Authored by Sheramy Tsai via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Aluminum foil, a kitchen staple used by millions for baking, grilling, and storing food, is now at the center of a growing debate. Concerns about aluminum safety have led experts to question whether this common household item may pose hidden health risks.

As studies reveal the potential for aluminum to leach into food during cooking—especially when acidic or salty ingredients are involved—scientists are examining whether cooking with aluminum foil contributes to the body’s overall aluminum burden. With aluminum present in many everyday products, understanding its cumulative impact on health is becoming increasingly important, say some.

Aluminum Foil: A Kitchen Essential

More than 93 percent of U.S. households use aluminum foil. Its durability and malleability make it a versatile tool, easily molded and shaped for various tasks.

Often referred to as tin foil, aluminum foil is a go-to choice for various cooking tasks. Whether roasting vegetables to a caramelized finish or grilling meats to a crisp, aluminum foil helps achieve the desired texture and finish. Foil “conducts heat evenly and keeps it consistent, making cleanup easier by keeping baking sheets clean,” Abbie Gellman, registered dietitian and chef, told The Epoch Times.

Aluminum foil is also used in packaging and catering, providing a reliable barrier against light, air, and harmful microbes that could lead to food spoilage. “For years, aluminum foil has been a reliable and trusted way of storing and cooking food,” a spokesperson from Reynolds Consumer Products, the maker of Reynolds Wrap, wrote in an email to The Epoch Times.

Latest Research on Cooking With Aluminum Foil

Studies show that aluminum foil is a major source of aluminum exposure and can contribute to aluminum buildup in our bodies, Christopher Exley, a chemist with more than 35 years of experience studying aluminum exposure, told The Epoch Times. “Leaching of aluminum into cooked food occurs wherever there is water, essentially juices from the food,” he added.

The amount of aluminum released depends on acidity, salt content, cooking temperature, and exposure time.

A 2020 study found that when acidic ingredients like lemon juice or salt are used, aluminum levels in fish and chicken can spike, reaching as high as 42 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg). Acidic or salty foods, particularly when cooked at high temperatures or for extended periods, are more likely to absorb aluminum. Regular consumption of such foods could push aluminum intake beyond the safe weekly limit set by authorities, according to the authors.

“The phenomenon of aluminum leaching from aluminum foil to the food occurs and should arouse attention and concern,” the authors wrote, recommending that aluminum foil be avoided for baking to minimize health risks.

A Food Science & Nutrition study showed that marinated foods like fish and duck could have aluminum levels spike to as much as 117 mg/kg. The researchers stated that their study “also confirmed that consumers are not enough informed about [the] hazardous side of aluminum foil usage.”

Baking in aluminum foil can also increase aluminum content in food. Research published in 2018 found that cakes baked in aluminum foil had significantly higher aluminum levels, which increased further with prolonged storage.

While these findings are concerning, not all studies paint a grim picture. A 2023 study funded by the European Aluminum Foil Association found that any increase in aluminum levels from a high-exposure diet was small and reversible. The additional aluminum was excreted or reduced to baseline levels within 10 days after ceasing exposure, assuming no other significant aluminum sources were consumed during that period. Still, experts recommend caution, particularly when using aluminum foil with acidic or salty foods, to minimize unnecessary aluminum intake.

In response to these concerns, the International Aluminum Institute told The Epoch Times in an email that most studies show only minimal amounts of aluminum from cookware and foil entering food, with the majority being eliminated by the body. “Very little of the aluminum that we ingest from foods and food contact materials is absorbed by the body,” according to the Institute.

Using aluminum pans, bowls, and foils with acidic or salty foods can increase aluminum concentrations in the food, but exact amounts are hard to pin down because it’s challenging to determine the exact source of aluminum in food, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). This is due to the complexity of dietary studies, which may not be able to determine whether the aluminum comes from additives, natural presence, or leaching during cooking.

Aluminum Everywhere

Aluminum foil isn’t the only source of our exposure. Aluminum is one of the most abundant metals in the Earth’s crust, accounting for about 8 percent of its total mass. It permeates nearly every aspect of daily life, appearing not just in kitchens but also in food, water, cookware, personal care products, medications, vaccines, and even the air we breathe.

Many everyday foods, such as tea, leafy vegetables, and certain grains, contain trace amounts of aluminum. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the average American adult consumes between 7.1 and 8.2 milligrams of aluminum daily through food and water, which is between 50 and 60 milligrams a week.

A safe weekly intake of aluminum is 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight, according to current WHO and EFSA guidelines. For an average adult weighing 154 pounds, this translates to a maximum of 70 milligrams of aluminum per week to minimize any potential long-term health risks.

