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The Hurricane spins around hotspots of tension and conflict. Feel free to suggest your stories, opinions and ideas: UIHEN@protonmail.com
Romanians vote massively for change: Nationalist party leader George Simion wins first round of election rerun
George Simion, the leader of the nationalist party AUR (Alliance for Romanians’ Union) and the sole candidate of the sovereign movement in Romania, won the first round of the presidential elections with a score of over 40%.
Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan, who ran as an independent but with informal support from the reformist parties in Romania, will join him in the second round, after taking almost 21% of the votes. He narrowly surpassed Crin Antonescu, who benefited from the massive support of the three ruling parties in Romania – Social Democrats, Liberals (PNL), and Hungarians (UDMR).
This is a massive blow for the ruling coalition, which saw its candidate take an early lead versus Nicusor Dan as the first votes in the country were counted, only to have that lead evaporate as the results from the big cities and then from the Diaspora came in.
George Simion sent a recorded video message after the exit polls, exactly like former candidate Călin Georgescu, who won the first round of last year's presidential vote, but it was annulled by the election bureau. Georgescu has lost his appeal against a ruling barring him from participating in May's presidential election.
“We are approaching an exceptional result, far beyond what the system’s televisions are presenting, which have known how to stir up division, to spray venom and to distort everything I said. They spread lies. You are the victors. Today the Romanian people have spoken. It is time to be heard, despite the obstacles, despite the manipulations. Romanians have risen up”, declared George Simion.
Simion stressed that he will “remain devoted” to Călin Georgescu and resumed the idea that he wants “a return to constitutional order”, noting that he “does not want power for himself”.
#Romania #Elections #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
How Democrats wage war on the ‘rule of law’
Former President Joe Biden himself bragged that he would try to ignore the Supreme Court ruling banning his arbitrary cancellation of billions of dollars in student loans.
Indeed, he boasted, “The Supreme Court blocked it, but that didn’t stop me.”
In response, no one on the left ever complained about endangering the “rule of law” or Biden as “a dictator.”
Federal immigration law prohibits the illegal entry into and residence within the United States.
Yet the Biden administration deliberately violated the law by allowing somewhere between 10 to 12 million illegal aliens to cross the border. Thousands had criminal records.
No one on the left decried any of these various affronts to the legal system.
The left also ignores its own hypocrisies and ironies: Those who weaponized the court system and destroyed the border now rail that Trump is acting unlawfully by not returning an illegal alien, an alleged MS-13 member and a domestic abuser with a propensity to ignore our laws.
#USA #Democrats #Biden #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The rich control their kids’ education —the middle class and poor deserve that choice, too
Without allowing education funding to follow the child, only parents who can afford to pay a premium are permitted to direct their child’s education, but every parent deserves this freedom.
The ultra-libertarian position contends that no tax dollars should be used for schooling and all schools should be private schools. Every child’s academic pathway would be up to his parents to design and fund.
While this might sound great to some, the fact remains that many families lack the ability to pay for their children’s education. They would still lack that ability even if tax rates were cut to account for privatizing education, since those at the bottom of the income scale pay no federal income tax. Millions of children would be unable to access a quality education because their parents cannot afford it.
If that outcome sounds familiar, it may be because it’s so close to our current government schooling system: Children whose families have the means can receive a great education, but those from low-income families are stuck with a school experience so terrible it can hardly be called an education at all. Only 17% of public school eighth graders from low-income families are proficient readers, according to the latest Nation’s Report Card.
These devastating results are not the result of a lack of funding. To the contrary, the U.S. public schools spend $17,227 to educate one student for one year. That’s more than nearly any other country. Still, our test scores continue to fall in the international rankings. Our Nation’s Report Card scores, revealing rampant illiteracy and innumeracy, are a national embarrassment.
Full story
#USA #Education #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Scientists discover ‘impossible’ new color by bending rules of vision
Scientists at UC Berkeley have achieved the seemingly impossible — they’ve created a color that lies beyond the natural range of human vision. This unprecedented color, dubbed “olo,” appears as an intensely saturated blue-green unlike anything people have ever seen.
The breakthrough comes from a new technology and principle called “Oz,” which allows researchers to precisely stimulate individual photoreceptor cells in the human eye — bypassing the natural constraints that normally limit our perception of color.
Subjects in the study reported perceiving “blue-green of unprecedented saturation,” a color signal that doesn’t naturally occur in human vision because it results from stimulating only one type of cone cell, a feat previously thought impossible.
