Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

It appears that the tsunami of layoffs that started late last year is starting to accelerate.  January was a horrible month for job losses, and major layoff announcements are coming fast and furious here in February.  But of course the Biden administration would have us believe that everything is just fine.  Last week, the government told us that the U.S. economy “added 517,000 jobs” in January.  But as I discussed in a previous article, that wasn’t what actually happened.  The raw, unadjusted number showed that the U.S. economy actually lost 2.5 million jobs last month.  That is a terrible number, but after the bureaucrats in Washington were done with their “adjustments” it magically became a gain of 517,000 jobs.  If you want to have faith that their “adjustments” are appropriate, good for you.  But other sources also confirm that things have really taken a turn for the worse. 

For example, Challenger, Gray & Christmas just issued a report that concluded that last month “was the worst January for job cuts since the Great Recession in 2009”…

U.S. companies announced roughly 103,000 job cuts in January, the highest monthly total since September 2020, a Thursday analysis found.

Last month was the worst January for job cuts since the Great Recession in 2009, according to a report from employment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Around 40 percent of last month’s job reductions came in the tech industry, where Google parent company Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce announced plans to lay off thousands of workers. Many of the companies said they grew too quickly in recent years and must cut costs to boost profitability.

So many large companies announced staff reductions last month, and that trend has definitely continued this month.

The following are 12 major layoffs that have already been announced in February…

#1 Disney has decided to tell approximately 7,000 employees to hit the bricks…

“We will be reducing our workforce by approximately 7,000 jobs,” CEO Bob Iger said during the company’s first quarter earnings call. “While this is necessary to address the challenges we’re facing today, I do not make this decision lightly. I have enormous respect and appreciation for the talent and dedication of our employees worldwide, and I’m mindful of the personal impact of these changes.”

#2 Yahoo has announced that it will be laying off “more than 20% of its workforce”…

Yahoo will lay off more than 20% of its workforce by the end of 2023, eliminating 1,000 positions this week alone, the company said in a statement Thursday.

#3 Ebay was doing quite well, but now they have decided that 4 percent of their workers are no longer needed…

Ebay on Tuesday announced plans to cut 500 jobs, or about 4% of its workforce, according to a filing with the SEC.

#4 Affirm is yet another tech company that has recently made a decision to conduct mass layoffs…

Affirm announced it’s cutting 19% of its workforce Wednesday. The news came as it reported second quarter earnings that fell below analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines.

#5 As the U.S. housing crash deepens, JPMorgan Chase has concluded that now is the time to “cut hundreds of mortgage employees”…

JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut hundreds of mortgage employees this week, adding to job losses across the industry as home-lending businesses continue to be hurt by elevated interest rates.

#6 GoDaddy just let their workers know that they plan to “reduce the size of our global team by about 8%”…

Today, we are announcing a plan to reduce the size of our global team by about 8%. This will come as difficult news for many valued and respected GoDaddy team members.

#7 Micron is one of the biggest private employers in Idaho, but now it intends to “reduce its global headcount by about 10% over the next year”…

Micron has begun laying off workers, a spokesperson for the company told the Idaho Statesman.

The news marks the beginning of the company’s plan to reduce its global headcount by about 10% over the next year. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra announced during a quarterly conference call with investors in December that the company is taking significant steps to reduce costs and operating expenses as demand for its principal products wanes.

#8 GitHub has become yet another victim of the downsizing trend in the tech industry…

Microsoft-owned GitHub is laying off 10% of its staff, the company confirmed to Fortune.

#9 Nomad Health just laid off approximately 20 percent of their entire corporate workforce…

Nomad Health, a healthcare staffing startup, laid off around 20% of its corporate workforce this week, according to four terminated employees, as the surge in travel nurses and other temporary healthcare workers ignited by the pandemic cools down.

#10 Zoom is giving the axe to approximately 1,300 workers…

Zoom on Tuesday said it will lay off about 1,300 employees, or approximately 15% of its staff, becoming the latest tech company to announce significant job cuts as a pandemic-fueled surge in demand for digital services wanes.

#11 Boeing was supposedly going to be hiring more workers, but instead the company just announced that thousands of positions in finance and human resources will be eliminated…

“We expect about 2,000 reductions this year primarily in Finance and HR through a combination of attrition and layoffs,” Boeing confirmed Monday.

#12 Do you remember when Dell computers were still popular?  Unfortunately, the tide has turned and now Dell has been forced to get rid of 6,650 workers…

Dell Technologies Inc. is eliminating about 6,650 roles as it faces plummeting demand for personal computers, becoming the latest technology company to announce thousands of job cuts.

