Meta to Lay Off 10,000 More Workers

Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday announced Meta will lay off 10,000 more workers as the company seeks to cut “middle management.”

This is in addition to the 11,000 employees laid off in November.

“Here’s the timeline you should expect: over the next couple of months, org leaders will announce restructuring plans focused on flattening our orgs, canceling lower priority projects, and reducing our hiring rates,” Zuckerberg said.

CNBC reported:

Meta will lay off 10,000 more workers and incur restructuring costs ranging from $3 billion to $5 billion, the company announced Tuesday, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg warning economic instability could continue for “many years.”

He added that the Facebook parent plans to close 5,000 additional open roles that it hasn’t yet filled. In a nod to continued economic uncertainty, Zuckerberg noted that the company should prepare for “the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years.”

In a SEC filing announcing the cuts, Meta also said it anticipated lowered total expenses in 2023, ranging from $86 billion to $92 billion.

The new round of layoffs follows a previous round of cuts, announced in November, that affected more than 11,000 workers, which equated to roughly 13% of Meta’s overall staff.

Zuckerberg has pitched 2023 as the company’s “year of efficiency,” in which the firm aims to become “a stronger and more nimble organization.”

“We are a technology company, and our ultimate output is what we build for people,” Zuckerberg said. As part of the restructuring, the company will also increase the number of direct reports each manager has.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/03/meta-to-lay-off-10000-more-workers/

'Reckless' Intercept By Russian Jets Caused US Drone Crash In Black Sea: Pentagon

Update(1328ET): The US military statement of events, blaming a pair of Russian fighter jets for "reckless" maneuvers which resulted in the MQ-9 drone being struck and crashing in international waters at a "complete loss":

Two Russian Su-27 aircraft conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept with a U.S. Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance unmanned MQ-9 aircraft that was operating within international airspace over the Black Sea today.

At approximately 7:03 AM (CET), one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters. Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner. This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional.

“Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, commander, U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa. “In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.”

“U.S. and Allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace and we call on the Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely,” Hecker added.

This incident follows a pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and Allied aircraft over international airspace, including over the Black Sea. These aggressive actions by Russian aircrew are dangerous and could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation.

NSC spokesman John Kirby followed up by saying the US aircraft posed no threat to anyone, and that it was operating in international airspace. He additionally confirmed it was brought down in international waters. Presumably there may be a recovery operation underway.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-reaper-drone-downed-over-black-sea-incident-russian-jet

US accuses Russia of drone downing

European Command says a Reaper drone was damaged in encounter with two Su-27s

https://www.rt.com/russia/572976-us-russia-clash/

Maricopa County Files Bogus Response In Kari Lake’s Historic Arizona Supreme Court Election Challenge – Internal Conference Scheduled for MARCH 21 – FILING INCLUDED

Maricopa County filed a response to Kari Lake’s Petition for Review in the Arizona Supreme Court yesterday.

The Gateway Pundit has reported extensively on Kari Lake’s stolen election and lawsuit challenging the fraud. On March 1, 2023, after the Maricopa County Superior Court and the Arizona Appeals Court dismissed the case, Lake filed a ‘Petition for Review’ and a Motion to Expedite Review’ for her election contest in the Arizona Supreme Court.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, on March 2, the Arizona Supreme Court agreed to expedite Lake’s lawsuit and scheduled March 21 to consider whether or not they will accept Lake’s new Petition. “At the conference, the Court will decide whether to accept review and schedule an oral argument,” states the order.

Responses from Defendants were ordered to be submitted by yesterday, March 13.

Maricopa County submitted a bogus response, falsely claiming that Kari Lake “presents—for the first time—a misleading factual theory about chain-of-custody documents” and “does not present any argument illustrating a need for this Court to review the court of appeals’ Opinion.”

They don’t even want the Supreme Court to consider this case because they are terrified.

“The only aspect of the Petition that differs from Lake’s briefing below is the inclusion of a newly-fabricated characterization of chain-of-custody documents presented for the first time in the Petition. But a petition for review is not the place for Lake to argue that the trial court’s findings of fact were incorrect, nor that the court of appeals improperly accepted the facts that the trial court found,” argue the dishonest attorneys for Maricopa County.

This is untrue, as The Gateway Pundit has reported extensively on the alleged discrepancies corroborated by whistleblower testimony, including missing chain of custody documentation for hundreds of thousands of ballots and the injection of likely phony ballots into the election. Lake also challenges the burden of proof used in the Maricopa County Superior Court and the opinion that Kari Lake did not provide “clear and convincing evidence” of voter fraud.

Lake’s attorneys argue that according to Findley v. Sorenson (1929), even if not intentional, election errors can nullify an election if “they affect the result, or at least render it uncertain.” This is further confirmed by the opinion in Hunt v. Campbell (1917), which states, “wherever such practices or influences are shown to have prevailed, not slightly and in individual cases, but generally, so as to render the result uncertain, the entire vote so affected must be rejected.”

Lake was required to prove, with clear and convincing evidence, that the errors were intentional beyond a reasonable doubt and that the outcome was affected by election fraud, which does not conform to the legal standard set forth above.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/03/just-in-maricopa-county-files-bogus-response-in-kari-lakes-historic-arizona-supreme-court-election-challenge-internal-conference-scheduled-for-march-21-filing-included/

Pfizer Buys Cancer Biotech SeaGen for $43B – Increases Access into New Cancer Treatments

Pfizer Inc. is investing around $43 billion in expanding into innovative cancer treatments.

“Pfizer Inc. and Seagen Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Pfizer will acquire Seagen, a global biotechnology company that discovers, develops and commercializes transformative cancer medicines, for $229 in cash per Seagen share for a total enterprise value of $43 billion,” Pfizer said in a statement.

“Pfizer is deploying its financial resources to advance the battle against cancer, a leading cause of death worldwide with a significant impact on public health,” said Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

“Together, Pfizer and Seagen seek to accelerate the next generation of cancer breakthroughs and bring new solutions to patients by combining the power of Seagen’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology with the scale and strength of Pfizer’s capabilities and expertise. Oncology continues to be the largest growth driver in global medicine, and this acquisition will enhance Pfizer’s position in this important space and contribute meaningfully to the achievement of Pfizer’s near- and long-term financial goals,” Bourla said.

According to Pfizer’s projections, Seagen will bring in roughly $2.2 billion in revenue in 2023 from its four in-line medicines, royalties, collaboration and license agreements, and other sources, indicating a year-over-year increase of 12%.

Pfizer estimates that Seagen could add more than $10 billion in risk-adjusted revenues in 2030, with potential significant growth beyond 2030.

