Sen. Grassley Questions Immigration Parole For New Alleged Trump Assassination Plotter
Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) posed a series of questions to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeking clarity on the recent arrest of a Pakistani national regarding his attempts to assassinate high-ranking U.S. government officials, allegedly including former President Donald Trump, in light of the fact that he was flagged on a federal watchlist and recently granted immigration parole.
The alleged Pakistani plotter, Asif Raza Merchant, 46, was apprehended on July 12, 2024, when he attempted to leave the United States. Currently in federal custody in New York, Merchant’s plot was foiled when he allegedly conspired with undercover agents, who posed as assassins, to attempt to murder high-ranking U.S. citizens.
The alleged scheme was conducted as part of a larger Iranian ploy to retaliate against the killing of General Qasem Soleimani, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said, according to an Aug. 6 Justice Department (DOJ) statement that revealed the incident. Soleimani was taken down in 2020 during the Trump administration for aiming to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.
On Aug. 9, Grassley wrote a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asking him for more information regarding Merchant’s immigration parole status. Citing media reports, Grassley said that Merchant was interviewed by the Joint Terrorism Task Force upon his arrival in the United States on April 13 because he was flagged in the federal database as a “Lookout Qualified Person of Interest.”
Despite this, Merchant was granted Significant Public Benefit Parole on April 13 by the DHS, which he overstayed after it expired on May 11, Grassley said. He asked the DHS to provide answers to the following:
- Did the DHS grant Merchant Significant Public Benefit Parole before or after his placement on the terrorist watchlist and being listed as a “Lookout Qualified Person of Interest”?
- On what basis was Merchant granted Significant Public Benefit Parole?
- Provide the entire Alien Registration File (A-File) for Asif Raza Merchant.
- How many individuals on the Terrorist Screening Database have DHS granted parole and allowed entry into the United States?
Following Merchant’s arrest, Garland said, “The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against American citizens and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America’s national security.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray said of the incident: “This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s complaint allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook.
“A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any U.S. citizen, is a threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI.”
Assassination Attempts on Trump
The Pakistani national’s plan to assassinate Trump has not been confirmed by federal agencies. The Epoch Times reached out to the DHS and the DOJ for comment regarding the issue. The FBI declined to comment.
According to court documents, Merchant’s plot involved “three different criminal schemes: (1) stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; (2) planning a protest; and (3) killing a politician or government official.”
Merchant told the confidential source, an undercover agent, that “trusted” people would be needed to conduct the killing and perform protests after the incident as a distraction, and that they would need “a woman to do ‘reconnaissance.’”
Merchant paid the agent an advance sum of $5,000 to hire hitmen and told him that the final plans would be revealed after Merchant left the country.
He was subsequently arrested on July 12, a day before Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“The failure of the Secret Service in Butler, Pennsylvania, is even more outrageous in light of suspected Iranian-backed assassins targeting former Trump Administration officials, including President Trump himself. That day, the threat of sniper attacks was even higher than normal,” House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said in a statement after the DOJ unsealed its charges against Merchant.
“I was previously briefed concerning the Iranian threat and the circumstances of Mr. Merchant’s arrest and questioned then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on whether she had reviewed the intelligence concerning the Iranian threat. She confirmed to me that she read the intelligence and was aware of this Iranian murder-for-hire plot.”
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Originally Posted at; https://www.zerohedge.com//
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Donald Trump, Elon Musk: ‘We Don’t Have a President Right Now’
Former President Donald Trump and X owner Elon Musk agreed that the United States does not “have a president right now” while speaking in an X Space on Monday.
“Biden is close to vegetable stage, in my opinion, I looked at him today on the beach, and I said, ‘Why would anybody allow him — the guy could barely walk. Does he have a political adviser that thinks this looks good? Because it looks so bad,” Trump said, referring to a recent video that surfaced of President Joe Biden at the beach.
Watch Below:
Biden — who held just one public event this week — is currently lounging on the beach in Delaware.
He has spent 40% of his entire presidency on vacation.
