New Study Reveals MILLIONS of People Were Affected by Ohio Train Derailment

Ken Silva
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New Study Reveals MILLIONS of People Were Affected by Ohio Train Derailment

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) In March, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy testified to Congress that Norfolk Southern’s half-baked plan in February 2023 to ignite chemicals released in its East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment was entirely unnecessary, as officials could have waited for the chemicals to cool down before removing them.

And now, that entirely unnecessary disaster has been revelaed to have affected some 110 million people in the U.S., according to a new study from  the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“In total, we estimate at least some impact on portions of 16 states and one-third of the population of the US (110 million), and likely impacts to southern Ontario, and many of the Laurentian Great Lakes,” said the study, which was published in Environmental Research Letters.

The study comes some two months after Norfolk Southern agreed to pay $600 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement to the disaster victims in East Palestine. But the study said researchers were also still tallying the damage done.

“This is only an initial assessment of the impacts of the train derailment on atmospheric and precipitation chemistry, using publicly available NADP-NTN data; much more can be added to this understanding of the accident’s impact,” stated the study.

The Feb. 3, 2023, explosion resulted in a 1 million-pound chemical burn pit, which produced a mushroom cloud that spread toxins for miles.

“I’m not sure Norfolk Southern could have come up with a worse plan to address this disaster. Residents exposed to vinyl chloride may already be undergoing DNA mutations that could linger for years or even decades before manifesting as terrible and deadly cancers,” said one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

The settlement has yet to be approved by a federal judge.

Norfolk Southern has already spent more than $1.1 billion on its response to the derailment, including more than $104 million in direct aid to East Palestine and its residents.

The study was first reported by Courthouse News.

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.

Central Banks’ Appetite for Gold Hasn’t Been Satisfied

Money Metals News Service
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Central Banks’ Appetite for Gold Hasn’t Been Satisfied

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) Central banks have been gobbling up gold, and based on responses to the World Gold Council’s 2024 Central Bank Gold Reserves Survey, their appetites for the yellow metal aren’t going to be satisfied any time soon.

Last year, central banks added a net 1,037 tons of gold to their reserves, just slightly below the record of 1,082 tons in the previous year.

That pace of buying will likely continue.

Based on a World Gold Council survey that included 70 respondents, 29 percent of central banks plan to add more gold to their reserves in the next 12 months. The WGC said it was the highest level since the survey began in 2018.

Only 3 percent said they had plans to decrease gold reserves.

Eighty-one percent of the respondents said they expect overall global gold reserves to increase in the next 12 months. That was up from 71 percent in the 2023 survey.

Meanwhile, 69 percent of the central bankers surveyed said they think global gold reserves will be higher in five years. That was up from 62 percent in last year’s survey. In 2022, only 46 percent of the respondents thought gold reserves would be higher in five years.

The results would seem to indicate the panic and gold selloff that happened recently when China didn’t announce any change to its reserves for the first time in well over a year was probably overblown. Central banks aren’t about to stop increasing their gold reserves any time soon.

Why Gold?

Why do central banks hold gold in their reserves?

According to the World Gold Council, “[Gold] purchases are chiefly motivated by a desire to rebalance to a more preferred strategic level of gold holdings, domestic gold production, and financial market concerns including higher crisis risks and rising inflation.”

When asked about specific factors that influence overall reserve decisions, interest rate levels ranked first. Inflation concerns and geopolitical instability were the second and third biggest factors influencing reserve decisions.   

A growing number of emerging market central bankers said they were concerned about shifts in global economic power. This likely reflects the growing de-dollarization trend and worries that the U.S. and other Western powers could use the dollar as a foreign policy weapon. In fact, 32 percent of the central bankers surveyed admitted that de-dollarization was a factor in their decisions to hold gold.

Central banks specifically hold gold for several reasons.

The number one reason is gold serves as a long-term store of value, and it creates a hedge against inflation.

Other key reasons given for holding gold were its performance during times of crisis, its role as a portfolio diversifier, and the fact that there is no default risk.

