- China Critics Ramp Up Push To Limit Lobbying
China Critics Ramp Up Push To Limit Lobbying
Authored by Susan Crabtree via RealClear Wire,
After Russia invaded Ukraine early last year, the Biden administration decided to hit Moscow where it hurts the most — in the pocketbook.
The U.S. Treasury imposed sweeping sanctions on nearly 80% of all banking assets in Russia, a move designed to have a “deep and long-lasting effect on the Russian economy and financial system.”
Though the sanctions haven’t prevented Russian President Vladimir Putin from financing the war, they have tightened the screws on Russia’s financial transactions and disrupted supply chains throughout the global economy, reverberating even on Washington’s K Street with its lucrative foreign lobbying contracts.
Former Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, and his team at Mercury Public Affairs, a big D.C. lobbying firm, were forced to terminate a contract with Russian bank Sovcombank to comply with the new U.S. sanctions. Vitter had begun working for Sovcombank just the month before, and the bank had agreed to pay Mercury $90,000 a month for its services, according to required Foreign Agent Registration Act, or FARA, disclosures filed with the Justice Department.
In his role as co-chairman of Mercury, Vitter since 2018 has maintained another far more lucrative FARA contract with Hikvision, the U.S.-sanctioned Chinese surveillance tech firm. Over the last several years, the United States has found Hikvision responsible for assisting the Chinese government’s genocide against the Uyghur Muslims through the Chinese Communist Party’s broad use of its cameras to track and surveil Uyghur populations and monitor an estimated 1 million Uyghurs forced into detention camps.
The United States also has deemed Hikvision a national security risk and imposed wide-ranging restrictions on using, buying and selling Hikvision video surveillance products in the U.S. Yet Hikvision and other Chinese companies under U.S. sanctions can still lawfully hire D.C. lobbyists and lawyers – at least for now, though there’s a growing movement to impose new restrictions on the practice.
Vitter and former Rep. Toby Moffett, a Democrat who represented Connecticut in the House for eight years from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, both lobby their former Capitol Hill colleagues on behalf of Hikvision. The Chinese-controlled camera and surveillance company has paid Mercury a total of $6.35 million for the service since 2018, according to an analysis of required Justice Department filings by IPVM, a U.S. security and surveillance research group.
Mercury is just one of five lobbying firms representing Hikvision’s interests in Washington. Since 2018, Hikvision has spent a combined $25.23 million on D.C. lobbying, more than double that of Huawei, China’s biggest telecommunications firm, in the same period, IPVM found. Huawei faces nearly identical U.S. sanctions as Hikvision.
“These former members and top staffers are all being highly paid — it’s a second career for them,” said Donald Maye, head of operations for IPVM.
“It’s just confounding to me that people who speak so highly of their public service are helping a Chinese company navigate sanctions designed to limit exposure of this spying technology on the American people, and the U.S. government is allowing it,” he added.
Vitter and Moffett are hardly alone. China has vastly expanded its U.S. lobbying efforts in recent years, hiring bipartisan teams of former members of Congress and key Capitol Hill and administrative staff even as Washington has increasingly grown far more critical of China, its stepped-up military power, and growing financial influence around the world.
Former members of Congress who have lobbied for Chinese businesses include Senate Republican leader Trent Lott, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley, and Rep. Jeff Denham, a California Republican and former U.S. Air Force veteran, to name just a few.
Since 2016, China has spent nearly $334 million on its lobbying efforts and propaganda outlets in the United States, more than any other nation and twice as much as Russia, according to an opensecrets.org analysis of lobbying registration and disclosure reports.
Those figures, however, don’t tell the whole story. Some Chinese businesses, such as TikTok, have U.S. operations and are only required to file lobbying disclosure forms with the U.S. Senate, not the more stringent FARA disclosure required by Justice Department.
Human rights advocates and national security experts urging a tougher line on China are outraged by the revolving door of former members willing to cash in on their public service to help a U.S. adversary. During the height of the Cold War, they argue, no reputable Washington law or lobbying firm would have taken on a Soviet client.
“It’s unconscionable that any government official would shop their connections and expertise to a foreign adversary, let alone the Chinese Communist Party,” Rep. Mike Gallagher, who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, told RealClearPolitics in an emailed statement. “If you’ve had the privilege of serving the American people at the highest levels of government, you should not be able to sell out the country when you retire.”
Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican, and Rep. Jared Golden, a Maine Democrat, plan to re-introduce a bill they co-authored in 2021 that would prevent members of Congress and high-ranking government officials from lobbying on behalf of U.S. adversaries.
In 2021, the measure died after being referred to a House Judiciary subcommittee. Gallagher and other proponents of stricter foreign lobbying laws believe there is far greater momentum for it now with growing concern over Beijing’s greater military power and spying threats, as well as increased worldwide recognition of China’s human rights abuses.
Gallagher released his first set of policy recommendations earlier this week following the select committee’s three hearings laying out the threat posed by China and detailing the ongoing abuses against Uyghur Muslims. One report calls on Congress to pass additional sanctions to hold China accountable for its crimes against the minority group. Another report stresses the need to enhance U.S. military capabilities to help deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Other critics of China lobbying want to ban the practice altogether. For the first time, the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom, a bipartisan federal agency that monitors religious freedom violations around the world, officially called for a federal prohibition of all lobbying groups and law firms representing the Chinese government and Chinese entities.
The commissioners in early May called on Congress to reintroduce the Stop Helping Adversaries Manipulate Everything, or SHAME Act. The bill, which would prohibit any U.S. individual from accepting compensation for serving as an agent of or a lobbyist for a foreign adversary, is sponsored by GOP Reps. Joe Wilson, Jim Banks, Chris Smith, and Democrats Elissa Slotkin and Steve Cohen.
“Untold profits are being raked in by lobbyists willing to whitewash the record and aims of the Chinese Community Party and government,” all nine USCIRF commissioners wrote in a statement in its annual report. “It’s time to make this activity illegal.”
“As the commission’s report documents, the Chinese government is an equal opportunity persecutor of people of faith — Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims, and Falun Gong practitioners,” the commissioners added.
Frank Wolf, a USCIRF commissioner and a longtime human rights champion who served 3½ decades in Congress, argues that nothing but a total ban will prevent the Chinese influence operation funds from seeping into Washington.
“If you believe in the Reagan Doctrine, no one should represent China in the U.S. today,” he said in an interview. Placing piecemeal restrictions on lobbying for China won’t be effective, Wolf argued, because the big firms with foreign clients, such as Squire Patton Boggs and Mercury Public Affairs, will still hold fundraisers for members of Congress and get the access they need even if they abide by some new restrictions.
In 1998, then-Rep. Wolf authored the International Religious Freedom Act, which made faith-based liberty a greater priority in U.S. foreign policy. While serving in Congress, Vitter also was known for standing up to China on human rights. In 2015, the Louisiana Republican co-sponsored an amendment requiring the Obama administration to consider countries’ religious freedom when negotiating trade agreements.
Those bills didn’t prevent Congress from continuing permanent normal trade relations status for China, as it has done since 2000 after a years-long push by free traders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Advocates for granting China easy access to U.S. markets and vice versa argued that it would help democratize China as its citizens gained more access to U.S. goods and technology.
“They kept saying this will change China, and they will become just like us, but that has not worked out,” Wolf recalled. The Virginia Republican cited the genocide against the Uyghurs, a crackdown in Hong Kong, and a series of repressive CCP campaigns against Christians and Catholic churches and their leaders, Tibetans, Falun Gong practitioners, and dissidents of any kind.
So far, at least, lawmakers have shown little shame over their lucrative contracts with Chinese entities, and the harsher Washington rhetoric and actions against Beijing have only increased the flow of Chinese money to the nation’s capital.
Over the past two years, tensions have repeatedly flared between Washington and Beijing over China’s lack of transparency about the COVID pandemic’s origins, its new ties to Russia after the Ukraine invasion, its aggression against Taiwan, and conflict over a visit to the U.S. by Taiwan’s president. In February, Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a planned trip after a Chinese surveillance balloon traversed the United States.
As the G-7 summit in Japan came to a close last week, President Biden said he predicted a coming “thaw” with China even though the meeting between top U.S. allies took several steps to tackle Beijing’s economic intimidation tactics. Afterward, China retaliated by announcing that it had warned its telecommunications companies and state-owned banks against purchasing products from Micron Technology, a U.S. semiconductor manufacturer that China said poses national security risks, a charge the Biden administration vehemently disputes.
Denham and Crowley, who was the No. 4 House Democrat before losing a 2018 primary election challenge from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are lobbying on behalf of TikTok as lawmakers weigh banning the popular social media platform.
Other former lawmakers and prominent U.S. dignitaries, including former Sen. Max Baucus, who served as Obama’s ambassador to China, and former Speaker John Boehner, aren’t required to register as lobbyists but still can accept lucrative contracts advising Chinese entities in Washington.
Even before Obama tapped him to be the chief U.S. diplomat in Beijing, Baucus had advised the U.S.-China Policy Foundation, which was funded by U.S. branches of Chinese banks and Huawei.
The rules governing disclosure are loose, with obvious loopholes. For instance, individuals advising a company that is technically not considered subsidized or controlled by a foreign government, such as TikTok, don’t have to register as lobbyists if their lobbying activities constitute less than 20% of their services for that client over a three-month period. The law allows the lobbyists themselves to determine the 20% filing threshold.
In addition to TikTok, Hikvision has hired several former members of Congress and top U.S. officials to help it fight increasingly severe U.S. sanctions.
In 2018, Congress banned the use of Hikvision and Dahua (another Chinese video-surveillance company) products throughout the U.S. government and for U.S.-funded contracts. The following year, the two companies were two of 28 entities added to a sanctioned blacklist of firms implicated in human rights violations and abuses in implementing China’s campaign of repression against the Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim minority groups in China’s Xinjiang region.
The Federal Communications Commission has layered on more sanctions over the last two years, while U.S. intelligence agencies have warned of Hikvision’s attempts to circumvent the ban on sales to the U.S. government by disguising it as the source of the products.
In early March, Mike McCaul and Gregory Meeks, the top Republican and Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, respectively, called on the Biden administration to impose harsher human rights sanctions on Hikvision.
A warning about Hikvision’s deceptive U.S. sales practices, which cited a Defense Intelligence Agency finding, also was part of last month’s massive trove of classified documents leaked by 21-year-old National Guardsman Jack Teixeira.
In addition to Vitter and Moffett, Mercury hired Peter Kucik, a former senior sanctions policy adviser at the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions, and added him to the Hikvision account. Kucik’s 2021 hiring was announced just days after the Wall Street Journal reported on new research on Hikvision’s ties to the Chinese military. More recently, Hikvision added Pierre-Richard Prosper, an attorney for ArentFox Schiff, a D.C. law and lobbying firm, to its U.S. advocacy and legal team, although he has not registered as a lobbyist for Hikvision and may not have to according to complicated disclosure rules. Prosper served as the U.S. State Department’s ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues in the mid-2000s and previously as a war crimes prosecutor at the United Nations in the late 1990s.
At least one former lawmaker-turned-Hikvision lobbyist cut ties to the company after a public intra-party backlash. Sen. Barbara Boxer signed on with Mercury and registered as a foreign agent for Hikvision in early 2021 but quickly de-registered after Biden’s Inauguration Committee returned her donation of $500, citing her work for the massive Chinese tech company.
Vitter and Moffett, however, have continued their lobbying roles, with Vitter proclaiming himself as a “proud member of the Hikvision team” and disparaging Sen. Marco Rubio as “anti-China” in an audio recording of a Hikvision USA employee conference call, obtained by IPVM in 2019.
Vitter’s political donations also have continued to flow to several GOP members, including now-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has made investigating China a top priority of his House leadership this year. Vitter sent a $1,500 check to McCarthy’s re-election committee in 2022 and another $2,500 in 2020.
After RCP asked about the Vitter donations, a McCarthy campaign spokesman said it plans to donate the funds to charity at the end of the quarter, a sign of the growing unease about foreign influence-peddling especially by sanctioned Chinese companies.
After becoming speaker earlier this year, McCarthy created several select committees to investigate the threat China poses to the U.S. and called the CCP “the greatest geopolitical threat of our lifetime.”
