Texas Celebrates Taking Control Of Island From The Cartels

Texas Celebrates Taking Island Back From Cartel After Military Operation – Newsweek, 2024/02/21

Texas officials are celebrating the seizure of an island near the United States-Mexico border described as a “safe haven” for cartel drugs and weapons.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Friday that work has begun on an 80-acre military facility to provide some 1,800 soldiers to better defend the southern border from illegal migrants, extending along the Rio Grande and six miles south to Shelby Park. The plan was mocked on Tuesday by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who called it “politicking” and not a “serious” response to record levels of illegal immigration.

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The island, situated across a stretch of land in the Rio Grande in Texas’ Starr County, was secured by the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety last November. It was a site of automatic gunfire and continuous violence, she said.

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“They had literally a safe haven to stash weapons, drugs and people,” said Buckingham, a former state senator who was elected to her current position in 2022. “Tons and tons of migrants coming across.”

Texas officials also discovered explosive devices and weapons illegal in the U.S., as well as a “massive amount of drugs that could kill every man, woman or child a couple times over.” She was referring to fentanyl.

Good to hear.

Enough fentanyl to kill everyone a couple of times over… wow.

What’s Going On With The Hawaii Wildfires From Last Year

Someone online asked about what is going on there and what are the speculations about?

Basically many are claiming that the fire is being used to displace regular folk from their properties in order to seize the land for the elites or turn the city into a smart city. Some even claim the fires were started on purpose – possibly from a laser beam from space.

Some stated that police blockades of escape routes were orders from the elites to increase damage and casualties – in order to facilitate taking over property.

Congressional Democrats were looking to claim the fires were a part of global warming, but then backed off of those claims in light of the information below.

Currently the blame seems to be pointing towards Hawaii’s only power supplier, Hawaiian Electric Company. They reportedly did not power down their power lines adequately when the warning came about the high winds from the National Weather Service. There are lawsuits totaling $4.9B against the company.

Dems who blamed Hawaii fires on climate change largely silent after county says power line responsible – Fox News, 2023/08/23

Fox News Digital contacted five lawmakers — Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Cori Bush, D-Mo. — who were among the voices claiming the devastating fires were sparked by man-made global warming. While Khanna provided a response, the four other lawmakers ignored the requests noting Maui County, Hawaii, alleged in a lawsuit the fires were sparked by power lines.

“The lawsuit alleges that the Defendants acted negligently by failing to power down their electrical equipment despite a National Weather Service Red Flag Warning on August 7th,” Maui County said in a release announcing its lawsuit last week.

“The lawsuit further alleges [Hawaiian Electric Company’s (HECO)] energized and downed power lines ignited dry fuel such as grass and brush, causing the fires,” the announcement added. “The lawsuit also alleges failure to maintain the system and power grid, which caused the systemic failures starting three different fires on August 8th.”

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According to the county’s lawsuit, HECO and its subsidiaries, which supply Hawaii with most of its electricity, failed to follow protocol powering down live electrical equipment allowing downed power lines to spark multiple fires earlier this month. The fires have claimed the lives of at least 115 people, according to the latest figures, and hundreds more remain missing.

This article is the latest from last week.

Hawaiian Electric jumps on state legislation to securitize fire costs – Seeking Alpha, 2024/01/23

Hawaiian Electric (NYSE:HE) closed +4.6% on Tuesday after state lawmakers introduced legislation that would allow the electric utility to sell recovery bonds backed by customer rates to cover costs from last year’s deadly Maui wildfire, Bloomberg reported.

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Research firm Capstone LLC told Bloomberg that Hawaiian Electric (HE) could face as much as $4.9B in liabilities from multiple lawsuits filed against the utility, blaming its power lines for causing the fire last year that razed the town of Lahaina and killed at least 99 people.

