This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Law enforcement authorities have confirmed they now are investigating an incident at a rally held by President Donald Trump in Arizona recently in which several dozen people reported seeking medical help, for eye injuries and swollen faces.
They all were seated onstage in one section immediately behind Trump.
The Trump campaign also said it is collecting information from affected individuals, and while the cause of the symptoms hasn't been confirmed, it has sparked concern.
Various suggestions, including one from an ophthalmologist, suggest it could have been caused by dust and dry, hot wind as the people were waiting to enter.
But given the two recent assassination attempts against Trump, and the ongoing deluge of verbiage from Democrats, who long have labeled him a "Hitler," that Trump is actually a "threat" to democracy, it's not surprising that some of the suggestions are that there was an attack.
Only a day ago, Arizona Globe journalist Christy Kelly reported the troubling development. Kelly noted that "as many as 20 people" were affected by symptoms of swollen tissues, temporary blindness, and more. All of whom were seated on the left side of the stage.
"Many supporters seated behind Trump onstage went to the ER after the rally with "blurred vision" and "burning" to the eyes. I spoke to several who still have not fully recovered. As many as 20 were affected," Kelly wrote on X.
Now a report from JDRucker on Substack, who documented the incident and the concerns, explained that one possible explanation was an infrared attack.
He said he was informed by a reader: "My first take on the eye injuries at the latest Trump Rally is likelyhood (sic) of an infrared (non-seeable) laser was aimed at Trump but injuring those behind him. These injuries were common during the Gulf War (1992) when infrared targeting lasers swept the desert battlefield day and night. One cannot tell immediately when exposed but later when the eye inflammation starts. The laser-eye injury threat was largely why desert soldiers wore protective eyewear day and night. At night the iris is more open and allows more eye damage."
While Rucker called this "tinfoil hat time," he noted he then researched "multiple sources" and found "it all jibed."
"IF someone was positioned in front of and to the right of Trump and IF they had some sort of device that emitted infrared lasers, it's possible that the people behind Trump would have been hit. The results would have been exactly what we're seeing reported … though not nearly reported enough since very few outside of The Gateway Pundit and a handful of others are touching the story."
The first reporting on the injuries said some people sought help at an emergency room, room had been referred to an ophthalmologist for further care.
In an interview with News 4 Tucson, one affected Tramp fan described her visit to the emergency room, where medical staff asked if she had been sprayed with something, based on her unusual symptoms.
"The emergency room staff, from the triage nurse to the PA [Physicians Assistant] asked are you sure you didn't get sprayed with something your symptoms look like you got sprayed with something," she said. "I can't see anything when I try to open my eyes. I see a bright light. It hurts, it hurts a lot to open my eyes. I have this cold cloth I put on and take off constantly. It's horrible."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A former CIA officer was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison for his role in dozens of sexual attacks against women over the course of 14 years.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 48, of La Mesa, California, was on assignment in the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico, when a woman was seen nude and screaming for help from his balcony in May of 2020.
The woman reported to authorities that she had no recollection of events after she was provided food and drink by Raymond. A subsequent investigation revealed Raymond had hundreds of photographs and videos of over 25 women he had drugged and sexually abused while they were unconscious and unable to consent.
After learning of the investigation into his conduct, the DOJ stated Raymond attempted to delete explicit photographs and videos which depicted Raymond manipulating and touching the victims after he had drugged them. In total, Raymond admitted to drugging over 30 women between 2006 and 2020.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said in a statement Raymond's prosecution shows a commitment by the Justice Department to bring criminals to justice – no matter who they are.
"Brian Raymond sexually exploited dozens of women over the course of 14 years, including while he served abroad as a U.S. government employee. Today's sentence underscores the Criminal Division's commitment to prosecuting sexual abuse in violation of federal law – no matter where those violations occur or who commits them. We are grateful for the valuable partnership we have with the Mexican government and will continue to work with our domestic and international partners to pursue justice for victims of sexual exploitation," Argentieri said.