Emerging and developing market central banks view risks differently than those in developed markets. A higher proportion of EMDE central banks viewed the following factors as more relevant to their decision to hold gold: 

  • Concerns about systemic financial risks
  • Lack of political risk
  • Concerns about sanctions
  • Anticipations of changes in the international monetary system

This likely reflects the ongoing shift of gold from the West to the East. Policymakers in the U.S. and Europe don’t seem to grasp the significance of this shift.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for MoneyMetals.com with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Indian Gold Demand Remained Strong in May Despite Record Prices

Money Metals News Service
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Indian Gold Demand Remained Strong in May Despite Record Prices

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) Indian gold demand remained strong last month despite record prices. India ranks as the world’s number two gold consumer, just behind China. 

According to the World Gold Council, there is currently strong, positive consumer sentiment toward gold in India, and it is currently viewed as an attractive investment due to surging prices.

Gold buying exceeded expectations leading up to the Akshaya Tritiya festival. The festival took place on May 10 and is a traditional auspicious day for gold purchases. According to the World Gold Council, buying was surprisingly strong given that prices were 23 percent higher than they were during the 2023 festival.

“Anecdotal accounts from jewelers and various industry stakeholders suggest that there was significant pre-booking of gold jewelry, bars, and coins well before the festival, as consumers took advantage of the moderation in price from its April peak. Additionally, there was notable demand for wedding jewelry – typically heavier pieces – despite the busy wedding season being some months away.”

Retail demand slacked off after the festival season, especially in the jewelry sector, but investors have been undeterred. There is strong interest in gold coins and bars with sales up 19 percent year-on-year.

The price of gold set a record in rupee terms in mid-May. The steadily rising price has created headwinds for retail demand, but has sustained investment buying. The price pulled back later in May with some profit-taking but still finished up 1 percent on the month. That follows on the heels of a 9 percent gain in March and a 5 percent increase in April.

Despite upward price pressure, gold imports into India have been on an upward trend over the last three months. Based on preliminary data, the country imported around 45 tons of gold in May. That was up slightly over the 43 tons of gold imported the previous month. Gold import values came in at around $3.2 billion. That was a 7.7 percent month-on-month rise.

Reflecting investor demand for the yellow metal, inflows of gold into ETFs turned positive in May after funds reported outflows in April. Indian-based ETFs increased their gold holdings by 1 ton. Collectively, Indian funds hold about 46 tons of gold.

Before the outflow in April, Indian-based ETFs had added gold for 12 straight months, bucking the global trend of funds shrinking their gold holdings.

World Gold Council analysts expect retail jewelry demand to remain subdued in the near term. Late May through July is typically the slowest season for gold sales. But they anticipate an uptick in demand in the latter half of Q3 as festival season approaches.

“Conversations with the industry suggest that manufacturers are choosing not to increase their inventories at this time but could build stock as early as August, with activity picking up steam as the quarter progresses.”

The WGC expects investment demand to persist in line with the current trend despite high prices.

Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India has also gone on a gold-buying spree. According to the latest data released by the RBI, the Indian central bank increased its gold reserves by 36 tons so far this year. Based on official data and World Gold Council estimates the Indian central bank increased its gold holdings by 3.7 tons in May and 2.8 tons in the first week of June.

The RBI added 16 tons of gold to its holdings through the entirety of 2023.

The RBI’s gold holdings now stand at a new peak of 834.2 tons, constituting 8.7 percent of total forex reserves.

Indians have historically had an affinity for gold. Indian households own an estimated 25,000 tons of gold, and that likely understates the amount given the large black market in the country. Gold is deeply interwoven into the country’s marriage ceremonies and cultural rituals. Indians have long valued the yellow metal as a store of wealth, especially in poorer rural regions. Around two-thirds of India’s gold demand comes from beyond the urban centers, where large numbers of people operate outside the tax system.

Gold isn’t considered a luxury in India. Even poor Indians buy gold. According to a 2018 ICE 360° survey, one in every two households in India had purchased gold within the last five years. Overall, 87 percent of Indian households own some gold. Even households at the lowest income levels in India hold some of the yellow metal. According to the survey, more than 75 percent of families in the bottom 10 percent of income managed to buy some gold.