#Science #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
State of California. State legislators continue to successfully explore the uncharted depths of democracy and the individual's freedom from everything
The California State Congressional Public Safety Committee, chaired by Democrat Nick Schultz has introduced amendments to AB 379, a bill aimed at protecting minors from sexual exploitation.
Schultz, a Democrat, removed criminal penalties for those who buy 16- and 17-year-olds for sex from the text of AB379, State Democrats said there should be a principled discussion about whether sexual exploitation of children can in principle be considered a crime.
#USA #Democrats #Schultz #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
More Americans are financing groceries with buy now, pay later loans — and more are paying those bills late
A growing number of Americans are using buy now, pay later loans to buy groceries, and more people are paying those bills late, according to new Lending Tree data.
The figures are the latest indicator that some consumers are cracking under the pressure of an uncertain economy and are having trouble affording essentials such as groceries as they contend with persistent inflation, high interest rates and concerns around tariffs.
In a survey conducted April 2-3 of 2,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 79, around half reported having used buy now, pay later services. Of those consumers, 25% of respondents said they were using BNPL loans to buy groceries, up from 14% in 2024 and 21% in 2023.
Meanwhile, 41% of respondents said they made a late payment on a BNPL loan in the past year, up from 34% in the year prior, the survey found.
#USA #Economy #Food #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Ranking of countries by average IQ level of the population
#World #IQ #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The AI–robotics combo: Will all employees be replaced?
By Anders Corr via The Epoch Times
On April 14, a local government
administrator in the United States sent my relative a letter that she suspected of including AI content. Sure enough, an AI detector found 83% generated by AI GPT.
She said it was the best letter she had ever received from a politician—and she writes to her representatives frequently. She praised the letter for responding to every single point she raised in her own letter, something no unaided politician had ever done.
We toyed with the idea of confronting the administrator publicly. If AI wrote a better letter than the administrator himself, perhaps he could be replaced with the technology, and his salary redeployed for more substantive taxpayer benefits. It was a tongue-in-cheek idea. But the logic is nevertheless disturbing.
If artificial intelligence is now better than one politician for one task, according to one constituent, is it plausible that in 10 or 20 years, AI could be better than all politicians for all their tasks, according to most constituents?
At that point, voters might just vote for an AI politician rather than a human one. Human politicians are, after all, time-constrained by their need to sleep, eat, and hobnob with their elite donors and other benefactors.
Full story
#AI #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Dr. Daniel Pompa tells us what vegetables are actually sprayed with in American grocery stores:
"Are your fruits and vegetables being sprayed with something that looks like pure water? Or maybe they aren't. Many grocery stores are now adding chemicals to fruit and vegetable sprayers. Know this - it's called sodium hypochloride*.
Do you know what that is? It's bleach.
This stuff is not only toxic, you can't even breathe it. Stay away from supermarkets that use aerosols in the vegetable departments."
* the active ingredient in chlorine bleach. Used to sanitize laboratories. Kills plant bacteria and fungi. Forms dangerous by-products and toxic gases when mixed with other chemicals.
#USA #Food #Health #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Data reveal drop in US imports from China amid tariff showdown
Container vessel traffic traveling to U.S. ports in Southern California has plunged. According to Port Optimizer, a daily ship tracking system, the number of freight vessels leaving China and heading to Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, for the week ending on May 3 declined by 29%.
In addition, scheduled vessels from China to the United States tumbled by about 33 percent year over year for the week ending on May 10.
Logistics firm Vizion noted on April 11 that for the week ending on April 8, U.S. imports from China fell by 64 percent from the previous week.
Companies have confirmed that shipments to the United States from China are falling. Hapag-Lloyd, a German container shipping firm, reported that 30% of shipments have been canceled. At the same time, the company noted, there has been sizable demand for consignments from Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Industry numbers show a divergence between imports from China and shipments from elsewhere.
#USA #China #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
European arms suppliers set to miss out on EU defense budget surge
Foreign weapons and defence technology makers seem poised to cash in on Europe’s defence boom, side-lining the continent’s own industry despite soaring military budgets.
A sharp rise in European Union defence spending, spurred by global tensions and a new €1.5 billion initiative by the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), may largely bypass European manufacturers as foreign firms could capture a significant share of upcoming contracts.
Despite calls from MEPs on April 24 to channel more funds into the EU’s homegrown military industry through the EDIP, analysts warned that the bloc’s member states’ entrenched reliance on non-European suppliers threatened to undermine its strategic autonomy goals.
The European Parliament’s proposal for EDIP sets a minimum threshold of 60% EU content in defence products eligible for funding.