Pro-Palestinian Protesters Are Being Paid

Protesters paid to take part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations – Toronto Sun, 2024/01/10

What many have suspected has now been confirmed by this newspaper and a few courageous Canadians: pro-Palestine — and, increasingly, pro-Hamas — protestors are being paid to protest. To block highways and roads. To intimidate and threaten Jews and non-Jews. To cause chaos.

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Hundreds, sometimes thousands, participate. They’ve got professionally-rendered signs and banners. They’ve got transportation, and food and drink. And they’ve got organizers who wear uniforms and control the crowds.

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This week, this newspaper was alerted to the fact that a Victoria, B.C., organization was distributing thousands of dollars to anti-Israel protestors. The Plenty Collective, as it calls itself, created what it called a “Solidarity Fund” for Victoria-area “folks or groups” to pay for “costs related to supporting or organizing actions in solidarity with Palestine and Palestinian people.”

Said the Plenty Collective: “This fund is to help cover costs incurred when organizing or participating in local actions. This can include, but is not limited to, the costs of lost wages, supplies, items for fundraising, paying speakers, etc.”

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Ian Ward, a municipal councillor for Colwood on Vancouver Island — along with local activist Charles Bodi — discovered the pay-a-protestor payment scheme. And he’s seen the effectiveness of the paid-protests up close. Says he: “They are highly organized. I’ve watched them. A van pulls up, and they’ve got flags, signs, and they’ve got organizers from the Plenty Collective wearing orange vests controlling the crowds.”

“And they have control because they are holding the cash for the protestors.”

Unfortunately this is not surprising. Many came in through the open southern border and they are doing the work of the authoritarians.

Atlanta Area District Attorney Fani Willis Speaks During Worship Service

Court documents last week show that there was a motion to disqualify district attorney Fani Willis and her staff from the ongoing case with Donald Trump. The issues are listed below.

DEFENDANT MICHAEL ROMAN’S MOTION TO DISMISS GRAND JURY INDICTMENT AS FATALLY DEFECTIVE AND MOTION TO DISQUALIFY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, HER OFFICE AND THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR FROM FURTHER PROSECUTING THIS MATTER – Fulton County Superior Court, 2024/01/08

• Open records requests to Fulton County reveal that the district attorney did not obtain county approval to appoint the special prosecutor.
• The special prosecutor has admitted his oath was not filed prior to his work on this case.
• The special prosecutor is seeking a divorce in Cobb County and sought successfully to seal those records, hiding them from public view.
• Information obtained outside of court filings indicates that the district attorney and special prosecutor have traveled personally together to such places as Napa Valley, Florida and the Caribbean and the special prosecutor has purchased tickets for both of them to travel on both the Norweigan and Royal Carribean cruise lines.
• Undersigned counsel knows the special prosecutor and has researched his litigation experience. That research reveals that the special prosecutor has never tried a felony RICO case.
• The special prosecutor, based on his lack of experience in this type of felony, would not be qualified under Fulton County’s standards to be appointed to represent any defendant in this case given the complexity of the charges.
• Since being appointed as special prosecutor, the special prosecutor has been paid an estimated almost $1,000,000.00 in legal fees.
• In the accompanying evidence – Exhibits F & H shows line items of Wade, conferring with Joe Biden’s lawyers at the White House in 2022.

In brief, she has been dating a married man who is now seeking a divorce, and hired him as a RICO lawyer in the Trump case even though he has zero experience, and has been paid handsomely in the process.

A church in the Atlanta area gave her a chance to speak during a worship service yesterday. She spoke for 35 minutes.

I watched this last night.

There was no denial of the accusations in the court document. There was numerous instances of phony self-flagellation… calling herself the Lord’s hard-headed child. I call it phony because there was no real humility or attitude of repentance in what she said.

According to her, she read from a letter written to God… which was really a statement for public consumption. No one who really knows the Lord writes anything worded like that.

She asks God why only 1 of 3 prosecutors were being investigated? Of course he was the only black one, which she highlighted. Of course he was the one with whom she had a relationship with, and is in the process of getting a divorce. She didn’t mention those specifics.