The yellow metal was a lifeline for Indians buffeted by the economic storm caused by the government’s response to COVID-19. After the Indian government locked down the country, banks tightened credit to mitigate the default risk. Unable to secure traditional loans, Indians used gold to secure financing. As Indians endured a second wave of lockdowns, many Indians resorted to selling gold outright to make ends meet.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for MoneyMetals.com with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Dangerous Mexican Illegal Causes Deadly Crash, Listed as ‘White’ in Jail

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
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Dangerous Mexican Illegal Causes Deadly Crash, Listed as ‘White’ in Jail

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) A dangerous illegal alien from Mexico who caused a crash in Colorado that left one person dead and two others injured was listed as “white” in jail.

It was also reported that he had multiple arrests to his name and has left and re-entered the U.S. more than a dozen times, Blaze Media reported.

Just over a week ago, Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza, a 47-year-old Mexican, was driving a semi-truck down southbound I-285, a two-lane highway in a mountainous area of Colorado about 30 miles west of Denver, with witnesses claiming he was driving very fast, the news source added.

Cruz-Mendoza attempted to pass several cars. As a result of his side-swiping the cars before losing control of the truck and rolling over, he caused his haul of pipe and angle iron to come crashing down on five other vehicles.

Two people were hurt during the crash and one of them is in critical condition. A 64-year-old Scott Miller, a truck driver, husband, father and grandfather, died because of the crash.

Cruz-Mendoza was arrested at the scene and initially charged with multiple felonies, among which were vehicular assault and vehicular homicide. The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, however, has since reduced those charges to one count of careless driving resulting in death and three counts of careless driving resulting in injury, all of which are misdemeanors, the news source said.

Majority of Hispanics Support Deporting All Illegals

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
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Majority of Hispanics Support Deporting All Illegals

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) A new survey found that a majority of Hispanic Americans support a mass deportation plan for illegal aliens.

A CBS/YouGov poll that was conducted from June 5, 2024, to June 7, 2024, revealed that 53% of Hispanic adults approve of “a new national program to deport all undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. illegally,” with only 47% of Hispanic respondents saying they opposed such a measure, which is outside the poll’s margin of error.

The survey’s political and demographic breakdown also indicated widespread support for the hypothetical mass deportation plan.

The survey’s findings also showed that, in total, 62% of respondents favored deporting “all” illegal immigrants from the U.S..

Among those people were a majority of men, women, independents, conservatives, moderates, Republicans, individuals with a four-year college degree, those without a college education, generally speaking, and people over 30 years of age. Only black Americans, Democrats, leftists and adults under 30 were mostly opposed to such a plan.

The poll’s findings were released after other surveys indicated that Americans are shifting right on immigration issues, the Daily Caller reported.

An Economist/YouGov poll released on June 12, 2024,  stated that only 29% of Americans approve of Joe Biden’s disastrous handling of immigration. Additionally, more than 60% of the survey’s respondents said they disapproved of Biden’s handling of the issue, and among those, 47% said they strongly disapproved.

Other polls also highlighted a more hardline shift in immigration policies, showing that American voters have become increasingly more receptive to the idea of mass deportations of illegal aliens, a border wall and detention camps for illegals awaiting removal. The results show more support for border enforcement policies favored by Donald Trump.

The Caller reported that Trump has vowed on the campaign trail to conduct mass deportations of illegals as soon as he steps into the White House.

The survey polled 2,063 adults in the United States and included a margin of error under 4%, the news source added.

Mayorkas Defends Admission of ISIS-Linked Individuals, Citing Ignorance

Luis Cornelio
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Mayorkas Defends Admission of ISIS-Linked Individuals, Citing Ignorance

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the decision by immigration authorities to admit eight individuals with alleged ties to ISIS, citing initial ignorance of the men’s terror ties. 

In an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta on Laura Coates Live, Mayorkas stated, “We had eight individuals of concern as to whom we did not have derogatory information when first encountered at the border.” 

Expanding on his answer, Mayorkas added, “We made determinations and the service of our law enforcement objectives in the service of our highest priority to keep the American people safe and secure, to take immigration enforcement action.” 

Earlier this month, eight men from Tajikistan, alleged to have ties to ISIS, were arrested in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, according to NBC News and the New York Post.  

These individuals had been under surveillance by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force before being apprehended by ICE after their admission by the Biden administration with clean background checks. 

At least two of the men were admitted in spring 2023, with one using the controversial CBP One app for entry.  

NBC News reported that two of the eight had been under surveillance for several months and were later overheard discussing bombs. 