In November 2023, Raymond plead guilty to one count of sexual abuse, one count of abusive sexual contact, one count of coercion and enticement, and one count of transporting obscene material. As part of a plea deal, Raymond admitted to drugging and engaging in non-consensual sex with six women, and admitted he had touched the breasts, buttocks, groin area and/or genitalia of numerous women while they were unable to consent.
Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, said the crimes committed by Raymond were reprehensible.
"For 14 years, Raymond exploited his trusted position as a U.S. government representative to lure women into his confidence. He then drugged and sexually assaulted them and took explicit photos and videos of them without their consent. The FBI thanks the brave women who shared information that furthered this investigation. We recognize our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners who helped bring Raymond to justice for his reprehensible crimes," Sundberg said.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. Senior Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly imposed the full 30-year sentence requested by prosecutors.
"It's safe to say he's a sexual predator…You are going to have a period of time to think about this," Kollar-Kotelly said.
Some of the victims were unaware they had been sexually assaulted until the FBI had made contact with them.
"My body looks like a corpse on his bed…Now I have these nightmares of seeing myself dead," one victim said of the photographs. Another victim claimed she had suffered a nervous breakdown after Raymond's crimes against her were exposed.
Raymond said in a statement during his sentencing that he was in a "downward spiral," and has spent hours thinking about his crimes, the report said.
"It betrayed everything I stand for and I know no apology will ever be enough…There are no words to describe how sorry I am. That's not who I am and yet it's who I became," Raymond said.
The DOJ has been under fire from many quarters in recent years for the appearance it has been weaponized against President Donald Trump.
The problem has gone so far that Attorney General Merrick Garland recently publicly claimed that the department is non-partisan and does not make decisions based on politics.
However, it charged President Trump with felonies over possession of government documents after he left office, but gave Joe Biden a pass for boxes and boxes of government secrets he had stashed in an unsecured garage.
Further, the DOJ has weaponized itself by claiming that Trump committed crimes with his statements challenging the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election ballot count, when Hillary Clinton's multiple claims that the election was "stolen" from her have not drawn DOJ criticism.
Even further back was the DOJ's work, based on political documents assembled by the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016, to make wild claims about the Trump campaign colluding with Russia, which in fact did not happen.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Iranian security officials recruited an Israeli civilian to carry out high-level assassinations of senior Israeli figures – up to and including the prime minister – according to a Police and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) statement.
It reveals a 73-year-old Jewish citizen, Moti Maman, who was arrested in August, was indicted in connection with the plot Thursday. The statement added the suspect was apparently smuggled into Iran on two separate occasions, and had also received some payments to carry out his supposed missions.
The Police and Shin Bet investigation revealed Maman, who hails from the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, lived for lengthy periods in Turkey, and has extensive connections with Turkish and Iranian nationals. As such, he was arrested on suspicion of committing security offenses related to contact with intelligence elements of the Iranian regime.
As part of these relationships, in April 2024, Maman agreed, after mediation from Turkish officials Andrey Farouk Aslan and Junaid Aslan, to meet with a rich businessman living in Iran named "Eddy," to promote business activity.
Maman met with two of Eddy's associates in the Turkish city of Samandag in April 2024, when he reportedly held a phone conversation with the mysterious Iranian contact. Eddy said he was not able to leave Iran.
The investigation also revealed that following this, in May 2024, Maman went to Turkey, where he met with Andrey, Junaid, and Eddy's two representatives. After it became clear Eddy could no longer leave Iran for Turkey, the Israeli citizen was smuggled by car through a land border crossing at the Turkish border, near the city of Van, located in eastern Turkey. There he met with Eddy and another man named Haja, who was presented as an operative on behalf of the Iranian security apparatus.
Maman and the others went to Eddy's house in Iran, where he was introduced as an Israeli citizen at a meeting. Eddy reportedly asked the Israeli to carry out various security tasks within Israel on the Iranian regime's behalf, including: transferring money or a gun at predetermined points, photographing various crowded places in Israel and sending them to the Iranian authorities, and to threaten other Israeli citizens employed in the country on behalf of the Iranian regime who did not carry out requested tasks. Maman said he would look into the matter.
