News of the World

[kyonides]

China Sends Premier to Germany, Seeking Tighter Stranglehold on Europe’s Economy

Chinese Premier Li Qiang began a five-day trip to Germany and France on Sunday, arriving in Berlin just as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Beijing.

The optics of Li working to peel away vital U.S. allies as American influence fades under the Biden administration were unmistakable.
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"They noted that Li’s visit will bring more certainty for the China-Europe cooperation and will benefit the global economic recovery when the world is still in turbulence caused by the Ukraine crisis and when the US unilateralism and hegemony threaten the trend of multipolarization."

The Global Times hammered the notion of European powers looking for an off-ramp from American foreign policy so they can sign up for China’s model of amoral authoritarian hegemony.
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"China also needs to make sure the EU keeps neutral on the issues that are China’s core interests, and to seek more cooperation with European countries, especially in the fields such as science and technologies, as well as economy and trade, to balance the pressure from the US", analysts noted.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry explicitly told the Germans to feel honored by Li’s presence during his first overseas trip as premier, because it “fully shows the importance China attaches to its relations with Germany,” and demonstrates Beijing’s eagerness to build a “super engine of cooperation between the two countries.”

Powerless U.N. Complains Russia Ignores Its Requests to Aid Dam Victims

The U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, said in a statement the organization has sought to engage Moscow and Kyiv, each of which occupies parts of the southern Kherson region where the dam and reservoir are located, to address the “devastating destruction” caused by the breach.

The Russian government “has so far declined our request to access the areas under its temporary military control,” Brown lamented, UPI reports.
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The accusation comes after the U.N. on Friday said hundreds of thousands of people in Ukraine have been affected by water shortages due to the dam breach.

Saviano Abreu, head of communications for U.N. aid coordination Office, said they calculate that 200,000 people in the Dnipro region alone have been cut off from water from their houses.

Official Says Biden’s CBP One Program Benefits Drug Cartels

In May 2023, CBP announced the agency would increase the daily number of appointments for migrants ... In the announcement, the DHS officials said the latter change would “Cut out smugglers who are preying on noncitizens by prioritizing appointments for those who have been waiting the longest. A percentage of daily available appointments will be allocated to the earliest registered CBP One™ profiles, so noncitizens who have been trying to obtain appointments for the longest time will be prioritized.”

...the source, who is not authorized to speak to the media, says the impacts are to the contrary. “Any way you look at it, the border is a dangerous place,” the source stated. “The cartels don’t just profit off of the migrants, they survive and thrive by smuggling narcotics.”

“One worry is by redirecting personnel from inspections to asylum processing we are missing the deadliest drug we have seen in modern times, fentanyl,” the source told Breitbart Texas.
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At the smaller ports of entry, fewer migrants are allowed appointments. However, due to reduced staffing, the effects on the inspection process just as significant. Several times per day, groups of migrants appear for processing in Eagle Pass, Texas, and are released into the United States. Less than one hundred are processed at this port of entry daily. That port of entry may be forced to receive additional migrants due to a recent cancellation of the program in Laredo, Texas. The pause in the processing of CBP One appointments in Laredo is due to reports of migrants being extorted by authorities in Mexico.
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Recent fentanyl seizures made by authorities at the border crossing points and in communities farther away from the border highlight the volume of fentanyl that Mexican cartels move every day.
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Border Patrol agents seized more than 190 pounds of fentanyl discovered meticulously concealed in a passenger vehicle. That seizure, according to the Border Patrol, contained enough lethal doses of the drug to kill 40 million people and had a street value estimated at over $2 million.

Biden’s Deputies Hide Mass Fraud in H-1B Middle-Class Outsourcing Visa

Indian-born CEOs are closing their firms and fleeing back to India to escape charges of fraud in the annual lotteries for visas to import H-1B foreign contract workers, says a lawyer for many Indian-owned subcontractors and visa workers.
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[Rahul Reddy, an immigration lawyer] made his comments during an online question-and-answer session with Indian graduates who are worried about the federal investigations into the H-1B fraud in the annual lottery for 85,000 new H-1B work permits. The work permits are used to import lower-wage migrants to take the jobs needed by U.S. college graduates.

Many Indian graduates in India cooperate with the fraud because the H-1B visas put them on a long, indentured-service path to U.S. jobs, green cards, and citizenship.

But many other Indian graduates from U.S. colleges oppose the lottery fraud because it hinders their three legal chances to convert their “Optional Practical Training” (OPT) work permits into an H-1B visa with its valuable path to U.S. citizenship.
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Yes, there are a lot of companies that are under criminal investigation right now. We get a lot of contact from people who are getting criminally investigated, and employers getting investigated. Some of the employers are running away to India. Some of the employers are just closing the entire business. Some of the employers are not filing their H-1B’s even though got them in the lottery. So all different things are going on.

Taliban Central Bank Governor Talks Business with Chinese Ambassador

Badri became the finance minister of Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in August 2021, but he switched jobs and became governor of DA Afghanistan Bank (DAB) in March 2023 for unclear reasons. One theory held that he was forced out of the finance ministry in a squabble over money appropriated by senior Taliban leaders.
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According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang met with Badri and the ministers of other “relevant departments” to discuss “strengthening China-Afghanistan cooperation in areas such as the economy and trade.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry complained that international sanctions against the brutal Taliban regime are hindering Afghanistan’s development.
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Afghanistan’s independent Tolo News said Afghan traders are eager to sell in China, including key exports such as pine nuts, but they need easier access to visas in order to travel across the Chinese border. Afghan firms are eagerly courting Chinese investment because few other countries are willing to do business with the Taliban.
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Those Chinese investments in Afghanistan include an oil extraction deal, and possibly soon a lithium mining agreement, which would tighten Beijing’s grip on the worldwide electric vehicle industry.

Colombia’s Socialist President Considers Paying Communist ELN to Not Commit Terrorism

According to the sources, the proposal involves the creation of a fund so that several countries can make “financial contributions” to Colombia, which would then be disbursed to the ELN terrorist group. The purpose of the fund, the source told Caracol, would be to entice ELN terrorists to cease actions against civilians such as kidnapping and extortion. The source cited did not specify the names of countries Petro sought to engage in the proposal, nor the amounts the fund would be expected to handle.

Similarly, a “high-ranking member” of Petro’s government accompanying Petro on an official visit to Germany last week explained to Colombia’s RCN Radio on Friday that Petro sought aid from European Union nations to fund the project, also acting as guarantors of the peace process between Colombia and another Marxist narco-terrorist group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Colombia’s Interior Minister Luis Fernando Velasco claimed to RCN Radio that there are “some countries” interested in the proposal — but that it was up to Petro to explain the proposal’s details.

Petro, a former member of the Marxist M19 guerilla, took office in August, becoming the first leftist president in Colombian history.

[kyonides]

Conservatives Slam DOJ’s ‘Sweetheart Plea Deal’ for Hunter Biden: ‘Two-Tiered Justice System’

Conservatives blasted the “sweetheart plea deal” federal prosecutors have given to Hunter Biden, where he will plead guilty to two counts of “willful failure to pay federal income tax” and enter a “pretrial diversion program” for a firearm offense.

The deal indicates that Hunter Biden will not face prison time, as Breitbart News Senior Editor Joel Pollak noted.

Former President Donald Trump likened the punishment to a “traffic ticket” in a Truth Social post this morning.
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“If you are a Republican, Biden’s DOJ will throw the book at you and try to put you in prison for 100 years, but if you happen to have the right last name like Hunter, they will protect you and treat you with kid gloves,” [Donald Trump Jr.] added.
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Dr. Sebatsian Gorka agreed with Fitton that it is a “sweetheart plea deal from his Daddy’s DoJ and IRS.”
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Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy contended the deal is “a feigned retreat & reveals they’re even more scared than ever of scrutiny for the real crimes.”
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Journalist Jack Posobiec noted news of the deal comes the same day Trump’s trial date has been “fast-tracked” in the classified documents case.

