Zero Hedge

China Reports Worst Producer Deflation In 2 Years Amid Ongoing Trade Uncertainty

China Reports Worst Producer Deflation In 2 Years Amid Ongoing Trade Uncertainty

Authored by Lily Zhou via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

China’s factory-gate prices in June saw the biggest fall in two years amid uncertainty in international trade and weak domestic demand.

A worker moves pieces of steel machinery at a manufacturing company in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, on June 16, 2025. AFP via Getty Images

According to figures released on July 9 by China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the producer price index for industrial products in June fell by 3.6 percent compared with the same month in 2024—worse than a 3.3 percent drop in May, and the biggest annual decline since July 2023.

The month’s purchasing price index for industrial products fell by 4.3 percent year over year, bigger than the 3.6 percent drop in May, and the sharpest decline since August 2023.

According to Dong Lijuan, statistician at the National Bureau of Statistics, the producer price index deflation in June was driven by cheaper energy prices, uncertainties in international trade, and hot and wet weather that drove down the price of building materials.

Sectors that rely on exports faced more downward pressure in prices, she said.

“The prices of computers, communication equipment, and other electronic equipment in June dropped by 0.4 percent [compared to May], the prices of electrical machinery and equipment fell by 0.2 percent, and textile prices fell by 0.2 percent,” she said.

In annual terms, the prices of computers, communication equipment, and other electronic equipment fell by 2.3 percent.

China’s factory activity shrank for a third month in a row in June, albeit at a slower pace, with employment and new export orders still languishing.

“We expect demand to weaken later this year, as exports slow and the boost from fiscal support diminishes,” Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics, said.

Market reaction to the data was cautious amid uncertainties in the trade war between the United States and other economies. China’s Shanghai Composite Index was up by 0.3 percent by the midday break, while Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index traded down by 0.7 percent.

As subdued domestic demand remains a drag on China’s economy, companies have resorted to price discounts to boost sales, prompting the authorities to urge an end to the auto industry’s bruising price wars.

Highlighting the tepid consumer market, Chinese e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com have pledged heavy subsidies over recent months to expand aggressively into fast deliveries.

Consumer prices rose by 0.1 percent compared with the same month in 2024, following four months of deflation.

“Consumer inflation is likely to remain near zero for the rest of the year, as structural adjustment continues slowly, with consumer demand weighed by the protracted property downturn and worries over the jobs market,” Duncan Wrigley, chief China economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said.

He also said that trade tensions between Washington and Beijing are likely to continue despite the recent framework agreement.

“More flare-ups are likely and cooling export growth will add to downward price pressure in manufactured goods sectors,” he said.

According to supply chain technology provider Descartes, U.S. container imports from China were about 639,300 20-foot equivalent units in June, slightly up (0.4 percent) from May, but a 28.3 percent decline from June 2024.

The company said it expects that “China’s share of U.S. imports may remain under pressure through the second half of 2025,” with the upcoming expirations of U.S. tariff pauses extended to Aug. 1 and the trade truce with China on Aug. 12, and with additional U.S. tariffs on transshipped goods via Vietnam.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 22:15

"Now That Is A Coronal Hole. Whoa Momma." 

"Now That Is A Coronal Hole. Whoa Momma." 

Ben Davidson of Space Weather News issued a warning on X overnight about an Earth-facing coronal hole that could eject fast-moving solar wind toward Earth, potentially triggering elevated geomagnetic activity, including auroras and geomagnetic storms. The high-speed stream is expected to reach Earth within days.

"Now THAT is a coronal hole. Whoa momma," Davidson said, adding,"Excess magnitude/volcanic watch is in play now. Solar wind enhancement expected Saturday/Sunday/Monday."

Solarham, a solar storm monitoring website, warned, "The onset of a coronal hole stream was not expected until within the next few days." 

On Thursday, Solarham described the "Coronal Hole to Face Earth" that will begin impact Earth this weekend:

A large coronal hole will begin to face Earth this weekend. A solar wind stream flowing from this zone is expected to reach Earth beginning July 12th with the main influence by July 13/14. It is possible that a geomagnetic storm watch will be issued in the days ahead.

As of Friday morning, Solarham data shows all quiet across the Western Hemisphere. 

For context, disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere—triggered by solar activity such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs)—can impact the modern economy in multiple ways, including degrading satellite systems and GPS, disrupting power grids and high-frequency communications, and more.

A Carrington-class storm would be absolutely catastrophic for the world, potentially causing trillions of dollars in economic damage globally.

Can you guess which US power grid is most at risk? Find out here...

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 21:50

'Global War on Terror' Is Over. Terror Won.

'Global War on Terror' Is Over. Terror Won.

Authored by Daniel McAdams via RPI,

On Sept. 16, 2001, five days after the attacks on New York and Washington, DC, President George W. Bush declared, “This crusade – this war on terrorism – is going to take a while. And the American people must be patient. I’m going to be patient. But I can assure the American people I am determined.”

Four days after that, President Bush declared the “war on terror” to be primarily against al-Qaeda. “Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda,” he said in an address to Congress and the nation, “but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.”

He described the enemy thus:

This group and its leader — a person named Osama bin Laden — are linked to many other organizations in different countries, including the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.  There are thousands of these terrorists in more than 60 countries.

Bush was correct in his assessment of the group.

One of those countries into which al-Qaeda jihadists implanted themselves was Syria, where from 2011 – with the support of the Obama Administration – they attempted to overthrow the secular leader, Bashar al-Assad, using terrorist tactics they had been well-trained in.

They soon changed their name – but not their stripes – and became the Al-Nusra Front, headed up by an experienced jihadist who fought against US troops in Iraq by the name of Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. His group was known for chopping off heads. Perhaps even American heads.

Last December Jolani’s jihadists – with support from the US, Turkey, and Israel – finally brought down the Assad government and quicker than you can say “Washington PR makeover” he clipped his beard, switched out his tactical military watch for a $90,000 Patek Philippe World Time Chronograph, and declared himself president.

The “civilized world” cheered the re-emergence of democracy in Syria!

At their first meeting earlier this year in Saudi Arabia, President Trump praised jihadist Jolani as “a young, attractive fellow” and “a tough guy, a fighter, with a very strong background. He has a lot of potential, he’s a real leader.”

This was a US-designated global terrorist with a $10 million bounty placed on his head by the US authorities. His “wanted” poster STILL remains on the X account of the US Embassy in Syria!

This week, President Trump “removed sanctions on Jolani’s Syria at (Israeli Prime Minister) Netanyahu’s request,” and just yesterday Secretary of State removed Jolani’s old al-Qaeda affiliate (which had gone from al-Nusra to HTS over the years) from the US terrorist list.

As one observer on X quipped:

The history of the GWOT (Global War on Terror) began in 2001 with the US invading Afghanistan to dig out Al Qaeda. It ends twenty-four years later with the US recognizing an AQ affiliate as the new ruler of Syria.

According to Brown University’s Cost of War Project, the “Global War on Terror” cost the American people at least eight trillion dollars. It also took the lives of perhaps a million people.

And what did we get for all this blood and treasure? In Afghanistan, the Taliban were after 20 years of US military action replaced by the Taliban, and in Syria a fierce opponent of al-Qaeda was replaced by…al-Qaeda!

As Jake Sullivan, then right hand to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wrote to the Secretary in 2012, “al-Qaeda is on our side in Syria.” He wasn’t joking!

That was the shot…here’s the chaser: In the same week the United States removed sanctions on al-Qaeda ruled Syria, it placed sanctions on…UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese!

Who is Albanese? She is the fearless defender of human life in a Gaza where it is slowly being extinguished by Israel with the backing (and weapons) of the US government.

In hitting UN human rights defender Albanese with sanctions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote:

Today I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt @IntlCrimCourt action against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.

Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated. We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.

The United States will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare and protect our sovereignty and that of our allies. (emphasis added)

What might those “whatever actions” be? Clearly it is a physical threat against Albanese for speaking out against a mass murder happening in real time, observable for all who wish to do so on our own computer screens.