Who is running the country? pic.twitter.com/NAva2BLPMm
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 10, 2024
“He can’t lift the chair,” Trump continued. “The chair weighs about three ounces. It’s meant for children and old people to lift, and he can’t lift it. The whole thing is crazy.”
Musk chimed in, adding, “It’s clearly, like, we just don’t have a president right now,” to which Trump replied, “You don’t have a president.”
Listen Below:
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2024
Trump went on to say that Vice President Kamala Harris is “going to be worse than him” if she is elected president “because she is a San Francisco liberal who destroyed San Francisco, and, then, as attorney general, she destroyed California.”
Trump continued:
What she has done to California is — well, you know better than I do. You just left California for a lot of those reasons — what she’s done with crime, with cashless bail, where you kill somebody. We have states where you kill somebody and they let you out right away. And then they never find the people unless they kill again, and then they let them out again.
“Our country is becoming a very dangerous place, and she is a radical left San Francisco liberal — and now she’s looking like she wants to be more Trump than Trump if that’s possible. I don’t think it’s possible, but she wants to be more Trump than Trump,” the 45th president added.
Trump was likely referring to Harris copying his campaign promise to eliminate taxes on tips during her campaign rally on Saturday.
Ironically, Harris voted in 2022 to pass legislation to allow the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to track down workers’ tips so that they could be taxed.
Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided $80 billion in additional funding to the IRS, which then got to work cracking down on the service industry’s reporting of tips for taxation purposes.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
Originally Posted At www.breitbart.com
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Trump: ‘A Lot of People Just Don’t Have the Money’ for Groceries
Former President Donald Trump spoke about how “a lot of people” do not have the funds to be able to afford “a whole cart” of groceries.
“We’ve got to get the prices down,” Trump told Elon during a live interview on X. “You know, when I look at bacon costing four or five times more than it did a few years ago. When you look at some of the food products in grocery stores, people know — they can’t believe it. They used to be able to buy a whole cart, and today, a lot of people just don’t have the money. They go in and they can’t buy anything.”
During the interview, Trump also spoke about how people in the country “can’t buy groceries because they don’t have enough money.”
“The election’s coming, and the people want to hear about the economy and the fact that they can’t buy groceries because they don’t have enough money to buy groceries,” Trump said. “The inflation has killed them, food prices are up 50, 60, even 100 percent in some cases.”
Under the Biden administration, grocery prices have increased. In 2021, the prices for food increased by 6.3 percent, and 10.4 percent in 2022, according to TheStreet. In 2023, the increase in food prices “slowed” to 2.7 percent.
The outlet noted that supply chain issues, increasing production costs, and higher demand were some of the factors behind food prices increasing.
Originally Posted At www.breitbart.com
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Tropical Storm Ernesto Forecast Discussion
000 WTNT45 KNHC 130242 TCDAT5 Tropical Storm Ernesto Discussion Number 6 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL052024 1100 PM AST Mon Aug 12 2024 Ernesto remains a rather broad tropical cyclone, and satellite and radar data shows that deep convection has yet to consolidate/concentrate near its center. Tonight's NOAA P-3 TDR data in Ernesto also suggests the broad center currently lacks much vertical alignment. However, there are a number of convective banding features around the circulation and the overall organization of the cloud pattern has been increasing since earlier today. Satellite imagery shows that the upper-level anticyclonic outflow pattern is well defined over the western semicircle of the circulation. The intensity is held at 35 kt for this advisory based on observations from Air Force and NOAA reconnaissance aircraft and Dvorak satellite estimates. Since the system is still in the formative stage, there is some scatter in the