I get that people deserve second chances and there should be forgiveness. However, I didn’t hear her admit any specific wrongdoing on her part. I didn’t hear any pleas for forgiveness. All I heard was her asking for answers as to why all of this was happening to her – as though she was the victim. The only directive she got from God was to pray for her political enemies. God apparently felt as though she didn’t need to make any changes to her behavior.

There’s no way a church should allow any political figure, regardless of party, to speak during worship in this manner from the pulpit.

Coming Soon To A Grocery Store Near You… Bugs; Tyson Announces Deal w/ Protix

Tyson Foods Announces Partnership with Protix for More Sustainable Protein Production – Tyson Foods, 2023/10/17

Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), one of the world’s largest food companies, has reached an agreement for a two-fold investment with Protix, the leading global insect ingredients company. The strategic investment will support the growth of the emerging insect ingredient industry and expand the use of insect ingredient solutions to create more efficient sustainable proteins and lipids for use in the global food system. The agreement combines Tyson Foods’ global scale, experience and network with Protix’s technology and market leadership to meet current market demand and scale production of insect ingredients.

Through a direct equity investment, Tyson Foods will acquire a minority stake in Protix to help fund its global expansion. In addition, Tyson Foods and Protix have entered a joint venture for the operation and construction of an insect ingredient facility in the continental United States. Upon completion, it will be the first at-scale facility of its kind to upcycle food manufacturing byproducts into high-quality insect proteins and lipids which will primarily be used in the pet food, aquaculture, and livestock industries.

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About Protix

Protix is the leading company in insect-based ingredients for healthy and sustainable pet food, aqua culture and livestock feed and organic fertilizer. The company is on a mission to create low-footprint ingredients that solve major issues in the current food system.

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Based in the Netherlands, Protix operates the first-in-the-world industrial insect facility, opened in 2019. With breeding, rearing and processing under one roof, the company has complete control of the production chain and offers reliable, high-quality supply.

Yes – they do want OTHER PEOPLE to eat bugs.
This is happening because elites/authoritarians want this to happen.

Halloween Candy Costs Up 13% From Last Year… Again

Boooo! Cost of candy going up 13% this Halloween – WLS Chicago, 2023/10/23

The cost of candy is going up by a lot. Prices are up about 13% this year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor.

UCLA supply-chain expert Professor Christopher Tang says candy is so expensive because of the cost of ingredients.

It’s also because these products are mainly made in the United States.

“The labor cost has gone up a lot because of inflation,” Tang said. “The workers need to have a higher income so that they can survive.”

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According to the National Retail Federation, the average household will spend about $31.93 on candy this year – up from $25.91 last year.

Let’s see… cost of ingredients are up… labor costs are up… Regrading the labor costs, the purpose of a business is not for the employees to survive. People are responsible for their own lives. Yeah, I know – it seems harsh, but a business has to survive as well for its own reasons.

What’s interesting is that last year, Halloween candy also rose by 13%.

The cost of candy is up a scary 13% just in time for Halloween – NPR, 2022/10/16

It’s the largest yearly jump in candy prices the CPI has ever recorded. (For comparison, it took nine years — from 1997 to 2006 — for candy prices to rise 13%.)

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Sweets of all kinds are costlier than last year, driven by major increases in the prices of sugar and flour. Sugar is up over 17% since last September. Supply chain disruptions and a poor beet sugar production year have all helped contribute. Flour prices have risen even more at 24%.

“Ring OF Fire” Eclipse Live NASA Feed

Live NASA video feed…

This solar eclipse can be seen from Oregon to Texas and lasts about 4 minutes.

Advocacy Group Suggests Domestic Violence Victims Turn Off Hidden Phones Before Nationwide Emergency Test

Domestic Violence Victims Advised to Turn Off ‘Hidden Phones’ Before Today’s Emergency Alert Test – The Messenger, 2023/10/04

A survivor advocacy group is warning people in abusive situations to turn off their “hidden phones” ahead of a federal emergency alert system test planned for 2:20 EDT this afternoon.