The investigation also revealed that during August 2024, Maman entered Iran for the second time while being smuggled through the border crossing while hidden in the cab of a truck. Staying again at Eddy's house, he met other Iranian intelligence officials, who requested he carry out terrorist activities for Iran on Israeli soil, and in the process to promote assassination attacks against Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, or Defense Minister Yoav Galant, or the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar
Iranian intelligence officials also asked to look into the possibility of assassinating other senior leaders, such as former prime minister Naftali Bennett – who has been outside of the official political ring since he stepped aside from the position and handed it over to Yair Lapid in 2022 – and other public figures. In their view, they saw it as revenge for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil in July 2024, which the Iranian authorities attributed to the state of Israel, although Jerusalem never officially, publicly took responsibility for the action that so humiliated Tehran.
According to the investigation, the businessman demanded an advance payment of one million dollars before he was prepared to take any action, which the Iranian agents apparently rebuffed.
Following the initial encounter with Eddy, Maman held another meeting with the Iranian intelligence officials, in which they repeated their proposal to assassinate senior officials, explored the possibility he would deposit funds so others could locate Russian and American officials for the purpose of eliminating opponents of the Iranian regime in Europe and the United States. They also wished to create a Mossad double-agent.
A senior Shin Bet official explained further. "This is a very serious affair, which shows the great lengths to which Iranian intelligence agencies will go to recruit Israeli citizens to promote terrorist activities in Israel. The assessment of the security officials is that the Iranians will continue their efforts to recruit operatives in Israel for the purpose of gathering intelligence and carrying out terrorist missions in Israel, while also turning, among other things, to criminal elements to help carry out their missions.
"At a time when the state of Israel is at war on several fronts, an Israeli citizen goes to an enemy country on two different occasions, meets with Iranian intelligence agents and expresses a willingness to carry out serious terrorist acts on Israeli soil. His actions helped Iran and its intelligence agents in their campaign against Israel.
"The Shin Bet takes a very serious view of any contact by Israelis with Iranian elements, while the motive for the contact in the first place being a business pretext or a criminal platform, does not diminish the severity of the acts and the risk inherent in them, much less cooperation with these elements."
The timing of the information's release is also interesting. Surely the date of the indictment was set some time ago, although one can't help juxtapose the failure of this effort by Iranian security elements to penetrate Israel and carry out mass casualty terrorist attacks and/ or target top political and security individuals, against the dysfunction and chaos Israel has been able to sow with the exploding beepers and walkie-talkie operation in Lebanon and beyond. It does show the lengths to which Iran will try and go to destabilize its enemies.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who already has been mocked for his state's high taxes, extremism on social issues including abortion and transgenderism, attempts to interfere with other states and their rights, and more, this week reached a new level of chutzpah.
That, by the way, derives from a Hebrew word meaning "insolence," "cheek" or "audacity."
He's signed a law banning parody.
The report said video creator Christopher Kohls is charging Newsom with violations of the First and 14th Amendments with Newsom's "anti-deepfake measure" that was signed into law this week.
California's governor was offended by a parody released by "Mr. Reagan" recently:
In it "Kamala Harris" confirms she is the Democrat candidate for president because Joe Biden "exposed his senility at the debate."
She confesses she is the "ultimate diversity hire," as a woman and a "person of color."
The mockery continues.
The video uses AI-generated audio clips, and it was shared by Elon Musk, collecting more than 100 million views.
Newsom responded:
The lawsuit in federal court in California charges that Newsom's scheme is a flagrant use of "state power to force private social media companies to censor private citizens' speech by purging election-related AI-generated content."
Musk's comment? "You're not gonna believe this, but Gavin Newsom, just announced that he signed a LAW to make parody illegal, based on this video."
He concludes California needs "new leadership."
However, taking on Newsom directly was the Babylon Bee, which prominently announced it has "'obtained this exclusive, official, 100% real Gavin Newsom election ad."
The Gateway Pundit called it "the perfect response" to Newsom.
