July 2nd, 2023 • 3h 8m
Shownotes
Every new episode of No Agenda is accompanied by a comprehensive list of shownotes curated by Adam while preparing for the show. Clips played by the hosts during the show can also be found here.
TODAY
Movie of the week - Tar
Great Reset
'Athena' Trailer, Release Date, Plot and Cast of Upcoming Netflix Film - The Teal Mango
Gavras further added, “It was based on a lot of stories. This riot hasn’t happened yet, but it’s almost like it’s the riot that could happen. We wanted to imagine what could be the sparkle that could really ignite the whole country, and be in it almost like a pre-civil war first battle. Because there’s a lot of tension everywhere in the world, but also in Paris.”
Gavras continued, “And we feel like everyone’s kind of pushing towards that. And we know from history that civil wars are the worst thing that can happen to society. When you look at the Greek civil war, it’s something that men in my family have known — it’s like grandfather against grandfather; cousin against cousin. It’s the worst because it’s within the family. This is why we took the intimacy of a family getting torn apart, where their torment spills across the neighborhood and then across the country.”
Why are people protesting in France - and why is there a history of rioting? | World News | Sky News
The origins of the 'banlieue' stem back to the years following the Second World War, when the French government began to provide social housing en masse. This resulted in thousands of tower blocks being built on the periphery of French cities between 1945 and 1975.
They were originally designed for lower-middle class families who commuted for work. But in the 1970s amid high unemployment and racial tensions following the Algerian War and the end of French colonialism, they became increasingly occupied by low-income, immigrant communities.
Underfunded by successive governments with poor quality housing and job prospects, they were labelled "problem" or "high-risk" areas.
Crime was high and young people on the streets would often clash with police, who had a reputation for a brutal, zero-tolerance policy of unrest.
The first 'banlieue' riot was in 1979 in the Lyon suburb of Vaulx-en-Velin, which broke out after a local teenager of North African descent was arrested.
The most notable, however, came in 2005 and lasted for three weeks. It started in Clichy-sous-Bois, north of Paris, when two youths were electrocuted and died as they tried to evade police.
A state of emergency was declared after protesters burnt down buildings and set fire to cars.
US State Department-Trained French Activist/Arsonist Pouring Fuel on the Fire
Le Wokeism
But in a classified memo published on WikiLeaks, former U.S. Ambassador Charles H. Rivkin laid out the pragmatic, self-interested rationale for the program, part of what was called a “Minority Engagement Strategy”:
France - Barricades - Les Miserables
Master of the House Jingle
Prepare For “high-intensity war”: France Built A New Military Hospital - Activist Post
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the construction of a military hospital in Marseilles, with the facility intended to “prepare France for a possible high-intensity war.” Macron announced that a new military hospital would be built on the Sainte-Marthe site by “the beginning of the next decade.”
According to a report by CNews, Macron said in a statement that the hospital will be able to provide a range of healthcare services. It will also “play a key role in the event of a major war,” the tyrant said, adding that “the next-generation medical center is intended to meet the needs of the army for decades to come.”
SCOTUS
Who wants to be in those nutjob schools anyway? Go to a trade school!
Limit digital pound holdings to £5,000 to avoid panic, say banks
Climate Change
2 million Dutch to food bank
8th Nitrate directive says no food, only flax may be grown to build homes from
This is what happens when you debase money - CBDC incoming for stimulus!
So much for the phony 'Farmer Party'
Daar zakt mijn broek van af - Makes my pants fall down
Ukraine vs Russia
Biden
Biden CPAP for cognition BOTG
ITM gentlemen. I have some firsthand knowledge regarding CPAP usage relating to cognitive ability. My MIL was prescribed a CPAP to address her memory issues. I've attached a link to a study that suggests there is cognitive ability improvement with usage. As talked about in episode 1569 at the 57:10 mark in regards to President Biden using a CPAP device. Keep up the great work and stay safe.
Chance
Build the Wall
Boots on the ground refugee crisis
Dear Adam,
I have had the pleasure to do some mission work with praying pelican around the country this summer. I’ll be spending time in several different cities throughout the country. I just finished up my time in Chicago and I wanted to tell you about my experience with the refugees that have been bussed/flown to the Chicago area. It is easy to see the events as just a headline and to become desensitized to the issue but seeing it first hand, speaking to the refugees through interpreters and hearing about their stories gave me a brand new perspective. I don’t know how it is being dealt with in other cities but in Chicago refugees are living in the lobby and outside of police departments. Their stories are heartbreaking most of them spent weeks or months walking from South America and having friends or family die along the way only so that they can live in horrendous conditions in Chicago. Men women and children sleeping on the concrete with little to their names. If it were not for organization such as Praying Pelican( who i work with) and local churches, there would be no one helping them. At least one police precinct we called refused to allow us to visit them and give them food and other supplies. All of the refugees we encountered said that they were from venezuela, and one of the men said that they were fleeing because the Maduro regime was hunting him for speaking out against the government. It is a sad situation and i don’t know how it can be fixed, but I think that both republicans and democrats are to blame for the humanitarian crisis that is currently happening.
Thanks for all you do,
Luke
Big Tech
Transmaoism
This transitioning of Children will stop when they start shooting the doctors
Michigan hate crime bullying law pdf
When will Harry and Kate's Archie be announced as trans?
Mental Illness
The MTA poster was phony
ITM Adam;
Regarding the supposed poster on a station wall that stated in part “Reminder respect to trans people or your pronouns will be was were.”
First of all the MTA is the Metropolitan Transit Authority, not the Manhattan Transit Authority.
Secondly, all employees are required to watch a workplace violence video every year, so the MTA putting up a poster with threatening language would basically be a violation of their own policy.
From NYCT own employee website is a statement from 2017 that states in part;
"Policy Statement on Diversity, Respect and Equal Employment Opportunity
MTA New York City Transit (NYC Transit), including the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority and the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, is strongly committed to a respectful workplace free of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.”
The full statement is attached:
With 472 subway stations, unofficial posters and items do get posted and tend to stay up for a while until they either get ripped down or reported.
Big Pharma
More Ozempic BOTG
Again I need anonymity.
Here are the bullet points (some redundant from before for context):
Ozempic is only indicated for patients with type II diabetes.
Wegovy is indicated for weight management in patients with BMI’s of 30 and above or 27 and above with a weight related comorbid condition(High Blood pressure, High Cholesterol)
Please let John know that insurance companies have a prior authorization required for all anti-obesity drugs to make sure the patient meets the above indication and not someone with a low BMI looking to get lower.
Many Insurance companies are cutting down on patients who are on Ozempic without a type II diabetes diagnosis. By refusing to pay.
The company is currently distributing a letter to providers explaining that the demand for Wegovy has exceeded the ability to produce large quantities and some doses of Wegovy are in limited supply.
The letter also reminds physicians that Ozempic is only indicated for glucose control in type II diabetics.
In general, more patients have insurance coverage for Ozempic than Wegovy.
The native ad referred to “weight Loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy”
Now for my questions:
Since the company clearly has the ability to negotiate a native ad, why not have the story refer only to the product that is indicated for Weight Loss. Why Ozempic? Is it because Ozempic has better insurance coverage even with some insurers cracking down? I understand Rybelsus being mentioned because it is semaglutide in oral form that is currently available.
Some of this confusion does get sorted out with the prescriber and the insurance company.
Article 18 of the WHO’s proposed treaty
Article 18 of the WHO’s proposed treaty does indeed call on member states to “tackle false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation” and to manage “infodemics” through regular “social listening” initiatives. The WHO has already started a similar surveillance system to track so-called “misinformation” online. The WHO’s Early Artificial Intelligence–supported Response with Social Listening (EARS) program uses AI to monitor trends on social media.
In response to Public’s questions about the WHO’s “social listening” program, a WHO spokesperson told us, “EARS platform is not designed to detect misinformation.” The tool, he said, is “useful when trying to understand and prioritize topics of concern.”
But the reference paper to which the WHO spokesperson linked as an example of its approach mentions the word “misinformation” 22 times. What’s more, it explicitly argues that social listening can help authorities “counter misinformation.”
Ministry of Truthiness
Elon / Twitter
Twitter not viewable if not logged in
The web is dying - Long live the web!
ALL VIDEOS
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VIDEO - RFK Jr. Throws Moms for Liberty Under the Woke School Bus, Touts Pro-LGBTQ Stance '' PJ Media
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 14:29
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has garnered support from both leftists and conservatives. But conservatives who admire RFK Jr. for speaking hard truths should also be aware of how he back-stabbed a parental rights group on TV in order to pander to an intolerant homosexual activist who wants LGBTQ propaganda in schools.
The group Kennedy rejected was Moms for Liberty, which just held a summit featuring 2024 Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Ron DeSantis. But not Kennedy.
Moms for Liberty's mission statement reads, ''Moms for Liberty is dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.'' All they want to do is prevent the government-enforced indoctrination and sexualization of children in schools and make sure parents are made aware of such tremendously important things as whether their children are masquerading as the opposite sex at school. The group does not attack LGBTQ people '-- indeed, LGBTQ activists are the ones harassing Moms for Liberty.
At a town hall on Wednesday, News Nation allowed audience members to ask Kennedy questions. James Williams, the CEO of a social media consulting firm, asked the candidate why he agreed to and then drew back from an invitation to speak at a Moms for Liberty conference. While Moms for Liberty is specifically geared toward preventing parents from being pressured into letting their kids be indoctrinated, Williams claimed Moms for Liberty tries to tell people how to raise their children.
Williams then brought up the immensely corrupt and sexually licentious Sen. Ted Kennedy, RFK's uncle (Chappaquiddick, anyone?) and Williams's former boss. He said there was ''no bigger champion or stalwart for LGBTQ equality'' than ''the late Ted Kennedy.'' Practically crying, Williams demanded to know why he should vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. when the latter originally agreed to speak at a conference with a group ''that wants to ban my marriage and tell'...other parents how to treat their children'' (again, a misunderstanding of Moms for Liberty's goals).
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rushed to reassure the intolerant activist that he ''didn't speak at that group.'' RFK began, ''When somebody on my staff accepted that invitation, and I was unaware of it '--''
Williams, too worked up to let Kennedy actually finish his sentence, jumped in and self-righteously announced that, as a former congressional staffer, he thinks blaming staff is ''the wrong answer.''
Instead of respectfully but firmly telling Williams not to lecture and talk over him, RFK hastened to appease the overwrought leftist. Since he's at the start of his campaign, he has no ''long-term staff,'' Kennedy explained. ''When I found out that that was [Moms for Liberty's] position,'' Kennedy went on, not explaining what that position was and presumably referring back to James's misrepresentation of the group, ''I declined to go.''
Related: YouTube Goes to Bat for Biden, Removes Jordan Peterson Interview of RFK Jr.
So is RFK saying he doesn't support parental rights? That he supports the sexualization of children in schools? That would seem to be what he affirmed here. That's deeply concerning.
''There will be nobody in the Oval Office who is more supportive of LGBTQ rights than I am,'' Kennedy went on, apparently forgetting (as his family has so often forgotten before) that he is a Catholic and therefore cannot, religiously speaking, support homosexual marriage. ''I was with Teddie campaigning'...in 1980. We '-- it was the first political, presidential campaign that ever courted the gay vote'...it's very important to me, it's a civil right'...my family has stood for, has fought for [these rights], and I will do the same''
Kennedy then delivered what amounted to an apology. ''I made a mistake by accepting that invitation, and when I found out those positions,'' (said again without any clarification), ''I didn't show up.'' But apparently, that sickening statement wasn't good enough for Williams, who demanded Kennedy ''denounce'' what Moms for Liberty ''stand[s] for.'' Kennedy at least refused to do that, but he added, ''I don't agree with anybody who says that we shouldn't respect gay rights, or anybody else's rights.'' Except parental rights, evidently.
''Everybody should respect [gay rights], and, you know, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that they're '-- those are protected, and I always have,'' Kennedy ended. Again, this isn't about respecting people as Americans with the same basic rights as all Americans. What Kennedy did was bow to the rainbow mafia and turn his back on a group that wants to prevent homosexual pornography in elementary schools.
Democrats, even those who say a lot of good things, are never to be trusted unequivocally. If Robert F. Kennedy prefers to appease the rainbow mafia over supporting parents who just want to ensure their children aren't indoctrinated without their knowledge, then no conservative can trust him. Our children are too important for any compromise with LGBTQ crazies.
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Sun, 02 Jul 2023 13:16
00:00 / 00:00
Speed
original sound - Bloomberg Law
VIDEO - Yorkshire Building Society CLOSES Vicar's bank account after airing views on bank's Pride agenda - YouTube
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VIDEO - Anheuser-Busch Responds After Dylan Mulvaney Throws Tantrum | ZeroHedge
Sat, 01 Jul 2023 16:27
Anheuser-Busch has responded after Dylan Mulvaney, the transgender influencer whose ditzy female persona was featured in a Bud Light ad campaign which destroyed the brand, bashed the beer company for abandoning him in his time of need.
"One thing I will not tolerate people saying about me is that I don't like beer because I love beer and I always have," Mulvaney said in a new Instagram video, adding that the initial partnership sparked more "bullying and more transphobia" than he could have ever imagined.
"I should've made this video months ago but I didn't," said Mulvaney. "And I was scared, and I was scared of more backlash, and I felt personally guilty for what transpired, so I patiently waited for things to get better. But surprise, they didn't. And I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did."
"And for months now, I've been scared to leave my house, I have been ridiculed in public, I've been followed, and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn't wish on anyone," the influencer continued. "And I'm not telling you this because I want your pity, I am telling you this because this is my experience from a very privileged perspective, know that it is much, much worse for other trans people."
Mulvaney then transitioned into a rant about Bud Light not being supportive enough.
"For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse in my opinion than not hiring a trans person at all, because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want," he continued, adding that it will have "serious and grave consequences" for the LGBTQ community.
Watch:
In response, the beermaker told the Daily Beast that it's "committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community."
So, another robotic, 'approved-by-legal' focus group response.
As Breitbart notes;
Corporations have been put into a difficult corner amid backlash over massive Pride Month campaigns, especially in markets directed at children. A recent report from CNBC showed that companies will have to make difficult decisions in the years ahead. As Breitbart News reported, Bud Light has been a floundering brand since it partnered with Mulvaney and has been replaced by Modelo as America's number-one beer. Anson Frericks, who previously served as president of sales and distribution at Anheuser-Busch, said that some corporations need to have a better understanding of their audience.