In a Facebook post, Safe Hope, a survivor-focused nonprofit based in Newton, Kansas, warned that the test could be dangerous for people who have a phone they keep hidden in the event of domestic violence emergencies.

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If a phone is turned off before the alert is sent out — and kept off during for the duration of the 30-minute test — that phone shouldn’t receive the message, according to the agencies.

Especially in cases where their movements and communications are being tracked, people in abusive situations sometimes use secondary phones to make contact with support groups, book appointments, and reach out to loved ones.

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The alerts can harm domestic violence survivors by alerting abusers to their hidden devices, potentially leading to retaliation.

Good advice.

Biden Brigade Robbing Wealthy Homes In Detroit Suburbs

‘Transnational gangs’ conduct ‘high-end burglaries’ in Oakland County, sheriff says – The Detroit News, 2023/09/29

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard called Friday for tighter border security as his office works with multiple agencies to intercept the efforts of “transnational gangs” involved in “high-end burglaries,” prowling across Oakland county and throughout the nation.

The sheriff detailed at a press conference what officials have learned about the burglaries that have ravaged Michigan’s second most populous county, resulting in what Bouchard described as the loss of “hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars” worth of merchandise.

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“These are transnational gangs that are involved in this that come from South America, looking to do burglaries and violate our communities, not just in Oakland County but across America,” Bouchard said.

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Gangs members, according to Bouchard, have been cited from countries such as Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras and Venezuela.

The Biden Brigade is my term for these “transnational gangs” – otherwise known as illegal aliens – that have been wreaking havoc in this country due to the Biden Administration’s lack of border enforcement.

Nationwide Testing Of Emergency Alert Systems On TV, Radio, and Cellphones Will Occur October 4th

An emergency alert test will sound Oct. 4 on all U.S. cellphones, TVs and radios. Here’s what to expect. – CBS News, 2023/10/02

Your electronic devices may alarm you on Wednesday afternoon — but there’s a reason for that.

A nationwide test of the federal emergency alert system will be broadcast at approximately 2:20 p.m. EDT to cellphones, televisions and radios across the United States at around the same time. Most Americans with wireless cellular devices will receive an emergency alert message, as will most whose televisions or radios are on when the test occurs.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct Wednesday’s test in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission. Emergency alert messages that make up the test are divided into two groups — the Emergency Alert System (EAS) for radios and televisions, and the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) for wireless phones — although both are scheduled to happen at once.

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As the wireless alert tests are sent out to phones, the Emergency Alert System tests will be sent out to televisions and radios.

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Since 2015, FEMA has been required under federal law to test the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System at least once every three years, and those tests can involve the Emergency Alert System, wireless alert system, and other alerts and warnings.

This was announced earlier this year.

Defense Department Looking At Removing Reconciliation Monument In Arlington Cemetery

Removing the Reconciliation Monument From Arlington Cemetery – Front Page Magazine, 2023/09/12

A fundamental reason to halt the monument’s removal is found in its 1914 unveiling proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson who said, “the monument represented the best of America—a spirit of reconciliation, democracy, freedom, heroism and patriotism.”

Two contemporary strategic reasons to oppose removal is that such an act validates the communist agenda to erase Americans’ connection with their virtuous history, and destroy the American military fighting capability.

That radical agenda was accelerated by Covid lockdowns of 2020 and the death of George Floyd. That’s when urban rampages swept through the country, with unprecedented property destruction, orchestrated by Antifa—a far-left coalition of cells of violent anarchists—and the Marxist-led Black Lives Matter. Targets for destruction then shifted to American heritage monuments—first, the statues of Columbus, who discovered and opened the Americas, and then came the toppling of Confederate leaders.