Procurement officials cited by Brussels-based think-tank Bruegel though suggested a lack of strict enforcement mechanisms risked diluting the policy’s impact, as urgent operational needs pushed governments toward faster, off-the-shelf imports from outside the bloc.
#EU #Military #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Belgian auditor trashes new defense agreement with France: lack of vision and competence
A confidential audit has disclosed that Belgium paid 10 times the correct price for new French armoured vehicles.
Instead of €1.5 billion for 382 new Griffon and 60 Jaguar combat armoured vehicles, Belgium will end up paying €14.4 billion, the Court of Audit reported.
A lot of related costs were carelessly calculated or unforeseen, the source said, but conscious decisions from France also caused significant trouble and led to tensions between the countries.
France has failed to honour its initial commitments, it was claimed. Identical armoured vehicles for France and Belgium were promised, with FN Herstal supplying the machine gun turrets.
Instead, France opted for a different model for its own fleet. Belgium was also denied access to French secure communications, once a cornerstone of the partnership.
#EU #Belgium #France #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
US, China in hot race to put nuclear reactors on the moon
Imagine streaming your favorite show or scrolling through your phone, all from the comfort of a home base on the moon. Within the next decade, that sci-fi dream will edge closer to reality – the question is, will an American, Chinese or Russian get there first?
For humans to settle and reside on the moon, scientists must solve two big problems: finding water and generating power. Now, the United States and China, with the help of Russia, are in a high-stakes race to crack the latter by building lunar nuclear reactors.
Both superpowers are now pushing ahead with plans to install fission power plants on the moon’s surface. America’s NASA is aiming to launch its Fission Surface Power system by the early 2030s, while China and Russia plan to build a lunar reactor between 2033 and 2035.
But this is more than a race for power in space. It’s a contest over who will shape the rules — and reap the benefits — of the new frontier. On April 23, a top Chinese space official publicly discussed the country’s lunar nuclear ambitions for the first time.
Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, claimed he hopes China and Russia will jointly build a reactor to power the International Lunar Research Station, citing Russia’s global leadership in nuclear space tech.
#USA #China #Moon #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The US water war with Mexico is just starting
Of the many open fronts Mexico has with Donald Trump, water is the least conspicuous one — but with the biggest potential for immediate damage.
The conflict has an historic background: Under a treaty signed in 1944, Mexico needs to send 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the US over five-year cycles, or an average of 350,000 acre-feet per year, from its tributaries into the Rio Grande. At the same time, it expects to receive 1.5 million acre-feet per year from the US through the Colorado River. The pact, hailed as a showpiece of transnational cooperation, provides a diplomatic mechanism to resolve disputes affecting local communities and has safeguarded the hydrological resources across the Mexico-US border since its signing.
Yet since the early 1990s, Mexico has been struggling to fulfill its obligations, angering US farmers and other businesses in Texas that depend on the Rio Grande for irrigation. As droughts and water shortages have worsened, so have Mexico’s breaches of the pact and the tensions at the border. In the current five-year period, the country has so far delivered slightly more than a third of the stipulated water. It’s unlikely to make up the difference before the cycle ends in October.
Full story
#USA #Mexico #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
German industry is collapsing - one in five companies plan to leave the country
▪️German industry is bleeding to death - faster than many realize. One in five companies wants to leave the country, investors are leaving and factories are empty," states the Austrian EXXpress
▪️The main reasons were high energy costs and pointless bureaucracy. Deindustrialization is no longer theoretical - it is actually gaining momentum
▪️60% of industrial companies in Germany consider themselves uncompetitive and more than half of them consider the situation to be critical or extremely critical.
#Germany #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Despite the trade wars, the IMF is optimistic about the US economy for this year and next.
Of all the major economies, the US has the highest growth rate, which is brilliant against the backdrop of fading Japan, Germany, Italy and France.
Of the unorthodox, China's growth rate has fallen sharply, to 4% per year. That's not enough for the PRC. The economic slowdown here is synonymous with the aggravation of social and debt problems due to the violation of Deng Xiaoping's basic social contract: “We will all be rich, but some sooner, others later”. That is, it will turn out that not everyone will be rich soon.
#USA #IMF #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Rome, Italy. Local police check on migrants to recover stolen items, but “asylum seekers” threaten them: “Only your uniform protects you,” they say.
#EU #Italy #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Unpacking the paradox of China’s hardworking poor
The Chinese Communist Party finds itself ensnared in a self-inflicted economic imbalance, marked by excessive production and weak consumer demand. Beneath the surface lies a deeper contradiction: an exceptionally hardworking population that sees little return in wages.