So that is it. The “Global War on Terror” is over. Terrorists have been elevated by the US government to be heads of state and those who speak out against state terrorism are threatened with “whatever actions we deem necessary” to shut them up.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 21:25

FBI's 'Raw' Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Doctored: Wired

FBI's 'Raw' Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Doctored: Wired

In an effort to quell longstanding theories surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein, the U.S. Department of Justice this week released nearly 11 hours of what it described as “full raw” surveillance footage from outside Epstein’s prison cell. Instead of ending speculation, the release has introduced new doubts.

According to an analysis conducted by WIRED in collaboration with independent video forensics experts, metadata embedded in the files shows the footage was not a direct export from the prison’s surveillance system. Rather, it appears to have been modified - likely using Adobe Premiere Pro, a professional video editing tool.

The file, investigators say, was assembled from at least two source clips, saved multiple times, exported, and then uploaded to the DOJ’s website, where it was labeled “raw” footage.

"If a lawyer brought me this file and asked if it was suitable for court, I’d say no. Go back to the source. Do it right," said Hany Farid, a professor at UC Berkeley whose research focuses on digital forensics and misinformation. "Do a direct export from the original system—no monkey business."

Farid also questioned why the video’s aspect ratio shifted during playback. "Why am I suddenly seeing a different aspect ratio?" he asked.

While experts emphasize that the metadata alone does not prove deceptive intent, they caution that the DOJ’s failure to explain the editing process adds to the cloud of suspicion that has long surrounded Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody.

Earlier this week, the DOJ released a memo concluding that Epstein had 'no incriminating client list' and wasn't murdered later releasing the footage in question. 

According to Wired, "the video may have simply been processed for public release using available software, with no modifications beyond stitching together two clips. But the absence of a clear explanation for the processing of the file using professional editing software complicates the Justice Department’s narrative."

For months leading up to the joint memo the DOJ and FBI published Monday, attorney general Pam Bondi had promised the release of records related to Epstein, raising expectations that new, potentially incriminating details might surface about the disgraced financier’s death and his ties to powerful individuals. However, rather than revealing new information, the memo largely confirmed conclusions reached years earlier: that Epstein was found in a Manhattan prison cell on August 10, 2019, and died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

To support its conclusion, the FBI reviewed surveillance footage overlooking the common area of the Special Housing Unit (SHU) at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), where Epstein was held. The FBI enhanced the footage by adjusting contrast, color, and sharpness, and released both the enhanced and what it described as the “raw” version. Both versions of the video appear to have been processed using Premiere and include much of the same metadata. According to the FBI, anyone entering the area containing Epstein’s cell during the relevant time frame would have been visible on that camera. -Wired

According to the metadata from the "raw" file reveals that the video had been saved at least four times on May 23, 2025, by a Windows user named "MJCOLE~1." The footage references two source clips—“2025-05-22 21-12-48.mp4” and “2025-05-22 16-35-21.mp4” - and Premiere project files, indicating that it was a composite video.

One media forensics expert, who reviewed the metadata and asked not to be named, told Wired “It looks suspicious - but not as suspicious as the DOJ refusing to answer basic questions about it.”

The Department’s handling of the footage has also drawn criticism in light of previous issues at MCC. According to a 2023 report from the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General, starting on July 29, 2019 - less than two weeks before Epstein’s death - around half of MCC’s 150 analog surveillance cameras stopped recording due to a technical error. Repairs scheduled for the night of August 9 were not carried out because the technician lacked an escort.

Only two cameras were operational in the SHU area at the time Epstein was found hanged: one near the entrance to the 10 South Unit and one by a ninth-floor elevator bay. Neither covered Epstein’s cell door.

What's more there was a notable gap in the recording: one minute of footage, from 11:58:58 p.m. to 12:00:00 a.m., is missing. The recording resumes immediately afterward.

At a press conference Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi attributed the missing minute to a daily system cycle, claiming that one minute is missing from every night’s recording.

For months, Bondi had promised that the DOJ would release records that could shed light on Epstein’s death. But the new video and memo “largely confirmed conclusions reached years earlier,” WIRED noted, leaving many observers unsatisfied.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 21:00

Cambridge Researchers Find Gut Bacteria Could Help Remove 'Forever Chemicals' From Body

Cambridge Researchers Find Gut Bacteria Could Help Remove 'Forever Chemicals' From Body

Authored by George Citroner via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Researchers have found that nine species of gut bacteria can help detoxify the body from forever chemicals, rapidly absorbing PFAS linked to cancer and other serious illnesses.

Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock

“This uncovers a new beneficial role of gut bacteria for the human health—to help removing toxic PFAS from our body,” senior study author Kiran Patil, a member of the MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, told The Epoch Times.

How Bacteria Work

The Cambridge University study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, identified nine bacterial species that can absorb up to 75 percent of toxic PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—from their surroundings.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals used in thousands of consumer products, from nonstick pans and waterproof clothing to cosmetics and food packaging. Dubbed “forever chemicals” because they resist breaking down in the environment, PFAS accumulate in human bodies and have been linked to various cancers, liver damage, and immune system disorders.

Currently, there are no approved treatments to remove PFAS from the human body, making this discovery potentially significant for public health.

The research team identified nine bacterial species—including six in the Bacteroides family, Odoribacter splanchnicus, Parabacteroides distasonis, and Parabacteroides merdae—that can absorb two common types of PFAS: perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

When these bacteria were introduced into mice, they quickly absorbed the chemicals. When they were excreted through the gut, the forever chemicals were removed with them in waste. Within minutes of exposure, the bacteria absorbed between 25 and 74 percent of PFAS chemicals at various concentration levels.

The researchers believe the way bacteria collect PFAS into protective clumps inside their cells is a survival mechanism that prevents the chemicals from causing cellular damage.

As the mice were exposed to increasing PFAS levels, the bacteria kept removing a steady percentage of the toxins, suggesting they could act as a natural filter in the gut.

Treatment Potential

The effectiveness of this approach depends on the specific type of PFAS compound, Patil said.

Short-chain PFAS leave the body quickly through urine. However, long-chain PFAS stay in the body for years and are mostly removed through feces. Therefore, using bacteria works best for PFAS compounds that are primarily eliminated through fecal excretion, according to Patil.

The bacteria proved effective even at very low exposure levels similar to those found in European and U.S. water samples, suggesting potential real-world applications.

The researchers plan to develop probiotic supplements that could boost these helpful bacteria, offering a new way to reduce PFAS levels in humans. However, while promising, the results have not yet been tested directly in humans.

There are always unknown factors between lab studies on mice and real-world applications for humans, Bryan Quoc Le, a food scientist and founder of and principal food consultant at Mendocino Food Consulting, who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times.

“Despite this,” he said, “the study did take a more comprehensive approach, such as using diverse microbial populations that are realistic for humans, and testing with different types of PFAS.”

However, he also noted the main challenges with a study like this include not knowing how things change in the long term, how these selected bacteria survive in different microbiomes with different diets and health conditions, and whether the same level of PFAS uptake would occur consistently and reliably.

“Needless to say, this area of research is still developing, so nothing is conclusive for human applicability yet, but it does suggest that further research would be worthwhile,” Le continued.

Safety Considerations

Medical experts urge caution despite the findings. Dr. Joseph Mercola, board-certified family medicine osteopathic physician, not involved in the study, emphasized the importance of careful implementation when introducing new bacterial strains into the human gut.

While the bacteria used in the study came from species already found in healthy humans, even familiar microbes can act differently depending on our overall gut balance, immune system, and existing health conditions, he told The Epoch Times.

“The good news is that these species aren’t exotic imports; they’re already natural residents in many people,” he said. “Still, scaling up their population through supplements or engineered probiotics could throw off your microbial balance if done recklessly.”

Dr. Kham Ali, an emergency medicine physician at Northwell Health in New York and not involved in the study, warned that adding bacteria to our microbiome that store toxic PFAS could have “unintended consequences,” such as disrupting other beneficial bacteria or affecting how the body processes food and medicine.

