Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on May 14 that Washington and Beijing would begin formal discussions on artificial intelligence (AI) safety protocols following meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. Bessent’s comments come as the rival powers sought to stabilize ties strained by trade disputes, the Iran conflict, and AI competition.

Speaking to CNBC from the sidelines of the Trump–Xi summit, Bessent said the United States and China—which he described as the world’s “two AI superpowers”—were preparing to establish a framework on AI best practices and safeguards aimed at preventing advanced models from falling into the wrong hands.

“The two AI superpowers are going to start talking,” Bessent said.

“We’re gonna set up a protocol in terms of how do we go forward with best practices for AI to make sure non-state actors don’t get a hold of these models.”

Bessent said the United States would seek to embed “U.S. values” and American-led best practices into emerging global AI standards, adding that Washington was engaging Beijing from a position of technological strength.

“The reason we are able to have fulsome discussions with the Chinese on AI is because we are in the lead,” he said. “I do not think we would be having the same discussions if they were this far ahead of us.”

The remarks came as Trump and Xi concluded the first major round of meetings during Trump’s two-day visit to Beijing, his first trip to China since returning to office for a second term.

In a White House readout issued after the meeting, Washington said the leaders discussed expanding economic cooperation, increasing Chinese investment in the United States while expanding market access for American businesses into China, boosting Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products, and maintaining freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

A subsequent White House readout said both countries agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to “support the free flow of energy.” The strait is a key maritime chokepoint that normally handles around one-fifth of global energy shipments but has been heavily restricted by Iran amid its war with the United States and Israel.

The readout noted that Xi expressed Beijing’s opposition to the militarization of the strait or to Iran charging tolls for use of the critical waterway. Both countries also agreed that Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon.”

AI, Chips, and Investment Talks

AI and semiconductor policy were among the issues discussed at the summit, Bessent told CNBC, with the U.S. delegation’s visit set against a backdrop of intensifying competition between Washington and Beijing over advanced computing technologies with military and economic applications.

Bessent said he expected a major “step-function jump” in upcoming AI model releases from Google and OpenAI. He also addressed the ongoing debate over potential U.S. approvals for Nvidia’s sales of advanced AI chips to Chinese companies.

When asked about reports that Washington had cleared sales of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to several major Chinese technology companies, Bessent said there had been “a lot of back and forth” on the issue but did not indicate that any finalized agreement had been struck.

Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang joined Trump’s delegation to China alongside a large group of U.S. corporate executives, including leaders from Tesla, Apple, BlackRock, Boeing, and Qualcomm.

The H200 chip, part of Nvidia’s Hopper line of AI processors, is significantly more powerful than the export-restricted H20 chip previously designed for the Chinese market. Critics in Washington have argued that allowing Beijing access to such advanced chips could accelerate China’s military modernization and narrow the U.S. advantage in AI.

“The H200 is one of the most advanced AI chips on the market, and it is currently used to produce frontier AI systems with military applications,” a group of U.S. lawmakers wrote in a December 2025 letter expressing concern about the Trump administration’s decision to permit H200 sales to China, arguing that it “undercuts” national security.

At the same time, administration officials and some technology advisers have argued that controlled sales could preserve U.S. technological dominance while generating revenue for U.S. companies and taxpayers.

“This policy will support American Jobs, strengthen U.S. Manufacturing, and benefit American Taxpayers,” Trump wrote in a December 2025 social media post, noting that sales of the H200 would only go to “approved customers in China.”

David Sacks, chair of the president’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, said at the time that he believes sales of the H200 would discourage competitors such as Chinese company Huawei.

Chris McGuire, senior fellow for China and emerging technologies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said in an analysis that H200s could give China’s AI computing power trajectory a threefold boost.

Catherine Yang, Owen Evans, and Troy Myers contributed to this report.

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

A CIA operations officer provided explosive sworn testimony Wednesday before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci of directly intervening in the intelligence community’s review of COVID-19’s origins.

James Erdman III, a veteran CIA special operations officer, told senators that in August 2021 the intelligence community was on the verge of concluding the virus most likely leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China. Days later, that position reversed with no clear explanation.

Erdman stated under oath: “Dr. Fauci’s role in the cover-up was intentional. Dr. Fauci influenced the analytical process and findings by leveraging his position to ensure the IC consulted with a conflicted list of curated subject matter experts, public health officials, and scientists.”

