Tom Luongo on the Rival Factions Among Bankers
Tom Luongo explains the different factions among bankers, including rivalries between New York and San Francisco, and the US versus Europe.
Tom Luongo explains the different factions among bankers, including rivalries between New York and San Francisco, and the US versus Europe.
John Maynard Keynes was an English “economist” who spawned a revolution in economic thinking that emerged out of a cesspool of socialist thinking in Britain.
by Mac Slavo, SHTF Plan: The H5N1 bird flu is mutating fast as it jumps from mammal to mammal. According to an article in News Medical Life Sciences, written by Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D., scientists have uncovered alarming evidence of H5N1’s rapid adaptation to mammals fueled by genetic mutations. High-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) viruses belonging to […]
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R-NC) was taken to the hospital on Friday evening to be “treated for burns” that he had sustained, his campaign confirmed to Breitbart News.
The post N.C. Gov. Republican Candidate Mark Robinson Hospitalized ‘For Burns’ appeared first on Breitbart.
The ‘Chemical War’ Killing 70,000 Americans Each Year
Authored by Petr Svab via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
The United States needs to ramp up enforcement against every step of the manufacturing and trafficking of fentanyl and other deadly synthetic drugs if it hopes to stem the crisis, several experts told The Epoch Times. With every passing day, however, the path to success gets narrower as the criminal organizations involved get more sophisticated.
More than 100,000 Americans died of an overdose last year; of which more than 70,000 overdosed on synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The United States government has poured billions into addiction treatment, but the drugs are too broadly available for the treatment to stick, some experts said, arguing the supply needs to be drastically curbed.
Illicit fentanyl usually comes across the southern border from Mexico where it’s manufactured from chemicals made in China and pressed into pills that often look like prescription drugs such as Xanax, Adderall, or oxycodone.
Steps by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to regulate export of illicit chemicals have been dismissed by the experts as cosmetic. Instead, they say, the regime is using drugs as a strategic weapon against the United States.
“This is a chemical war that we’re facing, and no one’s treating it as a war,” said Derek Maltz, former head of special operations at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
“People are treating it as a drug issue. It’s not a drug issue. It’s the number one threat to our national security,” he told The Epoch Times.
The House Select Committee on the CCP issued a report earlier this year detailing China’s involvement at every step of fentanyl trafficking. Chinese companies produce the precursor chemicals from which fentanyl is prepared. Chinese companies ship the chemicals to Mexico. Chinese-made pill presses allow the production of counterfeit pills. Chinese organized crime groups then help the cartels launder and move the illicit profits from the United States to Mexico.
Both the Trump and the Biden administrations have managed to press China to impose additional regulations on fentanyl as well as its analogs and precursors, but the measures “lack teeth” because they fail to impose “substantial costs” on illicit producers, according to Andrew Harding, a research assistant in the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center.
“As long as the producers can stay quiet and evade law enforcement, they will continue to produce,” he told The Epoch Times.
The CCP has claimed to shut down 14 websites, suspend more than 330 business accounts, and close down more than 1,000 online shops that were engaged in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, a senior Biden administration official told reporters in July.
But he acknowledged that “there continues to be a significant supply of precursor chemicals out of [China].”
“There’s obviously a whole lot more to do. And that’s why these ongoing conversations and engagements are so important, even if we’re taking small steps one at a time,” he said.
The experts, however, suggested that the time for small steps and engagement has passed as China’s weak actions hint at intentionality.
“This is all part of their strategic plan, in my opinion, to harm America,” Maltz said.
“It’s part of the unrestricted warfare game, and that’s what’s happening. And they’re actually very successful, because America is not taking care of business, and America is not taking it seriously.”
The Select Committee on CCP found that Beijing was subsidizing illicit chemical exports, providing tax rebates specifically on sales of chemicals that are often not only illegal in China, but lack legitimate use besides making illegal drugs. Some of the rebates were even higher than those offered on any other export products.
It also found evidence that the regime was intentionally making it difficult for foreigners to find information about the rebates.
The Biden administration, however, stopped short of endorsing this conclusion.
“We do not have any information to support that finding, that [China] is actually subsidizing these exports,” said the senior administration official, adding “there’s a need for an ongoing conversation about that.”
The White House didn’t respond to a list of questions emailed by The Epoch Times.
To truly solve the crisis, the experts said, the United States needs to hit every chokepoint along the trafficking chain. And it must be done fast.
“We’re losing hundreds of thousands of Americans. What’s going to happen in a few years?” Maltz asked.
“They’re not going to be filling jobs that are important down the line. They’re not going to be going to college, they’re not going to be getting professional jobs, they’re not going to be helping our society. They’re going to be gone.”