“We’d need long-term human studies to understand the safety of such interventions,” he told The Epoch Times.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 20:35

Goldman Sees Housing Affordability Relief Ahead - Here's The Timeline

Goldman Sees Housing Affordability Relief Ahead - Here's The Timeline

Housing affordability is at its worst in decades, but a new Goldman report suggests some of the most severe pressures may begin to ease, offering modest relief in the years ahead. That's welcome news for prospective homebuyers who've been priced out by soaring home values and the Federal Reserve's aggressive interest rate hiking cycle. 

"We are lowering our forecasts for U.S. home price appreciation over the next two years," analyst Vinay Viswanathan wrote in a note to clients. He cut the firm's national home price appreciation (HPA) forecast from 3.2% to .5% in 2025, and from 1.9% to 1.2% in 2026. 

Viswanathan outlined three specific drivers that underpinned his decision to revise the HPA forecast down:

  • First and foremost, recent home price index data has deteriorated, likely reflecting a drop in demand. Case-Shiller, FHFA, and Zillow indices all gauged negative sequential HPA in March, April, and, based on Zillow's higher frequency estimates, May (Exhibit 2). Though some of the weakness can likely be attributed to the acute tariff concerns earlier in the year (which equity prices and, to a lesser extent, consumer sentiment suggest are subsiding), the decline in May consumer spending is evidence that an uncertain growth environment is influencing household financial behavior.

  • Second, the lack of supply that previously bolstered strong HPA is gradually recovering. While most metrics suggest that aggregate supply is still far from overwhelming demand, for-sale inventory of existing homes is approaching pre-COVID levels while for-sale inventory of newly constructed homes is at levels last seen in 2009.

  • Third, we see only limited scope for mortgage rates to decline in a softer growth environment, and our base case is for mortgage rates to decline by only 20-25 bp through the end of 2026. We do not see the pullback in immigration as a major risk for single-family HPA given the likely low headship rate for the humanitarian/undocumented immigrants most affected, but there could be a larger impact on multifamily rents.

The analyst emphasized that this does not signal a significant downturn in prices, writing: "...but meaningful national home price declines remain unlikely."

What caught our attention in the 33-page report was the section outlining modest affordability relief for prospective homebuyers. This is especially important for the folks who've been sidelined in recent years because of higher prices and elevated rates. 

"Mortgage rates will likely grind lower," Viswanathan wrote in the report, with the 30-year conforming mortgage rate forecasted to end the year at 6.5%. 

Viswanathan continued, "Alongside a downtick in mortgage rates, the growing gap between income growth and HPA should help slightly improve housing affordability, albeit remaining historically poor..." 

How many young people are still on the sidelines? A lot....

According to Census Bureau data, about a third of all 18- to 34-year-olds are still living in their parents' basements or attics.

And this.

Real estate agents and mortgage originators are praying for a new Fed chief who'll slash rates and bring life back into an industry crushed by Fed Chair Powell.

More here from Goldman's Research team available to pro subs.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 20:10

US Charges Chinese Man Accused Of Hacking Into Universities to Steal COVID-19 Research

US Charges Chinese Man Accused Of Hacking Into Universities to Steal COVID-19 Research

Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges on July 8 against a Chinese national taken into custody in Italy at the behest of Washington, and accused him of hacking into several U.S. universities to steal COVID-19 research at the direction of China’s main intelligence agency.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington on March 10, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Xu Zewei, 33, was arrested in Milan, Italy, on July 3 by Italian law enforcement officials and FBI agents as he departed a plane from China. Xu and another Chinese national, Zhang Yu, 44, who remains at large, are charged in a nine-count indictment unsealed in the Southern District of Texas on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021.

According to the indictment, Xu was a general manager at a Chinese company called Shanghai Powerock Network, which allegedly conducted hacking operations at the direction of the Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB) under China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).

The DOJ said that Xu’s case exemplifies the Chinese regime’s use of a vast network of private companies and contractors in China to carry out hacking and information theft in a manner that concealed Beijing’s involvement.

“The indictment alleges that Xu was hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government while that same government was simultaneously withholding information about the virus and its origins,” Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said in a statement.

“The Southern District of Texas has been waiting years to bring Xu to justice and that day is nearly at hand. As this case shows, even if it takes years, we will track hackers down and make them answer for their crimes. The United States does not forget.”

The CIA, FBI, and Energy Department have determined that the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a laboratory in China, an assessment that Beijing has dismissed. Chinese authorities initially downplayed the severity of the outbreak for several weeks before it escalated into a pandemic.

The FBI’s Houston Field Office, which is investigating the case, said that Xu is allegedly “one of the first hackers linked to Chinese intelligence services to be captured by the FBI,” according to a post on social media platform X on July 8.

“Our investigation revealed that the PRC government will stop at nothing to steal from America. They have no shame in their actions, and no respect for international laws,” the Houston Field Office added in a separate X post. “Their only regret is that their criminal conduct is now unmasked and laid bare for the world to see.”

Hacking

Xu and his coconspirators are accused of hacking the networks of several U.S.-based universities, as well as the email accounts of immunologists and virologists conducting research into COVID-19 vaccines, treatment, and testing.

Prosecutors did not name the universities. According to the indictment, two universities are based in the Southern District of Texas, identified only as “UNIVERSITY 1” and “UNIVERSITY 3,” and the third, identified only as “UNIVERSITY 2,” is located in North Carolina. An unnamed law firm, with offices in the United States and elsewhere, was also targeted.

Xu allegedly compromised the network of “UNIVERSITY 1” on Feb. 19, 2020, according to prosecutors. Three days later, an SSSB officer directed Xu to target and access certain email accounts belonging to the university’s virologists and immunologists. According to the indictment, Xu informed the officer that he had “acquired the contents of the mailboxes” days later.

Xu and Zhang are also accused of being part of a China-sponsored hacking group called Hafnium, which garnered global attention in 2021 after Microsoft identified the group for exploiting the vulnerabilities in its Exchange Server email program.

“Through HAFNIUM, the CCP targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700 in order to steal sensitive information,” Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division, said in a statement.

Xu and his coconspirators began exploiting the Exchange Server vulnerabilities in late 2020, prosecutors said. According to the indictment, Xu confirmed to Zhang that he had compromised the computer network of “UNIVERSITY 3” on Jan. 30, 2021, after the coconspirators breached the school’s computers running the Exchange Server and installed web shells on them to enable remote administration.

Using similar techniques associated with the Exchange Server, Xu and his coconspirators gained access to the law firm’s computer and used keywords such as “HongKong” and “MSS” to look for information regarding specific U.S. policymakers and government agencies.

The charges Xu faces include wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charges alone.

On Tuesday, Xu’s lawyer said that his client is a victim of mistaken identity, given that his surname is common in China, and his cellphone had been stolen since 2020.

Xu appeared before an appeals court in Milan and opposed extradition to the United States.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 19:45

Forced Labor, Human Trafficking? Illegal Alien Kids Rescued After ICE Raids Industrial Pot Farm In Newsom's California

Forced Labor, Human Trafficking? Illegal Alien Kids Rescued After ICE Raids Industrial Pot Farm In Newsom's California

California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X, "Kids running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields." 

"Kids running from tear gas." Think about that for a second… Why were there children at state-licensed, industrialized commercial marijuana farms in Southern California's agricultural zones?

That's a very good question — and perhaps protesting ICE seems the most plausible explanation. But one thing is sure: CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott revealed that federal agents rescued children from what appears to be forced labor conditions on industrial-sized marijuana farms.

"10 juveniles were found at this marijuana facility - all illegal aliens, 8 of them unaccompanied. It's  now under investigation for child labor violations," Scott revealed on X.

He asked: "California, are you ready to partner with us to stop child exploitation?" 

ICE agents on Thursday targeted two locations by Glass House Farms — one in the Santa Barbara County town of Carpinteria, about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and another in the Ventura County community of Camarillo, about 50 miles from the metro area controlled by a far-left regime — resulted in the rescue of what could be illegal alien childeren exploited by labor mules.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X that federal law enforcement rescued the children from what appears to be "potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking." She said agents were met by "500+ rioters," one of whom opened fire on law enforcement.

