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Today: 59 articles and 54 comments as of 9:00.
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Area: WoT Operations    WoT Background    Opinion    Local News    Politix   
Gunmen Hijack 33 Tons of Gold, Silver Concentrate in Truck on Mexican Highway
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
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3 06:44 Besoeker [65] 
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1 08:01 Grom on palmtop [32] 
6 06:57 Procopius2k [95] 
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2 07:20 Richard Aubrey [56] 
1 07:46 Gleng Whaick2262 [42] 
1 00:31 Skidmark [45] 
1 06:30 NN2N1 [46] 
3 08:36 SteveS [66] 
3 02:17 Skidmark [77] 
Page 1: WoT Operations
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 5: Russia-Former Soviet Union
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Page 6: Politix
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-Lurid Crime Tales-
ICE Agents Arrest 11 Illegal Alien Sex Offenders in Minneapolis
[Breitbart] Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested 11 illegal aliens, all convicted of sex crimes including some against children, in the Minneapolis, Minnesota region, Breitbart News has exclusively learned.

“These pedophiles and sex offenders are the sickos our brave ICE law enforcement are putting their lives on the line to arrest and remove from American communities,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

Among the 11 illegal aliens arrested by ICE agents between June 6 and June 11 are Pao Angelo Vang and Thong Lao, two illegal aliens from Laos, who have been convicted of second-degree sexual assault of a child.

Likewise, ICE agents arrested Tou Pao Lee and Yee Shae, illegal aliens from Thailand. Lee has been convicted of soliciting a minor and Shae has been convicted of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Seven other illegal aliens from Laos were arrested in the operation:

  • Va Vang, convicted of first-degree sexual assault

  • Xiong Pao Vang, convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14

  • Yia Xiong, convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct

  • Pok Vue, convicted of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct

  • Hue Nai Cheng, convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct

  • Vang Neng Lao, convicted of second-degree criminal sexual conduct

  • Dao Moua, convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct

“Governor Walz and his fellow sanctuary politicians are fighting to keep these sex offenders and other criminal illegal aliens in our country,” McLaughlin said. “Instead of comparing ICE to the Nazi-Gestapo, Governor Walz should be thanking our law enforcement for removing these pedophiles from Minnesota.”

ICE officials said 70 percent of the agency’s arrests are criminal illegal aliens with convictions or pending charges against them at the time they are arrested. Officials noted that many illegal aliens classified as “non-criminals” may not have rap sheets in the United States, but they often do in their home countries.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 01:40 || Comments || Link || [25 views] Top|| File under:


Seven Chinese nationals charged in multimillion-dollar marijuana trafficking operation
[FoxNews] The accused allegedly used the profits to buy luxury homes and cars

Seven Chinese nationals living in Massachusetts have been charged in connection with a multimillion-dollar drug-trafficking organization that allegedly grew and distributed marijuana across the U.S. Northeast.

"Today, we arrested members of an alleged Chinese-run drug trafficking organization who are accused of running a massive marijuana cultivation and distribution scheme that has raked in millions and contributed widely to the illegal drug trade here in the Northeast," Ted E. Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston Division, said in a statement.

The scheme allegedly involved interconnected grow houses that cultivated and distributed marijuana. Chinese nationals were also allegedly smuggled into the U.S. for the purpose of working in these houses until they paid off their debts related to being smuggled into the country, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Prosecutors say the accused individuals made millions of dollars from the marijuana sales, which they in turn used to buy cars, luxury homes, jewelry and other items, according to the DOJ.

Each of the Chinese nationals were charged with one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. Some were also indicted on additional charges, including bringing aliens into the country, money laundering and more.

A home in Braintree, Massachusetts, was reportedly the base of the drug-trafficking organization's operations. During a search of the home in October of last year, law enforcement discovered more than $270,000 in cash on the property as well as several Chinese passports. Searches of additional houses resulted in law enforcement finding nearly $200,000 in cash, more than 240 pounds of marijuana and a Rolex watch, according to the DOJ.

Hongbin Wu and Yanrong Zhu were also reportedly stopped by law enforcement in June 2023 after leaving a Massachusetts grow house, at which point nearly $37,000 in cash was seized from them.