The government is already playing catch-up with traffickers, he noted.
Cartels and other criminal organizations are increasingly trafficking synthetic drugs even more powerful than fentanyl, such as xylazine and nitazenes. Xylazine is particularly abhorrent since it causes tissue necrosis and its overdose can’t be reversed using naloxone—a drug that can overturn an overdose caused by opioids, including fentanyl, if administered quickly.
If the fentanyl crisis is likened to cancer, the United States is already in an advanced stage, according to Michael Brown, formerly a DEA agent of more than 30 years who now heads counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices.
So far, it should still be possible to crack down on the supply of fentanyl precursor chemicals, perhaps with the aid of artificial intelligence, he said. But the precursor chemicals have their own precursors too. If the cartel labs become so sophisticated as to manufacture fentanyl precursors from chemicals that are too general in purpose to effectively track, it will be even more difficult to root the problem out, he said.
“If the cartels get to what I call the final evolution of narco-chemistry, which means they have multiple recipes that can be used to make stage one, stage two, and stage three pre-precursors to make the required precursors, there’s no way even using AI, I think, we can beat this issue in the next five to 10 years.”
“An effective U.S. strategy to combat the international fentanyl trafficking industry should begin with the recognition that the United States lacks good-faith partners in both the Chinese and Mexican governments,” according to a recent Heritage report coauthored by Harding.
The CCP has not only been unwilling to address the issue constructively, but has in fact used it as a bargaining chip to force concessions from the U.S. on technology sales, he said.
The Mexican government, in the meantime, seems to be under profound influence of the cartels, the experts said.
“All those chemicals … are coming in and they’re coming in freely because people are being paid off, and the Mexican government allows it,” Victor Avila, former Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent with Homeland Security Investigations, told The Epoch Times.
The only way to induce cooperation would be to twist the hands of governments, some experts said. The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on more than 300 entities and individuals tied to fentanyl trafficking but it’s not clear if that has produced any tangible effect.
Sanctions would only be effective if they hit major companies, Brown said.
In 2019, China had more than 23,000 chemical companies and about 5,000 that produced pharmaceutical precursors. The Chinese chemical industry produces some $1.5 trillion annual revenue. That’s about 40 percent of the world’s chemical market, he noted.
If a few small Chinese chemical companies are sanctioned, it doesn’t make much of a splash. But if a major Chinese company is targeted, that would get the attention of the regime and create a deterrent, Brown told The Epoch Times.
With its extensive internet monitoring, the CCP, sufficiently motivated, should be able to sniff out fentanyl precursor traffickers, the Select Committee on CCP report pointed out.
The CCP could also share useful information with the United States.
“If China was sincere on helping the U.S. with the crisis, it would have agreed to share information on chemical shipments with the U.S. and Mexico so that they can be tracked,” Brown said.
Even in absence of CCP’s cooperation, however, the United States could do much more, the experts suggested.
The United States should use its Navy and the Coast Guard to interdict suspicious maritime shipments from China to Mexico before they reach cartel-controlled ports, the Select Committee on CCP report recommended.
But because fentanyl is so potent, precursor chemicals are often sent in smaller quantities by air, Brown said.
Packages from China to Mexico are usually shipped through Alaska, giving the United States an opportunity to check them on the way, he noted.
“Customs and Border Protection have access to those parcels. If they can identify a suspected parcel, they can go in and actually seize it.”
Sometimes, the chemicals are sent to a front company that looks like a drug maker but in fact doesn’t produce anything. A background check would reveal it as fake.
Precursor chemicals can also be shipped to a legitimate pharmaceutical company and then diverted to cartels. In that case, the company’s production wouldn’t match the amount of precursors it’s ordering.
It’s extremely common, however, for the packages to be mislabeled, Brown said. The only way, then, would be to check packages en masse using sniffing dogs or gadgets that can identify chemicals. Not all packages would need to be checked, but it would need to be a percentage large enough to serve as a deterrent.
Such checks could be much more effective by using artificial intelligence to recognize suspicious patterns, he said.
“Does it make sense for somebody in Mexico to order 500 pounds of pool cleaner from China AI would say, ‘I don’t like this. Maybe take a look at it,’ right?”
Focusing on shipping has the added benefit of minimizing the civil rights impact of false positives. Nobody needs to be arrested or stopped by police to check a package during transit. International packages are already expected to get probed by customs officers, so there’s no new privacy intrusion.
“If you’re using pattern recognition and parcel screenings, if you open it up, if five out of 50 parcels are legitimate, it doesn’t matter. You just put it back on the board and send it to where it’s going. But if you start making a 20 to 30 percent seizure rate, cartels are going to go on panic mode,” Brown said.