More from the release:

Seagen is a pioneer in ADC technology, with four of the twelve total FDA-approved and marketed ADCs using its technology industry-wide. ADCs are a transformative modality that is emerging as a powerful tool across a broad range of cancers designed to preferentially kill cancer cells and limit off-target toxicities. Seagen has developed a leadership position in ADC technologies since its founding 25 years ago, with groundbreaking and proprietary technology that is positioned for significant growth in 2023 and beyond. Seagen’s portfolio includes four approved medicines that are first- or best-in-class in their respective indications across solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, including three ADCs: ADCETRIS® (brentuximab vedotin), PADCEV® (enfortumab vedotin), and TIVDAK® (tisotumab vedotin). The company also commercializes TUKYSA® (tucatinib). Clinical development programs are ongoing for each of these medicines for potential new tumor types or expanded indications in earlier lines of therapy, with catalysts expected annually through 2027.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/03/pfizer-buys-cancer-biotech-seagen-for-43b-increases-access-into-new-cancer-treatments/

Nord Stream blasts staged by a state-level actor – Putin

The Russian president has rubbished Western media reports that a “pro-Ukrainian group” was behind the attacks

Russian president Vladimir Putin has dismissed as “nonsense” recent claims that the attack on the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines might have been carried by “Ukrainian activists.” The president made the remarks on Tuesday during his visit to an aircraft plant in the capital city of Russia’s Buryatia republic, Ulan-Ude.

“I’m sure this is complete nonsense. An explosion of this kind – of such power, at such depth, can only be carried out by specialists, and supported by the entire power of a state, pocessing certain technologies,” Putin told reporters.

https://www.rt.com/news/572977-nord-stream-terrorist-attack-putin/

Canadian Foreign Minister Calls For "Regime Change" In Russia

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly admitted that the long term goal of western involvement in Ukraine is not merely to see Moscow defeated, but to enact “regime change” in Russia.

Joly made the comments while her government announced new sanctions against the import of Russian aluminum and steel.

“We’re able to see how much we’re isolating the Russian regime right now — because we need to do so economically, politically and diplomatically — and what are the impacts also on society, and how much we’re seeing potential regime change in Russia,” Joly stated.

“The goal is definitely to do that, is to weaken Russia’s ability to launch very difficult attacks against Ukraine. We want also to make sure that Putin and his enablers are held to account,” she added.

Russian ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov reacted to Joly’s remarks by stating that they may have been a “Freudian slip of the tongue.”

“What she or other decision-makers in Ottawa don’t want to recognize is that the current Russian policy is supported by the ultimate majority of the nation,” Stepanov said.

A similar awkward ‘slip of the tongue’ occurred back in January when Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock acknowledged, “We are fighting a war against Russia, and not against each other.”

Joly’s comments will only serve to bolster Vladimir Putin’s assertions that NATO support for Ukraine is about isolating Russia and eventually overthrowing its government.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky recently warned that if Ukraine loses then Americans “will have to send their sons and daughters” to war with Russia over the Baltic states “and they will have to fight” and “they will be dying.”

Former UK Defense Minister Sir Gerald Howarth also said last month that NATO may need to send ground forces to Ukraine.

The US military-industrial complex is making massive gains as a result of the war in Ukraine and other global conflicts, with weapons manufacturers enjoying soaring profits.

Data released by the State Department shows that US weapons sales to other countries rose from $103.4 billion in 2021 to $153.7 billion in 2022.

https://summit.news/2023/03/14/canadian-foreign-minister-calls-for-regime-change-in-russia/

Too-Big-To-Fail Banks Flooded With Deposits As Bank Run Drains Small Bank Of Cash

Over the weekend, amid populist howls of outrage that a bailout of SVB would promote moral hazard (in the end depositors did get bailed out with a full recovery, but other unsecured creditors oddly enough would get nothing, while the common stock is a doughnut), we said that while technically true, the events that toppled SVB and now SBNY as well, are really a subsidy for the big banks.

Today, one day after many small banks nearly failed amid a surge in deposit outflows, we read that "after the back-to-back collapse of three smaller banks, their biggest US counterparts are seeing a rush of depositors fearful the crisis will spread."

According to Bloomberg, JPMorgan - or as we now call it JPMega - the largest US bank and about to become much, much bigger, alone received billions of dollars in recent days, and Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo & Co. are also seeing higher-than-usual volume.

“The top six banks in the US are and have been too big to fail, the financial crisis over 10 years ago demonstrated that,” Michael Imerman, an assistant professor at the University of California Irvine’s business school, told Bloomberg. “So it’s safer to go with a name with higher degree of certainty.”

Other banks are seeing increased deposit inflows as well. Citizens Financial Group Inc. announced Monday that it “has seen higher than normal interest from prospective new customers over the past few days,” and that it would temporarily extend branch hours to accommodate.

Confirming BBG reporting, the FT writes that "Large US banks are inundated with new depositors as smaller lenders face turmoil", which of course means that small bank deposits are getting drained.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/too-big-fail-banks-flooded-deposits-bank-run-drains-small-bank-cash

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/too-big-fail-banks-flooded-deposits-bank-run-drains-small-bank-cash

Senator Warren Calls For Powell's Recusal From Fed's Bank Failure Investigation

Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted Tuesday morning that Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell "must recuse himself" from the Fed's investigation into the demise of Silicon Valley Bank.

"Fed Chair Powell's actions directly contributed to these bank failures. For the Fed's inquiry to have credibility, Powell must recuse himself from this internal review."

On Monday, the Fed said it was launching an internal review of its supervision and regulation of Silicon Valley Bank.

The review would be led by Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr. A report would be issued as early as May 1. The collapse of SVB, which the San Francisco Fed supervised, was the largest bank failure since the GFC.

"The events surrounding Silicon Valley Bank demand a thorough, transparent, and swift review by the Federal Reserve," Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in a statement.

Warren said: "It's appropriate for Vice Chair for Supervision Barr to have the independence necessary to do his job"

Meanwhile, many folks on Twitter responded negatively to the senator's tweet, indicating blame resides on lawmakers.

"Fed was reacting to the inflation you guys help cause, but ok," one person said.

Another person said, "Warren should resign. She tried to bring down the crypto banks' $SI & $SBNY networks SEN & Signet, triggering regional bank runs as a residual effect. She's intellectually incapable of handling her responsibilities."

"It happened on your watch," someone else said.

… and, of course, the blame game begins.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/senator-warren-calls-powells-recusal-feds-bank-failure-investigation

Lawmakers Plotted to Censor Social Media to Prevent Run on Banks

During a Zoom meeting with The Federal Reserve, Treasury, FDIC, House, and Senate.

On Sunday, while discussing the Silicon Valley Bank collapse in an emergency conference call led by Senate President Chuck Schumer, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) reportedly inquired about the possibility of censoring social media posts to avoid a bank run.

This information was reported by Republican House members who were also present on the call and heard by representatives of the Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, and the Federal Deposit and Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

“Just got off of a zoom meeting with Fed, Treasury, FDIC, House, and Senate,” Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie tweeted. “A Democrat Senator essentially asked whether there was a program in place to censor information on social media that could lead to a run on the banks.”

https://reclaimthenet.org/mark-kelly-social-media-censorship-bank-runs

Tyson Foods to Shut 2 US Chicken Plants With Nearly 1,700 Workers

CHICAGO—Tyson Foods Inc. will close two U.S. chicken plants with almost 1,700 employees on May 12, the company said on Tuesday.

The closures show that the biggest U.S. meat company by sales is still trying to figure out how to improve its chicken segment that has struggled for years.

Tyson Foods will shut a plant in Glen Allen, Virginia, with 692 employees, and a plant in Van Buren, Arkansas, with 969 employees, according to a statement.

