Border Agency Discovers Enough Fentanyl to Kill 75K People Hidden in Hamburgers

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Border Agency Discovers Enough Fentanyl to Kill 75K People Hidden in Hamburgers

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso area ports of entry seized a large amount of drugs being smuggled into the country in novel ways. One female was caught hiding fentanyl inside her body, another in a hamburger.

In the past two weeks, POE agents with CBP El Paso seized more than 62 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 25 pounds of fentanyl, and more than 158 pounds of marijuana.

Two milligrams of fentanyl, the weight of a mosquito, is considered a lethal dose. One pound of fentanyl, or 453,592 milligrams, is enough to kill 226,796 people; 25 pounds is enough to kill 5.6 million people, or roughly two cities the size of Houston, Texas.

According to AddictionResources.net, a lethal dose of methamphetamine is an estimated 200 milligrams. Based on these estimates and the seizure amounts, CBP agents seized enough lethal doses of meth to kill more than 14 million people, or nearly half the state of Texas.

The way the drugs were smuggled in also posed a danger to those smuggling them and to CBP agents potentially exposed to them, officials told the Center Square.

Recent highlighted arrests include alleged drug smugglers strapping packages of drugs to their body, hiding drugs inside their body or inside food.

On March 14, CBP officers working at the Paso Del Norte International Bridge POE apprehended a 34-year-old male U.S citizen attempting to smuggle in roughly one pound of methamphetamine. He had gone to Mexico and upon reentering the U.S., CBP officers discovered he had allegedly strapped packages of meth to his leg.

On March 23, CBP officers working at the same POE intercepted roughly a third of a pound of fentanyl—enough to kill roughly 75,600 people— from a 27-year-old female U.S. citizen who tried to conceal it in her hamburger.

CBP officers found a plastic wrapped bundle inside an uneaten hamburger she said she was bringing back from Mexico.

On March 18, CBP officers working at the Ysleta–Zaragoza International Bridge POE apprehended a 32-year-old female U.S. citizen attempting to smuggle into the country fentanyl inside her purse and inside her body.

CBP officers found a bundle of 0.19 pounds of fentanyl wrapped in black tape inside her purse. As she was being booked into a detention facility, a body X-ray scan revealed she had hidden a bundle of fentanyl inside her vaginal cavity.

On March 21, CBP officers working at the Presidio–Ojinaga International Bridge POE apprehended a 34-year-old male Mexican citizen attempting to smuggle into the country methamphetamine.

He was directed to a secondary inspection “due to travel inconsistencies,” CBP said. Upon further inspection of his vehicle, CBP officers discovered aluminum foiled wrapped packages in the gas tank area and seized more than 61 pounds of methamphetamine.

On March 26, CBP officers working at the Bridge of the Americas POE intercepted more than 25 pounds of fentanyl from two Mexican citizens attempting to enter the country. A 25-year-old man and a 22-year-old female, both Mexican citizens, were pulled over following a non-intrusive search of their vehicle. Officers found “anomalies in the rear doors of the vehicle,” where they found the drugs.

Agents also seized $162,539 of illicit currency and arrested 44 fugitives over the same time-period. The 44 arrests relate to perpetrators allegedly committing embezzlement, child sexual assault, assault with a deadly weapon, larceny, alien smuggling, dangerous drugs, and driving under the influence.

Everyone who was arrested was turned over to federal and state authorities for prosecution.

“These seizures and arrests are a perfect example of the hard work that our CBP officers are doing on a daily basis,” El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha said. “We all have a professional and personal stake in working hard to keep our communities safe.”

It comes, however, as the Biden administration faces heavy criticism surrounding its open-border policies, which have allowed an estimated 11 million illegals into the country.