"It is further alleged that the enterprise conducted bulk cash transactions with operators located in the Eastern District of New York," as noted in the announcement.

The case is part of the nationwide initiative Operation Take Back America, established by the U.S. DOJ to address illegal immigration and combat transnational criminal organizations.

Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 01:02 || Comments || Link || [32 views] Top|| File under: Commies

#1  Revenge for opium wars.
Posted by: Grom on palmtop || 07/09/2025 8:01 Comments || Top||


-Short Attention Span Theater-
Distressing moment whimpering toddler siblings are rescued from roasting 117f car by hero deputies
[DAILYMAIL.CO.UK] Panic-inducing bodycam footage captured the moment Georgia police saved two toddlers from a sweltering car their father allegedly left them in for 40 minutes.

The Cobb County Police Department recently released distressing video of the June 4 incident in the parking lot of the Cumberland Mall in Atlanta.

Deputies rushed to the scene when a concerned shopper said she noticed two sobbing children, aged one and two years old, in the backseat of an unattended car on the day that saw temperatures as high as 87 degrees Fahrenheit.

The windows were slightly open, she told the 911 operator, but it made no difference - as the car's internal temperature had reached 117 degrees.

'I am standing outside the Dick's at Cumberland Mall and there are two children in a car by themselves - small kids crying,' she said. 'The windows are cracked, but I don't think that's right.'

One of the toddlers was heard whimpering in the background of the nerve-wracking phone recording, which was shared by the police department.

Their father, J'Quawn Dixon, had allegedly gone into the mall at 12:24pm, a security guard told police. By the time officers were notified and arrived at the parked car, it was 1:03pm.

The cops said they were greeted by three bystanders gathered around the turned-off car, keeping an eye on the boy and girl while their parent was nowhere to be found, according to the video.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [56 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Make the father sit in the car,with no air conditioning. Unfortunately, that would be "cruel and unusual".
Posted by: Rambler || 07/09/2025 0:11 Comments || Top||

#2  It's tough to break a car window, but between the three good citizens and asking somebody passing by, should have been able to come up with something. Handle for your car jack, maybe.
Also, key the car all over just to make a point the parents will remember for at least a week.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey || 07/09/2025 7:20 Comments || Top||


-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Hundreds of earthquakes rattle catastrophic volcano [Rainier] sparking fears of an eruption
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Hundreds of small earthquakes rattled Washington's Mount Rainier Tuesday, setting off new fears that one of the most dangerous volcanos in the US could be waking up.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) revealed in a post on X that the earthquake swarm kicked off at 4:29am ET, with none of the tremors surpassing 1.7 in magnitude.

All of the tiny earthquakes took place between 1.2 and 3.7 miles below Mount Rainier's summit, a generally shallow depth for a quake.

A map released by USGS Tuesday revealed that the new swarm adds to the hundreds, and possibly thousands, of earthquakes recorded at Mount Rainier since 2020.

However, USGS did note that this was the largest swarm in the area since 2009.

Despite the increased seismic activity, officials said that there was no cause for alarm. The volcano's alert level was left at 'normal' following the tremors.

The USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) added: 'Instruments do not show any detectable ground deformation at the volcano, and no anomalous signals have been seen on the infrasound monitoring stations.'

Although an eruption doesn't seem imminent, Mount Rainier remains one of the most active volcanos in the Pacific Northwest's Cascade Range, and a devastating eruption remains a real possibility in the near future.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 01:11 || Comments || Link || [37 views] Top|| File under:


Texas Flood Disaster: 109 Dead, 161 Missing in Kerr County
[X]


Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Fred || 07/09/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [24 views] Top|| File under:


-Land of the Free
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson 8-1 smackdown
[The Hill via Town Hall] The Trump administration clinched another win today, with the Supreme Court shredding a restraining order on a rogue lower court’s ruling that prevented the government from reorganizing its workforce. For now, the mass layoffs that were put on hold are back on (via The Hill):

The ruling was 8-1, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting. Yet, as Justice Amy Coney Barrett did in the Casa decision, which curtailed lower court’s national injunction power, Jackson got cooked in the opinion, only it was by Sonia Sotomayor—she had to remind Jackson that the Court can only opine on what’s been presented before them, not what they think is being presented before the body.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/09/2025 00:29 || Comments || Link || [95 views] Top|| File under:


#2  6-3 bitches!

