CNN tech director speaks about instilling the next fear (Climate change) as COVID is no longer a fear factor in controlling Americans.

https://twitter.com/LadyPieLives/status/1550077352130056192

EU Ambassador Says Communist China Should ‘Rule The World,’ Calls for ‘Reunification’ with Taiwan

The EU’s newly appointed ambassador to Beijing has argued that it is “essential” that Communist China “rules the world,” and that the bloc would support the “reunification” of the independent island of Taiwan with the mainland.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, Spain’s former ambassador to Japan, Jorge Toledo Albiñana set out what appears to be the most friendly position towards the Chinese Communist Party from an EU diplomat in years, critically contradicting other statements on the sovereignty of Taiwan.

“The EU does not defend the independence of Taiwan, but the peaceful reunification. We believe that there should be only one China,” Albiñana said.

Given the newly appointed EU ambassador to Beijing also said that the bloc would not accept an invasion of the island by Communist China and would impose similar sanctions to those levied against Russia following the full-scale invasion earlier this year of Ukraine, it is unclear how such a “reunification” could occur given the fact that Taiwan has never been ruled by the CCP and maintains its own democratically elected government, military, currency, written language, and culture.

Responding to the comments, Taiwanese foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said: “Taiwan has never been part of the People’s Republic of China. The sovereignty of Taiwan belongs only to all the people of Taiwan, and only the people of Taiwan can decide the future of Taiwan.

“It is also a peace-loving and mature democratic country and shares values of freedom, democracy and human rights with the European Union.”

The comments from the ambassador were also contradicted by EU Parliament Vice President Nicola Beer, who visited Taipei this week, one of the most senior EU figures to do so.

“Now is the moment to stand firm on the side of Taiwan,” Beer said, going on to describe Taiwan as a member of the “family of democracies”.

“Taiwan’s bloom is also Europe’s bloom. We won’t have a blind eye on China’s threats to Taiwan. Europe was late for Hong Kong, we won’t be late for Taiwan,” she said. “There is no room for Chinese aggression in democratic Taiwan. For the moment, we witness war in Europe; we do not want to witness war in Asia.”

Communist China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia are attempting to forge a “New World Order” in which the rules of the world are set in Beijing and Moscow instead of Washington, a Lithuanian MP has told Breitbart News. https://t.co/xnAkwudUEF

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 1, 2022

While the EU put its massive trade deal with Beijing on hold following a series of tit-for-tat sanctions after European lawmakers condemned the “genocide” being committed against the Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the Western Xinjiang region of China, there have been calls from top Eurocrats to continue to engage with Beijing, including European Council President Charles Michel.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/07/21/eu-ambassador-says-communist-china-should-rule-the-world-calls-for-reunification-with-taiwan/

EU Must Adopt ‘Christian Roots and Culture’ and Rework Bloc Parliament – Hungary

Hungary has told the European Union that it must adopt “Christian roots and culture”, as well as rework the union’s “dead end” European parliament.

Lawmakers in Hungary voted 130 to 50 in favour of a resolution that mandates the country’s government to push for a number of structural reforms at the EU level, including a rework of the union’s parliament, as well as to make the bloc adopt “Christian roots and culture”.

The passed resolution also mandates the country’s government to force the union to hand back powers to individual member states, as well as take an ideologically neutral stance in its operations at a time when the union is desperately trying to push for further “EU Empire” style federalisation.

According to a report by Magyar Nemzet, the current framework that the EU is operating under is not fit for dealing with the consequences of the Ukraine war, as well as the crises brought about due to the placement of sanctions on Russia.

“As a result of the war and the ill-considered sanctions decisions against Russia, Europe has entered an era of crises and uncertainties, however, the EU’s current treaty framework is not suitable to serve as a basis for cooperation in this era,” the publication reports the resolution as reading.

“European democracy must be led out of the dead end into which the European Parliament has steered it,” it is also reported as saying. “The European Union must change because it is unprepared for the challenges of our times.”

To this end, Hungarian authorities are now pushing for the EU’s parliament to be made up of national representatives hand-picked by officials from individual nation states, a change in the opposite direction compared to the future of trans-national elections Eurocrats in Brussels are so desperate for.

The resolution also calls for the bloc to abandon its dreams of further structural unity, ban taking on more EU-level debt, and mandate the European Commission to be both politically and ideologically neutral, along with a host of other reforms.

