Authored by Monica O’Shea via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

A huge truck convoy has descended on Western Australian (WA) roads to protest the Labor government’s ban on live sheep exports.

More than 1,350 trucks registered to participate in the rally in Perth to send a message to the government about the proposed ban.

Large trucks with signs “keep the sheep” and “stand with our farmers” were seen on Perth highways on May 31, while onlookers displayed a banner with the words “we love farmers.”

This comes after the Labor Party introduced legislation to parliament on May 30 that will stop live sheep from being exported from Australia by sea from May 1, 2028.

The Export Control Amendment (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill 2024 (pdf) amends the Export Control Act 2020 and will delegate sheep to the “permanently prohibited exports” list.

Shadow Assistant Trade Minister Rick Wilson joined WA Livestock and Rural Transporters Association vice president Ben Sutherland at the convoy.

“This grass roots movement is gaining momentum and getting overwhelming support in the city as well as the regions,” Mr. Wilson said.

Mr. Wilson seconded an urgent motion in the House of Representatives seeking a parliamentary inquiry into the decision on May 30.

“It’s an absolute disgrace, no consultation from the minister or any of the members of the Labor Party with Western Australian farmers,” he said in a video.

“They’ve made this unilateral announcement, and [it] is now in the parliament in the process of becoming law.”

Petition Now Has 33,500 Signatures

A Keep the Sheep petition against the ban has received 33,500 signatures online at the time of publication.

“Our campaign is bigger than just politics, it’s about people’s lives and livelihoods,” the group said. “The sheep industry has been the backbone of rural towns for over a hundred years and will soon disappear.”

The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) CEO Mark  Harvey-Sutton also rode in the cab of a truck as part of the rally in Perth.

Mr. Harvey-Sutton said he was pleased to stand together with farmers uniting to have the “disastrous policy” reversed.

“We know that people across WA support farmers and truckies. We know that West Australians agree that the government destroying livelihoods during a cost of living crisis is unfair,” he said.

“We won’t stop fighting this ban and it will be an election issue for the Government in Western Australia and beyond.”

Pleased to support West Australian farming families, truckies and communities by joining today’s truck convoy through Perth against the live sheep ban.https://t.co/PPgxJGdYwzhttps://t.co/P11eNdbkZP #keepthesheep @keepthesheepWA pic.twitter.com/LMw13k3QR0

— ALEC (@AustLiveExports) May 31, 2024

National Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said the prime minister, agriculture minister, and all parliamentarians need to take a “good look” and what unfolded in Perth.

“This is a grassroots farmer demonstration of historic proportions,” he said.

Mr. Jochinke said the convoy in Perth shows the governments have underestimated rural communities and their support for farmers, and voter intelligence.

“I think people in WA and across Australia will start to wake up to the grubby political deal that’s been done here,” he said.

“To those convoying today: farmers across Australia are with you. Your willingness to stand up and defend our sector is bloody legendary, and this is just the start.”

To the thousands of WA farmers who’ve taken to the streets of Perth today and to the thousands more who will be impacted by this ban, we stand with you. #keepthesheephttps://t.co/nJ85B1Jd2k pic.twitter.com/LXISUO4N4o

— National Farmers’ Federation (@NationalFarmers) May 31, 2024

Explanation for the Live Sheep Ban

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the Australian sheep industry now has the time, support, and certainty it needs to plan effectively for the future

“We have put $107 million on the table to ensure those affected by the phase out are well-positioned and ready when the trade ends in May 2028,” he said.

“This is a policy that invests in the future of the Australian sheep industry.”

Mr. Watt added the government had promised the phase out would not take place in this term of Parliament, and setting an end date of May 1, 2028, fulfils that commitment.

“While live sheep export numbers have plummeted in the last 20 years, now contributing just 0.1 percent of all national agricultural exports, sheep meat exports are going through the roof.”

“Australia is now the largest exporter of sheep meat to the world, with nearly $4.5 billion in chilled and frozen sheep meat exported in 2022-23 alone.”

Mr. Watt was under pressure to investigate the live sheep ban further on May 30, with the Nationals and Liberal Party attempting to bring about an inquiry in the lower house of Parliament.

Following this, Minister Watt said “of course there will need to be” a Senate inquiry into the legislation on May 30.

In response, Nationals Leader David Littleproud said Minister Watt had promised a Senate inquiry just “hours” after an inquiry into the same crucial issue was voted down in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Littleproud said a future Coalition government will “reinstate the live sheep export trade.”

WA National MLA Mia Davies also took part in the convoy, explaining she was heading to town to let everyone know Albanese needs to do the right thing by WA and “keep the sheep.”

Heading to town to let everyone know Albanese needs to do the right thing by WA and #keepthesheep. pic.twitter.com/s7HpNpvVn5

— Mia Davies MLA (@MiaDaviesMLA) May 31, 2024

In a post to X on May 31, Mr. Watt said Aussie meat exports have soared in just one year of our Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. Watt shared an image showing beef exports are up 429 percent to $51.8 million and sheep meat exports have risen 19 percent to $100.1 million.