While aluminum is prevalent in our environment, it doesn’t have a necessary role in our bodies, unlike many other metals, including zinc, copper, and iron.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, states that the human body can usually handle small amounts of aluminum, primarily excreting it through the kidneys. While high levels of exposure can be harmful, particularly for those with kidney issues, typical dietary and environmental exposures are generally not considered a concern for most people.

However, many people are unaware of the extent of their daily aluminum exposure, Exley said. “Much as a bee forages for nectar apparently oblivious to its additional bounty of aluminum, we are also blind to the myriad ways that everyday life exposes us to aluminum,” he wrote in the journal, Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.

Cumulative Exposure

The human body is generally efficient at preventing aluminum absorption through the gastrointestinal tract. However, accurately measuring aluminum absorption and excretion is a challenge, making it difficult to establish safe exposure levels. This adds to the uncertainty surrounding the effects of aluminum, Exley said.

Studies have shown that only about 0.1 to 0.4 percent of ingested aluminum is actually absorbed. But, according to Exley, the amount of ingested aluminum that enters the bloodstream may be up to 30 percent. Whatever amount is absorbed at any given time contributes to what researchers refer to as the “body burden” of aluminum, which can accumulate in tissues like the brain.

“Aluminum may persist for a very long time in various organs and tissues before it is excreted in the urine,” according to the EFSA. They also highlight that humans tend to retain aluminum longer than rodents.

“It’s not just aluminum foil we need to be concerned about—it’s the cumulative exposure to aluminum in our daily lives,” Exley said. “I’m not advocating complete avoidance, but I recommend using it judiciously.”

Potential Neurological Effects

One of the most discussed aspects of aluminum exposure is its potential impact on the brain. “Although we know for sure that aluminum accumulates in the brain, it is not fully understood how it reaches it,” according to a 2023 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

“It is widely accepted that Al [aluminum] is a recognized neurotoxin,” states another study in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences

Aluminum can cross the blood-brain barrier, potentially leading to neurotoxic effects. Studies have associated high levels of aluminum with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

In Alzheimer’s disease, aluminum has been found in the brains of patients at higher concentrations than in those without the disease. Some studies suggest that aluminum may contribute to the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles—hallmarks of Alzheimer’s pathology.

The Alzheimer’s Association dismisses the idea that aluminum cookware or containers cause Alzheimer’s as a myth, stating, “Studies have failed to confirm any role for aluminum in causing Alzheimer’s. Almost all scientists today focus on other areas of research, and most experts believe aluminum does not pose any threat.”

Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledges uncertainty, noting that while some studies link high aluminum exposure to Alzheimer’s, others do not. “We do not know for certain that aluminum causes Alzheimer’s disease,” they said.

Research has also linked occupational exposure to aluminum, such as in mining or welding, to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, with aluminum potentially exacerbating the formation of toxic protein aggregates in the brain.

Other Health Impacts

A 2022 study published in Emergency Medicine International highlights other potential health risks associated with significant or prolonged exposure to aluminum. The findings suggest that while everyday contact with this metal is unlikely to cause serious harm, high levels of exposure can contribute to a range of health issues.

• Neurological damage: Aluminum exposure can lead to memory loss, tremors, diminished coordination, seizures, coma, and potentially death.
• Bone disorders: Accumulation of aluminum in bones can cause osteomalacia (softening of bones), osteoporosis, non-healing fractures, and other musculoskeletal issues.
• Kidney and liver damage: Aluminum poisoning can lead to kidney damage, changes in urea and creatinine levels, and liver conditions such as fatty liver and Type 2 diabetes.
• Respiratory issues: Prolonged exposure to aluminum dust can cause respiratory problems, including asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and possibly lung cancer.
• Blood disorders: Aluminum exposure can alter red blood cells, leading to anemia characterized by abnormal cell shapes and sizes.
• Oxidative stress: Aluminum can increase oxidative stress in the body, leading to cellular damage, particularly in the brain, liver, and kidneys.
• Enzyme inhibition: Exposure to aluminum may disrupt enzyme activities, protein synthesis, and DNA repair, contributing to various health issues.

The study suggests that aluminum exposure may not directly cause these conditions, but it can be a contributing factor.

Reducing Aluminum Exposure

There are simple and practical steps you can take to minimize contact with aluminum in your daily life.

Alternatives to aluminum:

• Cooking food: Consider switching to glass or ceramic cookware instead of aluminum, and avoid using aluminum foil with acidic or salty foods.
• Storing food: Use glass containers to keep your food fresh and safe from aluminum.
• Baking: Opt for glass, ceramic, stainless steel, silicone, or unbleached parchment paper instead of aluminum pans.
• Grilling: Cook directly on the grill, use a grill basket, or try cedar grilling papers as a substitute for aluminum foil.