MEP Slams ‘EU Empire’ Scheme to Implement ‘Taxation Without Representation’https://t.co/MViQBMOigW

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 8, 2022

Hungary’s list of EU-level reforms comes at a time when the EU is desperately fighting to erode the powers of individual nation states due to the actions of both Hungary and Poland in refusing to go along with certain schemes dreamt up in Brussels.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/07/21/eu-must-adopt-christian-roots-and-culture-and-rework-bloc-parliament-hungary/

George Soros Is A Threat To America's Democracy, So Why Is He Allowed To Funnel Millions To Topple It?

Left-wing billionaire George Soros contributed $1 million to Beto O’Rourke’s attempt to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in Texas, contributing to the Democratic candidate’s feat of outraising the incumbent during the past fundraising quarter.

Almost half of O’Rourke’s record-breaking $27.6 million fundraising haul came from out-of-state donors, with Soros’s large donation helping the Democratic challenger best Abbott in fundraising over the past six months, according to filings by the Texas Ethics Commission reported by the Hill. The sum also helped O’Rourke reach a milestone of making the most money a Texas candidate running for a statewide office has ever raised in a single fundraising period.

Soros, a Hungary-born American who became a hedge fund manager for clients in New York, has a net worth of $8.6 billion, according to Forbes. He has become a bogeyman to the Right, especially for his millions of dollars in campaign donations to prosecutors.

Soros donated to O'Rourke one day before the Supreme Court announced its highly anticipated decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which handed the issue of abortion access back to individual states, provoking criticism by the 91-year-old financier-turned-philanthropist.

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn #RoeVWade ends federal protections for abortion, diminishes human rights, and greatly threatens reproductive care,” Soros wrote in a tweet. “We have invested in reproductive rights organizations that are now fighting back.”

https://www.blabber.buzz/politics/1040617-george-soros-is-a-threat-to-america-s-democracy-so-why-is-he-allowed-to-funnel-millions-to-topple-it?utm_source=c-alrt

Michigan business owners in uproar after city decriminalizes public urination, defecation

Kalamazoo announces changes in equity push

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Kalamazoo, Michigan business owners are furious after city leaders voted to decriminalize public urination, defecation and littering among other offenses, all under the guise of "equitable changes."

Becky Bil and Cherri Emery spoke with "Fox & Friends First" host Todd Piro on Thursday, relaying their concerns about the devastating impacts that could result.

"I don't have a horrible time outside my shop particularly… but my neighbor has had human feces outside his door," Bil said. The Pop City Popcorn co-owner also stressed her neighboring store owner's struggle with an increase in littering, a struggle she says continues despite ambassadors coming to the area to help clean up.

Emery, who owns a chocolate and coffee shop in Kalamazoo, said she witnessed the consequences of lenient city leaders firsthand, however.

"One day, we kept smelling something in the back of the store… and it was human feces," she said.

"I called my landlord and nobody would do anything about it. This is before we had ambassadors… so I had to clean it up myself."

Bil shared that the city recently installed an approximately $100,000 fully furnished restroom near the Kalamazoo Mall – which houses Bil's and Emery's businesses – to help curb urine and feces on the streets. She adds, however, that the new bathroom is often locked.

"I don't know how effective it is if no one can actually use it," she said.

Emery described some hardships her employees have faced on their way to and from work.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/michigan-business-owners-uproar-city-decriminalizes-public-urination-defecation

U.S. Open confirms Novak Djokovic can’t play unless he’s vaccinated against Covid

While the tournament does not have its own mandate in place for players, organizers say they will respect the government's position regarding travel into the country for non-Americans.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-open-confirms-novak-djokovic-cant-play-unless-s-vaccinated-covid-rcna39069

Land of the Free?

Pelosi Walks Away After Reporter Confronts Her on Husband’s Stock Purchases

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Thursday denied her husband has ever made a stock purchase or sale based on information he received from her.

“Has your husband ever made a stock purchase or sale based on info received from you?” a reporter asked Pelosi during her weekly briefing.