On the same day we find out Trump’s criminal trial has been fast-tracked to just 8 weeks from today we also find out Hunter Biden has been given a plea deal for the entire laptop.

Joe and Jill Biden Frame Hunter Biden as a Victim After Charges

“The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life,” they said through White House spokesman Ian Sams.

“We will have no further comment,” the statement concluded.

Jill and Joe Biden’s statement echoes the narrative of the establishment media, which crafted the president’s son to be simply an adrift person who is recovering from hard drug use.

But Hunter Biden’s history suggests otherwise. Hunter Biden is a practicing lawyer and holds a Yale law degree. After graduating, he worked at the United States Department of Commerce, focusing on ecommerce policy for President Bill Clinton’s administration.

He then became a lobbyist before being appointed to the board of directors of Amtrak by President George Bush in 2006.

While his father was vice president during the Obama administration, he ran a massive web of shell companies to support his international business deals in over ten countries.

Hunter Biden has allegedly done business with the Chinese Communist Party, corrupt entities in Ukraine and Russia, and across South America and Africa, by leveraging his family’s connections at the highest levels of government.

Hunter Biden also launched a successful art career, raking in hundreds of thousands for paintings sold to anonymous buyers.

Democrats Beg Biden: Bring ‘Unjustly Deported’ Illegal Aliens Back to U.S.

In a letter, obtained by The Hill, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), and David Trone (D-MD) urge Biden’s DHS to establish a streamlined process whereby illegal aliens who have already been deported from the U.S. can more easily appeal their cases with the hopes of returning.

“Establishing a centralized unit to review requests to return to the U.S. from people who have been wrongfully or unjustly deported is wholly within DHS’s broad legal authority and would bring fairness and credibility to the U.S. immigration system,” they write:

Bringing home unjustly deported fathers, mothers, community leaders, and workers is also a critical step toward shifting the current U.S. immigration system towards a system that supports family and community unity.

...in the first nine months of the Biden administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents deported only 16,351 illegal aliens who were arrested by local police departments — a 71 percent drop compared to the nearly 56,000 illegal aliens deported during the same period in 2019.
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An investigation from the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) found that taxpayers across about 50 towns and cities “are laying out roughly $66,145,000 for lawyers to try and keep illegal aliens, foreign criminals, and other immigration violators” in the U.S.

Wall Street Journal Claims China Plans to Build a Military Training Facility in Cuba

China and Cuba are holding advanced negotiations to establish a joint military training facility on Cuban soil, according to a report based on anonymous sources published by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

The report cites current and former U.S officials, who expressed concerns that the prospective military training facility, which would allegedly be built on Cuba’s northern coast, could lead to the stationing of Chinese troops and other security and intelligence operations just 100 miles off Florida’s coast and on the same island as a critical U.S. military facility.

U.S. intelligence reports, according to the newspaper, suggest that discussions for the joint base between China and Cuba’s communist regimes are at an advanced stage, but not concluded. The Biden administration reportedly contacted Cuban officials to request they forestall the deal, tapping into Cuban concerns over ceding sovereignty.

Last week, the White House confirmed reports of the existence of a Chinese spy base in Cuba since at least 2019 — although reports that the Chinese spy base was “upgraded” in 2019 suggest that the spy facility had already been in operation for an undetermined period of time prior to 2019.

China denied the reports of a Chinese spy base on Cuban soil shortly afterwards. The Chinese Global Times newspaper described the report as an “old-fashioned and crappy … script” intended to derail Blinken’s visit.

The Wall Street Journal’s allegations follow years of reports and concerns of Chinese troop presence on the island. A 2021 report by the outlet ADN Cuba, for example, accused China of sending paramilitaries to Cuba to train the Castro regime’s “black beret” repressive forces, publishing alleged photo evidence. The black berets have been deployed by the Castro regime numerous times to suppress pro-democracy protests in the nation.
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In late November, during Díaz-Canel’s latest visit to Beijing, China handed over a $100 million “gift” donation to the Cuba as the island nation found itself in a desperate situation resulting from six decades of communist mismanagement. Neither regime issued a public explanation of what the donation was meant to fund.

Norwegian Arrested in Hungary Over Alleged Extremist Massacre Plot

Police have arrested a Norwegian citizen in Hungary on suspicion that he was planning an extremist attack modeled after a 2011 massacre in Norway that killed 77 people, authorities said Tuesday.

The National Investigation Office of the Hungarian police said the 45-year-old man had posted numerous videos to the internet in which he described his plans to commit the attacks.

After analyzing the videos and identifying the suspect, Hungary´s Counter Terrorism Center arrested the man in a Budapest apartment on June 14 and confiscated his electronic devices.

In the videos, the suspect speaks Norwegian and English, police said, and threatens to carry out attacks in airports, railway stations and on airplanes.

“I will destroy the innocent,” he said in one video, according to police.

The suspect also described his desire to surpass the crimes committed by Norwegian far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in bomb-and-gun massacres in Norway in 2011.

During the latest investigation, Norwegian authorities informed Hungarian police that the man had earlier been convicted of numerous violent and sexual crimes in Norway. He has been remanded to Hungary´s Forensic Psychiatric and Mental Institution, according to police.

New Zealand ‘Equity Adjustor Score’ Asks Surgeons to Prioritize Non-White Patients

Surgeons in Auckland, New Zealand, are expressing discomfort with a new policy that requires them to consider the ethnicity of their patients as a factor when scheduling surgeries.

Specifically, Maori and Pacific Islander patients are given priority consideration to compensate for historic inequality in access to health care.

Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand, a national public health agency established in July 2022 to consolidate numerous regional health boards, introduced an “Equity Adjustor Score” that sets five factors to be considered in surgery priority lists.

The five factors are clinical priority, time already spent on wait lists, if the patient lives in a geographically isolated area, economic deprivation, and ethnicity. The highest scores for ethnicity are given to Maori and Pacific Island (or “Pasifika”) peoples.

A similar concept was introduced in the Wellington region in May 2020. Capital & Coast District Health Board medical officer John Tait insisted it was “unlikely that any other patients will be significantly affected as a result” of the rules prioritizing Maori and Pasifika candidates for surgery.

The NZ Herald said on Monday that several regional boards saw the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic as a “Big Bang opportunity to reset” the unequal healthcare system, as former Auckland board chair Pat Snedden said in May 2020. Various attempts to adjust medical access for ethnicity were introduced without much public fanfare during the pandemic.

[DerVVulfman]

Wait...

Conservatives Slam DOJ’s ‘Sweetheart Plea Deal’ for Hunter Biden: ‘Two-Tiered Justice System’

Conservatives blasted the “sweetheart plea deal” federal prosecutors have given to Hunter Biden, where he will plead guilty to two counts of “willful failure to pay federal income tax” and enter a “pretrial diversion program” for a firearm offense.

The deal indicates that Hunter Biden will not face prison time, as Breitbart News Senior Editor Joel Pollak noted.

If you think that this is all there is about the plea deal... you're wrong!

THE HUNTER BIDEN CHILD SUPPORT SETTLEMENT
Lunden Roberts agreed to the $20,000 monthly child support cut to $5000...
... for a PLEA deal!

Lunden Roberts, 32, the mother of Hunter’s long-unacknowledged 4-year-old daughter, agreed to her $20,000 monthly child support payments being slashed after she showed up in person to his deposition in Little Rock last week.

Roberts’ lawyer, Clint Lancaster, told The Post late Thursday that final terms were still to be determined and declined to confirm that his client had agreed to a reduced monthly payment of $5,000.