“The current scale and inability to economically improve operations has led to the difficult decision to close the facilities,” the company said.

Arkansas-based Tyson wrongly predicted last year that it would see strong demand for chicken at supermarkets in November and December, Chief Executive Donnie King said on a quarterly earnings call last month. In January, the company replaced the president of its poultry business.

The company said in its statement that it will shift chicken demand to other facilities from the plants that it is closing as part of a strategy to utilize the full available capacity at each facility.

The United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents employees at Tyson’s plant in Virginia, slammed the decision to close the facility.

“These men and women risked their lives and the safety of their families to keep this plant operational during the pandemic, and this is the thanks they get?” the union said in a statement.

Shares of the stock rose 1 percent on the news.

Tyson’s sales missed analyst estimates for the quarter ending December 31. The company at the time said the current quarter would be weaker than the end of 2022.

https://www.ntd.com/tyson-foods-to-shut-2-us-chicken-plants-with-nearly-1700-workers_907239.html

Israeli Bankers Pulled $1 Billion from SVB Immediately Before Its Collapse

Silicon Valley Bank has been described as a major lender to Big Tech firms based both in the United States and in Israel.

Israeli bankers and tech firms pulled a whopping $1 billion from the failed Silicon Valley Bank in the days immediately leading up to its collapse, marking America’s biggest financial meltdown since 2008 and the second-biggest bank collapse in American history.

The Silicon Valley Bank, an openly left-wing financial operation that promoted “woke capital” ESG programs and worked closely with politicians and tech oligarchs alike, is not only linked to powerful Americans, but to powerful Israelis as well. According to the Times of Israel, in the days immediately preceding the bank’s collapse, Israeli bankers, working on behalf of themselves and the nation’s own tech oligarchs, pulled a whopping $1 billion out of SVB.

The Times of Israel reported that Bank Leumi and Bank Hapoalim, the two biggest banks in Israel, set up a “situation room” and worked “around the clock” to help Israeli firms pull their money out of SVB “before it was seized” by American authorities.

“Israel’s two largest banks, Bank Leumi and Bank Hapoalim, set up a situation room that has been operating around the clock to help firms transfer their money from SVB — before it was seized — to accounts in Israel. Over the past few days, teams at LeumiTech, the high-tech banking arm of Bank Leumi, have been able to help their Israeli clients transfer about $1 billion to Israel, the bank said.”

Silicon Valley Bank has been described by the Times of Israel as the “go-to lender of technology startups in Israel,” despite it being based in California. Israel’s technology sector is massive and is responsible for employing as much as 10% of the nation’s total workforce.

The same Times of Israel report also fretted over the possibility that Israeli cash that wasn’t pulled out in time could have been lost forever in SVB’s collapse.

“The US bank served many Israeli startups and technology companies, sending fears into the industry that some firms may find it difficult to make payroll payments at some point in the next month if they cannot access the funds they hold at SVB, although the amounts are not yet known.”

At the current time, it’s unclear if the United States federal government is going to be footing the bill for lost foreign cash, but the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they are working to determine “whether or not actions are necessary to assist Israeli companies in distress, mainly with cash-flow, due to the collapse of SVB.”

While a swath of Republican legislators have already declared that they won’t be supporting any 2008-style bank bailouts, the Biden Administration is considering a number of options, most of which have been compared to bailouts being presented under a different name.

https://nationalfile.com/israeli-bankers-pulled-1-billion-from-svb-immediately-before-its-collapse/

Obama official, Hillary donors, improv actor: Meet SVB’s board of directors

One is a Hillary Clinton mega-donor who went to a Shinto shrine to pray after Donald Trump won the White House. Another worked for President Barack Obama before her own political career spectacularly failed. A third is a prolific contributor to Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi — who owns a Napa Valley vineyard just 15 minutes from the former House speaker’s.

There’s even an improv performer.

The 12 directors who were supposed to oversee fallen Silicon Valley Bank — and prevent the catastrophic errors that threw the entire banking system into jeopardy on Friday — might not be household names.

But they are facing a series of investigations into their collective role in its collapse.

A Post examination of the board reveals it did not jibe with Silicon Valley’s young image: Only one independent director is under 60, while the oldest is 78.

SVB touted its diversity, though, noting in its 2022 proxy statement that 45% of its board are women, in addition to “other diversity” like “one black” member, “one LGQBT+” and “two veterans.”

SVB Financial Group, the bank’s parent company, appointed Tom King, former CEO of investment banking at Barclays, to its board in September as it touted $214 billion in assets and more than 7,700 employees worldwide. The group is now composed of seven men and five women, or 41% female.

The group’s lack of banking expertise is likely to be a focus for investigators. Just one current member — King — has had a career at the top of the investment banking world.

What is clear is that the bank, and much of the board, burnished their Democratic credentials as part of their strategy.

They donated to Obama, Clinton and President Biden, and to local Democratic congressional reps including Pelosi — as well as political action committees for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), a longtime member of the powerful Senate Banking Committee.

https://nypost.com/2023/03/14/obama-aide-hillary-donors-improv-actor-meet-svbs-board/

Credit Suisse shares hit record low as banking giant admits to ‘material weaknesses’

Credit Suisse shares hung near all-time lows in early Tuesday trading after the Swiss banking giant admitted to discovering “material weaknesses” in its financial reporting over the last two years.

The Zurich-based firm said the weaknesses amounted to a “failure to design and maintain an effective risk assessment process to identify and analyze the risk of material misstatements.”

Credit Suisse said its full-year results were not impacted by the issue and that its financial statements still “fairly present, in all material respects, the Group’s consolidated financial condition.”

Last month, the bank had disclosed a whopping full-year net loss of 7.3 billion francs – the equivalent of approximately $8 billion.

The Swiss bank’s stock fell as much as 5% in Tuesday trading to $2.54, giving it a market capitalization of just $10.25 billion. On Monday the stock hit an all-time low of $2.44.

Shares plunged despite a rally in US markets as embattled regional banks rebounded from a Monday selloff.

The troubling disclosure raised concerns about lingering turmoil in the banking sector after the rapid collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in New York – with some speculating that Credit Suisse could be next to fall.

The issues emerged even as Credit Suisse’s top brass pursue a complicated restructuring following a series of scandals that have hammered the firm in recent years – including ties to the 2021 implosion of Archegos Capital Management.

Last week, Credit Suisse was forced to postpone the publication of its annual report for 2022 after receiving a last-minute call from SEC regulators.

Credit Suisse said the outreach from SEC officials was linked to a “technical assessment of previously disclosed revisions to the consolidated cash flow statements in the years ended December 31, 2020, and 2019, as well as related controls.”

Rich Dad Company co-founder Robert Kiyosaki – an investor who correctly predicted the downfall of Lehman Brothers in 2008 – was among the market experts who raised concerns about Credit Suisse’s stability.

“The problem is the bond market, and my prediction, I called Lehman Brothers years ago, and I think the next bank to go is Credit Suisse,” Kiyosaki said during a Monday appearance on Fox Business Network.

Kiyosaki stated Credit Suisse was in trouble because “the bond market is crashing.”