X users were horrified Thursday night when an anti-ICE protester opened fire on federal law enforcement — a disturbing sign that low-intensity skirmishes are escalating into armed confrontations. This comes as the Democratic Party's leftist radicals continue to promote dangerous anti-ICE rhetoric, putting federal agents directly in harm's way.

President Trump and Border Czar Tom Homan have been vocal about the "missing 300,000 migrant children" reportedly somewhere in the U.S., a consequence of the Biden-Harris regime's deliberate border invasion that only resulted in the exploitation of some migrants — whether through forced labor or sex trafficking. Shame on Democrats..

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 19:20

Massive Rare Earths Elements Deposit Confirmed In Wyoming

Massive Rare Earths Elements Deposit Confirmed In Wyoming

By John Paul Hamsptead of FreightWaves

In a groundbreaking moment for the American mining industry, the Fluor Corporation has confirmed the feasibility of large rare earth element deposits at Ramaco Resources’ Brook Mine in Wyoming. This announcement marks a significant step towards redefining the United States’ position in the critical minerals market. The confirmation by Fluor not only solidifies the economic potential of the Brook Mine but also positions Ramaco Resources as a key player in reducing the country’s dependency on foreign sources of rare earth elements.

Ramaco Resources, initially known for its operations as a metallurgical coal miner, was thrust into the spotlight with this unexpected discovery. The company, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, had been primarily focused on coal mining in Appalachia. The Brook Mine project represents a strategic pivot for Ramaco, leveraging its mining expertise to tap into the lucrative rare earth element market.

According to the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) conducted by Fluor Corporation, the rare earth deposits at Brook Mine are not only abundant but also economically viable. The PEA outlines a robust financial outlook, with a net present value (NPV) of $1.197 billion at an 8% discount rate and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 38% pre-tax. The report projects that the mine will produce 1,242 tons annually of oxides, including high-value minerals such as dysprosium, neodymium, and scandium, which are critical to various advanced technologies. Specifically, dysprosium and neodymium have unusual magnetic properties that make them perfect for high-performance magnets in electric vehicles and various electronics, while scandium’s most important applications involve its use as an alloy for aluminum.

The economic significance of these discoveries cannot be overstated. Rare earth elements are integral to modern technology, playing a crucial role in the manufacturing of everything from electric vehicles and wind turbines to sophisticated military systems. Historically, the United States has relied heavily on imports, particularly from China, to meet its demand for these minerals. The Brook Mine’s potential to support 3-5% of the U.S.’s total permanent magnet demand is a crucial development in shifting the nation’s supply chain dynamics.

Aside from economic viability, the strategic implications are profound. Rare earth elements have long been a strategic lever for China, which controls roughly 85% of global production. China’s dominance in the market has allowed it to wield significant influence, at times restricting exports as a tool in trade negotiations. This dependency has underscored the urgency for the U.S. to establish a secure, domestic supply of these critical materials.

Ramaco’s leadership has recognized the strategic and national security dimensions of their project. Randall Atkins, the Chairman and CEO of Ramaco Resources, emphasized the importance of the Brook Mine discovery not only for the company but also for the nation. With plans to develop processing facilities capable of handling these rare earth elements domestically, Ramaco aims to foster a vertically integrated supply chain, addressing both extraction and processing within the United States.

The transition from a coal-centric operation to a rare earth element powerhouse reflects broader shifts in the global energy landscape. As the demand for cleaner, sustainable energy solutions grows, the need for rare earth elements will only increase. The Brook Mine discovery positions Ramaco at the forefront of this evolution, offering significant economic rewards while contributing to national security.

As Ramaco Resources continues to develop the Brook Mine, the focus will be on optimizing extraction processes and scaling up operations to meet projected demand. The backing from Fluor Corporation, an internationally renowned engineering firm, provides additional credibility and support to Ramaco’s ambitious plans.

The discovery and subsequent validation of rare earth elements at the Brook Mine is a landmark event for Ramaco Resources and American industry at large. By establishing a domestic supply chain for these essential materials, the United States not only reduces its reliance on foreign sources but also strengthens its strategic autonomy.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 18:55

Even 190% Tariffs Can't Break Our Addiction To China's Cheap Labor

Even 190% Tariffs Can't Break Our Addiction To China's Cheap Labor

Despite falling headline numbers—China’s share of U.S. imports dropped to 13% in 2024 from nearly 22% in 2017—America’s reliance on Chinese goods remains deeper than it seems, according to Bloomberg. 

A new paper by researchers from the World Bank and IMF estimates the real figure is closer to 16% when accounting for transshipments through third countries and de minimis shipments under $800 that bypass duties.

One major reason: China’s unmatched manufacturing capability. Businesses, even those hit hard by tariffs, are staying put. Pashion Footwear CEO Haley Pavone, facing an $80,000 tariff in April, still sticks with her Chinese supplier. She considered alternatives but found the upfront costs too high and skilled labor lacking elsewhere.

“No one is as optimized as China,” said Pavone, whose shoes require engineering precision.

Bloomberg writes that Trump-era tariffs, aimed at reducing reliance on China, may have limited impact—or even backfire. Some Southeast Asian nations now face steeper reciprocal tariffs, making them less attractive alternatives for manufacturers.

Meanwhile, new research from the Kiel Institute warns that trade talks shouldn’t overlook services. In 2023, the U.S. ran a €148 billion ($173B) services trade surplus with the EU—nearly three-quarters the size of its goods trade deficit.

Still, U.S. and EU data diverge sharply: “The EU can go for a carrot-and-stick approach with respect to services trade,” researchers suggest, promoting digital access while tightening data rules or introducing a digital services tax.

Last month, President Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping was "extremely hard" to make a deal with just days after the president accused Beijing of violating an agreement to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions.

This came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that U.S.-China trade talks were "a bit stalled." 

As of July 2025, the U.S. and China are in a temporary tariff truce, with reduced rates (30% U.S., 10% China) set to expire August 12. Talks are ongoing, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting Chinese officials this week, though tensions remain high. Broader U.S. tariff threats on other countries have been delayed to August 1 to allow more negotiation time.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 18:30

RFK Jr. Bans Illegal Immigrants From Government-Funded Programs

RFK Jr. Bans Illegal Immigrants From Government-Funded Programs

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is rescinding a 1998 interpretation of a law that allowed illegal immigrants to access certain government-funded programs, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on July 10.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies on Capitol Hill on May 14, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The health secretary is rescinding the interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), a law that said illegal immigrants cannot obtain “federal public benefits.”

The 1998 interpretation by the HHS said the law’s definition of benefits “does not provide sufficient guidance for benefit providers” and that HHS was stepping in “to facilitate compliance” with a requirement in the law for providers to verify a person’s qualifications for benefits.

It said that certain programs, including Head Start, which provides child care for lower-income families, were accessible to illegal immigrants.

That interpretation improperly narrowed the scope of the law, letting illegal immigrants access programs that lawmakers intended only for Americans and qualified immigrants, such as immigrants granted asylum, HHS said on Thursday.

“For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,” Kennedy said. “Today’s action changes that—it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.”

The updated policy applies the definition of federal public benefit in the law.

The statute defines the benefits as ‘“any grant, contract, loan, professional license, or commercial license” provided to an individual, as well as “any retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing, postsecondary education, food assistance, unemployment benefit, or any other similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided to an individual, household, or family eligibility unit.”

Head Start is among the programs included in the updated and expanded list of classified “Federal public benefits” under the PRWORA, HHS said on Wednesday.

In addition to Head Start, HHS is including about a dozen other programs that were previously excluded. Among them are the Community Services Block Grant, the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness Grant Program, and the Title X Family Planning Program.

HHS cited its change as stemming from a February executive order from President Donald Trump, which directed officials to identify government-funded programs that “currently permit illegal aliens to obtain any cash or non-cash public benefit” and to then align those programs with the PRWORA.