"Anheuser-Busch has lost sight of who its customer is. A brand like Bud Light is a brand that has never been political, but now they're being shunned by customers on the right, who see this partnership as a very politicized position they've taken, and also customers on the left who don't feel supported amid the backlash," said Frericks.
Earlier this week Anheuser Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth gave a robotic, non-committal answer when asked if his company would continue the relationship with Mulvaney, to which he told CBS Mornings;
"It's been a challenging few weeks. I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer, and the conversation has become divisive. And Bud Light really doesn't belong there. Bud Light should be all about bringing people together. And there's an impact on the business, and I think that's publicly covered on Bud Light specifically."
Watch:
.@AnheuserBusch CEO Brendan Whitworth says his company has begun sending financial assistance wholesalers, who he says have been impacted by the recent controversy surrounding a Bud Light promotion with Dylan Mulvaney. pic.twitter.com/fpEzyBWuFW
'-- CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 28, 2023Loading...
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Daniela Hernandez Episode 44 June 27, 2023
Diabetes drugs like Ozempic not only help with weight loss but show promise as an alternative treatment for addiction
By Daniela Hernandez Jun 27, 2023 2:11 pmDiabetes drugs could become an effective way to treat behavioral issues and addiction. WSJ's Daniela Hernandez breaks down the science on how they work and how they could change psychiatry forever. Photo illustration: Elizabeth Smelov
Daniela HernandezDaniela Hernandez extends her health and science reporting to cover a variety of relevant subjects from Covid-19 to climate change.
Up Next in Daniela Hernandez S1 E43 The Brain Science of Aggression and Why Lashing Out Can Feel Good Nearly one in four people surveyed in Gallup's latest Global Emotions Report said they'd recently felt anger. WSJ's Daniela Hernandez explains the neuroscience behind rage, the roles it plays in our lives and how we can keep it in check. Photo composite: David Fang
E42 The Science Behind Sound Therapy Ads for sound therapy, or sound baths, say these musical sessions provide mental health benefits. WSJ's Daniela Hernandez breaks down the benefits and the science. Photo: Elizabeth Smelov
E41 Metformin and Autophagy: The Cellular Recycling Process Behind Aging Metformin may have anti-aging properties because of a cellular recycling process called autophagy. WSJ's Daniela Hernandez explains what autophagy is and why boosting this process might slow aging. Illustration: Elizabeth Smelov
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STORIES
Treasury Sanctions Illicit Gold Companies Funding Wagner Forces and Wagner Group Facilitator | U.S. Department of the Treasury
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 15:42
WASHINGTON '-- Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four companies and one individual connected to the violent Russian military group PMC Wagner (Wagner Group) and its founder and owner Yevgeniy Prigozhin, previously sanctioned by the United States, the European Union (EU), Canada, and the United Kingdom (U.K.). The Wagner Group exploits insecurity around the world, committing atrocities and criminal acts that threaten the safety, good governance, prosperity, and human rights of nations, as well as exploiting their natural resources. The targeted entities in the Central African Republic (CAR), United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Russia have engaged in illicit gold dealings to fund the Wagner Group to sustain and expand its armed forces, including in Ukraine and Africa, while the targeted individual has been central to activities of Wagner Group units in Mali.
''Treasury's sanctions disrupt key actors in the Wagner Group's financial network and international structure,'' said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. ''The Wagner Group funds its brutal operations in part by exploiting natural resources in countries like the Central African Republic and Mali. The United States will continue to target the Wagner Group's revenue streams to degrade its expansion and violence in Africa, Ukraine, and anywhere else.''
Concurrently, the Departments of State, the Treasury, Labor, Commerce, and Homeland Security, as well as the United States Agency for International Development, have issued a new advisory focused on the gold sector across sub-Saharan Africa. This advisory highlights risks related to the gold trade, including conflict and terror financing, money laundering activities, sanctions evasion, human rights and labor rights abuses, and environmental degradation.
ILLICIT GOLD DEALINGS FUNDING WAGNER GLOBALLYMidas Ressources SARLU (Midas) is a CAR-based mining company affiliated with Yevgeniy Prigozhin (Prigozhin). Midas maintains ownership of CAR-based mining concessions and licenses for prospecting and extracting minerals, precious and semi-precious metals, and gems. Midas retains the preferential mining allowance to the CAR's Ndassima gold mine, which experts assess contains gold valued at more than one billion dollars. Moreover, Midas, in conjunction with the Wagner Group, was responsible for denying CAR government officials the ability to inspect the Ndassima mine. Midas, along with other Prigozhin-linked firms operating in the CAR, is key to financing Wagner's operations in the CAR and beyond. In 2021, the United Nations (UN) confirmed Midas was openly working with the CAR-based rebel group Unit(C) pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC) in violation of CAR mining regulations and UN sanctions. Although registered in the CAR, Midas is also connected to individuals involved in Prigozhin's mining activities in Madagascar.
Diamville SAU (Diamville) is a gold and diamond purchasing company based in the CAR and controlled by Prigozhin. Diamville is one of several Prigozhin-connected entities that is intimately involved in the CAR mining sector. In 2022, Diamville participated in a gold selling scheme that entailed converting CAR-origin gold into U.S. dollars. Following the imposition of U.S. sanctions on several Russian financial institutions, participants in the scheme planned to move the proceeds by transferring cash by hand. Additionally, Diamville shipped diamonds mined in the CAR to buyers in the UAE and in Europe.
Industrial Resources General Trading (Industrial Resources) is a Dubai-based industrial goods distributor that has provided financial support to Prigozhin through its business dealings with Diamville. Industrial Resources also participated in the aforementioned gold selling scheme. Following U.S. sanctions on various Russian financial institutions, Industrial Resources wittingly participated in the transfer by hand of cash to Russia. Industrial Resources works with Diamville to generate revenue and move funds for Prigozhin. For example, in early 2022, Industrial Resources was the recipient of diamonds mined in the CAR and sold by Diamville.
Limited Liability Company DM (OOO DM) is a Russia-based firm that also participated in the aforementioned gold selling scheme.
OFAC designated Midas, Diamville, and OOO DM pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Prigozhin, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked under E.O.14024. Prigozhin is the Russian financier of the Internet Research Agency (IRA), the Russian troll farm that OFAC designated pursuant to E.O. 13848 in 2018 for interfering in the 2016 presidential election. Prigozhin has been designated pursuant to E.O.s 13848, 13694, and 13661.OFAC designated Industrial Resources pursuant to E.O. 14024 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Prigozhin.
WAGNER GROUP FACILITATOR IN MALIAndrey Nikolayevich Ivanov (Ivanov), a Russian national, is an executive in the Wagner Group. During the spring of 2023, Ivanov worked closely with Prigozhin's entity Africa Politology and senior Malian government officials on weapons deals, mining concerns, and other Wagner Group activities in Mali.
OFAC designated Ivanov pursuant to E.O. 14024 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Prigozhin.
Africa Politology develops strategies and mechanisms to induce countries that promote human rights and good governance to withdraw their presence in Africa and is involved in a series of Russian influence tasks in the CAR and Mali, to include discrediting the UN and carrying out lawsuits against press outlets that report on the consequences of Wagner's activities. The Department of State sanctioned Africa Politology in January 2023 for acting for and on behalf of Prigozhin.
THE WAGNER GROUPThe United States has sanctioned numerous entities and individuals globally that support the Wagner Group's destabilizing activity. The Wagner Group has committed widespread human rights abuses and has appropriated natural resources across multiple countries in Africa. A proxy military force of the Kremlin, the Wagner Group has carried out combat operations around the world, including Russia's brutal war in Ukraine. Wagner has also participated in a scheme to procure weapons for its operations in Ukraine, using false end-use certificates in Mali.
On June 20, 2017, OFAC designated the Wagner Group pursuant to E.O. 13660 for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine, and on November 15, 2022, the Department of State redesignated the Wagner Group pursuant to E.O.14024 for operating or having operated in the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy. The Wagner Group has also been sanctioned by Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
On January 26, 2023, OFAC redesignated the Wagner Group pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, for being a foreign person that constitutes a significant transnational criminal organization. Wagner Group personnel have engaged in an ongoing pattern of serious criminal activity, including mass executions, rape, child abductions, and other brutalities against innocents in the CAR and Mali. On the same day, OFAC designated the Wagner Group pursuant to E.O. 13667 for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, the targeting of women, children, or any civilians through the commission of acts of violence, or abduction, forced displacement, or attacks on schools, hospitals, religious sites, or locations where civilians are seeking refuge, or through conduct that would constitute a serious abuse or violation of human rights or a violation of international humanitarian law in relation to the CAR.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONSAs a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.
The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here.
Click here for more information on the individual and entities designated today.
###
Deaths involving zombie drug 'tranq' have rocketed 300% in just three years across the US | Daily Mail Online
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 15:11
The number of Americans being killed by a flesh-rotting street drug has soared more than 15-fold in the past three years, an official report suggests.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found monthly overdose deaths involving xylazine rose from 12 in January 2019 to 188 in June 2022.
But officials only looked at 20 states plus D.C., meaning the true number involving the powerful animal tranquilizer is bound to be higher.
Xylazine is flooding the US illicit drug market as a cutting agent used to make drugs seem more potent than they are. It is increasingly being mixed with fentanyl to create an even deadlier drug cocktail that rots users' skin from the inside and leaves them in a zombie-like state.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) found monthly overdose deaths involving xylazine rose from 12 in January 2019 to 188 in June 2022. The report also found monthly fentanyl overdoses involving xylazine rose by 276 percent in just over three years
The drug is currently sweeping across the country and is readily available online for as little as $6, according to Drug Enforcement Administration officials
Kensington's streets are littered with syringes, garbage and homeless encampments, with addicts dealing and using drugs in broad daylight
The report also found monthly fentanyl overdoses involving xylazine rose by 276 percent in just over three years.
The CDC report comes on the back of a growing number of Drug Enforcement Administration seizures at the southern border, through which much of the country's supply of fentanyl and xylazine is flowing.
The top federal public health agency relied on data from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) '' a CDC-run database containing data from death certificates, medical examiner or coroner reports, and postmortem toxicology results uploaded from 47 states and DC.
However, the majority of the length of the study considered just 21 jurisdictions, suggesting that the true number of deaths involving xylazine is a significant undercount.
According to the DEA, in 2020, there were 808 drug overdoses reported in which xylazine played a role. That figure skyrocketed to 3,089 in 2021.
The authors of the study said: 'The timing and magnitude of increase in detection of xylazine among IMF [illicitly-manufactured fentanyl]-involved deaths might reflect both increased frequency of testing and true increased presence in the drug supply in recent years; however, because of inconsistent testing, detection is still likely underestimated.'
When considering 20 states and the District of Columbia, CDC researchers found that the proportion of monthly fatal fentanyl overdoses involving xylazine increased by 276 percent from January 2019 to June 2022 (from 2.9 percent to 10.9 percent).
The monthly number of deaths co-involving fentanyl and xylazine increased from 12 in January 2019 to 188 in June 2022.
During the latter 18 months of the study, from January 2021 to June 2022, the researchers expanded their scope to incorporate data from 31 states and DC. During this particular period, xylazine was detected in nine percent of overdoses involving fentanyl.
States in the Northeast had the highest rates of fentanyl overdoses in which tranq was detected post-mortem at nearly 50 percent.
Meanwhile, the states with the highest number of fentanyl deaths involving xylazine from January 2021 to June 2022 included Maryland, with 923 deaths, Connecticut with 507, and Pennsylvania with 1,285.
The drug prolongs the highs felt from heroin, but results in users passing out for hours at a time, while injection points ulcerate and lead to grisly wounds that spread across the body, Pictured: Homeless people on the streets of Kensington, Philadelphia
Los Angeles county is attempting to do something to alleviate the problem by tracking the drugs presence throughout the city
Xylazine is not used in humans but rather was developed in the 1960s to be used by veterinarians.
The drug works by stimulating animals' muscles to relax, and also as an analgesic '-- relieving pain. It does this by prompting less norepinephrine and dopamine to be released into the central nervous system.
The drug is not an opioid but is often mixed with opioids '-- such as fentanyl '-- when it is used to augment it. It is often cut with fentanyl and other drugs and reduces the number of times an addict needs to get a shot.
Because of this, people who take it are more difficult to treat with the overdose-reversing drug naloxone.
Patients who have overdosed are still given naloxone because this will treat other drugs they may also have taken such as heroin or fentanyl.
But the naloxone itself will not be able to address the impact of xylazine on effects such as breathing problems and blood pressure.
Because healthcare providers and good samaritans might not recognize the effects of xylazine, or may not be able to distinguish the symptoms of misuse of that drug from a drug like fentanyl, recovery activists are worried that despite the wider accessibility of life-saving naloxone, they won't be able to help the growing number of people falling victim to xylazine.
In many cases, the sedative leaves users 'knocked out' on street corners and at bus stops for hours. When these people come to, they discover the high from heroin has subsided and start looking for their next hit.
The drug also produces deep lesions in the skin even in spots on the body far from injection sites. The drug causes blood vessels to constrict, which cuts off the flow of oxygenated blood through the body, leading to infections in soft tissue.
If those gaping sores go untreated, they can result in a devastating infection that can require amputation.
Other effects from the drug include blurred vision, disorientation, drowsiness and staggering. It can also lead to a coma, problems breathing and high blood pressure.
Smartphone Compulsion Test - The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 15:08
Smartphone Compulsion Test Dr. Greenfield 2018-07-16T13:25:05+00:001. Do you find yourself spending more time on your cell or smartphone than you realize?
Yes
No
2. Do you find yourself mindlessly passing time on a regular basis by staring at your cell or smartphone?
Yes
No
3. Do you seem to lose track of time when on your cell or smartphone?
Yes
No
4. Do you find yourself spending more time texting, tweeting or emailing as opposed to talking to people in person?
Yes
No
5. Has the amount of time you spend on your cell or smartphone been increasing?
Yes
No
6. Do you wish you could be a little less involved with your cell or smartphone?
Yes
No
7. Do you sleep with your cell or smartphone (turned on) under your pillow or next to your bed regularly?
Yes
No
8. Do you find yourself viewing and answering texts, tweets and emails at all hours of the day and night'--even when it means interrupting other things you are doing?
Yes
No
9. Do you text, email, tweet or surf while driving or doing other similar activities that require your focused attention and concentration?
Yes
No
10. Do you feel your use of your cell or smartphone decreases your productivity at times?
Yes
No
11. Do you feel reluctant to be without your cell or smartphone, even for a short time?
Yes
No
12. Do you feel ill-at-ease or uncomfortable when you accidentally leave your smartphone in the car or at home, have no service or have a broken phone?
