weareanonymous--2020-04-23--Rich Americans Flee To Luxury ‘Doomsday Resort’ Shelters In New Zealand As Panic Grows

New Zealand has become the ‘ doomsday resort ’ and # 1 pandemic escape destination for America ’ s rich .
Those in Silicon Valley or Manhattan lucky enough to have caught the last international flights into Auckland before borders were shut to foreign travelers late last month — to say nothing of the uptick in private jets landing in the country even days after the ban took effect — in many cases for the first time moved into their multi-million dollar specially designed luxury doomsday bunkers .
Bloomberg profiles how rich Americans escaped in droves just as US coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated and beautiful New Zealand over 1,000 miles off Australia ’ s southern coast — and among the least impacted countries on the earth , currently at a little over 1,400 COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths , out of a population of almost 5 million .
“ As coronavirus infections tore across the U.S. in early March , a Silicon Valley executive called the survival shelter manufacturer Rising S Co .
He wanted to know how to open the secret door to his multimillion-dollar bunker 11 feet underground in New Zealand , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He went out to New Zealand to escape everything that ’ s happening , ” Gary Lynch , general manager of Rising S Co. , described of one elite bunker owner .
“ And as far as I know , he ’ s still there.
” The Texas-based company specializing in high-tech luxury survival bunkers and homes has multiple such clients moving into what are often their third or fourth homes designed specifically for just such an apocalyptic pandemic or other scenario .
“ For years , New Zealand has featured prominently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans worried that , say , a killer germ might paralyze the world , ” writes Bloomberg .
Rising S Co. has planted about 10 private bunkers in New Zealand over the past several years .
The average cost is $ 3 million for a shelter weighing about 150 tons , but it can easily go as high as $ 8 million with additional features like luxury bathrooms , game rooms , shooting ranges , gyms , theaters and surgical beds .
The ultra-wealthy have long bet that New Zealand would be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down during a global crisis , and so far that bet is proving right .
One popular such destination within the country is Waiheke Island , dubbed “ the Hamptons of New Zealand ” for the high concentration of billionaires who enjoy local wineries and elite eateries set amidst cliff-top mansions and breathtaking views of the ocean .
Mihai Dinulescu , a 34-year old Silicon Valley entrepreneur who fled to New Zealand said “ a lot of venture capital people I know were not afraid enough in time for the border close.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now they can ’ t get in.
” “ Over the years , the moneyed North Americans who have managed to wrangle properties there include hedge-fund pioneer Julian Robertson , Hollywood film director James Cameron and PayPal Holdings Inc. co-founder Peter Thiel , who has two estates in New Zealand , one of which features views of snow-capped mountains and has a safe room , ” Bloomberg describes .
Tech leaders have long been smitten by picturesque New Zealand ’ s potential as a place to ride out the apocalypse , given its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Billionaire Thiel , who in 2011 became a joint US-New Zealand citizen years ago described it as “ utopia ” .
Diagram of a typical luxury doomsday shelter produced by Texas-based Rising S Co , via Bloomberg : Kiwis fully expected the recent boom in billionaire doomsday prepper homes to continue .
One local luxury home company related the example of a $ 12 million house which— …had an “ air tunnel ” marked in the foundation plans that could easily fit four people walking shoulder-to-shoulder .
“ It was quite obviously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
This as more broadly the disaster preparedness industry is generally expected to grow around the world .
However , those without such means can only ‘ stay behind ’ and watch as the super-wealthy flee virus hotspots for safer and more comfortable climes .
Amazon Bans Sale Of N95 And Surgical Masks To General Public – Where Can I Buy N95 Masks Now ?
Amazon has banned the sale of N95 and surgical masks to the general public , claiming it would restrict sales to hospitals and government organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban took effect April 1 , according to Recode , after the company said in a forum for Amazon sellers that the ban includes “ facial shields , surgical gowns , surgical gloves , and large-volume sanitizers.
” Ok , but where can I Buy N95 masks now ?
With Pharmacies , Walmart and nearly all other physical stores out of stock , Amazon out of the game and ebay selling mostly gas masks from China , there ’ s not much place left to buy N95 masks to protect yourself in th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sell N95 masks , it ’ s mostly cheap fake masks that won ’ t offer any protection at all : As you may already know , the Darknet is selling pretty much everything that is hard to get by in stores or completely illegal .
So even if you come by to find a shady shop or entity selling overpriced masks , you never know if they really are what they are advertised ( N95 standard ) and work and you also never know if they will ever arrive .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are selling the very last N95 masks , one of them being a small company called Amazyble.com .
With the coronavirus pandemic quickly spreading , U.S. health officials have changed their advice on face masks and now recommend people wear cloth masks in public areas where social distancing can be difficult , such as grocery stores .
Research on SARS , another coronavirus , found that N95 masks were highly effective at blocking transmission of that virus .