BREAKING: A CIA whistleblower just testified UNDER OATH that Anthony Fauci DIRECTLY meddled with intelligence agencies to cover up the COVID lab leak.

Every day that Fauci remains free is an INJUSTICE.

Per the whistleblower, the CIA was on the verge of calling it a lab leak —… pic.twitter.com/V6c4Xx67zd

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 13, 2026

He added that intelligence leaders “purposefully downplayed the lab origin” and “knew the virus came from Wuhan but pushed the natural origin narrative anyway.” Erdman testified that CIA scientists had circulated papers noting “all the conditions were present for a lab leak,” yet senior analysts ultimately buried or softened those assessments.

Senator Rand Paul pressed Erdman on the timeline. Paul described the Biden administration’s final moves as a “clean-up operation,” noting: “Scientific analysts concluded multiple times between 2021 and 2023 that a lab leak was the most likely origin of COVID-19. Yet those conclusions never shaped the official narrative… It was not until after the 2024 election that the outgoing Biden administration directed the CIA to issue an assessment not because of new intelligence, but so officials could walk out of the door claiming there was nothing left to find.”

Sen. Rand Paul: “CIA scientists from an early time…were concluding that a lab leak was the most likely hypothesis?”

CIA whistleblower James Erdman III: “There were agencies within the IC circulating papers…that said that all the conditions were present for a lab leak.” pic.twitter.com/qBp8BCrYvg

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 13, 2026

Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) demanded accountability. He told the witness: “All these hearings are important. What you said is super critical… But where is the accountability? This is what I hear from my constituents all over Ohio… they want to see the perp walks.”

Moreno continued: “Anthony Fauci is sitting sipping margaritas somewhere with his multi-million dollar financial success as a result of duping the American people into putting an experimental vaccine into their bodies or risk losing their jobs. He’s not accountable to anybody.”

Senator Bernie Moreno just demanded the one thing everyone has been waiting for on Covid:

“Where is the accountability?”

He told the CIA whistleblower James Erdman III that hearings are nice — but the people want perp walks, starting with Anthony Fauci.

MORENO: “All these… pic.twitter.com/uV0i7mpNmF

— Overton (@overton_news) May 13, 2026

Senators Ron Johnson and Rand Paul pushed back after the CIA labeled the public hearing “political theater.” Johnson stated: “This committee needs an apology! This is not political theater. This is what the American people need to see.” Paul added: “Closed-door testimony doesn’t provide oversight. Public testimony provides oversight.”

? NOW: Sens. Ron Johnson and Rand Paul go off on the CIA for calling their COVID coverup hearing with a CIA whistleblower “political theater”

JOHNSON: “This committee needs an apology! This is not political theater. This is what the American people need to see.”

PAUL: “The CIA… pic.twitter.com/B4KVfuM8gP

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 13, 2026

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin noted the complete absence of Senate Democrats from the Homeland Security Committee hearing, despite several members serving on the panel. One Democrat, Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, walked past the media setup but did not enter the room.

Fox’s Bill Melugin just exposed the stunning no-show by Senate Democrats at the CIA whistleblower hearing on Covid.

Not a SINGLE Democrat was in the room — even though several sit on the Homeland Security Committee.

MELUGIN: “There are no Senate Democrats inside of that hearing… pic.twitter.com/dERE0QpHWY

— Overton (@overton_news) May 13, 2026

Erdman also raised separate concerns about oversight of declassification efforts. He claimed the CIA “took back 40 boxes of JFK and MK-Ultra files” that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was reviewing.

The whistleblower further alleged the agency “illegally monitored the computer and phone usage” of investigators working on the COVID-19 origins probe under presidential direction. He said: “These were Americans being spied on illegally while carrying out duties directed by the President and under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence.”

CIA whistleblower claims the agency “took back 40 boxes of JFK and MK-Ultra files” that Tulsi Gabbard was reviewing for declassification.

The whistleblower also alleges the CIA “illegally monitored the computer and phone usage” of Gabbard’s investigators during the probe into… pic.twitter.com/AIRfS2utQE

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) May 13, 2026

The testimony aligns with earlier official reviews of the pandemic’s beginnings.

It builds on the White House’s comprehensive lab-leak assessment released in April 2025 and Department of Defense and Defense Intelligence Agency reports indicating the Biden Pentagon may have suppressed aspects of the origins investigation.