In it, "Newsom" states:
This is a message for the people of America, given in my authentically recorded non-AI voice. Thanks to my leadership over the last several years, California has become a world leader in extremist left-wing governance. My policies were so effective that almost 1 million people are now fleeing the state every year. We even ran out of U-Hauls.
During the COVID pandemic, I locked everyone in their homes and shut down businesses for months. Not the French Laundry, though. That's my favorite restaurant. Last year, I cleaned up the dangerous, messy streets of San Francisco. You know, because Chinese Communist President Xi was coming. And I really wanted to impress him. He's my boss, after all.
This year, I signed legislation that allows me to take custody of your kid if you refuse to give him artificial hormones and chop off his genitals. Because if you don't do that, you're a bigot. And bigots shouldn't be allowed to have kids. I've also led the way in green energy by banning all cars that don't run on electricity. Then I banned almost all the electricity. This is smart leadership.
On my watch, the cost of living and homelessness have skyrocketed. Schools are failing. Drug dealers and human traffickers are pouring across the border. And poop has covered the sidewalks of San Francisco. This is the positive, joyful vision we offer as Democrats.
That's why I'm enthusiastically endorsing Kamala Harris for president in 2024. She'll do to the country everything I did in California. Anyway, I'm California Governor Gavin Newsom, and I approve this 100% real message, which is a recording of my voice without the assistance of any AI whatsoever.
This isn't a deepfake. And you can rest assured that it isn't, because I just signed an unconstitutional law outlawing deepfakes. No one would dare violate it. Thank you, and science bless America.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The Rumble video platform has been handed a major victory in its war against leftist ideologues who run a web influence operation that purports to offer information about online advertising.
The company now will be allowed to seek discovery, or evidence in the case, while it remains pending in federal court.
A report at the Federalist notes the case eventually could expose how closely connected are Democrat operatives and efforts to censor conservative outlets.
The report explained the ruling was that a federal judge said Rumble could proceed with discovery against Nandini Jammi and Claire Atkin, who founded Check My Ads.
"The court's ruling also suggests the efforts by the Check My Ads co-founders to have Rumble's civil case tossed will fail, meaning the country may soon learn much more about how the censorship-industrial complex functions — including Democrats and Media Matters' alleged role," the report explained.
Rumble's complaint, filed in court in Florida, charges that Jammi and Atkins run Check My Ads, a tax-exempt group "purportedly serving as 'an independent watchdog reshaping the digital advertising industry.'"
Other defendants are thought to include Media Matters, David Brock's leftist group, and others.
The case was triggered by an October 24, 2023, article that alleged that Rumble "is heavily monetized by Google Ads."
It accused, "Rumble loves to boast about being free from Big Tech. In reality, the business appears to be heavily dependent on Google Ads, by far its largest advertising partner — and advertisers often have no idea their ads are appearing there. Rumble is part of Google Video Partners, which means Google dumps inventory there that many advertisers assume is going to YouTube. And it seems to know brands wouldn't appreciate appearing next to some of Rumble's content: it has taken steps to minimize the risk of advertisers waking up to screenshots of their ads next to Alex Jones' face."
Then Jammi and Atkins post social media statements claiming Rumble was beholden to Google ads, including one claim that Rumble was 90% funded by Google ads.
The agenda is accused of intending to pressure advertisers to stop allowing their ads on Rumble.
But the lawsuit charges the 90% was false, that it actually was getting "less than 1% of the company's total revenue" there.
Rumble charged the defendants made false claims to imply it is susceptible to a material financial risk, that they diminished Rumble's brand in the eyes of shareholders and more.
"The complaint highlights interactions between Rumble and the defendants which plaintiff alleges shows they knew the claims about dependency on Google were false. Rumble further alleges that Atkins and Jammi knew their claims were false because the duo were familiar with Media Matter's statement from 2022 that 'Google's ad network made up [only] 2% of total advertiser spending on Rumble.com in the last year,'" the report said.
Discovery now, the report said, "could well expose how tightly connected the Democrat Party is to efforts to censor conservative outlets.
The defendants wanted a judge to order discovery halted for now, but the court declined.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
An expert is explaining why Kamala Harris often alters her speaking, actually her speech accent, when addressing various groups.
