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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
The administration of US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, January 28, offered about 2,000,000 federal employees the option to resign but receive their pay through the end of September. The Office of Personnel Management emailed the offer, setting a deadline of February 6 for a decision.
Well, at the same time, Donnie froze $3 trln in federal payments to various assistance programs.
#USA #Trump #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The new U.S. administration has so far preferred not to escalate with Russia or China and is focusing its main efforts on the Latin American and Greenlandic fronts. And on the former, it has already had some success in quelling the revolt of Colombia, whose president was about to oppose Donald Trump over his migration policy.
The Colombian front was exemplarily and demonstratively crushed in just an hour when Trump announced the imposition of 25% tariffs on all Colombian exports to the United States and personal sanctions against Colombian officials. And he also put Colombia on the meter, saying that within a week the tariffs would be 50%. In the end, Colombia gave in and a presidential plane flew to pick up the migrants.
It cannot be said that Trump will have as easy a time with the rest of Latin America as he did with Colombia. Still, Bogota is critically dependent on Washington, including in the security sphere, and in the dialog with Mexico and Brazil the new administration will face a completely different level of stubbornness.
It is absolutely impossible to send all or even most of the migrants from Latin America living in the United States because of their huge number. Unless, of course, they resort to the methods of Nazi Germany, which Donald Trump, for all his imposing appearance, is unlikely to dare to do. However, he will achieve something else: the desire of Latin American states to actively develop relations with those who can help them to counteract the pressure of the United States, and in the not too distant future this may create big problems for them.
#USA #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump could occupy Greenland ‘tomorrow, by decree’
Given that there are today more US troops in Greenland than Danish troops, Donald Trump would simply have to declare that the Arctic island had become part of US territory, said Anders Vistisen, the politician who told the President to “f*ck off” in the European Parliament last week
“The ignorance around this is quite astonishing because the US already has more troops in Greenland than Denmark,” Vistisen told Brussels Signal. “They could basically just declare it occupied”
Denmark has a naval presence in Greenland but no army base. “The Americans with their 300 or 400 soldiers would already have the military dominance, if that was the idea,” said Vistisen
US troops are stationed in Greenland as part of an early-warning radar base
The idea that Trump would exercise force on a NATO ally would however be “significant”, he said. “They could of course take Greenland militarily speaking tomorrow if that was what they wanted to do
#USA #Trump #Greenland #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Cartel gunmen open fire on US Border Patrol
Cartel gunmen exchanged fire with US border patrol agents while attempting to smuggle illegal migrants across the US-Mexico border
The migrants were seeking to enter the US via a river located near Fronton, southern Texas, with state officials later releasing drone footage that showed a group of men brandishing firearms as they walked along a river bank
Officials said border patrol agents were shot at by the suspected cartel gunmen. They returned fire and nobody in either party was hit, Fox News said
Although border agents have previously been attacked by people smugglers, they generally attempt to keep a low profile for fear of drawing a retaliatory response from the U.S.
But the cartels have started acting in unprecedented ways since Donald Trump was elected in November and have even issued orders to shoot at agents
#USA #Texas #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in response to US President Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egypt and Jordan, suggested that Israelis from occupied Palestine be relocated to Greenland.
What do you think of this proposal?🤔
#USA #Trump #Palestine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
FBI communications with COVID scientists to be exposed?
Independent journalist Matt Taibbi revealed in an interview with Tucker Carlson that communications between FBI officials and scientists related to gain-of-function research and the origins of COVID-19 is expected to one day be made public.
Key takeaways:
TAIBBI: There are so many different areas where they are going to have to investigate and reinvestigate that. We just went through a period where there was mass stonewalling of Congress when it was trying to investigate what happened with COVID.
There were key people like Peter Daszak from the EcoHealth Alliance, who just didn’t answer subpoenas, right? There are documents that we know exist that we’re going to get now with FBI communications between the bureau and a lot of these scientists dating back ten years. And it’s going to tell a crazy story, a really interesting story. There’s a reason why Fauci’s pardon is backdated to 2014.