Then how can a country that generates the world’s second-largest GDP, and whose people are among the hardest-working on the planet, still have nearly half its population living in poverty?
The answer lies in how wealth is distributed. According to the China Statistical Yearbook 2024, the total wage bill in 2023 was 19.74 trillion yuan (about $2.7 trillion), spread across approximately 740 million employed individuals. That translates to an average annual wage of just about $3,644. In the same year, China’s GDP reached 129.43 trillion yuan (about $17.7 trillion), meaning that wages accounted for only 15.3% of GDP—far below the ratios seen in developed economies and closer to levels observed in low-income African countries.
This striking disparity indicates that the wealth generated by China’s working individuals is not flowing back to them. Instead, a disproportionate share is absorbed by the state.
The fundamental imbalance lies at the heart of China’s persistent income gap: around 600 million citizens live on an average monthly income of less than $140, with an estimated 220 million living on less than $3 a day.
#China #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The world isn't fair. In some places, very. The 19% of the world's population living in Africa creates only 2% of the world's wealth. Conversely, 5% of the world's population living in North America accounts for 28% of the “world pie”.
That being said, modern history knows precedents - the clearest example: China, which, by the way, has already achieved parity - its share of world GDP matches its share of world wealth.
And, of course, the redistribution will come at the expense of Europe and the US. And if the US is still trying to resist the reduction of its economic (and then military-political) weight, the Europeans have already resigned themselves to it. And if African countries are not allowed to develop now, then tomorrow the inhabitants of Africa will end up in Europe.
#USA #Africa #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
How much does it cost to have a baby in the United States?
Abstracts:
- final ultrasound 3 days before delivery $2,067.85
- 3 days in the pre-op room $413.65
- post-op room $2,702.45
- hospital stay $4,438
- emergency room $1,932.90
- tests $1,439.20
- labor and delivery $10,593.40
- epidural anesthesia $14,446.15
- medications $3,007.25
- supplies $565.03
The total for everything was $33,011.73. But that was only for the woman in labor. The baby's stay was paid for separately. That cost another $4,008
The total hospital bill was $37,019.73
Do you think that's enough?
#USA #Health #Birth #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Newsom Touts Calif. as World’s 4th-Largest Economy on Paper as Real Jobs Fall
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state is now the world’s fourth largest economy. But after accounting for the high cost of goods and services, California only barely edges out low-performing Italy, with the state’s continued losses in private sector jobs amid falling corporate and sales tax revenue painting a darker picture of the Golden State’s economy.
However, after accounting for purchasing power parity—how much can be purchased in the local economy with local currency, which provides a more accurate comparison—California’s economy is ranked 11th, at $3.6 trillion.
That’s just barely ahead of Italy and Turkey—at $3.6 trillion and $3.5 trillion respectively, and well behind the tenth-ranked United Kingdom at $4.3 trillion.
The March preliminary jobs report found the state lost a net 11,600 jobs, while the February jobs loss of 7,500 was adjusted to a loss of 21,800. The state lost 26,800 private sector jobs from February to March, while gaining 15,200 government and government-supported jobs.
Of the net increase in 15,200 taxpayer-funded jobs, 10,400 were in the “Health Care & Social Assistance” category.
#World #USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
These are most air-polluted cities in the world
Air pollution remains one of the deadliest environmental threats, contributing to millions of premature deaths each year.
In 2024, only 17% of cities worldwide met the World Health Organization’s annual PM2.5 guideline of less than 5 µg/m3, indicating that the vast majority of urban populations are exposed to unhealthy air.
Visual Capitalist visualizes the 20 most air-polluted cities in 2024, based on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) data from IQAir.
India is home to some of the world’s most air-polluted cities, accounting for 11 of the top 20 in 2024.
Byrnihat, a city in northeastern India, recorded the worst air pollution globally last year, with a PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 micrograms per cubic meter—over 25 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended limit.
Most of the cities with the worst air pollution in 2024 are located in India, Pakistan, or other parts of Asia. N’Djamena, Chad, was the only non-Asian city to rank among the top 20.
#WHO #Health #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Mission Street San Francisco, California
Drug addicts mixed with dealers of stolen goods and American grandmothers selling their small belongings on the pavement.
#USA #California #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The ‘best small town in the South’ is luring new residents with low-cost living perks — and it’s not in Florida
Once defined by the spirited pulse of Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi has emerged as a multifaceted destination, recently named the top small Southern town by USA Today for the second consecutive year.
With a population exceeding 25,000, this community blends affordability, economic vitality and cultural richness, attracting a diverse mix of residents from young professionals to retirees.