“We need a whole-of-government approach that will build on the efforts of the Republican-led China Task Force and ensure America is prepared to tackle the economic and security challenges posed by the CCP,” he said, previewing his plans in late December.
Aside from national security concerns, Wolf and others also say China’s egregious human rights abuses should be enough to stop the revolving door from Capitol Hill to K Street.
Wolf points to new well-documented evidence of CCP-directed organ harvesting from detained Uyghurs and other prisoners of conscience while they remained alive or before they were declared brain-dead, a severe violation of international ethical norms.
Louisa Greve, the director of global advocacy for the Uyghur Human Rights Project, said every U.S. law and lobbying firm faces a clear choice on whether to help support companies involved or directly implicated in egregious human rights violations.
“It is un-American and unconscionable for anyone — and certainly public servants who in their time promised their voters they would serve the public good and who retain the title of honorable after they serve — to immediately go and help a genocidal regime,” she said in an interview.
In the case of Russia, it took the Ukraine invasion to force U.S. lobbyists to end their lucrative contracts and comply with the sweeping new laws.
Does Greve think only an invasion of Taiwan will force similar U.S. prohibitions on China lobbying?
“The red line should be genocide,” she said, “and a recognition of our strategic interest to preserve the basic framework of freedom for ourselves and our allies and anyone else who wants to join a world governed by the rule of law and peaceful trade.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 23:40 - Visualizing The World's Aging Population From 1950 To 2100
Visualizing The World’s Aging Population From 1950 To 2100
As demographics continue to shift in the 21st century, the world’s aging population will continue to be a focal point for many global decision makers.
Visual Capitalist’s Freny Fernandes notes that most countries around the world have experienced population explosions, or are about to. Combine this with declining birth rates and falling mortality rates, and it’s clear that the global senior population will continue to reach new heights.
These graphics by Pablo Alvarez use data from the 2022 UN World Population Prospects to visualize this increasing aging population across countries.
The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100
In 2022, there were 771 million people aged 65+ years globally, accounting for almost 10% of the world’s population.
This segment has been growing at an increasing rate, and it’s expected to hit 16% in 2050, and eventually 24% by 2100. Here’s what that’s projected to look like, for every country and territory.
Country by Population Aged +65 Years 1950 2022 2100 🇦🇫 Afghanistan 2.85% 2.39% 16.03% 🇦🇱 Albania 6.04% 16.66% 49.08% 🇩🇿 Algeria 3.49% 6.39% 28.83% 🇦🇸 American Samoa 2.38% 7.27% 45.41% 🇦🇩 Andorra 10.02% 14.98% 37.04% 🇦🇴 Angola 2.93% 2.6% 12.07% 🇦🇮 Anguilla 3.69% 10.71% 37.49% 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda 4.14% 10.63% 35.4% 🇦🇷 Argentina 4.13% 11.92% 31.79% 🇦🇲 Armenia 8.17% 13.15% 36.13% 🇦🇼 Aruba 1.77% 16.15% 36.51% 🇦🇺 Australia 8.17% 16.9% 31.38% 🇦🇹 Austria 10.42% 19.81% 33.93% 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan 6.89% 7.11% 30.5% 🇧🇸 Bahamas 4.76% 8.89% 29.58% 🇧🇭 Bahrain 2.88% 3.76% 21.89% 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 3.9% 6.04% 32.56% 🇧🇧 Barbados 5.24% 16.28% 33.19% 🇧🇾 Belarus 8.24% 17.18% 30.45% 🇧🇪 Belgium 11.03% 19.73% 32.83% 🇧🇿 Belize 3.57% 5.09% 29.21% 🇧🇯 Benin 7.85% 3.06% 11.03% 🇧🇲 Bermuda 5.71% 20.41% 37.73% 🇧🇹 Bhutan 2.53% 6.25% 33.35% 🇧🇴 Bolivia 6.11% 4.85% 21.75% 🇧🇶 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba 14.22% 13.84% 28.94% 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.95% 18.4% 36.4% 🇧🇼 Botswana 4.32% 3.65% 17.96% 🇧🇷 Brazil 2.39% 9.88% 33.52% 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands 8.63% 9.95% 32.47% 🇧🇳 Brunei 4.85% 6.17% 30.93% 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 6.66% 22.38% 37.13% 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso 2.01% 2.53% 13.07% 🇧🇮 Burundi 3.22% 2.48% 13.23% 🇰🇭 Cambodia 2.67% 5.81% 26.43% 🇨🇲 Cameroon 3.47% 2.67% 11.89% 🇨🇦 Canada 7.7% 19.03% 31.55% 🇨🇻 Cape Verde 3.67% 5.55% 32.63% 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands 6.05% 8.17% 28.75% 🇨🇫 Central African Republic 5.% 2.51% 11.43% 🇹🇩 Chad 4.33% 2.01% 9.64% 🇨🇱 Chile 3.3% 13.03% 36.61% 🇨🇳 China 5.04% 13.72% 40.93% 🇨🇴 Colombia 3.22% 9.% 34.49% 🇰🇲 Comoros 3.8% 4.28% 17.81% 🇨🇬 Congo 3.36% 2.72% 11.99% 🇨🇰 Cook Islands 2.94% 11.73% 29.75% 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 2.97% 10.83% 36.99% 🇨🇮 Cote d’Ivoire 2.21% 2.4% 10.86% 🇭🇷 Croatia 7.82% 22.36% 37.03% 🇨🇺 Cuba 4.36% 15.81% 36.31% 🇨🇼 Curacao 5.82% 14.95% 30.46% 🇨🇾 Cyprus 5.95% 14.83% 33.36% 🇨🇿 Czechia 8.29% 20.64% 26.94% 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of Congo 3.77% 2.92% 10.62% 🇩🇰 Denmark 9.04% 20.49% 30.45% 🇩🇯 Djibouti 1.99% 4.54% 19.68% 🇩🇲 Dominica 7.67% 9.53% 34.28% 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 2.72% 7.4% 30.47% 🇪🇨 Ecuador 5.2% 7.83% 31.97% 🇪🇬 Egypt 2.95% 4.83% 21.77% 🇸🇻 El Salvador 3.93% 8.22% 36.02% 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea 5.53% 3.12% 15.13% 🇪🇷 Eritrea 3.2% 4.01% 19.86% 🇪🇪 Estonia 10.56% 20.58% 34.15% 🇸🇿 Eswatini 2.68% 4.% 16.26% 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 3.01% 3.14% 18.6% 🇫🇴 Faeroe Islands 7.59% 17.92% 26.91% 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands 8.27% 11.08% 35.86% 🇫🇯 Fiji 5.99% 5.9% 20.6% 🇫🇮 Finland 6.63% 23.27% 34.04% 🇫🇷 France 11.39% 21.66% 34.23% 🇬🇫 French Guiana 7.96% 5.98% 21.13% 🇵🇫 French Polynesia 3.% 10.07% 37.85% 🇬🇦 Gabon 7.21% 3.89% 16.25% 🇬🇲 Gambia 2.5% 2.43% 16.06% 🇬🇪 Georgia 9.35% 14.61% 31.19% 🇩🇪 Germany 9.46% 22.41% 33.72% 🇬🇭 Ghana 4.62% 3.55% 15.91% 🇬🇮 Gibraltar 6.94% 20.84% 37.63% 🇬🇷 Greece 6.8% 22.82% 37.52% 🇬🇱 Greenland 3.06% 10.02% 29.16% 🇬🇩 Grenada 5.12% 10.07% 30.54% 🇬🇵 Guadeloupe 5.51% 20.04% 34.45% 🇬🇺 Guam 1.11% 11.84% 31.19% 🇬🇹 Guatemala 2.31% 4.91% 28.05% 🇬🇬 Guernsey 11.96% 16.64% 35.4% 🇬🇳 Guinea 5.39% 3.32% 14.% 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau 3.45% 2.82% 14.34% 🇬🇾 Guyana 3.89% 6.28% 28.94% 🇭🇹 Haiti 3.64% 4.54% 19.07% 🇭🇳 Honduras 3.96% 4.27% 26.5% 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 2.48% 20.47% 41.64% 🇭🇺 Hungary 7.81% 20.01% 31.85% 🇮🇸 Iceland 7.52% 15.33% 34.25% 🇮🇳 India 3.1% 6.9% 29.81% 🇮🇩 Indonesia 1.74% 6.86% 25.28% 🇮🇷 Iran 5.22% 7.62% 33.72% 🇮🇶 Iraq 2.79% 3.41% 18.44% 🇮🇪 Ireland 10.99% 15.14% 32.48% 🇮🇲 Isle of Man 13.9% 22.29% 31.8% 🇮🇱 Israel 4.% 12.04% 25.97% 🇮🇹 Italy 8.09% 24.05% 38.19% 🇯🇲 Jamaica 3.83% 7.45% 44.05% 🇯🇵 Japan 4.89% 29.92% 38.7% 🇯🇪 Jersey 12.34% 16.22% 30.52% 🇯🇴 Jordan 5.03% 3.84% 27.3% 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 6.47% 8.04% 19.58% 🇰🇪 Kenya 5.28% 2.87% 16.98% 🇰🇮 Kiribati 7.13% 3.81% 17.33% 🇽🇰 Kosovo 5.33% 10.19% 43.35% 🇰🇼 Kuwait 2.88% 4.93% 31.56% 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan 7.91% 4.54% 21.08% 🇱🇦 Laos 2.13% 4.45% 25.24% 🇱🇻 Latvia 10.12% 21.86% 32.86% 🇱🇧 Lebanon 7.24% 9.89% 32.11% 🇱🇸 Lesotho 6.34% 4.2% 13.44% 🇱🇷 Liberia 2.97% 3.31% 13.88% 🇱🇾 Libya 5.21% 4.86% 27.77% 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 7.89% 19.37% 34.79% 🇱🇹 Lithuania 8.65% 20.8% 32.79% 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 9.71% 15.03% 31.55% 🇲🇴 Macao 3.11% 13.% 32.39% 🇲🇬 Madagascar 3.25% 3.35% 16.21% 🇲🇼 Malawi 3.06% 2.61% 15.61% 🇲🇾 Malaysia 4.91% 7.5% 30.78% 🇲🇻 Maldives 3.14% 4.78% 35.61% 🇲🇱 Mali 2.78% 2.38% 11.% 🇲🇹 Malta 7.42% 19.13% 38.26% 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands 5.68% 4.56% 17.8% 🇲🇶 Martinique 5.85% 22.77% 37.31% 🇲🇷 Mauritania 1.44% 3.22% 15.03% 🇲🇺 Mauritius 3.18% 12.79% 33.76% 🇾🇹 Mayotte 6.61% 2.88% 18.15% 🇲🇽 Mexico 2.99% 8.32% 34.88% 🇫🇲 Micronesia (country) 4.11% 6.16% 27.59% 🇲🇩 Moldova 7.56% 12.98% 26.36% 🇲🇨 Monaco 15.64% 35.92% 30.16% 🇲🇳 Mongolia 3.87% 4.61% 26.18% 🇲🇪 Montenegro 7.85% 16.55% 34.16% 🇲🇸 Montserrat 7.92% 17.7% 33.05% 🇲🇦 Morocco 2.86% 7.72% 29.97% 🇲🇿 Mozambique 3.13% 2.57% 13.43% 🇲🇲 Myanmar 3.21% 6.82% 23.69% 🇳🇦 Namibia 4.1% 3.97% 15.38% 🇳🇷 Nauru 8.98% 2.5% 15.87% 🇳🇵 Nepal 2.74% 6.09% 29.51% 🇳🇱 Netherlands 7.76% 20.31% 32.89% 🇳🇨 New Caledonia 5.% 11.02% 31.61% 🇳🇿 New Zealand 9.09% 16.31% 33.2% 🇳🇮 Nicaragua 2.71% 5.29% 28.92% 🇳🇪 Niger .92% 2.4% 9.76% 🇳🇬 Nigeria 3.% 2.97% 12.31% 🇳🇺 Niue 4.79% 15.16% 22.55% 🇰🇵 North Korea 2.72% 11.71% 30.49% 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 5.87% 14.91% 36.56% 🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands 2.95% 10.81% 32.09% 🇳🇴 Norway 9.52% 18.44% 31.65% 🇴🇲 Oman 3.05% 2.76% 23.96% 🇵🇰 Pakistan 5.48% 4.27% 17.23% 🇵🇼 Palau 8.59% 9.93% 21.48% 🇵🇸 Palestine 4.77% 3.53% 23.44% 🇵🇦 Panama 3.57% 8.77% 30.03% 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea 1.09% 3.19% 16.81% 🇵🇾 Paraguay 3.73% 6.26% 26.51% 🇵🇪 Peru 3.43% 8.41% 30.33% 🇵🇭 Philippines 3.56% 5.44% 23.38% 🇵🇱 Poland 5.22% 18.55% 35.69% 🇵🇹 Portugal 7.% 22.9% 36.28% 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 3.63% 22.93% 48.9% 🇶🇦 Qatar 3.5% 1.52% 15.01% 🇷🇪 Reunion 3.81% 13.28% 32.4% 🇷🇴 Romania 7.16% 18.64% 32.22% 🇷🇺 Russia 4.8% 15.8% 27.86% 🇷🇼 Rwanda 2.76% 3.2% 17.36% 🇧🇱 Saint Barthlemy 7.3% 10.61% 43.89% 🇸🇭 Saint Helena 8.63% 28.66% 32.61% 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis 5.36% 10.13% 29.79% 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia 3.59% 9.23% 33.39% 🇲🇫 Saint Martin (French part) 4.47% 11.14% 30.08% 🇵🇲 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 6.34% 17.32% 33.4% 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7.71% 10.86% 32.34% 🇼🇸 Samoa 2.52% 5.22% 18.75% 🇸🇲 San Marino 10.15% 20.47% 35.73% 🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe 3.92% 3.76% 15.6% 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 3.32% 2.81% 30.28% 🇸🇳 Senegal 3.42% 3.14% 16.54% 🇷🇸 Serbia 6.15% 20.56% 37.55% 🇸🇨 Seychelles 10.68% 8.16% 28.84% 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 3.02% 3.14% 15.52% 🇸🇬 Singapore 2.29% 15.12% 36.51% 🇸🇽 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 12.03% 10.57% 34.51% 🇸🇰 Slovakia 6.63% 16.98% 33.4% 🇸🇮 Slovenia 7.52% 20.96% 33.59% 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands 4.03% 3.47% 15.29% 🇸🇴 Somalia 2.6% 2.57% 10.75% 🇿🇦 South Africa 4.06% 5.89% 20.55% 🇰🇷 South Korea 2.74% 17.49% 44.44% 🇸🇸 South Sudan 3.48% 2.89% 13.11% 🇪🇸 Spain 7.23% 20.27% 38.72% 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 8.76% 11.54% 35.73% 🇸🇩 Sudan 3.03% 3.5% 13.28% 🇸🇷 Suriname 4.09% 7.39% 25.8% 🇸🇪 Sweden 10.19% 20.25% 31.83% 🇨🇭 Switzerland 9.49% 19.31% 32.61% 🇸🇾 Syria 7.66% 4.68% 24.62% 🇹🇼 Taiwan 2.11% 16.71% 37.32% 🇹🇯 Tajikistan 4.34% 3.47% 19.43% 🇹🇿 Tanzania 2.2% 3.1% 14.97% 🇹🇭 Thailand 3.21% 15.21% 39.17% 🇹🇱 Timor 3.14% 5.21% 25.42% 🇹🇬 Togo 4.29% 3.13% 11.77% 🇹🇰 Tokelau 4.7% 8.66% 25.03% 🇹🇴 Tonga 4.6% 6.22% 21.65% 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago 3.93% 11.52% 32.67% 🇹🇳 Tunisia 4.4% 9.02% 31.24% 🇹🇷 Turkey 3.77% 8.64% 33.9% 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan 5.84% 5.15% 21.55% 🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands 5.79% 10.34% 28.25% 🇹🇻 Tuvalu 4.98% 6.48% 16.15% 🇺🇬 Uganda 2.87% 1.69% 14.33% 🇺🇦 Ukraine 7.54% 18.81% 33.2% 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 3.35% 1.83% 15.77% 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 10.84% 19.17% 32.56% 🇺🇸 United States 8.18% 17.13% 30.47% 🇻🇮 United States Virgin Islands 7.54% 20.42% 39.11% 🇺🇾 Uruguay 8.23% 15.58% 35.98% 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan 5.87% 5.14% 22.24% 🇻🇺 Vanuatu 5.65% 3.74% 16.29% 🇻🇪 Venezuela 2.29% 8.61% 27.71% 🇻🇳 Vietnam 4.13% 9.12% 30.02% 🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna 1.76% 13.47% 32.98% 🇪🇭 Western Sahara 2.82% 5.84% 23.73% 🇾🇪 Yemen 3.98% 2.66% 18.25% 🇿🇲 Zambia 2.76% 1.75% 12.66% 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 3.18% 3.32% 14.22% 🌐 World 5.13% 9.82% 24.03% Some of the places with high elderly shares today include high-income countries like Japan (30%), Italy (24%), and Finland (23%).