I could go on and on if you would like.

There are countless other firms that have also just announced significant layoffs.

We truly have not faced economic conditions like this since the Great Recession, and a recent Gallup survey seems to underscore this point…

Reflecting on their personal financial situations, 35% of Americans say they are better off now than they were a year ago, while 50% are worse off. Since Gallup first asked this question in 1976, it has been rare for half or more of Americans to say they are worse off. The only other times this occurred was during the Great Recession era in 2008 and 2009.

Unfortunately, we are still only in the very early chapters of this new crisis.  As I have been warning for years, things will eventually get much worse.

Our leaders have been making incredibly bad decisions for decades, and now we are going to get to suffer the consequences of those bad decisions.

This generation was handed the keys to the greatest economic machine that the world has ever seen, but we wrecked it.

Now the chickens are coming home to roost, and most Americans are completely unprepared for what is coming next.

*  *  *

It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.

A Project Baltimore investigation revealed the devastating reality of nearly two dozen Baltimore City Schools having zero students proficient in math. 

New test scores, known as MCAP (Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program), obtained by Project Baltimore, revealed that 23 schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools, had not one student that could do math at grade level.

“The results of the latest Project Baltimore study are very alarming, “Civil rights attorney Ben Crump told FOX 45

The civil rights attorney joined a lawsuit against the school system last year, which accuses them of squandering taxpayer dollars and failing to provide basic skills to kids. 

“I think anytime a young person is denied a quality education, it represents a crisis. What we have to do is look at the situation for what it is; we have to say ‘we are failing our children and we have to take the responsibility to do better,'” he said. “This is an unprecedented lawsuit because what it’s trying to do is give the taxpayers a greater say in the education of their children based on the fact it’s their tax dollars being used by the city school system, and if I’m paying my money, I need to see some results.”

Here’s more on the test scores:

The Maryland State Department of Education recently released the 2022 state test results known as MCAP, Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program.

Baltimore City’s math scores were the lowest in the state. Just 7 percent of third through eighth graders tested proficient in math, which means 93 percent could not do math at grade level.

But that’s not all; Project Baltimore combed through the scores at all 150 City Schools where the state math test was given.

Project Baltimore found, in 23 Baltimore City schools, there were zero students who tested proficient in math. Not a single student.

Among the list of 23 schools, there are 10 high schools, eight elementary schools, three Middle/High schools and two Elementary/Middle schools.

Exactly 2,000 students, in total, took the state math test at these schools. Not one could do math at grade level.

“They [school kids] go there to get babysat for eight hours and come home,” Nichelle Watkins, a Baltimore City parent. 

We’ve shared reports from Project Baltimore (read: here & here) over the years exposing the school system’s corruption. The question people need to be asking: Why is the liberal-run city setting up future generations of kids to fail? 

Authored by Michael Snyder via TheMostImportantNews.com,

Can you feel it?  The past several years have been a time of wars and rumors of wars, pestilences, major natural disasters, a global inflation crisis, and a rapidly growing global food crisis.  So much bad stuff has already happened, but I have been hearing from so many people that have a feeling that things are about to get a whole lot worse. 

It is almost as if we are about to reach a major historic turning point and things are about to go to an entirely new level.  Unfortunately, it appears that events have already started to really amp up within the past several days.  So much is happening all over the globe, and I am going to touch on a number of the most important items in this piece. 

The following are 10 videos that prove that things just got quite a bit weirder…

#1 Was it another “Chinese spy balloon”?  The Pentagon has confirmed that it just shot down another “high altitude object” that was flying over Alaska.

#BREAKING: White House: Pentagon downed unknown object flying in US airspace within the last hour off Alaska coastline pic.twitter.com/4ufrzGBlOj

— VINnews (@VINNews) February 10, 2023

#2 Is China preparing for something?  A Chinese satellite apparently just shot a “wall of mysterious green lasers” near Hawaii.

WATCH 🚨 Suspected Chinese satellite reportedly shoots wall of mysterious green lasers down to earth, spotted over Hawaii pic.twitter.com/k8ORTVsWgZ

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) February 9, 2023

#3 The U.S. military just test launched a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.  We are being told that this launch was intended as a “message to Russia”.