Trump Impeachment Hoaxer Gets Savaged on Twitter amid Attempted House Run

Jacob Bruns
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Trump Impeachment Hoaxer Gets Savaged on Twitter amid Attempted House Run

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Eugene Vindman, identical twin brother of former Donald Trump “whistleblower” Alexander Vindman, penned a Tweet on Sunday praising himself and his brother for their role in the impeachment process as he attempts to run for an open Virginia seat for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman, a retired U.S. Army colonel, is seeking to replace Democrat Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s 7th District as she plans to run for governor next year.

Both the Democrat and Republican fields ahead of the June 18 primary are crowded with eight candidates each, along with an independent candidate running in the Nov. 5 general election.

The district, once a safe conservative seat in the region directly north of Richmond and south of Washington, D.C., has become one of the most closely watched and contested seats after Spanberger, a former CIA officer, succeeded in flipping it during the 2018 election, largely due to redistricting and demographic changes.

Both Vindman and Spanberger have dishonestly framed themselves as patriotic centrists, belying their lockstep support of the radical leftist agenda.

However, if Twitter users offered any indication, Vindman will have a far more difficult time duping moderate voters than his predecessor, given the pre-existing notoriety of his last name in an election that will also have Trump at the top of the ballot.

Although his most recent tweet wasn’t technically “ratioed“—meaning that it received double the number of comments as retweets, indicating the original tweet’s unpopularity—the negative remarks had far eclipsed the positive ones.

Many accused Vindman of being a traitor to his country for his seditious role in the impeachment sham that involved Democrats investigating Trump over a phone call to newly elected Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We reported the call together,” he said of the phone call, which Alexander Vindman—who was eavesdropping on Trump’s call a staffer embedded in the National Security Council—worked with leftist operative Eric Ciaramella to leak to then-House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff.

Alexander Vindman served as one of the star witnesses in the ensuing impeachment effort, for which Trump ultimately was acquitted. Both of the Vindmans were later fired and escorted from the White House, although equally traitorous Defense Sec. Mark Esper would go on to promote them for their loyal services to the resistance.

Since retiring from the military, they have continued to express their partisan anti-Trump views on social media, confirming the likelihood that their motives in undermining the commander-in-chief were less than noble or patriotic.

Eugene Vindman’s latest tweet included melodramatic video footage with a voice-over narrative from the candidate himself, declaring that he hoped to save democracy if elected to the U.S. Congress.

“It all began with a phone call,” he said in the video.

“Our Democracy: fragile, unbroken, but not unblemished,” he added. “…I’m running for Congress to stop authoritarians and extremists.”

Vindman went on to suggest that dictators “are not merely the villains who sit overseas” before cutting to a scene with a recording of Trump’s voice being played.

However, hundreds of Twitter users reacted by instead slamming Vindman as a traitor.

Michael Beatty, whose Twitter identified him as “Chaplain to Trump’s Online War Machine,” wrote that Vindman was “the worst of America.”

Another user, Future Proof Strategies founder John McNally, who provides “strategic solutions” in international relations, pointed out to Vindman that Trump’s actions as the nation’s top military official were totally constitutional.

“Actually, he was Commander in Chief and free to make Foreign Policy decisions,” McNally wrote. “He didn’t have to follow your ‘talking points’ for the call.”

Still another, Missouri-based computer programmer and businessman Jeff Quibell, told Vindman, “It’s sad that treason comes so easily to you.”

Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.

UK Requiring Chicken Owners to Register Their Birds or Risk Going to Prison

Ken Silva
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UK Requiring Chicken Owners to Register Their Birds or Risk Going to Prison

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Second Amendment advocates are known for saying that a firearm-registration requirement would be the first step towards confiscation.

Does the same apply for chickens? Residents of the UK could find out soon enough, as an impending new rule requires them to register their chickens by Oct. 1 or face up to a £5,000 fine ($6,350).

“Keepers will have to provide contact details, how many birds from which species are kept, as well as where and for what purpose,” The Telegraph reported last week.

“Owners who fail to register their birds face a maximum fine of £5,000 or six months in prison, although penalties depend on an assessment of harm caused.”