FUck you!

6-3!
And if RBG had just stepped down and let Obama appoint her successor, this didn't have to happen. But no, she HAD to step down under Hillary so a woman could appoint a woman.
Oops.
Hubris, it's not just for Greek tragedies.
Posted by: Jairong+Scourge+of+the+Gepids2435 || 07/09/2025 3:13 Comments || Top||

#3  I want to see news items about "Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is an existential threat to the rule of law"
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 07/09/2025 3:59 Comments || Top||

#4  ...It';s unlikely for a lot of reasons - but I'd laugh my backside off if Justice Jackson got so po'd at these rebukes that she quit before the midterms...and Trump got to appoint ANOTHER justice.

Mike
Posted by: MikeKozlowski || 07/09/2025 6:31 Comments || Top||

#5  /\ I would not exclude that from the realm of Trump possibilities Mike.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/09/2025 6:38 Comments || Top||

#6  Jackson thinks she's been appointed to make it all up as she seems fit. A product of the 'living Constitution' BS promoted in too many law schools. That's not about law, that's about power.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 07/09/2025 6:57 Comments || Top||


Caribbean-Latin America
Reports: Colombia's Leftist President Apologized to Trump Privately After Unhinged Rant
[Breitbart] Far-left President of Colombia Gustavo Petro apologized to President Donald Trump in a letter for falsely accusing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others of “plotting” to oust him, Colombian outlets reported on Monday.

According to Colombian outlets, Petro wrote in his apology letter that he thinks “it’s time to turn the page on misunderstandings and look ahead.”

Petro, a proud former member of the Marxist M19 terrorist group and Colombia’s first leftist president ever, caused yet another diplomatic impasse with the Trump administration in June after he publicly claimed, without evidence, that Sec. Rubio was involved with an unnamed Colombian “far-right leader” in a coup plan to oust him from power. Petro’s baseless accusations were immediately supported by his neighbor, socialist dictador Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, who disparaged Rubio.

On Thursday, Sec. Rubio announced that Chargé d’Affaires a.i. John T. McNamara, the top diplomat at the U.S. embassy in Colombia, had been urgently recalled following the “baseless and reprehensible statements from senior Colombian government officials.” Petro reciprocated the announcement by recalling the Colombian ambassador to the United States Daniel García-Peña.

According to several Latin American outlets, the State Department began revoking U.S. visas of all current members of the Colombian government who were at any point involved with the Marxist M19 terrorist organization. In April, Petro claimed that his U.S. visa had been revoked, but asserted that he was not bothered by it because he had “already seen Donald Duck several times.”

Colombian outlets reported on Monday that roughly two weeks before both countries recalled their ambassadors, Petro sent a diplomatic letter to President Trump apologizing for his accusations against Sec. Rubio. Copies of the letter, dated June 23, were published by local outlets.

In the missive, Petro reportedly “clarifies” that any statement he made that “may have been interpreted as a direct accusation of involvement in an alleged coup d’état in Colombia was not intended to single out anyone personally or to question the role of the United States without foundation.”

“My concern has always been to warn about destabilizing dynamics affecting our region, often driven by diverse actors with conflicting interests. In this context, I recognize that some of my words may have been perceived as unnecessarily harsh,” the letter reportedly read. “In the interest of dialogue, I want to say that my intention is not to close doors, but to open paths for honest and respectful conversation between our countries.”

Petro reportedly continued in the letter by expressing concerns over “public insinuations” that “violent rhetoric” from his presidency led to the early June assassination attempt against conservative Senator Miguel Uribe. At the time. Sec. Rubio, in a social media post, condemned the incident and wrote that the assassination attempt was “the result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government.”

Petro reportedly concluded the letter by claiming that he believes it is time to “turn the page on misunderstandings and look ahead,” listing “hemispheric challenges” such as “the climate crisis, inequality, migration, transnational violence” and proposing a joint summit between the U.S. and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), a regional bloc presently led by Petro.

“I am convinced that the American people, like the Colombian people, aspire to a relationship based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and justice. Let us celebrate our differences within the framework of understanding, and build on our commonalities to usher in a new era of cooperation,” Petro reportedly wrote.