WATCH: US Air force Global Strike Command launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry at 11:01 PM Pacific Standard Time, Feb. 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. pic.twitter.com/kto2SmvM82

— Ryan Chan 陳家翹 (@ryankakiuchan) February 10, 2023

#4 The mainstream media is almost entirely ignoring one of the most important stories of the decade.  Meanwhile, on Russian television they are talking about how these revelations could literally spark a nuclear war.

#5 Is another pandemic coming?  The World Health Organization has announced that the world “must prepare” for an H5N1 bird flu pandemic that could soon sweep through the human population of the planet.

NEW – WHO’s Tedros says we “must prepare” for a potential H5N1 human bird flu pandemic. pic.twitter.com/4Y3asCMN9S

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) February 9, 2023

#6 An extremely angry mob of radical activists just stormed the Oklahoma State Capitol while it was in session, but nobody in the mainstream media will dare call it “an insurrection”.

A mob of #trans activists took over the Oklahoma Capitol building to try & stop the state’s Republican lawmakers from passing bills that would outlaw the transitioning of minors & require teachers to inform parents if students identify as trans. pic.twitter.com/TPxdhKe9Eq

— Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) February 7, 2023

#7 Somehow, CBS was able to line up an absolutely perfect sponsor for Sam Smith’s “tribute to Satan” at the Grammy Awards.

Wait for it … pic.twitter.com/9SsSKK0Mac

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 6, 2023

#8 I’m sure that Zelensky just has a cold or something.  There is nothing suspicious about his behavior at all.

pic.twitter.com/zrcM9pvntq

— Clown World ™ 🤡 (@ClownWorld_) February 10, 2023

#9 The collusion between the federal government and Twitter to censor free speech was far more comprehensive than any of us originally realized.

#10 It is being reported that “part of the sun has broken off and formed a vortex”.  Scientists are admitting that they have never seen anything quite like this before.

Talk about Polar Vortex! Material from a northern prominence just broke away from the main filament & is now circulating in a massive polar vortex around the north pole of our Star. Implications for understanding the Sun’s atmospheric dynamics above 55° here cannot be overstated! pic.twitter.com/1SKhunaXvP

— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) February 2, 2023

*Bonus Video* A modern day “Viking” jumps off a snow-covered mountainside with two very sharp axes into a tiny pond of water.

If you need proof that men and women are not the same.

The science is settled.

pic.twitter.com/DmGfeGKA3t

— It’s Ma’am, PhDelightful (@ItsGoneAwry) February 9, 2023

Global events have begun to greatly accelerate, and I expect the remainder of 2023 to be incredibly chaotic.

If you appreciate the work that we are doing to wake people up, please consider supporting our efforts.

We have reached such a critical moment in human history, and there is so much confusion out there.

The truth sets people free, and we will continue to endeavor to share the truth with as many people as we can.

*  *  *

It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.

This week former Congressman Ron Paul discussed on his program The Liberty Report how mainstream media is suppressing reporting of legendary journalist Seymour Hersh’s How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline, or at least they are willfully ignoring its damning contents.

The program summarizes: “Legendary investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published a blockbuster report on last year’s attack on the Nord Stream pipeline. Though at the time, US mainstream media and neocons blamed Russia for attacking its own pipeline, Hersh lays out in detail how the US government, in a covert operation, blew it up. What’s next? Also today, Ukraine war is McCain’s legacy.”

As for “McCain’s legacy”, Congressman Paul and co-host Daniel McAdams review very important archived footage showing how in December 2016 both Senators McCain and Lindsey Graham traveled to Kiev to tell the Ukrainians “your fight is our fight” while pledging a coming “year of offensive”. They brazenly urged the Ukrainians to take an “offensive” fight to the Russians. Watch below: 

And the late Sen. McCain had vowed while standing before Ukrainian troops and officials at the time:

“All of us will go back to Washington and we will push the case against Russia… It is time for them to pay a heavier price.”

He added: “We will do everything we can to provide you with what you will need to win.”

Much that was communicated by the two hawkish GOP Senators years ago during the Donbas war in the east is continuing to unfold now, as escalation potentially leading to direct clash between nuclear-armed superpowers Russia and the US continues to grow with few off-ramps.

Watch the McCain and Graham clip below:

Authored by Ryan Morgan via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Seven different officials in President Joe Biden’s administration are in office illegally due to time limits, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

On Wednesday, the GAO found that seven presidential appointees serving in “acting” positions in their respective offices have run out of time on how long they can serve without a full Senate confirmation. GAO has issued five separate reports on the issue.