Yes
No
13. When you eat meals, is your cell or smartphone always part of the table place setting?
Yes
No
14. When your cell or smartphone rings, beeps or buzzes, do you feel an intense urge to check for texts, tweets, emails, updates, etc.?
Yes
No
15. Do you find yourself mindlessly checking your cell or smartphone many times a day, even when you know there is likely nothing new or important to see?
Yes
No
Loading '...
(C) 2013, 2017 Dr. David Greenfield | The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer: It should be noted that no medical or psychiatric diagnosis can be made solely by a written test or screening instrument alone; this survey is intended for educational and informational purposes only. If you score is on the higher side it would be reasonable to examine whether your use or over-use is creating any problems in work-life balance. If you are concerned about your Smartphone use, you may wish to consult with a mental health/addiction professional with expertise in Internet and Technology Addiction (Process/Behavioral Addictions).
British building society admits it IS closing accounts of people who 'are rude or discriminate' | Daily Mail Online
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 15:05
A building society with 3million customers today admitted it does dump customers with views they consider discriminatory, MailOnline can reveal today.
Yorkshire Building Society has been accused of closing an account of a client after he asked why their branches were festooned with Pride flags.
Journalist Toby Young told Nigel Farage on GB News that the unnamed man who contacted him about the case was told in response that his account would be closed down. It came as lenders were accused of axing customers who say things they don't like on gender and LGBT issues or Brexit, including Mr Farage himself.
Yorkshire Building Society today declined to comment on the case but a spokesman said: 'We do not close savings accounts based on different opinions regarding beliefs. We would only make the difficult decision to close a savings account if a customer is rude, abusive, violent or discriminates in any way, based on the specific facts and behaviour in each case.'
First Direct has also been accused of closing the account of the founder Wings over Scotland pro-Scottish independence blog, run by journalist Stuart Campbell. Mr Campbell has suggested that his accounts were closed because of his views on gender and sex, including declaring: 'Women don't have penises'.
Mr Farage has revealed his bank accounts will be shut down this summer, without any proper explanation. He told MailOnline today that three members of his family have also recently had accounts closed by UK banks.
Nigel Farage claimed today that his bank accounts are being shut due to Brexit - and says his family has also suffered in the same way
First Direct has also been accused of closing the account of the founder Wings over Scotland pro-Scottish independence blog, run by journalist Stuart Campbell. Mr Campbell has suggested that his accounts were closed because of his views on gender and sex, including declaring: 'Women don't have penises'
Toby Young and Laurence Fox's Reclaim Party have also suffered
Mr Farage has not named the bank who plan to shut his own personal and business accounts this summer, but is understood to be Coutts, the famous 327-year-old private bank whose clients include members of the Royal Family.
It is owned by high street giant NatWest, which is still 38.6% owned by the British taxpayer after it was bailed out following the 2008 financial crisis. MailOnline has asked Coutts and Nat West to comment.
Comparing Britain to 'communist China', Mr Farage told MailOnline: 'Some of these ridiculous rules and closures have been extended to my immediate family. I am enraged and also have a feeling of guilt that members of my family are being punished for my campaign to leave the European Union'.
Warning that anyone in Britain could be next he added: 'The banking industry in the UK has become politicised. We are going down a road where anybody in Britain could say something on Facebook or Twitter that a bank doesn't like and lose their accounts'.
He said: 'I've banked with them for 25+ years, but last week I was in Sainsbury's buying some milk during a Bear Patrol and my card got declined. I rang them up, and after over an hour on hold, they told me all my accounts had been cancelled. Was it political? Was it to do with Wings' very public stance on gender, after the fiasco of PayPal pulling their services from the Free Speech Union and other similar incidents from woke financial service providers? Who knows? But it stinks'.
A First Direct spokesman said they would not comment on individual cases. But said: 'In general terms, decisions to end a customer relationship are not taken lightly, but are absolutely not based on individual beliefs'.
Journalist Toby Young, of the Free Speech Union, told Mr Farage on GB News last night that he was contacted by a Yorkshire Building Society customer who claimed he asked why their branches were festooned with Pride flags. The bank allegedly replied that his account would be closed down.
PayPal has also pulled services from groups and people in recent years, including Mr Young himself, before a U-turn on his account three days later. The TRIGGERnometry free speech YouTube show and podcast claims Tide has shut down its business account.
In 2021 Laurence Fox's political party 'Reclaim' was also denied a bank account. Mr Fox said recently: 'The Reclaim Party cannot get a uk bank account. Despite three years of box ticking and immaculate compliance. In fact, entire new compliance departments are created just to stop us existing.
Nigel Farage said the banking group he has been with for more than 40 years warned him around two months ago that his accounts will be closed. He claims that it has given him no reason, other than that it was a 'commercial decision' - but has so far declined to name them.
He has accused 'the Establishment' of trying to 'force me out of the UK'. Seven other banks have also refused to open an account for him. And today he told MailOnline that three members of his family have suffered the same fate.
He said he thought there were three possible reasons for the fiasco. The first was that he may have been flagged as a 'politically exposed person' '' a label designed for those who could be vulnerable to bribery or corruption.
The second possibility was that 'big corporate structures' were taking revenge on him for Brexit.
And the third was that it was as a result of claims made by Labour MP Chris Bryant that Mr Farage received large donations from the Russian government. He insisted he 'didn't receive a penny'.
He said it was 'nonsense' and 'wholly wrong' to suggest he received hundreds of thousands of pounds from the Russian state.
He has said he received 'two small appearance fees' with both 'well under £5,000' from Russia Today. He said this related to some work in 2015 and 2016 and insists he didn't do any work with them in 2018 '' the year Bryant claimed he received almost £550,000. He claims Mr Bryant 'abused' Parliamentary Privilege to avoid being sued for libel. The Labour MP has not repeated the same claims in public.
Mr Farage has said that last night he received a 'snivelling' phone call from the bank saying they had looked again could get him a personal account '' but not a business account, which he also uses to pay his three members of staff.
The politician turned broadcaster said that he is having to consider banking abroad - on mainland Europe but outside the EU - and admits Switzerland is an option. He has also instructed lawyers and is considering suing them at the High Court.
He is also campaigning for the law to change to match other countries where having a bank account is a legal right. He said 1.3million in the UK don't have one, some through choice, others because of the banks themselves.
He said the Post Office used to serve that function but this was changed when it was privatised by Coalition chancellor Vince Cable.
The furore began yesterday when the former Brexit Party and Ukip leader said he was a victim of 'political persecution' and suggested he was trying to be forced out of the UK.
Mr Farage claimed the banking group told him earlier this year his personal and business accounts would be closed over the summer. He did not name the group, but told his 1.7million followers that he had been banking with them since 1980.
Painting himself as the victim of a 'serious political persecution', Mr Farage claimed that the extraordinary measure was effectively tantamount to making him a 'non-person', adding: 'I won't really be able to exist or function in a modern 21st century Britain.
'I'm beginning to think that perhaps life in the United Kingdom is now becoming completely unliveable because of the levels of prejudice against me.'
Mr Farage speculated that the 'establishment' was targeting him due to his role in campaigning for Brexit during the 2016 referendum on British membership of the EU. He also suggested that his reputation had been smeared by Labour MP Sir Chris Bryant, who last year used parliamentary privilege to claim that Mr Farage was paid more than £500,000 by the Russian state through his appearances Russia Today in 2018. He vehemently denied this, saying: 'I didn't receive a penny from any source with even any link to Russia.'
Sources close to the politician at the time claimed the £548,573 figure quotes in the House of Commons, using parliamentary privilege, was his firm's total income for the year, not an amount he received from Russia Today, on which he made a series of appearances that year.
Last year, British film-maker Graham Phillips was added to the UK Government's sanctions list, accused of being a conduit for pro-Russian propaganda.
The video blogger was filming pro-Kremlin material from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine shortly after the conflict first broke out.
As a result of being on the sanctions list, his assets were frozen.
Mr Farage claimed the banking group, who he did not name but said he'd been with since 1980, told him earlier this year his personal and business accounts would be closed over the summer
In his bombshell video, Farage speculated a range of possible reasons for the alleged closure, including suggesting that he had been deemed a politically exposed person (PEP).
A PEP is an individual that holds a prominent public position or function, and may be deemed more susceptible to bribery, corruption or other money laundering offences due to their role.
In his post on social media this morning, the GB News host wrote: 'I have been given no explanation or recourse as to why this is happening to me.
'This is serious political persecution at the very highest level of our system. If they can do it to me, they can do it to you too.'
Speaking of the importance of having a bank account, he added: 'You effectively become a non-person, you don't actually exist.
'It's like the worse regimes of the mid-20th century, be they in Russia or Germany, you literally become a non-person.
'I won't really be able to exist or function in a modern 21st century Britain.'
It comes after Mr Farage yesterday blasted the Television and Radio Industries Club Awards for 'deleting' a tweet that announced him as winner of News Presenter of the Year.
He accused the organisation of taking down the congratulatory message because he 'committed the cardinal sin of questioning the Barb figures.'
The 'Barb' figures show the TV ratings of programmes and are compiled daily by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
Mr Farage criticised the way viewing numbers are collated during his acceptance speech and on his show last night, accusing the industry of 'marking their own homework' and being 'out of touch.'
At this week's ceremony, the presenter called on hecklers to 'keep the abuse coming' as he was booed after beating established veteran journalists Eamonn Holmes and Susanna Reid to the gong.
Sir Chris declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.
Nigel Farage's full statement on the closure of his bank accounts I've been living with something for the last couple of months that may well fundamentally affect my future career going on from here and even if I can stay living in this country.
I have been with the same banking group since 1980. I've had my personal accounts with them since that date and my business accounts right through the 1990s when I worked in the City of London and in recent years too. I'm with one of the subsidiaries of this big banking group, one with a very prestigious name, but I won't name them just yet.
I got a phone call a couple of months ago to say 'we are closing your accounts'. I asked why, no reason was given. I was told a letter would come and explain everything. The letter came through and simply said we are closing your accounts we want to finish it all by a date, around about now. I didn't know what to make of it. I complained, I emailed the chairman who phoned me to say it was a commercial decision which I have to say I don't believe for a single moment.
I've been to seven banks, asked them all if I can have a personal and business account, and the answer has been no in every single case. There is nothing irregular or unusual about what I do. The payments that go in and out every month are pretty much the same. I maintain in my business account a pretty big positive cash balance which I guess with interest rates where they are is pretty good for the bank too.
So why is this happening to me? One explanation is that a few years ago the European Union came up with the definition of Politically Exposed Person (PEP) '' this can range from anybody from a Prime Minister down to a local councillor. I think the reason for it was 'were people in politics open to bribery from foreign governments in Ukraine or China or wherever else it may be, pumping money into the accounts of corrupt politicians'. I understand and get that. But it's all about interpretation, isn't it?
What the banks argue is that to maintain an account for a PEP gives them increased costs of compliance. Now, I have spoken to the city minister in this country and there's some hope that this EU definition which came into British law may be moderated in some way, we'll have to see. But any bank or organisation can choose to interpret a PEP and whether they want the account in any way they choose. To my knowledge I don't think anybody has been treated like me in the world of politics.
But the banks themselves are part of the big, corporate structures in this country, the organisations who did not want Brexit to happen. In my case, probably the corporate world will never, ever forgive me. They know if I hadn't done what I did, without the help of thousands of people in our people's army, there never would have been a referendum, let alone the victory. I'm the one that is to carry the blame. That's the second possible reason why I can't get a bank account: prejudice that comes from our institutions.
But I think there's a third reason. A few months ago, in the House of Commons, Sir Chris Bryant, chairman of the Priviliges Committee said using parliamentary privilege that I have received large sums of money directly from the Russian government and named the calendar year he said it happened. The truth is I didn't receive a penny from any source with even any link to Russia. And yet because he said it, it stands. I wrote to the Speaker, I demanded an apology, but nothing has been forthcoming from Sir Chris Bryant. I wonder if that is what's given me part of the problem.
I have employed a top firm of London lawyers, I'm going through a series of subject access requests to find out what is held on me by the international agencies and the bank that wants to close me down.
Think about it, without a bank account, you effectively become a non-person, you don't actually exist. It's like the worse regimes of the mid-20th century, be they in Russia or Germany, you literally become a non-person. You don't any more have a right to be entitled to a bank account.
There is a possibility, through a fintech company that I could find some means of receiving and paying money, which could be a little bit of a lifeline. But it's not a bank account because I won't be able to earn any interest on positive cash balances. I won't be able to borrow money if I need to at any point, or take out a mortgage should I so desire, that will be completely denied to me. I won't be able to have a debit card linked directly to my account. I won't really be able to exist or function in a modern 21st century Britain.
I'm beginning to think that perhaps life in the United Kingdom is now becoming completely unliveable because of the levels of prejudice against me.
US State Department-Trained French Activist/Arsonist Pouring Fuel on the Fire
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 14:47
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Sometimes things slot in so easily and perfectly that you can't be blamed for thinking of Tetris. Yesterday was one of those days.
In response to the segment on the current round of riots in France in yesterday's SCR , user Dusty made the following comment :
Dusty underestimated the perfidy of the USA in this case, which is understandable, as we cannot know everything that they are up to. There's simply too much meddling going on.
I took the opportunity to reply to dusty, by going back to SCR #112 which had a segment on the spread of '' Le Wokisme '' in France. From SCR #112:
Although it has made inroads into French politics, it is nowhere near the level of success that it has achieved in the USA and Canada.
As the last panel , ''Media and Universities: In Need of Reform and Reassessment?,'' got under way, Diallo took the opportunity to argue the opposite position. Onstage with her were a political scientist and two philosophy professors, one of whom was the moderator, Perrine Simon-Nahum. Diallo is a well-known and polarizing figure in France, a telegenic proponent of identity politics with a large social-media following. She draws parallels between the French and American criminal-justice systems (one of her documentaries is called From Paris to Ferguson), making the case that institutional racism afflicts her nation just as it does the U.S., most notably in discriminatory stop-and-frisk policing. Her views would hardly be considered extreme in America, but here she is seen in some quarters as a genuinely subversive agent .