“The case is sealed, and these are financial terms that should never be disclosed,” he said, warning that leaks about details of the settlement would derail talks and end up with Hunter back in an Arkansas court on July 11.

“It was significant that Lunden was there” at Hunter’s deposition last week, Lancaster added. “I believe that settlement is important to Hunter Biden [but] we have concerns that Hunter would use [the settlement] as a means to promote some agenda of his … There’s always more that goes on in settlement negotiations than people realize.”

Hunter, 53, initially denied paternity of Navy Joan Roberts, but a DNA test in 2019 proved he was the child’s father.

He applied last year to a Batesville, Ark., court to reduce his child support payments, citing reduced circumstances, but turned heads by flying into town in a friend’s private jet.

BUT... here's the kick!

As part of the deal, Biden’s son will plead guilty to misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax for 2017 and 2018, as well as enter a pre-trial diversion on a felony gun possession charge.

So hold up! HE gets to have child support cut to 25% of what it was, and that's so he would plead guilty to misdemeanor tax evasion charges and a felony gun charge he practically got off without any jail time that anyone else would suffer?

[kyonides]

Federal Prosecutor Says ‘Investigation Is Ongoing’
After Securing Hunter Biden Guilty Plea

David C. Weiss, the U.S. Attorney for Delaware who handled a long-running tax investigation into Hunter Biden, said that investigation is ongoing even after the president’s son agreed to a plea deal.

Weiss notified the U.S. District Court for Delaware that Hunter Biden intended to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts for willful failure to pay his taxes. Weiss said Hunter Biden also agreed to enter a pretrial diversion agreement for obtaining a firearm at a time that he was actively using or addicted to a controlled substance, which is illegal.

The tax charges each carry a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison. The firearm charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison but the pretrial diversion agreement could allow him to avoid a criminal conviction and a related criminal punishment.

In a comment to CBS News on Tuesday, Hunter Biden’s attorney Chris Clark addressed his client’s plea agreement, stating, “it is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved.”

While Clark said the matter involving his client is resolved, Weiss said in his own press statement on Tuesday that “the investigation is ongoing.”

Xi Calling Bill Gates ‘An Old Friend’ Is Not a Compliment

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on June 16 met with Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates in Beijing, where he called Gates “an old friend.”
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In a meeting at Beijing’s Diaoyutai state guest house, where China’s leaders have traditionally received senior foreign visitors, Xi said he was very happy to see the Microsoft co-founder after three years, and that Gates was the first American friend he had met this year.

“I often say the foundation of U.S.-China relations lies with its people. I place my hopes on the American people,” a video published by state broadcaster CCTV showed Xi saying.

“With the current global situation, we can carry out various activities beneficial to our two countries and people, activities that benefit humanity as a whole,” he said.

Gates, who arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, said he was “honored” to have the chance to meet. “We’ve always had great conversations and we’ll have a lot of important topics to discuss today … it’s very exciting to be back.”
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Pelson said it’s disturbing but not surprising to see Bill Gates embracing a huge authoritarian government whose philosophy is: “We’re smarter and better and will tell people what to do and it’s for your own good.”

The reason behind that title is simple, the expert they interviewed interpreted Xi's words as being a friend of the CCP, not the Chinese people.

Three Years After Galwan Valley Clash
Towns Along India–China Border Get an Upgrade

Three years after the bloody Galwan Valley clash, experts say China’s upgrade of two sparsely populated areas in Tibet is intended to bolster its military status along the hotly contested India–China border.
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Despite negotiations following the clash, China has continued to bulk up its presence along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC) that runs between the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and India’s state of Arunachal Pradesh. Satellite images from February 2023 provide evidence that China has been constructing villages and military infrastructure near the LAC.

The elevation of Milin and Cuona to cities on April 3 is part of this effort, experts say. The new cities, although minuscule in terms of population, have strategic importance in light of the border dispute.
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The population of Milin is only 24,665, while that of Cuona is 13,932, according to the upgraded cities’ respective websites.

Milin, also known as Mainling, covers 115 miles of the Indian frontier. Despite its small size, it is a transport hub that links by rail to the regional capital of Lhasa. It lies on a route that links Tibet and Xinjiang, as well as having its own airport.

Cuona, also known as Cona, borders Bhutan to the southwest and lies across the disputed border from Tawang, one of India’s holy sites.

A portion of the area that China claims as part of the new city is currently controlled by India, noted a South China Morning Post report.

The Chinese media described the Indian territory across these counties as a part of China, while Indian experts decried the move as an attempt to strengthen the Chinese Army’s forward position on the border.

Durham: Rules Should Change so Heads Could Roll at FBI

The Department of Justice (DOJ) rules should change so that FBI agents lose their jobs when they lie to misuse the government’s spying powers in sensitive investigations, Special Counsel John Durham suggested to Congress.

Durham, who recently released a report on his review of the FBI’s handling of the 2016 Trump-Russia investigation, acknowledged that he found conduct that was wrong or “probably criminal,” but would have been difficult to prosecute in a court of law.
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His report documented extensive misconduct, including repeated use of false, debunked, and unverified information, dismissing exculpatory information, failure to interview key witnesses—all pushing forward an investigation of supposed collusion between Russia and the presidential campaign of Donald Trump.

The misconduct, among other ills, resulted in illegal surveillance of Trump campaign aide Carter Page. The FBI snooped through Page’s electronic communications based on a FISA warrant prepared using fabricated allegations pushed into the FBI by operatives financed by the campaign of Trump’s opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“There were identified, documented, significant failures of a highly sensitive, unique investigation that was undertaken by the FBI,” Durham testified.

“I think the investigation clearly reveals that decisions that were made were made in one direction. If there was something that was inconsistent with the notion that Trump was involved in a ‘well-coordinated conspiracy’ with the Russians and whatnot, that information was largely discarded or ignored and I think, unfortunately, that’s what the facts bear out.”

Yet, as both Republicans and Democrats on the committee pointed out, Durham didn’t pursue charges against the main actors in the Russia investigation, codenamed Crossfire Hurricane.

Unanimous Supreme Court Ruling Eases
Prison Sentences for Some Gun Crimes

Some people convicted of gun crimes can spend less time in prison, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 16.
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“Congress could certainly have designed the penalty scheme at issue here differently. But Congress did not do any of these things. And we must implement the design Congress chose,” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Biden appointee, wrote in the ruling.

The case involves two subsections of 18 U.S.C. 924. Subsection © outlines offenses and penalties, and states that “no term of imprisonment imposed on a person under this subsection shall run concurrently with any other term of imprisonment imposed on the person.” Subsection (j), which was added more recently, outlines other offenses and corresponding penalties. It does not include language about forbidding concurrent sentences.

District courts generally have discretion as to whether prison sentences run concurrently or consecutively. Some laws forbid concurrent sentences in certain cases.
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Lora and three others who trafficked cocaine murdered a rival drug dealer in 2002 in New York City over a dispute regarding territory.

When handing down Lora’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe, a George W. Bush appointee, cited a law that bars concurrent sentences for crimes that include one of the crimes for which Lora was convicted. He sentenced Lora to 25 years in prison for the conspiracy count, followed by five more years for the other crime. An appeals court affirmed the decision.

Lora argued that his sentences could have run concurrently, arguing that the aiding and abetting offense was not covered by the law Gardephe cited.
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“Combining the two subsections would set them on a collision course; indeed, in some cases, the maximum sentence would be lower than the minimum sentence,” she also said.

The ruling vacated the prison term and remanded the case for new sentencing.

Chaos Erupts on House Floor as Democrats Protest
Republican Censure of Adam Schiff

The House voted to censure Schiff a week after an initial resolution brought forward by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) was tabled. An earlier clause fining Schiff $16 million—half of the amount paid by the federal government to investigate debunked claims of Russian collusion with President Donald Trump in 2016—was removed, leading Republicans who initially voted against the measure to give it their support.