There are numerous positions within the executive branch that the president must appoint, and the U.S. Senate must confirm. These roles are referred to as PAS positions. Oftentimes, presidents will select individuals to temporarily fill these PAS positions while seeking Senate confirmations to fill out the roles on a more long-term basis.

The Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 regulates when and how a president can choose “acting” officers to temporarily fill these PAS positions. The law generally stipulates that appointees may only serve in an acting position for about 210 days, starting from the date the vacancy occurs.

The law states that if the Senate rejects a first nomination to permanently fill a PAS position or if the president withdraws the nomination, an “acting” officer may fill the position for up to 210 more days.

The president may submit a second nominee to the Senate, and if the nomination is rejected, an acting officer may fill the position for another 210 days. Outside of these time limits, if no individual is confirmed, the PAS position must remain vacant, and only the head of the agency may perform the functions or duties of the position.

The GAO found that seven officials have exceeded the time limits stipulated in the law:

• Allison Randall—Acting Director of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women;
• Charlotte A. Dye—Acting General Counsel of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA);
• Tae D. Johnson—Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE);
• Deidre Harrison—Acting Controller of the Office of Federal Financial Management, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB);
• Karen Freeman, Craig Hart, and Ann Marie Yastishock—Assistant Administrators of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Asia.

Shirley A. Jones, the Managing Associate General Counsel for the GAO, said each of the alleged violations “began in 2021 or 2022 and involves a long-vacant position for which previous Presidents submitted nominations.”

GAO discovered these alleged violations after conducting a review of vacant positions following a June decision.

According to the GAO letters, Dye’s service with the FLRA has been continued on in alleged violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act since Nov. 16, 2021.

Randall’s service with the DOJ has continued on in alleged violation of federal law since May 26, 2022.

Harrison’s OMB service has continued on in alleged violation of the law since Aug. 2, 2022.

Johnson’s ICE service ran afoul of the law starting on Nov. 16, 2021, but Jones said Johnson ended her time in the acting position on Monday, Feb. 6.

Jones said GAO had found Freeman’s service in an acting USAID role exceeded the federal limits on Nov. 16, 2021. Freeman was eventually replaced by Hart and then by Yastishock, who vacated the position on Aug. 8, 2022.

The OMB and FLRA disputed the watchdog agency’s assessment, citing an October 2022 opinion by the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel.

“We respectfully disagree with GAO’s conclusion,” an OMB spokesperson told NTD News. “DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded in a recent public opinion that, under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, a change in administrations restarts the timing sequence for acting service in a position that was vacant on inauguration date. OMB, like all Executive Branch agencies, is bound to follow DOJ’s legal conclusions. It is undisputed that Ms. Harrison’s service has been proper under DOJ’s legal interpretation of the Act.”

An FLRA spokesman also cited the DOJ’s October 2022 opinion that a change in administration restarts the timing sequence for acting service in positions that were vacant on inauguration day.

NTD News also reached out to the DOJ, USAID and ICE for comment, but they did not respond by the time this article was published.

Past Violations

Violations of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act are not unprecedented.

In April 2022, the GAO found that an official overstayed the time limit in the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).

GAO recorded several instances of individuals staying beyond the vacancy time limits during President Donald Trump’s administration.

More than 30 million Americans face a “hunger cliff,” as 32 states are set to slash food-stamp benefits beginning in March. By number, California and Texas have the most people on food stamps, at 5.1 million and 3.6 million respectively.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program notably exploded from $60.3 billion in 2019 to $119.5 billion in 2022 thanks to the Agriculture Department expanding food-stamp benefits by evading the normal process for determining eligibility and end-running Congressional review.

The reductions are due to the end of so-called emergency allotments, which bolstered food-stamp benefits at the start of the pandemic as Americans grappled with the massive disruption to the economy. While the U.S. is certainly on more stable footing than in 2020, households are now struggling with high food costs — groceries were about 10% higher in December than a year earlier — making the timing of the SNAP cuts particularly challenging, experts say. –CBS News

“This huger cliff is coming to the vast majority of states, and people will on average lose about $82 of SNAP benefits a month,” said Ellen Vollinger, the SNAP director at the anti-hunger advocacy group, the Food Research & Action Center. “That is a stunning number.”

The move comes after 18 states already ended their emergency benefits, while the remaining 32 states that continued the additional aid will lose federal funding to in March as part of the 2023 Omnibus spending bill which was signed into law in December.