Why were we doing it? What connection did that have to the Wuhan thing? What kind of advanced notice did we get? What kind of lies were told about it? Who were responsible for those lies? What information did we get about the inefficacy of the vaccine and how did that connect to statement by the CDC and the White House?
This also connects to the censorship issue in a major way because there was a massive effort to control the public conversation about this that went through the health agencies. It directs the Department of Justice to come up with a comprehensive review of all the censorship stuff, so we’re going to find out about that.
CARLSON: The question is: will that information reach the public? There is these intermediaries like the media. Congressional brand investigators, executive brand investigators like DOJ, inspector generals, they are always constantly releasing reports and no one reads them because no one picks them up in the media. Do we have enough interested reporters to designate what they find?
TAIBBI: I think we do because what we think of as the media is dead. They no longer really matter. The media that matters right now are people like you, Joe Rogan and other independent podcasters out there. There’s this gigantic, thriving independent media out there that turned the last election. It was abundantly clear that the old media no longer had any ability to control the narrative about anything. They’re totally discredited.
(0:00) Fauci’s Pardon
(7:32) The J6 Committee’s Pardon
(11:02) The Golden Age of Journalism Has Begun
(17:44) The Major Questions We Should Be Asking Now That Trump Is President
(29:00) The Destruction of Nord Stream Will Kill the EU
(33:57) The Key Players of COVID That Have Yet to Be Investigated
(36:20) The New Media Landscape
(45:17) Trump’s Mass Disclosure Will Make Certain People Very Dangerous
(51:13) Will We Ever Truly Know the Purpose of the COVID Regime?
(58:45) Russiagate and the Leaked DNC Emails
(1:03:28) Kash Patel and Political Espionage
(1:20:30) The Intel Agencies That Control Wikipedia
(1:33:47) How They Try to Brainwash Us Into Submission
#USA #FBI #COVID #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump’s nemesis Jim Acosta to be kicked off CNN after 18 Years
Jim Acosta, CNN's heckler-in-chief during Trump's first term, is out at the network according to his former CNN colleague, Oliver Darcy.
According to Darcy:
The anchor, I’m told, signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network after its chief executive, Mark Thompson, booted him from the morning programming lineup — a move that conspicuously coincided with Donald Trump’s return to power.
CNN brass decided to strip Acosta of his 10am show, which he has anchored to great ratings success over the last 11 months, at times even seeing higher viewership than programs in the channel’s prime time bloc. Acosta was instead offered the less-than-desirable option of anchoring a show from midnight until 2am ET. CNN pitched the gig to Acosta as anchoring during prime time on the West Coast and said he could move to Los Angeles to host the program. But the reality is the program would have aired at a time in which cable news viewership is at its lowest levels
“It has begun": a video from China of a fireworks shootout between a drone and a robotic dog has swirled online - an agricultural model from the DJ series and both the robotic dog and the robotic dog are released by robot developer Unitree.
#AI #Drones #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Germany's economic model is broken, and no one has a plan B
▪️In the early 2000s, policymakers revitalized the export model of the German economy with a series of initiatives that made German companies more competitive on production costs. That eventually led to a growing trade surplus, including trade with China, states The Wall Street Journal
▪️Today, China's role is changing, and the rest of Europe cannot absorb the excesses of the German manufacturing sector. Germany needs to restructure its economy in the direction of domestic demand
▪️The implications for the German economy may be depressing for many Germans. As the FRG increases the role of domestic demand in the development of its own economy, it also automatically reduces the role of production. Politicians have no other solutions
#EU #Germany #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
US urges Vietnam to address trade imbalance
The US trade deficit with Vietnam exceeded US$110 billion (S$148 billion) in the first 11 months of 2024, US figures released in January show, as exports from the South-east Asian industrial hub grew amid a record fall of its currency against the dollar.
