Mounties say 2 men arrested after another fentanyl 'super lab' found in B.C.

Mounties say two men were arrested after police uncovered the latest drug-manufacturing "super lab" in British Columbia.

A statement Wednesday from the Burnaby RCMP detachment says authorities spent six months investigating the operation before executing search warrants at four properties across the Lower Mainland region on Oct. 16 and 17.

One of those properties, a rural farm in Langley, housed what police described as a "super lab" that was allegedly capable of producing multiple kilograms of fentanyl on a weekly basis.

Investigators arrested two men and seized hundreds of kilograms of chemicals used in the production of the potentially deadly drug, according to police.

The other three searches were conducted at residences of suspects believed to be involved in producing the drugs, the RCMP said.

Authorities spent three days dismantling the clandestine lab and disposing of contaminated materials, police said.

The discovery and seizure of the lab occurred just days before Mounties raided what they described as the "largest and most sophisticated" drug-production lab in Canadian history on a rural property in the B.C. Interior.

The federal RCMP's assistant commissioner for the Pacific region said the "super lab" discovered east of Kamloops contained enough fentanyl and precursor chemicals to produce 95 million lethal doses of the drug when it was shut down.

Police say organized crime is most likely behind the operation of such large-scale drug production facilities.

"This lab is directly linked to gangs involved in the B.C. gang conflict," Sgt. Randy Mortensen of the Burnaby RCMP's drug and organized crime section said of the Langley facility.

"A drug super lab like this poses a serious public safety risk to the entire community," he added. "It appears the fentanyl being produced at this lab was being widely distributed, likely contributing to overdoses in this province and across the country."

Charges have not been laid against the two men who were arrested, but police say the investigation is progressing.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/mounties-say-2-men-arrested-after-another-fentanyl-super-lab-found-in-b-c-1.7125364

Cow farts are the problem

Illegal Pakistani immigrant who killed talented footballer, 20, while driving without licence or insurance is jailed for 30 weeks and will be out in just over three months

An illegal Pakistani immigrant who killed a talented young footballer in a crash while driving without a valid UK licence or insurance has been jailed for just 30 weeks.

Syed Bukhari, 27, who will walk free from prison in just over three months, ploughed his Toyota Prius into a motorbike being ridden by 20-year-old Cameron Arneaud.

Cameron was thrown from his Benelli Tornado and suffered injuries which sadly turned out to be fatal.

A court heard how Bukhari failed to stop at a junction before turning right directly into Cameron's path on Irthlingborough Road, Finedon, Northamptonshire, in December 2023.

Cameron's dad told how he arrived on the scene of the accident three days before Christmas to find his son dying on the ground.

He lay down next to him on the road surface while he took his last breaths.

The court was told how Bukhari had overstayed his student visa, and was in the country illegally.

Also, although he had a Pakistani driving licence, had never applied for a UK licence, which is required to drive on public roads after a year, and he was not insured.

Bukhari, of Brantwood Court in Luton, Bedforshire, admitted causing death by careless driving on October 17 and was jailed at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday.

He was sentenced to 30 weeks in prison, of which he will serve half in jail and the rest on licence.

Bukhari was also disqualified from driving for 67 weeks and has been ordered to take an extended test.

A second charge of causing death whilst unlicensed/uninsured will remain on file.

Sentencing, Judge Rupert Mayo said to Bukhari: 'You brought tremendous sorrow into Mr Arneaud's family.

'Nothing that I do in terms of passing sentence can, or should, put a value on Cameron's life.'

The court heard that Bukhari had arrived in the UK on a student visa from Pakistan in 2022, but had overstayed and subsequently married, with his wife giving birth eight months ago.

He had not been able to afford to pay for the legal process which would give him leave to remain, so was not legally in the country.

As he had been in the country for more than a year, it also became mandatory to apply for a UK driving licence - but Bukhari had not done so.

Cameron's mum Alison Mitchell told the court how losing her son had shattered her life and those of her other children, Cameron's brothers and sister.

The Arsenal fan from Bedford had been a talented footballer and had been part of an academy before moving to Rushden and starting a new job at the National Accident Helpline.

Wearing a grey suit, Bukhari stared straight ahead during the entire hearing as the family directed their statements toward him in the dock.

Ms Mitchell described how Cameron had been a father figure to her other children after she became a single mother.

She said: 'He was their constant source of love, support and guidance.'