More than 100 “super labs,” operated by cartels in Mexico, produce fentanyl and press it into pills, Avila said.
The first step should be to designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, he recommended.
“Let’s start there, because that’s what they are. You designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations now, you treat them just like ISIS, just like the Taliban, just like al Qaeda, exactly the same, meaning that no longer do you do even what I used to do as a special agent—those investigative techniques are stale and outdated. You need to go after these guys using Department of Defense resources.”
There’s a chance the United States could convince the Mexican government to cooperate with U.S. military operations against cartels.
“We have good informant networks in Mexico and we know where … a lot of these production labs are. We could definitely get access to their locations. So we should be destroying those production labs, because without the chemicals, without the labs, you can’t produce the poison,” Maltz said.
There needs to be a way to intimidate the cartels, he suggested.
“We have to be way more aggressive with the cartels right now. There’s no fear. They have no fear of America because there’s no consequences.”
“Having a wide-open border, and that’s what we have now, is facilitating the ability for these cartels and for these criminals to get these substances into America, because our resources are being overwhelmed,” Maltz said.
When the Border Patrol has its hands full processing hundreds of thousands of people illegally crossing the border, that’s when the drugs can pour in undetected.
Read the rest here…
Tyler Durden
Fri, 09/27/2024 – 23:25
After Letting 600K Criminals Into The US, Kamala Slithers Down To The Border And Does Trump Impression
On Friday, ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris flew down to Arizona for a photo-op at the southern US border – through which untold millions of migrants from all over the world have entered the United States illegally during the Biden-Harris administration.
While there, she gave a ridiculous speech in which she (get this) called for tougher border security – pledging to enact various forms of immigration reform if she’s elected in November, including a 5-year ban on reentry for those who enter the country illegally.
Kamala: “The United States is a sovereign nation and I believe we have a duty to set rules at our border and enforce them. And I take that responsibility very seriously.”
Just unbelievable gaslighting from the woman who purposefully caused an invasion at our border. pic.twitter.com/etLwpFszEk
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 28, 2024
After doing her best Trump impression, however, Harris then floated a path to citizenship for those who have been in the country “for years.”
🚨 WTF? Kamala Harris at the border literally ENCOURAGING people to come over illegally
She just promised them all a pathway to citizenship.
She’s NOT interested in securing the border. She’s hellbent on importing more voters. pic.twitter.com/wJfxUaF79b
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 28, 2024
A reminder…
Kamala (2019): President Trump’s border wall is a “medieval vanity project.”
Kamala (2024): Looks up in awe at that very medieval vanity project. pic.twitter.com/iU3opXR9Rl
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 27, 2024
Also on Friday, a damning revelation from Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX); US Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) revealed that over 650,000 migrants with criminal histories were let loose in the United States between ‘mid-May 2023 through the end of July 2024.’
As of July 21, 2024, there were 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories on ICE’s national docket—13,099 criminally convicted MURDERS!
Americans deserve to be SAFE in our own communities. pic.twitter.com/fIoCAduJ9M
— Rep. Tony Gonzales (@RepTonyGonzales) September 27, 2024
“As of July 21, 2024, there were 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories on ICE’s national docket, which includes those detained by ICE and on the agency’s non-detained docket. Of those, 435,729 are convicted criminals, and 226,847 have pending criminal charges,” wrote deputy DHS Director Patrick J. Lechleitner in response to a March letter from Gonzales demanding answers.
In short, this couldn’t have come on a worse day for Harris…
.@MZHemingway: “This border trip today happened at the worst possible time for her, given the other news that came out — that her administration allowed nearly half a million criminals, many of them violent criminals — to just be in the country and roaming freely… This is… pic.twitter.com/CLbb0yHrmp
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 27, 2024
Meanwhile, the internet is forever… (maybe)
Kamala Harris is a complete fraud whose campaign can be summed up in a 13 second video. pic.twitter.com/dtQHMFeC2Q
— MAZE (@mazemoore) September 28, 2024
Kamala (today): “The United States is a sovereign nation and I believe we have a duty to set rules at our border and enforce them.”
Kamala (last month): “I will close immigration detention centers on day one.” pic.twitter.com/mTvYDZ3qvG
— John LeFevre (@JohnLeFevre) September 28, 2024
Tyler Durden
Fri, 09/27/2024 – 23:00
Donald Trump on Friday accused Google of showing only “bad stories” about him and vowed to have the tech giant prosecuted if he gets back in the White House. Trump provided no backing for his accusation in a post on his Truth Social platform, in which he added that the search engine displays only positive […]
The post Trump vows to prosecute Google for showing ‘bad’ stories on him appeared first on Insider Paper.