The lowest shares are concentrated in the Middle East and Africa. Many countries have just 2% of their population aged 65 years and older, such as Qatar, Uganda, and Afghanistan.
But over time, almost all countries are expected to see their older population segments grow. In just three decades, it is estimated that one-in-four European, North American, and Asian residents will be over 65 years of age.
By 2100, a variety of Asian countries and island nations facing low population growth are expected to see more than one-third of their populations aged 65 years or older, including South Korea and Jamaica at 44%. However, it’s actually Albania that’s the biggest outlier overall, with a projected 49% of its population to be aged 65 and older by 2100.
Passing the Generational Torch
The challenge of an aging population is set to impact all sectors of society, including labor and financial markets, demand for housing and transportation, and especially family structures and intergenerational ties.
One way to help grasp the nature of transition is to note the changing ratio between seniors and young children in the world population, as seen in the below crossover diagram:
Dropping fertility rates, in addition to improved child and infant mortality rates, are known to have played a major role in the plateauing population of children.
However, not all countries have witnessed this crossover yet, as it usually coincides with higher levels of economic development.
As countries such as India, Brazil, and South Africa reach higher levels of per capita income, they will be likely to follow down the paths of more advanced economies, eventually experiencing similar demographic fates and challenges.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 23:20 - 11 Signs That Global Conflict Could Soon Spiral Completely Out Of Control
11 Signs That Global Conflict Could Soon Spiral Completely Out Of Control
Authored by Michael Snyder via TheMostImportantNews.com,
The world seems to be gripped by a really bad case of war fever. National leaders all over the globe are rattling their sabers, and that should deeply alarm all of us. The last time that there was a “world war”, tens of millions of people died. This time around, it could be hundreds of millions or even billions of people. Today, we literally possess the ability to destroy all of humanity. So a worldwide conflict in which nuclear weapons are used should be avoided at all costs, but unfortunately those that are running things seem absolutely determined to push us toward such a conflict anyway.
Over the past couple of weeks, there have been so many alarming developments. The following are 11 signs that global conflict could soon spiral completely out of control…
#1 Russia just signed a deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus…
The defense ministers of Russia and Belarus on Thursday signed a document on the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory, the state-run TASS news agency reported, citing the Defense Ministry of Belarus.
Russia will retain control over its non-strategic nuclear weapons stationed in neighboring Belarus, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a document-signing event with his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin in Minsk.
“Russia will not transfer nuclear weapons to the Republic of Belarus: control over them and the decision to use them remains with the Russian side,” he said.
#2 U.S. and Taiwanese officials have reportedly been talking about bringing Taiwan under the “nuclear umbrella” of the United States. Needless to say, such a move would make war with China much more likely…
There seems to be a growing demand for a US ‘nuclear umbrella’ in Taiwan amid increasing belligerence by China in the Asia Pacific region.
The desire for such a ‘nuclear umbrella’ against a potential invasion by China – which is already provided to Japan and South Korea by the United States (US) – has reportedly received support from defence experts in Taiwan.
The US ‘nuclear umbrella’ will not see the deployment of atomic weapons in Taiwan, but will see the world’s ‘sole superpower’ respond in kind to a nuclear attack by China during an invasion of the island nation.
#3 The Russians have just issued an arrest warrant for U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham…
Russia’s Interior Ministry on Monday issued an arrest warrant for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham following his comments related to the fighting in Ukraine.
In an edited video of his meeting on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that was released by Zelenskyy’s office, Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, noted that “the Russians are dying” and described the U.S. military assistance to the country as “the best money we’ve ever spent.”
#4 A senior Taliban commander is boasting that “we will conquer Iran soon”…
The Taliban threatened on Sunday that it could conquer Iran as tensions increase over water disputes between Afghanistan and Iran, leaving at least three people dead.
In a video released by the Taliban, a senior commander in the terrorist organization running Afghanistan warned that the Taliban would fight the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guard “with more passion” than they fought the US forces. He added that the Taliban “will conquer Iran soon if the Taliban’s leaders give the green light.
#5 Israel has doubled the number of attacks on Iranian targets inside Syrian territory in recent months…
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday said that he has “doubled the attacks on Iran in Syria” during his several months in office.
Gallant also revealed Tehran’s secret sea war against Israel, presenting new photographic evidence of five different ships it is using to establish another front against the Jewish state.
#6 Hezbollah just conducted major military exercises very close to the border with Israel…
The military exercise was unusual not only because it was made public — nearly 400 people attended, including Hezbollah supporters and several journalists — but also because it was conducted only 12 miles north of the Israeli border, just outside an area where militias are not allowed to operate under a UN Security Council resolution adopted in 2006.
#7 Most Americans don’t realize this, but U.S. troops will soon be deployed in Peru…
Unbeknown, it seems, to most people in Peru and the US (considering the paucity of media coverage in both countries), US military personnel will soon be landing in Peru. The plenary session of Peru’s Congress last Thursday (May 18) authorised the entry of US troops onto Peruvian soil with the ostensible purpose of carrying out “cooperation activities” with Peru’s armed forces and national police.
#8 Violent clashes in Kosovo have resulted in more than two dozen NATO troops being injured…
NATO-led troops and police clashed with protesters in Northern Kosovo Monday amid an ongoing standoff between ethnic Albanian authorities and local ethnic Serbs who ignored warnings not to seize municipality buildings.
The violence comes after Kosovo’s police raided Serb-dominated areas in the region’s north and seized local municipality buildings over the weekend. The demonstrations have led to injuries on both sides, which more than two dozen NATO troops injured.
#9 The U.S. military is building a brand new base in northern Syria. Apparently the U.S. occupation of large portions of Syrian territory is not going to end any time soon…
The US-led anti-ISIS coalition is building a new military base in Syria’s northern province of Raqqa, The New Arab reported, citing a source close to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The US backs the SDF and keeps about 900 troops (officially at least) in eastern Syria, allowing the US to control about one-third of Syria’s territory. The report said there are currently about 24 US-led military sites spread throughout eastern Syria.
#10 North Korea is claiming that the U.S. and South Korea have just conducted an “invasion rehearsal”…
The South Korean and U.S. militaries conducted large live-fire drills near the border with North Korea on Thursday, despite the North’s warning that it won’t tolerate what it calls an invasion rehearsal on its doorstep.
The drills, the first of five rounds of live-fire exercises through mid-June, mark 70 years since the establishment of the military alliance between Seoul and Washington. North Korea typically reacts to such major South Korean-U.S. exercises with missile and other weapons tests.
#11 Due to “security concerns”, dozens of “satellite phones for emergency communication” are being issued to members of the U.S. Senate…
Amid growing concerns of security risks to members of Congress, over 50 senators have been issued satellite phones for emergency communication, people familiar with the measures told CBS News. The devices are part of a series of new security measures being offered to senators by the Senate Sergeant at Arms, who took over shortly after the assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The satellite phone technology has been offered to all 100 senators. CBS News has learned at least 50 have accepted the phones, which Senate administrative staff recommend senators keep in close proximity during their travels.
We have never seen such a dramatic measure ever be taken before.
Are they preparing for something?
I wish that I knew.
But what I do know is that we are certainly living during a time of “wars and rumors of wars”, and it definitely isn’t going to take much to push us over a line that will never be able to be uncrossed.
But for now, most people in the western world simply are not paying attention to what is going on.
Most of them just assume that our leaders are wise, competent and will be able to keep us out of any sort of nuclear conflict.