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That today’s U.S. Military leadership would participate in undoing that, and preside over taking down one of the greatest American heritage monuments, and reopen the wounds of the past on settled matters is sick—and aligned with the communist agenda to use race warfare to divide and destroy America. The Arlington Reconciliation Monument is in fact a time capsule carrying valuable historical lessons from the past. Those lessons include showing us how former foes in a war over interpretations of the Constitution and States’ Rights settled their differences on the battlefield, then worked through the difficulties of Reconstruction, and finally found magnanimity to reconcile and erect memorials commemorating what was noble and good.

The Department of Defense under Secretary Lloyd Austin continues steps toward removing the monument from Arlington. One of those necessary steps was holding a public meeting on August 23, 2023, to assess the environmental impact of removal. In that four-hour zoom meeting over 100 citizens from diverse states thoughtfully expressed their disapproval and revulsion of the memorial’s removal.

The article details the great history of the monument and its importance to America and is a good read.

What needs to be understood is the entire campaign to remove statues is not about race. It’s about removing anything positive about America. Racial politics is merely the vehicle being used. If you hear anyone call this a confederate monument, it’s a lie. It was proclaimed in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson who said, “the monument represented the best of America—a spirit of reconciliation, democracy, freedom, heroism and patriotism.”

There is no racial issue with this statue, yet personnel at the top levels of the government are taking up their time to remove it. People need to pushback politely, legally, and firmly.

Mississippi Ballot Auditor Gives Thorough Explanation Of Election Discrepancies

This is the general news story for a primer.

Hinds County Supervisor David Archie blames fraud for election loss – MSN/WJTV Jackson, 2023/09/01

Hinds County District 2 Supervisor David Archie revealed his findings from a ballot box review of what he is calling a fraudulent election between him and challenger Anthony Smith.

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According to Archie when he requested a ballot box review of the election results, the Hinds County Democratic Party did not supply him with anything but the paper ballots. He claimed no secondary confirmation measures, such as a voter signature book, digital images of the ballots or ever the thumb drives in the voting machines, were supplied.

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Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee Chairperson Jacqueline Amos released a statement saying, “We understand that one candidate who lost, namely David Archie, has decided to challenge the results of the August 8 primary. He has the right to challenge the results and will cooperate however necessary.”

Archie called for the resignation of Amos from her position in the party, or he would file criminal charges.

The press conference is below. Scroll ahead to 16:30 for the presentation of Cynthia Johnson-Walker, who is an expert ballot auditor. With honest and accurate elections being a paramount issue, her presentation is well worth the time to understand what is taking place. This is happening in Mississippi. If it’s happening there – it is happening everywhere.

Chase Bank Admits Jeffrey Epstein Had Over $1B In Human Trafficking Transactions

USVI says JPMorgan notified Treasury of more than $1 billion in Jeffrey Epstein ‘human trafficking’ transactions after he died – CNBC, 2023/09/01

JPMorgan Chase notified the Treasury Department of more than $1 billion in transactions related to “human trafficking” by Jeffrey Epstein dating back 16 years after the notorious sex predator killed himself in 2019, a lawyer for the U.S. Virgin Islands told a federal judge at a hearing.

“Epstein’s entire business with JPMorgan and JPMorgan’s entire business with Epstein was human trafficking,” Mimi Liu, an attorney for the Virgin Islands, told Judge Jed Rakoff in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Thursday, according to a transcript reviewed by CNBC.

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“The only reason that JPMorgan after 16 years reported the $1 billion in suspicious transactions was because he was arrested and then he was dead,” she said”This was a CYA [cover your a–] reporting after 16 years of all of the monies flowing in his JPMorgan accounts after he was dead.

The Virgin Islands has accused the bank of continuing to do business with Epstein for years despite repeated red flags internally and his 2008 guilty plea to a Florida sex crime.

The government wants to flag citizens who make more than $600 doing a side hustle, but chooses to look the other way with Epstein and human sex trafficking.