The tally was 213-209. Six voted “present.”

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who gave his backing to the measure, presided over the hearing.

A censure resolution is a punitive action that can be undertaken by the House to discipline members for actions that fall short of grounds for expulsion from the lower chamber. Schiff is only the 25th member of the House in American history to face such an action out of over 10,505 who have served in the lower chamber.
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After the House voted to censure Schiff, Schiff was asked to come to the House Well to have the charges against him read aloud.
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After this outburst, McCarthy banged the speaker’s gavel and called for order in the lower chamber to no avail, as Democrats continued to chant.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the former speaker of the House, could be seen among the throng of Democrats joining in the chant.
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McCarthy continued to read the resolution, ignoring Democrat interruptions: ” … the House of Representatives censures Adam Schiff, representative of the 30th congressional district of California, for misleading the American public, and for conduct unbecoming of an elected member of the House of Representatives, that Adam Schiff will forthwith present himself in the Well of the House for the pronouncement of censure, that Adam Schiff will be censured with a public reading of this resolution by the speaker, and that the Committee on Ethics shall conduct an investigation on Adam Schiff’s falsehoods, misrepresentations, and abuse of sensitive information.”

US ‘Working to Disrupt’ Chinese Expansion
in Cuba: State Department

“Broadly, we are monitoring and responding to any PRC [People’s Republic of China] attempts to expand its military or security presence around the world, and we watch how potential PRC actions may impact the United States,” the department’s principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told The Epoch Times in a press briefing.

The Chinese communist regime, he said, will “keep trying to enhance its presence in Cuba and we will keep working to disrupt it.”

“Our experts assess that our diplomatic efforts have slowed the PRC down, and there, of course, continue to still be challenges, but we continue to be concerned about the PRC’s longstanding activities with Cuba.”

Patel made the remarks as reports suggest the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is actively trying to bolster its surveillance capacity on the island, located just some 100 miles off the coast of Florida, which houses a number of U.S. military installations.

U.S. intelligence from the Trump administration showed staffers from blacklisted Chinese telecom companies, Huawei and ZTE, going in and out of facilities suspected of hosting the CCP’s spying operations in Cuba, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources.
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“This is something we’re going to be monitoring very, very closely, and we’ve been very clear about that. And we will protect our homeland; we will protect our interests,” Blinken said.

[kyonides]

Supreme Court Rules States Can’t Challenge Biden Deportation Policy

The Supreme Court ruled 8–1 on June 23 that Texas and Louisiana may not challenge the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to focus its deportation efforts on individuals deemed to be a threat to public safety.

The new, complex decision allows the government’s selective immigration enforcement policy, which had been blocked by a lower court, to take effect.

Texas and Louisiana sued the Biden administration over a policy announced in a Sept. 30, 2021, memorandum by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that claims it is impossible to remove the estimated 11 million illegal aliens present in the United States.
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The document prioritizes the arrest and deportation of suspected terrorists, people who have committed crimes, and illegal aliens recently apprehended at the border.
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But the states argued that the federal government is illegally refusing to enforce the nation’s immigration laws by prioritizing only certain enforcement categories at the expense of others.
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The states argued that the immigration statute requires authorities to detain and deport even those deemed to pose little or no risk to the public.
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The sole dissenting opinion was filed by Justice Samuel Alito.

The states here “have brought an extraordinarily unusual lawsuit,” Kavanaugh wrote for the majority.

...And because the States lack Article III standing, the District Court did not have jurisdiction,” [Kavanaugh] wrote.

Article III of the U.S. Constitution lays out the powers of the judicial branch.

Missing Titanic Submarine Crew Likely Died
in ‘Catastrophic Implosion’: Coast Guard

The operator of a submersible vehicle that went missing while trying to view the Titanic wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean said it’s likely all five people on board have died, while U.S. Coast Guard officials said a “catastrophic implosion” likely occurred.

“We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost,” OceanGate said in a June 22 statement, coming hours after the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that it had found a “debris field” near the Titanic.
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In a 3 p.m. press conference, Coast Guard Rear Adm. John W. Mauger said officials found five objects in a debris field near the Titanic wreckage that appeared to belong to the missing submarine, indicating that there was a “catastrophic event.” They also found a second, smaller debris field that included other pieces of the submersible.

Mauger later described the event as a “catastrophic implosion” as debris was found on the ocean floor about 1,600 feet away from the bow of the Titanic. It was “consistent with catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber” in the submersible, according to Mauger.

DOJ Files First-Ever Criminal Charges Against Chinese Fentanyl Makers

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday filed charges against four Chinese chemical manufacturers and eight Chinese nationals, accusing them of crimes related to the production, distribution, and sales of the deadly drug fentanyl.

The Justice Department said in a release that it had arrested two individuals and unsealed three indictments in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, charging the Chinese companies and their employees with a number of crimes.

The indictments allege that the defendants violated U.S. federal laws by knowingly manufacturing, marketing, selling, and supplying precursor chemicals for fentanyl production in the United States.

“The Justice Department will not rest or relent in investigating and prosecuting every link of the fentanyl supply chain, including the PRC companies and executives who produce and export vast quantities of the precursor chemicals the drug cartels need to peddle their poison,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement. “There can be no safe haven.”

Fentanyl and its analogs are fueling the opioid epidemic in the United States, devastating communities. The highly addictive synthetic opioid is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.

As part of the investigations, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 440 pounds of fentanyl-related precursors, which is enough to kill roughly 25 million Americans.

Garland Denies Whistleblower Claims
of Interference in Hunter Biden Case

Attorney General Merrick Garland on June 23 denied claims from a whistleblower alleging the Department of Justice (DOJ) had interfered with an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) investigation into unreported income Hunter Biden had received from multiple foreign sources.

The denial came in response to the House Ways and Means Committee’s unveiling on June 22 of stunning revelations from whistleblower IRS Supervisor and Special Agent Gary Shapley, who alleged that the IRS and Department of Justice (DOJ) had given Hunter Biden “preferential treatment,” interfering in the investigation to shield the president’s son from having search warrants or charges pressed against him.

The IRS ultimately recommended three charges against Hunter Biden: a felony attempt to defeat or evade tax charges; making felony fraudulent or false statements, and willful failure to file returns, supply information, or pay tax—serious charges that could land an American, if convicted, in prison for years.

But in the report, Shapley claimed he was told by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Trump appointee, that Weiss, despite leading the investigation against Hunter Biden on the DOJ side, was “not the deciding official on whether charges are filed.”

The claim suggests that Weiss may have received orders from higher-ups at President Joe Biden’s DOJ not to pursue charges against his son.

Garland responded to the allegations the next day, refuting the substance of the charges.

Russian Diplomats Squatting
At Revoked Embassy Site Amidst Legal Challenge

Russia has launched legal action against the Australian government to stop it from revoking its right to a new embassy site deemed a security risk to the country.

The legal bid, launched on June 23, will seek to overturn laws passed on June 15 that allow the Australian government to seize a parcel of land in the capital, Canberra, which had been reserved for Russia’s new embassy.

Currently, a Russian diplomat has begun squatting on the disputed land in a demountable building, with Australian Federal Police unable to arrest the individual because he has diplomatic immunity. The government has also not indicated that it has asked the Russian diplomat to leave the site.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed the legal challenge telling journalists on June 23 that the government had expected some response from the Russian Federation following the decision to terminate the lease. He also said he did not consider the Russian diplomat squatting at the site a national security risk.
...
On June 15, the prime minister announced the government would seek to remove Russia from the site following  “very clear” security advice about the risks posed by Russia setting up a new facility near the Parliament House.
...
Originally leased in 2008 from the National Capital Authority (NCA), which manages the diplomatic precinct in Australia’s capital of Canberra, the Russian government had initially agreed to complete construction three years after its building approvals were granted.