* * *
Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 23:00 - China Sends Fresh Crew To 'T-Shaped' Space Station, Plans Moon Mission Before 2030
China Sends Fresh Crew To ‘T-Shaped’ Space Station, Plans Moon Mission Before 2030
China launched the Shenzhou-16 spacecraft with a crew of three astronauts to its newly built space station for the second in-orbit crew rotation, marking yet another advancement for the country’s space program — comes at a time when the US is waging a technology war against Beijing.
Bloomberg reported a Long March 2F rocket propelled three astronauts to the Tiangong space station on Tuesday morning from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.
Liftoff of the Shenzhou 16 mission, carrying a crew of three Chinese astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a six-month expedition. https://t.co/lSqanlUHVy pic.twitter.com/qgaUXIGhO0
— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) May 30, 2023
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The crew – Gui Haichao, Jing Haipeng, and Zhu Yangzhu will relieve Shenzhou-15 astronauts who have been orbiting the Earth in the Tiangong space station since November. State media said Shenzhou-16 astronauts are expected to arrive at the station later today.
Tuesday marks China’s fifth crewed mission to its T-shaped space station since 2021. The new station is a three-module structure and was constructed in orbit.
China had a series of achievements in space, including being the first country to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon in 2019, landing a rover on Mars in 2021, and constructing the Tiangong space station over the last few years.
In its press conference Monday, China Manned Space Agency official Lin Xiqiang told reporters the country plans to send astronauts to the moon by 2030.
China has said it will open the Tiangong space station to all UN member states for “science experiments.” It hopes its station will outlast the International Space Station, which is set to be decommissioned in the early 2030s. Chinese astronauts are currently banned from the ISS.
The US and China are locked in another race, this time in space.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 22:40 - 5 Things I Truly Don't Understand About The "Inevitable Energy Transition"
5 Things I Truly Don’t Understand About The “Inevitable Energy Transition”
Authored by Jude Clemente via RealClear Wire,
Please note: this article was pulled down offline from Forbes. I will let you draw your own conclusions as to why. Factually, there was no justification for it.
This list could be closer to 50 but let’s just stick to a handful of them. I literally live in this business every day, and I’m just so confused.
1. In a world that is apparently getting both warmer and colder because of global warming, how is it that we can increasingly rely on non-dispatchable (i.e., intermittent, usually unavailable), weather-dependent electricity from wind and solar plants to displace, not just supplement, dispatchable (i.e., baseload, almost always available) coal, gas, and nuclear power? In other words, if our weather is becoming less predictable, how is it that a consuming economy like ours can, or should even try, predictably rely on weather-dependent resources? ERCOT exemplifies this: the Texas grid operator has around 31,000 MW of wind capacity but goes into winter expecting only 6,000 MW (just 20%) of wind farms to be available to generate electricity. Again, in the marketplace, the “alternatives” you keep hearing about are proving to be far more supplemental than alternative.
Further, good wind and solar spots are finite, based on geography, so new builds, naturally, will be forced into areas that are less windy and less sunny, lowering their already very low 35% capacity factors. And because they devour immense swaths of land, interrupting a whole host of things, that Renewable Rejection Database is mounting very quickly. If wind, solar, and electric cars too are as effective and low-cost as so many keep promising us, there would obviously be no need for government subsidies for broad adoption. Yet, there is, gigantically so. Huge amounts of taxpayer money going into this, what I call “the holy climate panacea triad,” are vulnerable to changing politics and bound to become politically untenable at some point: “Ford Is Losing $66,446 On Every EV It Sells.” Our limited financial resources are obviously very precious, so these NEVER CONSIDERED and wasted opportunity costs forcing wind, solar, and electric cars into the energy complex are truly catastrophic. Schools investing in electric buses over STEM? The $200 Billion Electric School Bus Bust. How can any of this be justified? I’m so utterly confused.
2. Climate change is a global issue, so how is it that we can claim climate benefits for unilateral climate policy. For example, U.S. gasoline cars constitute just 3% of global CO2 emissions, so how will getting rid of them impact climate change? But this dose of real science doesn’t stop California leaders, a state responsible for just 1% of global CO2 emissions, from telling us that energy policy in the nine-county region of Northern California alone is “responsible for protecting air quality and the global climate in the nine-county Bay Area.” No wonder then that a Biden administration official was incoherent when asked how $50 trillion in climate spending in the U.S. will lower any global temperature rise. Indeed, despite the Sierra Club in 2014 promising us that “China’s Thirst for Coal Is Drying Up,” the Chinese Communist Party approved two coal plants a week in 2022. But, don’t worry guys, China promises to be net-zero by 2060. On climate, you don’t matter nearly as much as some want you to think.
So, it becomes very obvious very quickly that no energy policy in northern California has any relevance in terms of changing the climate. The region could literally disappear and there would be no discernable impact on climate change. Even our climate czar John Kerry, loving the CO2-devouring life in a private jet and $250 million, has been forced to admit that the U.S. could even go to zero emissions and it would make no material impact on climate change. Talk about all pain, no gain. The real science is that incremental global emissions are “not here but over there” U.S. CO2 emissions are in structural decline regardless of what policies we pass (save 2021 and the rebound from Covid-19’s devastation in 2020). So, where is the climate benefit for Americans when it comes to U.S. climate policy? Because we’re continuously told to “believe science,” any positive answer to that question can only be deemed as anti-science. In fact, common sense and science itself tell us that unilateral climate policy can actually be really bad for climate change because it encourages carbon leakage (e.g., climate policy in the U.S. increases costs and just pushes a manufacturing firm to re-locate to coal-devouring China).
3. Back to electric vehicles. Even green-tinted but surely practical Bloomberg admits that more than 85% of Americans can’t afford an electric car, since they are well more than double the price of oil-based cars. How can a product bring racial justice for Black Americans when the vast majority of them can’t afford it? Worse then, huge and growing subsidies for electric cars are a “reverse Robin Hood,” taking money from poor taxpayers to give to the rich ones that are, actually, in the market to buy an electric car. Forcing electric equipment over natural gas? Sorry but “gas is four to six times cheaper than electricity.” Battery costs might be much higher than expected: 1) rising global demand, 2) rising costs and unavailability of their raw materials, 3) mining complications and environmental damage, and 4) China flexing its muscles since it controls the supply chains and uses hoarding as political leverage (see Covid-19 and medical supplies). Reality check, unlike what we keep hearing about “green energy,” no technology continues to decline in cost in perpetuity: “EV battery costs could spike 22% by 2026 as raw material shortages drag on.”
And this one I’m really confused on. President Biden promotes his climate agenda as a way to create jobs. Besides lacking in economic literacy (i.e., jobs are costs not benefits), the truth is that electric cars, for instance, entail far less jobs because they, for one thing, have far less moving parts. And there’s all kinds of evidence that electric car life-cycle emissions could be way worse than advertised, mostly because of the massive amounts of mining required to make them. We all know about child labor and your electric car, but even pro-EV outlets are being forced to report on the mounting problems from mining, the latest on how bauxite for the aluminum needed is destroying the Amazon. And about our President’s we’ll need oil for “another decade” claim? The U.S. Department of Energy just modeled that our oil demand will actually slightly INCREASE, not decline, to over 21.1 million b/d by 2050. Reality check: planes, industry (petrochemicals), heavy trucking, and sheer Energy Inertia will have oil dominating way longer than you’re being told.
4. How on Earth could anybody expect those in Africa and the other horrifically poor nations to “get off fossil fuels” when the rich countries haven’t come close to doing it. Germany and California, the world’s two greenest governments, are still overwhelming fossil fuel-based and overwhelmingly dependent on imports (dangerously so in Germany’s case). This comes despite decades of huge subsidies, scores of mandates, deploying the best engineering expertise, and having low population growth and thus low incremental energy needs, all giving them a huge advantage in “going green.” The energy stat to remember most? No U.S. state will ever “try to go green” like California has over the past 20 years, yet oil and gas still supply 70% of the state’s energy, even above the national average of 65%.
Germany and California have shown us what these climate policies bring: Germany has the highest electricity prices in the world; and California’s are the highest in the continental U.S. and soaring out of control (Figure). How the heck can we push for “deep electrification” to fight climate change if we are going to follow policies that surge the price of electricity, while also lowering grid reliability? And rich Westerners, spare us the judgments, demands, and hypocrisy on climate change: Germany thrives on a GDP per capita per year of $51,200, compared to a horrifically sad $2,260 for India.
5. But, perhaps I’m most confused about the whole air quality thing. The obsession over it gets attached to all energy policies. But there’s clearly a strawman to the “we need cleaner air now” demand. First, the air quality conversation in the U.S. reminds me of Voltaire’s “the perfect is the enemy of good.” Americans seem completely unaware how drastically our air quality has improved. Check data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), our criteria pollutants have been plummeting over the past many decades. The risks seem exaggerated. Let’s just take Los Angeles, which for a big city notoriously has the worst air quality in the country. Tell me, please, if air quality is such a problem and such a health concern for Americans, why is it that Angelinos have a life expectancy of 82 years, a hearty three years above the national average. Just think of all the coal that China has devoured since 2000 (I figure around 70 billion tonnes), yet the country’s life expectancy, apparently shockingly to so many, is up a very impressive six years to nearly 78 since then. Maybe it’s because Chinese GDP per capita per year has skyrocketed nearly 9-fold to over $18,500. Even for rising asthma rates in the U.S., smoking is way down, coal usage is way down, and criteria pollutants are way down. So what gives?
“Better air quality and environment” are not free, as attaining government standards cost businesses hundreds of billions of dollars per year. These costs are ultimately paid by Americans in the form of higher prices, lower wages, and less choices. And at some point, the cost of the regulation to achieve better air outweighs its benefit. We’ve won on water too: the water in your toilet is cleaner than what the vast majority of humans on Earth drink. For every time that we hear “environmental justice” we need to say “economic justice” 100 times. In this country for all Americans, Blacks and Hispanics/Latinos make 30% less money than Whites and Asians. Too many politicians focus on the endless pursuit of “better air quality” and other abstract, seemingly impossible to measure benefits because they have no clue on the real ways to help communities of color and other low-income Americans: help them get a better education, help them get a better job, and help them make more money. Career politicians love bottomless, money-devouring pits the most: “America’s $100 billion climate change flop.” And although its entire existence is based on never being able to declare victory (imagine a football game with no time and no keeping score), EPA should consider that it’s wealth that matters most for health equity.
But, that’s not its business, is it?
Jude Clemente is the editor at RealClearEnergy.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 22:20 - 'Don't Rule Out Lab Leak': China's Former CDC Director
‘Don’t Rule Out Lab Leak’: China’s Former CDC Director
The former head of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the chance Covid-19 originated from a laboratory can’t be ruled out.
That said, George Gao – who headed China’s CDC during the pandemic – also said that Chinese officials have investigated the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and found no “wrongdoing” in the lab.
Gao told BBC Radio 4: “You can always suspect anything,” adding “That’s science. Don’t rule out anything.”
2. “Risky”
On the surface, Prof Gao’s comments about not ruling out a lab leak appear seriously at odds with China’s publicly stated position. Risky even.
“We really don’t know where the virus came from… the question is still open,” Prof Gao told the BBC
— Billy Bostickson 🏴👁&👁 🆓 (@BillyBostickson) May 30, 2023
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When asked about the WIV, where US-funded scientists were genetically manipulating Covid strains to be more transmissible to humans, Gao said the lab was “double-checked by the experts in the field,” (who would never lie, we’re sure).
“I think their conclusion is that they are following all the protocols. They haven’t found [any] wrongdoing,” Gao continued in what marks the first public confirmation from a Chinese official that an investigation was conducted at the lab.
Last month, Gao told a London pandemic summit that there’s been “no evidence which animals [were] where the virus comes [from],” after an international group of scientists posited a laughable theory about raccoon dogs and Covid-19 in Wuhan.
The alleged investigation was carried out by a “government” department, and didn’t involve China’s CDC, he continued, without naming said department.
More than three years have passed since SARS-CoV-2 caused a global pandemic that resulted in some 7 million deaths, but the world is still none the wiser regarding the origin of the virus.
One theory is that the virus originated from bats, but views differ on how it became transmissible among humans.