The trait has caught people off-guard for the Democrat candidate already known as Kamala Chameleon for her flip-flopping on a long list of issues as she tries to make herself acceptable to voters this election season.
Her condition, actually, sometimes is called the "chameleon effect," according to experts cited in a report in the Daily Mail.
She's used Midwestern accents, French accents, black accents, Spanish accents and more when talking to various affinity groups.
It could because of a "confidence issue," according to psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert, who owns a practice in New York and was interviewed by the publication.
In psychology circles, her condition is known as "mirroring" or "chameleon effect."
"Using a fake accent could also be a result of feeling self-conscious around a particular group and feeling like she has to make changes to her baseline voice in order to be accepted – to some extent this a natural and normal way to handle people we might perceive as different than ourselves," he said.
"There's a possibility she feels like she won't fit in, so she overcompensates by taking this whole accent thing to the extreme. I think there could be an element of Harris trying to gain acceptance across these different demographics. But again, I think it's backfiring," he said.
Reshaping her language has followed on the heels of her radically changing her views on topics from fracking to gun control to police.
"In 2020, at the height of the George Floyd protests, Harris endorsed the 'defund the police' movement in an interview with the hosts of the Ebro in the Morning show. This was a stark difference from when she ran for attorney general of California in 2010, her ad production imitated the tense proficiency of a Law and Order episode," the report explained.
Recently, she's advocated for President Donald Trump's border wall, even though she previously called it a "medieval vanity project" and a "waste of taxpayer money."
Alpert continued, "By altering her accent she might be perceived as inauthentic or manipulative and ultimately could undermine trust if the audience feels she is not genuine. Authenticity is critical in building meaningful connections with the electorate and if people perceive the accent as disingenuous, it could damage Harris's credibility."
Nan Wise, a licensed psychotherapist who has appeared on The Today Show, told the publication often such accents are used automatically.
"Human beings are very social animals, and some of this accommodation goes along with the way we're wired to connect and to unintentionally mimic aspects of our social environments," she explained.
However, a University of Pennsylvania study from just a few years ago concluded "code-switching" is a "thought-out behavior."
Alpert said that might not be working for Harris.
"By altering her accent she might be perceived as inauthentic or manipulative and ultimately could undermine trust if the audience feels she is not genuine. Authenticity is critical in building meaningful connections with the electorate and if people perceive the accent as disingenuous, it could damage Harris' credibility."
The report said Hillary Clinton did the same thing. But it said experts believe Trump "just speaks his mind and is consistent across the different speeches and audiences."
Harris has been known to flip-flop as many as four positions in a day, earning herself the "Kamala Chameleon" nickname.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – After another extraordinary day in the Middle East, in which all manner of electronic devices – including walkie-talkies and radios – exploded in the hands of Hezbollah terrorists and Islamic Republic Guard Corps operatives in Lebanon, there are still a number of unanswered questions.
Unconfirmed reports earlier Wednesday put the number of IRGC operatives killed in these explosions at 19, with some 150 more wounded.
If this is indeed an Israeli Mossad operation (which certainly seems the most likely), what – other than immediate expedience – is the purpose of this operation, and is it a prelude to a full-scale war to push Hezbollah back away from Israel's border with Lebanon?
It might be useful to deal with the issue of expedience, because it may help with both the timeline and the rationale behind this ingenious offensive. Reports surfaced Wednesday that Israel was somewhat forced into the action it has presumably taken over the last 30 hours or so, because the mission was in danger of being compromised. Let's be clear, the lead-time for such an operation is at least in the several month time-frame, perhaps even up to a year.
It was feared some Hezbollah operatives were aware the batteries in their pagers were heating up unusually, and they began to report it to higher-ups. Israel, fearing an operation which had been the result of significant investment in time and extensive effort, was simply forced into a situation where they had to "use it or lose it."
This brings us to a follow-up question of whether this action was intended to be immediately followed by airstrikes and a potential invasion of Lebanon to push Hezbollah away from the border fence, and at least as far as the Litani River.