The changes mean that a family of four could see benefits cut by around $328 per month, while elderly Americans who receive the minimum monthly benefit could see their SNAP payments fall from $281 per month to as low as $23. In 2022, the average monthly benefit per person was $230.88, an increase from $129.83 in 2019.

And despite having the lowest unemployment rate since 1969, more than 42 million Americans remain on food stamps – 6% more than in 2020, according to USDA data.

“What sometimes gets missed in that conversation is the part that so many SNAP households are employed, but often employed at low-wage levels — they aren’t in jobs that are family-sustaining so they still qualify for SNAP,” said Vollinger.

Food banks, meanwhile, are bracing for an increase in demand as food aid is slashed.

“People are having to choose between putting food on the table and paying rent,” said Food Bank of the Rockies CEO, Erin Pulling. “We are seeing more people than ever needing help with food assistance.”

As for the food stamp cuts, Pulling says “We’re bracing for it.”

Colorado is making me laugh today.

We are reducing your food stamps and we know you will have a hard time surviving so here are some tips 😂 don’t say we didn’t ever do nothing for you 😂😂😂 girl bye pic.twitter.com/E995jZRcXX

— kimberly (@iam_kimberlyjo) January 31, 2023

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

Ukraine is in discussions with the UK about receiving longer-range missiles and is prepared to use them against Crimea, which would mark another major escalation of Western involvement in the war, The Times of London reported Thursday.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised more aid for Kyiv when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited London on Wednesday. The Times report said that discussions are now underway on whether future aid should include Harpoon anti-ship missiles or air-launched Storm Shadow missiles.

Ukrainian sources told The Times that they would plan to use these missiles to hit Crimea, strikes that would seriously risk provoking Moscow. But both the US and Britain are less concerned about escalating the war.

Ukraine has already received some Harpoon missiles from Denmark and launchers from the US. The anti-ship missiles have a range of about 70 miles, although other variants can hit targets over 100 miles away. The Harpoons have a longer range than artillery missiles the US has sent, but the Harpoons are designed for coastal defense.

It’s not clear if Ukraine could use Harpoons in its ground battle against Russia with the current launchers, but Ukrainian officials claimed they used them to sink a Russian military tug boat last June. The Times report said the Harpoons would be less accurate if they were used on the ground.

The Storm Shadow missiles could hit targets at a range between about 150 miles and 350 miles, depending on the variant. They are typically fired from aircraft, and the UK is also considering providing Kyiv with fighter jets and plans on training Ukrainian pilots starting this spring.

⚡️Underwater Russian drone hit the bridge connecting mainland Ukraine with the section connected to Romania in the Odessa region pic.twitter.com/dEqjFkjq83

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) February 10, 2023

Moscow would view the provision of jets and longer-range missiles as a major provocation, and Russian officials have been warning strongly against the move.

Recent reporting suggests the US and its allies are no longer concerned with the risk of Russian President Vladimir Putin using a nuclear weapon in response to attacks on Crimea based only on the fact that he hasn’t used one up to this point.

Recovery efforts utilizing military planes and helicopters in the far northeast arctic region of Alaska continue, where on Friday an unidentified object was shot down by F-22 jets.

Still, little definitive is known, including who owns the object or where it came from; however, in media and US official reports the ‘high-altitude’ object is increasingly being referenced as a another balloon.

Biden called the operation a “success” – and yet didn’t engage reporters’ questions directly when asked about follow-up details. 

What has become clear is that Biden gave the order to shoot it down before knowing who owned it or where it came from, or whether it was state-owned or perhaps owned by a corporation. And of course the question remains: was this another Chinese spy balloon? Or was it a weather research balloon just downed over Alaska?

According to details from White House and Pentagon briefings on Friday, including descriptions from senior officials, here’s what’s known at this point:

• It flew at 40,000 feet
• Deemed a safety threat to civilian aircraft
• Unknown origin or ownership 
• Cylindrical and silverish gray
• Roughly the size of a car
• Smaller than the Chinese ‘spy’ balloon shot down last Satursday
• Object not maneuverable or propelled 
• Shot down by US F-22 with sidewinder missile

In the meantime the media is only hyping the rampant online speculation into overdrive…

Hold up- why is FOX showing the UFO tic tac video when reporting on the object shot down today in Alaska!

🤣🤣This beginning to look so so stupid,come on bring the Aliens fuckers🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/0qwGy2eWX9

— Truthseeker (@Xx17965797N) February 11, 2023

In the end, there may be a very simple explanation, such as an arctic weather balloon – which aren’t uncommon among researchers and climate scientists in far northern regions.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a resolution on Thursday to end all US aid to Ukraine for war with Russia, while at the same time seeking a peace settlement between the two nations.