For those concerned about their aluminum levels, tests on blood, urine, or hair can provide some insight. However, it’s important to note that these tests mostly reflect recent exposure and may not fully capture long-term accumulation, as much of the body’s aluminum is stored in tissues and bones.

Although the body can naturally excrete aluminum, it’s important to minimize unnecessary exposure in vulnerable groups like children, older adults, and people with kidney issues.

As new findings emerge, the debate over aluminum foil’s safety remains unresolved. While it offers undeniable convenience, understanding and managing the potential risks is crucial for making informed choices in the kitchen.

In the United States, companies, unions, trade associations, and other organizations invest billions of dollars each year to lobby Congress and federal agencies.

In 2023, over 12,000 different lobbyists in the U.S. spent a a record $4.3 billion on lobbying activities, according to Open Secrets, a non-profit research group tracking money in U.S. politics. This was up from $4.1 billion in 2022—and the highest annual total so far.

Organizations either hire lobbying firms or employ in-house lobbyists to meet with government officials, seeking to influence government decision-making.

In the following chart, Visual Capitalist’s Kayla Zhu shows the total expenditures on lobbying activities by the top 10 industries that invested the most in lobbying the U.S. Congress and federal agencies in 2023, using data from Open Secrets.

Which Industries Spent the Most On Lobbying?

The Pharmaceuticals and Health Products industry was the biggest industry spender in the U.S. in 2023, investing a total of $382.6 million towards lobbying.

The two biggest spenders in the pharmaceuticals industry were the industry’s leading lobby group, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and pharmacy benefit managers association Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.

In 2023, multiple bills were introduced that would mandate pharmacy benefit managers (PBM), the intermediaries who negotiate prescription drug prices with manufacturers on behalf of clients, to disclose their business practices, including the fees they earn from transactions.

These bills were introduced in response to investigations that PBMs play a significant role in driving up prescription drug costs.

Other big spenders in the industry include major pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Amgen, and Roche Holdings, who all spent over $11 million on lobbying last year.

Big Tech Companies Were Major Lobbyists

In the second-ranked Electronics and Manufacturing and Equipment industry, big tech companies like Oracle, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, IBM, and Intel were among the top spenders in the industry, ranging from $5.5 to $13 million in lobbying expenditures.

In 2023, Apple spent nearly $9.9 million to lobby against several key legislative proposals, including the proposed antitrust bill, American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which would prohibit big tech platforms like Amazon, Apple, and Google from giving preferential treatment to their own services in marketplaces they operate.

Apple argued that this bill could undermine user security and privacy by limiting its ability to control the app ecosystem.

On Thursday night, X’s Global Government Affairs account posted a dire warning over service availability in Brazil, after dictatorial Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes punished them for not complying “with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents,” according to the post.

More:

When we attempted to defend ourselves in court, Judge de Moraes threatened our Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment. Even after she resigned, he froze all of her bank accounts. Our challenges against his manifestly illegal actions were either dismissed or ignored. Judge de Moraes’ colleagues on the Supreme Court are either unwilling or unable to stand up to him.

We are absolutely not insisting that other countries have the same free speech laws as the United States. The fundamental issue at stake here is that Judge de Moraes demands we break Brazil’s own laws. We simply won’t do that.

In the days to come, we will publish all of Judge de Moraes’ illegal demands and all related court filings in the interest of transparency.

Unlike other social media and technology platforms, we will not comply in secret with illegal orders.

To our users in Brazil and around the world, X remains committed to protecting your freedom of speech.

Meanwhile, Musk says that SpaceX is going to continue to provide Starlink in Brazil to schools and hospitals for free…

Many remote schools and hospitals depend on SpaceX’s Starlink!

SpaceX will provide Internet service to users in Brazil for free until this matter is resolved, as we cannot receive payment, but don’t want to cut anyone off. https://t.co/BHlPpbsKR6

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2024

*  *  *

One day after Brazillian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes threatened to suspend social media platform X unless Elon Musk appoints a new legal representative in 24 hours, the judge – dubbed “Brazil’s Darth Vader” by Musk – issued a subpoena against the company.

Today, he blocked the financial accounts of Musk-owned Starlink Holdings, due to the absence of an attorney.

Exactly https://t.co/a09umuAXEO

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 29, 2024

According to Moraes, the companies are a “de facto economic group” commanded by Musk.

This guy @Alexandre is an outright criminal of the worst kind, masquerading as a judge https://t.co/l5zZ7gplSI

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 29, 2024

On August 18, Moraes sanctioned X’s bank accounts in order to guarantee the payment of fines imposed by the Brazilian justice for refusing to censor content, Metropoles reports.

According to information published by the G1 and confirmed by the Metropolis, advisors to the office of Minister Alexandre de Moraes said that another company under Musk in the country, Starlink Holding, responsible for the sale of satellite internet services, also had the finances blocked.