center position estimates, making the initial motion estimate somewhat uncertain. My best motion estimate is generally westward at a slightly slower speed, around 275/22 kt. During the next day or so, a mid-level ridge to the north of Ernesto should maintain a westward to west-northwestward motion at a gradually decreasing forward speed. This should take the center of the tropical cyclone over portions of the Leeward Islands very soon, across the extreme northeastern Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, and near or over portions of Puerto Rico Tuesday evening or Tuesday night. After that, the flow on the eastern side a deep-layer trough moving off the U.S. east coast should cause Ernesto turn northward to north-northeastward. Later in the forecast period, the first trough that steers the system northward from the Greater Antilles leaves Ernesto behind, and the tropical cyclone may have to wait for a second trough to steer it farther into the mid-latitudes. The official track forecast is near the left edge of the guidance suite during the first 24-36 hours and close to the simple model consensus from 2-5 days. Assuming that deep convection will increase near the center of Ernesto, the high-level outflow and otherwise conducive oceanic and atmospheric environment favors strengthening during the next few days. Although the intensification is expected to be gradual during the early part of the period, a more rapid rate of strengthening is likely after the system moves north of the Greater Antilles. The official intensity forecast is about the same as the previous one and close to the multi-model consensus. Key Messages: 1. Ernesto is expected to bring tropical storm conditions to portions of the Leeward Islands beginning early Tuesday and to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by late Tuesday. Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for this entire area. 2. Heavy rainfall may result in locally considerable flash flooding and mudslides in areas of the Leeward and Virgin Islands through Wednesday, and over Puerto Rico late Tuesday into Thursday. 3. It is too soon to know what impacts Ernesto could bring to Bermuda late this week, and interests there should monitor the progress of this system. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INIT 13/0300Z 16.0N 59.6W 35 KT 40 MPH 12H 13/1200Z 16.4N 62.0W 40 KT 45 MPH 24H 14/0000Z 17.7N 64.6W 50 KT 60 MPH 36H 14/1200Z 19.5N 66.5W 60 KT 70 MPH 48H 15/0000Z 21.7N 67.8W 70 KT 80 MPH 60H 15/1200Z 24.0N 68.3W 80 KT 90 MPH 72H 16/0000Z 26.1N 67.7W 90 KT 105 MPH 96H 17/0000Z 29.9N 65.3W 95 KT 110 MPH 120H 18/0000Z 32.7N 64.2W 95 KT 110 MPH $$ Forecaster Pasch
Originally Posted at:
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At The NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
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Tropical Storm Ernesto Wind Speed Probabilities
607
FONT15 KNHC 130242
PWSAT5
TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WIND SPEED PROBABILITIES NUMBER 6
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL052024
0300 UTC TUE AUG 13 2024
AT 0300Z THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 16.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 59.6 WEST WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS NEAR 35 KTS...40 MPH...65 KM/H.
Z INDICATES COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (GREENWICH)
ATLANTIC STANDARD TIME (AST)...SUBTRACT 4 HOURS FROM Z TIME
EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT)...SUBTRACT 4 HOURS FROM Z TIME
CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT)...SUBTRACT 5 HOURS FROM Z TIME
WIND SPEED PROBABILITY TABLE FOR SPECIFIC LOCATIONS
CHANCES OF SUSTAINED (1-MINUTE AVERAGE) WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST
...34 KT (39 MPH... 63 KM/H)...
...50 KT (58 MPH... 93 KM/H)...
...64 KT (74 MPH...119 KM/H)...
FOR LOCATIONS AND TIME PERIODS DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS
PROBABILITIES FOR LOCATIONS ARE GIVEN AS OP(CP) WHERE
OP IS THE PROBABILITY OF THE EVENT BEGINNING DURING
AN INDIVIDUAL TIME PERIOD (ONSET PROBABILITY)
(CP) IS THE PROBABILITY OF THE EVENT OCCURRING BETWEEN
00Z TUE AND THE FORECAST HOUR (CUMULATIVE PROBABILITY)
PROBABILITIES ARE GIVEN IN PERCENT
X INDICATES PROBABILITIES LESS THAN 1 PERCENT
PROBABILITIES FOR 34 KT AND 50 KT ARE SHOWN AT A GIVEN LOCATION WHEN
THE 5-DAY CUMULATIVE PROBABILITY IS AT LEAST 3 PERCENT.
PROBABILITIES FOR 34...50...64 KT SHOWN WHEN THE 5-DAY
64-KT CUMULATIVE PROBABILITY IS AT LEAST 1 PERCENT.