“Title IV of the PRWORA states that it is national policy that ‘aliens within the Nation’s borders not depend on public resources to meet their needs,’ and that ‘it is a compelling government interest to remove the incentive for illegal immigration provided by the availability of public benefits.’ But in the decades since the passage of the PRWORA, numerous administrations have acted to undermine the principles and limitations directed by the Congress through that law,” Trump wrote at the time.

A notice on the HHS update said people have 30 days after it is formally published to submit comments. The notice has not yet been formally published.

HHS said in the notice that it would apply the updated interpretation immediately because “any delay would be contrary to the public interest and fail to address the ongoing emergency at the Southern Border of the United States.”

The Department of Education on Thursday said it was rescinding the 1998 interpretation of the PRWORA that allowed illegal immigrants to access federal education benefits, while the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, part of HHS, previously said it would increase oversight to make sure states did not pay for health care for illegal immigrants, citing Trump’s order and the PRWORA.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 18:05

Nearly 5,000 Haitians Killed In 9 Months As Gang Violence Spreads Beyond Capital

Nearly 5,000 Haitians Killed In 9 Months As Gang Violence Spreads Beyond Capital

The United Nations in a fresh report issued Friday is urging international support for Haiti, amid crippling gang violence has claimed 4,864 lives between October and June.

In this nine month period, over 20% of these deaths occurred in the Centre and Artibonite areas, signaling that violence is extending well beyond Port-au-Prince into surrounding regions.

File image via University of Miami

"The spread of gang control poses a serious threat of escalating violence and fueling cross-border trafficking of weapons and people," the report warns

Gangs are believed to be expanding their influence in these areas as part of a broader effort to control critical routes linking the capital to northern Haiti and the Dominican Republic border, to extract payments.

One key element of the UN report is the call for outside nations to tighten regulations on firearm sales to Haiti and to continue strong support for the Kenya-led security mission aimed at bolstering the country's police force - an initiative that Washington backed.

"Human rights violations are worsening outside Port-au-Prince in regions where the State has little or no presence," Ulrika Richardson, the UN’s resident coordinator in Haiti, has said.

Al Jazeera has for example, documented one such major instance of violence which occurred outside the capital:

One instance the UN chronicles from March involved the police interception of a minibus driving from the city of Gonaives to Port-au-Prince. Officers allegedly found three firearms and 10,488 cartridges inside the bus, a fact which sparked concern and uproar among residents nearby.

“Enraged, members of the local population who witnessed the scene lynched to death, using stones, sticks, and machetes, two individuals: the driver and another man present in the vehicle,” the report said.

Haiti has long been a failed state crisis which at times enters in an out of mainstream media coverage and public awareness.

But it's a nightmare political issue for any US administration, and the US has long ago sought to wash its hands of direct involvement there, after several failed and controversial UN 'boots on the ground' missions there.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 17:40

El Salvador Recalls Ambassador To Mexico Over Drug Plane Allegations

El Salvador Recalls Ambassador To Mexico Over Drug Plane Allegations

Authored by Melanie Sun via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said on July 9 that he was recalling El Salvador’s ambassador to Mexico for consultations after Mexico’s security chief claimed that a plane allegedly carrying cocaine had originated in El Salvador.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele speaks during a news conference in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Feb. 4, 2024. Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters

In a social media post, Bukele called the accusation false and urged Mexico to clarify and correct comments by Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch, who said during a press conference that the July 3 flight had come from El Salvador before it was intercepted in Colima, Mexico.

Bukele shared an image of the flight path and said tracking data showed the plane never entered Salvadoran airspace.

The president said Costa Rica reported a suspicious radar trace northwest of its territory on July 3.

“It was Costa Rica that activated the regional alert through APAN, a Central American air security network,” Bukele said.

“According to its own report, the aircraft’s trace entered Costa Rican airspace, briefly disappeared from radar, and then reappeared as it exited toward the Pacific. Our radars did not register any aerial contact within our airspace ... Their report is clear: the aircraft flew over the Pacific Ocean and never entered Salvadoran territory.”

Bukele also criticized the Mexican government for not making public that three Mexican men were arrested over the flight.

“El Salvador does not shield criminals nor tolerate drug trafficking. We didn’t before, and we won’t now,” he said. “Nor will we allow attempts to involve us in operations that are neither our responsibility nor within our jurisdiction.”

Mexican authorities previously said three people were onboard the flight. They were arrested in Colima after 940 lb (427 kg) of cocaine was allegedly seized from the plane after landing.

Within hours of the post, Garcia Harfuch responded to Bukele on the social media platform X, saying that Mexican authorities first detected the plane about 200 km (120 miles) south of San Salvador, after which it ordered the military to intercept the suspicious flight. The map he posted also showed the plane’s route, although incomplete, over the Pacific Ocean.

Garcia Harfuch acknowledged that the men were Mexican and said they were facing criminal charges.

“We reiterate our respect and appreciation for the people of El Salvador,” he added.

Bukele responded to Garcia Harfuch’s post, saying that while the information he shared was factual, it failed to mention that there is no indication the aircraft originated in El Salvador.

“On the contrary, it was neither a Salvadoran aircraft nor did it have a Salvadoran crew,” he said in a reply to Garcia Harfuch’s post.

“We are willing to grant the benefit of the doubt and understand that what was said during the press conference may have been a misunderstanding, but we expect a more accurate clarification. It must be absolutely clear that there is not the slightest indication that the aircraft departed from our country, nor that anyone in El Salvador is linked to that drug shipment.”

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 17:15

No One Believes...

No One Believes...

Authored by James Howard Kunstler,

Flux Rules

"We're trapped in a structure. We named the Structure 'Jeffrey Epstein'."

- Eric Weinstein

No one in America - not even the most deranged, spike-faced, pink-haired transtifas - believes the latest Epstein story as played out by Mr. Trump and AG Bondi in this week’s cabinet parlay: nuthin to see, just a bunch of pointless child porn, fuggeddabowdit. . .

But stay! Much is moving, flowing unseen. The world is yugely in flux, large events in human affairs are in motion, many things are breaking, rotating, dissolving and re-forming, while others wind into giant hairballs. . . so many players acting as though they live in one great hall of mirrors, and treachery abides at every turn. Nobody seems to be actually managing any of it, though there is plenty of pretense, jockeying, staging. The public’s anger and anxiety rise in tandem.

One thing about Epstein is likely certain: it was an intel operation. And one thing is probable: it was a joint operation between the CIA, Israel’s Mossad, and the UK’s MI6. The object: to get as many political poohbahs on-the-hook for disgraceful behavior of the lowest kind and blackmail-able. Under the thumb. Theories and suppositions abound.

If Mr. Trump was in on the Epstein sex shenanigans, as Elon blurted this week, why did the Democratic Party not go after him for it in three election campaigns (and all the many months in between)? Well, not to put too fine a point on it, Elon appears to be losing his shit. His CEO at “X” bailed on him this week. His A-I app, Grok, started spouting Hitler gags, and his empire of world-beating genius is tottering on a broken business model.

You can write all that Elon stuff off as a sideshow for now — wildly grotesque as it may be. But what is actually going on in the three rings of this circus?

Flux in the Middle East is one.

Whatever else the “Twelve Day War” was about, it’s the end of Israel threatening to bomb Iran’s nuke program out of existence. We’ve done that favor for them, or pretended to, as some are saying, kabukied it out. So, Israel, shut up about that for now . . . is the policy.

One story is that the actual Epstein material, whatever still exists, that is, which might reside in multiple locations, is so destructive to the architecture of global leadership that it must be squelched for the sake of majorly realigning forces, tensions, and polities across the Middle East, namely, the Abraham Accords. Getting all that lined up is more important to Mr. Trump for the moment than defenestrating the various perverts-in-office around Western Civ. It just is. . . so. . . gotta lump it.