Some believe the virus was passed on to humans by some sort of intermediary animal hosts, while others believe it more likely leaked from a lab, particularly the WIV, which has been researching bat viruses and is located in the centre of Wuhan, where the pandemic began.
The Chinese regime has repeatedly dismissed the theory that the virus was leaked from the WIV, but its lack of transparency has fuelled more suspicion. –Epoch Times
The US House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic wants to question Gao and other officials regarding the origin of the virus. The committee has also asked to speak with Dr. Shi Zhengli, director of WIV’s Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases; Drs. Ben Hu and Huang Yanling, researchers at the institute; and Dr. Chen Wei, a general in the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army who took over the lab in February 2020.
In February, FBI Director Christopher Wray announced that the bureau believes Covid-19 most likely came from a lab – a conclusion also reached by the US Department of Energy.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 22:00 - Nearly Half Of All Americans Now Have A Chronic Disease
Nearly Half Of All Americans Now Have A Chronic Disease
Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
It can strike at any time and at any age. When someone develops a chronic disease, it can cause debilitating, life-altering changes that penetrate every aspect of daily life.
A three-year-old who was born with a rare immune system disorder in Virginia, on Dec. 26, 2019. (EVA HAMBACH/AFP via Getty Images) The prevalence of these conditions has surged over the past decade, creating a twofold health care and economic crisis affecting nearly half of Americans. By 2030, the number of U.S. residents struggling with at least one chronic illness is expected to surpass 170 million.
That’s more than half of the entire country, for perspective.
The expanding elderly population and adults aren’t the only age groups seeing an uptick. More than 40 percent of children and adolescents currently have at least one chronic illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There’s also a tremendous cost burden. The spectrum of chronic diseases comprises a disproportionately large segment of U.S. health care costs. Of the nation’s $4.1 trillion annual health care expenditures, chronic diseases account for 90 percent.
That’s more than $3 trillion dollars of annual direct costs alone.
At an individual level, the price tag doesn’t look any better. Estimates for the treatment and management of chronic conditions—on average—tally more than $6,000 annually per patient.
Some chronic disease specialists and health practitioners say that figure is spot on, depending on the condition.
Beyond the Numbers
“For example, if you have type 2 diabetes, you are often checking in with your provider every three months. Four visits a year, times $300 a visit, plus the amount spent for medications per month … quickly adds up,” nurse practitioner Lola MacLean told The Epoch Times.
MacLean has worked in family and internal medicine for the past five years. In that time, she’s noticed a spike in the number of patients suffering from chronic conditions walk through the door.
“I have seen an uptick in chronic conditions, especially those related to metabolic disorders, [like] type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression,” she said.
Many chronic diseases require specialist care for management. Providers in these fields have also witnessed a surge in patients.
“Indeed, I have noticed an uptick in the number of patients with chronic diseases, particularly those with respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD [Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease],” John Landry told The Epoch Times.
Landry is a licensed, registered respiratory therapist and founder of the education platform Respiratory Therapy Zone. He noted chronic respiratory diseases often require expensive medications, frequent doctor visits, and hospitalizations.
“I find the estimate of $6,000 USD for the annual cost of treating chronic diseases to be plausible … This doesn’t even take into account indirect costs such as time off work for the patient and their caregivers.”
Landry says it’s important to remember that doctor’s visits and prescriptions aren’t the only factors in the final bill.
“Chronic illnesses often result in loss of work productivity which indirectly increases the financial burden.”
Conditions with some of the highest direct health care costs in the United States are diabetes at $189.6 billion in annual expenses, Alzheimer’s disease at $185.9 billion, and osteoarthritis at $115.5 billion.
But the price of living with a chronic disease goes beyond dollars and cents. For many, it’s a daily battle that demands vigilance, patience, and emotional support.
Uphill Battle
For Deb Borchert, a trip to the hospital is almost as routine as folding laundry. The 47-year-old Wisconsin mother of two knows most of the emergency room staff at her local hospital by their first names.
On March 10, she arrived at the emergency room with her miniature medical assistance dog, Molly. Her specialist’s phone number was already on file, and she was promptly admitted for treatment without delay.
There was no red tape or extra paperwork. Borchert was put in a bed and hooked up to IVs and machines that would help save her life.
Because despite her outwardly calm demeanor, she was on the threshold of cardiac arrest. Again.
“Your pulse oxygen drops, and your entire body just collapses. It can’t even function,” Borchert told The Epoch Times.
She suffers from a condition known as hypokalemic periodic paralysis, which causes consistently low and dangerous potassium levels. It’s an illness that has landed her in the hospital more times than she can count over the past 20 years.
For most people, healthy potassium levels are between 3.5 and 5.2. Anything below 2.5 is considered a life-threatening condition.
Borchert was admitted on March 10 with a potassium level of 2.2.
“I’ve had it since my 20s, but they’ve never known how to really treat it. Every time, they try different drugs, but I’m allergic to a lot of those,” she said.
It’s a tune heard often among those suffering from chronic diseases. Lengthy, exhausting, and a sometimes dangerous trial-and-error process with treatment. Some conditions can also be difficult to manage with traditional Western medicine.
This is the case for Julie Walters, whose 14-year-old daughter suffers from a rare form of epilepsy called PCDH19, which is caused by a gene mutation. It’s also challenging to manage with medication.
Moreover, it causes intense clusters of seizures that can stop someone’s breathing. It’s a side effect her daughter has endured many times and, as a result, Walters’ daughter sleeps with a pulse oximeter and supplemental oxygen nearby.
“It’s changed our entire lives,” Walters told The Epoch Times.
Walters is co-founder of the PCDH19 Alliance, an online support network promoting early diagnosis and supporting families struggling with the condition. She also runs The Connected Parent, which is a free platform for families and caregivers that also reviews resources.
Walters is acutely aware of how important resources are for parents who have children struggling with PCDH19 and other chronic diseases.
Her daughter’s illness requires constant monitoring and vigilance. Family vacations, attending school, or just going out to dinner must be planned carefully since her daughter might have a seizure at any moment.
Things like sharp corners on furniture, balcony seating, and other details most people don’t give much thought to are an act of strategy and planning in Walters’ household.
But it’s absolutely worth it to watch her daughter grow and enjoy as good a quality of life as possible.
Many PCDH19 patients can go years without a seizure. Yet when they return, it can be harrowing. She recalled a nightmare episode when her daughter suffered a seizure that lasted for over an hour, requiring hospitalization.
“It’s something you’re always thinking about,” Walters admits.
Cause and Effect
Borchert and Walters battle conditions beyond their control, but health care professionals say some chronic diseases are the byproduct of unhealthy lifestyle choices, diet, and excessive stress.
One study asserts that non-communicable diseases that are chronic account for 70 percent of all global deaths annually. That includes various ailments and severity, from food allergies to heart disease.
Some of these conditions are called “lifestyle diseases,” many of which have an established cause-effect relationship with daily choices.
Heart disease and obesity fall under this heading. And while certain illnesses may not stem directly from unhealthy life choices, they’re made significantly worse by them. Diseases like diabetes, certain cancers, inflammatory conditions, and asthma are all under this umbrella.
“The vast majority of chronic diseases in the United States are related to lifestyle choices, and contributing factors include dietary choices, lack of regular physical activity, [and] mental-emotional stress,” MacLean said.
The CDC says the main factors contributing to this subset of “lifestyle diseases” include tobacco use, poor nutrition, being overly sedentary, and excessive alcohol usage.
But beyond the price tags and life hurdles, chronic diseases remain the biggest killers in the United States. They claim the lives of 7 out of 10 Americans every year.
Further, the tidal wave of chronic diseases has occurred in lockstep with a sharp rise in ultra-processed food consumption over the past two decades.
An 18-year study published by New York University showed that consumption of ultra-processed food climbed steadily during this period and comprised 57 percent of America’s daily calories by 2018.
During that study period, an additional 15 million people developed chronic diseases. Medical professionals say this is no coincidence.
Yet a more subtle shift from acute to chronic illnesses as the dominant U.S. health concern began in the 1950s. Some researchers place the blame for the current health crisis squarely on the shoulders of a lethargic medical industry.
A 2020 study published in the National Library of Medicine summarized, “The medical profession and its leadership did not recognize or respond appropriately to the rising prevalence of chronic disease. As a consequence, a health care crisis emerged, with inadequate access to care and quality of care, together with excessive costs.”
Finding Hope
“It’s taken away my ability to do whatever I want and enjoy the best of what life has to offer,” Borchert said.
Though her condition has also given her a different perspective on life. She says you’d never know how sick she was at a glance or even during a normal conversation on her good days.
This is the case for many, including Walters’ daughter. Chronic illness is a constant battle with an invisible enemy that, for some, has no end in sight.
But this is where Borchert found a surprising and important new mission: spreading kindness.
“What’s most important is kindness and giving back. If I see someone struggling or having a rough day, I’ll do something nice. I’ll pay for their groceries if I’m ahead of them in line or buy their coffee,” she said.
Over the past two decades, Borchert watched her son and daughter grow into responsible adults, which inspired her to be a better person. The loss of so many little freedoms through the veil of her disease has given her an appreciation for the little things.
“When I was younger, I used to take those things for granted. I don’t want to be like that anymore. It’s made me more kind, more empathetic. There are so many chronic illnesses you can’t see.”
For Walters, her fellow “medical moms” have been a critical lifeline in her family’s journey. Because it takes a proverbial “village” to tackle chronic disease, especially when there’s no cure.
“Community, friendships, and the alliance. My daughter has friends with the same mutation, and they chat every weekend,” she said.
“A lot of the families have created these friendships … because they get it.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 21:40 - Asia's Astonishing Gender Gap In Tobacco Use
Asia’s Astonishing Gender Gap In Tobacco Use
As the world prepares to observe World No Tobacco Day tomorrow (May 31), Statista’s Felix Richter looks at smoking prevalence in selected countries around the world, with a special focus on Asia and its astonishing gender gap in tobacco use.
You will find more infographics at Statista
While Indonesia and China for example, are among the countries with the highest prevalence of tobacco smoking among the male population at 63 percent and 44.5 percent, respectively, the smoking rate among women in both countries is among the lowest in the world at 2.2 and 1.5 percent.
While there is a significant gender gap in tobacco use at the global level – the WHO reported a global prevalence of 36.7 percent among males and of 7.8 percent among females in 2020 – nowhere is the difference as pronounced as it is in Asia and the Pacific.
While smoking among men is often associated with masculinity or social status in the region, it is stigmatized or frowned-upon for women to smoke.
Meanwhile countries with less traditional gender roles, like France, Germany and the United States see significantly higher smoking rates among women, while smoking among men is often much less common than it is in many parts of Asia.
World No Tobacco Day is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about the risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The day serves as a reminder of the devastating health effects of tobacco use, including various types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases and respiratory ailments. It also highlights the socioeconomic impact of tobacco use on individuals, families, and communities.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 21:20 - Native American Tribe Demands Justice For Man Shot 38 Times By US Border Patrol Agents
Native American Tribe Demands Justice For Man Shot 38 Times By US Border Patrol Agents
Authored by Allan Stein via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Yvonne Nevarez remembers her late uncle Raymond Mattia as a proud Tohono O’odham Nation member who always took a stand against injustice.
Mattias family spokeswoman Ofelia Rivas stands while propping a sign with a picture of Ray Mattia, who was shot and killed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on May 18, 2023. The photo was taken during a protest in front of the Ajo Border Patrol Station in Why, Ariz., on May 27, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) He was a kind, respectful, peace-loving man, she said, making his shooting death by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents even harder to accept.
“I’m angry. I can’t believe it. I don’t want to believe it. Our lives will never be the same,” Nevarez said, struggling through tears.
“He was like a dad to me. And now, he’s gone.”
Family members say that on May 18, Mattia contacted tribal police to report illegal migrants trespassing on his property in Meneger’s Dam Village, a remote southern border community of the Tohono O’odham Nation reservation about 52 miles from Ajo by car.
During a brief encounter with CBP agents, family members say Mattia was shot approximately 38 times for reasons as yet unknown.
“It was literally at his doorstep,” Nevarez told The Epoch Times at a protest gathering near the Ajo Border Patrol Station in Why, Arizona, on May 27.