“It’s delivering for Aussie farmers, workers, and consumers,” he said.

Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, is erupting again, and this time in an area that has been inactive for half a century. Alert levels have been raised across Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as there are concerns the eruption could flare up again despite only lasting six hours on Monday. 

The US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the eruption was about 1 mile south of the Kilauea caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The last time this area experienced an eruption was in December 1974. 

“Glow is visible in webcam imagery, indicating that lava is currently erupting from fissures,” the US Geological Survey said. 

#Kilauea: A new eruption began at approximately 12:30 a.m. HST, in the Upper SWRZ. The most recent eruption in this region was during December 1974, which lasted only about 6 hours. At this time, it is not possible to say how long the eruption will last. https://t.co/GI1G4eh6RU pic.twitter.com/gq2xqm67qr

— Artanis 🌋 (@Artanis041) June 3, 2024

The glow from the fissure southwest of the Hale’maumau Crater at Kīlauea pic.twitter.com/HcYpm7kJkF

— smartmonkeee 🙊🌺👑🦕🐋🐬🐠🦭🐙🦖🐝🌴 (@smartmonkeee) June 3, 2024

HVO raised the Volcano Alert Level for ground-based hazards from a “watch” to a “warning.” The aviation color code in the surrounding area has been elevated from “orange” to “red.”

Fox News Weather spoke with scientists who say there’s no telling how long the current eruption will last. 

Before the eruption, USGS reported earthquake swarms on Sunday as magma moved beneath the surface. 

In 2023, Kilauea erupted in January, June and September. An eruption in 2018 destroyed 700 homes. 

“From 1983 to 2018, all of the activity came from two vents,” said Michael Poland, a geophysicist with the USGS, who spoke with The New York Times. 

Poland continued, “Since 2018, it has gone away from a period of steady eruptions. Now it has discrete, usually shortish eruptions happening in several different places. Now we’re getting eruptions happening in places we haven’t seen in 50 years.”

Rubio’s Coastal Grill, best known for its fish tacos, is shuttering 48 locations in California due to the “rising cots of business in the state”, according to a new report from ABC 10. 

The business, based in Southern California, announced the closures in a statement this weekend that read: “Making the decision to close a store is never an easy one.”

It continued: “Rubio’s Coastal Grill…after a thorough review of its operations and the current business climate, has decided to close 48 underperforming locations in California as of May 31, while keeping 86 stores in California, Arizona and Nevada open.”

Jot Condie, president and CEO of the California Restaurant Association, warned that these closures could just be the beginning for the state: “Daily headlines have chronicled job losses, reduced working hours, restaurant closures and higher prices for California’s inflation-weary consumers as a direct result of this minimum wage hike.”

He continued:  “Feedback from our members suggests this has become a breaking point for many small restaurant businesses.”

ABC reported that Condie believes more closures will follow if the state follows through on plans for an $18 minimum wage, which will be on the ballot for voters to decide on this November. 

Rubio’s closed 48 locations, including 11 in Northern California, 24 in Los Angeles, and 13 in San Diego.

The El Dorado Hills Town Center branch reportedly missed several rent payments, leading to a dispute with the landlord. The center issued a three-day eviction ultimatum to Rubio’s, which closed the site the day after receiving the notice, according to town center spokeswoman Dawn Bricker.

Bricker noted the business essentially fled overnight. Rubio’s confirmed the closure but did not comment on potential legal actions by the town center.

The company was founded in 1983 in San Diago and is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. 

Israel launched major airstrikes on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo in the overnight hours, which killed an Iranian military adviser, and possibly more Iranian militia members, as well as civilians.

“At approximately 12:20 AM at dawn on Monday, the Israeli enemy launched an aerial attack with missiles from a direction of southeast Aleppo, targeting a number of points in the vicinity of Aleppo city, and the army air defenses intercepted the aggression’s missiles and shot down some of them,” Syrian state SANA said.

“The aggression led to the martyrdom a number of civilians, and some material losses to the property,” the report added.

Hours after the initial overnight and early morning reports of the attack, Iranian state media confirmed the death of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officer.

“During last night’s attack by the Zionist regime on Aleppo, Saeed Abyar, one of the IRGC advisers in Syria, was martyred,” confirmed Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

But there are unverified reports that many more were killed. The opposition-linked, anti-Assad war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 16 members of pro-Iran groups were killed in the attack. The main strike location was reportedly at a copper smelting plant and weapons warehouse in the Aleppo countryside. 

SOHR has documented forty-four Israel attacks on Syria in 2024. This includes:

“32 airstrikes and 12 rocket attacks by ground forces, during which Israel targeted several positions in Syria, destroying nearly 92 targets, including buildings, weapons and ammunitions warehouses, headquarters, centres and vehicles. These strikes killed 164 combatants and injured 69 others…”

Days ago, Israel bombed the coastal Syrian city of Baniyas, killing a girl along with ten other civilians, local reports said. 