Structural Supports Of North Carolina Dam “Compromised” As Officials Warn “Imminent Failure”
The remnants of Hurricane Helene have dumped torrential rains across the southeastern US, particularly in Florida’s Big Bend region and up the coast into the Carolinas. In western North Carolina, officials have issued urgent evacuation orders, warning residents to move to higher ground as a dam collapse could occur.
In a Facebook post, Rutherford County Emergency Management told residents that Lake Lure Dam’s “structural supports” have been compromised but are currently holding.
#NorthCarolina under threat of #HurricaneHelene. Heavy Rains may cause imminent failure of #LakeLureDam located 20 miles southwest of #Asheville pushing it to breaking point. The residents have to be evacuated higher up. #Rutherford Countyissuedwarning. #Florida #CNN #Reuters pic.twitter.com/bYWwVSmkqB
— Dr. Subhash (@Subhash_LiveS) September 27, 2024
“Evacuations have occurred from the Dam to Island Creek Road. Evacuation sirens are sounding downstream of the dam. Emergency personnel are working with the structural engineers and are going house to house to ensure all citizens have been evacuated,” Rutherford County officials said in a Facebook post shortly after lunch.
🚨 URGENT: DAM FAILURE IMMINENT IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY, NC
This would be CATASTROPHIC.
All residents below the Lake Lure Dam are being ordered to evacuate IMMEDIATELY, as massive amounts of rain from Hurricane Helene is expected to cause the dam to break.
GET OUT NOW! A dam… pic.twitter.com/8uPWcXviqn
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 27, 2024
Earlier, Rutherford County officials told residents around the dam to evacuate to higher ground immediately. They warned, “Dam failure imminent!! Evacuate to higher ground immediately!!”
URGENT: FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY FOR THE LAKE LURE DAM! DAM FAILURE IMMINENT! RSIDENTS BELOW THE DAM NEED TO EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY! #ncwx https://t.co/InksFUUYF6
— NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) September 27, 2024
“Terrible situation taking shape over at Lake Lure,” WSOC meteorologist Keith Monday wrote on X.
Terrible situation takin shape over at Lake Lure. pic.twitter.com/LgvRqlA7lk
— Keith Monday (@kmondayWSOC9) September 27, 2024
WSOC provided more clarity into the dire situation playing out around Lake Lure Dam.
The failure will impact neighbors in Cleveland County as well. The sheriff’s office asked anyone who lives along Waterway Drive, Abes Mountain Road, and the Broad River to evacuate.
…
Lake Lure is a small lake town located about 30 miles east of Asheville. The town is next to Chimney Rock, which is home to an iconic North Carolina hike of the same name.
Not good.
Freaking disaster in #asheville right now.
I’m seeing bad things come out of #georgia too.
The #lakelure #dam is located 27 miles from Asheville.
Grok provides some good context for #ncwx and #helene
– **Dam Height and Water Volume**: Lake Lure Dam is approximately 120 feet… pic.twitter.com/4YQfbx8a7m
— Frank Fighting For Freedom 🇺🇸 (@thinktankfranks) September 27, 2024
Asheville, NC #ncpol pic.twitter.com/Bv6Ch5zXzi
— Margo (@MargoinWNC) September 27, 2024
🚨 #BREAKING: At least 50 patients and staff are trapped on the roof of Unicoi County Hospital in Tennessee
This is terrifying.
Emergency crews attempted to evacuate people by ambulance and boats, but the water began rising way too quickly and and is moving too rapidly to… pic.twitter.com/2uaw8B6gdy
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 27, 2024
BREAKING NEWS:
I-40 will be closed for months due to washout between Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC. This is major!! Lake Lure NC Dam about to bust. Evacuations initiated. pic.twitter.com/FzXFvpvUAk— Cliffy (@Cliffearle1) September 27, 2024
Another dam failure.
From Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis:
EMERGENCY ALERT: The Waterville Dam has suffered a catastrophic failure. Evacuation of all of Downtown Newport immediately. pic.twitter.com/T3AE5ekncx
— Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) (@TennesseeEMA) September 27, 2024
*Developing…
Tyler Durden
Fri, 09/27/2024 – 18:00
by Robert Gore, Straight Line Logic: Look out below. Financial markets are exercises in crowd psychology. Analysts make good money analyzing the latest market moves and predicting the next ones. Today’s analyses often contradicts yesterday’s and yesterday’s errant predictions stops no one from making predictions today. It would be trivially easy to keep score, but […]
“Our loved ones died on Zoom calls.”