Protesters at a rally for Raymond Mattia flash placards at a passing Border Patrol vehicle in Why, Ariz., on May 27, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) Tribal members and supporters held another demonstration in Tucson on the same day.
“We feel that how they took his life was unjust. There’s no justification for it,” Nevarez said.
The family released a statement calling the shooting a “grievous” incident as “it is apparent what happened.”
“Raymond called for help and, in turn, was shot down on his doorstep. Raymond’s rights were violated by the authorities whom we trust to protect our Nation. Improper and unprofessional actions of the agencies involved were witnessed by family members present near the crime scene.
“Loved ones sat in agony, not knowing of Raymond’s condition until they were told that he had passed away hours later. Raymond lay in front of his home for seven hours before a coroner from Tucson arrived.
The statement added, “In our eyes and hearts, we believe Raymond was approached with excessive and deadly force that took his life. He was a father, brother, uncle, friend, and an involved community member. Raymond always fought for what was right, and he will continue to fight even after his death. This is not an isolated incident, but it should bring awareness of the oppression our people live through.”
A nephew of Raymond Mattia holds a sign during a protest in Why, Ariz., on May 27, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) The family has launched a GoFundMe page to raise $10,000 in legal defense fees.
So far, the effort has garnered $2,954.
CBP Responds
On May 22, CBP issued a statement detailing the events leading to Mattia’s death.
The statement said that at 9:04 p.m., the U.S. Border Patrol Tuscon Sector Tactical Operations Center notified the Ajo station that the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department had requested assistance responding to a report of shots fired near Mattia’s property.
At least 10 CBP agents met with tribal police at the local recreation center to coordinate a joint response.
At 9:32 p.m., a tribal police officer and several CBP agents arrived near Mattia’s residence and “spread out while searching for the man.”
“The officer and agents encountered an individual approximately 103 meters (about 337 feet) northwest of their parked vehicles, outside a residence, at approximately 9:03 p.m.”
At that point, Mattia allegedly “threw an object” at the police officer as they approached.
The object landed “a few feet” from the officer.
“Shortly after the individual threw the object, he abruptly extended his right arm away from his body, and three agents fired their service weapons, striking the individual several times.”
“The individual fell to the ground, and the officer and agents slowly approached the man,” according to the statement.
The statement made no mention of whether Mattia was armed or whether warnings were given before he was shot down.
An unattended sign with the image of Raymond Mattia in Why, Ariz., on May 27, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) Resuscitation Efforts Fail
Agents began administering CPR after they could not detect a pulse and requested emergency medical services.
However, there was no air life evacuation available due to bad weather. The agents continued administering CPR without success.
Mattia was pronounced dead at a Pima County hospital at 10:06 p.m. The medical examiner’s office took custody of the body pending an autopsy on May 19, the statement added.
The agents involved in the shooting will remain on administrative leave according to standard practice while authorities investigate the “use of deadly force.”
“All three agents who discharged their weapons and seven additional agents activated their body-worn cameras during the incident.”
The statement added the CBP is “committed to the expeditious release of the body-worn camera footage of this incident as soon as is appropriate to do so without impacting the ongoing law enforcement investigation.”
The Tohono O’odham Police Department and FBI are currently investigating. CBP said the agency’s National Use of Force Review Board would review the incident following the investigation.
Tohono O’odham police referred the matter to the department’s public information officer Matt Smith, who did not return a phone call or text requesting comment from The Epoch Times.
At the May 27 protest in Why, family spokeswoman Ofelia Rivas said tribal members have reported many negative encounters with an “aggressive” Border Patrol in the past.
“This has been going on for quite a while,” Rivas told The Epoch Times. “The Border Patrol claims to have supreme authority on the reservation.”
Read more here…
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 21:00 - These Are All The Renewable Energy And Battery Installations In The US In 2023
These Are All The Renewable Energy And Battery Installations In The US In 2023
Renewable energy, in particular solar power, is set to shine in 2023. This year, the U.S. plans to get over 80% of its new energy installations from sources like battery, solar, and wind.
Visual Capitalist’s Alan Kennedy created the map below, using data from EIA, to highlight planned U.S. renewable energy and battery storage installations by state for 2023.
Texas and California Leading in Renewable Energy
Nearly every state in the U.S. has plans to produce new clean energy in 2023, but it’s not a surprise to see the two most populous states in the lead of the pack.
Even though the majority of its power comes from natural gas, Texas currently leads the U.S. in planned renewable energy installations. The state also has plans to power nearly 900,000 homes using new wind energy.
California is second, which could be partially attributable to the passing of Title 24, an energy code that makes it compulsory for new buildings to have the equipment necessary to allow the easy installation of solar panels, battery storage, and EV charging.
New solar power in the U.S. isn’t just coming from places like Texas and California. In 2023, Ohio will add 1,917 MW of new nameplate solar capacity, with Nevada and Colorado not far behind.
The state of New York is also looking to become one of the nation’s leading renewable energy providers. The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) is making real strides towards this objective with 11% of the nation’s new wind power projects expected to come online in 2023.
According to the data, New Hampshire is the only state in the U.S. that has no new utility-scale renewable energy installations planned for 2023. However, the state does have plans for a massive hydroelectric plant that should come online in 2024.
Decarbonizing Energy
Renewable energy is considered essential to reduce global warming and CO2 emissions.
In line with the efforts by each state to build new renewable installations, the Biden administration has set a goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The EIA forecasts the share of U.S. electricity generation from renewable sources rising from 22% in 2022 to 23% in 2023 and to 26% in 2024.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 20:40 - Canadian Oil And Gas Producers Restart Production As Wildfires Abate
Canadian Oil And Gas Producers Restart Production As Wildfires Abate
By Michael Kern of Oilprice.com
Canadian oil and gas producer Crescent Point Energy Corp on Monday said it had brought back online full production volumes at its operations in the Kaybob Duvernay play that were shut in due to the wildfires in Alberta in the past few weeks.
Several other operators in Alberta have also resumed partial production after rainfalls helped stop some of the wildfires in recent days.
Following a brief respite in the middle of May, the wildfires in Alberta began raging again last week as temperatures rose, threatening the oil sands operations in the province and forcing operators to shut in oil and gas production.
Earlier this month, the wildfires in Canada resulted in the shut-in of 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) from the country’s oil and natural gas production or 3.7% of all output.
Most of those shut-ins and subsequent resumption of production concerned gas output early this month, but as the situation with wildfires in Northern Alberta deteriorated, the oil sands production was threatened.
Rystad Energy has warned that nearly 2.7 million barrels per day of Alberta oil sands production is in “very high” or “extreme” wildfire danger rating zones in the month of May.
But at the end of last week, heavy rains helped the situation, and operators started restoring part of the previously shut-in production.
Crescent Point Energy said today it had brought back on stream the full 45,000 boe/d of Kaybob Duvernay production previously shut-in due to the Alberta wildfires.
Last week, Chevron Canada said it had safely resumed partial operations in the Kaybob Duvernay outside the active fire area, although it continues to monitor the evolving wildfire situation in Northern Alberta.
Obsidian Energy said it had restored 5,650 boe/d of operated and non-operated production that was temporarily shut in due to wildfires, evacuation orders, and third-party constraints in Peace River and Pembina.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 20:20 - US Flexes With Low B-1 Bomber Flyover As Balkan Tensions Boil
US Flexes With Low B-1 Bomber Flyover As Balkan Tensions Boil
At a moment tensions are on edge in the Balkans over a fresh crisis between the Serbian minority of northern Kosovo and ethnic Albanians, which over the weekend saw dozens of NATO peacekeeping forces injured while trying to quell fierce protests, the United States decided it was time for some muscle-flexing.
Two US Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber aircraft conducted a low flyover of Sarajevo and other cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on Tuesday. It had been pre-announced at the start of this week and described as “a sign of the strong partnership between the United States and the Armed Forces of BiH, according to a statement in the English language news portal Sarajevo Times. A US Air Forces statement cited in the publication said it would serve further as a sign of the “permanent dedication of the US to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and multi-ethnic nature of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
While the US has chastised Kosovo authorities for making brash, unilateral moves which have inflamed ethnic tensions with Serbs, and resulted in Belgrade sending Serbian national troops to the Kosovo border, it seems Washington still wants to remind Serbia of US military power in the region.
On the same day Russia, which has long been a staunch supporter of Serbian interests, called on the West to silence its “false propaganda” regarding ethnic Serbian issues and Kosovo taking away their rights.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova blamed NATO forces for exacerbating the past days of violence which started when Albanian mayors were installed over Serb-dominant communities in Kosovo. “Not only have they shown their incompetence… [they] themselves became a source of unnecessary violence, an escalation factor,” she said in reference to peacekeeping forces that clashed with Serbian protesters.
She said that instead of protecting Serbs from the crackdown of a suppressive state, they “supported Pristina’s xenophobic aspirations, basically turning into terror accomplices” by defending local authorities.
2 x U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer heavy-bomber aircraft conducted a low altitude flight above Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. pic.twitter.com/YjxexoD1vO
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 30, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Zakharova then in the briefing told the West to “silence its false propaganda” and to stop alleging that its Serbs provoking the clashes.
“While looking for the guilty, mediators from the US and the EU should muster up some courage and look in the mirror,” the FM spokesperson continued. “To de-escalate, decisive steps are needed, and not half-measures like an idea proposed by the US to temporarily ‘move’ the newly-minted ‘mayors’ from municipal buildings to other facilities,” Zakharova stressed.
Behind the latest violence is a long-running demand that Kosovo establish Serbian municipalities for Serbian strongholds in Kosovo. Pristina authorities, however, worry that this would be precursor for a breakaway statelet. Multiple dozens of NATO troops KFOR troops have been injured in the clashes.
An official NATO statement on Tuesday said, “NATO strongly condemns the unprovoked attacks against KFOR troops in northern Kosovo, which have led to a number of them being injured. Such attacks are totally unacceptable. Violence must stop immediately. We call on all sides to refrain from actions that further inflame tensions, and to engage in dialogue.” NATO also plans to send hundreds more troops.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 20:00 - US Won't Discuss American Detained In Ukraine
US Won’t Discuss American Detained In Ukraine
Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,
The State Department has refused to say if it’s engaging with the Ukrainian government over American citizen Gonzalo Lira, who was detained by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) due to his political views on the conflict with Russia.
Lira has a popular YouTube channel and a large following on Twitter and Telegram. He is also a writer who has contributed to several media outlets, including Business Insider. Lira was born in California and is a dual citizen of the US and Chile and had been living in Kharkiv, Ukraine, throughout the war.
Gonzalo Lira, still frame via YouTube Lira is a critic of the Ukrainian government and was arrested by the SBU on charges of justifying the Russian invasion. “After the start of the full-scale invasion, the blogger was one of the first to support the Russian invaders and glorify their war crimes,” the SBU said in a press release referring to Lira.
The SBU also accused Lira of “discrediting the top military and political leadership and the Defense Forces of our state.” He was charged under sections 2 and 3 of Article 436-2 of Ukraine’s criminal code, which outlaws the “distribution of materials” that justify Russia’s actions going back to 2014.
Epoch Times reporter Liam Cosgrove asked State Department spokesman Matthew Miller if the administration was aware of Lira’s detainment and how the US feels about Ukraine arresting an American for speech.
“So I will say in general that we’re aware of the report. We obviously support the exercise of freedom of speech anywhere in the world, and I’ll leave it at that,” Miller said.
When asked if the administration was working to secure Lira’s release, Miller said, “I’m going to leave my comments where I just left them.”
State Department refuses to say whether it will negotiate with Zelensky for the release of detained U.S. citizen Gonzalo Lira: pic.twitter.com/jTD58XjYnw
— Liam Cosgrove (@cosgrove_iv) May 28, 2023
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Cosgrove also asked Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) about Lira’s detainment. Lieu said that he wasn’t aware of the case but said US citizens should “have the ability to express their thoughts and views” and that he would look into the arrest.
Responding to the news, Greene told Cosgrove: “America is providing weapons, equipment for the defense of their country, but the Ukrainian government is not going to defend any American’s freedom of speech, and that’s a real problem.”