Confirming the arrests, both DHS and the FBI stated, “Over the last few days, ICE agents arrested several non-citizens pursuant to immigration authorities.” 

The Biden agencies continued, “The actions were carried out in close coordination with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces. The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings … The FBI and DHS will continue working around the clock with our partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt potential threats to national security.” 

Louisiana to Display 10 Commandments in Public Classrooms

Editor
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Louisiana to Display 10 Commandments in Public Classrooms

(Headline USA) Louisiana has become the first state to require that the 10 Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom under a bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday.

The legislation mandates that a poster-size display of the 10 Commandments in “large, easily readable font” be required in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities.

Although the bill did not receive final approval from Landry, the time for gubernatorial action—to sign or veto the bill—has lapsed.

Opponents question the law’s constitutionality, warning that lawsuits are likely to follow. Supporters, however, say the purpose of the measure is not solely religious, and that it has historical significance.

In the law’s language, the 10 Commandments are described as “foundational documents of our state and national government.”

The displays will be paired with a four-paragraph explanation of how the 10 Commandments were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries, and must be in place in classrooms by the start of 2025.

The legislation stipulates that the posters will be paid for through donations and state funds will not be used to implement the mandate.

The law also authorizes—but does not require—the display of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the Northwest Ordinance in public schools.

Not long after the governor signed the bill into law, leftist organizations reacted by threatening to file lawsuits to prevent the implementation of the law.

“The law prevents students from getting an equal education and will keep children who have different beliefs from feeling safe at school,” the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation said in a joint statement Wednesday afternoon.

“Even among those who may believe in some version of the 10 Commandments, the particular text that they adhere to can differ by religious denomination or tradition,” the groups added. “The government should not be taking sides in this theological debate.”

Similar bills requiring the 10 Commandments be displayed in classrooms have been proposed in other states including Texas, Oklahoma and Utah. However, with threats of legal battles over the constitutionality of such measures, no state besides Louisiana has had success in making the bills law.

Legal battles over the display of the 10 Commandments in classrooms are not new.

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar Kentucky law was unconstitutional and violated the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says Congress can “make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

The high court found that the law had no secular purpose but rather served a plainly religious purpose.

Louisiana’s law, in a state ensconced in the Bible Belt, comes during a new era of conservative leadership in the state under Landry, who replaced two-term Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards in January.

The GOP also has a two-thirds supermajority in the Legislature, and Republicans hold every statewide elected position, allowing lawmakers to easily push through effective and meaningful conservative policies during the legislative session that concluded earlier this month.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Far-Left Daily Beast Collapses, Goes Bankrupt, 70% of Staffers Fired

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
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Far-Left Daily Beast Collapses, Goes Bankrupt, 70% of Staffers Fired

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) The Daily Beast, the far-left propaganda website, started firing its senior editorial team with nearly 70% of unionized staffers leaving the outlet.

The news came after the Beast implemented voluntary buyouts last month, according to the Wrap.

Media reporter Justin Baragona, political investigations reporter Jose Pagliery, senior national reporter Pilar Melendez, senior reporter Emily Shugerman, and many more were among the senior staffers taking buyouts.

Additionally, it was reported that 25 unionized staffers took the buyouts, equivalent to nearly 70% of the guild, including almost all of the outlet’s senior staffers.

Non-union editorial staffers are expecting another round of layoffs at the end of the month, the news source added.

“We’re currently watching the collapse of The Beast. There is no doubt the site won’t be able to recover from this. One of the first lessons of any company: don’t alienate your core customer and piss them off so much they begin to call for a boycott against your firm,” the Wrap’s source said.

At the end of May, the Daily Beast Union announced negotiated voluntary buyouts for staffers after a leadership overhaul. The buyout applications were intended to hit a $1.5 million reduction threshold. Additional cuts are expected as a complete rebuild of the outlet is conducted.

“With such a generous severance offer, we anticipated a large number of employees would take the voluntary buyout. We are not at all surprised. These numbers allow us to move forward with our plan to secure the financial future of the Beast and rebuild a newsroom that will thrive in the current landscape. It’s always difficult when dedicated employees choose to step away. We thank them and wish them the best in their future endeavors,” the Beast’s spokesperson said.

Union members now have a week to accept the buyout or rescind their application, which could impact the number of staffers leaving the Beast.