She described how her other children had suffered nightmares since his death and had faced struggles with their emotions.

Cameron's mother added: 'My daughter is always asking lots of questions.

'Like who's going to walk me in the church, mum, when I get married?'

'My youngest sobs and tells me he wants his brother.

'The other one is now 18 and he lost his best friend as well as his brother. I've never seen him more broken.'

Ms Mitchell described how she had always been the 'strong one' throughout her life, and addressing Bukhari, she said: 'In one single moment, not only did you kill my son, you killed me.

'You have absolutely destroyed me. I stand before you a broken woman.

'I am not going to see him buy his first car or home. I'm not going to see him fall in love or get married.

'I'll never see him have children.'

Cameron's father Daniel Arneaud said that he had watched his son grow into an 'amazing young man'.

He said: 'I am proud of who he became. He supported his mum, leading by example and helping to support his siblings.

'He wanted to be a role model for them, and he was.'

Mr Arneaud said his son was 'loving, caring, thoughtful, compassionate and brave,' describing the moment he arrived to see his boy lying unconscious on the road.

He added: 'The trauma of seeing so many people trying to save my son's life and then for them to get your permission to stop CPR as he's gone.

'Lying beside my son on the road, stalling for as much time as I could so I could say goodbye.

'I am broken and I have no direction. This has cost me my home, my relationship, my job and my son.'

Ben Gow, prosecuting, said Bukhari had been behind the wheel of a Toyota Prius at about 9.15pm on December 22, 2023.

As he came toward 'give way' signs in Oxford Street in Finedon he slowed to 1.2mph, but didn't completely stop.

There were cars parked on the double yellow lines and there was vegetation obscuring his view.

Mr Gow said: 'He proceeded to go straight out, emerging from the junction without taking proper care.'

He pulled out and hit Cameron's Benelli Tornado bike, which the court heard had been potentially travelling between nine and 14mph over the road's limit of 30mph.

Cameron died at the scene from his injuries.

Paul Vickers, defending, said that his client now never wanted to drive again after what happened.

He said: 'This was a brief moment where, had it not been for a number of factors, he would not be before the court and Mr Arneaud would still be alive.

'He slowed down to 1.2mph and accelerated in what was a normal manner with these devastating consequences.'

Bukhari, who has no previous convictions, had immediately co-operated with an off-duty Met Police officer who stopped at the scene.

Following the hearing, Cameron's family said they believed that although Bukhari had not intended to kill their son, some of his actions had been overlooked.

Cameron's father Mr Arneaud said: 'There was the intention to stay here, the intention to drive, the intention to be on the road without insurance. They are all facts.'

Lead investigator, Detective Constable Rae Pegg, of Northamptonshire Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, praised Cameron's family for their courage and strength.

She said: 'The devastation this collision has caused cannot be measured.

'Cameron was a much-loved son and brother, and leaves behind family and friends who all thought the absolute world of him.

'No sentence will ever make up for his death. However, I hope Bukhari is aware that, as result of his careless use of the road, he has left a family completely and forever heartbroken.

'Throughout the investigation and at court, Cameron's family have displayed immense courage, dignity and emotional strength, and I hope the conclusion of this case will provide them with some sort of closure and give them the time to grieve properly.'

After the sentencing Cameron's parents issued a joint statement, expressing their devastation at the loss of their beloved son.

They said: 'December 22, 2023, changed our lives forever. No parent should bury their child – we were both strong people before this happened but the pain of losing Cameron in these circumstances has broken us.

'The stress of trying to understand and come to terms with what happened to Cameron has also had a devastating impact on his brothers and sister, who have lost their best friend and constant source of love, support and guidance.

'He was a huge part of all our lives, and we miss him so much. We were all amazingly proud of the young man that he had become – he wanted to be a role model to his siblings, and he was. Not just to them but also his cousins and friends, who adored him.

'As a parent you finally feel you've accomplished a miracle when your child becomes an adult, you've helped them manoeuvre and master all the possible outcomes a teenage life has in this day in age.

'Imagine our pride when Cameron turned out to be a young man who is loving, polite, caring, thoughtful, compassionate and brave. The relief that you feel knowing that you've done such an amazing job at raising such a man with a bright future.