Lira’s arrest received virtually no attention in Western media. One of the few outlets to cover it was the Daily Beast, which smeared the American instead of questioning the charges. According to the Beast, Lira is facing five to eight years in prison.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 19:40 - Watch: Chinese Fighter In 'Aggressive' Intercept Of US Spy Plane Over South China Sea
Watch: Chinese Fighter In ‘Aggressive’ Intercept Of US Spy Plane Over South China Sea
At a moment the US and Chinese militaries have halted all communications, a dangerous incident between the rival powers has occurred over the South China Sea.
It happened last Friday, but the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) only on Tuesday revealed the incident, alleging that a Chinese fighter jet engaged in an “unprofessional intercept” of an American spy plane flying in international airspace.
The US statement described that a Chinese PLA J-16 fighter flew just in front of the nose of a US RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft, and INDOPACOM further published video of what it called an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver”.
Based on video of the intercept, the J-16 passes so close to the RC-135 that the US aircraft’s cockpit appears to shake from the turbulence of the PLA plane’s wake.
“The RC-135 was conducting safe and routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace, in accordance with international law,” INDOPACOM said. “The United States will continue to fly, sale and operate – safely and responsibly – wherever international law allows.”
“We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” the US military statement emphasized.
But China is disputing this interpretation, given it regularly attempts to claim both maritime territory and airspace based on an expanse of manmade and other militarized islands in the South China Sea. Washington has rejected this interpretation of the contested territory, calling it international airspace.
Watch the Pentagon-released footage unveiled late Tuesday…
The US military has released footage of a Chinese fighter jet performing an ‘unnecessary aggressive’ manoeuvre, claiming the Chinese jet passed directly in front of the nose of the US Air Force plane during the intercept on 26 May.https://t.co/2lxGDKlyMP pic.twitter.com/iPS3UTAHes
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 30, 2023
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There have been several of these ‘close call’ incidents in recent years, including a February intercept where a Chinese J-11 fighter approached about 500 feet off the wing of an American P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The Chinese jet shadowed the US patrol plane for more than an hour.
US planes have also received messages from nearby PLA jets of late such as “No approaching any more or you will pay full responsibility” – but so far there’s been no live fire or warning shot incidents, and yet these episodes remain highly dangerous for the potential of a direct clash.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 19:20 - Faced With New Round Of Demonetization Indians Turn To Gold
Faced With New Round Of Demonetization Indians Turn To Gold
Authored by Michael Maharrey via SchiffGold.com,
The Indian central bank has announced another round of demonetization with a plan to withdraw 2,000-rupee notes from circulation.
The announcement led to a big jump in gold bullion sales.
The 2,000-rupee note will remain legal tender, but they will have to be deposited or exchanged for smaller denominations by Sept. 30.
The 2,000 rupee note ($24.19) is the largest currency denomination in India. According to Reuters, they make up about 10.8% of the currency in circulation.
T.V Somanathan, the top official at the Indian Finance Ministry, said confiscation of the 2,000 rupee notes wouldn’t cause any disruptions “either in normal life or in the economy.”
His assurances fall flat given history.
We’ve seen this play before. The Indian government announced a surprise demonetization policy in the fall of 2016 meant to drive so-called black money out of the shadows and declared that all of the 1,000 and 500-rupee notes then in circulation would no longer be valid. The suddenly worthless notes made up 86% of the currency in circulation in the country at the time. The move made virtually all of the cash in India valueless.
The government produced new 500 and 2,000-rupee notes to replace the old currency.
Now the government is pulling those 2,000-rupee notes out of circulation.
The government policy announced in 2016 was meant to force Indians to trade in the old notes for new ones. But there was a catch. The government placed limits on the amount of currency Indians could exchange, but no limits on bank deposits until the end of the year. The idea was to push Indians into putting their hoarded cash in the bank – thus bringing it “out of the shadows.” The demonetization policy resulted in severe cash shortages. As many as 90% of ATMs in some regions of the country completely ran out of currency.
With more time to exchange notes this time around, the latest round of demonetization is not expected to be as disruptive.
War on Cash
The Indian government’s move was part of the broader war on cash. The goal was to bring “black money” out of the shadows so it can be tracked and taxed. The vast majority of transactions in India are in cash. It is an overwhelmingly cash economy and virtually every Indian has currency stashed away in their home.
Transactions using black money mean no taxes are collected. Government estimates show that only 1% of the Indian population pays any taxes at all. By making the 1,000 and 500 rupee notes valueless, government officials hoped to force the black money into the light so they could get their cut.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) justified eliminating the 2,000-rupee note, saying they are at the end of their useful life and citing evidence showing 2,000 rupee notes aren’t typically used in transactions. But the real motivation for this latest round of demonetization is likely the same as the first – to better track and tax transactions.
This war on cash isn’t isolated to India. The European Central Bank stopped producing and issuing 500-euro notes in 2018, and officials in the US have floated the idea of eliminating the $100 bill.
More recently, governments have experimented with central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a cash replacement.
There are also political motives for getting the 2,000-rupee notes out of circulation now.
The move comes ahead of elections in four Indian states and a national election next spring. According to Reuters, “Most of India’s political parties are believed to hoard cash in high denomination bills to fund election campaign expenses to get around tough spending limits imposed by the Election Commission.”
Forcing people to deposit the notes will also help boost bank deposits. Indian banks have struggled to maintain deposit levels large enough to support the country’s massive credit expansion.
Gold to the Rescue
When the government pulled 1,000 and 500-rupee notes out of circulation in 2016, Indians turned their “black money” into gold.
Tax officials attempting to track black money say gold jewelry sales spiked the night of Nov. 8, 2016, after the government announced the demonetization policy.
“Jewelers offered a platform to convert unreported cash into gold,” one official said.
To avoid reporting the transactions, sellers simply split single transactions into multiple sales in order to keep them below the Rs 2 lakh threshold that triggers reporting requirements in India.
After the RBI announced the elimination of 2,000-rupee notes earlier this month, local newspapers reported a similar rush to jewelry shops to exchange the notes for gold. The Hindustan Times reported a 10 to 20% increase in gold sales after the announcement.
People scrambled to buy gold and silver in bulk in bullion markets, leading to increase in prices, dealers in several states said.”
Gold was also a lifeline for Indians pummeled by the economic storm caused by the government response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Indians understand that gold tends to store value and that in the end gold is money. If they have gold, they know they will be able to get the goods and services they need – even in the event of an economic meltdown or a cash crunch.
Gold is not just a luxury in India. Even poor people buy gold in the Asian nation. According to an ICE 360 survey in 2018, one in every two households in India purchased gold within the last five years. Overall, 87% of households in the country own some amount of the yellow metal. Even households at the lowest income levels in India own some gold. According to the survey, more than 75% of families in the bottom 10% had managed to buy gold.
It’s no surprise that when faced with the possibility of another disruption to the cash system, Indians have turned to gold.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 19:00 - Chicago Sees Deadliest Memorial Day Weekend In 8 Years Despite Hundreds Of Yellow-Vested 'Peacekeepers' In Streets
Chicago Sees Deadliest Memorial Day Weekend In 8 Years Despite Hundreds Of Yellow-Vested ‘Peacekeepers’ In Streets
This Memorial Day weekend in Chicago was the deadliest the Democrat-run and crime-plagued city has seen in eight years, the Chicago Sun-Times has reported Tuesday.
One killing even happened close to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s own residence. Going back to Friday evening, “at least 11 people had been killed and another 46 wounded since early Friday evening” resulting in a death toll that was the “highest since 2015, when 12 people were killed,” according to the report. This marks 57 total casualties across the city from either shootings or knifings.
Image: Fox61 The newspaper records that the prior high came in 2016: “The total number shot, however, was still far below the 71 people wounded by gunfire over the 2016 holiday weekend,” it notes.
Last year’s Memorial Day weekend had marked a 5-year high. For the 2022 holiday weekend, 51 people total had ben reported shot, including 9 killed.
The eight-year high in deaths occurred despite that ahead of the weekend community activists had planned peace marches. The idea was that yellow-vested ‘peacekeepers’ would fan out and have a prominent presence in “hot spots” where violence is frequent in the south and west sides of the city. The marches and activism appeared to have little effect.
Illinois’ Peacekeepers program, via Sun-Times The initial Friday homicides reportedly happened within a few hours of each other, and included shootings and stabbings.
As for violent incidents which happened near the mayor’s home, the Sun-Times details:
The homicide near the mayor’s Austin neighborhood home was discovered just after midnight Saturday in the 5700 block of West Chicago Avenue. A female, whose age was unknown, was stabbed to death and left in a nearby alley. And Monday evening, a shooting was reported about five blocks from the mayor’s home. A man, 36, was shot near the street around 7 p.m. in the 700 block of North Pine Avenue. He was hospitalized in good condition.
As for the peacekeeping initiative, it is actually part of a formal initiative which has state funding, and has included 500 people having been hired and undergone training in conflict de-escalation. Last week into the weekend they had a presence in 102 “hot spots” in 14 Chicago communities.
Never fear.
Once peacekeepers are deployed throughout the City of Chicago, hey presto, crime will vanish.
Video: @ChicagoCritter. pic.twitter.com/eFVP8No1vv
— Chicago Contrarian (@ChicagoContrar1) May 29, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
However, judging by the tragic weekend statistics – which not only matched but surpassed similar deadly weekends – there appears to have been a somewhat fruitless exercise in optics, at least for the warm holiday weekend. But other metrics suggest and the program leaders themselves say that in some locales the program has been effective.
Below: Total Chicago Homicides per year, via heyjackass.com
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 18:40 - "Safe Harbor": New Evidence Offers Insight Into Hunter Biden & His Collapsing World Of Corruption
“Safe Harbor”: New Evidence Offers Insight Into Hunter Biden & His Collapsing World Of Corruption
Below is my column in the New York Post on newly discovered exchanges within the Biden family over the collapsing fortunes of Hunter Biden in 2018.
As one of the primary conduits for influence peddling in the Biden family, Hunter appeared to be in a free fall and his Uncle Jim appeared to offer him a “safe harbor” and to guarantee “all the deals are still alive.”
Here is the column:
In 2018, Hunter Biden’s world was collapsing.
The New York Times had run a story on one of his shady deals with the Chinese and his father, then vice president, was pulled into the vortex.
It appears that Hunter was in a free fall and his uncle Jim Biden reached out in newly discovered messages to offer him a “safe harbor.”
The exchange is an insight into a train wreck of a life of the scion of one of the most powerful families in the country.
However, it is also insight into a world of influence peddling where millions simply evaporated in the coffers of the Biden family.
On their face, the messages seem to contradict public statements from President Biden on the foreign-influence peddling that used to fund Hunter’s drug-infused, self-destructive lifestyle.
The Times story caused a panic in the Biden family.
Despite a largely supportive media, the Bidens have long been known for influence peddling.
Jim Biden has been repeatedly criticized for marketing his access to his brother in pitches to clients.
Hunter knew that the Times story was only the tip of an iceberg.
There were deals all over the world with foreign figures worth millions and some of these figures had close ties to foreign intelligence or regimes.
As revealed recently by the House Oversight Committee, the Bidens constructed a labyrinth of corporations and accounts to transfer millions from these deals to a variety of Biden family members, including grandchildren.
Free fall
Nevertheless, Joe Biden repeatedly claimed as a presidential candidate and as president that he had no knowledge of any foreign dealings of his son.
Those denials now appear patently false.
The laptop includes pictures and appointments of Hunter’s foreign business associates with Joe Biden.
It also includes a recording concerning a Times report on Dec. 12, 2018, detailing Hunter’s dealings with Ye Jianming, the head of CEFC China Energy Company.
Ye would later be arrested for corruption.
As Biden associates pushed the Times to change aspects of the story, Joe Biden called to report on the results.
In his message, Biden ends his call to Hunter with the statement “I think you’re clear. And anyway if you get a chance, give me a call, I love you.”
The new messages indicate that the Bidens were worried that Hunter was in a free fall as these dealings were becoming known and revenue was declining.
Jim Biden appears to be rushing to get Hunter to work the problem with the family.
He assures him that they can find him “a safe harbor” and that “I can work with you[r] father alone!”
The messages may refer to the fact that Hunter’s past complaint that he was giving as much as half of his proceeds to his father and was now facing towering financial demands.
He appears to have cut off the family.
That is a dangerous development for a man who had a long struggle with drugs and alcohol.