Diallo IS a subversive agent, and can be considered an American one thanks to what Chatterton Williams shares with us later on in the article:
In 2010, the U.S. State Department invited French politicians and activists to a leadership program to help them strengthen the voice and representation of ethnic groups that have been excluded from government. Rokhaya Diallo attended, which many of her critics still use as evidence that she is a trained proselytizer of American social-justice propaganda. (In 2017, under pressure from both the left and the right, Macron's government asked for her removal'--as Diallo put it to me, it ''canceled'' her'--from a government advisory council, seemingly on the grounds that race- and religious-based political organizing contradicts key principles of French republicanism and secularism, or la¯cit(C) .)
But in a classified memo published on WikiLeaks , former U.S. Ambassador Charles H. Rivkin laid out the pragmatic, self-interested rationale for the program, part of what was called a ''Minority Engagement Strategy'':
French institutions have not proven themselves flexible enough to adjust to an increasingly heterodox demography. We believe that if France, over the long run, does not successfully increase opportunity and provide genuine political representation for its minority populations, France could become a weaker, more divided country, perhaps more crisis-prone and inward-looking, and consequently a less capable ally.
What do you call a person who goes to a foreign country to receive training from them in how to exacerbate divisions back at home? Anyway'....
Here is the key bit one more time:
In 2010, the U.S. State Department invited French politicians and activists to a leadership program to help them strengthen the voice and representation of ethnic groups that have been excluded from government. Rokhaya Diallo attended, which many of her critics still use as evidence that she is a trained proselytizer of American social-justice propaganda.
Her wiki bio has her down as an '''....author, film-maker, and activist for racial, gender and religious equality.''. The New York Times described her as ''one of France's most prominent anti-racism activists''.
She has all the right opinions, and it's interesting to note how they align perfectly with liberal and leftist views emanating from the USA. She is one of the key proponents of the Americanization of French politics, culture, and society. The US State Department trained her well, and she is rewarded for doing their bidding.
Per habit, I went over to the UK Guardian to see what they had on offer regarding the riots in France, and lo and behold this pops up on my screen :
It's pretty coincidental that a UK publication would turn to a US State Department-trained arsonist for a sober take on what is happening in France.
A sample:
Nahel's death is another chapter in a long and traumatic story. Whatever our age, many of us French who are descended from postcolonial immigration carry within us this fear combined with rage, the result of decades of accumulated injustice. This year, we commemorate the 40th anniversary of a seminal event. In 1983, Toumi Dja¯dja , a 19-year-old from a Lyon banlieue, became the victim of police violence that left him in a coma for two weeks. This was the genesis of the March for Equality and Against Racism , the first antiracist demonstration on a national scale, in which 100,000 people took part .
For 40 years this movement has not stopped calling out the violence we see targeted at working-class neighbourhoods and more broadly black people and people of north African origin. The crimes of the police are at the root of many of the uprisings in France's most impoverished urban areas, and it is these crimes that must be condemned first. After years of marches, petitions, open letters and public requests, a disaffected youth finds no other way to be heard than by rioting. It is difficult to avoid asking if, without so many uprisings in cities across France, Nahel's death would have garnered the attention it has. And as Martin Luther King rightly said : ''A riot is the language of the unheard.''
Of course the American agent will quote MLK. That's part of the process of Americanization. MLK is completely alien to France and its history, but that won't stop people like her from trying to reframe it anyway. To them,we are all Americans'...'...'...one way or another.
Nor do her efforts have anything to do with justice or ''combatting racism''. Her role is to berate and shame France and French people to facilitate the transformation of the country to little more than a de facto US state, one with a funny language and good bagels, wine, and cheese.
Where in the West has ''anti-racism'' succeeded? Rather than succeed in its stated goals, all its done is hyper-racialize politics and society, erode rights, and create a lot of jobs for an academic class who are otherwise wholly unproductive. They will insist that racism is constantly ''on the rise'', which is very self-serving, of course.
The French are right: Diallo is a foreign-trained subversive. The tragedy is that her subversion is the result of an intentional program courtesy of an ally, the USA.
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EU calls for global talks on climate geoengineering risks | Reuters
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 14:30
[1/2]European Commission executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans speaks during an interview with Reuters at the COP27 climate summit in Red Sea resort at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
BRUSSELS, June 28 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Wednesday called for international talks on the dangers and governance of geoengineering, saying such interventions to alter the climate posed "unacceptable" risks.
Geoengineering has attracted increasing interest as countries fail to cut greenhouse gas emissions fast enough to curb climate change. But the issue of manipulating planetary systems to fight global warming remains highly controversial.
"Nobody should be conducting experiments alone with our shared planet," European Union climate policy chief Frans Timmermans told a news conference.
"This should be discussed in the right forum, at the highest international level," he said, suggesting the United Nations as a potential venue for talks on the risks and possible use of geoengineering.
Geoengineering techniques include directly removing CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. The first plants to do this are already in operation, capturing CO2 in tiny quantities compared with countries' emissions.
More controversial is solar radiation modification (SRM), which would cut the amount of sunlight reaching Earth's surface by, for example, spraying sulphate aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect more light back into space.
Joanna Haigh, Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London, said as well as having physical dangers, such technologies risked giving polluters an excuse not to address the root cause of climate change - greenhouse gas emissions produced from burning fossil fuels.
"The governance of geoengineering will be hugely complex, but necessary to regulate any future geoengineering technologies that could feasibly lower global average temperatures," she added.
In an explanatory document, the Commission said that in its current state of development, SRM "represents an unacceptable level of risk for humans and the environment".
The EU is funding two projects to assess geoengineering techniques, but said neither would develop or test SRM.
SRM has split opinion among scientists.
More than 100 scientists signed a February letter in support of research to understand whether SRM could reduce the immediate danger of global warming while countries attempt to cut their outright emissions.
Other scientists have called for a ban on solar geoengineering, arguing that it would be impossible to govern and could unleash unpredictable impacts, including on the weather and agriculture.
Reporting by Kate Abnett; editing by John Stonestreet and Emelia Sithole-Matarise
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
World Economic Forum Concludes ''Annual Meeting of the New Champions'' in China with Accelerated Plans Toward Global Social Credit and Digital Surveillance | The Gateway Pundit | by Shawn Bradley Witzemann | 181
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 14:11
The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions gathered in Tianjin, China, June 27-29 to discuss the latest ideas for promoting '' the global transition to a green and renewable economy .''
Approximately 1500 participants attended the 14th annual meeting with a stated effort to ''boost multilateralism and collaboration in a fragmented world.''
The three-day event, hailed by some as ''Summer Davos,'' started out with roaring applause for Dr. Evil himself, Klaus Schwab.
The World Economic Forum meeting in Tianjin, China kicked off with a round of applause for ''Professor'' Schwab
This event is called the ''Annual Meeting of the New Champions'' pic.twitter.com/MTbQchxMbh
'-- Vision4theBlind (@Vision4theBlind) June 27, 2023
While geopolitical relations continue to devolve between the United States and China , Klaus and the gang remain all too eager to work with the CCP.
Worldwide technocracy and global authoritarianism out of the future ashes of a successful Great Reset Agenda is priority number one. So, in what should inspire little surprise, Chinese Premier Li Qiang wasted no opportunity to flex CCP influence over the globalist stakeholder meeting '-- ''blasting'' the West for apparent efforts to ''de-risk'' the economy by removing China from the global supply chain.
WATCH: China's Premier Li Qiang warns against global fragmentation in his opening address to the World Economic Forum in Tianjin.
Li blasted western efforts to remove China from supply chains: https://t.co/bRir7Uhg8j pic.twitter.com/QYJzDXC4Qi
'-- Bloomberg (@business) June 27, 2023
While introducing the CCP leader Chairman Klaus' excitement was hardly contained.
He lauded Li's ''distinguished career in public service'' and praised his ''instrumental'' role in opening China's capital market to the world.
ð¨ð"Klaus Schwab: ''We must recognize China as the best superpower in the world''
ð£World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab ordered world leaders to accept China as the world's new leading superpower and hailed their tough ''COVID measures'' as a role model for other'... pic.twitter.com/tKSWoxPNxI
'-- yalnız kurt (@MApodogan) July 1, 2023
Central to messaging at the event was a push for nations to accept Central Banking Digital Currency and wearable data-harvesting sensors. At the World Economic Forum meeting in Tianjin China, Dr. Joseph Costantine: ''It is very important to accept, or at least to understand the fact that we're going to have a lot of sensors '' a lot of wearable sensors.''
I will not be wearing data-harvesting sensors. You? ð¤-- pic.twitter.com/F2pCJ9is5O
'-- Paul Mitchell (@PaulMitchell_AB) June 27, 2023
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said that while the United States Congress continues to discuss ways to regulate an American digital dollar, the system faces further challenges with successful implementation.
#China World Economic Forum '' #Circle CEO says U.S Congress Is Making A New Set Of Regulations On Private Issuance Of Digital Dollars #USDC pic.twitter.com/6fQZHmzpbG
'-- XRPVILLE (@XRPVILLE589) June 30, 2023
Festivities for the worldwide globalist elite ended with a ''call for greater solidarity to overcome global challenges.'' Summer Davos Closes with Call for Greater Solidarity to Overcome Global ChallengesThe World Economic Forum (WEF)'s 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions drew to a close in north China's Tianjin Municipality on Thursday, with attendees highlighting the need for greater'... pic.twitter.com/FtWtv0bdxl
'-- Zhang Heqing (@zhang_heqing) June 30, 2023
With such bold visions for the technocratic future of the world, it's understandable why the WEF is currently developing more robust and intelligent methods of eliminating dangerous misinformation.
NEW '' Klaus Schwab's World Economic Forum proposes to automate censorship of ''hate speech'' and ''disinformation'' with AI fed by ''subject matter experts.''https://t.co/A4JDrh7RaK pic.twitter.com/LYqFhik3Wk
'-- Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) August 11, 2022
It's just another day at work in the World Economic Forum's relentless mission to hack the human spirit and eliminate free will through corporate-sponsored coercion.
As recently explained so eloquently by Ice Cube:
''They got you once you self-censor.'' 'They Got You Once You Self-Censor': Ice Cube and Joe Rogan on Social Credit Score System@joerogan: ''If you f*ck up in China and you get a bad social credit score because you tweeted something they didn't like'... Now you can't buy a plane ticket. Now you can't buy a car'... You'... pic.twitter.com/u3Z3c69kxk
'-- UngaTheGreat (@UngaTheGreat) June 30, 2023
Britain's BIGGEST prison is being built near Jamie Oliver's £6M mansion | Daily Mail Online
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 14:07
Britain's biggest prison could be built just four miles from Jamie Oliver's £6million rural pad in England's most photographed village.
The TV chef and his family face having their lives 'turned upside down' by the huge construction 'on the doorstep' of his mansion, which is located near the idyllic village of Finchingfield.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) wants to build two 'mega jails' that can hold 3,430 male inmates on the site of a former RAF airbase at Wethersfield, in Essex.
Locals in Finchingfield have hit out at the plans as being 'almost the worst place you could find a prison'.
If they come to fruition, the plans would see Category B and Category C prisons built on the 800-acre site close to an area renowned for its picture-perfect views.
The MoJ has launched a consultation on the plans, but has been met by stiff resistance from people living in the village and the nearby village of Wethersfield.
A computer generated image shows the potential layout of the proposed 'mega jail' on the site of former RAF Wethersfield
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (pictured here with his wife and children) lives in a townhouse in an area close to the former RAF base
Oliver and his family moved into a £6million mansion (pictured) with their five children several years ago
Finchingfield brings in tourists from a afar who come to enjoy the small settlements laid back and historic buildings, which also served as the setting for BBC's Lovejoy series.
Houses in the village sell for an average price of £425,000, making it one of the most expensive in the entire country, with celebrity chef Oliver moving into a historic townhouse in the area with his wife Jools and their five children five years ago.
He often films himself preparing dishes for his TV shows in the garden of the Grade One listed property, and has often posted pictures with his wife at their home.
Since then, he has had to contend with a scheme to increase the number of beavers in the area in a bid to reduce flooding and plans to develop a new housing estate that other residents feared would blight their 'chocolate-box' village.
Oliver is said to have been made aware of the prison plans, but has avoided making any public comment, despite Jools apparently being friends with some of the protesters.
Some locals have speculated that he may not want to be seen as a NIMBY (not in my back yard) protester, particularly in the light of his work employing ex-prisoners at his former Fifteen restaurants in London and Cornwall.
It would be built miles from Finchingfield (pictured), which is England's most photographed village
The airfield at Wethersfield was an RAF base for Spitfires during World War Two before becoming an American bomber base towards the end of the conflict.
It later became home to American nuclear bombers during the Cold War before being taken over as the national headquarters of the UK's Ministry of Defence Police.
The huge 800-acre site has become surplus to MoD requirements with the MoD police moving recently to RAF Wyton near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
The prison plans were first revealed 17-months-ago in letters sent by the MoJ to hundreds of households.
The letters stressed that no firm proposals had been drawn up and insisted that the plans were simply being put out for local consultation.
No planning application has yet been submitted and it has since been suggested by MoJ officials that the idea for prisons on the site is a 'back up' plan if needed in the future.
The MoJ is instead said to be concentrating on trying to get consent to build new prisons next to three exiting jails in Lancashire, Buckinghamshire, Leicestershire.
Campaign group Stop Wethersfield Airfield Prison (SWAP) and Wethersfield Airfield Scrutiny Committee (WASC) have both raised concerns about the impact it will have on their villages and how viable it would be to build the giant prison in such a rural area.
Alan MacKenzie who chairs SWAP said local sources suggested that Home Office officials had visited the site to assess it, and that it might be used for refugees from this summer.
He said: 'Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools are well known in the area. This is his family home up here and he is often out and about.
'There is no doubt that the building of two mega prisons on their doorstep will have a major effect on him.
'It will turn life upside down for everyone, including him. I doubt that he is going to be very happy about it.
'The roads around here are all fairly narrow and there are choke points where lorries have difficult passing.
'It means there is going to be traffic chaos if the prisons happen, both during the construction period and when they are up and running. Jamie Oliver would certainly experience that, along with everyone else.
'It is also possible that his home is in the line of sight of the prisons as the site is on a 300ft high plateau so he may have to put up with looking at them.
'There will certainly be floodlights at the site so he will see the light illuminating the countryside. It will be beaming out on him.'
Mr Mackenzie said members of the SWAP group had talked to Jools Oliver about the plans.
He added: 'Jamie Oliver will be aware as I am sure Jools will have mentioned it to him, but someone like him has got to be careful of his public profile.
Mr MacKenzie said: 'We first heard about the plans in September 2021 and it has caused an outcry ever since.