In August 2022, the NCA told the Russian government, which operates another embassy at an alternative location, it had 20 days to vacate the site.

NASA Opposes Lithium Mining at Ancient Nevada Lakebed
Says Land Is Vital to Calibrate Satellites

NASA opposes lithium mining at an ancient Nevada lakebed site used to calibrate satellites, as federal officials have blocked mining in the heart of Nevada’s Railroad Valley.

The agency says the site is indispensable for calibrating the razor-sharp measurements of hundreds of satellites orbiting overhead.

At NASA’s request, the Bureau of Land Management has declared that 36 square miles of the roughly 90-square-mile lakebed are no longer available for exploration and mining.

Railroad Valley is large, flat, barren, uniform in color, generally free of clouds, and has remained unchanged over the past three decades, making it the best site in the United States for satellite calibration, according to NASA.

“No other location in the United States is suitable for this purpose,” the Bureau of Land Management concluded in April after receiving NASA’s input on the tract 250 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
...
Lithium is the main component in batteries for electric vehicles.

Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) introduced legislation to reverse BLM’s withdrawal of the mining area from the Railroad Valley area and told a House subcommittee that the decision underscores the “hypocrisy” of President Joe Biden’s administration.

“Railroad Valley is home to an abundance of critical minerals that can help boost the American economy, strengthen domestic supply chains, and reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries,” Amodei said in a statement. “That’s why it was especially disappointing that the Administration opted to close the door on this mineral development by approving NASA’s unreasonable demand for exclusive control over the playa in Railroad Valley—even though these proposed mining projects would not impact NASA’s mission in the area.”

In another project near the Fort McDermitt Reservation along the border of Nevada and Oregon, the Biden administration plans to build Thacker Pass mine, which will be one of the largest lithium mines in the world, near the tribal land of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe.

[DerVVulfman]

Wagner chief Poses for Selfies
As He Is Forced into Exile
Yevgeny Prigozhin smiled in photo shots in Russia just hours after bringing Russia to the brink of civil war.

Prigozhin's mercenary troops had been fighting along side Russian soldiers agaisnt Ukraine for some time, but began his revolt when the Russian military began attacking his men. He accused General Gerasimov with Defense Minister Shoigu to eliminate Prigozhin's group, while Russia's Defense Ministry denied such claims.

Despite claims, the US stated that Prigozhin had been preparing for an uprising. And this included a grisly video where the mercenary general hurled profanities at both Shoigu and Gerasimov. And early this month, he blasted Russia's top brass as "clowns who turn people into meat."

If the whole chain [of command] is 100% failed and will only be led by clowns who turn people into meat, then we will not participate in it.

Now to be exiled to Belarus, a Russian-aligned nation, the mercenary leader had demanded that Shoigu be removed from his poistion as he and his forces advanced to just 120 miles from Moscow. As of posting, it is unclear if or when Prigozhin arrived in Belarus.

[kyonides]

Wagner’s March on Moscow Halted as Belarus’ Lukashenko
Negotiates Stand Down with Prigozhin

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, one of the chief allies of Vladimir Putin, has reportedly brokered a deal with Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to stop the paramilitary group’s advances towards Moscow.

Following negotiations that are said to have lasted the entire day, Aleksandr Lukashenko has claimed to have struck an agreement with the Wagner Private Military Company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, to stop his forces from marching on Moscow and work to “de-escalate tensions”, according to Belarussian state media BelTA.

The deal — which was reached as Wagner forces reportedly were within striking distance of the Russian capital — was struck as both the Belarussians and the Wagner leader agreed that it was “unacceptable to start a bloodbath in Russia’s territory.”

Lukashenko claimed that the two sides had come to an “absolutely advantageous and acceptable” way to end the situation, which will reportedly include safety guarantees for Wagner forces.

It remains to be seen, however, if any assurances were given personally to Prigozhin, who Russia’s Federal Security Service charged for allegedly orchestrating an “armed rebellion” against Moscow. Should Prigozhin not receive such assurances, the Belarussian-brokered deal may be short-lived.
...
For his part, Prigozhin responded that Putin was “mistaken”, claiming that Wagner was not attempting a coup and that his band of mercenaries are “patriots” merely interested in “justice” for the alleged strikes against their forces in Ukraine by the Russian military top brass after Prigozhin refused to give up leadership of his private army to the Kremlin.

US Holds Nuclear Weapons Dialogue With China, Russia, France, UK

The United States said it hosted a working-level experts’ meeting on nuclear weapons issues with counterparts from China, France, Russia, and the UK in “an ongoing exchange” amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Experts from the foreign and defense ministries of the five nuclear-armed states met on June 13 and 14 in Cairo in the context of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), according to the U.S. State Department.

They discussed “strategic risk reduction, as well as nuclear doctrines and policy,” it stated. The U.S. delegation included experts from the State and Defense departments and the National Nuclear Security Administration.

“The U.S. delegation welcomed the professional approach of the delegations and the inclusion of defense officials in the thematic discussions,” the State Department said in a statement.
...
Under the NPT’s provisions, the five nuclear powers agreed to negotiate toward someday eliminating their arsenals, and nations without nuclear weapons promised to not acquire them in exchange for a guarantee to be able to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
...
With Ukraine’s counterattack, Russia may lose the land it has occupied and even its homeland may be hit. Therefore, Putin needs to make such a move as a way of military blackmail to force NATO to limit military aid to Ukraine.

“This is also the first time since the end of the Cold War that a nuclear power has deployed nuclear weapons to other countries, which has seriously undermined the Non-Proliferation Treaty and may force some of the weaker countries to take an extra layer of concern when it comes to military assistance to Ukraine,” Tang said.

Train Carrying Hazardous Chemicals Derails in Montana After Bridge Collapses

A train carrying hazardous chemicals plunged into the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana after a bridge collapsed early Saturday morning.

Officials said 10 cars belonging to Montana Rail Link (MRL) went into the river at around 6:45 a.m. Three cars reportedly were carrying hot asphalt and four others molten sulphur.

Stillwater County Emergency Management reported on Saturday that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality had begun monitoring air and water quality at water intakes along the river for potential contamination.
...
Emergency management confirmed three cars containing hot asphalt and four cars filled with molten sulfur poured into the river between Reed Point and Columbus, about 44 miles west of Billings.
...
As a precaution, the Montana Department of Transportation closed Twin Bridges Road at Reed Point near the derailment site until further notice.

Meanwhile, officials are trying to determine the cause of the bridge collapse. The bridge spans the Yellowstone River in Stillwater County, population 9,044.

Members of Stillwater County Emergency Services, the Sheriff’s Office, county commissioners, and Columbus Fire and Rescue were at the scene, along with Montana Rail Link and state and federal agencies.

A unified command center has been set up to determine the next appropriate next steps.

Judge Denies NYC Request to Dismiss Orange County Migrant Lawsuit

The judge also granted a preliminary injunction that bans the city from sending more migrants into the county until a legal resolution is reached.

Orange County filed the lawsuit days after Mayor Eric Adams bused 186 homeless individuals to two hotels in the Town of Newburgh to ease the city’s mounting migrant crisis.

The lawsuit argued that the city could not operate a homeless shelter in Orange County without due process and asked the court to reverse transfers already done and ban such arrangements in the future.

Judge Sandra Sciortino, in denying the city’s dismissal request, asserted the county’s standing and causes in the legal dispute and put the case back on the trial calendar.