Co-sponsored by 10 House members, the “Ukraine Fatigue Resolution,” cites the enormous US support to Ukraine, noting that America is the “top contributor of military aid to Ukraine compared to its counterparts,” having “appropriated more than $110,000,000,000 of military, financial, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.”

The resolution adds that “on February 3, 2023, the Department of Defense announced $2,000,000,000 in additional security assistance for Ukraine.”

As of that announcement, the US has committed more than $32 billion in “security assistance” to Ukraine since 2014, with $30 billion of that pledged since the start of the Biden administration, and $29.3 billion “since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.”

Matt Gaetz on fire:

“How much more for Ukraine? Is there any limit? Which billionth dollar really kicks in the door?”pic.twitter.com/gh8YDVWeo1

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 7, 2023

Gaetz’ resolution includes itemized descriptions of weapons and material support.

“Joe Biden, and even some who have taken this stage, say defending freedom in Ukraine has costs for America,” Gaetz said in a speech just two days after Russia invaded Ukraine. “Why should Americans have to pay the costs for freedom elsewhere when our own leaders won’t stand up for our freedom here?“

Testifying on the House floor on Feb. 6, Gaetz compared threats to U.S. citizens posed by drug outlaws in Mexico to those of Russian soldiers, and, what he believes, is an overeagerness to back a conflict that does not present serious and imminent peril to the United States. –Epoch Times

“As the war slogs on in Ukraine, the benefits to Americans are unclear,” said Gaetz. “Bandits in the Sinaloa Mountains hurt more Americans than the men in Crimea. But foreigners come to Washington to lecture us about spending our constituents’ money on a conflict thousands of miles away, and my colleagues are eager to oblige.”

“On this floor, [Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy’s demands got bipartisan standing ovations, from most. Stingers, HIMARS, tanks. At first, we said no to all of these things. President Biden even said that some of these things might lead to World War III. And then … we sent all of them.“

Via The Cradle,

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on 10 February issued a temporary waiver for Caesar Act sanctions imposed on Syria to allow earthquake relief funds to reach the country, following days of hindered humanitarian efforts.

The Syria General License (GL) 23, issued by OFAC, authorizes earthquake relief transactions – which would typically be restricted under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (SySR) – for a period of 180 days.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the people of Türkiye and Syria for the tragic loss of life and destruction in the wake of devastating earthquakes,” Deputy Secretary of the US Treasury Department, Wally Adeyemo, said.

“As international allies and humanitarian partners mobilize to help those affected, I want to make very clear that U.S. sanctions in Syria will not stand in the way of life-saving efforts for the Syrian people. While U.S. sanctions programs already contain robust exemptions for humanitarian efforts, today Treasury is issuing a blanket General License to authorize earthquake relief efforts so that those providing assistance can focus on what’s needed most: saving lives and rebuilding,” he added.

The decision followed a storm of criticism, as many have called out the impact of US sanctions on the humanitarian situation in the country, particularly on relief efforts following the devastating earthquake. Bassam Sabbagh, Syria’s permanent UN envoy, said on 8 February that international cargo planes have been ‘refusing’ to land in Syrian airports due to the threat of sanctions.

However, others have justified US sanctions and claimed that they do not restrict humanitarian efforts or aid provision in any way, despite repeated UN warnings over the years and in the last few days following the disaster.

However, many have pointed out that the sanctions are designed in a way that intimidates countries against dealing with the Syrian government, making it so that even when aid is involved, those who want to assist usually refrain from doing so due to the high risk of US consequences.

Senior US officials have said in the last two days that they will continue to refuse coordination with Damascus in any way, even going as far as calling it “counterproductive.”

Significant new positive initiatives from Washington that demonstrate how the Administration is increasing aid to Syrians in need, no matter where they live, The Treasury has just issued GL 23 to to support earthquake relief efforts in #Syria ====> https://t.co/X6xicNKO9n

— EHSANI22 (@EHSANI221) February 10, 2023

Washington claims to be working ‘on the ground’ to provide aid through its NGO ‘partners,’ however, even US-based crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has canceled fundraising campaigns of local Syrians affected by the quake who are attempting to raise money for relief.

The fact that the US Treasury Department decided to officially issue a temporary waiver for the Caesar Act serves as proof that Washington’s sanctions indeed do pose a threat to humanitarian efforts.