In an important side note, one of the key facets of U.N. Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, was the fact the area south of the Litani River was supposed to be a demilitarized zone, policed by United Nations International Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, peacekeepers. This has not happened, with Hezbollah enjoying free reign in its southern Lebanon stronghold.
A clue as to whether or not the cyber attack was intended to be a constituent part of a much broader campaign can be extrapolated from what political and military leaders have been saying over the last few days.
He also affirmed Israel's determination to return the tens of thousands of internally displaced citizens from the north back to their homes. A day earlier, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the situation on Israel's border "cannot continue," adding "a change in the balance of forces on our northern border" was required.
Last week, former war cabinet member Benny Gantz, a political opponent and rival of Netanyahu's exclaimed Israel must shift its focus from the fighting in the south against Hamas in Gaza to the northern arena and deal with the Hezbollah threat. Tangible evidence of the pivot away from Gaza to Lebanon can be seen in the deployment of the IDF's 98th division near to the border, in the event the tensions with Hezbollah boil over.
Also from a strategic point of view – albeit Israel's strongest suit seems to be in the realm of the tactical – what was the ultimate goal of these operations, if they were not intended to be used in conjunction with military strikes to attack the Islamist enemy while they were down, hurting, and discombobulated?
Will Israel reap the whirlwind?
It's a truism Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah, will not take this abject humiliation lying down. We should also recall, Iran has not officially taken revenge for an earlier indignity, namely the elimination of Hamas' chief political operator Ismail Haniyeh at an IRGC-run complex at the end of July.
Indeed, Hezbollah fired a number of rockets at Israel, and in the early hours of the morning, a drone, whose starting point was tracked from Iraq was shot toward Tiberias on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, causing incoming rocket alert sirens to blare.
There can be no doubt Iran and its proxies will want to exact heavy retribution for these attacks, although for organizations who crave discipline and order, these attacks have sown dysfunction and chaos. While it is not clear how senior the people who were allegedly killed and wounded are, one must assume there is an urgent assessment taking place – up to and including the Islamic Republic's government in Tehran – as to just how deep the infiltration runs.
Iran will desperately wish to retaliate, but the urgency with which it would want to do this will likely be tempered by just not being sure who can be trusted at the moment.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The U.S. defense sector could see a rise in costs because China has implemented new export restrictions on an important mineral used in military equipment.
According to Fox News, six antimony-related products, including antimony oxide, antimony ore and antimony metal, are subject to export limits by China as of Sunday. Antimony is used in ammunition, infrared missiles, nuclear weapons, batteries, photovoltaic equipment, night vision goggles, and as a flame-retardant component in machine bearings.
China produced almost half of the world's supply of antimony in 2023, while the U.S. imported approximately 63% of its antimony metal and ore from China – consuming around 22,000 tons. China is also the leading import source for 25 essential minerals – tungsten, germanium, magnesium, barite, antimony, most rare earths, indium, graphite, gallium, and arsenic.
According to Gary Evans, co-CEO and board member of US Antimony Corporation, the U.S. is in a position to fill the gap with its own supply of antimony for the time being, but some full supplies may still be years from being available.
"There is a company that the government has helped fund called Perpetua Resources, which has received over $50 million [in] grants. There is also a gold mine in Idaho that has a lot of antimony associated with it. So that supply [will] be available, but it may be [several] years away," Evans said.
Evans noted the U.S. is planning to secure its antimony supply chain by exploring new opportunities, and revisiting existing mines that were closed decades ago.
"We have a mine in Thompson Falls, Montana, which is near adjacent to our smelter. It was shut down in 1983. We're combing our records to determine whether it makes sense to open that mine back up. At the request of the Department of Defense, we have a laundry list of ideas, which includes new mining opportunities we have in Canada and Alaska, as well as opening [of] the Thompson Falls mine," Evans said.
U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., a member of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said the U.S. needs to build a strong mining labor force if it hopes to compete with China.
"Even though we haven't expressed as much interest in mining in the United States as we have in years past, I think that has to change," Wittman said.