On Sunday, the Treasury, Federal Reserve and FDIC said they would guarantee all deposits held at the doomed Silicon Valley Bank and another shuttered firm, Signature Bank in New York.

The feds insist that US taxpayers won’t face any costs from the bailout move – though experts told The Post that Americans will pay more through higher bank fees and degraded services.

https://nypost.com/2023/03/14/credit-suisse-shares-hit-record-low-amid-market-turmoil/

https://nypost.com/2023/03/14/credit-suisse-shares-hit-record-low-amid-market-turmoil/

Xi Jinping: China Will Be ‘Active’ in Reforming ‘Global Governance’

Genocidal Chinese dictator Xi Jinping vowed in a speech at the conclusion of China’s annual legislative sessions on Monday that the Communist Party would seek a more prominent role on the world stage pursuing the “reform and construction of the global governance system.”

China under his third tenure as president – to which he was unanimously “elected” by the National People’s Congress (NPC), the federal-level legislature, last week – Xi said, would work to “create a favorable international environment for our country’s development.”

Xi was speaking at the conclusion of the “two sessions” of the NPC and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which meet annually to draft new laws for the country. The Communist Party completely dominates both bodies and blocks any diversity of opinion; the Party typically prepares a slate or policy topics to address prior to the meeting.

The “two sessions” are also used to choose new members of Xi’s cabinet and, in theory, select a president. In practice, Xi has eliminated any Communist Party members that may pose a threat to his supremacy or present as potential successors, leaving him surrounded by elderly leaders and no viable alternatives to lead the country.

Xi used his concluding speech to the NPC on Monday to celebrate China’s expanding global influence and promise that he would dedicate his efforts in the next year to reshaping the world to look more like China. Xi did not spend significant time on the problems facing Chinese people at home, according to reports in both Chinese state propaganda and international media, such as the collapse of the nation’s birthrate, its stalling economy, crippling shortages of basic medicines, and international corporations moving business to neighboring countries such as Vietnam and India.

“We will be dedicated to peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, stand firmly on the right side of history, practice true multilateralism, and uphold the shared values of humanity,” the Chinese state-run Global Times newspaper quoted Xi as saying on Monday.

“The Chinese president said that China will play an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system,” the Global Times shared, “contribute its share to building an open world economy, advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, add more stability and positive energy to the peaceful development of the world.”

The “Global Development Initiative” and “Global Security Initiative” are vague proposals spearheaded by Xi in which China pressures other countries to abandon the “excessive pursuit of self-interest” and instead pool their resources to allegedly promote world peace and eradication of poverty. The “Global Security Initiative” is of particular concern to free countries as it does not appear to contain any concrete demands for action outside of failing to oppose the Chinese Communist Party’s interests. In debuting the initiative in April 2022, Xi said partners in the project must “stay committed to taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously, uphold the principle of indivisible security, build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture,” as well as “oppose the pursuit of one’s own security at the cost of others’ security.”

The Chinese government has not at press time elaborated beyond the lofty goals of the initiative initially proposed by Xi.

https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2023/03/14/xi-jinping-china-will-be-active-in-reforming-global-governance/

Treasury Department To Hand Over Hunter Biden’s Banking Records

The Treasury Department will allow members of the House Oversight and Government Accountability Committee to review Suspicious Activities Reports (SARs) detailing Hunter Biden’s bank records, committee chairman James Comer of Kentucky said Tuesday.

The Oversight Committee initially requested in January that Treasury officials provide Biden’s SARs, which are taken by banks in accordance with federal law when deposits or withdrawals exceed $10,000 or may indicate criminal activity. Assistant Treasury Secretary for Legislative Affairs Jonathan Davidson responded that the Oversight Committee did not identify a purpose for the request. Comer believes that Treasury holds more than 150 reports on Biden.

“After two months of dragging their feet, the Treasury Department is finally providing us with access to the suspicious activity reports for the Biden family and their associates’ business transactions. It should never have taken us threatening to hold a hearing and conduct a transcribed interview with an official under the penalty of perjury for Treasury to finally accommodate part of our request,” Comer said in a statement.

The Treasury Department changed a rule to limit the ability of minority party members to request SARs, Comer asserted in July 2022. He argued that the department made the change to limit Republican investigations into Hunter Biden.

“We are going to continue to use bank documents and suspicious activity reports to follow the money trail to determine the extent of the Biden family’s business schemes, if Joe Biden is compromised by these deals, and if there is a national security threat. If Treasury tries to stonewall our investigation again, we will continue to use tools at our disposal to compel compliance,” Comer added.

The Lion Hall Group, a company controlled by Hunter’s uncle James Biden, paid Hunter Biden a $100,000 monthly retainer. Those payments were reportedly flagged, as was a $100,000 payment from Chinese billionaire Ye Jianming to Owasco, Hunter Biden’s law firm.

Large payments to “politically-exposed people” like Hunter Biden can be part of “malign foreign influence campaigns,” Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray testified in August 2022.

“It starts to shade into a blend of what we call malign foreign influence with potential public corruption. And it’s something we take seriously,” he told Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley.

https://dailycaller.com/2023/03/14/treasury-department-suspicious-activities-reports-hunter-biden-james-comer/

James Comer: Treasury Reports Show Biden Family Made Millions from Chinese Company After 2016

The Biden family business received a $3 million wire transfer from a Chinese energy company and subsequent payments after President Joe Biden left the vice presidency in 2017, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) announced upon receiving suspicious activity reports from the Treasury this week.

U.S. banks have flagged over 150 SARs from Hunter and James Biden that included “large” amounts of money flagged for further review. According to a 2020 Senate report, SARs “often contain evidence of potential criminal activities, such as money laundering and fraud.”

“According to bank documents we’ve already obtained, we know one company owned by a Biden associate received a $3 million dollar wire from a Chinese energy company two months after Joe Biden left the vice presidency,” Comer said in a statement. “Soon after, hundreds of thousands of dollars in payouts went to members of the Biden family.”

The Biden family had previously negotiated a deal with CEFC from which Joe Biden (Big Guy) would receive a ten percent equity stake in the joint venture with Hunter’s former business partner Tony Bobulinski. In 2017, Hunter earned a $1 million legal retainer from the company’s chairman, Ye Jianming. Hunter also received a large diamond from Ye worth an estimated $80,000 in February 2017.

The SARs also likely show money paid to Hunter and James Biden for their work with a Ukrainian energy company. In April 2014, Hunter joined the board of Burisma, just two years before Joe Biden stated he forced the firing of prosecutor Viktor Shokin investigating Burisma. Despite Hunter’s lack of experience in Ukraine or the energy sector, he was paid $83,000 per month by the energy company or $1 million per year — just weeks after his father was announced “point person” on U.S. foreign policy toward Ukraine.

“We are going to continue to use bank documents and suspicious activity reports to follow the money trail to determine the extent of the Biden family’s business schemes, if Joe Biden is compromised by these deals, and if there is a national security threat,” Comer explained.

The Treasury’s compliance to disclose the SARs is a massive development in the probe into the Biden family business. Comer is investigating the Biden family business for nine violations, including wire fraud and money laundering.