“No! Absolutely not, okay, thank you,” Pelosi said as she walked away from the lectern.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/07/pelosi-walks-away-reporter-confronts-husbands-stock-purchases-video/

WEF video discussing the ability of an mRNA medical procedure to permanently change the genetics

https://www.bitchute.com/video/IIFN2s3ZWIpy/

Emergency Doctors speaking out on death jabs.

https://rumble.com/embed/voct2m/?pub=4

Pro-Israel candidate Glenn Ivey wins Maryland primary, where AIPAC spent almost $6 million on his campaign

The primary drew the attention of pro-Israel groups and was perceived by many as a proxy battle over the issue within the Democratic Party.

On Tuesday former lobbyist and prosecutor Glenn Ivey defeated ex-congresswoman Donna Edwards in the Democratic primary of Maryland’s 4th district. Ivey was up by nearly 20 points when the Associated Press called the race. Ivey is expected to easily prevail in the general election.

The primary drew the attention of pro-Israel groups and was perceived by many as a proxy battle over the issue within the Democratic Party. American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) Super PAC, the United Democracy Project (UDP), spent almost $6 million in ads promoting Ivey or attacking Edwards. None of these ads mentioned Israel. Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) spent over $426,000 supporting Ivey. The liberal Zionist group J Street backed Edwards but spent less than $1 million.

“United Democracy Project congratulates Glenn Ivey on his significant primary victory..”, tweeted the Super PAC after his win. “Ivey is committed to advancing the U.S.-Israel relationship in Congress and his win sends a clear message that when given a choice, Democratic voters choose the pro-Israel candidate.”

Edwards, who represented the 4th district from 2008 to 2017, isn’t exactly a consistent defender of Palestine but she drew the ire of pro-Israel lobbying groups over a number of House votes. She voted “present” on a resolution “recognizing Israel’s “right to defend itself” and “present” on a bill to enhance security cooperation between Israel and the United States. Ivey, who unsuccessfully ran for the congressional seat on two previous occasions has consistently expressed unfettered support for Israel. He’s a critic of the Iran nuclear deal and opposes Israel’s military aid being conditioned in any way. In a 2021 interview with Jewish Insider he attacked the BDS movement. “I get why people are doing it, and I hear what they’re saying, but I just don’t think it’s the right approach,” he said. “I do kind of wonder about their motives, to say the least. I’ll leave it at that.”

Ivey wasn’t the only pro-Israel Democrat to win on Tuesday. Incumbent Rep. David Trone scored a a massive victory in the state’s 6th district primary, while Rep. Steny Hoyer easily prevailed in the 5th.

AIPAC has faced increasing criticism from Democrats over its support for a number of Republicans who refused to certify the presidential election results, while the organization has consistently defended its vast spending across party lines. “We’re exercising our democratic first amendment rights in participating in these elections,” UDP spokesman Patrick Dorton told The Guardian this week. “In part UDP was formed because there were an increasing number of candidates with radical anti-Israel views running for Congress. Our view is that is dangerous for American democracy and could negatively impact the the bipartisan support for the US-Israel relationship.”

https://mondoweiss.net/2022/07/pro-israel-candidate-glenn-ivey-wins-maryland-primary-where-aipac-spent-almost-6-million-on-his-campaign/?ml_recipient=61241982228367078

The commander of the scandal-plagued California National Guard steps down

The head of the California National Guard, who has presided over a series of scandals during the last 3½ years, will retire at the end of the month, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed Monday.

Maj. Gen. David Baldwin’s departure comes on the heels of a Times investigation that last month detailed the most recent run of embarrassing episodes for the Guard, including allegations in the officer ranks of abuse of authority, homophobia, antisemitism and racism.

Baldwin, who has led the Guard since 2011 as its adjutant general and reports to Newsom, did not respond to an interview request. After Newsom’s office acknowledged to The Times that Baldwin was stepping down, the governor issued a statement Monday night thanking the general “for his steadfast leadership and nearly four decades of committed service to our state and nation.”

The statement also credited Baldwin for “pushing forward much-needed reforms to change the culture of the organization and better serve Californians,” and said he was instrumental to the Guard’s efforts to train Ukrainian military forces and provide that country with protective gear and medical supplies.

Newsom’s office said Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, who is on Baldwin’s executive team, will succeed him as a deputy adjutant general and “the governor will consider appointing an adjutant general.” Beevers did not respond to a request for comment.