'People were left astonished that they would even think of doing something as big as this on the site. There was sheer disbelief about the size and scale.
'Everyone knows that the roads around here are narrow and windy with pinch points where it is difficult for lorries to pass. We can barely cope with the traffic we have.
'The construction traffic alone to build two mega prisons will cause a traffic nightmare. Then there will need to be constant lorry deliveries every day to run it.'
A computer generated image shows the expected size of the prison blocks if the plans go ahead
They would be built miles from the small village of Finchingfield (pictured), which is home to fewer than 1,500 people
SWAP has said the prisons would be visible from the villages of Finchingfield and Wethersfield, as well other surrounding settlements.
A computer generated image of the prison released by the group shows buildings appearing to be four storeys tall on the site of the former airbase.
The MoJ has said there would be seven of these prison blocks, as well as parking for 1,000 cars, guard dog kennels, a gym and a workshop.
It has called the site an 'appropriate' location for the prison, adding that it would provide 'long-lasting' benefits for people living nearby with around 1,400 new jobs.
Mr MacKenzie said an earlier plan jointly put forward by the MoD in 2016 to build 4,850 houses on the airfield was quickly scrapped because the area was so rural.
He added: 'We believe that the only reason the MoJ is looking at the site is that it is in Government hands so they do not need to buy it.
'They want to have these mega prisons to achieve economies of scale '' but they need to put them in the right place.
'Wethersfield is clearly the wrong place because it is so far away from decent roads. It is in the middle of nowhere.
'We are not all about stopping prisons. It is about stopping such a stupidly large development when we have not got the infrastructure to support it.
'These plans will effectively double the population of Wethersfield and Finchingfield combined.
'Prisons need to be near urban centres, so families and friends scan visit inmates.'
Campaigners say that studies have also revealed that soil on the airfield is also contaminated with PFAS toxic chemicals from firefighting foam which used to be sprayed around.
Mr MacKenzie said: 'The best option would be to leave the soil largely undisturbed. Developing the site could cast tens of millions to clean it up.'
Andrew Hull, the chairman of the Wethersfield Airbase Scrutiny Committee, representing 13 parish councils in the area, said: 'It is a monumental waste of taxpayers' money.
'The Government is spending hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds on consultants trying to push this plan when it should not be happening.
'The MoJ has 14 criteria for locating prisons, and I think this site passes just four of them due to being very flat, the right acreage and not being overlooked or prone to flooding.
Idyllic Finchingfield, with a population of fewer than 1,500 people, and just 300 houses, is the UK's most-photographed village, where the average house price is around £425,000
'But it fails all the other criteria because it is so far away from population centres and the roads are also poor.
'How are they going to find the prison officers to work there? The MoJ has problems enough recruiting staff for its prisons at Highpoint which is 17 miles away.'
Supply chain director Nick Chapman, 54, of Wethersfield, said he and his wife Michelle, 44, were horrified when they received the MoJ letter outlining the plans.
He said: 'We were completely shocked. It just didn't make any sense. The documents they sent us looked like they had just photoshopped a picture of a prison on to the airfield.
'There are only three roads leading towards the airfield and all of them go through tiny villages.
'We have got two small children and one of the roads goes past the primary school in Wethersfield. How can you think of having loads of HGVs using that road to go to and from the prison? It will be a serious risk to children.
'The nearest dual carriageway is the A120 and that is 11 miles away. The MoJ keeps on saying it is consulting the local population, but they don't seem to be doing that.
'They did presentations in some village halls when they first came up with the idea, but some of the representatives there admitted they had not even visited all the villages affected.
'They are now describing the plan for Wethersfield as a back-up site, but the whole thing is just creating uncertainty.'
Mrs Chapman added: 'The roads here are just not equipped for heavy traffic. A lot of houses don't have parking spaces because they were built before cars were invented so people have to park on the road making village streets even narrower.
'Some houses overhang the road and the Guildhall in Finchingfield is constantly being hit by vehicles. I know of one local farmer who has to knock on doors to get his tractor through, so how are heavy lorries going to cope.'
Moving to assuage tensions among the community, the MoJ said it works with locals whenever new prisons are built to address their concerns, and undertakes mitigation measures.
A spokesperson for the MoJ told the Telegraph: 'We recognise residents are seeking clarity and while no decision has been made, we will continue to consult and update them as our prison-building plans develop.'
The proposals are part of plans to increase the national capacity for prison places by 20,000 by the middle of this decade, with jails in Britain so overcrowded that prisoners have had to be held in police cells.
Jamie's Elizabethan manor was named after Hervey de Ispania, who owned the land in 1086.
The house was only ever in the ownership of the de Ispania family, the Kempe family and the Ruggles family before Jamie moved in
It has ten bathrooms, a large games room, great hall, dining room, two drawing rooms and a wine storage area as well as its dozen bedrooms.
Limit digital pound holdings to £5,000 to avoid panic, say banks
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People should stop taking Ozempic, Wegovy obesity drugs before surgery, doctors say | Daily Mail Online
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 14:03
Being on Ozempic or Wegovy before surgery could have DEADLY consequences, influential medical panel warnsAmerican Society of Anesthesiologists released the interim guidanceSaid delayed stomach emptying was leading to problems during surgeryREAD MORE: Ozempic users are complaining of suffering 'saggy' behindsBy Luke Andrews Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com
Updated: 13:20 EDT, 30 June 2023
People should stop taking weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy before getting surgery, doctors say.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists, which represents more than 53,000 physicians, made the recommendation in interim guidance released Thursday.
They warned that the delayed stomach emptying caused by the drugs could leave someone suffering nausea, vomiting and aspiration '-- when vomit goes down the windpipe into the lungs, choking them '-- when they receive anesthetics.
This can prove fatal because the blockage stops fresh air '-- and oxygen '-- from reaching the lungs, causing suffocation.
The 'miracle' drugs which promise to help someone shed the pounds with nothing more than a weekly injection have taken America by storm, with prescriptions spiraling more than 2,000 percent since 2019. They have become so popular that there is now a nationwide shortage of the drugs.
The above highlights the interim guidance from the American Society of Anesthesiologists warning people over taking Ozempic before surgery. A GLP-1 agonist refers to Ozempic and Wegovy and delayed gastric emptying means it is taking longer for food to leave the stomach
Ozempic and Wegovy delay stomach emptying to help someone feel full for longer. But this can have unintended consequences if someone is receiving surgery
About 60,000 people in the United States go under general anesthetic every day for operations from kidney stone removals to joint replacements and fitting a gastric band fitted.
The president of the ASA, Dr Michael Champeau, said: 'There is currently a lack of scientific data on how [the drugs] affect patients having surgery and interact with anesthesia.
'[But] we have received anecdotal reports that the delay in stomach emptying could be associated with an increased risk of regurgitation and aspiration of food into the airways and lungs during general anesthesia and deep sedation.'
He added: 'These complications can be serious, so we are providing guidance on when GLP-1 agonists should be stopped in advance of an elective procedure.'
The ASA recommended that patients using weekly injections of the drugs should stop using them seven days before surgery.
For those having a shot every day, they recommended not using them over the day before surgery.
If a patient has nausea, vomiting or abdominal bloating or pain on the day of surgery, then doctors said it should be delayed.
And if they have taken the drugs within the period before surgery, an ultrasound should be conducted to ensure there is no food in the stomach.
Before many surgical procedures, people are told to stop eating and drinking at midnight before surgery.
This is to keep the stomach empty and avoid any contents within the organ being forced back up through the esophagus.
But Ozempic and Wegovy delay the emptying of the stomach, meaning that even if someone stops eating and drinking the night before surgery some contents may still be present in the stomach.
Ozempic is approved for patients with diabetes, while Wegovy is approved to be used both by patients with diabetes and those who are obese.
The drugs are regularly being prescribed off-label, however, to people who are looking to lose weight or shave off a few pounds to get a 'Bikini Body'.
In one TikTok, watched 26,800 times, @jocelyngarcia3514 shared a full-body video of her loose skin around her bum. 'I'm humble enough to share my results and my body,' she said
It comes amid concern over another side-effect of taking the drugs, which has been dubbed 'Ozempic Butt'.
Slimmers who've lost up to 141lbs (64kg) claim the rapid weight loss has left them with 'saggy' behinds.
Others have complained about their derri¨res flattening like a 'pancake', including one who once underwent a Brazillian Bum Lift (BBL).
The effects, albeit in the bum, are similar to those who've battled 'Ozempic face' '-- with the rapid weight loss leaving some users looking ill, exacerbating wrinkles and causing the skin to sag.
The flab-busting drug doesn't discriminate which weight it targets.
Videos highlighting the side effect by users themselves have racked up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok.
SEC Says Spot Bitcoin ETF Filings Are Inadequate - WSJ
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 14:01
Regulator tells Nasdaq, Cboe that applications from BlackRock, Fidelity and others aren't clear and comprehensive
Updated June 30, 2023 5:41 pm ETThe Securities and Exchange Commission said a recent wave of applications filed by asset managers to launch spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds are inadequate, according to people familiar with the matter.
The agency informed exchanges Nasdaq and Cboe Global Markets, which filed the applications on behalf of asset managers including BlackRock and Fidelity Investments, that they aren't sufficiently clear and comprehensive, the people said. The exchanges or asset managers can update them to address the regulator's feedback and...
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The Securities and Exchange Commission said a recent wave of applications filed by asset managers to launch spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds are inadequate, according to people familiar with the matter.
The agency informed exchanges Nasdaq and Cboe Global Markets, which filed the applications on behalf of asset managers including BlackRock and Fidelity Investments, that they aren't sufficiently clear and comprehensive, the people said. The exchanges or asset managers can update them to address the regulator's feedback and refile. Cboe updated and refiled its applications Friday afternoon to address the regulator's feedback.
Prices of bitcoin and crypto-related stocks have surged since mid-June when BlackRock unveiled plans for an ETF that holds actual bitcoin. The cryptocurrency has climbed about 20%, rising above $30,000 for the first time since April. Shares of Coinbase Global , which is listed as the custodian for the BlackRock fund's holdings, have soared more than 30% over the same period.
Bitcoin's dollar value fell 5% after The Wall Street Journal first reported the SEC's decision, before rebounding slightly.
A wave of traditional and crypto asset managers followed in BlackRock's footsteps. Fidelity Investments, Cathie Wood's Ark Investment Management, Invesco , WisdomTree , Bitwise Asset Management and Valkyrie all reactivated or amended their applications for a spot bitcoin ETF in recent days.
An ETF that tracks the actual price of bitcoin would mark a watershed moment for the industry because it would provide wider access to the cryptocurrency. It would allow investors to buy and sell bitcoin through a brokerage account as easily as shares of stock.
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The SEC has repeatedly rejected such funds going back to 2017 on the grounds that they are vulnerable to fraud and market manipulation. At least half a dozen ETFs that own bitcoin futures are already on the market.
Investors and analysts viewed the bid by BlackRock, the world's largest money manager, as the best hope yet for a spot bitcoin ETF, partly because of its near-perfect record seeing applications through.
Some industry watchers predicted that BlackRock's filing would appease the SEC's concerns through an agreement to share ''surveillance'' of a spot bitcoin-trading platform with Nasdaq, which would list the ETF.
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Fidelity and Ark also included similar language about a ''surveillance-sharing agreement'' with the Cboe, which would list their ETFs.
Yet the SEC told the exchanges that it returned the filings because they didn't name the spot bitcoin exchange with which they are expected to have a ''surveillance-sharing agreement'' or provide enough information about the details of those surveillance arrangements.
Cboe refiled applications Friday afternoon for spot bitcoin ETFs on behalf of Fidelity, WisdomTree, VanEck, Invesco and Ark Investment Management, specifying that it expects to enter into surveillance-sharing agreements with Coinbase.
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Nasdaq has yet to refile an application for BlackRock but is also expected to enter into such an agreement with Coinbase, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Representatives for the SEC, Nasdaq, BlackRock, Fidelity, Invesco, WisdomTree and Ark declined to comment.
Refiling the applications resets the clock and sets asset managers back at least seven days in the competitive race to launch the first spot bitcoin ETF.
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After an exchange or asset manager resubmits an application, the SEC has 15 days to put the filing out for public commentary, during which it can return the filing to them again by the seventh day. After the 15-day period ends, the SEC has up to 240 days to either approve or reject the filing.
The agency is also locked in a legal battle with Grayscale Investments. The crypto-asset manager sued the SEC in June 2022 after it rejected its bid to convert the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust into a spot bitcoin offering. Grayscale has said it expects a verdict in the fall, though a ruling could come sooner.
Some analysts say Binance's dominance in the market for spot and futures trading hurts the chances of approval for a spot bitcoin ETF.
''Given the logic that the SEC has used up till now, Binance needs to go bust, and kosher venues need to take its place, before a U.S. bitcoin ETF gets approved, because it's only then that a majority of bitcoin trading will migrate to venues that tick both the SEC's 'regulated' and 'significant' requirements,'' John Paul Koning, a financial writer, said in a recent blog post.
The SEC sued Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, in early June alleging the overseas company operated an illegal trading platform in the U.S. and misused customers' funds. A day later, it sued Coinbase saying it violated rules that require it to register as an exchange and be overseen by the federal agency.
Write to Vicky Ge Huang at vicky.huang@wsj.com
ESPN cutting around 20 on-air stars in dramatic layoffs
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 14:00
ESPN is laying off some of its biggest stars, including Jeff Van Gundy, Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson, Suzy Kolber and Jalen Rose, in a purge that was expected to result in around 20 on-air personalities being let go Friday as the network hopes to save tens of millions of dollars, The Post has learned.
ESPN informed all of its employees Friday morning of the forthcoming cuts on an internal website, according to a memo obtained by The Post.
The five-paragraph note did not go into many specifics.
At the beginning of Disney's three rounds of layoffs, sources told The Post there would be ''no sacred cows'' at ESPN when letting go of personnel.
This became apparent on Friday.
Van Gundy, Kellerman, Johnson, Kolber and Rose were also joined by ''NFL Countdown'' analysts Matt Hasselbeck and Steve Young, NFL draft expert Todd McShay, college basketball analyst LaPhonso Ellis, ''SportsCenter'' anchor Ashley Brewer, ''College GameDay'' analyst David Pollack, radio host Jason Fitz, host Jordan Cornette, baseball writer Joon Lee and NBA reporter Nick Friedell.
Jeff Van Gundy, here with Mark Cuban, was laid off by ESPN. NBAE via Getty ImagesVan Gundy is considered one of the best NBA TV game analysts ever, while Johnson signed a big contract just a year ago.