Let’s surmise that the president has learned a lot about the intel hall of mirrors over the past decade, but especially lately, in his second term, from DNI Tulsi Gabbard, who has access to every document in the bottomless pit of the intel archives. The President knows he is not exactly in control of his intel “community.” And he aims to do something about it. You could make the case that the so-called “community” is just a giant criminal syndicate engaged in the most nefarious activities ongoing in this world of sin: human trafficking, drugs, money-laundering, weapons, every off-the-book turpitude you could imagine. Nor is John Ratcliffe exactly in control of his own agency, though he can utilize some of its services. . . but more about that later.

Forget about Bondi’s gaffe. She is just following orders, as are Messrs. Patel and Bongino, standing down, good soldiers, and only on the Epstein business. You can’t even rule out the possibility that Jeffrey Epstein is not dead. Was it suicide? Or an escape? Shall we say, a rendition to parts unknown? I would not assert that, just proffer it as a possibility, since the events of that night in the Manhattan federal lockup were so astoundingly sketchy — the sleepy guards, the broken CC cameras, the missing minute in the one camera recording that worked, the suicide-proofed jail cell. . . . But, then, the autopsy reports. . . performed upon. . . whom, exactly. . . ?

There is parallel matter of Ukraine to consider. Mr. Trump is yugely frustrated by his inability to put a quick end to it, to make that golden deal with Russia. The Ukraine War is the globalists desperate final project, its last stand. By saying which, let’s assume that the Globalists are “a thing,” a combo of the UK’s remaining potent assets (MI6 and the City of London financial octopus), the megalomaniacal EU bureaucratic leadership (von der Leyen & Co.), and the WEF-Davos gang. Ukraine was their instrument to break up Russia. The project has failed. Yet the war goes on. Mr. Trump says he was not even informed about Ukraine’s recent long-range drone attack deep into Russia, to take out its strategic bombers. Wasn’t informed? WTF???

Was it because the CIA has gone rogue over in Ukraine? Running the war their way — and not even Mr. Ratcliffe has a handle on all that? Consequently, Mr. Trump is yugely embarrassed in his many skull sessions with Mr. Putin. And thus, Mr. Putin seeks to bring about an end to this enormous pain-in-the-ass situation by simply winning the war. Which he is doing. His terms have been simple, plain, and straightforward from the get-go: a disarmed, neutralized Ukraine that must surrender the Donbas provinces, end-of-story, and don’t even mention Crimea because there’s nuthin to talk about there. And, of course, regime change in Kiev. . . eighty-six on Nazis, thank you.

In the natural course of things, the incompetent drug-addict Zelenskyy should have been overthrown by his own people months ago and it is only the rogue US intel community that continues to prop him up. As political dramaturgy, Mr. Trump must pretend to oppose Russia’s winning of the Ukraine War — we don’t let Russia win wars! — though it is the logical best solution to the problem. So, he is forking over the last $100-million, probably just to pay government salaries, pensions, and social services in Kiev for a month or so. But Russia will win and the UK-EU-WEF will be the big loser, and then Britain, France, and Germany can get on with the job of committing suicide, as they’ve dedicated themselves to do.

Mr. Ratcliffe, meanwhile, earnestly attempts to not become a hostage to the agency he’s supposed to run. So amidst all the other sturm-and-drang of July 2025, he issued that report on former CIA director John Brennan’s 2017 Intel Community Assessment that kicked off RussiaGate. Ratcliffe’s report looked like a predicate for a prosecution. And indeed, Mr. Ratcliffe (an experienced prosecutor himself) issued a criminal referral to the DOJ on the matter. . . and voila. . . we learn next that the FBI has indeed been investigating Brennan and former FBI chief James Comey for months — probably since the very day that Patel and Bongino got their office keys.

Well, about goshdarn time. These two seditious caitiffs will be going to court, looks like. Maybe just for lying to congress, which is easy to prove with video and documents, and doesn’t require the spinning-out of a vast prosecutorial narrative that a hostile DC jury could nitpick. We’re also informed that there are more “targets” in the FBI’s investigation. A lot of things are in motion now. Expect cascades of developments.

 

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 16:25

California, Los Angeles Join Activist Lawsuit Against Federal Authorities Over ICE Operations

California, Los Angeles Join Activist Lawsuit Against Federal Authorities Over ICE Operations

Authored by Kimberley Hayek via The Epoch Times,

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with the attorneys general from several other states, submitted an amicus brief on July 7 in an effort to prevent the federal government from continuing its immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles.

The case, Perdomo v. Noem, was filed on behalf of individuals who say they were unlawfully stopped or detained by federal agents. The lawsuit alleges that federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are deploying unconstitutional and unlawful immigration tactics, and stopping individuals based on race and ethnicity.

The lawsuit also alleges that the agencies are stripping detainees of constitutionally mandated due process and that ICE and CBP policies ignore the need for reasonable suspicion. The lawsuit also alleges the actions are in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

The lawsuit, which was announced on July 2 at the Bubble Bath Hand Car Wash in Torrance, the site of several removal operations, was filed as a result of one specific incident. According to the ACLU of Southern California, five individuals were stopped or arrested on July 2.

They subsequently filed suit alongside the Los Angeles Worker Center Network, United Farm Workers, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, and legal services provider Immigrant Defenders Law Center.

The lawsuit seeks to put an end to the stops and arrests, as well as to ensure those who are detained receive due process and access to counsel while in federal detention.

The lawsuit comes just two days after the Trump administration sued the City of Los Angeles on June 30 over its ‘sanctuary city' policies, alleging in federal court that the ordinance violates the Constitution by thwarting immigration enforcement.

“The United States Constitution’s Supremacy Clause prohibits the city from picking and choosing which federal laws will be enforced and which will not,” United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said in astatement on the lawsuit.

The amicus brief supports the plaintiffs in the case, who are requesting a temporary restraining order to prohibit ICE and CBP from carrying out stops in Los Angeles during immigration actions, unless there is reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed.

The attorneys general in their amicus brief also argue that the stops, as well as federal agents wearing masks and concealing the name of the law enforcement agency for which they work, have undermined public safety.

“The lawsuit comes amid the Trump Administration conducting aggressive, militaristic immigration raids in Los Angeles that have terrified immigrant and non-immigrant residents alike, chilled community members’ participation in civic society, and impeded law enforcement and public safety,” Bonta’s office said in a statement on July 7.

Bonta argues that the ICE operations are not about safety or justice, but rather about enforcement quotas.

“The actions of ICE and CBP during the raids in Los Angeles are part of a cruel and familiar pattern of attacks on our immigrant communities by an administration that thrives on fear and division,” Bonta said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that the Fourth Amendment protects everyone from unreasonable searches and seizures.

“Instead of targeting dangerous criminals, federal agents are detaining U.S. citizens, ripping families apart, and vanishing people to meet indiscriminate arrest quotas without regard to due process and constitutional rights that protect all of us from cruelty and injustice,” Newsom said.

“Their actions imperil the fabric of our democracy, society, and economy. This isn’t law and order—it’s cruelty and chaos. We stand solidly in support of progress, of the law, and the foundation upon which our founding fathers built this great nation.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi has said the city’s actions amount to obstruction of federal law.

“Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level – it ends under President Trump,” Bondi said in a statement on the suit.

Bonta likened the Trump administration’s deportation of illegal immigrants to the 1954 Operation Wetback, under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in which an estimated 300,000 people were arrested and deported, including naturalized U.S. citizens.

“The dragnet has resulted in U.S. citizens being wrongfully detained and has created a culture of fear and COVID-style ghost towns,” Bonta’s office said in a statement.

The attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington signed on to the amicus brief, which is focused on events taking place in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, Pasadena, Culver City, Montebello, Monterey Park, Pico Rivera, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood, as well as the County of Los Angeles, have also filed a motion to intervene in the Vasquez Perdomo et al. v. Noem et al. lawsuit.

“The Administration is treating Los Angeles as a test case for how far it can go in driving its political agenda forward while pushing the Constitution aside,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said.

“The City of Los Angeles, along with the County, cities, organizations and Angelenos across L.A., is taking the Administration to court to stop its clear violation of the United States Constitution and federal law. We will not be intimidated – we are making Los Angeles the example of how people who believe in American values will stand together and stand united.”