The Treasury had previously refused to disclose the banking documents to the committee and even backed out from attending a committee hearing on Friday. “After two months of dragging their feet, the Treasury Department is finally providing us with access to the suspicious activity reports for the Biden family and their associates’ business transactions,” Comer said.

“It should never have taken us threatening to hold a hearing and conduct a transcribed interview with an official under the penalty of perjury for Treasury to finally accommodate part of our request,” Comer added. “For over 20 years, Congress had access to these reports but the Biden Administration changed the rules out of the blue to restrict our ability to conduct oversight.”

In 2018 and 2020, Breitbart Senior Contributor and Government Accountability Institute President Peter Schweizer published Secret Empires and Profiles in Corruption. Each book hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and exposed how Hunter Biden and Joe Biden flew aboard Air Force Two in 2013 to China before Hunter’s firm inked a $1.5 billion deal with a subsidiary of the Chinese government’s Bank of China less than two weeks after the trip. Schweizer’s work also uncovered the Biden family’s other vast and lucrative foreign deals and cronyism. Breitbart Political Editor Emma-Jo Morris’s investigative work at the New York Post on the Hunter Biden “laptop from hell” also captured international headlines when she, along with Miranda Devine, revealed that Joe Biden was intimately involved in Hunter’s businesses, appearing to even have a ten percent stake in a company the scion formed with officials at the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/03/14/james-comer-treasury-reports-show-biden-family-made-millions-chinese-company-after-2016/

FBI, State Department Miss Deadline To Produce COVID Origin Information To House Panel

The FBI and U.S. Department of State have not yet provided documents in response to a congressional request for information on the origin of the COVID-19 virus, which is due March 13, but the agencies are expected to comply, according to the House panel seeking the information.

The information was requested on Feb. 27 by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and by Rep. Brad R. Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.

“We have not received documents at this time, but we are in communication with the agencies about the chairman’s request, and we expect compliance,” a spokesperson for the subcommittee told The Epoch Times on March 13.

A spokesperson for the State Department told The Epoch Times, “President Biden has directed every element of our intelligence community to put the effort and resources behind getting to the bottom of the origins of COVID-19. We will continue to use every tool to figure out what happened here. And if we gain further insight, the President has directed the Administration to share that with Congress and the American people.”

The FBI declined to comment.

The select subcommittee is investigating “the origins of COVID-19 and the CCP’s efforts to cover it up,” according to Feb. 27 letters sent to FBI Director Christopher Wray (pdf) and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (pdf).

The subcommittee held an initial hearing on the origin of the virus on March 8, where witnesses offered mixed opinions on whether the origin of the virus can be definitively traced to a leak from a research laboratory in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the global pandemic.

Wenstrup pledged “to leave no stone unturned to try to find the truth” about the origin of the virus in his opening statement to the subcommittee.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fbi-state-department-miss-deadline-produce-covid-origin-information-house-panel

‘A New Name Has Emerged’: Rep. Comer Says Another Biden Member Tied Up In Hunter Scheme

Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer said Tuesday on Fox News that “a new name has emerged” in the Hunter Biden scandal.

Comer joined “America’s Newsroom” to discuss an ongoing House investigation into Hunter Biden after Comer issued a subpoena Sunday for bank records from alleged business associates of Hunter Biden. One alleged associate is John “Rob” Walker. Host Bill Hemmer noted the recent revelations surrounding Walker.

Comer explained a $3 million wire was discovered “two months after Joe Biden left office and then the very next day, from that account, that Walker account that appears to be a pastoral account, then they started wiring money to Biden family members, plural, and there were three different Biden family members that received a cut from the $3 million, including new Biden family members never before included in any of these investigations.”

Comer then questioned what these individuals did to warrant that money and what the purpose of the wire was, before saying this was an investigation about the president and not just his son.

“There are more family members involved than just the president’s son,” Comer added.

“Another name popped up, whose name is that?” Hemmer asked. “Are they a relative tied to the family?”

“They are a Biden,” Comer said. “I’m not going to disclose that new name, that really changes things because what we assumed was this was just about the president’s son and two brothers, but now there is a new name that’s emerged. They are a Biden.”

“We have got a problem here with respect to trying to determine what exactly this family was doing to receive these transactions from China. I think every American should be concerned, this is an issue of national security.”

Comer then added it appears all the transfers, which came from alleged business associates with ties to China, were put into personal accounts. Further, Comer said the Biden family doesn’t manufacture or sell anything nor do they own real estate.

https://dailycaller.com/2023/03/14/rep-comer-biden-member-tied-up-hunter-scheme/

Marine sniper was denied permission to shoot ISIS suicide bomber who killed 13 US troops; testimony

A Marine Corps sergeant said he was denied permission to take out the Kabul airport suicide bomber who killed 13 American troops and over 170 Afghans in August 2021.

Tyler Vargas-Andrews, a sniper stationed at the Kabul airport, shared the testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

“I requested engagement authority when my team leader was ready on the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System,” Vargas-Andrews said, testifying in his personal capacity. “The response: leadership did not have the engagement authority for us — do not engage.”

One of the men killed in the explosion, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, was considered a friend of Vargas-Andrews. Hoover later came to have Vargas-Andrews help him find an Afghan interpreter in the crowd.

“Ten minutes passed, then a flash and a massive wave of pressure — I’m thrown 12 feet onto the ground but instantly knew what had happened,” Vargas-Andrews explained. “I opened my eyes to Marines dead or unconscious around me.”

Vargas-Andrews testified that he experienced serious wounds, including “100-150” ball bearings now in his body.

In addition to the explosion, U.S. military personnel started taking gunfire following the explosion. His team leader soon came to his side to treat his bleeding while Vargas-Andrews was in extreme pain.

“The withdrawal was a catastrophe in my opinion, and there was an inexcusable lack of accountability and negligence,” he added. “The 11 Marines, one Sailor, and one Soldier that were murdered that day have not been answered for.”

The lives lost in the violent event were part of a volatile final month of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of Afghans were evacuated in addition to the withdrawal of American military personnel.

Much controversy followed the U.S. military departure, as claims of many Americans left behind arose, along with numerous Afghan allies.

In addition, the radical Taliban government resumed power, taking control of billions of dollars in U.S. military equipment.

“What happened in Afghanistan was a systemic breakdown of the federal government at every level, and a stunning failure of leadership by the Biden administration,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

McCaul also addressed the testimony during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

“I intend to move forward with this investigation. And I want to know what the commanding officer was thinking when he denied permission to take out the threat, and how, what levels did it go to within the United States government? I think those are all very important questions,” he argued.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/03/marine-sniper-was-denied-permission-to-shoot-isis-suicide-bomber-who-killed-13-us-troops-testimony/

Biden to sign executive order for background checks on gun sales

President Joe Biden is set to announce a new executive order that would move the United States “as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation.”

The president will be visiting Monterey Park, California on Tuesday where a gunman had killed 11 people in January. Biden is expected to sign his new executive order during his visit where he will also meet with the families that were impacted by the shooting.

According to the White House some of the changes that the executive order will make include expanding background checks by expanding the statutory definition of a firearms dealer. It will also require Attorney General Merrick Garland to prevent former federally licensed dealers, who have had their licenses revoked or surrendered, from engaging in the business of firearms.