- - - - WIND SPEED PROBABILITIES FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS - - - -
FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM
TIME 00Z TUE 12Z TUE 00Z WED 12Z WED 00Z THU 00Z FRI 00Z SAT
PERIODS TO TO TO TO TO TO TO
12Z TUE 00Z WED 12Z WED 00Z THU 00Z FRI 00Z SAT 00Z SUN
FORECAST HOUR (12) (24) (36) (48) (72) (96) (120)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
LOCATION KT
BERMUDA 34 X X( X) X( X) X( X) 1( 1) 33(34) 23(57)
BERMUDA 50 X X( X) X( X) X( X) X( X) 12(12) 18(30)
BERMUDA 64 X X( X) X( X) X( X) X( X) 6( 6) 10(16)
MAYAGUANA 34 X X( X) X( X) 2( 2) 3( 5) X( 5) 1( 6)
GRAND TURK 34 X X( X) 2( 2) 6( 8) 7(15) 1(16) X(16)
PUERTO PLATA 34 X X( X) 3( 3) 4( 7) 4(11) X(11) X(11)
SANTO DOMINGO 34 X X( X) 3( 3) 3( 6) 2( 8) X( 8) X( 8)
PONCE PR 34 X 7( 7) 26(33) 3(36) X(36) X(36) X(36)
PONCE PR 50 X X( X) 3( 3) 1( 4) X( 4) X( 4) X( 4)
AGUADILLA PR 34 X 3( 3) 29(32) 5(37) 1(38) X(38) X(38)
AGUADILLA PR 50 X X( X) 5( 5) 2( 7) X( 7) X( 7) X( 7)
SAN JUAN PR 34 X 3( 3) 35(38) 2(40) X(40) X(40) X(40)
SAN JUAN PR 50 X X( X) 3( 3) X( 3) X( 3) X( 3) X( 3)
VIEQUES PR 34 X 41(41) 32(73) 1(74) X(74) X(74) X(74)
VIEQUES PR 50 X 5( 5) 15(20) 1(21) X(21) X(21) X(21)
VIEQUES PR 64 X X( X) 2( 2) X( 2) X( 2) X( 2) X( 2)
SAINT THOMAS 34 1 55(56) 24(80) 1(81) X(81) X(81) X(81)
SAINT THOMAS 50 X 8( 8) 17(25) X(25) X(25) X(25) X(25)
SAINT THOMAS 64 X 1( 1) 3( 4) X( 4) X( 4) X( 4) X( 4)
SAINT CROIX 34 1 61(62) 11(73) X(73) X(73) X(73) X(73)
SAINT CROIX 50 X 13(13) 7(20) X(20) X(20) X(20) X(20)
SAINT CROIX 64 X 2( 2) 1( 3) X( 3) X( 3) X( 3) X( 3)
SAINT MAARTEN 34 3 53(56) 2(58) 1(59) X(59) X(59) X(59)
SAINT MAARTEN 50 X 3( 3) X( 3) X( 3) X( 3) X( 3) X( 3)
SABA 34 4 71(75) 1(76) X(76) X(76) X(76) X(76)
SABA 50 X 9( 9) X( 9) X( 9) X( 9) X( 9) X( 9)
ST EUSTATIUS 34 7 69(76) X(76) X(76) X(76) X(76) X(76)
ST EUSTATIUS 50 X 8( 8) X( 8) X( 8) X( 8) X( 8) X( 8)
ST KITTS-NEVIS 34 15 63(78) 1(79) X(79) X(79) X(79) X(79)
ST KITTS-NEVIS 50 X 6( 6) X( 6) X( 6) X( 6) X( 6) X( 6)
BARBUDA 34 19 20(39) 1(40) X(40) X(40) X(40) X(40)
ANTIGUA 34 19 17(36) X(36) X(36) X(36) X(36) X(36)
GUADELOUPE 34 41 5(46) 1(47) X(47) X(47) X(47) X(47)
AVES 34 1 4( 5) 1( 6) 1( 7) X( 7) X( 7) X( 7)
DOMINICA 34 2 1( 3) X( 3) 1( 4) X( 4) X( 4) X( 4)
$$
FORECASTER PASCH
Originally Posted at:
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At The NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
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Tropical Storm Ernesto Public Advisory
649 WTNT35 KNHC 130241 TCPAT5 BULLETIN Tropical Storm Ernesto Advisory Number 6 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL052024 1100 PM AST Mon Aug 12 2024 ...ERNESTO APPROACHING THE LEEWARD ISLANDS... SUMMARY OF 1100 PM AST...0300 UTC...INFORMATION ----------------------------------------------- LOCATION...16.0N 59.6W ABOUT 165 MI...265 KM ESE OF ANTIGUA ABOUT 460 MI...740 KM ESE OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH...65 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 275 DEGREES AT 25 MPH...41 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1009 MB...29.80 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY: None. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, and Anguilla * Guadeloupe * St. Martin and St. Barthelemy * Sint Maarten * British Virgin Islands * U.S. Virgin Islands * Puerto Rico * Vieques * Culebra A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours. Interests elsewhere in the northeastern Caribbean should monitor the progress of Ernesto. For storm information specific to your area in the United States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office. For storm information specific to your area outside of the United States, please monitor products issued by your national meteorological service. DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 1100 PM AST (0300 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Ernesto was located near latitude 16.0 North, longitude 59.6 West. Ernesto is moving toward the west near 25 mph (41 km/h). A westward to west-northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected during the next day or so. On the forecast track, Ernesto is expected to move across portions of the Leeward Islands by early Tuesday and near or over the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by Tuesday evening. Ernesto is then forecast to turn northward over the western Atlantic. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Gradual strengthening is expected during the next few days. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles (130 km) from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1009 mb (29.80 inches). HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- Key messages for Ernesto can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT5 and WMO header WTNT45 KNHC and on the web at hurricanes.gov/text/MIATCDAT5.shtml. RAINFALL: Tropical Storm Ernesto is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 4 to 6 inches over portions of the Leeward and Virgin Islands. For Puerto Rico, 3 to 6 inches of rainfall, with maximum amounts of 10 inches, is expected. For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Ernesto, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at5.shtml?rainqpf Elsewhere in the Caribbean, Tropical Storm Ernesto is expected to produce the following rain accumulations through Friday morning: Windward Islands... 1 to 4 inches Eastern Hispaniola... 2 to 4 inches WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area for the Leeward Islands beginning early Tuesday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin spreading over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by Tuesday evening. STORM SURGE: A storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level for the eastern coast of Puerto Rico from San Juan to Guayama, including the islands of Culebra and Vieques and in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. A storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels in the British Virgin Islands. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. SURF: Swells generated by Ernesto will likely begin to affect portions of the Leeward Islands beginning late tonight. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- Next intermediate advisory at 200 AM AST. Next complete advisory at 500 AM AST. $$ Forecaster Pasch
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Tropical Storm Ernesto Forecast Advisory
000 WTNT25 KNHC 130241 TCMAT5 TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 6 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL052024 0300 UTC TUE AUG 13 2024 TROPICAL STORM CENTER LOCATED NEAR 16.0N 59.6W AT 13/0300Z POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 30 NM PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE WEST OR 275 DEGREES AT 22 KT ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 1009 MB MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 35 KT WITH GUSTS TO 45 KT. 34 KT....... 70NE 0SE 0SW 0NW. 12 FT SEAS..180NE 0SE 0SW 120NW. WINDS AND SEAS VARY GREATLY IN EACH QUADRANT. RADII IN NAUTICAL MILES ARE THE LARGEST RADII EXPECTED ANYWHERE IN THAT QUADRANT. REPEAT...CENTER LOCATED NEAR 16.0N 59.6W