The 20,000-member Guard, a branch of the California Military Department, which the adjutant general also leads, serves a dual mission that includes responding to emergencies in the state, such as earthquakes, wildfires and civil disturbances, and assisting U.S. armed forces in military operations overseas.

Upheaval has marked Baldwin’s tenure since early 2019, when a Times report disclosed internal complaints of reprisals against whistleblowers and allegations of a cover-up of misconduct in the leadership of the organization. The complaints focused on the Guard’s Fresno air base and included an incident in which someone urinated in a female Guard member’s boots. Baldwin later removed the commander of the Guard’s air side, Maj. Gen. Clay Garrison. The commander of the 144th Fighter Wing at the Fresno base was also removed.

In 2020, in response to another Times report, Newsom’s office denounced the Guard’s decision to send a military spy plane to suburban El Dorado Hills, where Baldwin lived, to help civilian authorities monitor demonstrations over the police killing of George Floyd. Baldwin said the fact that he resided in El Dorado Hills, where the protests were small and peaceful, had no bearing on the deployment of the RC-26B reconnaissance plane.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2022/07/the-commander-of-the-scandal-plagued-california-national-guard-steps-down/

Israel to send team to Moscow as Russia threatens to shutter Jewish Agency offices

Lapid says interministerial delegation will head to Russia next week to ensure that organization’s ‘important work’ helping Jews immigrate is not impeded

Israel will send a delegation to Moscow next week to meet with Russian officials over the Kremlin’s intention to shut down the Jewish Agency in the country, the Prime Minister’s Office said Thursday.

Earlier in the day, the Russian justice ministry filed an appeal with a Moscow district court calling for the “dissolution” of the Jewish Agency’s operations in the country.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid held a “situational assessment” with officials from the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council about the matter on Thursday, his office said.

“During this situational assessment, it was decided to dispatch a delegation [with representatives from] the Prime Minister’s Office, Foreign Ministry, Justice Ministry and Immigration and Absorption Ministry next week in order to ensure the continued operations of the Jewish Agency in Russia,” the PMO said in a statement.

A follow-up meeting will be held about the matter on Sunday, Lapid’s office added.

“The Jewish community in Russia is deeply connected to Israel and its importance comes up in every diplomatic conversation with the Russian leadership. We will continue to act through diplomatic channels so the important work of the Jewish Agency is not impeded,” Lapid said.

Late last month, Russian authorities informed the Jewish Agency, which facilitates and encourages Jewish immigration to Israel, that they planned to take legal action against the quasi-governmental organization unless it made a number of difficult demands — which it did not intend to accede to.

On Thursday, this shifted from words and warnings to practical steps, as the local justice ministry filed its appeal to the Basmanny court in Moscow.

“The court received a lawsuit filed by the main department of the Ministry of Justice in Moscow requesting the dissolution of the… Jewish Agency,” the court said in a statement that was carried by the Russian outlet RIA.

Ekaterina Buravtsova, a spokeswoman for the court, was quoted by Russian agencies saying the request was made after legal violations, without providing further details, according to the Interfax news agency.

The preliminary hearing of the appeal is scheduled to be held on July 28.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-to-send-team-to-moscow-as-russia-threatens-to-shutter-jewish-agency-offices/

IDF launches major engineering drive to strengthen defenses along West Bank barrier

Move to build trench across 20 kilometers in Judean Desert comes after several terror attacks committed by Palestinians who slipped through fence earlier this year

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday announced it had launched a major engineering operation to strengthen defenses along the security barrier with the West Bank, following several terror attacks earlier this year that were committed by Palestinians who easily managed to cross the existing security fence.

The IDF said 60 engineering vehicles and three battalions, led by the commander of the military’s Combat Engineering Corps, Brig. Gen. Ido Mizrahi, were working to build a barrier in the Judean Desert area of the West Bank.

The plan included digging a deep trench over some 20 kilometers (12 miles) to prevent the passage of people and vehicles.

Five kilometers of the trench have already been dug and another seven-and-a-half kilometers have been prepared, in coordination with the Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority, the IDF said.

The military said in a statement that the work has already led to a “significant decrease in the number of illegal infiltrations into Israeli territory.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-launches-major-engineering-drive-to-strengthen-defenses-along-west-bank-barrier/

These Colorado Dems Voted To Reduce the State’s Felony Murder Penalty Amid Homicide Spike

After controversial vote, state legislators Brittany Pettersen and Yadira Caraveo are running for Congress

A pair of Democrats running for Congress in Colorado voted to weaken the state's penalty for felony murder as Denver experienced a near-record spike in homicides.