Below: unverified footage of the aftermath of the overnight strikes…

BREAKING: Israel is bombing #Aleppo #Syria! Does the west care about Aleppo like it used to? It’s silent about Israel’s crimes .

When the northern front against the Zionist entity expands, mother Syria will play a big role. pic.twitter.com/y4bJcRSkl5

— Syrian Girl 🇸🇾 (@Partisangirl) June 2, 2024

In the initial days and weeks after Oct.7, Syria had lobbed several rockets toward the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which left no casualties. Much of the Syrian populace has meanwhile become frustrated and expressed growing anger that the Russian military, which has long had a significant presence inside Syria (especially since 2015), has not done more to try and intercept inbound Israeli jets. But Israel often mounts its attacks from over Lebanese airspace.

“Moscow strongly condemns these aggressive actions, which come in gross violation of Syria’s sovereignty and basic rules of international law,” Russia’s foreign ministry announced Monday. “Such use of force, which in the current tense regional situation can lead to extremely dangerous consequences and trigger a large-scale armed escalation, are unacceptable.”

Tensions are soaring especially in the wake of Israel’s April 1st brazen attack on Iran’s embassy in Damascus, which left a high ranking IRGC General and several other Iranian officers dead. Additionally, in southern Lebanon Hezbollah has been upping its attacks on Israel in recent days and weeks. Hezbollah is closely allied with Damascus and Tehran.

Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com,

Which Movie Will It Be?

“It’s almost as if the principals (prosecutors and judge) were performing for their political audience – with a wink, a nod and a stage whisper (“watch this!”) as they ignore yet another fundamental element of American due process.”

– Jack DeVine on “X”

The ninnies of Bidenworld seem to not understand that by subjecting Mr. Trump to a kangaroo court they’ve made him the kind of outlaw that Americans revere above every other archetypal hero.

He’s the new American Robin Hood, the people’s outlaw – with “Joe Biden” relegated as the wicked Sir Guy of Gisbourne, master of foul play and servant of the evil regent Prince John (Barack Obama).

The galvanizing moment in this melodrama was not the verdict in Judge Juan Merchan’s kangaroo corral of a court, but the next day in the White House when “Joe Biden” was asked to comment on it as he shuffled away from the podium, halted, turned, and smirked silently at the cameras, a gesture that is sure to live in infamy.

The fun should really kick off when the judge gets to sentence Trump-the-Outlaw July 11, a few days before the Republican convention. Life in some New York state pen? A year on Rikers Island? House arrest? Who knows. But you can bet that just like Robin-of-Locksley, Donald-of-Mar-a-Lago will manage to slip out of his captors’ clutches and cleverly vanquish them.

In a sane world, of course, the US Supreme Court would be entreated to adjudicate this gross insult to due process as spelled out in Section 1 of the 14th Amendment.

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

But you might have noticed that this is not a sane world, at least not these days, and not a few supposedly sober analysts, such as Jonathan Turley of George Washington University, claim that that a SCOTUS review is a long-shot — which only confirms the reigning insanity since it’s hard to imagine a more compelling moment for the SCOTUS to carry out its fundamental duty: to elucidate the meaning of our Constitution and resolve disputes arising therefrom.

Now, it looks like what we’re seeing after a few days for the shock to wear off, is a mighty righteous rage arising among the faction designated as “Red” — that is, the anti-Woke, anti-Globalist, anti-neoMarxist, anti-Deep State blob, anti-Lawfare, anti-Democratic Party chunk of the adult US population. It amounts to a recognition that we are already in some kind of civil war, and that the tactics of “Joe Biden’s” party must and will be opposed by all means. The SCOTUS is the last resort of legal means for redress in this matter, and they would punt this duty at great peril to the country.

To clarify just what this matter is: “Joe Biden’s” White House and Department of Justice conspired with New York County (Manhattan) authorities to maliciously construct and execute a court case made of patently false charges against their principal political adversary, and with a cavalier disrespect to both state and federal law.

As such, the “Stormy Daniels Payoff Case,” as it’s known, is just the latest ploy in a long train of lawless gambits starting with RussiaGate in 2016 (the “Steele Dossier” and all) that have left hundreds of high appointed officials in the federal bureaucracy (plus many retired from it) liable to severe criminal charges ranging as far as sedition and treason. RussiaGate may have started its life as a typical campaign prank by doofuses in the Hillary Clinton organization, but it turned seriously sinister when it was adopted by the FBI and the CIA to execute a plan to harass and defenestrate the elected president, Mr. Trump.

With each subsequent prank, to distract from and cover-up their crimes, the same group of officials has committed more crimes, to the point that the federal government now behaves like a gigantic mafia, dedicated to nothing but crime of one kind or another. The Democratic Party has become this mob’s protective order; the old mainstream media its mouthpiece; and the people of this country increasingly its victims. Naturally, these criminals are now desperate to avoid having to account for their crimes, which is exactly and explicitly what Mr. Trump promises to do.