AT 13/0300Z AT 13/0000Z CENTER WAS LOCATED NEAR 15.9N 58.6W FORECAST VALID 13/1200Z 16.4N 62.0W MAX WIND 40 KT...GUSTS 50 KT. 34 KT...100NE 60SE 0SW 40NW. FORECAST VALID 14/0000Z 17.7N 64.6W MAX WIND 50 KT...GUSTS 60 KT. 50 KT... 30NE 20SE 0SW 0NW. 34 KT...140NE 100SE 30SW 70NW. FORECAST VALID 14/1200Z 19.5N 66.5W MAX WIND 60 KT...GUSTS 75 KT. 50 KT... 40NE 30SE 0SW 0NW. 34 KT...150NE 120SE 40SW 80NW. FORECAST VALID 15/0000Z 21.7N 67.8W MAX WIND 70 KT...GUSTS 85 KT. 64 KT... 20NE 15SE 0SW 0NW. 50 KT... 50NE 30SE 0SW 0NW. 34 KT...160NE 150SE 80SW 100NW. FORECAST VALID 15/1200Z 24.0N 68.3W MAX WIND 80 KT...GUSTS 100 KT. 50 KT... 50NE 50SE 20SW 20NW. 34 KT...160NE 160SE 90SW 100NW. FORECAST VALID 16/0000Z 26.1N 67.7W MAX WIND 90 KT...GUSTS 110 KT. 50 KT... 70NE 70SE 30SW 30NW. 34 KT...160NE 160SE 120SW 100NW. EXTENDED OUTLOOK. NOTE...ERRORS FOR TRACK HAVE AVERAGED NEAR 125 NM ON DAY 4 AND 175 NM ON DAY 5...AND FOR INTENSITY NEAR 15 KT EACH DAY OUTLOOK VALID 17/0000Z 29.9N 65.3W MAX WIND 95 KT...GUSTS 115 KT. 50 KT... 70NE 90SE 50SW 50NW. 34 KT...160NE 160SE 120SW 120NW. OUTLOOK VALID 18/0000Z 32.7N 64.2W MAX WIND 95 KT...GUSTS 115 KT. 50 KT... 90NE 90SE 60SW 60NW. 34 KT...170NE 170SE 120SW 120NW. REQUEST FOR 3 HOURLY SHIP REPORTS WITHIN 300 MILES OF 16.0N 59.6W INTERMEDIATE PUBLIC ADVISORY...WTNT35 KNHC/MIATCPAT5...AT 13/0600Z NEXT ADVISORY AT 13/0900Z $$ FORECASTER PASCH
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Popular Sweetener Linked To Increased Risk of Blood Clots, Heart Attack, And Stroke
Authored by Cara Michelle Miller via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Erythritol is a popular choice for those looking to cut down on sugar without losing flavor, but its health effects are often debated. New Cleveland Clinic research reveals a concerning finding: Erythritol makes platelets—blood cells involved in clotting—more active, leading them to react more strongly and increasing the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke.
Cleveland Clinic researchers say this discovery, part of a series exploring the physiological effects of common sugar substitutes, may prompt a reassessment of how we use this sweetener.
The new findings build on the research team’s prior erythritol study. The previous study was limited because some of the participants had poor health, with over 70 percent having cardiovascular issues. The new study addresses these limitations by recruiting healthy adults.
“This research adds to increasing evidence that erythritol raises cardiovascular risk. In a small group of healthy volunteers, we show ingesting erythritol made platelets more hyper-responsive … which can raise the risk of blood clots,” senior and corresponding author Dr. Stanley Hazen, chair of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences in Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute and co-section head of Preventive Cardiology, told The Epoch Times in an email.
Unlike Sugar, Erythritol Can Promote Excess Blood Clotting
Erythritol is a popular sugar substitute used in many “low-carb” and “keto” foods. It is about 70 percent as sweet as sugar and is produced by fermenting corn or wheat starch. Health and weight-loss professionals often recommend it as a safer alternative to sugar for individuals with high cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome.
Although erythritol is classified as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority and is naturally found in fruits and vegetables, recent studies by Hazen’s group indicate that consuming typical amounts of erythritol may pose an increased cardiovascular risk.