The attorney general will also be required to release the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) records from inspections of dealers that were in violation of firearms laws.

The order will require the secretary of transportation to work with the Department of Justice to “reduce the loss or theft of firearms during shipment” by engaging with carriers and shippers.

The White House said that the gun industry will be held “accountable” by providing “more information regarding federally licensed firearms dealers who are violating the law.”

The order will require law enforcement agencies to issue “rigorous requirements regarding NIBIN data submission and use of this tool.” The National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) allows law enforcement to match fired casings to the guns from which they were fired. This makes it easier for law enforcement officials to connect multiple crimes and catch shooters.

Under the new order, the president will also intensify the implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which increases federal support for gun violence survivors, victims and survivors’ families, first responders and communities affected by gun violence. He will also advance efforts to prevent the distribution of firearms undetectable by metal detectors.

The new measure will also enhance background checks for buyers under 21, add penalties for gun criminals and provides funding for health and mental health-related programs. The order will also close the “boyfriend loophole” which had allowed spousal domestic abusers to have their gun rights taken away but not unmarried ones.

Biden is also directing his cabinet to encourage “the effective use” of the new orders by partnering with law enforcement, health care providers, educators, and other community leaders.

Biden has repeatedly pledged to ban “assault weapons” and high capacity magazines. In June 2022, he had signed into law the most expansive gun control bill in nearly 30 years.

A senior administration official celebrated Biden’s executive actions throughout his presidency so far in relations to gun violence.

“The president is going to continue to fight for common sense gun safety legislation, and there are all sorts of pieces of legislation we need,” the official said. “But in the meantime, [the president] wants the federal government to be doing all we can with existing authority to reduce gun violence. And that is what this executive order does.”

https://www.oann.com/newsroom/biden-to-sign-executive-order-for-background-checks-on-gun-sales/

https://www.oann.com/newsroom/biden-to-sign-executive-order-for-background-checks-on-gun-sales/

Lavrov calls on UN, OSCE to demand Kiev cease persecution of Orthodox believers

The Russian top diplomat slammed the actions of the Ukrainian authorities as "the most flagrant violation of rights and discrimination of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine"

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and 2023 OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani to demand that Kiev cease its persecution of the canonical Orthodox Church and forestall the usurpation of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery.

"The Russian foreign minister called on the international leaders to give a principled assessment of the illegitimate actions of the Ukrainian regime against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), to demand that Kiev cease its persecution and repression against the canonical Orthodox Church, strictly abide by Ukraine’s commitments under generally recognized international documents, and forestall the eviction of monks from and usurpation of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, Lavrov sent letters to Guterres and Osmani to draw their attention to the violations of human and constitutional rights of Orthodox believers in Ukraine. "These violations stem from the Kiev regime’s policy of repression, which is geared toward exterminating the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," it noted.

Thus, the letters cite numerous examples of persecution against the canonical Orthodox Church, such as the seizure of UOC churches and illegal liquidation of their congregations under the pretext of their allegedly voluntary transfer to another jurisdiction, so-called restrictive measures against bishops of the canonical Orthodox Church, including stripping them of Ukrainian citizenship, and the moral and physical pressure that has been put on clergy and parishioners alike.

Lavrov slammed the actions of the Ukrainian authorities as "the most flagrant violation of rights and discrimination of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, which runs counter to an entire range of international legal documents, such as the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, among others," the ministry said.

"The minister described the recent decision by the Kiev authorities to expel monks from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery as a step to use an invented pretext and repression to deprive the canonical Orthodox Church of one of its main holy sites. As a matter of fact, it represents the pinnacle of persecution against the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine," it stressed.

https://tass.com/politics/1588659

Israeli scientists produce world’s first mRNA vaccine for bacteria

By focusing on key differences between viruses and bacteria, researchers elicit strong immune responses in mice against Plague pathogen that killed millions in Middle Ages

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Institute for Biological Research have developed the world’s first mRNA vaccine effective against bacteria, scientists told the Times of Israel on Monday.

By modifying proven mRNA technology used to fight COVID and other viral pathogens, the scientists developed a single-dose vaccine that fully protects mice against the Plague, the lethal disease that killed millions of people during the Middle Ages and is still around today, especially in parts of Africa and Asia.

The researchers hope to adapt the vaccine for other diseases, especially ones caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could lead to a fast-spreading pandemic.

“There are many pathogenic bacteria for which we have no vaccines. Moreover, due to the excessive use of antibiotics over the last few decades, many bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics, reducing the effectiveness of these important drugs,” said Prof. Dan Peer, VP for R&D and head of the Laboratory of Precision Nano-Medicine at the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at TAU.

“Consequently, antibiotic-resistant bacteria already pose a real threat to human health worldwide. Developing a new type of vaccine may provide an answer to this global problem,” he said.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-scientists-produce-worlds-first-mrna-vaccine-for-bacteria/

Australia is being run by autocrats - Senate Speech 7.03.23

https://youtu.be/B_q29CRvfj8

Action Alert – List of States Where “Money” is Being Redefined and Non Govt Issued Cryptocurrency is Being Banned

Last week South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem broadcast a warning on the Tucker Carlson show about a bill that passed her State House and Senate that she was forced to veto because it changed the definition of money and banned non-govt-issued cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. {Broadcast Warning Here}

The bill stems from the generally innocuous Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which Daniel Horowitz describes as, “a set of standards to facilitate interstate sales and commercial transactions such that all definitions pertaining to such commerce are uniform and clearly understood.” It looks like Horowitz was the first to transmit the public warning, as identified by two members of the South Dakota House Freedom Caucus, and then Kristi Noem became aware – thus the veto.

Governor Noem warned that the bill was already passing through several states, and if you look at the UCC Amendment tracking page [DATA HERE], she is correct. The states in green on the map below are states where the UCC revision bill has already been introduced.

As Daniel Horowitz notes in his initial warning dated March 2, 2023:

“The revisions to Article I are very clear now that Bitcoin will not be money, because even though the definition provides for electronic money … it says that an asset that is adopted by a government as its medium of exchange will not qualify as money … if the electronic asset, such as Bitcoin, existed before it was adopted by the government. So Bitcoin, of course, exists today; it existed before El Salvador adopted it as its currency … so it will never be money for UCC purposes. The same for other kinds of crypto currencies.” So there you have it. Officials clearly mean to pave the way for CBDC while explicitly barring all competition. (more)

This is obviously alarming.

Additionally, with the timing of this national revision taking place very quietly; and with the failure of SVB and Signature Bank following a few weeks later; and with specific impacts to the cyptocurrency market; one is left wondering if the current bank “failure” and Biden team intervention was not an intentional crisis with a motive to push government controlled central bank digital currencies into the mainstream.

In essence, was the SVB banking collapse, a designed crisis? And as a result, was the federal government response predetermined and just waiting to be triggered?