So, there it is: a criminal regime versus the people defended by their outlaw hero. Does the SCOTUS want to aid and abet this gang of criminals — led by the way, and just so you know, by Barack Obama and his Kalorama coterie, John Brennan, Mary McCord and her Lawfare coterie, Hillary and Bill Clinton and their henchmen, and scores of additional DC lawyers, fixers, and judges — or, will the SCOTUS avert an epic crisis of legitimacy by stepping in to quash the ridiculously fake New York case just concluded?

If they demur in some cowardly blur of excuses, then it’s onto the next truly nation-ending stage of this game. The “Joe Biden” regime would like nothing more than an outbreak of civil violence they can blame on “right-wing extremists.” In fact, they could and probably will gin that up themselves, just as they transformed the Jan-6-21 mass protest against widespread ballot fraud into a “MAGA insurrection.” You are also certainly aware of the sinister millions, mainly young men from faraway lands, who “Joe Biden” imported across the border the past three years. And you might imagine how they could be put to use against American citizens, along with the Democratic Party shock troops known as BLM and Antifa. Summer’s here and the time is right for fighting in the streets.

And, of course, even if the SCOTUS puts an end to this latest bit of Lawfare fuckery, the “Joe Biden” crew can always opt to just up and kill its opponent. Nothing is beneath them now. But when that happens, we’ll be in a very different kind of movie.

*  *  *

Support his blog by visiting Jim’s Patreon Page or Substack

After a promising start to the overnight session, which saw both Asia and Europe perk up to start the new month alongside a furious surge in GameStop on the latest meme stonk shenanigans by Roaring Kitty, the mood deteriorated rapidly, and after a very ugly, and quite stagflationary Mfg ISM print, which printed below the lowest estimate (and just as ugly Construction Spending print to boot), the hard landing trade re-emerged, and “bad news was once again bad news” as both yields.

“Bad news may no longer be good news,” said Jose Torres at Interactive Brokers, who was quoted by Bloomberg. 

Torres continued, “In recent months, investors have cheered weaker-than-estimated data based on expectations that it could accelerate the start of the Fed’s policy loosening. Investors are now reacting to soft data with fear.” 

Yields across the Treasury curve continued their decline from late last week into the new week.

… and equities drifted lower for a 3rd straight day (excluding that glorious last-minute month-end rebel meetup last Friday)…

… as something odd is going on: as The Market Ear flagged earlier, lately the Nasdaq has moved in the opposite direction of the US 10 year, which is unexpected since tech loves falling rates, prompting the traders to conclude that “something is changing”…

More from The Market Ear. 

Something is happening in cross-asset as we speak, and we do not like the smell of it

— The Market Ear (@themarketear) June 3, 2024

Maybe stagflation fears are becoming concerning for Wall Street…

ISM Manufacturing Survey Signals Further Stagflation: Growth Slows, Prices Rise https://t.co/jwshu6ekHN

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) June 3, 2024

After all, the US economic surprise is back at summer 2022 lows. 

S&P500 has bad breadth. 

Is Dow Jones leading tech into another selloff? 

In any case, retail MoMo also weighed on sentiment as the opening meetup in the meme universe quickly reversed, and retail favorite stocks slumped…

More broadly, Reddit traders should’ve just rolled their losses into Mag7 stocks after the meme bubble imploded in 2022. 

… Momentum continued to take on water, sliding -1% which now makes -3% in 3 sessions (although, as Goldman notes, this trade has failed to meaningfully unwind over the last 3 months and debates around AI sustainability coupled with Software weakness, alongside slower growth and lighter inflation data, all will be key elements for this factor), with the most shorted names continued the recent rebound after the late May rout.

Finally, cyclical stocks were under big pressure following the dismal ISM print, and the GS cyclicals vs. defensives pair trade had their 2nd worst session of the year, as the basket slide to the lowest level since February.

That said, activity was rather subdued, with market volumes down -9% vs the 10dma, even though Goldman’s trading desk reports that overall activity levels were up +24% vs. the trailing 2 weeks.

Some more details from the Goldman desk:

• Floor tilts -1.5% better for sale, but HFs are net sellers and LOs are net to buy

• HFs tilt -4.5% for sale, that ranks 75th %-ile over the last 1yr.  Supply heaviest in Tech, HCare & Staples with modest demand for Comm Svcs, Fins, Mats & Disc.

• LOs are +7.5% to buy and moving in the opposite direction of HFs – buying Tech, HCare & Staples vs selling Industrials, Utes, Mats & Energy.  

This reaffirms what we noted over the weekend when we pointed out that according to Goldman’s Prime Brokerage, hedge funds have turned very bearish lately and last week saw the biggest shorting of tech stocks in the past 11 weeks, led by software names.

While stocks meandered, for crude, it was an unequivocal one-way street: the commodity crumbled as soon as traders walked in this morning, and then crashed after the disappointing ISM and Construction spending print, as oil remains the only asset that is pricing in a recession while every other asset classes is pricing in a soft landing.