Under the New York Social Services Law, the city has a responsibility to care for individuals unable to provide for themselves within its boundary, and so does the county government; any transfers between the two must conform to state regulations, according to Sciortino.

No proof has been provided by the city that those regulations were met.

McCarthy Forecasts Garland Impeachment Inquiry if Whistleblower Allegations True

McCarthy retweeted allegations made by the whistleblower, IRS Criminal Supervisory Special Agent Gary A. Shapley Jr, noting if his allegations are true, “this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into Merrick Garland’s weaponization of DOJ.”
...
His retweet included a post from Washington Examiner Chief Correspondent Byron York, who noted that Shapley alleged Weiss wanted charges against Biden to be brought in Washington, DC. Moreover, York included Shapley’s legal team’s claim that during an October 7, 2022, meeting at Weiss’s office, six witnesses observed him state that he “did not have authority to charge in other districts and had thus requested special counsel status.”

Those six witnesses include Baltimore FBI Special Agent in Charge Tom Sobocinski and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryeshia Holley, IRS Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gary Shapley and Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon, who also independently and contemporaneously corroborated Mr. Shapley’s account in an email, now public as Exhibit 10, following p. 148 of his testimony transcript. Mr. Shapley would have no insight into why Mr. Weiss’s would make these statements at the October 7, 2022 meeting if they were false.  That Mr. Weiss made these statements is easily corroborated, and it is up to him and the Justice Department to reconcile the evidence of his October 7, 2022 statements with contrary statements by Mr. Weiss and the Attorney General to Congress.

However, on the same day, Garland denied that Weiss ever asked him for a special counsel to be appointed in the matter
...
“The only person with authority to make somebody a special counsel or refuse to make somebody a special counsel is the Attorney General. Mr. Weiss never made that request to me.”

Garland added, “I would support Mr. Weiss explaining or testifying on these matters when he deems appropriate.”

I had reported the disappearance of a not so renowned actor, namely Julian Sands, some time ago. Well, I've got bad news for SG1 fans, the actor who portrayed the Doci on Stargate SG-1 might have passed away long time ago...

Remains Found in California Mountains Where Actor Julian Sands Went Missing

Hikers have found human remains in Southern California’s Mount Baldy wilderness, the mountainous area where British-born film actor Julian Sands went missing in January, local authorities said late on Saturday.

The hikers contacted Fontana Station officials at about 10 a.m. on Saturday to report the discovery of the body, which was taken to the coroner’s office for identification, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

Sands was reported missing on Jan. 13 after he had gone hiking alone in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel Mountains, about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Los Angeles.

A search was immediately launched in the area, but ground teams were pulled out a day later due to avalanche risks and poor trail conditions.

The Baldy Bowl, a large sloping area below the crest of the Mount Baldy ski area, is a popular destination for skiers, climbers, and backpackers. Sands was believed to be an experienced hiker, officials said at the time of his disappearance.

Born in England, Sands moved to California in the 1980s to pursue a Hollywood career after the success of the 1985 film “A Room with a View,” a period romance in which he was cast as the leading man opposite Helena Bonham Carter.

[kyonides]

Titanic sub disaster
US Coast Guard says 'presumed human remains'
recovered from deadly wreckage

The U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday "presumed human remains" were recovered from the site of the Titan submersible wreckage.

"After consultation with international partner investigative agencies, the Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) intends to transport the evidence aboard a U.S. Coast Guard cutter to a port in the United States, where the MBI will be able to facilitate further analysis and testing," a Coast Guard statement says.

"United States medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis of presumed human remains that have been carefully recovered within the wreckage at the site of the incident."

According to the statement, the Marine Board of Investigation will transport the evidence to a Coast Guard cutter, where it will then be taken to a port for analysis.
...
"The evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights into the cause of this tragedy. There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the Titan and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again."

Biden shouts at reporter
asking about his involvement
in Hunter's 'Chinese shakedown' messages

President Biden’s harsh response to a reporter asking about his son Hunter’s international business dealings drew attention from social media users Wednesday.

Biden was speaking to reporters outside the White House when he was pressed on alleged text messages from his son from 2017 that indicated the president was part of a negotiation with a foreign company.

"President Biden, how involved were you in your son's Chinese shakedown text messages? Were you sitting there? Were you involved?" New York Post reporter Steven Nelson asked.

"No, I wasn't, and I don't —" the president began.

"Were you?" Nelson pressed.

"No!" Biden shouted in response.
...
"So either Biden did know and he's lying here, or he actually didn't know BUT he's generally fine with Hunter using his name essentially as a threat + bargaining chip," GOP media strategist Alec Sears tweeted.

Grabien founder Tom Elliot added, "Everything he has said thus far about Hunter is a lie. Even that his earlier lies were not a lie was a lie. If he now says he wasn't in on this Chinese bribe, you can be sure he's still lying."

Netherlands euthanizing autistic
and intellectually handicapped people, researcher finds

Five individuals under the age of 30, who cited autism as a factor in their decision to seek legal euthanasia, are among the cases reviewed by specialists at the U.K.'s Kingston University.

"Factors directly associated with intellectual disability and/or ASD were the sole cause of suffering described in 21% of cases and a major contributing factor in a further 42% of cases," Kingston University's report on the issue found.

The study noted that in many cases, doctors determined there was "no prospect of improvement" for intellectually challenged individuals because there is no treatment for their handicap.

...In one-third of cases, physicians noted there was ‘no prospect of improvement’ as ASD and intellectual disability are not treatable," the study reads.
...
"There’s no doubt in my mind these people were suffering," Tuffrey-Wijne said. "But is society really OK with sending this message, that there’s no other way to help them, and it’s just better to be dead?"

Dutch psychologist Dr. Bram Sizoo expressed horror at the trend of autistic youths seeking assisted suicide and euthanasia's expanding acceptance.

 How dare they! You know, the shrinks could be blamed for manipulating the patients' feelings here to convince them of taking terrible and irreversible decisions.

Russian commander who may have known about Wagner rebellion is arrested

The Russian deputy commander who oversaw troops in Ukraine and is believed to have been aware of plans for Wagner’s mutiny has been arrested.

Sources close to Russia’s Ministry of Defense told The Moscow Times of Gen. Sergei Surovikin’s arrest on Wednesday.

Rumors of the deputy commander’s arrest were previously discussed by military blogger Vladimir Romanov, who reported that Surovikin was arrested Sunday, the day after Wagner mercenary troops led by Yevgeny Prigozhin engaged in a short-lived mutiny.

News of Surovikin’s possible arrest comes after The New York Times reported that he had advanced knowledge of Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against Russia’s military leadership.

U.S. officials briefed on American intelligence told the Times they are trying to determine whether Surovikin helped Prigozhin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Surovikin to lead Russia’s invasion of Ukraine back in October.
...
Surovikin has also been accused of complicity in the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Prigozhin has previously called Surovikin "the most able commander in the Russian army."

Revenge killing for deadly MS-13 prison riot
sparks Honduras to launch extreme gang crackdown

Honduras has reportedly embarked on a widespread crackdown on gang activity inside the country following a prison massacre that killed dozens of inmates and a shooting at a pool hall on Saturday.

"We do not rule out these crimes could be some sort of revenge for what happened in the women’s prison," Honduran national police commissioner Miguel Pérez Suazo said.

The pool hall shooting, reportedly located in the city of Choloma on Barrio 18 gang territory, killed 11 people after a riot at a women’s prison in Tamara, which killed 46 inmates. Honduran President Xiomara Castro decried the riot as "monstrous murder," which she blamed on street gangs.

The country’s military police raided a men’s prison in the same town, forcing the men to sit in rows — spread-legged and touching — in a formation similar that popularized by El Salvador in its super prison, according to The Guardian.

The search uncovered ammunition, guns and grenades during a search of a men’s prison in Tamara while the inmates were forced to sit, heads bowed, and some of them wearing only shorts.