Counterfeit Prescription Pills Contributing To Overdose Deaths

Overdose Deaths From Counterfeit Pills Increasing – Newsmax, 2023/09/01

A growing number of overdose deaths in the United States involve counterfeit pills, health officials reported Thursday.

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The drugs are made to look like prescription opioids or stimulants to treat ADHD. About 75% were made to look like oxycodone, the researchers said.

Most were transported to this country from Mexico, “infiltrating drug markets in western U.S. states,” the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said in a public safety alert issued two years ago. The alert warned of fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine. In 2021 alone, law enforcement seized more than 9.5 million pills, a steep increase.

In the latest study, about two out of five overdose deaths were caused by illicitly manufactured fentanyl.

For some reason, this latest uptick in COVID is getting more attention than these drug overdose deaths – which at are record highs. Fentanyl is being produced in China, transported through Mexico and through our open borders. I would call this an act of war on China’s part and many in the U.S. government seem to be complicit.

Subway To Be Bought By Private Equity Firm Which Owns Multiple Restaurant Chains

Company That Owns Arby’s & Buffalo Wild Wings To Buy Subway For $9 Billion – Food Beast, 2023/02/22

According to the Wall Street Journal, Roark Capital looks to acquire sandwich chain Subway for close to $9.6 billion. The deal will add to Roark Capital’s already impressive roster of fast food chains is nearly complete.

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Roark Capital is a private equity firm that mostly invests in the franchised consumer and business services sectors. One of the firm’s most notable investments is in Inspire Brands, which owns Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, and more.

The monopoly game that is being played in the American economy continues forward.

They actually own a bunch of companies – as shown on their portfolio, which includes Jimmy John’s, Arby’s, Fitness Connection, Sonic, Schlotzsky’s, Cinnabon, and The Cheesecake Factory.

Maui Water Resource Director Delayed Water Supplies For Five Hours During Fires

Apparently there has been a dispute of whether or not water supplies were on or off during the fire. The answer could be either depending upon when someone tried to use the water. The director views water usage in terms of social justice.

FLASHBACK: Hawaii Official Who Allegedly Withheld Water From Firefighters Says ‘Equity’ Comes First – Washington Free Beacon, 2023/08/17

A Hawaii official accused of withholding water from firefighters battling Maui’s deadly wildfires said last year that the state should make access to water conditional on “conversations about equity.”

M. Kaleo Manuel, who was deputy director of the Hawaii Commission on Water Resource Management, has been under scrutiny since local media reported that he delayed releasing water to firefighters who were battling last week’s wildfires, which killed at least 111 people.

The West Maui Land Company alleged in an Aug. 10 letter to Manuel that his commission declined its request to divert streams to fill reservoirs until the wildfires worsened and caused significant “devastation.” According to Honolulu Civil Beat, sources said Manuel was responsible for the delay. They said Manuel asked the company to consult with a local farmer about the impacts of diverting water before he would approve the request.

Manuel only released the water five hours after the request was made, wrote the West Maui Land Company, which operates three water providers on the island.

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Critics of Manuel’s handling of the wildfires have drawn attention to a November 2022 livestream hosted by the University of Hawaii in which he described water as a sacred tool for social justice.

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Manuel was a 2019 “leader” at the Obama Foundation. His bio on the foundation’s website says he believes “ancient wisdom and traditional ecological knowledge of native peoples will help save the Earth.”

It’s not a climate crisis… it’s a corruption crisis.

Brazilian Convicted Of 11 Counts Of Murder Nabbed In New Hampshire

Boston ICE agents catch Brazilian illegal immigrant wanted for 11 murders – MSN/Boston Herald, 2023/08/16

One of the world’s most wanted illegal immigrants who escaped a 275-year prison sentence in his native Brazil has been busted by Boston ICE agents.

Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho, 29, was caught in Rye, N.H., on Monday, immigration officials tell the Herald.