All Starlink managers in Brazil received notifications and were subpoenaed to answer for the values due to the Brazilian Justice by the network X. -Metropoles (translated)

In response, Musk called Moraes a dictator, and said “this picture of you in prison will be real. Mark my words.”

The tyrant, @Alexandre, is dictator of Brazil. Lula is his lapdog. https://t.co/svONz3iv5S

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 29, 2024

One day, @Alexandre, this picture of you in prison will be real. Mark my words. pic.twitter.com/ZkHExAwQxm

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 29, 2024

Earlier this month, Moraes ordered an investigation into Musk after the billionaire vowed to defy a court order as part of an ongoing probe into social media accounts allegedly spreading misinformation and ‘hate’ speech.

“The flagrant conduct of obstruction of Brazilian justice, incitement of crime, the public threat of disobedience of court orders and future lack of cooperation from the platform are facts that disrespect the sovereignty of Brazil,” wrote de Moraes.

While X initially said in a they would comply, blocking certain popular accounts in Brazil – Musk said an hour later, after the release of the “TWITTER FILES BRAZIL,” that they would not, noting that “As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there.”

BRAZIL IS ON THE BRINK

I’m reporting to you from Brazil, where a dramatic series of events are underway.

At 5:52 pm Eastern Time, today, April 6, 2024, X corporation, formerly known as Twitter, announced that a Brazilian court had forced it to “block certain popular accounts in… pic.twitter.com/GjdAgmkCBo

— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) April 7, 2024

in a post the next day, Musk said that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had “brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil,” and should “resign or be impeached.”

De Moraes said that as part of his decision to open an inquiry, that “X shall refrain from disobeying any court order already issued, including performing any profile reactivation that has been blocked by this Supreme Court,” Reuters reports.

The justice said that Musk would face a fine that equates to approximately $20,000 each time an account is reactivated on X.

😂

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 29, 2024

Via SchiffGold,

In the same week that Biden said he would not seek reelection, Russian and Chinese bombers were escorted out of the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Russia and China acting so boldly near American soil is an unprecedented move that signals the rising tensions of recent years. As Russia and China’s aggression has grown, and America’s global presence has, for better or for worse, dwindled militarily, The most obvious geographical connection between them has become an almost undiscussed point of tension. Secondhand wars in Ukraine and Israel have become central cultural themes and present many more active events to discuss. While the tensions in the north have massive repercussions, they produce very little news or new material. All one must do to put this tension into context is look at a globe from a perspective that looks down towards the North Pole. Russia, China, And America are concerningly close, especially considering their outsized influence and uneasy relationships.

Russia and China are eager to control the Arctic so they can transport goods without fear of American intervention. LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) and other natural resource transportation has been the biggest motivation for Russian Arctic shipping. Shipping itself is still relatively primitive in the Arctic, as Russia lacks developed satellite infrastructure. The cost-cutting potential of the northern routes can powerfully benefit Russia and China, as they would no longer have to take the long journey through South America. The current lack of ownership makes the Arctic appealing to any country that has even a small claim. The American government hopes that it stays neutral, and will act with force to ensure that. 

A recent DoD report took an uncompromising stance that America would be ready for whatever shenanigans other countries chose to pull. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arctic & Global Resilience Iris Ferguson said “This strategy is very action-oriented, which distinguishes it from previous Arctic Strategies.” The Arctic’s days on the back burner are coming to a close, and the US does not want to be playing catch up. The DOD will adopt a “monitor-and-respond” technique to make sure that nothing of significance happens in the Arctic without some American knowledge. They will begin more seriously looking into our strategic needs in the north and finding effective ways to secure them before Russia or China can finish their unrelenting march for northern domination. This recent activation of interest in the Arctic has arisen from a recognition of both Russia and China’s boldness, as well as the fact that the Arctic has less ice than it used to, allowing more human activity. 

Russia has shown that no matter how involved it is with wars in other parts of the world, the Arctic will remain a priority. It demonstrated this by ramping up activity in the Arctic even as it invaded Ukraine. To avoid sanctions, Russia created a shadow fleet to export oil through the north. Their ships are able to avoid Western influence by going far above the UK and entering the Atlantic. The North provides the promise of freedom and an unrestricted gateway to the rest of the world, so it is not surprising that its recent imperialist efforts have resulted in more activity. Russia was recently booted from the council of 8 nations that border the Arctic. While necessary, this move could empower Russia to act even more boldly, knowing it is not bound to act with respect towards other nations in the north. 