Yuri Mora, the spokesman for Honduras’ national police investigation agency, said that 26 inmates had burned to death, while the remainder died from gunshot wounds or stabbings. At least seven inmates received treatment at a hospital in the capital, with most of them dying later in the day.

[kyonides]

Chinese Spy Balloon Did Not Collect Data While Transiting US

The Chinese spy balloon that flew over sensitive U.S. military sites earlier this year did not collect or transmit any information before it was shot down off the Carolina coast, the Pentagon told reporters on June 29.

The balloon, which flew from Alaska to the East Coast, came equipped with commercially available U.S.-made gear that allowed it to take photos and videos and gather other information, according to media reports on Thursday citing preliminary findings from a government-led investigation.

The gear was mixed with some more specialized Chinese sensors and other equipment in what officials saw as an inventive surveillance attempt by Beijing, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the issue.

Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder on Thursday wouldn’t confirm whether U.S. components were on the balloon, but said the department was aware of previous cases where foreign militaries have used off-the-shelf U.S. equipment such as drones.

“So, that in of itself is not surprising,” he said at a press briefing.

Although the balloon had “intelligence collection capabilities,” Ryder said the Pentagon determined that “it did not collect while it was transiting the United States or overflying the United States.”

Defense officials have previously said they took measures to limit the balloon’s capacity to gather sensitive information, and “certainly the efforts that we made contributed,” said Ryder.

Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Ruling Draws Celebration and Criticism

Prior to Thursday’s decision, the Supreme Court had allowed colleges to weigh an applicant’s race when making admissions decisions. In the 1978 case Regents of the University of California v. Bakke and the 2003 case Grutter v. Bollinger, the Supreme Court ruled that colleges could favor minority groups as long as they considered other factors beyond race specifically and did not implement racial quota systems.

The Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) challenged affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, culminating in the Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday in SFFA v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, finding that college race-based admissions programs are unconstitutional. Much of the arguments in the case focused on claims affirmative action policies unfairly impacted college applicants of Asian descent.
...
While some Asian Americans championed SFFA’s cause, a trio of activists affiliated with OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates were among those who criticized the Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday.
...
Jonathan Butcher, the Will Skillman Senior Research Fellow in Education Policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation, also celebrated in his initial reaction to the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision.

“I think that this is a huge victory for students, really, from all backgrounds, all races and all ethnicities,” Butcher told NTD News.

Butcher said affirmative action would often result in its beneficiaries being admitted to challenging academic settings where they underperform.

Biden Announces New Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Hours After SCOTUS Ruling

Biden made a televised statement on June 30, within hours of the court decision, promising to provide debt relief for some borrowers and a temporary measure to ease the transition back to loan repayment after a pause of over three years.

Biden had unveiled the original loan-forgiveness plan in August 2022. At the time, some critics charged that the move was intended to boost the chances of Democratic candidates in the midterm election. Others denounced it as unfair to Americans who had repaid their college loans and as an illegal usurpation of congressional authority.

The Congressional Budget Office said the plan could cost about $400 billion. The Wharton School estimated that it could exceed $1 trillion.

The high court ruled on June 30 that Biden’s plan violated the HEROES Act, which he had used as a legal authority for taking the action.
...
Biden said he had identified a “new path” consistent with the Supreme Court ruling that would allow U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to compromise, waive, or release loans under certain circumstances.

Biden did not give further details but did say the plan was legally sound, based on the Higher Education Act, and that it would take time to implement.

Cardona said the plan would include “as many as possible” and be implemented “as quick as possible” at a White House press conference following Biden’s remarks, but offered no specifics.

Major UPS Strike Looming: Americans’ Packages Could Be in Jeopardy

UPS has previously stated that it transports some 6 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) on a daily basis and about 3 percent of the worldwide GDP, according to a news release. It means that a nationwide strike could have far-reaching effects on commerce, while impacting Americans’ orders and package-delivery services.

Global shipping firm Pitney Bowes says UPS has about about 37 percent of the United States’ total parcel market share among shippers in 2023, while it averaged about 24 million packages per day last year. FedEx has about 33 percent of the parcel market share, the U.S. Postal Service has 16 percent, and Amazon has about 12 percent, the firm said.
...
The UPS Teamsters contract ends on July 31, and if a deal isn’t made soon, a portion of the company’s drivers could go on strike this summer. The Teamsters posted photos of “Teamster practice pickets” in a social media post on Thursday, showing workers in UPS uniforms holding signs.

UPS has said that it is the United States’ “single-largest employer” of the Teamsters union, comprising some 300,000 delivery drivers, transportation workers, and warehouse employees.

In June, the union voted to authorize a strike if UPS doesn’t meet its demands by the end of the month. The Teamsters says the group wants “higher wages for all workers, more full-time jobs, an end to forced overtime and harassment from management, elimination of a two-tier wage system, and protection from heat and other workplace hazards.”

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Barred from Running for Office for 8 Years

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s political career faced a major setback on Friday as Brazil’s federal electoral court (TSE) barred him from public office until 2030 over his challenge to last year’s election results.

In a ruling Friday, the 68-year old conservative firebrand was convicted by the court for abuse of power and misuse of the media when, on the eve of Brazil’s 2022 election, he publicly called into question the reliability of the country’s electronic voting system.

Specifically, Bolsonaro was accused of undermining democracy in Brazil by claiming that electronic ballots were vulnerable to fraud and hacking. Five of the electoral court’s seven judges voted to banish him from politics for eight years, while two voted against.

Bolsonaro’s lawyers, who have argued that his remarks had no impact on the election results, said Friday that they would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

If the verdict stands, however, Bolsonaro will be prohibited from being a presidential candidate in the 2026 election, though he’ll be eligible to run in 2030. He’ll also be barred from taking part in municipal elections in 2024 and 2028.
...
If the verdict stands on appeal, his leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will not have to face his main foe if he runs for re-election in 2026.

[kyonides]

Fox News Settles Lawsuit With Former Tucker Carlson Producer for $12 Million

Fox Corporation has agreed to pay $12 million to settle a lawsuit by former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg, who leveled allegations against the network for promoting a hostile working environment.

Grossberg, who was the head of booking for Tucker Carlson for several months, filed a lawsuit in March claiming she was subjected to vulgar comments while she worked in Fox News’ office in New York.

The complaint (pdf), which was filed in the U.S. Southern District of New York on March 20, said that the “toxic work dynamic” allegedly fostered by Carlson had “severely” impacted her health.

While Carlson hasn’t made public comments in response to the lawsuit, Fox News denied Grossberg’s allegations after she filed suit.

Following news of the settlement on Friday, a Fox News spokesperson expressed satisfaction that the matter had been resolved.
...
Grossberg said in a statement obtained by The Epoch Times that she’s hopeful that “this resolution represents a positive step by the Network regarding its treatment of women and minorities in the workplace.”
...
Grossberg, who had worked for Fox in various roles since 2019, was fired after filing her lawsuit on March 20 in federal court in Manhattan.

In firing her, Fox said her legal claims were “riddled with false allegations against Fox and our employees.”

DHS to Let More Potential Illegal Immigrants Schedule Their Arrivals

The Department of Homeland Security said June 30 that more would-be illegal immigrants will be able to schedule their entry into the United States.

The department’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will allow up to 1,450 appointments per day, an increase of 200 from the current number and of 450 from the number available in May.

“CBP is expanding the number of available appointments at ports of entry for the second time in less than two months, through scheduling enhancements and operational efficiencies,” Troy Miller, the top CBP official, said in a statement.

The appointments, made through an application called CBP One, are “providing for safe and efficient processes at ports of entry,” he added.