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, R-Fla., reiterated Wittman's comments, and stated the mining workforce is going to shrink by half by 2029.
"More than half the current domestic mining workforce will be retired or replaced by 2029. That number stands in stark contrast to a total of just 327 degrees awarded in 2020 in mining and mineral engineering, and a 39% net drop in graduations in the U.S. since 2016," Castor said.
The restrictions on antimony come after the Biden-Harris administration increased tariffs on China in recent months, ranging from 100% on electric vehicles, to 50% on solar cells, and 25% on aluminum and steel products.
According to a statement from the White House, the tariffs were a countermeasure to China's unfair trade practices.
"China's unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers. China is also flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports. In response to China's unfair trade practices and to counteract the resulting harms, today, President Biden is directing his Trade Representative to increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on $18 billion of imports from China to protect American workers and businesses."
However, China has called the tariffs imposed by the U.S. unfair, and has the backing of the World Trade Organization who has determined the Section 301 tariffs violate WTO rules.
Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yongqian called the increase on tariffs wrong, and urged the U.S. to "correct its mistakes," after the Office of the United States Trade Representative allegedly delayed its determinations for Section 301 tariffs on Chinese products.
"China has lodged solemn representations to the US side on Section 301 tariffs for many times. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has long ruled that the U.S. Section 301 tariffs violate WTO rules, and it is even more wrong for the U.S. to increase tariffs on China. The Office of the USTR previously sought public comments regarding its tariffs review results, and most opinions were against imposing tariffs or applying for an expansion of tariff exemption, which demonstrates that the practice of the U.S. is not well-received. We urge the U.S. to correct its mistakes, actively respond to public calls, and remove all the tariffs on China," He Yongqian said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
One individual is being "questioned" by authorities after some sort of a "security breach" occurred at a venue just hours before President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally there.
There were reports that an explosive had been uncovered.
But the Daily Mail had an explanation, that, "There is a person who is being questioned who may have been training a bomb detection dog near the site. The individual with the bomb dog falsely reported explosives being found and that individual is currently being detained by police," according to Nassau County police commissioner Patrick Ryde.
The Daily Mail said police claimed there is "no threat" to Trump or his rally.
The circumstances were described by police as a "suspicious occurrence."
The report noted that police earlier apparently revealed the site "perimeter was breached and a blue barrel was removed."
The initial reports said authorities "found an explosive device in one of the vehicles" and a driver ended up running into the woods.
A Secret Service official later said reports of explosives in a car were incorrect.
Trump was shot in the right ear by would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Then last weekend a gunman pointed an AK-47 at the former president while he was playing at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach.
The Gateway Pundit reported Trump's comments at the event in Uniondale, New York, have a start time of 7 p.m. EST.
The report explained, "Nassau County is reeling from the harmful effects of the dangerously liberal policies championed by Kamala Harris and Democrats like Eric Adams. Since Kamala took office, the average New York household has been forced to spend an additional $27,387, including $4,118 more on food, $4,656 on shelter, $3,882 on energy, and $8,621 on transportation. These disastrous economic policies are draining the bank accounts of hardworking New Yorkers.
Nassau County has also felt the dangerous effects of Kamala Harris' open border bloodbath. The flood of illegal immigrants into nearby 'sanctuary,' New York City has unleashed crime and chaos into their community. "
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, are taking credit for the recent drop in encounter numbers at the southern border – after reinstating policies similar to what was enacted by former President Donald Trump.
It's no secret that since taking office, the Biden administration, and particularly his VP Harris who was given the border portfolio and forever became known as the "border czar," did absolutely nothing to stop undocumented migrants from pouring over the border and into the interior of the U.S. over the past three years.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released its August update on Monday, noting the success Biden's Securing the Border interim final rule has had since it was implemented in June of this year.
Troy A. Miller, a senior official performing the duties of the commissioner, said the number of encounters at the southern border has fallen to levels not seen in years.