When asked last week why her legislature would do this, Noem responded the state politicians likely did not read the bill as it was constructed by lobbyists. Noem is exactly correct and hits on a subject we have discussed here frequently {GO DEEP}. However, one of the more alarming aspects to Noem’s discussion of the issue is that around 20 other states are considering similar legislation. WATCH:

https://youtu.be/WVfRzWlmiXg

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/03/14/action-alert-list-of-states-where-money-is-being-redefined-and-non-govt-issued-cryptocurrency-is-being-banned/

WHO pushes for a One World Government by issuing guidance to national parliamentarians

Yesterday, World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced “with great pleasure” a joint project of the IPU Parliament and WHO, “which can guide parliamentarians along the path towards health for all, including on law-making, finance, taxation and accountability.”

A few days ago, we published an article warning that the World Health Organisation (“WHO”) aims to begin installing a One World Government under the guise of global health security. If you didn’t believe us then, this latest development should convince you now.

IPU Parliament claims to “empower parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development.” Out of 190 parliaments in the world, 178 national parliaments are members of IPU. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (“IPU”) began in 1889 by Englishman William Randal Cremer and Frenchman Frédéric Passy. You can read more about the history of IPU HERE.

And WHO is a private organisation, a puppet organisation that is funded by Globalist billionaires. Bill Gates, along with the organisations he controls, is, by far, the largest financial contributor to WHO. Only 13% of WHO’s budget comes from assessed contributions, which are set amounts paid by member-state governments.

All parliamentarians who want to protect citizens and their nations’ sovereignty, freedom and rights from these want-to-be global dictators should be calling for their governments to stop funding and exit the WHO. Any who aren’t, by default, are identifying themselves as Globalists and puppets of the planned One World Government.

Some have been already calling to #ExitTheWHO – based on the secretive negotiations taking place regarding amendments to the international health regulations and a proposed “pandemic treaty” – but this latest development should leave no one in any doubt of the dictators at WHO’s intentions. All parliamentarians and all citizens of all nations need to join the calls to put an end to the Globalists’ dystopian dreams of a one world totalitarian state which is under the rule of a very few.

Exit The WHO

Over the past two weeks, the US and other members of WHO have been negotiating ways to give sweeping new powers to WHO’s Director-General. Through material changes to existing international health regulations and/or a new pandemic accord, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus would be able to declare actual or potential “public health emergencies of international concern” in any country based on privately supplied information and without the agreement of the nation(s) affected. Worse yet, he can unilaterally dictate what must be done in response.

The idea of granting WHO and its leadership such potentially fraught authorities is all the more problematic in light of their imperious, and malfeasant, conduct at the direction of the Chinese Communist Party (“CCP”) in the course of the covid-19 pandemic. But, the approval of one or both of these agreements is likely – all other things being equal – to happen when the World Health Assembly meets in May 2023. The new WHO authorities would become provisionally binding on member states, irrespective of whether or not they ultimately endorse them.

Especially troubling is the convergence of these initiatives with measures promoted by WHO to institute global digital identity cards to document and monitor vaccination status and other medical conditions. When combined with the proliferating introduction of central bank digital currencies (“CBDCs”), these “smart” IDs would facilitate efforts to monitor, control and enforce WHO’s diktats, and punish those who defy them.

Below is an easy-to-digest webinar describing the WEF-WHO-CCP power grab and the imminent threat to our country and our sovereignty. The webinar, hosted by the Committee on the Present Danger: China, covers the nature of WHO, the CCP as the dominant force at WHO and the consequences of the adoption of the China model. A copy of the transcript can be found HERE.

https://youtu.be/zEuA0FUIgaw

https://expose-news.com/2023/03/13/who-pushes-for-a-one-world-government-by-issuing/

Crackdown on criminal network that produced and distributed methamphetamine in Europe

With the support of Eurojust and Europol, judicial and law enforcement authorities in the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have taken down an organised crime group (OCG) responsible for the production and distribution of at least 4.7 tonnes of methamphetamine in Europe. During a joint action, 16 suspects were arrested and over 3.3 million tablets containing raw material for the production of the drug were seized.

According to the investigation, the perpetrators used a Romanian company to purchase the precursors (raw materials) and incorporate them into two pharmaceutical products, 50 and 120 milligram tablets of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. They used a formula that allowed them to quickly extract these precursors afterwards for the production of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories. One of the suspects was partner and director of this company.

The tablets produced in Romania were shipped to companies in several European countries that purchased them without having a marketing authorisation in those countries. The tablets did not reach their declared destination, but were sent to various locations in Poland. From there, the shipments were split into smaller quantities and delivered to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where they were distributed to clandestine laboratories.

Using the 'Czech method' of producing methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories, approximately 0.70 kg of methamphetamine was obtained from one kilogram of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine hydrochloride.

Between January 2021 and February 2023, the members of the criminal group allegedly organised the transport and delivery of 168 788 870 tablets containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine (approximately 6.7 tonnes of ephedrine hydrochloride), from which a total quantity of at least 4.7 tonnes of methamphetamine could be produced.

During joint action days from 26 February until 2 March, 16 suspects were arrested in the four countries involved.

In Poland, 3 184 500 pills containing ephedrine for a value of approximately EUR 840 000 (PLN 4 012 470) and 121 776 pills containing pseudoephedrine were seized. Additionally, PLN 366 200, EUR 177 215, USD 260 and CZK 1 400 were also seized.

A total of EUR 148 163, CZK 711 082 and PLN 22 433 were seized from bank accounts in the Czech Republic. Cash was also found and seized during the searches.

In Slovakia, EUR 1 129 220 was seized.

A joint investigation team (JIT) among involved countries was set up in November 2022 with the support of Eurojust. The Agency also hosted three coordination meetings to facilitate judicial cooperation and provide support for the coordinated investigative efforts.

Europol has been supporting the investigation since August 2022 by facilitating the information exchange, cross-checking operational information against its databases and providing analytical support. A Europol mobile office was also deployed to Slovakia on the day of action to assist the national authorities with their investigative measures.

The following authorities took part in this investigation:

Czech Republic: Regional Public Prosecutor´s Office in Ostrava, Czech Police, National Anti Drug Unit

Poland: The National Prosecutor´s Office Department for Organized Crime and Corruption in Katowice and Wroclaw, Police Central Bureau of Investigation in Katowice and Wroclaw and Polish Border Guard in Nowy Sacz

Romania: Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice – Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism – Central Structure – Department for Combatting Drug Trafficking; Romanian National Police Directorate for Countering Organised Crime – Central Antidrug Service, and the Directorate for Special Operations

Slovakia: Regional Public Prosecutor´s Office in Žilina, Presidium of the Police Force National Crime Agency Drug Headquarters

https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/crackdown-criminal-network-produced-and-distributed-methamphetamine-in-europe

U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges 9 Defendants with Child Exploitation Offenses in Ongoing Program to Prevent Victimization of Children

LOS ANGELES – Federal authorities today announced a series of child sexual exploitation cases alleging the victimization of minors – sometimes by convicted sex offenders – and charging a range of crimes that include sex trafficking, enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and producing child pornography.

United States Attorney Martin Estrada, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang made the announcement.

In eight new cases filed in recent weeks – five resulting from FBI-led investigations, and three from investigations led by Homeland Security Investigations – nine defendants are accused of exploiting children in person and on the internet. There have been significant recent developments in other child exploitation cases being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, including a life sentence imposed on an offender who filmed his sexual assaults of disabled children.