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The former Brazilian military police officer was sentenced for 11 murders after defecting, Brazilian newspaper El Globo reported. He had already in the U.S. with his family when a jury found him guilty of 11 murders, the paper wrote.

He was one of four military police officers sentenced to more than 1,000 years in prison, collectively, for what was called the “Curio Massacre” in Brazil. An appeal was expected, the defendants’ lawyers said.

It would be nice to have a border in place to block these people from entering, but I have been told having an actual border reflects white supremacy. Give me a break.

The official ICE notice is here.

ERO Boston arrests former Brazilian military police officer convicted of multiple murders in 2015 Brazil massacre – Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2023/08/16

Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate Assassinate, Shooter Killed, Six Arrested

Ecuador says six suspects arrested for presidential candidate assassination are Colombian – Egypt Independent, 2023/08/11

Six suspects arrested in connection with the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio are Colombian nationals and gang members, authorities have confirmed, as a former vice president demanded action over spiraling levels of violence in the South American country.

Villavicencio, an anti-corruption campaigner and lawmaker who was outspoken about the violence caused by drug trafficking in the country, was shot dead at a campaign rally in the capital Quito on Wednesday.

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The former vice president of Ecuador and current presidential candidate Otto Sonnenholzner said in an exclusive interview with CNN Thursday that the level of violence in Ecuador is “something we have never seen before.”

“It’s something new. It started maybe one and a half or two years ago. It’s a spiral of violence that is completely out of control and demands concrete government action that we are not seeing,” Sonnenholzner said.

18 Month Investigation Into International Drug Trade Links Honduras To San Francisco

We get a record number of drug overdose deaths. Honduras community gets money to build mansions.

Fitch Downgrades America’s Debt Rating

Fitch’s US debt-rating downgrade is bad news for stocks. Here’s everything you need to know. – Business Insider, 2023/08/02

On Tuesday, Fitch downgraded the US’s long-term rating from the top-tier AAA score to AA+.

That means it believes the government is now less likely to be able to repay its debts, only two months after Biden and House Republicans reached an 11th-hour deal to avoid a catastrophic default.

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“There has been a steady deterioration in standards of governance over the last 20 years, including on fiscal and debt matters, notwithstanding the June bipartisan agreement to suspend the debt limit until January 2025,” it said in a statement.

The agency added that it’s also concerned about rising government debts and the long-term health of programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the decision was “arbitrary and based on outdated data,” while one of her predecessors, Larry Summers, called the downgrade “bizarre and inept.”

Just wanted to make sure I took note of this. I’m surprised it took this long to get here. We have been piling up debt for decades. Congress never cuts spending.

Pee Wee Herman aka Paul Reubens Dies Of Cancer at 70

Paul Reubens, actor who played Pee-wee Herman, dies at 70 – Reuters, 2023/08/01

Paul Reubens, the actor who played Pee-wee Herman, a nerdy character who wore a gray suit and red bowtie while delighting children and adults alike with his distinctive “heh heh heh” laugh, has died, a post on his Instagram account said on Monday.

Reubens, 70, died overnight after a years-long battle with cancer, the post said.

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In a message to his fans that he wrote before he died, Reubens said that he apologized for not going public with his six-year battle with cancer.

Small Summer Surge Of COVID Cases Taking Place

U.S. COVID hospitalizations climb for second straight week. Is it a summer surge? – CBS News, 2023/08/01

Weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen by more than 12% across the country, according to new data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marking a second straight week of this key indicator of the virus climbing.

At least 8,035 hospital admissions of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were reported for the week of July 22 nationwide, the CDC said late Monday, up from 7,165 during the week before.

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While indicators of the virus are now clearly trending up nationwide, hospitalizations for now remain far below the levels recorded at this time last year.

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Unlike previous waves, no single variant has yet emerged this summer to dominate infections nationwide.

Instead, the CDC’s recent projections estimate that a mix of descendants from the XBB variant that first drove infections last winter are now competing around the country.