Everything to know about ESPN LayoffsOn Friday, ESPN began the latest round of its layoffs, with several big names among the expect 20 on-air personalities being let go.
Network stalwarts Jeff Van Gundy, Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson, Suzy Kolber, Matt Hasselbeck, Steve Young and Todd McShay were some of the biggest names let go of by ESPN.
ESPN laying off around 20 on-air starsBasketball world shocked by ESPN ditching Jeff Van GundySuzy Kolber let go after 27 years at ESPNIt marked the third round of layoffs by the ''Worldwide Leader,'' with the previous two focusing on behind-the-scenes workers.
The massive layoffs come as part of mandates from parent company Disney, which announced earlier this year that around 7,000 jobs would be eliminated.
READ MORELast week, The Post reported the network was scrapping its morning radio show that featured Kellerman, Johnson and Jay Williams.
Kellerman makes in the neighborhood of $5 million a year, while Johnson, is in the second year of a five-year deal for around $18 million.
Williams has a contract that is up at the end of the summer. It is possible Williams could emerge as a replacement for Ellis.
Jalen Rose was let go by ESPN. NBAE via Getty ImagesESPN declined comment.
ESPN's parent company, Disney, previously had three rounds of layoffs with the goal of eliminating 7,000 jobs, which were ordered by the company's CEO, Bob Iger.
During those rounds, ESPN let go behind-the-scenes people, including longtime employees such as top executive Russell Wolff, PR guru Mike Soltys and editor Chuck Salituro.
Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off.Heartbreaking-but 27 years at ESPN was a good run.
So grateful for a 38 yr career!
Longevity for a woman in this business is something I'm especially proud of.
Next step- a project that gives back. ''¤¸ pic.twitter.com/URitozP0LQ
'-- Suzy Kolber (@SuzyKolber) June 30, 2023The layoffs come as ESPN added Pat McAfee with an $85 million contract. Getty ImagesWhile the previous layoffs were because of a Disney mandate, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro chose to delve into talent for this extra round.
The hope is by cutting those making in excess of seven figures per year, ESPN would be able to save more behind-the-scenes people.
Not everyone who will be let go will make more than a million bucks per year, however.
ESPN is having another round of layoffs Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesESPN will also signal to those with contracts coming up that it plans to be tougher in negotiations. It will still spend when it sees fit, as in the case of Pat McAfee, whom the network recently inked to a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $85 million for his show that begins in the fall on ESPN.
Executives believe McAfee's deal will make the network money from Day 1.
Those on-air people who were let go on Friday will likely be able to work at another network but will have to hash out the financial details with ESPN's legal department.
Of importance, Disney has made ESPN its own division, meaning in November it will break out its own earnings for the first time, which, despite cord cutting, are said to still be quite impressive, according to sources.
As part of the un-bylined internal network memo published Friday, ESPN, in part, wrote, ''In order to identify additional cost savings, ESPN determined it necessary to turn the cost management focus to public-facing commentator salaries, and that process has begun.
''This exercise will include a small group of job cuts in the short-term and an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months ahead.
''It's important for you to know that these are difficult decisions, involving individuals who have had tremendous impact on our company.
''They are based more on overall efficiency than merit, and we believe they will help us meet our financial targets and ensure future growth. Out of respect to all involved, we don't plan on releasing a complete list of names.''
Ford is set to lay off at least 1,000 workers - mostly engineers | Daily Mail Online
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 13:59
Ford is set to lay off at least 1,000 workers - mostly engineers - in its second major round of job cuts as costs pile up as a result of investing in electric carsThe redundancies will be the latest move in Ford's cost-cutting spree after embarking on ambitious $50 billion investment in EVsThe company says it is expected to lose $3 billion in operating profit on its EV business this year but expects it to be profitable pre-tax in 2026By Alice Wright For Dailymail.Com
Published: 15:47 EDT, 27 June 2023 | Updated: 01:32 EDT, 28 June 2023
Ford is set to lay off at least 1,000 employees and contract workers in its latest attempt to alleviate some of the heavy costs of investing in electric vehicles.
The planned job cuts will be focused on the engineering ranks of the business, a company spokesperson confirmed to the Wall Street Journal.
The redundancies will be the latest move in Ford's cost-cutting spree, after several rounds of global layoffs this year, including a 3,000-person reduction in the U.S last summer.
Ford, alongside other car manufacturers, have invested heavily in electric vehicles (EVs) in recent years, aiming to invest more than $50 billion by 2026.
The company plans to be able to manufacture EVs at a rate of 600,000 per year by the end of this year and 2 million a year by 2026.
Ford CEO, Jim Farley, suggested the cuts were due to the company's workforce not possessing the right skills for the more towards clean energy (pictured: Farley at the Amerex Technology summit in February)
Ford, alongside other car manufacturers, have invested heavily in electric vehicles (EVs) in recent years (pictured: Ford all-electric Mustang Mach-E)
The company says it is expected to lose $3 billion in operating profit on its EV business this year.
'Teams that were affected were pulled together yesterday to let them know that there would be actions taken this week' Ford spokesman T.R. Reid said.
'Then individual people will be notified today and tomorrow,' they added.
The company's stock appeared to be performing well, closing 2.37 percent higher on Tuesday, and up more than 14 percent in the last month.
Ford CEO, Jim Farley, also suggested the cuts were due to the company's workforce not possessing the right skills for the move towards clean energy, and that the company is adapting.
'It's more real time and not kind of big titanic events,' he said, adding that the company is hiring in some areas, such as software development.
As well as cost-cutting internally Ford has sought government financing to expand its battery-manufacturing operations.
The US energy department last week confirmed it would loan a Ford joint venture $9.2 billion to expand its production across its factories in Kentucky and Tennessee.
News of the job cuts come just weeks before Ford is set to start negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union
Ford's planned job cuts will be focused on the engineering ranks of the business
Ford's stock appeared to be performing well, up more than 14 percent in the last month
News of the job cuts come just weeks before the company is set to start negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union over a new our-year labor contract for its hourly factory workers.
There is a higher than usual risk of strikes, analysts have suggested, after the election of a tough new leadership team.
UAW President Shawn Fain, who was elected in March, has criticized the federal loan, suggesting it is not actually benefitting the company's workforce.
'These companies are extremely profitable and will continue to make money hand-over-fist whether they're selling combustion engines or EVs. Yet the workers get a smaller and smaller piece of the pie,' he said.
Company officials said the electric vehicle unit, called Ford Model e, will be profitable before taxes by late 2026 with an 8% pretax profit margin.
Other businesses have also announced brutal job cuts this week, including KPMG who say they are to cut 5 percent of its US workforce.
A spokesperson for the accounting firm said on Monday the decision was in reaction to 'economic headwinds, coupled with historically low attrition.'
It comes after the Big Four firm already cut about 2 percent of its US employee count in February.
'We do not take this decision lightly. However, we believe it is in the best long-term interest of our firm and will position us for continued success into the future,' KPMG said in an emailed statement.
Goldman Sachs to layoff employees, including managing directors globally amid deals slump | Mint
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 13:59
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World/ Goldman Sachs to layoff employees, including managing directors globally amid deals slump
1 min read 26 Jun 2023, 05:00 PM IST LivemintGoldman Sachs Group Inc. has started cutting managing directors across the globe as the firm reduces its headcount amid a deals slump, according to people familiar with the matter.
Premium Goldman Sachs is looking to let go of about 125 Managing Directors, including some in investment banking (Reuters) Goldman Sachs Group has started to cut down jobs as it is looking to let go of managing directors across the globe as the firm reduces its headcount amid deal slumps.
The group is looking to let go of about 125 Managing Directors, including some in investment banking, reported news agency Bloomberg citing source, who asked not be identified. Not all of the layoffs have happened yet, the people said,
This move by Goldman Sachs is a part of a deep cost-savings drive at the bank, which has seen at least three rounds of job cuts in less than a year.
Goldman Sachs and other banks had ramped up hiring in 2020 and 2021 amid a surge in M&A and initial public offerings are now grappling with falling fees as dealmaking sputters.
Deal values have fallen more than 40 per cent this year to $1.2 trillion, with Goldman Sachs the number two adviser globally, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The last time the bank didn't top the rankings at the halfway point of a year was in 2018, the data show.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is terminating about 40 investment bankers as part of its effort to cope with the global slowdown, Bloomberg News reported Friday. Citigroup Inc. also started cutting hundreds of jobs across the company this year, and is planning to shed 30 investment-banking jobs and 20 more at its corporate bank in London.
In the past month, several Goldman Sachs veterans have joined competitors, including Wells Fargo & Co. and Banco Santander SA. Tech banking co-head and global head of semiconductors, Tammy Kiely, jumped to Evercore Inc., Bloomberg news reported on Thursday.
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Dutch government declares a state of emergency to stop farmer protest '' The Expose
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 13:27
Breaking News The Hague, the seat of the Dutch government, declared a state of emergency to prevent farmers from driving their tractors into the city to protest the government's mandatory fertilizer reduction targets.
The organisers of Thursday's protest, the Farmers Defence Force, said the state of emergency was a way to quash their democratic rights and freedom of assembly.
Read more: The Hague declares a state of emergency to stop Dutch farmer protests, The Counter Signal, 29 June 2023
Let's not lose touch'...Your Government and Big Tech are actively trying to censor the information reported by The Expos(C) to serve their own needs. Subscribe now to make sure you receive the latest uncensored news in your inbox'...
On Tuesday, Dutch Farmer Jolanda Nooijers explained why she would be joining the protest.
Subtitled!!This is Jolanda Nooijers a Dutch Farmer. She tells what is happening today and what they have planned in back rooms and pushed laws through against any consentThey are planning on doing this all over the world , so this is a heads up to those abroad to stay'... pic.twitter.com/oQCqBHqgWg
'-- The Keystone Channel (@TKCrecovered) June 26, 2023On Thursday, Dutch farmers decided to make their way to The Hague to protest regardless of the state of emergency.
Netherlands ð"ð± Anti Nitrogen Cuts, Anti Govt Lies ð--¥ Here they come again.. The Farmers En Route to The Hague in solidarity against proposed restrictions that threaten their industry'....ð'ð'¤ ð''ð''ð'ð'(C)ð'ð'ð'ð'§ ð'--ð'¤ð'ª ð'¾ð'ð'£ ð'ð'¤ ð'ð'ð'¨ð'§ð'ªð'¥ð'(C) ð'ð''ð'ð'ð'§ ð'ð'ð'ð'£ð'¨'....ð--¥ pic.twitter.com/Kl2jNWTwCT
'-- ð'ð'ð'ð'ð'ð'ð'ð'½ð'ð'ð'ð'ð' (@Risemelbourne) June 30, 2023However, When the tractors arrived, they were redirected to a parking lot by police and so could not reach The Hague. In other words, protestors were denied access to The Hague, and so their right to protest, by police.
The Netherlands ð"ð± is the world's 2nd biggest exporter of farm produce, yet the Dutch government are sabotaging their own farmers. Dutch government proposals for tackling nitrogen emissions mean an estimated 11,000 farms will close.#NoFarmsNoFood pic.twitter.com/0gHBklZhoC
'-- James Melville (@JamesMelville) June 30, 2023Last Tuesday, the Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy, Rob Jetten, when presenting his latest climate package to Parliament said that with an investment of 28 billion euros, there could be 80 gigatons less CO2 and would reduce the global temperature by 0.00036 degrees Celsius.
''The Netherlands has for years missed its climate goals. Now it's time for a great leap forward,'' Jetten said, calling the package ''ambitious.'' He presented 120 different measures which he said would make sure CO2 emissions in the Netherlands will be 55 per cent lower than in 1990 by 2030.
The Dutch government can reportedly spend 28 billion euros to reduce the temperature on Earth by 0.000036 degrees. This would mean that each resident would have to contribute about 1,647 euros and a family of four about 6,588 euros., News Facts reported.
As a reminder why the Dutch government would spend so much and yet admit so little could be gained as would be negligible, in July 2022, Greenpeace co-founder Dr. Patrick Moore explained how unelected globalists, including Klaus Schwab and the United Nations, are using the climate scam as an excuse to cut off fossil fuels and nitrogen fertiliser, to deliberately depopulate the planet.
In a broad-ranging discussion including whether the earth is headed for another ice age, the maximum number of people the globe can handle, what would happen if the population were to double in size, whether our presidents and world ''leaders'' care about the future or just their time in office and the importance of sustainable energy, Dr. Moore said:
''Carbon dioxide [and] temperature [ ] are actually slightly negatively correlated in the long historical record. In other words, it is not a cause-effect relationship '... There is no historical relationship between the level of CO2 in the atmosphere and the temperature of the earth '... The climate has changed long before humans could have been any factor in it. It's been changing all through the history of the earth.
''Nitrogen fertilizer [ ] used in the world's agriculture today [ ] results in at least a doubling of crop production '... we see '... Sri Lanka banning nitrogen fertilizer and the Netherlands now basically banning much of the nitrogen fertilizer and this is the biggest threat we have right now to an immediate starvation situation in the world '... The reason it's self-inflicted, this food shortage '... [is] 70 per cent of the air is nitrogen. We could take nitrogen out of the air for the next million years and make fertilizer because it all goes back into the air again eventually, the same with the carbon dioxide.
''When climate change first came up as an issue, I realised that we were being duped and it was all about money '... These powerful elites, like Schwab and on down, they want control of the world. They want control of everybody. Now what do they want? They want fewer people.''
PBD Podcast: The Truth About Greenpeace with Dr. Patrick Moore, 14 July 2022 (118 mins)
Authorities Shut Down E-Bike Shop Due to Multiple Fire Hazards - Activist Post
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 13:25
By B.N. Frank
Electric vehicles (EVs) of various brands and models have been associated with battery-related fires (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). Of course, e-bikes as well have been associated with battery-related fires which have resulted in deaths as well as extensive property damage, particularly in New York City (see 1, 2, 3, 4). Authorities are now actively trying to prevent more of them.
From Men's Journal:
After a Deadly E-Bike Battery Fire, NYC Authorities Shut Down 'Ticking Time Bomb' Bike ShopFour people were killed in a fire earlier this month.
Chris Malone M(C)ndez
On June 20, four people were killed and two were critically injured in a fire at an e-bike shop in New York City. The lithium ion batteries that the devices use are the leading cause of fire deaths in NYC and have led to a citywide crackdown led by the Fire Department of New York. On the heels of the tragedy, authorities just shut down a potentially deadly shop just a few blocks from where the fire last week broke out.