In the spring of 2021, state legislators Brittany Pettersen and Yadira Caraveo backed a bill that made felony murder in Colorado a Class 2 felony instead of Class 1. As a result, criminals convicted of felony murder in the state can no longer be sentenced to life without parole; instead, they may receive just 16 years in prison. The Democrats' votes came as homicides in Denver spiked to near-record highs—in 2020, the number of killings in the city rose to 95, up from 63 the year before. In 2021, Denver experienced 96 homicides, the highest number seen in four decades.

Roughly one year later, both Pettersen and Caraveo are running to represent Denver's suburbs in Congress. But with crime on the rise in Colorado, addressing public safety has become a top issue in the Centennial State, meaning the Democrats' decisions to lower the state's felony murder penalty could haunt them as they navigate a difficult political environment under President Joe Biden. Just 30 percent of Colorado voters approve of Biden, while 55 percent disapprove, according to Civiqs. Biden in 2020 won the state by 14 points.

Arvada, Colo., deputy chief of police Ed Brady said criminals "have been emboldened" by Democrats in the state legislature.

"I think all of the efforts that have been led by our state legislature, by our governor, to be more offender-focused and less victim-focused—that has caused crime to increase greatly," Brady, who is running for sheriff in Jefferson County, a northwest Denver suburb, told the Washington Free Beacon. "When our state becomes more concerned about the impacts of crime on the offender than they do the victim, that's how we become a state without a control on crime."

Neither Pettersen nor Caraveo's campaigns returned requests for comment.

Before Democratic governor Jared Polis signed the Pettersen and Caraveo-backed bill in April 2021, a criminal who participated in a violent crime that resulted in the death of a person—say, for example, a burglary gone bad—could be charged with Class 1 felony murder and sentenced to life in prison even if that criminal did not directly kill the victim. Now, a criminal who fits that description cannot face life behind bars, a development that Brady called "concerning."

In addition to Pettersen and Caraveo's 2021 felony murder votes, the pair of Democrats voted in 2019 to make the possession of four grams or less of fentanyl and other hard drugs a misdemeanor instead of a felony. Colorado prosecutors called on state lawmakers to exempt fentanyl from the bill, as four grams of the drug is equivalent to 13,000 deadly doses.

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/these-colorado-dems-voted-to-reduce-the-states-felony-murder-penalty-amid-homicide-spike/

The Global Temperature Record Says We’re in a “Climate Emergency”, It’s a Con

Official Government Data Shows an alarming rapid rise in temperature over 140 years. NASA offers a graph of global temperature for each year from 1880 to the present which shows that we are in a runaway warming trend that constitutes a “climate emergency.” It’s a statistical sleight of hand. The widely cited NASA global temperature graph is highly magnified and visually misleading. But that hasn’t stopped corporate media from using NASA’s data to inform their readers of a “climate emergency.”

In an article, EverythingClimate (“EC”) demonstrated how, by manipulating how data appears on a chart, a “climate emergency” is manufactured. Although it’s not clear when the article was published, EC uses the example of a Guardian article from January 2020 which may indicate it was written in the same year.

https://expose-news.com/2022/07/21/global-temp-climate-emergency-is-a-con/

https://everythingclimate.wpcomstaging.com/the-global-temperature-record-says-we-are-in-a-climate-emergency/

Israeli Mossad Caught, Interrogated Senior IRGC Official In Iran – Report

The Mossad, Israel’s national intelligence agency, had caught and interrogated a senior official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iranian territory, the Iran International TV reported on July 21.

According to the Saudi-sponsored London-based TV channel, the official, Yadollah Khedmati, confessed his role in transferring weapons to Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen during the interrogation.

Iran International report on Yadollah Khedmati cannot be verified. The channel citied “exclusive information” without clarifying the source.

This was not the first report about an Israeli operation to interrogate an IRGC official in Iran. In May, Iran International published video of alleged IRGC official named Mansour Rasouli admitting to Mossad agents that he had been ordered to establish a cell to assassinate a worker at the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, a US general stationed in Germany and a journalist in France.

