed after a building was destroyed in Haret Hreik, in Beirut’s sout. “Sixty-eight civilians were injured, five of whom were critically injured, while the rest suffered moderate to minor injuries. Most of them were treated in emergency departments and were discharged from hospitals,” NNA said. 

    More footage has emerged showing the extent of damage.

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    Currently there are contrasting reports over whether or not Israel took out its target – Fuad Shukr, said to be a commander that oversaw the deadly weekend Hezbollah rocket salvo that left 12 dead in a Golan town.

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    * * *

    Israel’s anticipated big ‘retaliation’ has begun, apparently, after major airstrikes were felt in the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Large smoke clouds were seen above a suburb in southern neighborhoods, sparking momentary panic and a large emergency response amid reported casualties.

    An Israeli military statement quickly owned up to the attack: “The IDF targeted in Beirut the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and killed many Israeli civilians,” a translated statement said.

    The destruction is large in scale, and took place at around 8pm local time in the Haret Hreik neighborhood, still within daylight hours just before nightfall.

    Earlier, a weekend missile attack from Lebanon (widely blamed on Hezbollah) killed 12 young people playing on a soccer field in the occupied Golan town of Majdal Shams.

    Foreign Minister Katz told a state broadcaster over the weekend, “There is no doubt that Hezbollah crossed all red lines.” And soon after that, the country’s war cabinet authorized the military to retaliate.

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    Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has announced just after the Tuesday Beirut strikes, “Hezbollah crossed the Red Line.”

    Harrowing footage of the strike aftermath points to large-scale casualties given it is a densely-packed civilian area…

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    Given already there have long been fears of ‘all-out’ war in Lebanon, oil jumped on news of the attack.


    Israel is quickly signaling that this was a ‘limited’ attack and that it doesn’t seek full war in Lebanon. “At the moment, there are no changes in the Home Front Command defensive guidelines,” the IDF said.

    Bloomberg’s live blog has cited Rosalind Mathieson, the outlet’s news director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, who comments:

    There are signs Israel was aiming for an action that sent a message without triggering a full blown war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu has also been opening the door to fresh talks for a cease-fire with Hamas on Gaza – and that wouldn’t be possible if Israel is engaged in a ground conflict with Hezbollah.

    Several Israeli news outlets reported earlier this week that the government was seeking a “limited but significant” action that sends a strong message to Hezbollah but ensures the situation doesn’t spiral out of control.

    More footage showing the large scale of the aerial bombing…

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    Many regional analysts believe that a broader war in Lebanon will draw in Iran-backed groups and actors across the region, eventually leading to an open war between Tehran and Tel Aviv. Hezbollah sources are meanwhile denying that Israel killed the senior commander that was targeted on Tuesday.

    TOP HEZBOLLAH COMMANDER TARGETED IN ISRAELI STRIKE ON BEIRUT SUBURBS HAS SURVIVED, TWO SECURITY SOURCES TELL REUTERS

    developing…

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 17:15

  • Meta Agrees To Pay Texas $1.4 Billion Settlement In Biometric Data Lawsuit
    Meta Agrees To Pay Texas $1.4 Billion Settlement In Biometric Data Lawsuit

    Authored by Jana J. Pruet via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Meta Platforms has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by the state of Texas over its unauthorized capture and use of the personal biometric data of Facebook users, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office announced Tuesday.

    A smartphone and a computer screen displaying the logos of the social network Facebook and its parent company Meta, in this file photo. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images)

    In a 2022 lawsuit, Mr. Paxton accused Facebook’s parent company of using facial recognition technology to collect biometric data of more than 20 million Texans without their permission. The information was captured in photos and videos uploaded to the social media platform, according to the 29-page lawsuit.

    The settlement is the largest obtained in a lawsuit brought by a single state, according to Mr. Paxton’s office.

    “After vigorously pursuing justice for our citizens whose privacy rights were violated by Meta’s use of facial recognition software, I’m proud to announce that we have reached the largest settlement ever obtained from an action brought by a single State,” Mr. Paxton said. “Any abuse of Texans’ sensitive data will be met with the full force of the law.”

    A Meta spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the company was glad to resolve the issue with the state of Texas.

    “We are pleased to resolve this matter and look forward to exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investment in Texas, including potentially developing data centers,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

    The spokesperson noted that the agreement was not an admission of any wrongdoing.

    The Texas lawsuit was the first major case brought and settled under the state’s 2009 Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act, making it unlawful to use facial recognition software to capture and store data without lawful consent. The law provides damages of up to $25,000 for each violation.

    According to the court documents, Facebook captured the biometric data through a feature known as “tag suggestions,” which was first rolled out in 2011.

    For nearly a decade, the company claimed the tag suggestions tool was implemented to make tagging photos easier for Facebook users. The feature was discontinued in September 2019.

    “Facebook was disclosing users’ personal information to other entities who further exploited it,” the lawsuit states. “Moreover, Facebook often failed to destroy biometric identifiers within a reasonable time, exposing Texans to ever-increasing risks to their well-being, safety, and security.”

    Meta will pay the state of Texas over five years, with the first installment due within 30 days of the executed date of the agreement.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 07/30/2024 – 17:00

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