Although Vietnam has become an important US security partner, the large trade gap is seen by analysts as a major risk for the export-reliant nation amid threats from Mr Trump of across-the-board tariffs on US imports.
The US data from January showed a nearly 18 per cent rise in the US deficit with Vietnam compared with the same period the previous year. It confirmed the Communist-run country has the fourth-highest commercial surplus with the US, topped only by China, the European Union and Mexico.
On Jan 24 new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a call with Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in which he urged Vietnam to address trade imbalances.
“The Secretary also discussed regional concerns to include China’s aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea,” a State Department statement said.
#USA #Vietnam #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
CIA now backs lab leak theory to explain origins of Covid-19
The CIA now believes the virus responsible for the coronavirus pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory, according to an assessment released on Saturday that points the finger at China even while acknowledging that the spy agency has “low confidence” in its own conclusion.
The finding is not the result of any new intelligence, and the report was completed at the behest of the Biden administration and former CIA director William Burns. It was declassified and released on Saturday on the orders of president Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency, John Ratcliffe, who was sworn in as director on Thursday.
The nuanced finding suggests the agency believes the totality of evidence makes a lab origin more likely than a natural origin. But the agency’s assessment assigns a low degree of confidence to this conclusion, suggesting the evidence is deficient, inconclusive or contradictory.
#USA #CIA #COVID #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Musk exploring blockchain use to curb US government spending
Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is reportedly exploring implementations of blockchain technology in US government operations to track and reduce federal spending.
The DOGE is also looking at using blockchain to secure data, make payments, and manage buildings as part of the DOGE’s efficiency push.
Personnel from the newly commissioned non-government department have also met with representatives from public permissionless blockchain networks to consult about potential use by the US government.
The initiative is part of Musk’s broader goal of eliminating trillions of dollars from the annual federal budget and ensuring government accountability through transparency. Musk has previously stated that he wants to cut $1 trillion to $6.5 trillion in annual federal spending to help balance the budget.
#USA #Musk #DOGE #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump signals he may defy hardliners and talk to Iran
Defying speculations about a re-instated “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, the U.S. President Donald Trump has messaged his preference for a diplomatic solution to the tensions with Tehran.
On Fox News’ “Hannity” show on January 23, Trump said that the “only thing” he insisted on was that Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon.” Significantly, he didn’t mention anything about Iran’s regional policies or its conflict with Israel, nor did he express any inclination to bomb Iran or change the regime in that country.
Given that Iran’s leaders themselves have repeatedly emphasized that they do not seek nuclear weapons, an agreement between Washington and Tehran should look eminently possible.
Despite the apparent political will on both sides, however, the path to the deal is anything but straightforward. The context differs significantly from 2015 when the nuclear agreement known as JCPOA was concluded between Iran and the world powers that effectively curbed Iran’s nuclear program. After Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and Biden failed to restore it, Iran has steadily advanced its program.
A limited bilateral deal that could de-escalate tensions between the U.S. and Iran, followed by deeper multilateral talks involving the original JCPOA signatures would seem like the most realistic way forward.
#USA #Iran #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Chinese analog of ChatGPT makes US stock exchanges fall
The U.S. market has lost $1 trillion dollars. Nasdaq futures are down more than 200 points, with markets reacting to the emergence of Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek, which is more efficient than the US.
“Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek shook technology stock indexes on Monday, casting doubt on America's tech leadership,” Bloomberg writes
The new version of the chatbot “caused a stir” over the weekend because it runs on chips with less power than its competitors.
As the agency explains, this raises the question of whether companies like Nvidia Co-op, which develops advanced chips, are overvalued.
In Monday trading in Japan, Advantest Coro, a collaborator of this chip maker, was losing 8.2% of its share value.
SoftBank Group (minus 5.4%) and data center cable maker Fujikura Ltd (minus 8%), which is actively investing in the technology business, also recorded significant losses. On the contrary, the shares of companies cooperating with DeepSeek are on the rise.