''This location was truly a death trap,'' FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh said on June 29 of the Canal Street storefront, according to The New York Post. ''We found multiple fire hazards, damaged batteries, and overloaded power strips.''
''This is a life and death situation,'' Kavanaugh continued. ''Failure to comply with required safety practices can result in blood on your hands as we saw last week, and the fire department will do everything in its power to make sure you abide by the law.''
E-bikes are a popular mode of transportation in the city for food delivery drivers and commuters alike. But they also represent a growing danger. CNN reports that lithium ion batteries have caused 108 fires and 13 deaths in New York so far this year, up from 10 fatalities in 2021 and 2022 combined. The city beefed up its e-bike battery regulation in March by forming a special task force designed to inspect and hunt down illegal charging stations and other hazardous materials.
Kavanaugh reiterated the city's commitment to safety in yesterday's press conference. ''This location was essentially a ticking time bomb,'' she stated, per The New York Times.
And with bikes piled high on the sidewalk, she demonstrated that the municipal government means business. ''We are not kidding around, as you can see here. We will continue to inspect and reinspect locations to ensure batteries are being used safely,'' she declared. ''If you are operating a business that is in any way improperly charging, storing, or tampering with lithium ion batteries, we will find you.''
Given that e-bikes present such a high risk, it might be worth considering biking around the old-fashioned way for now.
(C) 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC MENS JOURNAL is a registered trademark of The Arena Media Brands, LLC.
Activist Post reports regularly about EVs and unsafe technologies. For more information, visit our archives.
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'Athena' Trailer, Release Date, Plot and Cast of Upcoming Netflix Film - The Teal Mango
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 13:20
Recently, Romain Gavras' Athena premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 2, 2022. According to the latest report in Deadline, the immersive modern tragedy Athena received a 4 1/2-minute standing ovation in the process.
The people couldn't stop themselves from applauding and appreciating the film at the Venice Film Festival. Continue reading further to know everything about the film Athena from its release date to the trailer to cast members.
Athena is a movie that focuses on racism, violence, injustice, and everything in between. We are pretty sure that Romain Gavras' new drama thriller will be an eye-opener for many. The people at the Venice Film Festival had nothing but good things to say about the film.
One user wrote, '' Romanin Gavras has reached the jackpot with the Netflix production, and put all the money in good use. I enjoyed this movie and overall is pretty wonderful: the camera works are intricate and beautiful. Photography is great. Story is good. Acting is great. Overall 7/10'"
What is the film 'Athena' all about?For those of you who are unversed, let us tell you, that the movie Athena revolves around the tragic tale of three siblings who live in some unexplained circumstances and the story of their life takes a big turn when the youngest brother passes away amid an alleged fight with the police.
Then, one of the brothers named Abdel who is a soldier in the French Army is called back from the front lines, and he strives to ease out the tensions that keep building up between his older brother Moktar's illicit activities and his younger brother Karim's desire for vengeance. He struggles to keep up with the escalating tensions between his two brothers.
In a media interaction, Romain Gavras talked about Athena and stated that Athena is ''a story of brotherhood and this familial violence that is going to overflow the neighborhood and then the country. In civil wars, it's that: brother against brother, family against family, and then nation against nation.''
The plot of the movie 'Athena' explainedThe story of the film Athena starts with the strange passing away of a young boy who is survived by his three brothers and he leaves behind a grieving neighborhood in the nearby Athena housing project.
Athena is a modern-day Greek tragedy that chronicles the tale of a soldier named Abdel who is called back from the front lines, when his youngest brother, a young toddler gets allegedly killed in a police incident.
Then, Karim, the younger brother comes forward and leads the youth of the town in a revolt against the police authorities. Within the blink of an eye, their community turns into a fortress under siege. The elder brother, Abdel who came back from the French Army faces hardships in order to get through the building tensions and his brother Karim's quest against the police.
Is the film 'Athena' based on a true story?During a recent interaction with Hollywood Reporter, Romain said, ''It's not a real estate. We called it Athena just because we wanted to pull the thread of Greek tragedy, and of course, Athena is the goddess of war and wisdom. So it's not a real neighborhood, and it's not based on a real story.''
Gavras further added, ''It was based on a lot of stories. This riot hasn't happened yet, but it's almost like it's the riot that could happen. We wanted to imagine what could be the sparkle that could really ignite the whole country, and be in it almost like a pre-civil war first battle. Because there's a lot of tension everywhere in the world, but also in Paris.''
Gavras continued, ''And we feel like everyone's kind of pushing towards that. And we know from history that civil wars are the worst thing that can happen to society. When you look at the Greek civil war, it's something that men in my family have known '-- it's like grandfather against grandfather; cousin against cousin. It's the worst because it's within the family. This is why we took the intimacy of a family getting torn apart, where their torment spills across the neighborhood and then across the country.''
What is the star cast of the film?The tragic film Athena has an amazing ensemble cast. The movie stars Dali Benssalah as Abdel, Sami Slimane as Karim, Ouassini Embarek as Moktar, Anthony Bajon as J(C)r´me and Alexis Manenti as S(C)bastien.
In a media interaction, Romain, the director of the film Athena explained that the cast and crew of the movie had rehearsed for almost eight weeks before filming across 52 days outside the French capital and without CGI.
Gavras said, ''The fights are real, the pyrotechnics are real. It's always difficult to create an impression of chaos and hysteria and violence, but there was an almost military organization to the process.''
The director continued, ''We conceived of it and choreographed it almost like an opera, but always in a very realistic way so that the choreography isn't felt. There is a heightened reality with very strong symbolism '-- almost mythological shots '-- layered onto the present to create a sort of timeless war.''
When will the film 'Athena' be released?We know all of you are pretty excited to see Athena, so mark your calendars as the tragic tale will drop on the streaming giant Netflix on September 23, Friday. The movie will hit the screens at 12 a.m. PT/ 3 a.m. ET. The total runtime of the movie is 97 minutes.
For his third feature film Athena, Romain Gavras has joined hands with previous collaborator Elias Belkeddar. He has also collaborated with his longtime friend Ladj Ly (Les Mis(C)rables) to pen down the script of the film. In addition to this, Ly and Romain are also the producers of the film.
Are you looking forward to watching Romain Gavras's Athena? Kindly let us know your thoughts on the forthcoming film in the comments section below. Don't forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world of showbiz.
Zeeland was een spil in de Nederlandse slavenhandel
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 13:13
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CIA instructs Russians how to contact the spy agency - The Washington Post
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 13:05
With the war in Ukraine in its third month, the CIA is taking a new approach to its core job of recruiting spies and soliciting secrets.
On Monday, the CIA published instructions for how Russians can covertly volunteer information using an encrypted conduit to the agency's website. The hope is to attract intelligence '-- and potentially gain more access to official Russian secrets '-- from disaffected people who have been trying to contact the CIA since the war began, officials said.
To ensure the would-be informants are not caught by Russian state security, the CIA spelled out detailed Russian-language instructions in three social media posts on how to use the Tor Internet browser, which lets users move online anonymously, as well as virtual private networks, or VPNs. The steps will open a dedicated channel to the CIA that is more secure than navigating to the agency using an ordinary Web browser or Internet connection.
''Do not use your home or office computer to get in touch with us,'' the agency cautions in its step-by-step guide. To circumvent online monitors, Russians should use a VPN that is not based in Russia, China or other countries considered ''unfriendly'' to the United States. Free VPNs are generally inferior to paid services, the CIA advises, encouraging its contacts to spring for a premium version.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted more Russians to take the risky step of getting in touch with the intelligence agency, officials said.
''Concerned Russians are trying to engage CIA, and we wanted to provide a way to safely contact us,'' said a CIA official, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive intelligence issues.
The CIA is accustomed to disaffected citizens or government employees volunteering information, sometimes when they show up at U.S. embassies. ''Walk-ins,'' whether physical or digital, are scrutinized and vetted, and officials often try to determine what access they might have to secrets other than the ones they come bearing, according to former intelligence officials familiar with the process.
The new instructions are aimed at ''those who feel compelled to reach us because of the Russian government's unjust war,'' a CIA spokesperson said in an email. ''Our global mission demands that individuals can contact us securely from anywhere.''
Hubris and isolation led Vladimir Putin to misjudge Ukraine
The agency asks digital walk-ins to provide their full name, the country from which they are corresponding, their official position and ''what access you have to information of interest to our organization.''
There is no guarantee that the information Russians pass over the transom will be useful. But the fact the CIA looked for a way to make it easier for motivated Russians to make contact suggests there are many potential recruits queuing up, intelligence veterans said.
''It is a signal that they are being overwhelmed by people trying to contact U.S. intelligence in ways that are less than secure,'' said John Sipher, a former CIA officer who served for nearly 30 years, including in Russia. ''In this day and age, I think it is appropriate to offer means for initial contact that are safer than walking into an embassy or approaching an American on the street.''
Dan Hoffman, a retired intelligence officer who served as the CIA's top official in Moscow, said Russian counterintelligence will be on heightened alert for those looking to spill secrets.
''You want to be really careful with Russians who are seeking to provide information. The FSB in particular will be watching for people,'' Hoffman said, referring to the principal Russian security agency and successor to the KGB.
The CIA's intelligence-gathering tactics fit within a broader strategy by the U.S. government to counter Russian efforts at stifling free speech and access to credible news and information.
The State Department recently sponsored an online conversation on Telegram, a popular social media application in Russia, featuring Victoria Nuland, the undersecretary for political affairs, that drew about 2.3 million engagements, according to a State Department official.
A significant number of the comments directed at Nuland were critical of the United States, the official said, but the sheer volume indicated that Russians were interested in hearing from an American official and could get access to her comments via Telegram, which the government has not blocked.
The Russian government has cracked down on some social media platforms and limited Russians' ability to use them. But a number are still active and thriving, the official said. YouTube continues operating with millions of viewers, and tens of millions of Russians are using the WhatsApp messaging service, the official said, citing conversations with the app's owner, Meta.
Reports of ''the demise of means of communication with Russia are a bit exaggerated,'' the official said. ''The fact is we are still able to talk to Russian audiences.'' The official noted that it is key to use Russian to maximize engagement.
Social platforms' bans muffle Russian state media propaganda
The department has also seen evidence that Russians are actively looking for ways to skirt Internet restrictions. Following a push by the government to clamp down on the flow of information about the war after it began, Russians sought out VPNs in large numbers. Demand for VPN services in Russia rose 2,692 percent in March, according to data from Top10VPN. Russia's ban on Facebook and Twitter helped drive demand for the services, the company reported.
The State Department official said that the Russian government appears to have let some popular social media companies continue operating, for a few reasons. First, the government's ability to cut off access is limited compared with other authoritarian regimes such as China. But the Kremlin may also want to placate Russians who are chafing under other online restrictions and speech controls, such as a prohibition on using the word ''war'' to describe Russia's attack on Ukraine.
''I think [Russian officials] know if they take away a widely popular platform there will be complaints about that,'' the State Department official said. He added that the authorities in Moscow could still move to block WhatsApp and YouTube if the content Russians encounter runs afoul of the official line.
''There are so many users in Russia still dependent on those platforms, I think the government was hesitant to pull those away and create more discontent within the country,'' the official said.
Understanding the Russia-Ukraine conflict
12ft | We can topple Mark Rutte and form a government, say leaders of Dutch farmers party
9th Circuit rejects TSA claim of impunity for checkpoint staff who rape travelers '' Papers, Please!
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 12:58
Jun 26 2023
Last December, we attended and reported on oral argument before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in a case in which the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) argued that TSA checkpoint staff have absolute immunity from lawsuits for assault, even sexual assault or rape, committed against travelers they are ''screening''.
We're pleased to report that today the 9th Circuit panel of judges rejected the TSA's claim of impunity. The three judges found unanimously that the Federal Tort Clams Act (FTCA) allows lawsuits against the TSA for damages caused by checkpoint staff who assault travelers. The 9th Circuit thus joins every other Circuit Court of Appeals (the 3rd, 4th, and 8th) to have addressed this issue in a published opinion.
The case decided today by the 9th Circuit will now return to the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas for much-belated consideration of the claim against the TSA and its officers. The precedent set by today's decision will apply throughout the 9th Circuit, the largest of the Federal judicial circuits, including all of the states on the West Coast.
Kudos to Jonathan Corbett, Esq., who has represented the plaintiffs in each of these cases. Coals for Christmas to the TSA for continuing to argue for impunity for its staff to one Circuit Court after another, despite the growing weight of precedent against the agency and, perhaps more importantly, the moral repugnance of arguing that any agents of the government should be entitled to assault or rape members of the public with impunity.
World's first fully electric flying car approved by FAA and accepting preorders
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 12:52
A California company building a flying electric car is now taking preorders.
Alef Aeronautics' flying car has been given a Special Airworthiness Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), meaning the company will be allowed to road/air test the car, the company said in a news release.
The fully-electric vehicle (with a hydrogen option for a higher price) is a low-speed vehicle that can be driven up to 200 miles on public roads and fits into a regular garage, but it can also launch vertically into the air with a flying range of 110 miles, according to Alef's website.
The company's ''Model A'' car ''can fly forward above the obstacles until a desired destination is reached,'' the San Mateo-based company says.
''The driver and the cabin are stabilized by a unique gimbaled rotating cabin design.''
Alef touts the car's ability to avoid traffic, fly in any direction while giving a ''cinematic 180 plus degree view for safe and enjoyable flight.''
Customers can preorder the vehicle, which can seat up to two people is expected to cost around $300,000.
Alef Aeronautics' flying car has been given a Special Airworthiness Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), meaning the company will be allowed to road/air test the car. FOX BusinessAn FAA spokesperson told Fox Business it ''issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate for the Armada Model Zero aircraft on June 12, 2023. This certificate allows the aircraft to be used for limited purposes, including exhibition, research and development. This is not the first aircraft of its kind for which the FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate.''
Alef first unveiled the car last October, and said it has already taken a ''strong'' number of preorders from people and businesses.
The FAA is working on policies for the takeoff and landing of electric vehicles, the company said.
''We're excited to receive this certification from the FAA,'' Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny, who co-founded the company in 2015, said in a statement.
The fully-electric vehicle is a low-speed vehicle that can be driven up to 200 miles on public roads and fits into a regular garage, but it can also launch vertically into the air with a flying range of 110 miles FOX BusinessDukhovny and co-founders Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin and Oleg Petrovwere were first inspired to first try to create a flying car in 2015, when they realized it was the same year Marty McFly drove one in ''Back to the Future II,'' the website says.