“This paper builds on our earlier studies with erythritol [published in 2023 in Nature Medicine],” said Hazen, in which large-scale clinical observation studies in the United States and Europe showed that cardiac patients with higher levels of erythritol in their blood were twice as likely to suffer a major cardiac event—such as heart attack, stroke, or death—within the next three years compared to those with lower levels. The study also showed that adding erythritol to blood or platelets increased clot formation. Preclinical studies confirmed these findings.
The previous study had some limitations. Dr. Jayne Morgan, a cardiologist and clinical director of the COVID-19 Task Force at Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta, told The Epoch Times that it was a clinical observation study, which means it could show correlations but not establish causation. Additionally, the study’s participants were in poor health; they were overweight, had high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking habits, and existing cardiovascular issues. So it was unknown if their elevated risks were due to their poor health or due to erythritol consumption.
The new human intervention study, published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, was designed to closely monitor how erythritol ingestion affects platelets at a dose typically contained “in commercial products,” such as an erythritol-sweetened soda or muffin, explained Hazen.
In 20 healthy volunteers—nonsmokers with no cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes—blood samples were taken after an overnight fast. Participants then consumed a solution with either 30 grams of glucose or erythritol. Blood samples taken 30 minutes later showed that erythritol levels increased over 1,000 times in those who ingested erythritol.
Results also “revealed participants showed a significant increase in the susceptibility for blood clot formation after consuming erythritol,” according to Hazen. “In stark contrast, no change was observed in participants after consuming a comparable amount of glucose. A significant new finding in these studies was the direct comparison of results with sugar (glucose), which did not have this effect.”
Hazen explained that erythritol makes platelets more responsive, meaning they become more reactive and prone to forming clots. Consequently, even a minor trigger can cause a more robust activation of platelets, increasing the likelihood of blood clots. This heightened responsiveness can lead to excessive clotting.
“This was seen [in the previous paper] in whole blood, with platelet rich plasma, with isolated platelets, in animal models of disease,” he added. “The results of these mechanistic studies are all aligned with the prior large scale clinical observation data showing higher erythritol levels track with higher risk of major adverse cardiac events.”
1 Serving of Erythritol May Trigger Clot Formation
“This research raises some concerns that a standard serving of an erythritol-sweetened food or beverage may acutely stimulate a direct clot-forming effect,” study co-author Dr. W. H. Wilson Tang, research director for Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, said in a press release. “Erythritol and other sugar alcohols that are commonly used as sugar substitutes should be evaluated for potential long-term health effects especially when such effects are not seen with glucose itself.”
He added that these findings are particularly significant because they follow a recent study by the same research group, which found that xylitol, another common sweetener, also increased blood levels and affected how blood cells clump together in healthy volunteers.
Like erythritol, Hazen noted in the email, “the investigations with xylitol also included large-scale clinical observation studies showing that elevation in plasma xylitol levels is associated with increased risk for heart attack, stroke or death over three years of follow-up.”
These findings underscore the importance of further long-term clinical studies to reassess the safety of erythritol and other sugar substitutes, according to both researchers.
The Rise of Erythritol: A ‘Natural’ Alternative to Synthetic Sweeteners
Concerns about the long-term effects of synthetic sweeteners have led many to seek “natural” alternatives like erythritol, a widely used substitute for artificial sweeteners like sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet’N Low), and aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet).
While these artificial sweeteners were once favored for their calorie-free sweetness, they now face increasing scrutiny. For instance, aspartame has been linked to potential cancer risks, while saccharin has been associated with obesity and diabetes in animal studies.
In May 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised against using nonsugar sweeteners, citing evidence that they do not support long-term weight loss and come with other health risks. The recommendations apply to everyone except those with preexisting diabetes.
Erythritol, on the other hand, is often recommended for diabetics because it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels and reduces dental plaque and tooth decay.