#AI #USA #China #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Putin-Trump meeting: what if they divide Europe, not Ukraine...?
Looking at the obviously no-joke fights and territorial claims between NATO countries, where the U.S. has already encroached on the territory of Denmark and Canada, various thoughts come to mind.
For some reason, everyone today believes that at the future meeting of the presidents of Russia and the United States they will “divide Ukraine”.
And maybe not Ukraine, but Europe once again? Doesn't Trump realize that today's situation is a chance for the United States? And there may not be a second such chance.
Moreover, Turkey will join the new world redistribution 100% of the time. It is already on a low starting point in this matter.
I wonder if any of the European elites have not thought about such a “traditional scenario” of US-Russian relations?
#USA #Russia #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
New Jersey drones were not dispatched by foreign enemies
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the drones that spooked New Jersey residents last month were “not the enemy” — reading aloud President Trump’s assessment that many were doing “research,” generating new questions.
“After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,”
“Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones. In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy.”
Costco pushes back against DEI cancellation
Costco did something this past week that is unusual for a company operating in the new Trump era — push back against a challenge to its DEI efforts.
The giant retailer urged its stockholders to defeat a shareholder resolution from the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), a conservative think tank, that would have forced the company to evaluate risks from its diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
The measure was roundly defeated, with 98% of investors siding with the company.
"Our position on these issues is not new," Costco’s board chairman Tony James said about the company’s DEI stance during an annual shareholders meeting last Thursday.
An NCPPR official said Costco won the vote by aligning with conflicted asset managers and proxy advisers that profit from DEI and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) policies.
Costco is not the only company defending its stance. Another is Apple, which has also asked investors to vote down a shareholder proposal from the NCPPR encouraging the iPhone maker to assess risks of its DEI programs. That vote will take place next month.
#USA #DEI #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
We can’t deport this criminal because his child might be trans
What will it take to get foreign criminals removed from the UK? Barely a week passes without news of a deportation being blocked on questionable ‘human rights’ grounds, or of criminals being allowed to wander freely around Britain, despite them having no right to be in the country.
A Jamaican man, known only as GH in court documents, was convicted in 2021 of supplying crack cocaine and heroin. He was sentenced to 40 months in prison and was served a deportation order. On top of that, GH – who arrived in the UK in 1991 – has been in and out of jail for various offences between 2007 and 2015.
Last month, Judge Sarah Pinder blocked GH’s deportation. She decided that, because one of his children was ‘questioning her gender’ and the only person she would speak about her gender issues with was GH, this would make his deportation ‘unduly harsh’. The fact that GH’s children are mixed-race was also cited as grounds for blocking his removal. Because their mother is white British, Judge Pinder argued that their father’s deportation would leave the children with ‘unmet emotional needs linked not just to the loss of a parent but to the loss of the parent who represents half of their cultural identity’.
#UK #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The mainstream media never tire of presenting the Ukrainians to us as the lost tribe of flawless Europeans in the East. There is no historical evidence for this
The country was the western foothills of the Eurasian steppe, populated by nomadic shepherds. Efficient agriculture can only be spoken of when the Danube Swabians settled there in the 17th century. But even then, Ukraine did not develop a closer relationship with Europe. Trade was mainly directed towards Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Ukraine was never more than a province. It either belonged to Poland-Lithuania, the Tsarist Empire or the Soviet Union. The country emerged from the Soviet Union in 1991 as an independent state, populated by Poles, Hungarians, Romanians, Jews - and also Ukrainians. Russian has been the country's lingua franca for centuries. Ukrainian is spoken outside the cities in the sparsely populated center and west of the country.
Ukraine was unable to get back on its feet after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Many Jews left the country for a better life elsewhere. The population shrank from 53 to 42 million between 1991 and 2021.