“This is not a call for confrontation, but for shared responsibility. History is watching us, and the harshest judgment will be that of the future. May we rise to the occasion,” he continued.

Asked by reporters on Monday if President Trump saw Petro’s apology letter and comments on the matter, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that she was not sure that President Trump had seen the letter, but that she could check with him and the National Security Council.

The incident marks the second time Petro caused a diplomatic impasse between the United States and Colombia since the start of President Trump’s second term. A few days after Trump took office, Petro abruptly refused to accept a U.S. deportation flight of Colombians, rejecting it in a late-night social media post on the grounds that the United States treats “Colombian migrants as criminals.”

President Trump responded to Petro’s actions with a barrage of retaliatory measures, including a 25-percent tariff and visa sanctions on Colombian government officials. After initially responding with a long, unhinged Twitter rant, Petro ultimately caved and “agreed to all” of President Trump’s terms.

The new impasse between the United States and Colombia occurs at a time when Petro’s government is facing a new internal crisis after Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia resigned on Thursday — the same day both countries recalled their ambassadors. Sarabia’s departure marks the third foreign minister to depart from the position during Petro’s administration. His first foreign minister, Alvaro Leyva, accused Petro of suffering from drug addiction in two explosive letters published in April and May.

Sarabia, a controversial figure and a member of Petro’s inner circle, took office in late January amid Petro’s deportation flight diplomatic crisis. She reportedly confirmed the existence of Petro’s letter to Trump, stressing that the missive was “preventive in nature” and was sent prior to any decision that could aggravate diplomatic distancing or the recalling of ambassadors.

The now-former foreign minister told the Colombian magazine Cambio on Sunday that her departure is due to differences with the Colombian government over a dispute pertaining to the printing of national passports that started long before Sarabia took office.

Petro’s administration is planning to not extend an existing contract with private firm Thomas Greg & Sons, which has printed Colombian national passports for roughly two decades, and instead have them produced by the state-run National Printing Office with technical advisory from Portugal. The proposal is spearheaded by Colombian Chief of Staff Alfredo Saade.

Sarabia claimed to Cambio that Petro is being “deceived” by Saade and accused the chief of staff of usurping her functions by blocking an extension of the contract with the passport firm and “sabotaging” the national passport appointment system to extend the existing stock long enough to make the switch. Sarabia warned that the actions “will condemn Colombia to being left without passports.”

Colombian outlets reported on Monday that after Sarabia’s statements, desperate citizens flooded the foreign minister’s passport offices hoping to book an appointment after the online appointment system showed no availability throughout July.

According to the Colombian magazine Semana, Sarabia was replaced by acting Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio — described by the magazine as an admirer of Venezuela’s late socialist dictator Hugo Chávez who defended dictator Nicolás Maduro’s fraudulent elections and who “does not speak or write English well.”

Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [66 views] Top|| File under: Commies


#2  And here I thought, from the title, that it was (lets hire an Arab and fire a Jew) Claire Shipman.
Posted by: Grom the Affective || 07/09/2025 3:10 Comments || Top||

#3  ^ Understandable. The probability of "Claire Shipman" given "Columbia's Leftist President" and "Unhinged Rant" is quite close to 1.
Posted by: SteveS || 07/09/2025 8:36 Comments || Top||


Economy
Why Metal Recyclers Are Optimistic About Tariffs
[Epoch Times] The recycled metals industry is growing domestically and internationally, in part fueled by the rapid expansion of construction and automotive manufacturing. Now, tariffs may be giving it a boost.

Buyers may be reluctant to pay higher prices on imported metals if recycled materials offer similar quality. "That shift creates a baseline demand for recycled metals that didn’t exist before .... Businesses are treating domestic supply like insurance against future supply chain shocks," Schmied said.

Generally, when scrap metal is sorted and purified by a recycling company, the metal is melted down and recast—made into rolls, ingots, or sheets—depending on the type of metal and its intended purpose. After this process, recycled metals can be sold to manufacturers for use in new products. This can be done with significantly less expense than mining new, unprocessed elements.
This is news?
You’re right. Olds it is.
U.S. companies imported $1.31 billion in scrap aluminum in 2024—mostly from Canada and Mexico—according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) with data sourced from public customs records.