Israel and Iran have been locked up in covert war for years. In the last few months, the Israeli intelligence was blamed for a series of assassinations of IRGC officials and scientists as well as for attacks on sensitive Iranian facilities. On the other hand, Iran was blamed for a number of cyber-attacks on Israel.

Tensions between Israel and Iran will likely continue to escalate. Even an agreement between Iran and US on the revival of the 2015 deal will not likely lead to de-escalation.

https://southfront.org/israeli-mossad-caught-interrogated-senior-irgc-official-in-iran-report/

https://southfront.org/israeli-mossad-caught-interrogated-senior-irgc-official-in-iran-report/

The Sinaloa Cartel Is Becoming More Powerful Than Ever… CIA, FBI Implicated…

Former Louisiana Police Chief and City Councilmember Plead Guilty in Vote-Buying Conspiracy

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-louisiana-police-chief-and-city-councilmember-plead-guilty-vote-buying-conspiracy

CBP, US Coast Guard Seize more than 10 tons of khat

SEATTLE — A joint effort between U.S. Homeland Security Agencies, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Coast Guard within the Seattle Maritime Port led to the seizure of more than 20,000 pounds of dried khat with an estimated street value of $3.6 million.

The khat, which was destined for the United States, was shipped from Kenya as tea. It is the largest seizure in the Puget Sound area. Khat is a plant native in Africa and contains cathinone which causes stimulation and excitement. Its leaves are chewed or dried for tea. Cathinone is known to be very addictive and has been classified as a controlled substance in the United States since May 1987.

On May 27, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and U.S. Coast Guard at the Port of Seattle conducted an exam on a container that appeared to contain khat. Samples were extracted from the container and sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Laboratories and Scientific Services confirmed the next day by Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The analysis returned presumptive results of Cathinone, a Schedule I, controlled substance. In total, CBP officers seized 623 boxes of khat with a total weight of approximately 20,215 pounds. The shipment was manifested as dried tea leaves from Kenya and destined to Seattle. CBP officers seized the khat for proper storage pending destruction.

“This khat seizure demonstrates Customs and Border Protection officers’ effectiveness, dedication and expertise searching through the tens of thousands of international containers to find the proverbial needle in the haystack,” said J. Rene Ortega, CBP’s Port Director for the Area Port of Seattle. “Khat remains illegal to import into the United States and CBP officers will continue to seize khat and all illicit substances that pose a threat. Drug interdiction at our nation’s borders is one of many ways in which CBP helps to keep our communities safe.”

“This seizure underscores the importance of inter-agency cooperation,” said Capt. Patrick Hilbert, Sector Puget Sound Commander. “The Coast Guard and Customs and Border Patrol frequently train and operate together to safeguard our borders. This success is a direct result of that cooperation.”

Khat is a green, leafy plant typically grown in the Arabian Peninsula and many parts of Africa. It is chewed for its stimulant effect. The World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse in 1980.

The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies khat as a Schedule I narcotic – the most restrictive category used by the DEA – when the leaves are freshly picked. Its principal components, cathine and cathinone, are considered controlled substances in the United States.

CBP routinely conducts enforcement operations on international passengers and cargo and searches for narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the comprehensive management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry.

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-us-coast-guard-seize-more-10-tons-khat

USD 11 million in illicit medicines seized in global INTERPOL operation

From fake COVID-19 tests to hazardous erectile dysfunction tablets, the 94-country Operation Pangea XV targeted illicit pharmaceuticals and medical products traded online.

LYON, FRANCE: Every day, advertisements for medicines invade the Internet, posted on social media networks or other websites. However, behind this slick marketing often lies fraudulent products that threaten consumers’ health instead of healing them.

The global trade in illicit pharmaceuticals is a vast and lucrative crime area – valued at USD 4.4 billion – which attracts the involvement of organized crime groups around the world.

Over just one week (23-30 June), 94 INTERPOL member countries representing every continent launched a coordinated crackdown on illicit online pharmacies in Operation Pangea XV.

Globally, law enforcement made more than 7,800 seizures of illicit and misbranded medicines and healthcare products, totaling more than 3 million individual units.

During the week, law enforcement:

Investigated more than 4,000 web links, mainly from social media platforms and messaging apps

Shut down or removed more than 4,000 web links containing adverts for illicit products

Inspected nearly 3,000 packages and 280 postal hubs at airports, borders and mail distribution or cargo mail centres

Opened more than 600 new investigations and issued more than 200 search warrants

While results are still coming in from countries, enforcement actions have already disrupted the activities of at least 36 organized crime groups.