The would-be immigrants can schedule an appointment at a port of entry, or an official border crossing, through the application. The appointment scheduling was part of a January Biden administration announcement on steps that would be taken to deal with the spike in illegal immigration that has occurred since President Joe Biden took office and immediately relaxed or ended key Trump-era policies.

The app lets people who claim “vulnerability criteria,” such as having a “physical or mental illness” and being under the age of 21 or over 70, schedule crossing into the United States despite lacking legal status.

Officers assess each person who gets an appointment and grant parole to at least some of them.

Sadly, that part of mental illnesses might allow psychopaths to enter US soil as well. I mean, they just need to make that claim and fill a (digital) application and that's a good summary of the most relevant steps to be taken at the border.

Federal Court Delivers Blow to ATF’s Ban on ‘Ghost Guns’

A federal judge delivered a blow to the Biden administration’s gun control policy by reversing a federal ban on so-called “ghost guns” and argued that the ATF overstepped its authority.

Texas-based United States District Court Judge Reed O’Connor on Friday ruled that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) erred by saying that unfinished gun parts are guns and can, therefore, be regulated. His ruling said that parts aren’t guns under federal law.

“This case presents the question of whether the federal government may lawfully regulate partially manufactured firearm components, related firearm products, and other tools and materials in keeping with the Gun Control Act of 1968,” wrote O’Connor in his order (pdf). “Because the court concludes that the government cannot regulate those items without violating federal law, the court holds that the government’s recently enacted final rule … is unlawful agency action taken in excess of the ATF’s statutory jurisdiction. On this basis, the court vacates the final rule.”

His order also stated that the ATF is trying to regulate a gun component as a “frame or receiver,” even after the agency determined “the component in question is not a frame or receiver.” Elaborating, he wrote: “It may not. Logic dictates that a part cannot be both not yet a receiver and receiver at the same time. Defendants’ reliance on that logical contradiction is fatal to their argument.”

How did they expect their failed logical process to support their position when it's clear that we're not talking about quantum physics at all. We're just focusing on the visible level, not on strange theories that physics wouldn't even defend by means of any of its postulates.

 Hey! It seems the ATF is not alone! Now Biden also want to come up with his own SCI-FI theories as well.

But you can find it in our Weird Science Section.

Federal Agency Forced to Build Part of Trump’s Border Wall

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Friday it will build 20 more miles of U.S.–Mexico border wall, carrying out some of former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign vow.

“Until and unless Congress cancels these funds, the law requires DHS to use the funds consistent with their appropriated purpose,” the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement announcing the wall construction. Previously, President Joe Biden’s administration had called on Congress to take action to prevent more of the wall from being constructed, which is unlikely for now because Republicans control the House.

That statement said that the approximately 20 miles of “steel bollard panels” will be erected along the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector, as mandated by a 2019 border barrier appropriation under Trump’s administration. It noted that “a substantial portion of unobligated funds that had been diverted from the Department of Defense” have been returned to the Pentagon.
...
“In addition, DHS authorized CBP to move forward with the Yuma Andrade and El Centro Calexico Fence Replacement Projects to mitigate immediate life, safety and operational risks to the local community, migrants, and Border Patrol agents in the area,” the statement Friday said. “Both projects will replace dilapidated segments of legacy fencing that presently create safety and security concerns for USBP agents, migrants, and the surrounding community.”

It added: “These replacement projects, similar to previously approved projects, prioritizes the completion of activities and projects needed to address life, safety and operational risks—including the safety and security of individuals, Border Patrol agents, migrants, and nearby communities.”

The border agency stated that it will still plan coordination with landowners and state, local, and tribal governments on where to build the border barrier  “DHS remains committed to the protection of the environment and will conduct environmental surveys, analyze the potential for environmental impacts from the implementation of the projects, and develop measures that avoid or minimize impacts to the greatest extent possible,” the statement said.

UPS Hands Teamsters New Contract, Teamsters Respond With New Deadline

UPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents some 330,000 UPS delivery drivers and warehouse logistics workers, are back at the negotiation table.

The teamsters had warned this that UPS needed to “exchange its last, best, and final offer no later than June 30″ or the drivers would walk away from negotiations.

UPS returned with a new contract, the Teamsters have confirmed.

“UPS came back with real movement, but it isn’t enough,” said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman in a statement on July 1.

The counterproposal had “significant movement on wages and other economic language,” according to the Teamsters.

UPS has pledged to reach a deal no later than July 5, and the Teamsters have agreed.

“We have repeatedly told UPS that a new contract must be in place by August 1. The Teamsters will not work one minute beyond the expiration of our current agreement. UPS did not want to make progress on economics, but they conceded today that they will reach a deal by July 5 because they have no choice,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien in the statement.

The union’s current contract ends on Aug. 1.

Baltimore Shooting Leaves 2 Dead, 28 Injured Over July 4th Weekend

Gunfire erupted at a block party in Baltimore on Sunday, killing two people, wounding 28, and leaving an extensive crime scene that marred the Fourth of July holiday weekend, police said.

Three of the wounded were in critical condition. Baltimore Police Department Acting Commissioner Richard Worley told reporters there were a total of 30 victims during a press conference at the scene. The shooting took place just after 12:30 a.m. at a block party in the Brooklyn Homes area in the southern part of the city, Worley told reporters.
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“This tragedy again shows why we must continue to focus on the amount of illegal guns on our streets that make it into the hands of individuals who should not have them and continuously carry out violent acts in our city,” the mayor and the department also said.

Nineteen victims were treated in the emergency department at MedStar Harbor Hospital, according to hospital spokesperson Debra Schindler. Nine of the critically injured patients were stabilized and transferred to Baltimore trauma centers. All but one of the 19 victims sent to MedStar have been released.
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The shooting occurred shortly at around midnight at the “Brooklyn Day” block party in the Brooklyn Homes area of Baltimore, where hundreds of people attended, according to local media reports. A witness told station Fox 45 that about 20 to 30 shots were fired in a short period of time.

No suspects have been arrested in connection to the case. Investigators stated they are reviewing video surveillance.

Lakell Nelson, 54, said there had been several false alarms of people mistaking the sounds of fireworks for gunfire earlier in the night while she was at the block party. However, by the time she was getting to her car, the actual shooting began.

French Mayor Alleges Rioters Tried to Assassinate Him in 5th Night of Violence

Riots erupted for another night across France over a police-involved shooting of a 17-year-old last week, leading to 1,300 arrests, as top police unions issued a warning that the country is “at war.” In another incident, the mayor of a Parisian suburb alleged that rioters tried to assassinate him and his family members.

Top French police unions, Alliance Police Nationale and UNSA Police, over the weekend said that officers are “at war with vermin” and threatened revolt over how the country is handling the riots. “Today the police are in combat because we are at war. Tomorrow we will enter resistance and the government should be aware of this,” the unions in a statement to The Telegraph.

“Now is not the time for industrial action but for fighting against these ‘vermin,'” the union statement also said, responding to French President Emmanuel Macron’s reluctance to declare a state of emergency.
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At the same time, Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of the southern Paris suburb of L’Hay-les-Roses, alleged that rioters tried to assassinate him and his family, including two young children. Jeanbrun said he was at home when it was set on fire while his wife and kids were there sleeping, describing the incident as an “assassination attempt.”
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It came as riots continued for a fifth night in France overnight on Saturday and Sunday, as officials confirmed that 45,000 police officers were deployed across several cities.

There have been widespread reports and video footage of rioters burning buildings, looting, attacking officers, attacking bystanders, and stealing vehicles, while there has been unconfirmed footage of what appear to be rioters armed with rifles. It’s not clear how they obtained the firearms, as France has strict gun-control laws.

Police made 719 arrests nationwide by early Sunday following a mass security deployment aimed at quelling France’s worst social upheaval in years.