'Then imagine it's all taken away. The harsh reality is that we do not need to imagine as this is our lives. Cameron's promising life, just starting, taken away by a moment of carelessness.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14140055/illegal-pakistani-immigrant-killed-footballer-driving-without-licence-jailed.html

PDiddy's lawyer to the judge

When your boss called you to work on saturday

Notice how the camera man never dies?

Joe Biden May 31, 2024:

No one is above the law.

https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1796665674535711051

Famous last words from John Harwood

https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1863423622280348116

They tried to use this against Trump: Obstructing Justice Through Pardons Is an Impeachable Offense

As the investigation into the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia, led by special counsel Robert Mueller, continues to close in on President Donald Trump, he has started discussing his ability to pardon, even arguing that he could pardon himself despite the long-standing determination to the contrary by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Trump’s legal team has made an equally baseless assertion with respect to his actions to impede the Russia investigation, claiming that “the President’s actions here, by virtue of his position as the chief law enforcement officer, could neither constitutionally nor legally constitute obstruction … and that he could, if he wished … even exercise his power to pardon if he so desired.”

This view is wrong: It is clear that the president can obstruct justice. And—as reflected in past precedent, a Supreme Court decision, and constitutional history—abuse of the pardon power can constitute such obstruction and be grounds for impeachment.

Since obstruction of justice is discussed in this column in the context of the constitutional remedy of impeachment, rather than in the context of violating a specific federal obstruction of justice statute, the question of whether a sitting president can be criminally indicted is not addressed.

The president can obstruct justice

Trump’s legal team argues that the president has broad law enforcement and pardon powers and that he cannot obstruct justice through the exercise of that lawfully granted authority. But it is well-established that an otherwise legal action taken with corrupt intent to interfere in an investigation can be obstruction, just as an otherwise legal action can be bribery if done in exchange for money. For example, the DOJ investigated President Bill Clinton’s pardon of Marc Rich, a fugitive commodities trader, to determine if there was bribery, obstruction, or other illegal activity connected to it—though the inquiry eventually resulted in no charges being brought.

There is no question that the president can obstruct justice and that such obstruction can form the basis for an impeachment. As Daniel Hemel, a University of Chicago law professor, notes, obstruction of justice was one of the charges leveled against King George III in the Declaration of Independence, making clear that “the founding generation did not believe that heads of state were immune from obstruction charges.”

More recent precedent confirms this view. The articles of impeachment for President Richard Nixon included an obstruction of justice charge, stating that he violated his oath of office and constitutional duty because he “prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice.” Nixon himself acknowledged that “obstruction of justice is a serious crime and would be an impeachable offense.” Drawing from the Nixon precedent, President Clinton was impeached for obstruction of justice stemming from a sexual harassment lawsuit. In that case, Trump’s own attorney general, Jeff Sessions—who was then a senator—argued that obstruction of justice was a basis for impeachment.

Obstructive pardons are grounds for impeachment

The president has broad authority to grant pardons, but doing so to undermine an investigation of himself and his associates would constitute obstruction of justice. As former U.S. Solicitor General Walter Dellinger has noted, “The fact that a person can be fired for any reason or pardoned for any reason does not mean that in certain circumstances the reason might not constitute obstruction of justice.”

Again, the Nixon precedent is telling. When the House of Representatives drew up Nixon’s articles of impeachment, it explicitly included that he obstructed justice through his efforts to use his clemency powers to undermine the investigation. The articles stated that Nixon had been “endeavouring to cause prospective defendants, and individuals duly tried and convicted, to expect favoured treatment and consideration in return for their silence or false testimony, or rewarding individuals for their silence or false testimony.” Specifically, Nixon had discussed offering clemency to one of the Watergate burglars in exchange for favorable testimony.

Case law and constitutional history further support that abuse of the pardon power is an impeachable offense. In Ex Parte Grossman, the U.S. Supreme Court discussed the broad power given to the president to pardon, saying, “The Executive can reprieve or pardon all offenses after their commission, either before trial, during trial or after trial, by individuals, or by classes, conditionally or absolutely, and this without modification or regulation by Congress.” But in the same decision, the court noted that an abuse of the pardon power to undermine the rule of law could lead to impeachment, stating that:

If it be said that the President, by successive pardons of constantly recurring contempts in particular litigation, might deprive a court of power to enforce its orders in a recalcitrant neighborhood, it is enough to observe that such a course is so improbable as to furnish but little basis for argument. Exceptional cases like this, if to be imagined at all, would suggest a resort to impeachment, rather than to a narrow and strained construction of the general powers of the President.