I always thought viruses proliferated more in the winter. It’s interesting to have these summer surges of the coronavirus. Keep your Vitamin D & K handy.

Jury Awards Family Cash Payout After Four Year Old Burned With Chicken Nugget

Girl Awarded $800,000 From McDonald’s After She Was Burned By A Chicken Nugget – Delish, 2023/07/20

Back in 2019, the child’s mother, Philana Holmes, purchased Happy Meals for herself and her then four-year-old daughter, Olivia Caraballo. Upon receiving her drive-thru order, Holmes handed one of the meals to her daughter.

Shortly after, one of the McNuggets, which was said to be “unreasonably and dangerously” hot, became stuck in the child’s car seat and burned her leg, causing second-degree burns.

In May, a jury found that McDonald’s and the franchise owners were at fault for the incident. And this week, a jury was tasked with deciding how much they think the family should receive in damages. Of the $15 million the family asked for, they were granted $800,000 by the jury.

That’s around 5% of what was asked for, but the family is OK with that.

North Dakota: Syrian National Planning Mass Murder Killed By Cops In Routine Traffic Stop

This is the basic account.

Gunman who ambushed Fargo police had a ‘binary trigger’ that let him fire rapidly – Red State, 2023/07/21

Last week, following a traffic stop in normally peaceful Fargo, ND, a gunman opened fire on police officers, killing one officer and wounding two others, along with a bystander. What the media coverage isn’t telling you is anything about the background of the shooter, one Mohamad Barakat.

More background in this article.

Gunman who ambushed Fargo police had a ‘binary trigger’ that let him fire rapidly – Valley News Live, 2023/07/21

Once Mohamed Barakat was taken down, the bomb squad was called in for searches of the suspect vehicle and residence. Wrigley says the bomb squad K9 hit on the vehicle and at Barakat’s apartment. Investigators say the following items were found inside the vehicle at the scene of the shooting: 3 containers fill with gas, 2 propane tanks filled with homemade explosives, a homemade grenade, 4 semi-automatic handguns and 3 semi-automatic long rifles. The gun used to shoot the officers and civilian had a binary trigger.

A search warrant was obtained for Barakat’s residence and the FBI was on standby to execute the search of his apartment. Wrigley says they discovered two shotguns, a Remington deer rifle, a .223 rifle, handguns, live ammunition, a variety of grenade parts, several trail cameras, several phones and a computer.

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Investigators say Barakat had been reading about other mass shooting events around the country, and researching local events in the Fargo-Moorhead and surrounding areas. His online searches about mass violence go back as far as 2018. The final online search Barakat made on Thursday, July 13, was about thousands of people attending the Downtown Fargo Street Fair.

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Officials say he is a Syrian national who came to the United States in 2012. Barakat became a U.S. citizen in 2019. Investigators say it appears Barakat was working off and on at different jobs, and over the years he has been researching mass casualty events and collecting weaponry.

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Wrigley says Mohamed Barakat was not on the terrorist watch list and all of the firearms appear to have been purchased legally. Investigators say he appears to have no ties to the local Muslim community.

These are the people that fly under the radar and plan to do harm. They are basically suicide bombers.

This was going to be a major mass casualty effort at the local street fair.

Senator Raul Paul’s Kentucky Office Destroyed By Fire

Fire Destroys Sen. Rand Paul’s Office in the Middle of Night – Independent Journal Review, 2023/07/21

Firefighters in the city of Bowling Green were dispatched to Paul’s downtown office in the city at around 1:45 a.m. local time, the Bowling Green Daily News reported.

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The damage was widespread and led the building’s roof to collapse, meaning the building is likely a total loss.

In all, 31 firefighters worked to put out the fire. The cause of the blaze is not known.

Didn’t see this in the major news cycle too much. I wonder if what’s below had anything to do with it.

Rand Paul’s Office Building Catches Fire, One Day After Referring Fauci for Prosecution – Becker News, 2023/07/21