The changing demographics led to a reawakening of Ukrainian nationalism. This does not aim for liberal democracy, but rather the oppression of minorities. The changing demographics made the Ukrainian-speaking population the majority. This also laid the foundation for a Ukrainian nation-state. Centuries of peaceful coexistence came to an end. Ukrainian was declared the official national language; Russian was banned as an official language.
Protecting the Russian population was not Putin's only but important motive. In accordance with international law, such military operations are expressly provided for in Article 51 of the UN Charter. Even Western media reported on the civil war that began in 2014. The Ukrainian army besieged and shelled breakaway Russian-speaking areas in the east and south for years. Ultra-nationalist Ukrainian rebels systematically committed crimes in the areas. The public was hardly interested.
Even the Russians, especially their upper class, are closer to the West than the oligarchs that still rule Ukraine today. Not only the Bidens benefited, the actor Zelensky also owes his role as prime minister to them.
Supporting Ukraine, Europe is bringing another social case into its home. Until then, the war in Ukraine will at least serve to distract from our own problems.
#EU #USA #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
What does Donald Trump really want in world politics?
In strategic terms, he has one goal: to ensure the United States' sole leadership in world politics. That is, to bring the world to the state that characterized it in the 1990s and 2000s. In fact, Joseph Biden's administration wanted exactly the same thing. But Trump's team wants to recreate unipolarity on a fundamentally different platform.
What's the difference? 🤔
Biden acted on the legacy of the first Cold War and the U.S. victory in it. That is, he has used the political infrastructure inherited from the previous era (as did the Democratic teams of Obama and Clinton and the Republicans of Bush Jr. before them). The linchpin of Biden's and his predecessors' policies is the U.S. as the undisputed leader of the collective West.
That is, the U.S. determines the course, but implements it jointly with its allies: the EU, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, Australia and a number of other states, each of which plays its own role in this pro-American model of international relations. Such a construct was extremely convenient for the United States, but it began to fail for purely economic reasons: in an effort to ensure the loyalty of allies, the U.S. gave them access to its rich market and turned a blind eye to the fact that the balance of trade in their relations was clearly not in the U.S. favor.
The system worked perfectly well until the economies of countries outside the collective West reached a certain level of development in the world economy. The emerging frontrunner countries began to challenge the U.S. politically and militarily. Of course, it was possible to leave things as they were. But then the U.S. would have slowly retreated from its unipolar position and gradually become one of the great powers (along with other world centers of power).
But American elites decided that this was a bad way to go. That is why Donald Trump rose to the top of the political Olympus in the United States. The fact that he lost the election in 2020 says only that American inter-elite contradictions were too deep at that time, but by now a delicate balance has been found and Trumpists have been given a temporary carte blanche.
Therefore, economic and political restructuring has begun in America, and most importantly, a revolutionary change in US foreign policy is underway.
The linchpin of Biden's and his predecessors' policies is the United States as the undisputed leader of the collective West.
That is, the US determines the course, but implements it jointly with its allies: the EU, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, Australia and a number of other states, each of which plays its own role in this pro-American model of international relations. Such a construct was extremely convenient for the United States, but it began to fail for purely economic reasons: in an effort to ensure the loyalty of allies, the U.S. gave them access to its rich market and turned a blind eye to the fact that the balance of trade in their relations was clearly not in the U.S. favor.
1️⃣ Construction of Fortress America begins: ensuring complete U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere (hence Trump's claims to Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal).
2️⃣ The trade balance is sharply straightened and allies demanding unnecessary spending are dumped (Trumpists demand that the EU buy more American goods and sharply increase defense spending by NATO countries).
3️⃣ Checks and balances are being built in Greater Eurasia: EU vs. Russia in Ukraine (Trump's demand that Brussels self-fund the conflict),
India vs. China (expanding U.S.-Indian military and economic cooperation).