Meanwhile, the narrative surrounding the latest OPEC+ decision confirms that the market remains in sell-everything mode, as summarized below:

OPEC cuts output: “OPEC knows the economy is a disaster, trying to limit supply, oil prices will crash”

OPEC plans on gradually raising output: “OPEC cohesions is collapsing, OPEC no longer able to limit supply, prices will crash”

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) June 3, 2024

Yet despite the early rug pulls, it was a rather lackluster day, and with hedge funds and LOs pulling back, keeping the party going was all thanks to stock buyabcks. Speaking of, Goldman writes that it saw another active week on the buyback desk with volumes finishing 2.4x vs 2023 YTD ADTV and 1.3x vs 2022 YTD ADTV skewed toward Tech, Financials, and Consumer Discretionary. More importantly, the bank warns that while buybacks will dominate to the tune of about $5BN per day for the next two weeks, in mid-June we will enter the next blackout period, which if past is prologue, signals the next market swoon is imminent.

But not yet: as the bank concludes, “In terms of our desk flows, we continue to see an increased number of discretionary buyback orders on the desk as the majority of companies remain in an open period.”

In another impressive chart (in the real estate world), Goldman’s Chris Hussey says, “95% of mortgage borrowers carry interest rates below current market rates, and almost 80% have rates 2pp below market rates, strongly disincentivizing them from moving since when they do, they will need to pay down the low-rate mortgage and take on a new, much higher-rate mortgage.” 

With the earnings season mostly over, traders will shift their attention to whether inflation is heating up again or continuing to decelerate. 

Chris Larkin at E*Trade from Morgan Stanley said, “This week’s jobs report represents the next big test.” 

The jobs report comes ahead of next week’s Federal Reserve meeting, with the swaps market showing no signs of interest rate cuts anytime soon. There are 1.65 cuts priced in by the end of the year, with the first possible in November. 

The Market Ear is correct. Something beneath the surface of the market is shifting.

Update (1530ET): Former NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci was grilled by Republicans during Monday testimony in front of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, where he repeatedly denied Republican allegations that he sought to cover up the COVID-19 lab-leak theory – calling the accusation “absolutely false and simply preposterous.”

In his opening statement, Fauci denied trying to silence officials and scientists who thought the virus was created in, or at least escaped from, the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

“The accusation being circulated that I influenced these scientists to change their minds by bribing them with millions of dollars in grant money is absolutely false and simply preposterous. I had no input into the content of the published paper,” said Fauci. “The second issue is a false accusation that I tried to cover up the possibility that the virus originated from a lab. In fact, the truth is exactly the opposite.”

Following his opening statement Fauci was grilled over the government’s response to the pandemic – defending the CDC over mask mandates, lockdowns, and other public policy – while Democrats on the panel repeatedly bent over backwards to defend him.

Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) got into a heated exchange Fauci over the measures – at one point forcing the former NIAID director to admit that the Covid-19 vaccine doesn’t stop transmission.

I asked Dr. Fauci a simple yes or no question: Did he believe school, business, and church closures, mask mandates, and stay-at-home orders were justified?

He refused to disavow those measures, despite knowing they were ineffective. pic.twitter.com/4DjIrdg2sk

— Congressman Michael Cloud (@RepCloudTX) June 3, 2024

Fauci then vs. Fauci now on vaccine efficacy: pic.twitter.com/igVp7zXia5

— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) June 3, 2024

Cloud then held Fauci’s feet to the fire over masking children.

“Mask mandates for children under the age of five? There’s scientific evidence supporting that?” Cloud asked.

“There was no study that did masks on kids before,” Fauci admitted. “You couldn’t do the study. You had to respond to an epidemic that was killing 4-5,000 Americans a day.“

‘It just appeared’

When asked where school guidelines came from, Fauci essentially shrugged – defending the mandates and claiming out of nowhere that “another million people would have died” without them.

“The CDC was responsible for those kinds of guidelines for schools, not me. So when I said that, it just appeared. It appeared. Was there any science behind it? What I meant by no science behind it is that there wasn’t a controlled trial,” he said, adding: “That said, compare six foot with three feet with ten feet. So there wasn’t that scientific evaluation of it,” said Fauci – who suggested that the unscientific mandates were necessary anyway, because had they not done so, “another million people would have died.” 

Cloud also grilled Fauci over sending taxpayer dollars to Wuhan.

BREAKING: Fauci sent taxpayer dollars to dangerous labs in Wuhan, China without reviewing the grant proposals.

Rep Cloud TX: “Your name is on every single grant, yet you absolve yourself of any sort of responsibility.”

LadyQNews pic.twitter.com/xyF3ANypY9

— VAL THOR (@CMDRVALTHOR) June 3, 2024

Republicans on the panel also presented Fauci with emails suggesting that his former aides were trying to evade public records laws at the agency he ran for 38 years. In one April 2021 message, an aide said that while Fauci “prides himself on being like teflon,” he appeared to be “getting worried about the brown stuff hitting the fan” over gain-of-function research being funded in Wuhan via New York nonprofit, EcoHealth alliance.