Biden’s Own Aides Questioning Flawed 2024 Strategy: ‘That Is Scary’

Luis Cornelio
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Biden’s Own Aides Questioning Flawed 2024 Strategy: ‘That Is Scary’

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Top Democrats and White House aides are finally coming to their senses, questioning whether President Joe Biden’s 2024 election strategy—hoping voters will simply reject Donald Trump—will actually work. 

Several of the aides said that Biden’s uninspiring agenda and plans to exploit the Jan. 6 protests of 2021 are poised to hand the White House back to Trump in 2024, according to interviews conducted by Axios. 

“It is unclear to many of us watching from the outside whether the president and his core team realize how dire the situation is right now, and whether they even have a plan to fix it. That is scary,” an unnamed Democrat strategist tied to the Biden campaign told Axios. 

According to the outlet, some Biden aides are panicking about raising alarms regarding their losing strategies in meetings due to potential repercussions. 

“Even for those close to the center, there is a hesitance to raise skepticism or doubt about the current path, for fear of being viewed as disloyal,” an individual close to the Biden circle told Axios. “There is not a discussion that a change of course is needed.”

These concerns come as the president faces growing polls indicating that he could be on his way to becoming a one-term president. 

In addition to these polls, several viral videos show Biden, 81, struggling with mobility and speech—and often appearing confused about his whereabouts. 

Much like the 2016 campaign of twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Biden seems to be relying on the assumption that American voters will reject Trump on the ballot. 

In line with this strategy, Biden deployed his top White House aides, Mike Donilon and Jen O’Malley Dillon, to run the 2024 re-election campaign. 

Donilon told the New Yorker, “The Democratic Party didn’t want to believe it was a 9/11 election. …I decided, after the election, I would never be part of a presidential campaign that didn’t figure out — with clarity — what it wanted to say and stick to it.” 

According to Donilon, Jan. 6—not pressing issues like inflation, immigration, or Biden’s frequent gaffes—would be a key issue in 2024.

“This is Joe Biden’s strategy — and Mike Donilon and his top advisers are in agreement with the president,” the Biden campaign told Axios. “The polling shows that democracy ended up a top issue of concern for voters in 2022, and it will be in 2024.” 

Axios’s reporting came just less than a week after some aides questioned whether Biden should have run for president at all in 2020. 

‘How Can You Not Hit That?’ Wade’s Rancid Interview on Willis Affair

Luis Cornelio
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‘How Can You Not Hit That?’ Wade’s Rancid Interview on Willis Affair

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Nathan Wade, the disgraced former Fulton County prosecutor, spoke candidly about his affair with District Attorney Fani Willis during a rancid interview on The Daily Show on Comedy Central. 

Interviewed by comedian Marlon Wayans, in character as Quan, Wade faced a barrage of sarcastic yet probing questions. The Media Research Center transcribed the interview, highlighting its contentious nature.

Wayans asked the former prosecutor involved in the Georgia case against former President Donald Trump, “How can you not hit that? How can you not? We spending that much time together, we doing everything, we might as well!”

Wade is currently on a media tour seemingly seeking to rehabilitate his disgraced image after being exposed for his affair with Willis while both led criminal charges against Trump. 

Trump and his co-defendants cited conflicts of interest as a reason to dismiss both prosecutors and throw out the case.  

The presiding judge, Scott F. McAfee, ruled that for the prosecution to continue, Wade needed to quit the case. He complied, but the scandal persisted as the case is currently paused pending an appeal by Trump.

Earlier in the Comedy Central interview, Wayans asked Wade, “What was your first thought when you had the affair with Fani become public between you and here?” 

Defending himself, Wade claimed, “I don’t label it an affair. D.A. Willis is a respectable mother, a brilliant legal mind. We spent countless hours preparing this case, investigating this case.” 

Wayans, maintaining his Quan character, responded, “I see it all happen, countless hours, and I need a foot rub, and, you know what I mean? She rubbed your foot like, ‘Here, let me give you a massage’ and all of a sudden we up on this desk.”

Wade deflected, retorting, “No. Not even close. Not even close. Not even close.” 

When asked whether Wade or Willis initiated the affair, he added, “That’s a great question, right, so during the course of the investigation we would meet early mornings, weekends, spend full days.” 

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