The United States is also a major exporter of scrap metals, with $3.98 billion in scrap aluminum exports in 2024—mostly to India, Thailand, Malaysia, and South Korea—according to OEC data. Scrap iron exports amounted to $6.46 billion in the same year.
Interesting.



Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Bobby || 07/09/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [45 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Suddenly, all those old computer units in your closet have value.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 0:31 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Deep Staters On Edge As DOGE's DoD Strike Team Hits Pentagon With Sweeping Contract Cuts
[ZeroHedge] The U.S. Department of Defense has failed every single financial audit since audits began in fiscal year 2018. Despite commanding the largest budget of any federal agency—nearly $850 billion annually—the Pentagon still can't account for large swaths of its spending. Over the years, trillions have been flagged as "unaccounted for," fueling speculation around off-the-books operations that taxpayers are kept in the dark about. Even the Government Accountability Office recently warned that the DoD may not meet its target for a clean audit until at least 2028.

On Monday, a team of Goldman analysts led by Noah Poponak told clients that the team of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at DoD is quietly ramping up contract cancellations. Yes, the DoD—the mecca for bloated budgets and opaque spending—is now the target of DOGE's slash-and-burn operations. That news alone might have Deep Staters and their Beltway contractor buddies on edge through summer.

Poponak pointed out that contract cancellations at the DoD now rank second in total canceled IT contract value among federal agencies, just behind Health and Human Services.

Notably impacted are consulting firms Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) and Leidos (LDOS), with several high-value contracts terminated, including a $310 million hypersonic ISR project for LDOS and multiple contracts for BAH totaling over $130 million.

Poponak pointed out, "These DoD contract cancellations may have been impacted by recently passed DoD memos that raise the threshold for contracting IT and services work at the department."

"We also view this to mean DOGE activity is continuing across the government despite leadership personnel changes. We reiterate our cautious view of the Gov't IT & Services sector, and are Sell rated on BAH, CACI, SAIC, and VVX; Neutral on LDOS and AMTM; Buy rated on PSN. We continue to think the group will face contracting, backlog, revenue, and margin headwinds over the medium-term."

Cleaning up the DoD will be the most challenging task yet in rooting out waste and fraud. According to the GAO, the Pentagon is unlikely to pass a full audit by 2028. For decades, the GAO has issued more than 100 recommendations to help the DoD address its financial management failures—most of which remain unresolved.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 02:32 || Comments || Link || [65 views] Top|| File under:

#1  ....the Pentagon still can't account for large swaths of its spending.

Perhaps the missing funds were only a pass-through and were actually laundered to other activities or agencies ?
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/09/2025 4:10 Comments || Top||

#2  Beso,

Almost certainly.

Mike
Posted by: MikeKozlowski || 07/09/2025 6:28 Comments || Top||

#3  USAID standdown, Brennan and Comey DoJ investigations, DNI under fire. Search for missing DoD budget dollars. Recent release of US Intelligence contact with Oswald.

Next we'll learn that the 'The Gulf of Tonkin incident' was actually a pre-arranged tripwire.

Jury still out on On 7 October 2023 Nova Music Festival attack.

Chipping away at the beast.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/09/2025 6:44 Comments || Top||


Trump Announces 50% Tariff on Imported Copper
[Breitbart] President Donald Trump said Tuesday he plans to impose a fifty percent tariff on copper imports as part of a new wave of industry-specific trade measures, while suggesting pharmaceutical manufacturers may receive at least a year’s reprieve before facing steep new duties.

“I believe the tariff on copper—we’re going to make it 50 percent,” Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. His remarks sent copper futures soaring, with prices in New York rising as much as 17 percent—the largest intraday jump since at least 1988.

The copper duty is part of a broader initiative under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows tariffs on imports deemed to threaten national security. Trump has launched national security investigations into several sectors, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and base metals. Most imported steel and aluminum have a 50 percent tariff, although imports of those metals from the U.K. have only a 25 percent tariff.

Pharmaceutical tariffs, however, will not take immediate effect. Trump said he intends to offer drugmakers a grace period to repatriate manufacturing operations before the new duties are enforced.