.@RepMGriffith calls out Fauci and his staff for “routinely evading federal records laws”:

“The scale of the effort to evade FOIA by some at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases or NIAID has surprised even me…It is hard to believe this all occurred without… pic.twitter.com/ZhSDojjBCn

— Americans for Public Trust (@apublictrust) June 3, 2024

At one point, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) brought up a report that NIH scientists made over $700 million on COVID-19 royalties.

JUST IN: Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for the imprisonment of ‘Mr.’ Fauci to his face as she cites a new report where NIH scientists made over $700 million on cov*d royalties.

“NIH scientists made $710 million in royalties from drug makers. A fact that’s been hidden.”

“Is it… pic.twitter.com/cPHNDqGdr8

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 3, 2024

The 83-year-old then maneuvered around questions over vaccine efficacy.

They knew the vaccine waned in efficacy and kept firing people for not taking it anyway.

Fauci admits it. pic.twitter.com/IgvJdKwTRj

— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) June 3, 2024

He did get into it with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) who issued a sternly worded soundbite.

Rep. Jim Jordan: “You agree that there was a push to downplay the lab leak theory?”

Fauci: “None on my part.”

Rep. Jim Jordan: “Really? Wow.” pic.twitter.com/X4ZYBzOuCb

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 3, 2024

Fauci then went for the sympathy vote – telling the panel he receives constant threats.

The man whose lies plunged the world into chaos, resulting in millions of deaths, is now shedding tears like a Hollywood actor, lamenting about the terrible threats he receives.

This is a classic case of perpetrator-victim reversal straight out of the textbook.

PROSECUTE FAUCI! pic.twitter.com/gvfwXrpKuH

— Dr. Simon Goddek (@goddeketal) June 3, 2024

All in all, Fauci is one slick 83-year-old who we doubt will ever face the law over his role in the Covid-19 pandemic and the government’s response.

*  *  *

Update (1000ET): Here it is – Fauci appears before the House Select Subcommittee to answer questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights below:

🚨BREAKING — Fauci admits he’s been briefed ‘several times’ by the intelligence community with respect to Covid. pic.twitter.com/utClLUfJoR

— Dr. Simon Goddek (@goddeketal) June 3, 2024

🚨Fauci is doing what he does best: LYING and DECEIVING.

Remember when @K_G_Andersen changed his stance on COVID’s origins in just four days, subsequently receiving additional funding from Fauci, and then labeled everyone questioning his ‘scientific integrity’ as ‘anti-science’? pic.twitter.com/EH9VDXSyMP

— Dr. Simon Goddek (@goddeketal) June 3, 2024

Fauci says he never conducted government business in private email pic.twitter.com/GcIzlmEyR2

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 3, 2024

Dr. Fauci claims he never conducted government business on private email:@RepJamesComer: “did you ever conduct official business via email?”

Fauci: “To the best of my recollection and knowledge I have never conducted official business via my private email.” pic.twitter.com/Tk2sWtO9VS

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 3, 2024

This exchange alone proves what a pathological liar Fauci is.

One week after receiving emails from top epidemiologists arguing the virus was likely a lab leak, Fauci caused a virtual ban on questioning COVID’s origin.

But he’s a liberal folk hero so only GOP can raise this: https://t.co/hBCZaNyMlp

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 3, 2024

DAMNING ADMISSION FROM DR. FAUCI:@RepCloudTX: “Mask mandates for children under five, there was scientific evidence supporting that?”

FAUCI: “There was NO study that did masks on kids…. pic.twitter.com/9JvQEyx4UM

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) June 3, 2024

*  *  *

Authored by Roger Marshall via The Epoch Times,

A million Americans died from COVID-19, marking one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history. Four years later, more than 10 million Americans are still suffering from long COVID. We continue to fight for accountability.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, in his role as chief medical adviser to the president, insisted upon mask and vaccine mandates, lockdowns, and overstated vaccine efficacy, often disregarding the public’s and private medical professional’s ability to assess the facts.

Many lessons must be learned from Dr. Fauci’s tenure, highlighting the need for supervision and ethical leadership. As a physician, I believe in informing patients of the truth and collaborating on plans.

This week, he will testify before the House of Representatives. We must demand answers for the numerous unresolved issues related to his potential role in the origins of COVID-19, and the subsequent alleged cover-up. Here are several questions I hope are asked:

Dr. Fauci has advocated for and funded risky gain of function (GOF) research for more than 30 years. He was undoubtedly aware of the history of the engineering and structural problems, along with sloppy procedural issues, at the labs in Wuhan, China.

Risky GOF Research: After learning of the possibility of a lab leak from respected scientists, did Dr. Fauci consult the appropriate government agencies at the National Biosurveillance Integration Center, National Center for Medical Intelligence, and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, all stacked with experts about the risky research at the unsafe Wuhan Institute of Virology? Evidence indicates he consulted private sector scientists with significant conflicts of interest, as they depended on his research funds. Dr. Fauci has never conceded to seeking advice from the correct government channels, why?