Reconsidering Erythritol: What the Latest Research Means for Your Diet
Based on the evidence, Hazen said, “Choosing sugar-sweetened treats occasionally and in small amounts would be preferable to consuming drinks and foods sweetened with these sugar alcohols, especially for people at elevated risk of thrombosis such as those with heart disease, diabetes or metabolic syndrome.”
He added that future research will “explore how broadly the pro-thrombotic effect is in alternative sugar substitutes. Including both alternative sugar alcohols and common artificial sweeteners.”
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Originally Posted at; https://www.zerohedge.com//
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Trump: Biden’s Ousting ‘Was a Coup of the President of the United States’
Former President Donald Trump said President Joe Biden’s ousting from the 2024 election “was a coup of the President of the United States,” while speaking to Elon Musk in X Spaces on Monday.
“[Vice President Kamala Harris] hasn’t done an interview since this whole scam started,” Trump said. “And say what you want, this was a coup. This was a coup of a President of the United States.”
Listen Below:
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2024
“[Biden] didn’t want to leave,” Trump continued. “And they said, ‘We can do it the nice way, or we can do it the hard way.’”
Trump added, “What they did with this guy — and I’m no fan of his, he was a horrible president, the worst president in history. First of all, the Israeli attack would have never happened, Russia would never have attacked Ukraine, and we’d have no inflation. And we wouldn’t have had the Afghanistan mess.”
“Think of it. You take a few of those events away, and we have a different world,” former President Trump said. “Think of it, four years ago, we were so respected.”
Trump also noted that when he was in office, he told Russian President Vladimir Putin, “You cannot do it” with regards to his desire to invade Ukraine.
“And I told him things — what I’d do [if Putin invaded Ukraine], and he said, ‘No way,’ and I said, ‘Way.’ And you know, that’s the last time we ever had that conversation,” Trump said.
“He would never have done — I got along well with him, I hope to get along well with him again. You know, getting along well with him is a good thing, not a bad thing,” Trump added.
“I got along well with Kim Jong-un,” Trump continued. “When I met with President Obama just before entering [office], I sat down with him and we talked — I said, ‘What the biggest problem?’ He said, ‘North Korea.’ I had that problem worked out very quickly.”
“It was nasty at the beginning,” Trump said, to which Musk quipped, “Those were some epic tweets, by the way.”
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018
Trump added that Kim Jong-un “said he has a red button on his desk.”
“I said, ‘I have a red button on my desk, too, but my red button is much bigger and my red button works’ — all of a sudden I got a call from him, and they said they want to meet,” Trump said.
“We met in Singapore, we met also in Vietnam, and I got along with him great. We were in no danger. But President Obama thought we were going to end up in a war, a nuclear war with him,” the 45th president added.
Musk concurred, adding, “People like Kim Jong-un, they respond to strength, not weakness.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
Originally Posted At www.breitbart.com
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Trump Tells Musk: ‘I’m More of a Believer’ in God Since Shooting
Former President Donald Trump told Tesla CEO and X/Twitter owner Elon Musk during an interview on X Spaces on Monday evening that he was “more of a believer” in God after the assassination attempt on his life last month.
“I’m a believer now,” Trump said. “I’m more of a believer, I think. A lot of people have said that.”
During the live interview with Musk on X on Monday, which started late after a distributed denial of service attack (DDOS) on X’s servers, Trump spoke about the moment Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13 from the rooftop of a nearby building, where he had a direct line of sight of Trump.
Trump was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part” of his right ear.
The former president told Musk that the “bigger miracle was that” he had been “looking in the exact direction” that a chart on illegal immigration was located, adding that the bullet hit him at an “angle far less destructive any other angle.”
“For those of you who don’t believe in God, I think we can all start thinking about that,” Trump added.
Trump has previously credited God for his survival.
During a rally in Atlanta, Georgia, Trump described the Secret Service agents who had shielded him as being “brave” as the “bullets were flying,” and added that God was behind his survival.
“The first one was not a good situation, not a good situation,” Trump said. “That was really something incredible. That was from God. That was from God. Because the chances….that was from God. For all of you non-believers, that one was from God, right?”
Originally Posted At www.breitbart.com
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