It also connects to prior reporting on gain-of-function research and public statements downplaying alternative theories, including pieces examining the experiment that may have started the pandemic.

The hearing underscores ongoing scrutiny of how federal agencies assessed and communicated the virus’s origins more than six years after the first cases emerged in Wuhan.

No immediate response from Fauci or the CIA was available at the time of publication beyond the agency’s statement criticizing the subpoena process. Further developments in related inquiries are expected.

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.

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,

The U.S. government has reached a settlement with a former New York Times reporter who was kicked off Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic for posts about vaccines.

Officials in a settlement agreement dated May 11 and obtained by The Epoch Times said that the government “did in fact violate the First Amendment by exerting substantial coercive pressure on social media companies such as Twitter to suppress disfavored speech like Plaintiff’s,” referring to former New York reporter Alex Berenson.

Officials said they were paying Berenson $150,000 to settle the case, which was filed in 2023 against then-President Joe Biden, Pfizer board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb, and others. In exchange, Berenson moved to dismiss the case.

“I’d like to thank the Trump administration for acknowledging the government’s unconstitutional actions against me in 2021 and standing for my First Amendment rights as a journalist and American,” Berenson told The Epoch Times in an email.

The government under President Donald Trump already settled a case raising similar issues and involving multiple states, agreeing not to take actions “to threaten Social-Media Companies with some form of punishment (i.e., an adverse legal, regulatory, or economic government sanction) unless they remove, delete, suppress, or reduce, including through altering their algorithms, posted social-media content containing protected free speech.”

Twitter banned Berenson in 2021 after he wrote in opposition to mandating COVID-19 vaccination because “it doesn’t stop infection or transmission.”

Berenson and Twitter settled a different lawsuit arising from the same incidents, with Twitter acknowledging that it should not have banned the journalist.

Emails disclosed in other litigation showed that U.S. officials during the Biden administration, as well as Gottlieb, who is also a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, communicated to Twitter executives their view that Berenson’s posts violated Twitter rules and that he should be punished.

Berenson said in his lawsuit that the actions violated his First Amendment rights.

A federal judge in 2025 dismissed the suit against Gottlieb, a former White House adviser named Andrew Slavitt, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, concluding that Berenson had not alleged “discriminatory animus” by the individuals. She later threw out the litigation against the government, finding that Berenson did not have standing to bring a First Amendment claim against federal officials.

Berenson, in an appeal, said that Twitter’s permanent suspension violated company policy, which required leadership approval, noting internal emails that showed top Twitter executives did not approve the ban.

He also said the case should not have been dismissed because he had adequately alleged discrimination.

“Defendants targeted Berenson’s speech by reason of his status as a representative speaking for and to unvaccinated Americans,” the appeal stated.

Berenson told The Epoch Times, “I look forward to continuing to pursue Pfizer board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb and chairman Dr. Albert Bourla for their role in the conspiracy to deplatform and silence me.”

Lawyers for Gottlieb and Bourla said in a May 11 brief to the appeals court that Berenson’s claims fail in part because unvaccinated Americans do not constitute a recognizable class, undercutting the discrimination allegations. They also said Gottlieb’s communications with Twitter were “noncoercive expressions of opinion on matters of public concern,” and thus protected by the First Amendment.

Today’s news cycle centers on President Donald Trump’s summit and state banquet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with early messaging from both sides pointing to a constructive first day. Once Trump concludes his China trip, if a peace deal emerges to de-escalate the Iran conflict – likely with Beijing leaning on Tehran to reopen the Hormuz chokepoint – the Trump administration’s attention may quickly pivot to the next pressure point: Communist-controlled Cuba.

As of mid-week, Cuba’s energy crisis has worsened and likely reached a breaking point, with Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy warning on state media that the island nation has run out of fuel for diesel generators, and blackouts now extend up to 22 hours per day in parts of the Havana metro area.

“The sum of the different types of fuel: crude oil, fuel oil, of which we have absolutely none; diesel, of which we have absolutely none … the only thing we have is gas from our wells, where production has grown,” De la O Levy told the BBC. 

The ongoing power grid crisis follows a months-long U.S. fuel blockade that has choked off oil imports, including supplies previously sourced from Venezuela and elsewhere.