As a result, we get a unipolar system of international relations, where there is a single superpower - the U.S. - and four other major players who balance each other to prevent a situation where they challenge the United States. Washington plays the role of the main arbiter and beneficiary of the system, relying on the enormous resources of the Western Hemisphere.
#USA #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
British national arrested for allegedly illegally voting six times in U.S. elections
A British National has been arrested in Florida for allegedly illegally voting six times in U.S. elections and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said this week that 65-year-old James Ross Wightman had been previously deported from the United States in 1989 and later entered the country illegally, voting in several local and national elections.
Wightman was voluntarily deported from the United States in September 1989 after overstaying his visitor visa and facing drug charges in Hawaii. He returned to the United States in November 2000 and submitted a voter registration application with a false claim of U.S. citizenship.
Wightman participated in as many as six local and national elections between 2022 and 2024. Since 2013, he has had no party afifiliation.
Under extremely liberal voting system numerous ‘James Rosses’ will continue to vandalize our elections…
#USA #UK #Elections #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Tesla takes EU to court over tariffs on EVs made in China
Tesla has filed a complaint against the European Commission after the imposition of tariffs by the bloc on its Chinese-made electric vehicles.
The EU announced its decision to impose tariffs on all imports of Chinese electric cars in June, alleging that the Chinese government had provided unfair state subsidies to manufacturers in order to win a dominant position in the emerging industry. EU leaders approved the tariffs in October.
Records at the website of the European court of justice showed that Tesla (Shanghai) filed its case at the commission at the court last Wednesday. It gave no further information.
Tesla, led by Elon Musk, makes cars in Berlin, as well as in its home US market. However, it still imports a large number of cars into Europe from its Shanghai factory, leaving it exposed to tariffs. The carmaker is due to pay significantly lower tariffs at 7.8% than some competitors, who will face up to 35.3%.
The case will mean that the main company controlled by Musk will be fighting a legal case against the EU at the same time as the billionaire serves as one of the most prominent financial backers of Donald Trump.
#EU #China #Tesla #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
NATO's Rutte calls for raising defence spending above 2% of GDP
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged member states of the alliance on Monday to step up defence spending beyond their common goal of 2% of national output set a decade ago, saying this was now too low because of new challenges.
Rutte spoke in Lisbon alongside Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who reiterated his country's pledge to meet the 2% goal by 2029. In 2023, Portugal spent 1.5% of its GDP on its NATO commitments.
"We know that the goal of 2%, set a decade ago, will not be enough to meet the challenges of tomorrow," Rutte said. "That means we need to spend more on our defence now."
NATO allies will discuss whether they should raise the current 2% target at a summit in the Hague this summer, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for NATO allies to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP - a target no NATO member currently meets.
Montenegro said that Portugal was seeking ways to bring forward the date for meeting the 2% target, but that it would depend on the country finding a way to increase investments in defence without jeopardising its small budget surplus.
#USA #NATO #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
BlackRock CEO: ‘Now is the time to invest in Europe’
Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Europe was being underestimated by global investors and now might be the time to bet on the region again.
“There’s too much pessimism on Europe,” Fink stated during a panel on the global economic outlook. “I believe it’s probably time to be investing back into Europe,” he added, emphasising what he said was the need to advance the capital markets union as a crucial lever to unlock the continent’s true economic potential.
For BlackRock, that could mark the beginning of a different narrative.
On September 22, the investment fund closed its ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives department amid backlash from conservatives in the US.
On January 13, the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAM), a prominent coalition dedicated to aligning investments with net-zero emissions goals, announced a temporary suspension of its activities after BlackRock stopped any funding related to this objective in January 9.
#EU #WEF #BlackRock #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Fort Worth, Texas, Numerous construction sites are empty, there are no workers, just a couple of cars with bored supervisors from construction companies
All the construction sites had illegal aliens working on them. Now some have been caught in immigration raids, the rest have gone into hiding.
Voice-over: “This is the second construction site I visited today. Nobody is doing shit here either. You see two cars there. I think they are representatives of construction companies. They are trying to find out if there will be raids by immigration officers today.