In one high-profile arrest, on July 2, ICE arrested Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at his home in Studio City, near Los Angeles. Chavez, who the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says entered the country illegally, is accused of being an associate of the Sinaloa Cartel, which has been designated a foreign terrorist organization.

“This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE. It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on July 3.

The DHS said that its Los Angeles operations have resulted in the arrest of those with convictions for murder, pedophilia, fentanyl trafficking, spousal abuse, sexual assault, and armed robbery.

“Under the Trump Administration 70% of illegal aliens arrested have been convicted or charged with a crime beyond illegally entering our country,” McLaughlin said in a statement on June 26.

“As bad faith politicians attempt to demean and vilify our brave law enforcement, we will only double down and ramp up our enforcement actions against the worst of the worst criminals.”

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 15:45

MTG Moves To Strike Half-Billion Of Military Aid To 'Nuclear-Armed Israel'

MTG Moves To Strike Half-Billion Of Military Aid To 'Nuclear-Armed Israel'

Vying for the title of Most Brazen Bull in the china shop that is America's relationship with the State of Israel, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she will introduce an amendment to strike a half-billion dollars in additional military aid for the country -- and she notably emphasized its status as a nuclear power. 

“I’m entering amendments to strike $500 million more for nuclear-armed Israel. And it’s important to say nuclear-armed Israel, because they do have nuclear weapons,” Greene said on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast, an influential hub of the MAGA movement with an audience of listeners comprising not only everyday Americans but also West Wing officials. 

Marjorie Taylor Greene announced her cost-cutting amendment on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast

The additional $500 million would flow to a program that lie "at the heart of Israel's aerial defense operations," reports Responsible Statecraft. Greene says enough is enough. "We already give them $3.4 billion every single year...they don't need another $500 million in our defense budget. That's for the American people's defense," Greene told Bannon. "That's for the defense of the United States of America and our borders."  

It's highly significant that, in her references to Israel, Greene used "nuclear-armed" five times, noting that "it's important to say 'nuclear-armed' because they do have nuclear weapons -- this is not a helpless country." While Greene's nuclear references ostensibly underscored the country's military strength, she may have had other intentions: 

  • Spotlighting the hypocrisy of "nuclear-armed Israel" pushing the United States to war over Iran's nuclear program. While the US intelligence community has concluded isn't aiming for a nuclear weapon, Greene did give credence to Israel's claims to the contrary, saying last month's US strikes "on [Israel's] behalf... destroyed Iran's nuclear problem." 
  • Firing a shot across the bow of all Israel aid, by violating a long-standing US government policy of refusing to confirm that Israel has a nuclear arsenal. Those refusals to acknowledge Israel's nuclear status are part of a decades-long conspiracy to keep billions of dollars in aid flowing to Israel in violation of US law.

 As Brian McGlinchey explained in a deep-dive on the topic at Stark Realities: 

While having amassed upwards of 200 nuclear warheads, Israel is not a member of the the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)...That makes U.S. aid to Israel illegal under the Symington Amendment of 1976, which bars economic and military assistance to countries that acquire nuclear reprocessing technology without submitting to international safeguards and inspections. The law was reinforced by the Glenn Amendment of 1977.

The proposed redistribution another $500 million of American wealth to Israel is contained in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual bill that funds the Department of Defense. “There are some parts of this NDAA that I cannot support, and that’s continued foreign aid and foreign funding, and it needs to come out,” said Greene. Bannon called this year's iteration of the NDAA "disastrous," as it calls for a trillion dollars in total purported "defense" spending. 

Greene is among the foremost boosters of President Trump, but said his attack on Iran felt like "a bait-and-switch" after his promises to end US wars in the Middle East (Brynn Anderson / AP via Politico) 

When it comes to opposing Israel's agenda, Greene is on a roll. When Trump last month ordered the United States military to join Israel's war on Iran, Greene lashed out via social media. Noting that she "traveled the entire country" campaigning to elect Trump on the basis of his promise to stop foreign wars, Greene said the attack on Iran "feels like a complete bait-and-switch to please the neocons, warmongers, military industrial complex contracts, and neocon tv personalities that MAGA hates and who were NEVER TRUMPERS!"

Also in June, Greene refused to vote for a resolution condemning antisemitism, noting it was the 21st such resolution Congress had voted on just since she took office in 2021. “Prioritizing one group of Americans and/or one foreign country above our own people is fueling resentment and actually driving more division, including antisemitism," Greene explained. 

Greene, whose district lies in Georgia's far northwest corner, told Bannon she's also moving to strike $500 million for Taiwan. "We give them $300 million every year in the State Department, and they just got $2 billion -- two billion with a 'b' in 2024 from the foreign aid supplemental under the Biden administration."  She's also trying to kill an extra $500 million for Jordan, which already gets $1.6 billion a year. 

Finally, Greene said her amendment to target two things that she finds "outrageous": $15 million for AIDS prevention in Africa and $118 in overseas humanitarian aid and disaster relief. On the latter point, she noted, "I didn't see foreign countries flooding into America when Lahina burned, when California burned...[or] running to Texas right now."   

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 15:25

Senate Committee Votes To Block FBI Headquarters Relocation

Senate Committee Votes To Block FBI Headquarters Relocation

Authored by Savannah Hulsey Pointer via The Epoch Times,

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to ban the Federal Bureau of Investigation from a planned move to the Ronald Reagan building in Washington, D.C.

The July 10 vote approved a Justice Department funding bill amendment that blocked the Trump administration from keeping the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., through a change in destination for the bureau.

The Republican majority committee voted 15-14 to adopt language that would halt a move from the J. Edgar Hoover Building site to any location that isn’t the previously approved site in Greenbelt, Maryland, that was chosen by the General Services Administration in 2023.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) crossed party lines to join Democrats in supporting halting the administration’s proposed move.

“My understanding is that this has been a decision that was made just very recently,” Murkowski said ahead of the vote. “So I, for one, would like to know that this analysis has actually been going on for more than just a couple [of] months, that there’s actually been that effort to ensure that we’re going to move forward.”

The amendment to block the move was introduced by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who said the previous decision to move the FBI to Maryland was made as a result of a lengthy process that involved Congressional criteria and lengthy discourse.

According to the lawmaker, the Trump administration did not perform adequate research and analysis before choosing to repurpose the Ronald Reagan building for the FBI headquarters.

“A few weeks ago, the administration just announced that it wanted to snatch the $555 million that had been set aside for down payment on that selected site and use it instead to move the FBI into the Ronald Reagan Building,” Van Hollen said during the markup session.

“No analysis done with respect to security requirements, no analysis done with respect to FBI mission requirements, no review of the underlying statute as to the purpose of the Ronald Reagan Building, no analysis of what they would do with current tenants in that building.”

According to Van Hollen, allowing the change to happen sets a dangerous precedent that cedes power designated to the legislative branch and allows the executive branch to overstep.

Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) contradicted that argument, saying that Congress is “micromanaging the FBI.”

“We have to trust the experts as we put them in place,” Mullin said before the vote on the amendment, referencing those in authority at the agency.

“To make the assumption that the FBI would possibly put their men and women in a less secure building is laughable.”

The lawmaker rebutted the idea that Congress would know better than the FBI what the agency’s security decisions for a location should be.

“They know security, I promise you, better than all of us. This is what they fight, they fight threats … for us to try to micromanage their site planning is ridiculous,” Mullin said.

“We need to allow them to make a decision. We haven’t been able to make a decision, nor do we make a decision; we allow and support their decision that they make.

“I would assume we need to lean in and trust these individuals, because we’re not talking about Republicans or Democrats, we’re talking about the FBI.”

The Epoch Times has reached out to the FBI for comment.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 15:05

California To Lose 17% Of Oil Refining Capacity: EIA

California To Lose 17% Of Oil Refining Capacity: EIA

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

California could lose 17 percent of its oil refinery capacity over the next 12 months due to two scheduled refinery closures, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a July 9 statement.