"CBP continues to enforce the Securing the Border interim final rule and deliver strong consequences for illegal entry, and encounters between ports of entry remain at their lowest level in years. Through the work of our dedicated personnel, this enhanced enforcement posture is meaningfully disrupting the operations of deadly transnational criminal organizations. In August, CBP's counternarcotics surge efforts also led to the seizure of 30% more dangerous drugs than in July – keeping them out of our communities and enabling further enforcement against these criminal networks," Miller said.
According to the CBP report, since the proclamation has been enforced, encounters between ports of entry have decreased by more than 50%. The report notes the executive action has "led to a significant increase in the percentage of migrants removed from the United States and a decrease in the number of people released pending their removal proceedings."
Furthermore, through June 5, and Sept. 10, the Department of Homeland Security has removed or returned more than 131,000 individuals to over 140 countries. DHS has tripled the amount of noncitizens processed for removal and has decreased the amount of releases pending immigration court, according to the report.
"Total removals and returns over the past year exceed removals and returns in any fiscal year since 2010 and a majority of all southwest border encounters during the past three fiscal years resulted in a removal, return, or expulsion," the report states.
However, despite the rosy picture being painted, the border states continue to struggle with undocumented migrants, and are seeing a growing number of violent gangs coming across.
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Tuesday his state's plan to target and arrest members of the Tren De Aragua prison gang, which originated in Venezuela, according to the Center Square.
National Border Patrol Council Vice President Chris Cabrera, who was present at the news conference in Houston, said there is no way to vet anyone coming across the southern border, and in some cases, countries like Venezuela have refused to help agents identify people – so those people are let go into the interior of the U.S.
"What people fail to realize is working on the border, we see everything come through, but it doesn't affect us as much as it affects the rest of the United States, especially Houston. Everything that comes through our area just passes through and it ends up as your problem or a problem somewhere up north. If people don't wake up and see it for what it is, we're going to be in a lot of trouble in this country," Cabrera said.
Trump's Remain in Mexico policy and Biden's Interim Final Rule, share many similarities. Both policies made allowances and exemptions for certain aliens, including unaccompanied alien children, lawful permanent residents, noncitizens with a valid visa or any other lawful permission to enter the U.S.
"Under the IFR, aliens arriving in the United States at the southern border during emergency border circumstances who do not fall within the exceptions to the Proclamation's entry restrictions are ineligible for asylum unless they show by a preponderance of the evidence (i.e., that it is more likely than not) that "exceptionally compelling circumstances exist," Biden's proclamation states.
Trump's Migrant Protection Protocols (Remain in Mexico) placed migrants into removal proceedings before an immigration judge. These undocumented migrants were to remain in Mexico throughout their removal proceedings.
"With certain exceptions, MPP applies to aliens arriving in the U.S. on land from Mexico (including those apprehended along the border) who are not clearly admissible and who are placed in removal proceedings under INA § 240. This includes aliens who claim a fear of return to Mexico at any point during apprehension, processing, or such proceedings, but who have been assessed not to be more likely than not to face persecution or torture in Mexico. Unaccompanied alien children and aliens in expedited removal proceedings will not be subject to MPP. Other individuals from vulnerable populations may be excluded on a case-by-case basis," Trump's policy states.
While security at any of the U.S. borders is a good thing, there is a stark difference between how Biden's policy has been accepted, and even celebrated, while Trump's Remain in Mexico policy, enacted in 2019, was touted as divisive, and even racist.
Meanwhile, liberal groups are calling out Harris' plan to implement the bipartisan bill she says was nixed by Trump if she becomes president – which includes continuing to build the wall at the southern border, and increasing funding to detain undocumented migrants.
However, despite her policies mirroring Trump's, some insist they still support Harris' campaign, according to Axios.
Kerri Talbot, executive director of the Immigration Hub, told Axios the group "still opposes this bill," and "if you take out the Ukraine aide that was originally part of the compromise, it's just a Republican bill," but added she still supports the Harris campaign.
Gina Cummings of Oxfam America said her group believes the bill "should not be brought to the Senate floor or passed under any current or future administration."
Meanwhile, Sunil Varghese, policy director at the International Refugee Assistance Project, said "anti-immigrant policies rather than reform or modernize the sorely outdated U.S. immigration system."