''During one of the Science Fiction lectures, Jim Dukhovny talked about how flying cars are finally possible in 2015,'' the website says.
''But he lacked technical skills to take on such a complicated task by himself.''
The four met at a caf(C) and set out to design a flying car.
Dukhovny added that the certification ''allows us to move closer to bringing people an environmentally friendly and faster commute, saving individuals and companies hours each week. This is a one small step for planes, one giant step for cars.''
Fox Business has reached out to Alef Aero for comment.
Why are people protesting in France - and why is there a history of rioting? | World News | Sky News
Sun, 02 Jul 2023 04:58
Riots have broken out in Paris and other French cities after a teenage boy was shot dead by police during a traffic stop.
Thousands of officers have been deployed and more than 100 people have been arrested as protesters clash with riot police.
President Emmanuel Macron has held an emergency security meeting to ensure "peace can return", while French stars such as footballer Kylian Mbappe and actor Omar Sy have condemned police brutality.
Here Sky News looks at what happened and why the suburbs of French cities have a history of rioting.
France stops public transport and deploys 40,000 officers
What happened in Nanterre?
On Tuesday reports emerged of a police shooting in Nanterre - just over four miles north west of Paris.
Video footage, which has since been widely circulated online, shows two armed police officers stopping a yellow car.
They lean into the driver's window with their guns before the vehicle pulls away and one of the officers fires towards it. A separate clip shows the car crashed into a post nearby.
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1:53 Sky News Europe correspondent Adam Parsons reports from NanterreThe Nanterre prosecutor's office confirmed the victim was a 17-year-old boy, who has been named locally as Nahel M.
He died at the scene and the officer involved is being held in custody on suspicion of voluntary homicide, they said.
His mother appeared in a video on Instagram alongside an anti-police brutality activist, saying: "I have lost a child of 17 years old. They took my baby. He was still a child. He needs his mother.
"This morning, he said: 'Mum, I love you'. I said: 'Be careful'."
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0:14 Video shows moment of police shooting on Tuesday Image: The victim has been named locally as Nahel, 17 Read more:40,000 police officers to be deployed across FranceEyewitness: Anger and anarchy have taken grip
In the aftermath, people took to the streets of Nanterre to protest, setting cars alight and throwing stones and fireworks at police - who responded with tear gas.
Buildings, including schools, town halls and the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics in nearby Seine-Saint-Denis, were also set on fire.
Image: Firefighters try to contain car fires in Nanterre Image: Protesters let off fireworks, Pic:AP The violence has spread to other Parisian suburbs (banlieues) and cities elsewhere in France - from Toulouse to Dijon and Lille.
Police say 150 people have been arrested - more than half in the greater Paris region.
So far 40,000 police officers have been deployed to tackle unrest nationwide - including 5,000 in Paris.
Why is there a history of rioting in France's suburbs?
Asked about the incident during a visit to Marseille on Wednesday, Mr Macron was quick to condemn the police's actions, describing them as "inexplicable and unforgivable". "Nothing can justify the death of a young person," he said.
As he tries to manage the violent aftermath of the boy's death, he will be all too aware of the heavily-entrenched tensions that lie behind it.
Dr Itay Lotem, senior lecturer in French studies at the University of Westminster, describes this week's events as "nearly well-rehearsed".
"A police officer kills a teenager from one of the underprivileged communities around Paris, triggering ripples of anger," he says.
"Groups of disaffected youth take to the streets of the banlieue and target symbols of the state, whether police stations or schools."
Timeline of French suburban riots
1979: Regarded as the first French suburban riot in the Lyon suburb of Vaulx-en-Velin after a young person of North African descent was arrested.
1991: In March, a department store and cars were set alight in Sartrouville, north of Paris, after an Arab teenager was shot dead by a supermarket security guard.
In June the same year violence broke out again in nearby Mantes-la-Jolie after a 32-year-old policewoman was hit by a stolen car and killed. Police later shot dead Youssef Khaif, 23, who was driving another stolen car in the area.
1992: The police station in Lyon's Vaulx-en-Velin suburb was set on fire after 18-year-old Mohamed Bahri was shot dead by police after the car he was in drove towards a police roadblock.
1995: Riots broke out in several of Lyon's suburbs after police killed Algerian terrorist Khaled Kelkal '' one of the orchestrators of the 1995 bombings in Paris and Lyon. TV footage showed police shouting "finish him" before they killed him.
1997: Rioting in Dammarie-les-Lys, southeast of Paris, after 16-year-old Abdelkadher Bouziane was shot and killed by police, who also injured his friend.
1998: Riots lasted for two days on the outskirts of Toulouse after Habib Muhammed, 17, was shot by police during a car theft.
2005: Three weeks of riots and a state of emergency in the suburbs of Paris and other cities after two teenagers were electrocuted as they tried to evade police.
2007: The death of two teenagers, 16 and 17, whose motorbike crashed with a police car sparked two days of rioting in Val-d'Oise, to the north of Paris.
2009: Riots took place on 9 July and again on 4 July (Bastille Day) in the eastern Parisian suburb of Montreuil after the death of Mohamed Benmouna, a young Algerian man, in police custody.
2013: Trappes near Paris experienced rioting after a Muslim man was arrested for assaulting a police officer who had tried to lift his wife's veil following the ban on face coverings in 2010.
2016: The death of a black man, Adama Traore, in police custody after he was restrained triggered rioting in several French cities and a wider 'Justice for Adama' anti-racist movement.
2017: Riots lasted almost two weeks after Theo Luhaka was arrested and claimed he was racially abused and raped by police with a baton in Seine-Saint-Denis, north of Paris.
The origins of the 'banlieue' stem back to the years following the Second World War, when the French government began to provide social housing en masse. This resulted in thousands of tower blocks being built on the periphery of French cities between 1945 and 1975.
They were originally designed for lower-middle class families who commuted for work. But in the 1970s amid high unemployment and racial tensions following the Algerian War and the end of French colonialism, they became increasingly occupied by low-income, immigrant communities.
Underfunded by successive governments with poor quality housing and job prospects, they were labelled "problem" or "high-risk" areas.
Crime was high and young people on the streets would often clash with police, who had a reputation for a brutal, zero-tolerance policy of unrest.
Image: A burnt out car in Nanterre Image: Damage to a local police station 'Clean out the estates'
The first 'banlieue' riot was in 1979 in the Lyon suburb of Vaulx-en-Velin, which broke out after a local teenager of North African descent was arrested.
The most notable, however, came in 2005 and lasted for three weeks. It started in Clichy-sous-Bois, north of Paris, when two youths were electrocuted and died as they tried to evade police.
A state of emergency was declared after protesters burnt down buildings and set fire to cars.
Image: A burnt out van in Clichy-sous-Bois near Paris in 2005 Image: Nicolas Sarkozy meets French riot police in Perpignan southern France in 2005 Future President Nicolas Sarkozy, then interior minister, inflamed tensions by vowing to "clean out the estates with a Karcher" (a brand of pressure washer) and using the words "yobs" and "trash".
These tensions "have only been amplified" by the far-right since then, Dr Lotem adds, particularly the National Front, which began achieving electoral success in the early 2000s.
The daughter of its founder, Marine Le Pen, who rebranded the party National Rally in 2018, has described Mr Macron's condemnation of the police this week as "excessive" and "irresponsible", saying he should "let them do their job".
Although the 2005 violence sent shockwaves around the country and triggered a wave of reform programmes in the banlieues, repeated incidences of rioting suggest little has changed since then.
"When many rioters today claim they are not heard, they address 2005 as a moment after which nothing changed," Dr Lotem says.
And for teenagers who do not remember 2005, "the frustration with the state has been nurtured through the politics of the post-2005 era", he adds.
How is the government responding?
Leading an emergency security meeting on Thursday, Emmanuel Macron described this week's "acts of violence'... against a police station, schools, city halls" as "totally unjustifiable".
But he insisted there must be "remembrance and respect" to the victim's family and his community, particularly during the silent march that took place in Nanterre on Thursday.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said police seen in the video circulated "clearly don't respect the rules of engagement of our security forces" and she hopes "calm will prevail over anger".
Image: People march through Nanterre in memory of Nahel Initially, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin described the footage of the incident as "shocking", but in response to the rioting he said: "The state must be firm in its response."
Dr Lotem says that although politicians want to appear sympathetic, there is still widespread distrust among the communities involved.
"The main bone of contention is the perception of the state as the main facilitator of police violence," he says.
Image: French President Emmanuel Macron on his visit to Marseille this week He points to the 2017 law - passed in the aftermath of the 2015 terror attacks in Paris - which gives the police more rights to use lethal force in the face of perceived threats.
According to French journalist and researcher Sihame Assbague, at least 40 people die during police interventions in France every year.
A police spokesperson confirmed that this week's shooting is the third fatal one during a traffic stop so far this year. Last year the figure was 13 - an all-time record.
Prepare For ''high-intensity war'': France Built A New Military Hospital - Activist Post
Sat, 01 Jul 2023 14:08
By Mac Slavo
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the construction of a military hospital in Marseilles, with the facility intended to ''prepare France for a possible high-intensity war.'' Macron announced that a new military hospital would be built on the Sainte-Marthe site by ''the beginning of the next decade.''
According to a report by CNews, Macron said in a statement that the hospital will be able to provide a range of healthcare services. It will also ''play a key role in the event of a major war,'' the tyrant said, adding that ''the next-generation medical center is intended to meet the needs of the army for decades to come.''
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, more and more European countries are rethinking their combat strategies and developing their armed forces.
Many nations are now trying to prepare for a possible imminent conflict, in which the most advanced and powerful combat equipment, excluding nuclear weapons, is expected to be deployed. For France, the new hospital will fulfill the role of being able to ''treat more serious combat casualties,'' according to Macron, who said the facility will cost the government '¬300 million to construct. ''Remix
This will not be the first military hospital in Marseilles. The Laveran Hospital has been in operation for a long time, but local authorities believe it is no longer modern enough to meet the challenges of the war in Ukraine or future conflicts to come.
Military hospitals went up during COVID, too, and sat empty as the ruling class continued to lie to the public and tell them there was a pandemic raging.
Army's Seattle Field Hospital Closed After 3 Days & Without Seeing A Single Patient
France's ruling class has already taken to warning the public that they will see a massive drop in their standard of living as tyrants invest in wars.
France's Ruler Warns: People Will See The ''End Of Abundance''
Source: SHTFplan
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ChatGPT Creator OpenAI Sued for Violating Privacy in 'AI Arms Race' - Bloomberg
Fri, 30 Jun 2023 21:58
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Wen this is over | Podcastindex.org
Fri, 30 Jun 2023 17:22
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American troops will not fight in Ukraine '' Washington '-- RT World News
Fri, 30 Jun 2023 12:58
Both the US and EU have ruled out the deployment of individual NATO members' forces against Russia
US President Joe Biden has no intention of sending American troops to Ukraine, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Thursday. However, while its forces may not be openly fighting Russians, an unknown number of US military personnel are reported active in the zone of hostilities.
''The president has been very clear that US troops will not be on the ground in Ukraine,'' Miller said at a press briefing in Washington.
Miller had been asked whether the US supported former NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen's suggestion earlier this month that individual NATO members '' likely Poland and the Baltic states '' could deploy troops to Ukraine without involving the entire bloc. Rasmussen said that such a scenario would be likely if NATO fails to agree on ''security guarantees'' for Ukraine at a summit next month in Lithuania.
Miller's answer did not directly address the issue of a potential Polish or Baltic mission to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the EU has rejected the idea of any such mission. ''To send ground troops to Ukraine is to be a party in a war, to be at war with Russia, and nobody wants that, neither the EU, nor NATO,'' the director general of the European Union Military Staff, Vice Admiral Herve Blejean, said two weeks ago.
Despite Miller's insistence that the US will stay at arm's length from the Ukrainian conflict, US forces are already operating in the country. The Pentagon acknowledged in November that a ''small number'' of American troops were guarding the US embassy in Kiev and inspecting weapons deliveries away from the front lines. In April, leaked Pentagon documents suggested that 14 US special forces personnel were deployed in Ukraine as of mid-March, along with 50 from the UK.
Aside from active-duty troops, there are an unknown number of US citizens fighting alongside Kiev's forces. Multiple Americans have been captured by Russian soldiers, and several hundred were listed as fighting in Ukraine by Russia last summer.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that as many as ''20 foreign mercenaries and military advisers'' were killed in a missile strike on a temporary base of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donbass city of Kramatorsk on Tuesday. Unverified images and videos circulating on social media after the strike purportedly showed English-speaking military personnel in American uniforms recovering the dead and wounded from the base.
Moscow already considers the US and NATO to be involved in the conflict by proxy, with Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing the West last week of waging war against Russia ''to the last Ukrainian.''
2023 - Ukrainian Airlines flight shot down | Canada and three other countries are suing the Iranian government
Fri, 30 Jun 2023 12:38
(OTTAWA) Canada and three other countries are turning to the international tribunal to ensure that Iran is held responsible for shooting down Ukrainian Airlines flight PS752 more than three years ago.
Along with Britain, Sweden and Ukraine, Canada called on Iran six months ago to agree to binding arbitration through a UN convention designed to protect airliners from attack .
The International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752 said in a joint statement on Thursday that since Iran has not accepted this request, the dispute will be submitted to the International Court of Justice ''as soon as possible''.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down the Ukrainian Airlines flight just minutes after takeoff on January 8, 2020, killing all 176 people on board.
Among the passengers were 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents, as well as others with ties to Canada. The other victims had links to Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ukraine.
The call for binding arbitration follows years of failed negotiations with Tehran to seek compensation and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, M(C)lanie Joly, planned to meet the families of the victims of flight PS752 on Thursday to take stock of the next steps in this file.
'' Time is up. We are taking Iran to the International Court of Justice for shooting down flight PS752, as promised to the families of the victims, she wrote on Twitter. We will get the transparency, accountability & justice that families deserve. Impunity is not an option. >>
Kourosh Doustshenas, whose fianc(C)e died when the plane was shot down, hailed the intervention at the international court as a step forward.
Despite Iran's reluctance to engage in arbitration, the next process will take place ''whether they like it or not'', said Mr Doustshenas, spokesman for the Association of Families of the Victims of Flight PS752 .
source site-60
Emoties kapen slavernijdebat: 'Betwijfel of dit leeft buiten kring van activisten' | Binnenland | Telegraaf.nl
Fri, 30 Jun 2023 12:09
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