China has shown its interest by creating a new role for itself as a “Near-Arctic State.” This title is meaningfully ambiguous, so China can step into whatever capabilities it thinks the West will let it. The term comes from the fact that China’s ecosystem is greatly affected by the ecosystem of the Arctic, but China’s involvement has little to do with the environment. PRC has been using the North as more of an economic and military investment. They have used the term “Polar Silk Road” to try to leverage more legitimacy for their own use of the Arctic. China has encouraged non-polar nations to take advantage of the Arctic as a way of gaining legitimacy for its own future use. It has a fleet of icebreakers that it has not been afraid to use in recent years. China has also created much infrastructure, hoping to increase its northern operations. The Arctic seems to mirror China’s operations in the South China Sea just a few years ago. If the West is not prepared, Russia and China will style themselves as the sole rulers of the North. 

Get Peter Schiff’s key gold headlines in your inbox every week – click here – for a free subscription to his exclusive weekly email updates.

Authored by Chase Smith via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been granted a new trial in her defamation case against The New York Times and its former opinion editor James Bennet, according to an Aug. 28 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

This ruling is the latest development in Palin’s years-long legal battle, which centers on a 2017 editorial published by The NY Times that linked her political action committee to a 2011 shooting that seriously injured then-Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.).

The appellate court’s decision to vacate the previous jury verdict and order a new trial was based on several alleged significant errors during the original trial, including the exclusion of critical evidence, improper jury instructions, and a mid-deliberation ruling by the district court that allegedly undermined the jury’s role.

NY Times Managing Director for External Communications Charlie Stadtlander told The Epoch Times in an email that the court’s decision is “disappointing.”

“We’re confident we will prevail in a retrial,” he said.

Palin said in a post on social media platform X that the decision was “great news.”

The legal dispute began after The NY Times published an editorial titled “America’s Lethal Politics” on June 14, 2017, in the aftermath of a shooting at a congressional baseball practice that injured four people, including Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.).

The editorial alleged a “clear” and “direct” link between the 2011 Giffords shooting in Tucson, Arizona, and a map circulated by Palin’s political action committee.

The map in question depicted crosshairs over 20 congressional districts, including Giffords’s, in what the editorial implied was a form of political incitement.

Palin filed a defamation lawsuit against The NY Times shortly after the editorial’s publication, arguing that it falsely suggested she was directly responsible for the Tucson shooting.

The district court initially dismissed her claim in 2017, but the Second Circuit reinstated it in 2019, leading to a jury trial in 2022.

During the trial, despite that the jury eventually returned a verdict of “not liable” for The NY Times, the district judge had already made a ruling under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50, effectively dismissing the case before the jury concluded its deliberations.

The ruling, combined with other alleged trial errors, led the Second Circuit to call for a new trial.

According to the opinion, the appellate court identified several critical issues that compromised the integrity of the original trial.

The exclusion of evidence that could have demonstrated Bennet’s potential bias or prior knowledge of inaccuracies in the editorial was deemed improper.

The court also highlighted an alleged inaccurate jury instruction regarding the actual malice standard that Palin was required to prove. The court also expressed concern that jurors had learned of the judge’s Rule 50 decision during their deliberations, which could have influenced their verdict.

At the time, Palin told The Epoch Times that she thought the judge’s decision was “very strange,” describing the move as “taking the verdict from the jury.” Her legal team also filed at the time for a new trial and requested that the judge in the first trial be disqualified.

In its ruling, the Second Circuit emphasized the importance of preserving the jury’s role in the judicial process.

“The jury is sacrosanct in our legal system, and we have a duty to protect its constitutional role, both by ensuring that the jury’s role is not usurped by judges and by making certain that juries are provided with relevant proffered evidence and properly instructed on the law,” the court stated.

The case is expected to return to the Southern District of New York for a retrial.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is soon to visit a country which is a formal signatory of the Rome Statue, which is the treaty governing the International Criminal Court (ICC) which requires member nations to comply with warrants issue by the The Hague-based court.

The country Putin will travel to next week is Mongolia, which is Russia’s neighbor to the south. In recent years, Mongolia, Russia, and China have been having trilateral security summits in order to cooperate on regional matters of common concern.

This will mark the first time that Putin will travel to a country which is legally obligated to arrest him, following the ICC issuing its arrest warrant for the Russian leader last March on allegations of overseeing war crimes and human rights abuses in Ukraine.

The Kremlin says is that the visit is at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh. While Putin is there, the two leaders will attend a ceremony commemorating the 1939 Soviet-Mongolian victory over Japan in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol.

“The heads of state will discuss prospects for further development of the Russian-Mongolian comprehensive strategic partnership,” the Kremlin described. Regional analyst Samuel Ramani writes that the “aim of the trip is likely to promote the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline with China.”

Mongolia has long vocalized that it remains neutral on the question of the Ukraine war. Mongolia and Russia have also long been close regional allies, even this week having held joint military exercises.