The Founding Fathers addressed the issue at hand more directly, as the possibility of the president abusing the pardon power weighed heavily on the minds of some. In an effort to assuage their concerns, James Madison noted that “if the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there be grounds to believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him; they can remove him if found guilty.”

There is no relevant authority suggesting that the president is immune from impeachment for abusing the pardon power. To argue such immunity would be to put the president above the law—the very monarchical system that was explicitly rejected when the United States of America was founded. As with any legal authority granted to a political official, the pardon power can be abused and, if so, the person who abuses that power can be held accountable.

Building the political will to hold Trump accountable

While there is no question that abuse of the pardon power is an impeachable offense, the determination about how to respond to such an action lies with Congress. Congressional leadership has shown little appetite to exercise meaningful oversight over President Trump or hold him accountable for his actions, but an abuse of the pardon power could spur action.

Attempting to pardon his way out of the Mueller investigation would be politically disastrous for Trump. There have been widespread efforts by conservative lawmakers to dissuade him from firing Mueller because of their fear of the political ramifications. They have also argued against Trump trying to pardon himself—a legally dubious action that the DOJ determined was outside the scope of the pardon power during the Nixon presidency—and using the pardon power to obstruct the Russia investigation. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) went so far as to say that a self-pardon “would destroy the party, it would destroy his presidency.”

Conservatives likely recognize that Trump pardoning his close associates would result in sweeping public condemnation. The president’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, noted how important public opinion would be to lawmakers’ decisions about how to respond to presidential abuse of power, saying, “Members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, are going to be informed a lot by their constituents. So our jury … is the American people.” And the view of the American people is clear: Polling has shown that the vast majority of people oppose the idea of Trump pardoning his aides or family members. That includes Trump trying to pardon himself, which one poll showed that 86 percent of people oppose.

Trump pardoning aides in an attempt to end the Russia investigation would lead to demonstrations across the country, similar to those that would occur if Trump fired special counsel Mueller. At last count, there were more than 900 planned protests with more than 350,000 people committed to a nonviolent response to such pardons. People understand that there is something terribly wrong with the president trying to stop law enforcement from looking into his potential crimes by giving himself, his associates, and his family a Get Out of Jail Free card.

There is no legal basis for the claim that Trump is above the law. There is no question that obstruction of justice is an impeachable offense and no question that abuse of the pardon power can constitute obstruction. The only question that remains is how Congress would respond to such an act—particularly whether, in the face of sustained public outcry, Republican members of Congress would hold the president accountable for his abuse of power.

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/obstructing-justice-pardons-impeachable-offense/

@MZHemingway

Everyone's talking in late 2024 about Alexander Vindman and treason. Here's what I said on Special Report when Trump fired Vindman from the National Security Council in February of 2020.

https://x.com/MZHemingway/status/1862266372371173526

Trump Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth EXPOSES SABOTAGE of America! | Kirk Cameron on TBN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz4QMzqDXPA

The top 10 oil producers and share of total world oil production in 2023

https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=709&t=6

Trump nominates Florida sheriff Chad Chronister to lead the DEA

President-elect Trump on Saturday nominated Florida sheriff Chad Chronister as administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

"For over 32 years, Sheriff Chad Chronister has served the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and received countless commendations and awards for keeping his community SAFE," Trump wrote in his announcement moments before he nominated Kash Patel to replace Christopher Wray as FBI director.

"A proud graduate of the FBI National Academy's 260th Session, Chad is Co-Chairman of the Regional Domestic Security Task Force for Region IV Tampa Bay, Council Member of the Florida Attorney General’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, Chairman of the Criminal Justice Sub-Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Safety Coordinating Council, and Vice-Chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Schools Citizen Oversight Committee," he continued.

Trump said Chronister would work with Pam Bondi, his nominee for attorney general after Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew as nominee, to "secure the Border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other Illegal Drugs, across the Southern Border, and SAVE LIVES."

Congratulations to Chad, his wife Nikki, and two wonderful sons!" he added.

Chronister called his nomination the "honor of a lifetime" in a statement posted to social media.

"I am deeply humbled by this opportunity to serve our nation," he added.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-nominates-florida-sheriff-chad-chronister-lead-dea

Trump threatens 100% tariff on the BRIC bloc of nations if they act to undermine US dollar

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a bloc of nine nations if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar.