According to The Telegraph, the new rule is aimed to limit the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which has led to the culling of millions of poultry, and the death of an estimated 50,000 wild birds since 2021 in the biggest outbreak in the UK.

“The Government said that registering keepers would ensure they receive important updates on local avian disease outbreaks and information on biosecurity rules to help protect their flocks,” the newspaper reported.

However, the rule did not have democratic support. According to The Telegraph, a recent consultation found that  just 13% of respondents supported the change to registration for one bird or more. Previously, only those who owned 50 or more chickens were required to register them.

Jane Howorth, the chief executive of the British Hen Welfare Trust, which rehomes commercial laying hens, told The Telegraph that the new rule discourage people from rescuing chickens.

“There has been an outpouring of frustration that people will have to comply with another level of bureaucracy,” she said.

“It could impact the number of birds that are saved from slaughter because some people do not want to go through this bureaucratic registration process.”

Others were more conspiratorial, suggesting that registration requirements will lead to vaccine mandates and more.

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

A Tale of 2 Johnsons: ‘Blackmailed’ Speaker Flip-Flops on FISA ahead of Key Vote

Ken Silva
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A Tale of 2 Johnsons: ‘Blackmailed’ Speaker Flip-Flops on FISA ahead of Key Vote

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) When he sat on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., was one of the most vocal proponents for requiring U.S. intelligence agencies to obtain warrants before using Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to spy on Americans.

But now that Johnson is Speaker of the House, he’s flip-flopped and is supporting a FISA reauthorization bill that doesn’t include warrant requirements.

The House Rules Committee is reportedly set to review the Johnson-backed bill on Tuesday afternoon. Section 702 of FISA, which allows U.S. government agencies to target foreigners outside the U.S. for intelligence purposes, will sunset on April 19 unless reauthorized by Congress.

In a Monday press release, the libertarian think tank FreedomWorks blasted Johnson for pushing a watered-down bill ahead of the renewal deadline.

“I am saddened to report we’re now seeing the true and spineless Mike Johnson amid this FISA fight,” said FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon.

“The last time Section 702 came through the House, Johnson voted for the strongest possible reforms via the USA RIGHTS Act, and now he has forsaken his past support of the Fourth Amendment. Johnson also voted for the Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act during a July 2023 markup. Now, he’s denying an opportunity to consider that bill as an amendment to legislation to reauthorize Section 702,” Brandon added.

Johnson’s support for the watered-down FISA renewal bill comes about two months after he pulled a bill that would have implemented crucial warrant requirements supported by privacy advocates. At the time, Johnson said he pulled the bill “to allow Congress more time to reach consensus on how best to reform FISA and Section 702.”

Johnson’s flip-flip on FISA is his latest about-face.

After he suddenly supported a $1.2 billion spending deal that largely capitulated to Democrat demands last month, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., introduced a motion to hold a House vote on whether to vacate Johnson from the speakership.

Greene has gone as far as to suggest that Johnson is being blackmailed into supporting leftist policies.

“We cannot get anyone more moderate than Mike Johnson,” Greene recently said. “I would argue Mike Johnson, we can’t get any further Left than Mike Johnson. I think the Democrats might be happier with him than they are with Hakeem Jeffries.”

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

Idaho Gov. Opposes Gold & Silver, Vetoes Bill to Protect Reserve Funds

Money Metals News Service
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Idaho Gov. Opposes Gold & Silver, Vetoes Bill to Protect Reserve Funds

(Jp Cortez, Money Metals News Service) Idaho Gov. Brad Little today vetoed legislation that would have enabled the Idaho state treasurer to protect state reserve funds with an allocation to physical gold and silver, sending an ominous message to the state’s mining industry and investors.

Senate Bill 1314 – sponsored by Sen. Phil Hart and Rep. Barbara Ehardt – passed overwhelmingly in the Idaho State Senate before being approved by the House in late March, only to be vetoed by Gov. Little.