Overnight, reports indicated that protests broke out in Communist-controlled Havana, with hundreds in the streets shouting, “Turn on the lights.”

The Trump administration says it is prepared to provide $100 million in direct humanitarian assistance if Havana permits it, while also pressing for political reforms, according to the State Department.

Related: 

• Trump Says Cuba Is Seeking Help: ‘We Are Going To Talk’

“The decision rests with the Cuban regime to accept our offer of assistance or deny critical life-saving aid and ultimately be accountable to the Cuban people for standing in the way of critical assistance,” the statement said.

On Tuesday, ahead of Trump’s visit to China, he wrote on Truth Social that “Cuba is a failed country and is heading in one direction – down – while they’re asking for help and we are going to talk!”

Protests broke out across the Cuban capital of Havana as the city confronted its worst rolling blackouts in decades amid a U.S. blockade that has starved the island of fuel https://t.co/EDhaEqxJFR pic.twitter.com/R6301DXmNi

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 14, 2026

⚠️⚠️La Habana arde en protesta esta noche… imágenes de Lawton y Dolores que me envían con este mensaje:

“Hola Jorge, imágenes de calle Lawton y Dolores ahora mismo” pic.twitter.com/4Qq4mn282t

— Mag Jorge Castro🇨🇺 (@MagJorgeCastro) May 14, 2026

All in all, the messaging from the Trump administration and the current state of affairs in collapsed Cuba suggest Havana will soon be at the center of the news cycle.

The Trump administration is certainly trying to accomplish a lot in sprint fashion this year ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. From Venezuela and cleaning up the Western Hemisphere to Iran and the Hormuz chokepoint, it appears the push to protect the empire, rewire energy flows, and ensure dollar dominance is in full effect.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the first time rose last week to 211k (more than the 205k expected), but remain well within the range of the last five years, near record lows…

Source: Bloomberg

Florida and Texas saw the biggest rise in initial claims while California and Michigan saw the largest declines…

Continuing jobless claims also rose modestly last week, up to 1.782mm Americans (but still well below the 1.9mm Maginot Line)…

Source: Bloomberg

Combined with last week’s positive payrolls print (and this week’s surging inflation data), expectations for Warsh rate-cuts have now evaporated (market expects 10bps of hikes in 2026).

During President Trump’s ongoing state visit to China, he and President Xi Jinping agreed that the ‌Strait of ‌Hormuz must be open for ‌the ⁠free flow of energy. They along with their senior officials have expressed agreement that no country can ​be allowed to exact shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.

Following this, Thursday saw Iranian state media proclaim that some 30 Chinese vessels are being allowed safe passage by Iran. Bloomberg also freshly reports, “The vessels were allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz with the coordination of the Iranian authorities and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy, state TV reports, citing an IRGC naval official.” While it’s as yet unknown or unclear whether the US Navy side of the de facto blockade will also let them pass, Reuters has also reported the following:

Iran ‌has begun allowing some Chinese vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz following an understanding over Iranian management protocols for the waterway, the semi-official Fars news agency said on Thursday, citing an informed source.

In particular the move also follows formal requests by China’s foreign minister as well as Beijing’s ambassador to Iran, with Tehran reportedly agreeing based on safeguarding the two allies’ strategic partnership.

Bloomberg cited the IRGC official as saying of the Iranian protocol for passage, “A new era in the Strait of Hormuz has started as many countries of the world and fleets have accepted that the best, quickest and simplest way for transiting this very important waterway is only though coordination with the IRGC’s naval forces.”

This was after Wednesday saw the key milestone of a Chinese supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude having successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, after previously being stranded for more than two months.

Also of note is that the Chinese Cosco Shipping tanker did not have to pay tolls. According to The Wall Street Journal:

Lloyd’s List Intelligence data show the Yuan Hua Hu crossed the waterway through the corridor in the north controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Ship trackers said the vessel switched off its transponder while sailing from an anchorage in Dubai towards Larak, then came back online for a couple of hours before going dark again. Ships crossing through Larak pay an average of $2 million each, according to brokers.

The Yuan Hua Hu is the third Chinese state-owned tanker to leave the Gulf since the start of the war.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott emphasized earlier this week that Washington and Beining “agreed that no country or organization can be allowed to charge tolls to pass through international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz.”