The cases announced today are part of Project Safe Childhood, which is the Justice Department’s longstanding initiative to combat the ongoing epidemic of child exploitation crimes.

“Protecting our children from sexual exploitation is some of the most important work my office does,” said United States Attorney Estrada. “For years, we have vigorously prosecuted child sexual predators, and we have only increased those efforts in recent times. To those who would seek to victimize our youth, let me be clear: We will use every tool in our arsenal to bring you to justice and thereby stop you from causing further irreparable harm to others.”

“The various cases being announced today are a reminder of the constant threat of sexual extortion minors face, as well as the persistent demand for child pornography,” said FBI Assistant Director Alway, who runs the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Whether an offender sexually abuses a child in person or online, or continues to exploit children by producing or sharing images of sexual abuse, the FBI and our partners will continue to seek justice for innocent victims by holding offenders accountable.”

“HSI Los Angeles is committed to removing sexual predators from our streets and working aggressively to hold them accountable for their heinous actions,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Wang.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/us-attorneys-office-charges-9-defendants-child-exploitation-offenses-ongoing-program

World Economic Forum Training Video

https://www.bitchute.com/video/p13qgsm59roH/

POTUS: "If we don't keep the temperature from going above 1.5 degrees Celsius, raised, then we're in real trouble. That whole generation is damned — I mean, that’s not hyperbole.”

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1635699803651702806

Alleged 13yo victim of ex-NSW Labor minister Milton Orkopoulos invited to office party, mother says

A man allegedly abused by former NSW Labor minister Milton Orkopoulos was asked to a party at the ex-MP's office as a 13-year-old boy, the state's District Court has heard.

Key points:

Milton Orkopoulos stands accused of abusing four boys between 1993 and 2003

Mr Orkopoulos has strenuously denied all 28 charges

One boy's mother alleged the former MP invited her son to an office party

Milton Orkopoulos has pleaded not guilty to 28 offences relating to four boys that allegedly took place at Lake Macquarie and NSW's Mid North Coast between 1993 and 2003.

Charges include eight counts of supplying a prohibited drug, eight counts of indecent assault, and 11 counts of sexual intercourse with a person aged between 10 and 16.

Mr Orkopoulos is also accused of perverting the course of justice after allegedly having one complainant sign a statement to retract an allegation.

Asked to attend 'party'

The mother of one of the alleged victims gave evidence in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Tuesday where she alleged Mr Orkopoulos and another man came to her unit one night looking for her son.

The woman told the court Mr Orkopoulos stood out the front in her yard, while another man asked where her son was.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-14/mother-alleged-victim-ex-labor-mp-milton-orkopoulos-party-invite/102093366

Jacinda Ardern's next job is revealed as her successor as New Zealand's prime minister floats a bold new plan

Jacinda Ardern could land international role

Ex-NZ prime minister has overseas appeal

She will likely do work for Christchurch Call

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has hinted at a potential job for former leader Jacinda Ardern on her flagship foreign policy effort.

During her five-year prime ministership, Ms Ardern established the Christchurch Call with French President Emanuel Macron, a unique tie-up between more than 120 nations and major tech companies to eliminate online extremism.

The Call was founded in the wake of the terror attacks on Christchurch mosques, which occurred on March 15, 2019 - four years ago on Wednesday.

At his weekly post-cabinet press conference, Mr Hipkins floated the idea that Ms Ardern could maintain her interest in the Call beyond her career in politics.

'(The Call) remains one of our international priorities,' he said.

'New Zealand is seen as having taken a really positive global leadership role there, and I want to make sure that we're seeing that through.

'There's potential for Jacinda Ardern to continue to be involved in that work, and in due course we'll explore what that might look like.'

Ms Ardern has not given interviews and has maintained a low profile since her shock departure as prime minister, announced on January 19.

She was spotted in the hard-hit town of Hastings in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, helping to create food parcels at a community centre.

A spokesman for Ms Ardern told AAP: 'We're not commenting on the former PM's future plans at this time.'

The two-time election winner is due to give her valedictory statement in the next month and will leave parliament on April 15.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11856467/Jacinda-Arderns-job-revealed-NZ-prime-minister-Chris-Hipkins-floats-new-plan.html

Former US natsec advisor: destroy Taiwan semiconductor factories if China invades

A growing body of evidence suggests that the US would blow up the global economy to prevent China from laying claim to Taiwan’s semiconductor factories.

Former White House National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien has hinted at a sinister US contingency plan in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Rather than see Taiwan’s semiconductor factories fall into the hands of the Communist Party of China, the US and its allies would simply pull a Nordstream.

“The United States and its allies are never going to let those factories fall into Chinese hands,” O’Brien told Semafor, a news outlet that has been funded by jailed Democratic financier Sam Bankman-Fried and his brother. O’Brien went on to compare the destruction of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) to Winston Churchill’s bombing of a French naval fleet after the country’s surrender to Nazi Germany.

Semiconductors made in Taiwan are necessary for the functioning of everything from smartphones to cars. Taiwan manufactures around 65 percent of the world’s semiconductors and close to 90 percent of advanced chips. Annually, a third of all new computing power generated globally is fabricated in Taiwan. The US National Security Council estimates that the loss of TSMC “could disrupt the world economy to the tune of more than $1 trillion.”

As tensions rise over the Taiwan Strait, the US Treasury Department has published at least two studies on “the overall market impact of an invasion,” while the National Security Council is conducting a study on “semiconductors and US dependencies on TSMC.”

TSMC’s advanced chips are used in “all major US defense systems and platforms,” making them an essential building block of American empire.

Given these facts, it is highly likely that the destruction of Taiwan’s chip manufacturing plants would be the most damaging act of economic sabotage in history.

Having served in senior positions in the three administrations that preceded Biden’s, few private American citizens are better positioned to receive and transmit the views of national security elites than O’Brien. As Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor, he traveled to Arizona in 2020 to congratulate the state’s governor on the opening of a $12 billion TSMC factory in the state, using the appearance as a platform to rail against Chinese communism. “Let us be clear, the Chinese Communist Party is a Marxist-Leninist organization. The Party General Secretary Xi Jinping sees himself as Josef Stalin’s successor,” O’Brien declared.

Ironically, it was the global capitalist system that led developing nations to place such strategic assets in non-strategic places like Taiwan. According to William Alan Reinsch, a Senior Advisor at Washington’s leading anti-China think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), chip manufacturers in the West preferred to place their plants in a “low-wage, nonunion country that probably doesn’t have environmental requirements” to maximize profits at the top.

Now, with such a vital industry located just 100 miles from mainland China, O’Brien is joining a chorus of foreign policy hardliners calling for a dog in the manger doctrine.

As Bloomberg reported in October 2022, former officials with ties to the Pentagon have urged the Biden administration to destroy Taiwan’s semiconductor industry in the event of a Chinese military assault. The outlet cited Elbridge Colby, a rabidly anti-China former Pentagon official, proclaiming, “We can’t allow such a valuable equity to fall into Chinese hands, I think it would be nuts.”

https://thegrayzone.com/2023/03/13/us-natsec-advisor-taiwan-semiconductor-china/