The House and Senate have the right to override the veto this week.

Backed by the Sound Money Defense League and thousands of grassroots Idaho activists and taxpayers – along with the Gem State’s mining industry – the measure would have allowed the Treasurer to acquire gold and silver for certain state reserve funds, helping to hedge against the risks of inflation, debt default, and financial turmoil.

Despite gold and silver’s significant present and historical value to Idaho, along with its mining industries, Gov. Little’s veto prevents the state from purchasing or holding gold and silver. This action leaves Idaho’s state funds vulnerable, exposing billions to potential losses as the real value of the state’s unhedged debt investments declines.

Sen. Hart said, “Idaho is known as the Gem State and was first settled by miners. Historically, a reliance on gold and silver is part of our state’s DNA,” after receiving Gov. Little’s first veto of the year.

By contrast, Utah and many other states – and both Republican and Democrat governors – have been embracing sound money, recognizing the growing problems of inflation and financial stability.

Under Idaho law, the State Treasurer has limited options for holding, managing, and investing state funds, making enabling legislation necessary. In fact, Idaho’s nearly $10 billion in “idle money” and other reserve funds are invested almost exclusively in treasuries, CDs, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, and agency debt.

These debt instruments carry risks – especially because they are not inflation-hedged and are therefore highly vulnerable to the steady erosion in the real value of principal, coupled with interest rates that are often negative in real terms.

SB 1314 would have permitted the Treasurer to hold up to 7.5% in state funds in physical gold and silver, so long as the assets are maintained securely in a depository specifically built for precious metals located within Idaho (or a contiguous state) or in an Idaho-charted bank or credit union.

An allocation to gold and silver fits squarely within the objective of protecting against financial risks and would logically be included on any list of safe and liquid investment options.

The monetary metals provide an important hedge against inflation, debt default risks, and stock market declines – and they have historically boosted overall investment returns while also reducing portfolio volatility.

Texas and Ohio have previously acquired gold. Meanwhile, legislation very similar to SB 1314 recently passed in Tennessee and Utah and is under consideration right now in Missouri and West Virginia.

Central banks worldwide have been stockpiling gold at record rates in recent years as concerns about the unbacked U.S. dollar have increased. Gold has recently reached a new all-time high priced in declining dollars.

Idaho is only ranked 12th on the Sound Money Index, with many of its neighbors ranked higher.

Just last month, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed a similar gold reserves bill – which further directs the Treasurer to present additional legislative proposals this Fall after conducting a study “analyzing the role of precious metals in augmenting, stabilizing, and ensuring the economic security and prosperity of the state, the families and residents of the state, and businesses in the state.”

Sound money bills have been considered in two dozen other states this year, including Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Arizona, Utah, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and more.

Jp Cortez is a graduate of Auburn University and a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the Executive Director of the Sound Money Defense League, an organization working to remonetize gold and silver through nationwide legislative efforts. Follow him on X (Twitter) @JpCortez27.

Appeals Court Overturns Punishment Imposed on J6er For Going on Tucker Carlson’s Show

Ken Silva
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Appeals Court Overturns Punishment Imposed on J6er For Going on Tucker Carlson’s Show

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) An appeals court has reversed a draconian punishment a DC District Judge imposed on a Jan. 6 defendant who appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show early last year while his criminal proceedings were still ongoing.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s March 26 decision stems from a punishment U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton imposed on Texas resident Daniel Goodwyn, who pled guilty in January 2023 to one misdemeanor count of entering the Capitol unlawfully. Walton is the same judge who recently caused a stir by publicly criticizing Donald Trump on CNN.

In March 2023, Goodwyn appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight to promote a website where supporters could donate money to him and other political prisoners. Goodwyn’s appearance on that show drew the ire of Judge Walton, who last June ordered the Probation Office to monitor Goodwyn’s computer to make sure he didn’t spread “disinformation.” Goodwyn was also sentenced to 60 days imprisonment and given a $2,500 fine.