In October, energy company Phillips 66 announced plans to shut down its Wilmington refinery in the Los Angeles area by the fourth quarter of this year. The facility processes 139,000 barrels per day of oil.

In April, Valero Energy Corporation said it would cease operations at Benicia refinery in the Bay Area, which processes 145,000 barrels per day, by April 2026.

Closure of the facilities can lead to “increases in fuel price volatility on the West Coast,” EIA said, highlighting that California “usually has higher retail gasoline prices compared with the national average.”

According to data from the American Automobile Association, the average price of regular gasoline was $4.53 per gallon in California as of July 10, the highest among all 50 states and up by almost 43 percent compared to the national average price of $3.17 per gallon. Mississippi had the lowest price at $2.71 per gallon.

In a May 30 commentary, Vance Ginn, president of Ginn Economic Consulting, LLC, called California’s high gasoline prices a “man-made problem—a case study in government failure, not market failure.”

Ginn blames decades of state taxes, and what he called misguided climate mandates and regulatory overreach, for distorting California’s gasoline market. He pointed out that regulatory costs and taxes alone make up over $1.30 per gallon in costs, which he said was “nearly double the national average.”

“California has the highest gas tax in the country, at $0.678 per gallon, not including additional fees and environmental surcharges,” he said.

“Add in the Cap-and-Trade program, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), and boutique fuel blends that are required only in California, and it becomes clear why Californians pay more.”

According to a May 5 post by the EIA, California mandates a special gasoline blend in a bid to cut down pollution and improve air quality. Such fuel is more costly to produce due to expensive blending components and processing steps involved, the agency said.

In its July 9 statement, the EIA said a reason for high gasoline prices in California was the “relative lack of logistical connectivity” on the West Coast compared to other refinery hubs such as the Gulf Coast.

The supply shortfall created by the closure of Wilmington refinery in the Los Angeles area and Valero’s Benicia refinery is likely to result in an “outsized impact” on the West Coast “because it cannot be easily filled by other refineries elsewhere in the country,” the EIA warned.

“Given the limited connectivity to other U.S. refining hubs, the most likely source of replacement fuels will be imports from Asia, particularly imports of jet fuel and gasoline,” it added. “Phillips 66 is planning to produce some California-grade gasoline at its refinery in Washington, and some refineries in India and South Korea can meet these specifications.”

The EIA forecasts a small increase in retail gasoline prices on the West Coast next year due to capacity closures. In contrast, gasoline prices elsewhere in the country are predicted to decline.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 14:25

California To Lose 17% Of Oil Refining Capacity: EIA

California To Lose 17% Of Oil Refining Capacity: EIA

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

California could lose 17 percent of its oil refinery capacity over the next 12 months due to two scheduled refinery closures, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a July 9 statement.

In October, energy company Phillips 66 announced plans to shut down its Wilmington refinery in the Los Angeles area by the fourth quarter of this year. The facility processes 139,000 barrels per day of oil.

In April, Valero Energy Corporation said it would cease operations at Benicia refinery in the Bay Area, which processes 145,000 barrels per day, by April 2026.

Closure of the facilities can lead to “increases in fuel price volatility on the West Coast,” EIA said, highlighting that California “usually has higher retail gasoline prices compared with the national average.”

According to data from the American Automobile Association, the average price of regular gasoline was $4.53 per gallon in California as of July 10, the highest among all 50 states and up by almost 43 percent compared to the national average price of $3.17 per gallon. Mississippi had the lowest price at $2.71 per gallon.

In a May 30 commentary, Vance Ginn, president of Ginn Economic Consulting, LLC, called California’s high gasoline prices a “man-made problem—a case study in government failure, not market failure.”

Ginn blames decades of state taxes, and what he called misguided climate mandates and regulatory overreach, for distorting California’s gasoline market. He pointed out that regulatory costs and taxes alone make up over $1.30 per gallon in costs, which he said was “nearly double the national average.”

“California has the highest gas tax in the country, at $0.678 per gallon, not including additional fees and environmental surcharges,” he said.

“Add in the Cap-and-Trade program, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), and boutique fuel blends that are required only in California, and it becomes clear why Californians pay more.”

According to a May 5 post by the EIA, California mandates a special gasoline blend in a bid to cut down pollution and improve air quality. Such fuel is more costly to produce due to expensive blending components and processing steps involved, the agency said.

In its July 9 statement, the EIA said a reason for high gasoline prices in California was the “relative lack of logistical connectivity” on the West Coast compared to other refinery hubs such as the Gulf Coast.

The supply shortfall created by the closure of Wilmington refinery in the Los Angeles area and Valero’s Benicia refinery is likely to result in an “outsized impact” on the West Coast “because it cannot be easily filled by other refineries elsewhere in the country,” the EIA warned.

“Given the limited connectivity to other U.S. refining hubs, the most likely source of replacement fuels will be imports from Asia, particularly imports of jet fuel and gasoline,” it added. “Phillips 66 is planning to produce some California-grade gasoline at its refinery in Washington, and some refineries in India and South Korea can meet these specifications.”

The EIA forecasts a small increase in retail gasoline prices on the West Coast next year due to capacity closures. In contrast, gasoline prices elsewhere in the country are predicted to decline.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 14:25

It's A Smart Move For Russia To Strike Ukrainian Draft Centers

It's A Smart Move For Russia To Strike Ukrainian Draft Centers

Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,

The Financial Times (FT) reported that “Russia attacks Ukraine’s draft offices in effort to undermine armed forces”, which drew attention to its latest strategy nearly three and a half years into the conflict.

What began as a special operation quickly transformed into a proxy war that’s since become a “race of logistics”/“war of attrition”.

Accordingly, without Trump coercing Zelensky to comply with Putin’s demands for peace and given his promise to send more “defensive weapons”, the conflict will continue.

It therefore makes sense that Russia would finally target Ukraine’s military logistics, particularly its draft centers, with a view towards preventing Kiev from replenishing its frontline losses in order to consequently raise the chances of a game-changing breakthrough somewhere along the front. Russia still won’t destroy Ukraine’s bridges across the Dnieper, possibly for the reasons speculated here last year, but striking its draft centers is better than nothing and could give also Russia a soft power edge.

As the FT acknowledged in their report, these draft centers are incredibly unpopular among the people, so it therefore follows that Russia’s destruction of them could lead to average Ukrainians breathing a sigh of relief and perhaps becoming more inclined towards a political solution to this long-running conflict. Those that already were anti-Russian or became so throughout the course of the hostilities might not change their political views, but what’s important is that they might not oppose concessions to Russia.

To be sure, the primary reason why Zelensky doesn’t want to comply with any of Putin’s demands for peace is because it could set into motion fast-moving events that remove him from power, but public opinion also plays a role in falsely justifying this self-interested position to the population. The independent organization of large-scale protests is practically impossible in Ukraine nowadays due to the SBU’s domestic dominance, but decisive shifts in public opinion could prompt a power struggle.

That institution and/or others could potentially see an opportunity in that scenario to allow some controlled protests for the purpose of pressuring Zelensky “from below” into doing what’s needed to end the conflict, which could then legitimize pressure upon him from their institution(s) too. The goal would be to remove him from power, even if only through the new elections that he promised would shortly follow the end of the conflict, and then potentially profit from lucrative reconstruction contracts.

For as compelling as this sequence might seem, it can’t be taken for granted, but the possibility still remains that Russia might at least obtain a soft power edge if it continues striking these draft centers. More average Ukrainians will likely appreciate that since they don’t want to die for Zelensky. Even JD Vance recognizes this reality as proven by him telling the world in late February during his fight with Zelensky in the White House about Ukraine’s forcible conscription policy and recruitment problems.

It's therefore a smart move for Russia to finally start striking Ukrainian draft centers since this could raise the chances for a breakthrough somewhere along the front, help to decisively shift domestic public opinion against the conflict, and thus make it easier for “deep state” forces to conspire against Zelensky.

Russia has nothing to lose and everything to gain by keeping up and possibly expanding these strikes since they hit Zelensky where it hurts in more ways than one.

*  *  *

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/11/2025 - 13:45

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