The town’s economic appeal is rooted in its low cost of living. Starkville’s economy thrives on the university, the state’s largest, which anchors a robust job market alongside growing healthcare and technology sectors. The downtown area, particularly University Avenue, balances youthful energy with sophisticated offerings.
Education is another draw, with local schools forging strong ties to the university. The town’s cultural and recreational offerings are equally compelling. History enthusiasts visit the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, while the Starkville Community Theater and Starkville-MSU Symphony Orchestra enrich the arts scene.
Outdoor activities abound, with the Starkville Wildlife Refuge offering hiking, hunting, and birdwatching.
#USA #Starkville #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
International institutions must abandon “Wokeism”
By Daniel Lacalle
The scandal over the alleged corruption of the founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos would be just an anecdote were it not another example of what has happened recently with many international institutions. The Financial Times reveals that the WEF founder faces accusations of manipulating the organization’s analysis to gain favour with governments.
For years, many of us have watched with sadness as an important forum like Davos shifted from being a centre for debate and confrontation of ideas in defence of free enterprise to becoming a loudspeaker for the most interventionist ideas, the most damaging statism, and a whitewasher of authoritarian governments, spreading the destructive ideas of inflationism, socialism, and wokeism— which, in reality, are all the same.
It is time to abandon propaganda, excuses, and cosmetics. It is time to stop whitewashing interventionism and recover the essential role these institutions play in preserving and strengthening growth. It is time to stop justifying wasteful governments and return to defending businesses and wealth creators.
#WEF #Wokeism #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
ECHR orders Poland to recognize same-sex partnerships
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Poland must provide legal recognition and protection for same-sex unions to meet the country’s obligation as a European Union member to ensure equal rights for all couples.
Issuing the verdict on April 24, the ECHR noted that the absence of legal recognition of same sex couples who married abroad was a denial of individual rights. It added Poland was obliged to legislate for those rights to be respected.
The case brought before the ECHR referred to a single-sex marriage in the UK involving individuals who were living in Poland. One of them was a Polish citizen who brought the case alleging discrimination against his rights by the Polish State.
#Poland #ECHR #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
China. When you don't waste money on another war no one wants.
The US spent 200 million dollars every day for 10 years in Afghanistan and what did they get? ....
#China #USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Is anything real anymore? AI making Americans suspicious of everything online
Americans’ confidence in online content has hit rock bottom. Most people now believe the majority of what they see on the internet isn’t trustworthy, according to a nationwide poll.
The survey of 2,000 adults by Talker Research paints a concerning picture. Americans believe only 41% of online content is accurate, factual, and made by humans. They think 23% is completely false and purposely inaccurate or misleading, while 36% falls somewhere in between. Three-quarters of respondents say they trust the internet less today than ever before.
About 78% of respondents agree that the internet has “never been worse” when it comes to differentiating between what’s real and what’s artificial. This skepticism has grown as AI-generated material becomes increasingly prevalent.
The average American encounters information they know or suspect was generated by AI about five times per week, with 15% indicating it’s more than 10 times.
When asked where they most commonly notice artificial content, respondents identified:
🔹 Social media posts (48%)
🔹 News articles (34%)
🔹 Chatbot interactions (32%)
#USA #AI #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The U.S. Ministry of Finance increases the volume of borrowings by 4.2 times
▪️514 billion dollars - the volume of borrowings, which the U.S. Ministry of Finance intends to attract from the private sector in the second quarter of this year. The previous plan was at 123 billion
▪️The increase is due to a lower cash balance at the beginning of the quarter and an expected decrease in net cash flows.
#USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
US–China trade war could benefit India
As the Trump administration’s unprecedented reciprocal tariffs reshape global trade, India is seizing the moment, engaging in talks with the United States over trade and positioning itself as a manufacturing alternative to a tariff-battered China.
With a resilient service-led economy and cooperative trade stance, India is gaining ground while China grapples with economic imbalances. Data from the World Bank, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, and the Press Information Bureau of India indicate that India has consistently outpaced China in GDP growth from 2021 to 2024. In 2021, India’s economy grew by 9.1%, compared with China’s growth of 8.1%. The gap widened in 2022, with India expanding by 7.2% while China experienced a slowdown to 3%. In 2023 and 2024, India continued to lead, recording growth rates of 8.2% and 6.5%, respectively, compared with China’s 5.2% and 5%.
India’s economic momentum has strengthened over the past four years. In response to U.S. tariffs, New Delhi’s cooperative approach stands in stark contrast to Beijing’s aggressive stance, further solidifying India’s competitive position.
#USA #China #India #FindTruth
@uinhurricane