His threat was directed at countries in the so-called BRIC alliance, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have applied to become members and several other countries have expressed interest in joining.

While the U.S. dollar is by far the most-used currency in global business and has survived past challenges to its preeminence, members of the alliance and other developing nations say they are fed up with America’s dominance of the global financial system.

The dollar represents roughly 58% of the world’s foreign exchange reserves, according to the IMF and major commodities like oil are still primarily bought and sold using dollars. The dollar's dominance is threatened, however, with BRICS' growing share of GDP and the alliance's intent to trade in non-dollar currencies — a process known as de-dollarization.

Trump, in a Truth Social post, said: “We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy."

At a summit of BRIC nations in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the U.S. of “weaponizing” the dollar and described it as a “big mistake.”

“It’s not us who refuse to use the dollar,” Putin said at the time. “But if they don’t let us work, what can we do? We are forced to search for alternatives.”

Russia has specifically pushed for the creation of a new payment system that would offer an alternative to the global bank messaging network, SWIFT, and allow Moscow to dodge Western sanctions and trade with partners.

Trump said there is "no chance" BRIC will replace the U.S. dollar in global trade and any country that tries to make that happen "should wave goodbye to America.”

Research shows that the U.S. dollar's role as the primary global reserve currency is not threatened in the near future.

An Atlantic Council model that assesses the dollar’s place as the primary global reserve currency states the dollar is “secure in the near and medium term” and continues to dominate other currencies.

Trump's latest tariff threat comes after he threatened to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% tax on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to do more to halt the flow of illegal immigration and drugs into the U.S.

He has since held a call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said Thursday she is confident that a tariff war with the United States can be averted. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned home Saturday after meeting Trump, without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on Canada.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-threatens-100-tariff-bric-190819520.html

Russian Rouble down 20 percent this year

The ruble has come off its lows from earlier in the week after the central bank halted all foreign currency purchases for the remainder of the year, but it remains battered—and resources for preventing a further collapse are shrinking.

On Friday, the central bank set the official rate at about 108 to the U.S. dollar. While that's improved from Wednesday's rate of 114 on the spot market, that's still means one ruble is worth less than a penny.

The ruble has tumbled 9% against the dollar since Nov. 21, when the U.S. sanctioned some 50 Russian banks, including Gazprombank, which has emerged as a top linchpin for Russia in currency markets. And for the year to date, the ruble has crashed about 20% against the greenback.

While that could boost Russia's exports by making them cheaper, it will likely stoke inflation further by making imports more expensive. Even though Western nations have largely cut off trade with Russia, products from China have replaced many imports, and the ruble has fallen against the yuan as well.

Over the summer, Russian businesses and banks were already suffering from a shortage of yuan, which is the most traded foreign currency in the country and a critical lifeline for the economy.

Meanwhile, Russia's sovereign wealth fund has been tapped repeatedly to prop up the ruble, leaving the Kremlin with less firepower to battle another currency collapse.

Just before the latest crash, liquid assets in the National Wealth Fund were $55 billion as of last month, according to Bloomberg. That's down from $140 billion before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Russia can still earn foreign currency by selling its oil and gas, but the shrinking sovereign wealth fund leaves Moscow at the mercy of energy prices, which have been falling amid weakening global demand.

The central bank can also hike benchmark rates further to fight hot inflation while also creating more demand for ruble-denominated assets. But rates are already at a sky-high 21%, meaning additional increases would tighten the screws even more on Russia's economy.

On Friday, the central bank said no emergency steps are needed to support the ruble, after President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the situation was under control.

Russia's currency crisis comes as analysts have predicted that the economy will not be able to sustain Putin's war on Ukraine past next year. For example, Russian factories can't make enough key weapons systems to replace battlefield losses, and old Soviet stockpiles are running out.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-ruble-still-worth-less-202142459.html

Kash Patel

@Kash

It is the honor of a lifetime to be nominated by President Trump to serve as Director of the FBI. Together, we will restore integrity, accountability, and equal justice to our justice system and return the FBI to its rightful mission: protecting the American people.

https://truthsocial.com/@Kash/posts/113577773161101083

>>22092546

Being employed means you gotta be careful who you offend and you can't say certain things. Getting paid always comes at a cost. Just sayin'. I accept anonymous donations via money appearing where I can easily find it though.