“Selling counterfeit or illicit medicines online may seem like a low-level offence, but the consequences for victims are potentially life-threatening,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

“The illicit supply chains and business models behind the counterfeit medicine trade are inherently international, meaning that law enforcement has to work together across borders in order to effectively protect consumers.”

Cross-border crimes

Nearly half (48 per cent) of the packages inspected by law enforcement during the operation were found to contain either illicit or falsified medicines.

Counterfeit or unauthorized erectile dysfunction medicines comprised roughly 40 per cent of all products seized. Law enforcement in Australia, Argentina, Malaysia and the United States also seized more than 317,000 unauthorized COVID-19 test kits. The US seizures alone are estimated to be worth nearly USD 3 million.

https://www.interpol.int/News-and-Events/News/2022/USD-11-million-in-illicit-medicines-seized-in-global-INTERPOL-operation

Former Town Of Cortlandt Employee And Peekskill Business Owner Indicted For Public Corruption And Fraud Offenses

Former Town of Cortlandt Employee Robert Dyckman and Local Landscaper Glenn Griffin Charged With Public Corruption Offenses in Illegal Dumping Scheme; Griffin Also Charged With Separate Bid-Rigging Scheme

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-town-cortlandt-employee-and-peekskill-business-owner-indicted-public-corruption

WhatsApp Inventor Makes Record-breaking $2m Donation to AIPAC

The Jewish inventor of WhatsApp, who has also donated to groups settling Jews in East Jerusalem and combatting anti-Israel sentiment on campus, doubled the previous highest donation to AIPAC's campaign on Democratic primaries

WASHINGTON – Jan Koum, the Ukrainian-born Jewish inventor of WhatsApp, donated a record-high $2 million to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's campaign on the Democratic primaries in June.

Koum, whose net worth is estimated at between $9.8 billion and $13.7 billion, is considered among the richest people in the world. His gift doubles the previous high donations to AIPAC's United Democracy Project Super PAC from mega-donors Haim Saban, Paul Singer and Bernard Marcus.

The 46-year-old retired entrepreneur, who sold his messaging app to Facebook for $19 billion in 2014, was born in Ukraine and immigrated to the U.S. when he was 16-years-old. His family foundation has quietly but actively increased its giving to Jewish and Israel-related causes over the past several years, report the Jewish Telegraph Agency and journalist Teddy Schleifer.

From 2019 to 2020, Koum has donated $140 million in gifts to about 70 Jewish charities working in the United States, Eastern Europe and Israel. As JTA notes, "that’s on par with the rate of giving by the biggest and best-known donors in the Jewish world."

Among Koum's donations include $6 million to Friends of Ir David, the U.S. fundraising arm of Elad, a right-wing NGO focused on settling Jews in Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and running tourist and excavation sites. He has also donated $600,000 to the Maccabee Task Force Foundation, a group founded by Sheldon Adelson aiming to combat anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses. Koum similarly donated $175,000 to The Central Fund of Israel, an organization that serves as a funnel between the U.S. and non-profits in Israel, many of which operate in the settlements.

Koum's only previous political donations were to Derrick Anderson's 2022 Republican primary bid for a Virginia Congressional district via WinRed, a Republican National Committee-endorsed fundraising platform.

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2022-07-21/ty-article/.premium/whatsapp-inventor-makes-record-breaking-2m-donation-to-aipac/00000182-20f5-d82b-a1eb-3af7da310000

FDA-Pfizer Docs: High Number of Trial Participants Dropped Out

During the clinical trials of the Pfizer-BioNTech genetic agent against Covid (aka “vaccine”), an unusually high number of participants withdrew or were withdrawn due to adverse events ranging from mild to severe, according to newly released official documents.

As reported by Children’s Health Defense (CHD), many serious adverse events were labeled as “not related” to the vaccinations, and many of the minor ones were established to be “possibly” related to the shots.

According to a 3,611-page “confidential” FDA document with no title, all participants received either one or two doses of a 30 mcg shot of the BNT162b2 candidate vaccine. This was the one ultimately issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the FDA — which means that it is the formulation that has been being administered to American adults since December 2020.