He knew the Chinese military was involved in all research at Wuhan laboratories, including that China’s military ran a bioweapons program at the Wuhan Institute of Virology labs. Yet, Dr. Fauci continued to use taxpayer money to fund the research projects in Wuhan, China.

We very much hope Anthony Fauci will discuss this email referencing covid as a bioweapon pic.twitter.com/4JIPK4JcCi

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) June 3, 2024

Caught in a Lie: Dr. Fauci previously testified before Congress that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) wasn’t funding GOF research. Based on current information, Dr. Fauci has been caught in a lie and should answer for it. Not only has the NIH admitted to funding GOF research, they then changed the definition of GOF research to allow continued foreign research funding. What was Dr. Fauci’s role in changing this definition to secure additional funding?

Continuing Deadly Research at U.S. Taxpayers Expense: China locked us out of Wuhan after the novel coronavirus emerged and refused to share the DNA sequence of SARS-CoV-2 and other valuable information. Dr. Fauci must explain how America benefited from these grants to EcoHealth Alliance and other U.S.-funded GOF research conducted in foreign nations.

Oversight Within NIH Grant Process: Dr. Fauci must also be held accountable for overseeing the NIH grant process. We uncovered and sounded the alarm back in October of 2021 that EcoHealth Alliance was out of compliance with NIH grant policies and had not submitted its year-five report. Why did it continue to receive funding?

When confronted about this, Dr. Fauci claimed ignorance, although it was his responsibility to ensure compliance with these grants. This lack of oversight highlights the immediate need for increased accountability at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the necessity for its own inspector general.

When following the evidence, Dr. Fauci often sought counsel from questionable advisers and scientists with clear conflicts of interest.

The Federal Advisory Committee Act mandates that advice given to the federal government by advisory committees be objective, transparent, and publicly accessible. However, email records show that Dr. Fauci consulted his close network of private scientists, some of whom financially benefited from the NIH grants that Dr. Fauci oversees, and some in that group were waiting on a grant approval worth up to $9 million.

The Federal Advisory Committee Act: Why in February 2020 did Dr. Fauci hold closed advisory committee meetings with scientists who are dependent on his NIH funding, violating the Federal Advisers Committee Act’s requirements for transparency and balanced viewpoints?

Importantly, after that meeting, the Fauci-led group published the “Proximal Origins” theory, concluding that SARS-CoV-2 emerged as a ”natural virus.” Once published, Dr. Fauci seemingly embarked on a mass media cover-up and touted that opinion piece that he orchestrated as scientific fact, even referencing it from the White House podium.

Proximal Origins Theory: Dr. Fauci should be asked why he presumably used his power to manipulate science and publish factually incorrect articles to downplay the lab leak theory. Why was Dr. Fauci directing articles in science journals and pushing his debunked proximal origins theory narrative? Was his involvement so deep that he was manufacturing and rewriting history to evade the responsibility and the role he had in this virus outbreak?

Blocking FOIA Requests: It’s also curious that after Dr. Fauci was questioned by our Senate HELP committee in May 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services shut down all Freedom of Information Act requests. Was Dr. Fauci involved in any discussions for this decision? Why was that decision made?

Many people also don’t know that Dr. Fauci received two government salaries simultaneously, making him the highest-paid federal employee ever. He was both the director of the NIAID and the director of civilian biodefense, which was operating with a $6 billion budget.

Highest-Paid Federal Employee in History: Dr. Fauci should be asked to explain how the attribution of potential intentional pathogen deployment (which he was tasked to oversee and manage) is assessed and how the action plan is developed and implemented. If he can’t adequately answer these questions when asked, he should return the salary and related pension immediately.

*  *  *

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Modernity.news,

Polls taken immediately after Donald Trump’s conviction show there has been no negative impact on his support and even a slight increase in favorability, especially amongst independent voters.

Trump was convicted on 34 counts in a brazen political show trial that Democrats hoped would harm his presidential prospects, although that doesn’t seem to have materialized.

A Daily Mail poll conducted by J.L. Partners found 22 per cent of respondents to have a more positive view of Trump as a result of the conviction compared to 16 per cent who have a more negative view.

In other words, the conviction has totally backfired and handed Trump a 6 percentage point approval boost.

Amongst independents, a key voting group that will be crucial to success, 20 per cent feel more positive about Trump compared to 16 per cent who feel more negative.

“Independents largely do not think the hush-money case was undertaken with the right motives or that Trump’s actions were troubling enough for the case to be charged,” reports the Daily Mail.

Amongst Trump’s own MAGA supporter base, 54 per cent said the ruling had no impact on their support, while the guilty verdict solidified the support of 36 per cent of Trump’s 2020 voters, while just 6 per cent felt more negative about him.

A separate CBS News poll also found that the conviction had resulted in views about Trump looking “much like they did before it took place.”

“Overall, opinions of the verdict are in line with what views of Trump’s guilt or innocence were before the verdict was reached. Among those who thought Trump was guilty before hearing the verdict, nine in 10 now say the jury reached the right verdict — and vice versa for those who previously thought he wasn’t guilty,” reports the network.