China imports the bulk of its energy from the Middle East, and while it has amassed substantial crude oil stockpiles that are helping it weather the worst of the crisis – anecdotally over 1.4 billion barrels – restoring normal flows from the Persian Gulf is important for one of the world’s top energy importers.

Are Iran and China coordinating behind the scenes to seek to take negotiating leverage away from Trump?

Chinese companies are in talks for major new arms sales to Iran, explicitly ignoring Trump’s letter to Xi before his arrival.

And in return, Iran just granted more than 10 Chinese ships, including oil tankers, passage through the Strait of Hormuz — preempting any U.S. attempt to… pic.twitter.com/k4H3vG0vgb

— MeidasClips (@MeidasClips) May 13, 2026

Earlier in the war, reports emerged that Beijing had pressured Iranian officials to stop attacking vessels carrying crude oil and LNG via Hormuz. Judging from later events that involved Iranian strikes on vessels in the chokepoint, Tehran did not yield to the pressure.

After a big jump in March, retail sales likely cooled in April, according to BofA’s almost omniscient forecast as they see spending on gasoline providing a smaller boost and auto sales moderating, after an early Easter pulled forward some seasonal demand into March. The “holiday shift” dynamic also may have contributed to softer activity after Easter.

However, the actual print was +0.5% MoM (as consensus expected – and hotter than BofA’s forecast), lifting sales by 4.9% YoY – the strongest gain since Aug 2025

Source: Bloomberg

Gas Stations and Nonstore (Online) Retailers were the biggest positive factor while Motor Vehicle & Parts and Clothing were the biggest drags…

Source: Bloomberg

Most importantly, the ‘Control Group’ which plugs into the GDP calculation rose 0.5% MoM (better than expected) and March was revised higher…

Source: Bloomberg

Interestingly, ‘real’ retail sales (admittedly crudely adjusted via CPI) have rebounded from a negative print in December…

Source: Bloomberg

So far it seems spending continues despite record low consumer sentiment?

Who exactly is UMich surveying for this?

Via Remix News,

If the National Rally (RN) candidate wins in the French presidential election next spring, far-left mayor Bally Bagayoko of multi-cultural Saint-Denis has said it will be invalid, calling for a “popular insurrection” if this were to occur.

One social commentator on X, Alain Weber, posted frankly about the reality France is facing: “Contrary to what the Democrats of this country thought, the danger will not come from Jean-Luc Mélenchon but from Bally Bagayoko, who is the calm face of the civil war being prepared in the suburbs.”

Attached to his post was an interview of Bagayoko with Jean-Michel Aphatie on LCI Direct in which he tells the shocked host that if RN wins the election next year, they will never have “popular legitimacy,” only what he calls “institutional legitimacy.”

The mayor also said that those who attempt to “normalize the far right” are “dangerous,” adding that “if the far right comes to power, which we do not want, we will do everything so that it cannot happen.”

During another interview on Oumma.com, a Muslim community media outlet, the mayor of Saint-Denis also attacked President Emmanuel Macron, the Bolloré group’s media outlets, and even certain left-wing parties, according to Le Figaro.

Blaming Macron for the rise of the far right, Bagayoko stated: “Under Macron, the far right has never been so strong. We’re now at almost 140 racist members of parliament,” calling them all “guardians” of RN’s history and doctrine, according to the portal.

Returning to the theme of inevitable insurrection, Bagayoko told the host: “It’s either us or them… that is to say, the far right,” adding later that he was “firmly convinced that the people will rise up” if RN wins next spring, while ignoring the fact that an RN victory would indicate voters exercised their democratic will.

Warned to “be careful” by the host, lest he “be accused of inciting insurrection,” the Saint-Denis mayor doubled down: “All the important reforms in this country have been achieved through popular uprisings,” he said, citing the storming of the Bastille and the Yellow Vest movement.

As noted by Weber, the danger of Bagayoko is real. “He is manufacturing the psychological conditions for a refusal of alternation, that is to say, quite simply, the conditions for a cold civil war, then hot.”

It is shocking to witness the rise of the far-left LFI mayor and the influence he now wields, when, in fact, he received just 13,506 votes out of approximately 64,000 registered voters in Saint-Denis. 

However, his voice calling for justice for the wrongs committed against those he sees as having been oppressed by France for centuries has been capturing headlines since his election in March.