In August of 2023 President Putin decided to skip an in person BRICS summit hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa – precisely because the host country is a Rome statute signatory.

This was done “by mutual agreement” with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office, and primarily because the initially planned-for Russian leader’s visit had set off a firestorm of controversy for the Rmaphosa administration. Moscow sent Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the BRICS summit instead.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will go on an official visit to Mongolia on September 3.

Putin’s visit to Mongolia will be the first by a Russian president to the country that is set to arrest him under a warrant issued in 2023 by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.… pic.twitter.com/5E0weSGzE9

— Kvist.P 🇩🇰🇺🇦 (@kvistp) August 29, 2024

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said Putin will not attend the conference “by mutual agreement,” adding that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would visit instead. But Putin later delivered a speech to the forum via video link, which was attended by the heads of state of major BRICS powers India, China, and Brazil.

Putin has embarked on a handful of trip since ordering his forces into Ukraine more than two-and-a-half years ago, but only to countries closely aligned to Moscow, and never to Europe or the West.

Via The Libertarian Institute

The White House is upping its support for the Kenyan operations in Haiti by sending an additional two dozen armored vehicles. The US is backing Nairobi’s armed force in Port-au-Prince. 

On Friday, US Southern Command issued a statement on boosting military aid for the Kenyan forces in Haiti. “As part of the US government’s ongoing support to Haitian-led security efforts in the country, 24 additional MRAPS will be delivered and transferred to Kenyan personnel deployed to Haiti as part of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.”

It continues, “The MSS will add the vehicles to its existing fleet of 10 US-provided MRAPS.”

Earlier this year, Nairobi sent hundreds of armed troops to the Caribbean nation on what it dubs a “policing” operation. The US orchestrated the deployment of Kenyan soldiers to Haiti. 

Washington believed the troops could aid Haitian police in restoring power in Port-au-Prince to a government set up by the White House. Following the assassination of President Jovenal Moise in 2021, Haiti dissented into chaos under US-backed governments. 

The White House got authorization to finance, train, and arm a Kenyan-led military force to take control of Haiti from paramilitary groups and gangs. Responsible Statecraft previously detailed when the troops touched down in May:

Washington pledged its financial and logistical support for the mission in a defense agreement with Kenya signed in September 2023. It was then that Kenya committed to deploying 1,000 troops to Port-au-Prince. The mission is also expected to include about 1,500 soldiers and police officers from other countries, bringing the total size of the prospective intervention force to 2,500.

However, the troops are said to be in a policing role and are not operating as UN Peacekeepers. Peacekeepers have a dark legacy in Haiti including causing a cholera outbreak and rampant sexual abuse. 

Recent footage from this summer showing the chaotic streets of Port-au-Prince…

another camera angle of yesterday dramatic skirmish during interim Haitian prime minister visit to an abandoned hospital in Port-au-Prince pic.twitter.com/qkDDPqb6Mb

— alex (@africaken1) July 31, 2024

Prime Minister Garry Conille said Wednesday the Kenyan forces will begin operations in one of Port au Prince’s roughest neighborhoods. “It’s not going to be quick,” he added, “we must be patient.”

Far-left lawmakers in sanctuary city Denver welcomed tens of thousands of illegal aliens who invaded the US southern border under the Biden-Harris administration’s watch. Now, the Denver suburb of Aurora is in turmoil as the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua roams the streets armed with rifles and pistols, transforming parts of the once peaceful metro area into a third-world-esque state. 

“There’s a huge increase in violence in these areas in Aurora, where these newly arrived foreign-born migrants, many of whom are Venezuelan, have started to grow,” former ICE field office director and Colorado GOP congressional candidate John Fabbricatore told Fox News earlier this week. 

Denver Democrats have welcomed over 42,000 illegal aliens since 2022, some of whom include members of Tren de Aragua. 

New footage has surfaced of alleged gang violence at The Edge at Lowry apartments in Aurora, which, according to local media KDVR, is a “hotspot” for migrant crime. 

In the video, men can be seen walking up a stairwell carrying weapons. They can be heard speaking Spanish.

The owners of the video said it was taken shortly before a shootout at the complex that left one person seriously injured. Several vehicles were also damaged by gunfire.

All of the people appear to be carrying rifles and handguns, except for one of the men who can be seen talking on a cell phone. They all then gather around a door and go in.

🚨BREAKING: Newly released video shows armed gang of Venezuelan illegals take over apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.

Aurora, a quiet community with a population of 390,000 has become a base of operations for the brutal Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which already has… pic.twitter.com/mNW8FF5mXa

— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) August 28, 2024

Meanwhile, Aurora Council Member Danielle Jurinsky has warned the Venezuelan gang is overrunning the metro area.

Jurinsky recently told Fox News, “Residents tell me they feel they are living in a third-world country at this point.” 