“We’re going to give people about a year, a year and a half, to come in,” Trump said. “And after that they’re going to be tariffed if they have to bring the pharmaceuticals into the country, the drugs and other things, into the country. They’re going to be tariffed at a very, very high rate—like 200 percent.”

Trump framed the pharmaceutical tariffs as a measure to encourage domestic production, saying, “We’ll give them a certain period of time to get their act together.”

The proposed tariffs are distinct from the country-specific “reciprocal tariffs” the administration is preparing to implement beginning August 1. Those duties, aimed at trade imbalances with specific nations, would not overlap with the Section 232 tariffs targeting particular industries.

Taken together, the dual efforts reflect a sweeping escalation of the administration’s use of trade tools to bolster American manufacturing and reshape global supply chains, particularly in sectors viewed as critical to national security.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [42 views] Top|| File under:

#1 
Posted by: Gleng Whaick2262 || 07/09/2025 7:46 Comments || Top||


Supreme Court Allows staff cuts, overruling lower court
[USA Today h/t Epoch Times] The Supreme Court on July 8 lifted a federal judge's order pausing the Trump administration's large-scale staffing cuts and agency restructuring, boosting the president's campaign to downsize and reshape the federal government.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, calling it the "wrong decision at the wrong moment, especially given what little this Court knows about what is actually happening on the ground."

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that while she agrees with Jackson that any changes must comply with previous congressional directives, Trump’s executive order instructed agencies to follow the law.

[X]
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Bobby || 07/09/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [46 views] Top|| File under:

#1 

Keep in mind. As we have seen. There is a collection of various Liberal, installed Far-Left Federal District Judges & DA's installed around the country.

These Rouge Judges & DA's are trying to usurp the LAW, The US Constitution and Presidential powers to run the country based on POLITICAL AGENDA and NOT Constitutional Law.

They must be held accountable.
Congress must take steps and establish clear guidelines for auditing and removing rouge persons at any level in the US Justice system.

Because the SCOTUS currently "tends" to be our only saving referee, and the Balance is getting dangerously Left of Center already.

NOTE: Look at the ages, you can see which of the justices are most likely to retire or bow out medically in the coming years.

Conservative
Clarence Thomas 75,
Samuel Alito 73,
Brett Kavanaugh 57,
Amy Barrett 50

Swing
John Roberts 68,
Neil Gorsuch 55,

Liberal
Ketanji Jackson 52,
Elena Kagan 62,
Sonia Sotomayer 69,


IF the SCOTUS it ever goes Left, our civil rights are screwed.
Posted by: NN2N1 || 07/09/2025 6:30 Comments || Top||


Science & Technology
New ‘Mind-Reading' AI Predicts What Humans Will Do Next, And It's Shockingly Accurate
[Study Finds] Researchers have developed an AI called Centaur that accurately predicts human behavior across virtually any psychological experiment. It even outperforms the specialized computer models scientists have been using for decades. Trained on data from more than 60,000 people making over 10 million decisions, Centaur captures the underlying patterns of how we think, learn, and make choices.

"The human mind is remarkably general," the researchers write in their paper, published in Nature. "Not only do we routinely make mundane decisions, such as choosing a breakfast cereal or selecting an outfit, but we also tackle complex challenges, such as figuring out how to cure cancer or explore outer space."

An AI that truly understands human cognition could revolutionize marketing, education, mental health treatment, and product design. But it also raises uncomfortable questions about privacy and manipulation when our digital footprints reveal more about us than ever before.

How Scientists Built a Digital Mind Reader AI
The research team started with an ambitious goal: create a single AI model that could predict human behavior in any psychological experiment. Their approach was surprisingly straightforward but required massive scale.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/09/2025 00:04 || Comments || Link || [68 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Thanks B.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 0:41 Comments || Top||

#2  That AI hasn’t met my ex-wife

Snark O'The Day
Posted by: Gloluns Turkeyneck4904 || 07/09/2025 6:44 Comments || Top||

#3  Feed it TikTok videos of 'hold my beer while I do this' moments.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 07/09/2025 6:58 Comments || Top||


Energy-sucking AI data centers can look here for power instead
[FOXNEWS] How second-life EV batteries are fueling the AI energy boom.