Hunter blew through a fortune on narcotics and women, including allegations that he may have used a shared credit card with his father to pay off prostitutes.
Both Joe and Jim Biden were reaching out to Hunter to assure him that he was in the “clear” and that there is a “safe harbor.”
However, Jim pushed him to remain in contact and in the fold: “I cannot find you, believe it or not I have been looking. I [have] driven by Hallie’s, you fathers. Called texted you. . . . I want to help all the deals are still alive.”
Putting aside the genuine desire to protect a family member with a history of drug abuse, the unpredictable Hunter also represented a threat to the entire family.
A panicked Hunter threatened more than family harmony. There were millions that were being generated in countries like Ukraine, Romania, Russia and China.
The messages show that the Hunter was spinning out of control and needed money fast — a lot of money. He told Jim Biden that he could not even afford “food and gas,” including his monthly alimony to his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle.
He relays how President Biden was told that he “was in a real danger zone.”
Classic corruption
These messages highlight another inconvenient fact: Hunter was hardly a figure who generated confidence or cash.
In 2018, he was an utter mess at the very time that foreign figures were funneling money to him.
He was clearly noncommunicative with his family and still gushing money.
He had previously complained that the Russians had blackmail material on him. He was a danger not just to himself.
In his later book, Hunter admits that he was a crack addict and alcoholic: “drinking a quart of vodka a day by yourself in a room is absolutely, completely debilitating” as well as “smoking crack around the clock.”
Given these admissions, why were so many foreign figures rushing to give this human wrecking ball millions?
He not only lacked expertise in areas like energy or mining, but he was barely able to function, according to his own account.
The answer seems abundantly clear.
This was classic corruption. Indeed, influence peddling has long been the favorite form of corruption in Washington.
Yet, these latest messages add a particularly sad element to this scandal.
Joe and Jim Biden were propping up a man who was barely able to function.
However, Hunter was still the conduit for allegedly millions in foreign money.
He was the firebreak between the money and any scandal.This was made evident in a recent and rare sit-down interview; MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle delicately broached the scandals involving Hunter by emphasizing that it is a “personal” matter and assuring the president (and the viewers) that the still unknown charges involve “no ties to you.”
Hunter increasingly looks like the designated defendant of the Bidens; the sin-eater who may have to take one for the team in the form of a couple tax charges.
Yet, even now, to use Jim Biden’s words, “This can work.”
Hunter’s new “safe harbor” may be a limited indictment that conspicuously avoided charges as an unregistered agent.
Likewise, Attorney General Merrick Garland has seen to that by steadfastly refusing to appoint a special counsel despite references to the president getting a proposed cut of these deals and instructions to use code names for him like the “Big Guy” to conceal his role.
Most recently, an IRS whistleblower came forward to accuse the Justice Department of interfering with the tax investigation of Hunter by “slow walking” the investigation and making a series of decisions that worked to his advantage.
As made clear by Jim Biden, there is always a plan in the Biden family. Back in 2018, he assured his nephew that “as usual just need several months of [your father’s] help for this to work. Let’s talk about it. It makes perfect sense to me.” In the meantime, the message from Uncle Jim likely remains “stay calm and carry on.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 18:20 - The Great Student Loan Nonpayment Boondoggle Is Over And Household Spending Is About To Collapse
The Great Student Loan Nonpayment Boondoggle Is Over And Household Spending Is About To Collapse
In the small print detailing the end of the debt ceiling melodrama which, as we explained, is a farce as it boosts inflation-adjusted spending contrary to Republican promises, there was some actual news: the great student loan boondoggle is about to come to a screeching halt, after a three year “emergency pause” which redirected tens of billions in dollars away from mandatory student loan repayment to other forms of discretionary spending.
According to Goldman, the agreement announced on Saturday between uniparty leaders Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy titled hilariously the “Fiscal Responsibility Act”, prohibits the Biden Administration from extending the pause on student loan repayments in place since March 2020, even if it does not block the Administration’s student loan forgiveness plan, which would wipe out up to $20,000 in federal loans per borrower and is currently being weighed by the Supreme Court (the plan was announced last year but has not yet implemented).
Here are the details: late last year, Biden extended the repayment pause, which postpones roughly $5bn per month in student loan repayments, until 60 days after the Supreme Court ruled on the separate $400bn loan forgiveness plan the – the Supreme Court is likely to rule on loan forgiveness in June, so this likely would mean a restart of payments after August 2023.
And now, the debt limit agreement prohibits further extension of the payment pause, but remains silent on the student loan forgiveness plan which however will be nixed by SCOTUS much to the chagrin of screaming libs and lifelong members of the “free $hit” army. Prior to the announced debt limit deal Goldman had already assumed the repayment pause would end on schedule, though there was clearly a chance the White House might have extended it once again. The debt limit agreement eliminates that possibility (“except as expressly authorized by an act of Congress”) and should result in a restart of student loan payments in September 2023.
What happens then?
Well, according to Jefferies, the return of monthly loan payments presents risks similar to the effects of the 2013 fiscal cliff, when tax increases led to reduced consumer spending. And in a note released Monday (available to pro subscribers), JPMorgan’s chief US economist Michael Feroli said that the end of the payment moratorium will reduce annual disposable personal income by $38 billion, which will reduce consumer spending.
Separately, a March analysis by FreightWaves found that federal government programs boosted personal income by an estimated $2.3 trillion from March 2020 to December 2022. According to The Motley Fool, consumers received an average of $3,450 in stimulus during the COVID economy. This included direct payments into bank accounts, an expanded Child Tax Credit and an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit. But one of the biggest COVID-related stimulus programs was not factored into the s numbers: student loan forbearance.
As noted above, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the student loan deferment program will end no later than June 30, 2023, and payments are expected to resume by Sept. 1, 2023: “The amount of money we are talking about, in excess of a trillion dollars, is staggering. Student loans represent 7% of U.S. GDP” according to FrightWaves.
Putting these numbers in context, 64% of the $1.7 trillion in student loan debt have been in forbearance for the past three years, amounting to $1.1 trillion. Many of the 25 million Americans who have deferred payments for student debt are aged 18-44 years old, one of the most important demographic groups that drive consumer spending.
Some more math: according to a New York Fed study, the average student loan payment is $393 per month.
For consumers taking advantage of the program, they have deferred 39 months worth of payments, resulting in more than $15,327 in additional discretionary income during the period, much larger than the amount most consumers received from other COVID stimulus programs.
The forbearance program, when originally conceived, was intended to be a short-term program to protect consumers from the COVID black swan event. But many consumers made financial decisions based on this short-term cash flow boost, treating the cash as permanent. In fact, as the latest NY Fed household debt study showed, delinquency on student loans – until 2020 the highest among all types of credit – collapsed to near zero courtesy of the repayment moratorium. Expect the red line to soar higher in coming quarters.
A sudden increase of $393 per month in “new” – but really old – loan repayments will force prime-age consumers (those aged 18-44 years) old to cut back on discretionary spending. Since portions of this demographic have a tendency to prioritize experiences over goods consumption, we can expect this will have a much bigger impact on services demand and spending, which as discussed previously, has been the only pillar supporting the US economy now that goods spending has fallen off a cliff.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 18:00 - Three Years Later, No Justice For BLM Insurrection In D.C.
Three Years Later, No Justice For BLM Insurrection In D.C.
Authored by Julie Kelly via American Greatness,
D.C.’s lead prosecutor has turned a blind eye to a six-month campaign of terror in the nation’s capital in 2020 so he could keep his sights on the mostly nonviolent protesters of January 6, 2021…
“Our office prosecutes all acts of violence, regardless of political motivation, the same.”
So said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves—under oath, mind you, and with a straight face – during a hearing of the House Oversight Committee earlier this month.
Representative Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) questioned Graves’ disparate treatment of Black Lives Matters rioters who terrorized Washington, D.C., in 2020 versus Trump supporters involved in the events of January 6, 2021.
Although the start of both incidents was a mere seven months apart, they are a world away in terms of accountability.
In what Graves calls the “Capitol Siege” investigation, more than 1,000 Trump supporters have been criminally charged.
Graves, a Biden appointee, has promised to double that caseload before he’s finished. His office announces new arrests every week.
That, however, is not the case for rioters who caused far more violence and inflicted far more damage in the nation’s capital in 2020. The rioting that began on May 29, 2020 at Lafayette Square prompted the lockdown of the White House; Donald Trump, his wife, and teenage son were ushered to an underground bunker for their safety as looters and arsonists repeatedly tried to scale the fence and break through police barricades erected outside the White House.
And what started that night in 2020 didn’t just last a few hours, as was the case with the Capitol protest. On June 1, rioters burned part of St. John’s Church, an historical landmark across from the White House, and set ablaze other areas of the public park.
Chaos continued throughout the summer with the president, his family, and White House staff under constant threat. Police arrested 11 people at Lafayette Square in July 2020 for various offenses including assault of a police officer. “The Tuesday night incidents that stretched over hours are the latest confrontations to transpire near the White House, where protesters have been gathering daily for more than a month to protest for racial justice after the killing of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police,” the Washington Post reported on July 8, 2020.
After Trump accepted the GOP nomination for president on White House grounds in August 2020, rioters chased Republican lawmakers, including Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and his wife, leaving the event. Some assaulted police in an attempt to get near members of Congress; Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), who lost both legs and a finger in Afghanistan, was surrounded and shouted down by Black Lives Matter protesters as he tried to get home.
Elected officials weren’t the only targets of rage-filled activists occupying the heart of the nation’s capital that year. Trump supporters, including young families with children, were attacked by BLM and Antifa rioters during pro-Trump rallies in November and December 2020.
But the violent demonstrations at Lafayette Square represent the closest comparison to January 6: clashes between federal police and protesters on federal property. An Interior Department inspector general report detailed the turbulent situation at Lafayette Square that endangered police and the president for days
[The] Treasury Annex building was vandalized; officers were assaulted with projectiles, such as bottles and bricks; and a brick struck a [U.S. Park Police] officer in the head, resulting in the officer’s hospitalization. USPP officers reported that some protesters threw projectiles, such as bricks, rocks, caustic liquids, frozen water bottles, glass bottles, lit flares, rental scooters, and fireworks, at law enforcement officials. Overall, 49 USPP officers were injured during the protests from May 29 to May 31, including one who underwent surgery for his injuries. The Secret Service—also reported injuries to their personnel during this time. On the evening of May 30, individuals at the protests threw projectiles at the officers and ultimately breached the first row of bike-rack fencing, thereby eliminating the buffer between the protesters and law enforcement officers.
Dozens of people were arrested, including a man who jumped over two barriers in an attempt to enter the White House. Yet only a handful of protesters faced federal charges—in sharp contrast to January 6 protesters who all face federal counts even for low-level offenses such as “parading” in the Capitol. Nearly all the charges initially filed by the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s office were dropped. (Graves did not take over the office until November 2021.)Despite his claim his office is “prosecuting a number of individuals in connection with the incidents of the summer of 2020,” that simply does not appear to be the case, particularly since Graves further confirmed to Gosar that the office “declined a number of arrests presented to it under the leadership of the prior administration.”
But a change in political leadership does not absolve Graves from failing to bring federal charges against violent criminals who tried to destroy the nation’s capital in 2020. If Graves can indict nonviolent individuals for “seditious conspiracy” who did little more than make travel plans to attend political rallies on January 6, he could easily find more damning evidence against deep-pocketed organizers who encouraged thousands of rioters to occupy D.C. for months, threaten the president, traumatize residents and businesses, assault federal police, and intimidate Republican lawmakers and voters in the seat of American government—a legitimate “insurrection.”
Not only has Graves not charged any suspects involved in the 2020 riots under his watch, but his office also helped negotiate a settlement between the Justice Department and Lafayette Square rioters, who sued the government for violating their civil rights during what Graves called “racial justice demonstrations in Lafayette Square.” The settlement with Black Lives Matter D.C. required Park Police and Secret Service to update their policies to protect those who “peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights.”
First Amendment rights these days are in the eye of the beholder—or in this case, the lead government prosecutor who decided to turn a blind eye to a six-month campaign of terror in the nation’s capital in 2020 so he could keep his sights on people who participated in a mostly nonviolent, comparatively brief protest on January 6.
Clearly, all “sieges” are not created equal.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 05/30/2023 – 17:40
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