In a recent example, Bagayoko drew ire from the local state prefect when it was revealed he had removed a photo of Macron, traditionally on display as a sign of respect, relegating it to a corner of his office and, by some accounts, turning it upside down.

“The portrait will remain in its place until the state fulfils its obligations under the Republican Pact, particularly toward the residents of our territory,” he said, presumably referencing Saint-Denis, a town with a population of some 150,000, as their territory.

Whose territory? That, we can suppose, would be of the Blacks and other minorities, as he has called the city “la ville de Noirs.”

We know that when Bagayoko speaks of “eliminating inequality,” any past colonial oppression and slavery are high up on his list, as he sees these as part of today’s problems. However, as pointed out point-blank by Marion Maréchal, president of Identité Libertés, in a recent interview, “Monsieur Bagayoko has a greater chance of being a descendant of slave traders than I do.”

Her comments came in the wake of the cancellation of an event commemorating the abolition of slavery in Vierzon, an RN stronghold. The town, which has only been holding the event since 2006, says the move is due to budget cuts, while many are predictably calling out RN for refusing to honor the importance of ending slavery.

In fact, the issue for many on the right is more complex. “The memory of slavery must not concern only Europeans. The Arab-Muslim slave trade: 17 million victims. The intra-African slave trade: 14 million victims,” Maréchal noted to viewers. She and many others would prefer a commemoration that addressed all wrongdoers, not simply Whites and Westerners.

In March, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that designated the Atlantic slave trade and its involvement in the slavery of Africans as “the most serious crime against humanity.” According to a UN statement, it seeks an order that “confronts historical truth while building mechanisms for equitable futures.”

But many want to know why the issue of African enablers, middlemen, and traders is never called out. “Since the beginnings of the trans-Saharan slave trade in the 7th century, Africans had been selling slaves to Arab Muslims,” and as demand grew from the New World centuries later, ethnic Africans happily met it, wrote Marie-Claude Mosimann-Barbier for Le Figaro last month, in a piece covered by Remix News.

“Long before the arrival of Europeans and the development of the Atlantic slave trade, internal slavery was a structural reality in most African societies,” she wrote.

The question for today is why anyone is welcoming the cries for insurrection from an activist mayor who has shown zero respect for the existing Republic of France — and zero interest in its continuation?

Read more here…

For the first time in roughly 25 years, the US has restarted jungle warfare training in Panama, signaling a broader return of American military activity in Latin America, according to a new Bloomberg feature.

At a rainforest training center near Colón, US troops practice survival techniques, patrol operations, casualty evacuations, and combat drills with Panamanian forces. The environment is intentionally unforgiving—thick jungle, venomous snakes, relentless insects—and soldiers often depend on machetes to move through dense terrain. One Panamanian instructor mocked the Americans’ inexperience, joking, “They’re always cutting themselves.”

The renewed training effort reflects a wider shift under President Donald Trump, whose administration has taken a far more aggressive posture toward the region. Officials have discussed military action against drug cartels in Mexico, increased pressure on governments in Cuba and Venezuela, and repeatedly raised the possibility of reclaiming the Panama Canal.

According to historian Alan McPherson, this approach represents a “coercive, multifaceted new imperialism,” combining military threats with trade pressure and diplomatic leverage.

Bloomberg writes that beyond Panama, Washington has deepened military partnerships across the hemisphere. The US has reached new agreements with El Salvador and Paraguay, carried out drone strikes in the Caribbean, and expanded security coordination involving Ecuador. Trump has encouraged regional governments to take a harder line on organized crime, telling leaders they should respond by “unleashing the power of our militaries.”

Inside the Panamanian jungle camp, cooperation between both militaries is highly visible. Troops sleep in the same barracks, eat together, and train side by side. During one exercise, an American soldier explained how a trap designed for animals could also be repurposed in combat: “To trap an enemy, you just use different bait… Maybe some ammo.”

Still, the growing US presence remains politically sensitive in Panama because of the legacy of the 1989 US invasion that ousted Manuel Noriega. While some Panamanians support military cooperation, others see it as a dangerous erosion of sovereignty—especially as Trump continues invoking the canal. Activist José González warned, “We’re ceding national territory, Panamanian territory, to the United States.”

In neighborhoods such as El Chorrillo, where residents still remember the devastation of the invasion, anti-US sentiment remains visible. One mural captures that lingering anger: “We don’t forget or forgive.”