Artificial intelligence is expanding quickly, and so is the energy required to run it. Modern AI data centers use much more electricity than traditional cloud servers. In many cases, the existing power grid cannot keep up. One innovative solution is gaining traction: repurposed EV batteries for AI data centers.

HOW REDWOOD ENERGY IS USING REPURPOSED EV BATTERIES FOR AI DATA CENTERS
Redwood Materials, created by Tesla co-founder JB Straubel, is addressing the energy needs of AI through a new venture called Redwood Energy. Instead of sending used electric vehicle batteries straight to recycling, the company gives them a second life.

The process begins by collecting and testing old EV battery packs. Many still retain over 50 percent of their original capacity. Once approved, these batteries are rebuilt into modular storage systems that can power AI operations.

One example is a 12-megawatt, 63-megawatt-hour microgrid now supporting a 2,000-GPU data center operated by Crusoe in Nevada. This project is considered the largest active deployment of second-life EV batteries. It already operates more affordably than systems built with new batteries.

WHY REPURPOSED EV BATTERIES FOR AI DATA CENTERS REDUCE EMISSIONS AND COSTS
The environmental and financial benefits are significant. By using repurposed EV batteries for AI data centers, companies avoid sending usable materials to landfills. This also cuts down on mining for new raw materials, which helps reduce carbon emissions.

Second-life battery systems typically cost less than brand-new lithium-ion options. That makes large-scale energy storage more accessible to AI developers and utilities. Since these batteries are already built and tested, they can be installed more quickly than waiting for new infrastructure.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [77 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Paint old paint over the old paint.

Expensively fighting power demand issues instead of driving discovery of new compute technology.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/08/2025 12:00 Comments || Top||

#2  Wisconsin nuclear power bills signed into law
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/09/2025 2:16 Comments || Top||




Who's in the News
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

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Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has dominated Mexico for six years.
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Two weeks of WOT
Wed 2025-07-09
  Gunmen Hijack 33 Tons of Gold, Silver Concentrate in Truck on Mexican Highway
Tue 2025-07-08
  Leb: 10 hurt in Israeli strikes on South and Bekaa Sunday, 2 airstruck Monday
Mon 2025-07-07
  IDF reports Hamas’s north Gaza naval commander killed in strike on cafe last week as 130 targets hit in 24 hours
Sun 2025-07-06
  Supporters of Palestine Action, banned under UK terror laws, arrested at London protest
Sat 2025-07-05
  How not to influence President Trump: 550 ex-senior Israeli security officials urge Trump to leverage Netanyahu meeting to end Gaza war
Sat 2025-07-05
  210 Boko Haram Members, Families Surrender as Military Tightens Grip in Lake Chad - BarristerNG.com
Fri 2025-07-04
  Hezbollah has agreed to hand over its heavy weapons in Beirut and other areas to the Lebanese government
Thu 2025-07-03
  Another massive Hamas underground terror tunnel in Gaza has been found and destroyed by the IDF, connecting Rafah and Khan Yunis
Wed 2025-07-02
  LA officials charge over 40 anti-ICE protesters who allegedly assaulted officers, horses and threatened children
Wed 2025-07-02
  LA officials charge over 40 anti-ICE protesters who allegedly assaulted officers, horses and threatened child
Tue 2025-07-01
  Fierce Clashes Erupt as U.S.-Trained Special Forces Target Militant Stronghold in Somalia
Mon 2025-06-30
  Terror in Gaza: Hamas offers bounties to kill US and local aid workers, group says
Mon 2025-06-30
  Terror in Gaza: Hamas offers bounties to kill US and local aid workers, group says
Mon 2025-06-30
  Terror in Gaza: Hamas offers bounties to kill US and local aid workers, group says
Sun 2025-06-29
  Hamas leader Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa killed in airstrike, IDF says
Sat 2025-06-28
  Israeli military issues new evacuation orders in central and northern Gaza
Fri 2025-06-27
  Gunmen kill 17 soldiers in northern Nigeria attacks
Thu 2025-06-26
  Lebanese Army says arrested IS Lebanon leader
Wed 2025-06-25
  Iranian - Israeli War News roundup for June 24th, 2025: Both Iran and Israel claim the win, but Iran arrested 700 for spying for Israel, hanged 3 more


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