He pointed the finger at the Biden-Harris team, saying the people of Aurora are “suffering” at their “hands.”

Due to the Biden-Harris administration allowing millions of illegal migrants into our country, the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua is now taking over suburbs of Denver, CO.

“Parts of the city are absolutely under this gang control. The local media is downplaying this. I… pic.twitter.com/6ll4P7byIg

— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) August 29, 2024

Aurora police released a statement Wednesday afternoon:

The city and Aurora Police Department, as we previously stated, established a special task force in collaboration with other local, state and federal partners to specifically address concerns about Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and other criminal activity affecting migrant communities. We are grateful that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a valuable federal partner, has acknowledged its ongoing work into TdA across the metro and appreciate the additional resources it provides to combat this issue.

We are aware that components of TdA are operating in Aurora. APD has been increasingly collecting evidence to show the gang is connected to crimes in the area. However, as we have said previously and as the DEA similarly stated, it would be improper at this time for the city and APD to make any conclusory statements about specific incidents or provide details about law enforcement strategy and operations.

Based on our initial investigative work, we believe reports of TdA influence in Aurora are isolated. We urge all community members, including members of our migrant communities, to please report crimes committed against them to their local law enforcement agencies and not remain silent victims. Crime victims can report crimes anonymously by calling Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867). 

As always, information could change as the investigations continue at the local, state and federal levels.

UPDATE: The city and Aurora Police Department, as previously stated, established a special task force in collaboration with other local, state and federal partners to specifically address concerns about Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and other criminal activity affecting… pic.twitter.com/ytAhIcBxy0

— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD) August 28, 2024

The Biden-Harris administration is complicit in the border chaos and importing the third world into the US. If the aim is to overwhelm local municipalities to trigger chaos and pave the way for some far-left “change,” then it certainly appears that this might be the objective. The situation will get much worse before it gets better.

Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

More lawsuits have been filed against background check company National Public Data (NPD) after it confirmed that a major data breach exposed Americans’ personal records, including Social Security numbers.

Earlier in August, the breach became more widely known after a class-action lawsuit was filed against the Florida-based company, alleging that 2.9 billion records that included Social Security numbers were leaked online and put up for sale for $3.5 million on the dark web.

Days later, NPD confirmed a data breach in a letter to the Maine attorney general’s office and in a statement on its website, although it said that only 1.3 million people’s records were leaked.

But this week and late last week, several more lawsuits were filed against the firm, including one filed by two women on Aug. 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. So far, more than a dozen suits have been filed against NPD or its parent company, Jerico Pictures, since early August, according to a review of the Justia database.

NPD said that a “data security incident” from an attempted hack by a “third-party bad actor” led to the breach, according to a statement posted on its website last week.

There was an attempted hack of its systems in December 2023 and “potential leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024,“ the statement said. ”Additional security measures in efforts to prevent the reoccurrence of such a breach and to protect our systems,” it added.

The company said that if you were potentially affected by the breach you should “closely monitor your financial accounts and if you see any unauthorized activity, you should promptly contact your financial institution.”

Americans are being urged to contact the three largest credit reporting agencies—TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian—to get a free credit report or place a fraud alert on any potential lines of credit that were opened in an unauthorized manner, the company said.

A lawsuit filed on Aug. 1 by Christopher Hoffman, a California resident, alleged the company was hacked by USDoD, a cybercriminal organization, which then posted the database of Social Security numbers and other records on the dark web. His suit further alleged that hackers retrieved data about past addresses, relatives, and other information dating back three decades.

“The present and continuing risk to victims of the data breach will remain for their respective lifetimes,” his lawsuit said.

His lawsuit, as well as others that have been filed since then, accuse NPD of negligence and a breach of fiduciary duty. The firm has not responded to the allegations in court.

The allegations prompted a House committee to open an investigation into the firm, according to a letter sent to the company by several lawmakers.

If the lawsuit is accurate, the “data breach likely represents one of the largest cyberattacks ever in terms of impacted individuals,” the lawmakers wrote. “The Committee requests a briefing to confirm the veracity of the attack, and if accurate, assess the potential impacts of the breach to the U.S. government, businesses, and the American people, as well as National Public Data’s response to the attack.”

In the meantime, at least two websites have been set up to allow people to tell whether their data, including Social Security numbers, have been compromised.

One is operated by Pentester, a cybersecurity testing service, which allows a person to type his or her first name, last name, state, and date of birth. Another site that appeared in the past week or so is www.npdbreach.com, operated by Atlas Privacy, another cybersecurity company.

“We are displaying a redacted version for people to know if they were affected, and if so, is the information correct that was shown about them. Many times it is not. Also, we do not store their searches on npd.pentester.com,” Pentester spokesman Richard Glaser told The Epoch Times.

Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

When we were young, most of us believed that we would achieve “the American Dream” someday. 

Today, two-thirds of us believe that the American Dream is unattainable.  That is a searing indictment of a system that is coming apart at the seams right in front of our eyes.  As a child, it seemed like just about everyone was part of the middle class.  In those days, people just took for granted that you could have a nice home, a beautiful family, a couple of vehicles and a comfortable retirement.  But now that kind of middle class lifestyle is out of reach for most of the country.  In fact, a brand new Wall Street Journal/NORC poll discovered that only about one-third of the population thinks that the American Dream “is still alive”…

Only about a third of U.S. adults believe the American dream is still alive, a Wall Street Journal/NORC poll published Wednesday found.

A survey of 2,501 people conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute twelve years ago found more than half of respondents believed the American dream “still holds true,” but now only a third feel that way, according to a recent WSJ/NORC poll of 1,502 adults. The study also found an increasingly large gap between people’s economic goals and what they think is actually attainable — a trend that was consistent across gender and party lines, but was especially common amongst younger generations.

Those numbers are yet more evidence that the middle class is dying.

Once upon a time, we had the largest and most prosperous middle class in the entire history of the planet.

But now most of the country is deeply struggling.

So please don’t try to convince me that the U.S. economy is in good shape.

Our standard of living has been steadily going downhill for a long time, and things have been getting worse for almost everyone.

The same Wall Street Journal/NORC poll also found that only 10 percent of Americans believe that becoming a homeowner is “easy or somewhat easy”…

The decline in faith in the American Dream coincides with a decline in the share of Americans who believe homeownership and financial security are attainable, the poll shows. Only 10% of respondents to the WSJ poll believed becoming a homeowner is “easy or somewhat easy,” despite 89% of respondents viewing homeownership as “essential or important to their vision of the future.”

The same was true of financial security, with only 9% of respondents claiming achieving financial security is “easy or somewhat easy,” despite 96% believing financial security is “essential or important,” according to the WSJ.

These days, you can’t get about 90 percent of Americans to agree on just about anything.

But when it comes to this, there is an overwhelming consensus.

Everyone can see that housing has become incredibly unaffordable.

In fact, we just learned that home prices just set another brand new all-time record high…

Even as mortgage interest rates were rising, home prices reached the highest level ever on the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index.

On a three-month running average ended in June, prices nationally were 5.4% higher than they were in June 2023, according to data released Tuesday.

Overall, U.S. home prices are up more than 1,000 percent since 1974.

Those that bought homes in the 1970s are in great shape today.

But I feel so sorry for those that are currently trying to buy homes.

A big part of the problem is that much of our housing inventory has become financialized.

Millions of homes are being purchased as investments, and this even includes large numbers of low-priced homes…

Real estate investors bought 26.1% of low-priced U.S. homes that sold in the fourth quarter. That’s the highest share on record and is up from 24% a year earlier.

Today, we have an absolutely massive housing crisis in this country.

This is one of the reasons why millions of people are now living in their vehicles.

Our middle class is being systematically eradicated and we are just standing aside and letting it happen.

Today, vast numbers of Americans are living as paupers in the nation that their forefathers conquered.

Throughout our history, most young people could safely assume that they would do better than their parents did.

But that started to change several decades ago.  According to a couple of very well known economists, “only around half of children in 1980 ended up wealthier than their parents”…

For many young people, the issue stems from feeling that they are worse off and face a tougher economic future than their parents dealt with at their age.

According to MIT economics professor Nathaniel Hendren and Harvard University economist Raj Chetty, only around half of children in 1980 ended up wealthier than their parents.

In 1940, this figure stood at around 90 percent – with the gradual decline only increasing since the 1980s.

Needless to say, those that are being born now are facing a future that is very dismal.

But this is what we voted for as a society.

We just kept sending the big spenders back to Washington.  As a result, it now takes a boatload of money for the average family to live the American Dream…

The GoBankingRates analysis determined the American Dream now costs more than $150,000 a year for a family of four, but that figure differs widely depending on where you live.

If you live in Hawaii, it takes an annual income of $260,734 for a family of four to live the American Dream.

If you live in Mississippi, it takes an annual income of $109,516 for a family of four to live the American Dream.

Of course making over $100,000 a year is out of reach for most of the country at this point.

Now we have reached a stage where many people have simply given up, and the economic outlook for the future is not good at all.

Previous generations handed us the keys to the greatest economic machine that the world had ever seen, but we allowed our leaders to wreck it.

We have debased our currency, we are drowning in debt, and a big chunk of the population is no longer capable of supporting themselves.

We thought that we could defy the laws of economics, but we were wrong.

So now we are headed into a period of severe economic pain, and that will certainly not be pleasant.

*  *  *

Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.