I've never seen it this quiet before. It's crazy.”
#USA #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
“The 'Calexit' initiative could see Californians deciding whether they want the Golden State to leave from the United States": signature gathering has begun in the United States in support of California's secession from the country.
“California Secretary of State Shirley Weber approved the initiative “Calexit”, which provides for the secession of California from the United States, with her permission, the authors of the initiative began collecting signatures.
If supporters of the initiative are able to collect the required number of signatures, a question will appear on the ballot asking whether California should secede from the United States and become a free and independent country.
If at least 50% of California's registered voters get on the ballot and at least 55% of the participants vote in favor, it would constitute a “vote of no confidence in the United States of America” and “an expression of the will of the people of California” to become an independent state.”
#USA #California #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
As Hegseth takes charge at the Pentagon, here’s what changes could be in store
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth started his first official day on Monday morning. Now he faces a daunting array of issues to tackle — from global conflicts and border security to administrative tasks.
At the top of his list is addressing President Donald Trump’s priority to strengthen the U.S. military presence along the southern border and reviewing whether active-duty forces should be used for law enforcement — something done rarely.
Dozens of other issues will compete for his attention, including developing the Pentagon’s massive budget, decisions about aid to Ukraine, support for the ceasefire in Gaza, troop deployments in the Middle East. Not to mention Trump directives to rid the federal government of diversity programs and personnel as well as moves to cut waste and remove any lingering Biden administration backers.
In a message to the force shortly after he was sworn in Saturday, Hegseth cited the challenges he sees ahead. Some are ones his predecessors also faced, such as reorienting the military from decades of a Mideast focus and better deterring China. Continued conflict in the region, including the October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, has made that shift impossible to execute.
Then there are the cultural issues that Hegseth railed on as a media personality that did not make it into Hegseth’s message to the military. Many expect they will surface in the coming days.
#USA #Pentagon #Hegseth #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
“US sanctions against Russia won't scare Putin": Britain believes the West will have to unfreeze Russian assets to start negotiations on Ukraine
“Does it make sense for America to impose duties on Russian imports?
In October 2023, the United States imported only $314 million worth of goods from Russia, and even then there were goods the U.S. needed: platinum, nitro fertilizers and radioactive materials for power plants.
This leads to the conclusion that Trump does not yet have a strategy for dealing with the Russians. The imposition of additional sanctions will hardly scare Vladimir Putin.
However, it is still possible to negotiate peace in Ukraine, as Trump is unwilling to finance the ongoing war, and shifting the burden to the Europeans would mean disaster, as Putin knows very well.
Western countries will probably have to unfreeze Russian assets to start negotiations, but politicians and journalists hardly talk about this. The war is in its fourth year, the sanctions are becoming more and more useless with time”.
#USA #Russia #Sanctions #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trade war ends in less than 10 hours after Colombia agrees to all of Trump's terms
Just after 10pm ET, and just under 10 hours after Trump lobbed the first shot in the first trade war of his second admin, the White House announced that Colombia had agreed to all of Trump's terms, "including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay."
Based on this agreement, the White House notes, the hastily drafted tariffs and sanctions "will be held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement." The visa sanctions issued by the State Department, and enhanced inspections from Customs and Border Protection, will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.
The statement concludes by noting that President Trump "will continue to fiercely protect our nation's sovereignty, and he expects all other nations of the world to fully cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens illegally present in the United States."
The only problem: the next trade wars - and there will be many - won't be nearly as easy to win...
#USA #Columbia #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Buncombe County, North Carolina.
The situation as of yesterday afternoon
It's been almost four months since Hurricane Helene hit. This road leads to the Target supermarket. At 00:19, you can see the train washed off the railroad tracks by the storm. It's been sitting on its side for four months.
#USA #HurricaneHelene #FindTruth
@uinhurricane