Goodwyn appealed the portion of the sentence that imposed the computer-monitoring mandate on him.

“There is no need for Court-ordered surveillance and monitoring of social media. The FBI already surveils and monitors,” Goodwyn said in a filing to the appeals court in December.

“The FBI received Congressional funding, acquired software tools, and uses other support such that without reasonable suspicion it tracks and monitors, across all social media, the names, posts, or pictures by or about January 6th pre-trial and convicted defendants. Reports go to the DOJ,” he said.

Goodwyn further argued that everything he said on Carlson’s show was truthful, and nothing contradicted a plea agreement he had signed with the DOJ prior to his appearance.

“Mr. Goodwyn was completely truthful on Tucker Carlson’s show in March, 2023. This is affirmed by the Statement of the Offense where Mr. Goodwyn took responsibility for delaying his departure from inside the building when he stopped to talk to the live streamer,” he said.

On March 26, the DC appeals court granted Goodwyn’s appeal, remanding his case to the district court for further consideration.

If Judge Walton does decide to reimpose a computer-monitoring requirement for Goodwyn, then “it should explain its reasoning,” “develop the record in support of its decision,” and ensure that the condition accords with … constitutional protections,” the appeals justices said.

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

Woman Invokes George Floyd in Dramatic Airline Meltdown

Jacob Bruns
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Woman Invokes George Floyd in Dramatic Airline Meltdown

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) A crazed woman was escorted off her Spirit Airlines flight after she invoked Black Lives Matter icon George Floyd in a dramatic meltdown, TMZ reported.

@realkingjon This is the whole uneditded video #fyp #viral #spiritairlines ♬ original sound – KingJon

The Spirit Airlines rage incident took place on March 23, when a plane was preparing to leave Las Vegas.

While video footage did not capture the full scene, it did show police attempting to escort the hysterical woman off the plane, eventuating in her arrest.

Police officers told the woman that they intended to handcuff her after she struck one of them, to which she responded that she had “been there before,” alluding to the fact that she is black.

“I will walk out on my own,” she said as she refused to comply with police orders as she proclaimed her love of liberty. “Can I do that with freedom? All I care about is freedom.”

As police officers attempted to put on the cuffs, she began to wail loudly, shouting that they were hurting her, and comparing herself to George Floyd, who died after an arrest in 2020.

“I’m not scared,” she continued. “I’ve f**king been there before…You’re hurting me, sheriff,” she said before screaming.

“Why are you touching my leg? I can’t breathe. This is George Floyd,” she continued. “Why did you do that to me?”

Officers appeared to be taking a gentle approach throughout, suggesting the performative display was intended to go viral as many passengers were shown recording the event.

The Spirit Airlines tirade—which neither the Las Vegas Police Department nor Spirit Airlines had commented on as of Saturday—was the latest in a long string of airplane misbehavior, which is often politicized.

The crazed woman in this instance expressed her support for both Palestine and the Congo, while mixing in insults for her fellow passengers and the police officers.

“I didn’t scare anyone, them people are already scared!” she added. “It’s Congo and Palestine. What the f*** are we scared of?. . . I don’t wanna go to jail, fatso.”

It follows other recent viral meltdowns that similarly left viewers wondering if the entire episode was staged.

Last July, Texas marketing specialist Tiffany Gomas became part of internet meme history when she implied—according to the interpretations of many—that the person seated next to her was a lizard person.

“That motherf–ker is not real,” she said in a profanity-laden tirade before being escorted off the American Airlines flight.

”… You can sit on this plane and you can f–king die with them or not,” she continued. “I’m not going to.”

Some recent meltdowns have been less benign, such as an altercation over the Christmas holidays between a Delta Air Lines flight attendant and a passenger who went ballistic after claiming to have been misgendered.