It remains to be seen whether the other show trials against Trump will produce different results given that they relate to alleged crimes other than payoffs to porn stars, but the reaction so far won’t please Democrats.

*  *  *

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

What does it look like when the woke snake starts eating its own tail? This weekend in Philadelphia may have offered up a glimpse..

Pro-Palestine protestors clashed with a Pride Parade in the city’s “Gayborhood” area on Sunday. And to think, it’s only 3 days into “Pride Month”.

In a video shared online, Pride participants in leather and lace were stopped by pro-Palestinian LGBTQ+ members, some wearing keffiyehs, who disrupted the parade to confront fellow community members, as the Daily Mail detailed.

The protest, led by Queers4Palestine, highlighted the perceived parallels between Palestinian oppression and historical prejudice against LGBTQ+ people.

During the disrupted Philadelphia parade, they chanted “The more you try to silence us, the louder we will be!” along with “From the River to the Sea.”

NEW: LGBTQers and pro-Palestine protesters have a standoff at the Philly Pride Parade.

Remarkable.

Pro-Palestine protesters were seen blocking the path of the LGBTQ pride parade.

“Tense moments as Palestine Protesters block Philly Pride Parade as it heads towards Gayborhood,”… pic.twitter.com/3vjh8ncGHR

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 2, 2024

The Daily Mail added that one protest leader, dressed in a crop top, cargo pants, and a keffiyeh, declared that Pride has become a tool of public relations, inseparable from the political and economic context.

Critics often question the support LGBTQ+ protesters show for a culture that largely opposes their lifestyle, noting that in places like Gaza, LGBTQ+ activities and relationships remain criminalized.

This has sparked debates about the rationale behind LGBTQ+ support for the Palestinian cause, especially when it seems to divide the community.

‘You should march in Gaza,’ one X user wrote in response to the protest. Conservative commentator Clay Travis added: “Pro Palestine protesters blocking the Philly pride parade from continuing is a perfect distillation of left wing politics. This is where it inevitably ends: with two left wing interest groups colliding in an oppression Olympics standoff.”

Disheartened by the protesting chaos? Don’t be. “Even though it feels like there’s nothing to look forward to, I will say this,” Zero Hedge contributor Quoth the Raven wrote last week. “There will be no crueler or more deserved irony than the day that today’s self-absorbed, traffic-blocking, soup-throwing activists realize they’re not revolutionaries — but rather the same authoritarian, censorship-wielding, group-thinking, malleable automatons they once thought they were fighting against.”

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

President Joe Biden has dismissed the notion that he was “pulling the strings” in the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump, who had been found guilty of 34 felony counts.

During an exchange with a Fox News reporter outside the White House on Friday, President Biden was asked if the criminal conviction helped his political rival in the election, to which he replied: “I have no idea.”

Fox News reporter Peter Doocy followed up by asking President Biden if he is concerned about facing criminal charges once his presidential term ends.

“Not at all,” the president answered. “I didn’t do anything wrong. The system still works.”

When asked about President Trump’s assertion that he was “pulling the strings behind the scenes” to hurt him politically, President Biden laughed off the claim, saying: “I didn’t know I was that powerful.”

President Trump was found guilty on May 30 in a case in which he was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal non-disclosure payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels as part of a bid to influence the 2016 presidential election.

This marks the first criminal conviction of a U.S. president. The former president denounced the verdict outside the courthouse, calling it a “rigged trial” and an attempt by the Biden administration to hurt a political opponent.

“The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5, by the people,” President Trump said. “We’ll keep fighting, we’ll fight to the end, and we’ll win.”

Minutes after the jury returned the verdict, an avalanche of donations to the Trump presidential campaign caused the donation page to temporarily become unavailable. The following day, the Trump campaign announced a record one-day fundraising haul of nearly $35 million.

Biden Responds to Trump’s ‘Rigged Trial’ Claim

President Biden said Friday that it was “reckless” for the presumptive GOP presidential nominee to call the trial rigged, arguing that the case was heard by a jury of 12 Americans selected through a process in which President Trump’s attorney was part of.

“Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself. It was a state case, not a federal case,” the president said in a May 31 address at the White House.

“The jury heard five weeks of evidence. And after careful deliberation, the jury reached a unanimous verdict. They found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts,” he added.

President Biden said that, like everyone else, the former president was afforded the opportunity to appeal the court’s decision.

“That’s how the American system of justice works. And it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, and it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” President Biden said.

“The justice system should be respected, and we should never allow anyone to tear it down.  It’s as simple as that,” he added.

President Trump’s sentencing—which is set for July 11—will come just four days before the Republican National Convention where he will be formally designated as the Republican presidential nominee.

His legal team has vowed to appeal the verdict, while House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the U.S. Supreme Court should get involved and overturn the conviction, arguing that the circumstances of the case have led to an erosion of public faith in America’s justice system.

While there are no laws barring President Trump from running for the White House as a convicted felon, an overturned verdict before Election Day would likely boost his chances of victory.

Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.