Serious events linked to the shots

Of the withdrawals, 34 do not contain a unique patient number, as they should. Of those, four can be identified as being the result of serious adverse events that were categorized as “related” to the shots.

In one case, a 61-year-old woman developed unilateral deafness within 19 days following her first shot and was withdrawn from the trial the next day. The patient’s only listed ongoing conditions were allergies to aspirin, penicillin, and black olives.

In another case, a 71-year-old man experienced a worsening of the depression that he already suffered and was withdrawn from the trials the day after getting his only dose.

Then there was a 36-year-old woman who experienced adverse events such as chest tightness, worsening headache, hypokalemia (low potassium level), pain at the injection site, and left arm pain within days following the administration of her first dose, and was withdrawn from the study on the fourth day after the vaccination.

According to CHD, “Of note, the participant’s only ongoing health conditions, as indicated in the documentation, were headaches and back pain, in addition to a body mass index (BMI) of 31.4,” meaning she was obese.

In all these cases, the trial investigator reported that there was a “reasonable possibility” that the vaccine caused or worsened adverse conditions.

https://thenewamerican.com/fda-pfizer-docs-high-number-of-trial-participants-dropped-out/?mc_cid=f9500065f8&mc_eid=f2ba141688

World Economic Forum and Communist China pledge to 'deepen' cooperation

In the virtual meeting, Schwab and the Chinese official applauded their four-decade effort to help 'reform' China into the nation it is today.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/world-economic-forum-and-communist-china-pledge-to-deepen-cooperation/

Tesla Sold 75 Percent of Bitcoin Holdings to Boost ‘Overall Liquidity’

After making a significant investment in Bitcoin last year, Tesla Motors sold 75 percent of its holdings in the second quarter, the company confirmed Wednesday.

Tesla converted $936 million worth of Bitcoin into fiat currency and added the cash to its balance sheet, according to the electric vehicle maker’s earnings release (pdf). Tesla’s crypto holdings total approximately 10,500 coins, or about $218 million, down from $1.2 billion.

This is the first time that Tesla has touched the peer-to-peer decentralized virtual token since the first quarter of 2021. At the time, the tech giant acquired $1.5 billion in Bitcoin, sending prices through the roof. Tesla would later trim 10 percent of its holdings for $272 million in cash (pdf).

The latest decision was made in response to the growing uncertainties surrounding China’s lockdowns amid COVID-19 outbreaks, says CEO Elon Musk.

“We are certainly open to increasing our Bitcoin holdings in future, so this should not be taken as some verdict on Bitcoin,” Musk said in an earnings call with analysts. “It’s just that we were concerned about overall liquidity for the company, given COVID shutdowns in China.”

He added that the company had not sold any of its Dogecoin positions.

Bitcoin prices tumbled 6.45 percent, to $22,584, on Thursday, while Dogecoin is down nearly 9 percent, to $0.0683.

The cryptocurrency market has recently enjoyed a relief rally, buoyed by investors optimistic that the Federal Reserve will adopt a less-aggressive approach to interest rates at this month’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policy meeting. The central bank’s tightening efforts have applied exceptional pressure on risky assets, including cryptocurrencies.

Although Bitcoin has plunged 53 percent year to date, it has advanced nearly 9 percent over the last month.

“What was less encouraging in the Tesla report is the update regarding its Bitcoin holdings,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank, in a morning note. “Tesla sold a big chunk of Bitcoin to add near a billion dollars to the company’s balance sheet. No wonder the news reversed the positive momentum and sent Bitcoin back below the [$23,000] mark yesterday.”

Tesla turned bullish on Bitcoin and accepted it as a payment method for its models.

However, after only a few months of this buying strategy, the company suspended vehicle purchases using Bitcoin over concerns “about rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for Bitcoin mining and transactions, especially coal.” But Tesla reaffirmed its commitment to cryptocurrency.

“Tesla will not be selling any Bitcoin, and we intend to use it for transactions as soon as mining transitions to more sustainable energy,” Musk wrote in a tweet. “We are also looking at other cryptocurrencies that use <1% of Bitcoin’s energy/transactions.”

https://www.ntd.com/tesla-sold-75-percent-of-bitcoin-holdings-to-boost-overall-liquidity_812474.html

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1550140393391521794