Meanwhile the niece of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was charged in December for a a drunken, post-Thanksgiving tirade, in which she attempted to invoke her family ties.

Perhaps more embarrassingly for her uncle, who was campaigning against former President Donald Trump at the time for the GOP presidential nomination—attempted to avoid justice by namedropping his top campaign rival.

And in another March mishap, a passenger of Indian or Middle Eastern origin who appeared to be intoxicated unleashed a string of anti-white and anti-Semitic slurs.

Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.

Believe All Women? Ex-NYPD Cop Accuses Eric Adams of Sexual Harassment in 1993

Ken Silva
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Believe All Women? Ex-NYPD Cop Accuses Eric Adams of Sexual Harassment in 1993

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing 30-plus-year-old sexual-harassment allegations from a former NYPD employee who filed a lawsuit over the matter last month.

The lawsuit from former NYPD cop Lorna Beach-Mathura comes several months after she initially aired her allegations against Adams last November—some 30 years after the fact.

According to Beach-Mathura, she was an employee of the NYPD’s Transit Bureau, and had sought mentorship from Adams, who was a leader at the time of a fraternal organization for black NYPD officers. Beach-Mathura said she had been repeatedly passed over for promotions—a fact she attributed to being a black woman—and asked Adams for advice.

However, “Instead of helping plaintiff get fair treatment … Adams preyed on her perceived vulnerability, demanding a quid pro quo sexual favor and sexually assaulting plaintiff,” her lawsuit said.

“Adams claimed he would assist Plaintiff with an employment issue, only instead to drive her to a vacant lot and request oral sex from her. When she refused, Defendant Adams forcibly pushed Plaintiff’s hand onto his erect penis, and then, after she removed her hand, masturbated himself to completion and ejaculated on her hand.”

Beach-Mathura claimed she told her friends—including a former boss whom she remains close with—about Adams’s assault on her at the time it occurred. But she said she didn’t file a formal complaint because of fear for retaliation.

It wasn’t until when Adams signed into law the Adult Survivors Act last year—allowing victims of past sexual assaults to sue their assaulters—that she decided to act, she said.

“When Plaintiff learned that New York had passed a law allowing survivors of sexual assault to come forward many years later, she felt obligated to bring Defendant Adams’ behavior to light,” she said.

“Although she was well aware that she would be subject to slut-shaming accusations of lying … as well as the challenging scrutiny and media attention that go along with such smear campaigns, Plaintiff believed—and continues to believe—that putting the truth forward and holding assaulters and those who abuse their power accountable is worth the price she has already paid for coming forward,” she added.

Beach-Mathura seeks monetary compensation from the New York mayor.

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

Media Elite Belittle Inflation Struggles of Ordinary Americans

Money Metals News Service
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Media Elite Belittle Inflation Struggles of Ordinary Americans

(Clint Siegner, Money Metals News Service) A top writer for the Wall Street Journal thinks Americans who complain about the economy just aren’t aware of how good things are.

Chief Economics Commentator Greg Ip wrote a gaslighting article last week with the headline, “What’s Wrong With the Economy? It’s You, Not the Data.“

The article begins with the claim that Americans just don’t have the facts on inflation.

He cites the “century-old consumer-price index,” apparently unaware the index has been repeatedly and heavily modified by bureaucrats since the last embarrassing inflation crisis in the late ‘70s.

The facts are, he claims, that inflation has fallen from 6% to 3.2% over the past year, but according to polls people still think inflation is higher.

One problem with the analysis is that the author doesn’t account for something basic. When you ask Americans if inflation is higher in a poll about how the economy is going, the question many (most?) of them hear is: Are prices up?

The answer to that question is, of course, yes. Prices are higher, even if the rate of further increases has slowed. Pretty much everything is way more expensive, and wages aren’t keeping up.

The problem isn’t that Americans are stupid or misinformed. Inflation is destroying their buying power.