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

Scientists at ETH Zurich university in Switzerland have deliberately induced around 8,000 seismic events deep underground in the Swiss Alps as part of an experiment called Fault Activation and Earthquake Rupture (FEAR-2).

The team injected 750,000 litres of water into the ground via two boreholes over approximately 50 hours at the BedrettoLab facility. The quakes were too small to be felt at the surface or cause damage, with magnitudes ranging from -5 to -0.14.

The researcher explained “While some seismic events occurred on the target fault zone, a large number of events took place on neighbouring geological structures activated by the fluid injection.”

Uni researchers are making earthquakes happen under the Alps. Okayyy. https://t.co/EXZIYaGmnm

— m o d e r n i t y (@ModernityNews) May 12, 2026

Professor Domenico Giardini, one of the lead researchers, stated: “If we master how to produce quakes of a certain size, then we know how not to produce them.”

He also noted the advantages of the site: “It is perfect, because we have a kilometer and a half of mountain on top of us… and we can look very close at the faults, how they move, when they move, and we can make them move ourselves.”

He doesn’t seem all that worried about the mountains crumbling on top of him.

Researchers have made the ground shake in southern Switzerland, triggering thousands of tiny earthquakes in a monitored setting, as they seek to discover seismicity insights that could reduce risks. https://t.co/GLfbtgewPE

— The Japan Times (@japantimes) May 12, 2026

Researchers say that the experiment, conducted at the end of April, builds on efforts to better understand earthquake generation processes.

They contend that this could support safer deep geothermal energy development in low-permeability reservoirs.

⛰️ Beneath the Swiss Alps, scientists at #BedrettoLab run by ETH Zurich trigger micro-earthquakes 1,000 m underground to study how seismic events start and test geothermal systems that could power our future. ⚡🇨🇭 #Science #Geothermal
More info 👉https://t.co/yw6vfC2k1c pic.twitter.com/EAq4mrH8VF

— About Switzerland (@AbtSwitzerland) October 14, 2025

Researchers emphasized rigorous safety measures, remote control from Zurich, and multiple layers of risk assessment. They also claim that seismicity remained well below levels that would be perceptible or damaging.

🎧🎤💻👋https://t.co/SG9lHN4ke8
⛰️Triggering controlled #earthquakes under the #Swiss #Alps: a revolutionary #project! In this episode, we talk about #FEARproject and #JasonMorganAward with #LucaDalZilio, Senior #Researcher at the Institute of #Geophysics #ETH Zurich pic.twitter.com/xoMtFHxFNm

— Chelonia Applied Science (@CheloniaSwiss) October 24, 2023

This controlled seismic testing occurs alongside other potentially high-risk scientific interventions into natural systems.

Other seemingly bizarre efforts have included dumping 65,000 litres of chemicals into the ocean in a geoengineering experiment:

Experiments to dim the Sun:

Rogue climate groups launching sulfur dioxide balloons:

Insiders at Davos have also discussed weather manipulation:

Such interventions underscore ongoing efforts to manipulate complex Earth systems, sometimes with limited transparency.

The Swiss experiment has prompted renewed discussion around long-standing theories that earthquakes could be deliberately triggered for strategic purposes.

Proponents point to technologies like the U.S. High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Alaska, which studies the ionosphere but has faced persistent claims of dual-use capabilities for seismic or weather influence.

Earthquake Weapon | HAARP Project

Could antenna arrays situated around the world cause deadly earthquakes thousands of kilometres away❓️

Did Nikola Tesla build an earthquake machine in the 1890’s❓️ https://t.co/0OIBY8MZem pic.twitter.com/mIyYOVLV23

— 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗🐦‍🔥𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍 (@XPHOENIXDRAGON) April 18, 2026

Theorists have cited examples including the 2010 Haiti earthquake, where Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez alleged U.S. involvement via HAARP-like technology.

Similar accusations arose after the 2011 Japan tsunami and the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes, with claims of electromagnetic or underground methods targeting fault lines.

Discussions often reference historical concerns from figures like Rosalie Bertell and books alleging ionospheric manipulation could affect tectonic activity.

While scientists maintain no established mechanism links programs like HAARP to earthquakes, these theories persist in public discourse, especially following major seismic events or experiments like the one in the Alps.

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