Relying upon rigged government statistics is another big problem in the financial press generally. Ip and the rest of the corporate press should spend more time at ShadowStats.com to see what has happened to prices when measured the same way it was done in 1980.

Prices are rising roughly twice as fast as the Bureau of Labor Statistics would like Americans to believe.The Bureau’s employment data surprisingly didn’t come up in Ip’s Journal story. “Stellar” reports on the unemployment rate and job creation are a lynchpin in most of the analysis about how strong the economy is.

The journalists faithfully reporting these statistics seem unaware as to how these reports are being dismantled in the alternative media.

The latest report, which landed Friday, was another massive “beat” according to the headline data. The much more sobering truth is the jobs created were all part-time. And a hugely disproportionate number of the people finding employment were illegal aliens.

In reality, businesses have been reluctant to offer full-time positions.

Strapped Americans are losing out to illegal immigrants who will work for less.

The employment picture is reliably worse than reported. The pattern has been for the BLS to dramatically revise initial “blowout” job creation numbers lower in the following months.

Yet the unquestioning mainstream press just keeps belittling Americans for misunderstanding how great the economy is.

Rigged government statistics and the journalists who parrot them are part of a grander malaise developing in the country. Both play a role in the destruction of trust. Awakening Americans find themselves having to navigate a world where neither the government nor the press can be relied upon for the truth.

The loss of confidence will have profound implications when it comes to investments. It should, for example, affect which assets are considered as “safe-havens.” A rising number of people aren’t going to turn to the fiat dollar or Treasury debt when they decide to run for the exits.

While the list of “safe” assets was never long to begin with, it is shrinking. Chief among them are gold and silver, which carry no credit risk and offer tangible, historically tested inflation protection.

Clint Siegner is a Director at Money Metals Exchange, a precious metals dealer recently named “Best in the USA” by an independent global ratings group. A graduate of Linfield College in Oregon, Siegner puts his experience in business management along with his passion for personal liberty, limited government, and honest money into the development of Money Metals’ brand and reach. This includes writing extensively on the bullion markets and their intersection with policy and world affairs.

Will Brazil Ban Twitter? Country Investigates Elon Musk for Defying Censorship

Ken Silva
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Will Brazil Ban Twitter? Country Investigates Elon Musk for Defying Censorship

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Brazilian Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has reportedly launched a criminal investigation into Twitter owner Elon Musk spreading disinformation, obstructing justice, and defying the judge’s orders to ban accounts from his platform, now known as X.

The news of Moraes’s investigation came Sunday, days after U.S. journalist Michael Shellenberger reported on the Brazilian version of the “Twitter Files”—revealing internal records about how the Brazilian government ordered Twitter to censor controversial content.

According to Shellenberger, Moraes illegally demanded that Twitter reveal personal details about Twitter users who used hashtags he did not like; demanded access to Twitter’s internal data, in violation of Twitter policy; sought to censor, unilaterally, Twitter posts by sitting members of Brazil’s Congress; and used the platform’s content moderation policies against supporters of then-president Jair Bolsonaro.

Unlike the conduct described in the U.S. Twitter Files, much of Brazil’s actions against Twitter may be legal. That’s because Brazil’s electoral court voted in late 2022 to give Moraes unilateral power to order tech companies to remove many online posts and videos. Social networks reportedly must comply with those demands within two hours or face the potential suspension of their services in Brazil—which is what appears to be transpiring now with Twitter.

However, Musk is signalling that he won’t comply with the draconian law. Instead, the billionaire is calling for Moraes’s resignation.

“Coming shortly, 𝕏 will publish everything demanded by [Moraes] and how those requests violate Brazilian law,” Musk said Sunday. “This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached.”

Musk also reportedly warned that “we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there.”

According to Fox Business, Twitter can be fined the equivalent of $19,740 a day for violating Moraes’s social-media takedown orders.

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

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