Even ill-fitting medical face masks have been found to interrupt airborne particles and viruses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when someone sneezes .
The universal use of mouth and nose covering with masks is a low-risk intervention that can only assist in reducing the spread of this terrible illness .
If everyone wears a mask , individuals protect one another , reducing overall community transmission .
It could even remind people not to touch their faces after touching potentially contaminated surfaces .

New Zealand has become the ‘doomsday resort’ and #1 pandemic escape destination for America’s rich. Those in Silicon Valley or Manhattan lucky enough to have caught the last international flights into Auckland before borders were shut to foreign travelers late last month — to say nothing of the uptick in private jets landing in the country even days after the ban took effect — in many cases for the first time moved into their multi-million dollar specially designed luxury doomsday bunkers.
Bloomberg profiles how rich Americans escaped in droves just as US coronavirus cases began to explode, arriving in isolated and beautiful New Zealand over 1,000 miles off Australia’s southern coast — and among the least impacted countries on the earth, currently at a little over 1,400 COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths, out of a population of almost 5 million.
“As coronavirus infections tore across the U.S. in early March, a Silicon Valley executive called the survival shelter manufacturer Rising S Co. He wanted to know how to open the secret door to his multimillion-dollar bunker 11 feet underground in New Zealand,” the Bloomberg story begins dramatically enough.
“He went out to New Zealand to escape everything that’s happening,” Gary Lynch, general manager of Rising S Co., described of one elite bunker owner. “And as far as I know, he’s still there.” The Texas-based company specializing in high-tech luxury survival bunkers and homes has multiple such clients moving into what are often their third or fourth homes designed specifically for just such an apocalyptic pandemic or other scenario.
“For years, New Zealand has featured prominently in the doomsday survival plans of wealthy Americans worried that, say, a killer germ might paralyze the world,” writes Bloomberg.
The report describes further:
Rising S Co. has planted about 10 private bunkers in New Zealand over the past several years. The average cost is $3 million for a shelter weighing about 150 tons, but it can easily go as high as $8 million with additional features like luxury bathrooms, game rooms, shooting ranges, gyms, theaters and surgical beds.
The ultra-wealthy have long bet that New Zealand would be the safest place in the world to hunker down during a global crisis, and so far that bet is proving right.
One popular such destination within the country is Waiheke Island, dubbed “the Hamptons of New Zealand” for the high concentration of billionaires who enjoy local wineries and elite eateries set amidst cliff-top mansions and breathtaking views of the ocean.
Mihai Dinulescu, a 34-year old Silicon Valley entrepreneur who fled to New Zealand said “a lot of venture capital people I know were not afraid enough in time for the border close.”
He added somewhat ominously: “And now they can’t get in.”
“Over the years, the moneyed North Americans who have managed to wrangle properties there include hedge-fund pioneer Julian Robertson, Hollywood film director James Cameron and PayPal Holdings Inc. co-founder Peter Thiel, who has two estates in New Zealand, one of which features views of snow-capped mountains and has a safe room,” Bloomberg describes.
Tech leaders have long been smitten by picturesque New Zealand’s potential as a place to ride out the apocalypse, given its extreme isolation – now its biggest strength. Billionaire Thiel, who in 2011 became a joint US-New Zealand citizen years ago described it as “utopia”.
* * *
Diagram of a typical luxury doomsday shelter produced by Texas-based Rising S Co, via Bloomberg:
Kiwis fully expected the recent boom in billionaire doomsday prepper homes to continue. One local luxury home company related the example of a $12 million house which—
…had an “air tunnel” marked in the foundation plans that could easily fit four people walking shoulder-to-shoulder. “It was quite obviously an escape tunnel in the basement,” he said.
This as more broadly the disaster preparedness industry is generally expected to grow around the world.
However, those without such means can only ‘stay behind’ and watch as the super-wealthy flee virus hotspots for safer and more comfortable climes.
Amazon Bans Sale Of N95 And Surgical Masks To General Public – Where Can I Buy N95 Masks Now?
Amazon has banned the sale of N95 and surgical masks to the general public, claiming it would restrict sales to hospitals and government organizations dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ban took effect April 1, according to Recode, after the company said in a forum for Amazon sellers that the ban includes “facial shields, surgical gowns, surgical gloves, and large-volume sanitizers.”
Ok, but where can I Buy N95 masks now?
With Pharmacies, Walmart and nearly all other physical stores out of stock, Amazon out of the game and ebay selling mostly gas masks from China, there’s not much place left to buy N95 masks to protect yourself in th Covid-19 crisis and even if they claim to sell N95 masks, it’s mostly cheap fake masks that won’t offer any protection at all:
As you may already know, the Darknet is selling pretty much everything that is hard to get by in stores or completely illegal. So even if you come by to find a shady shop or entity selling overpriced masks, you never know if they really are what they are advertised (N95 standard) and work and you also never know if they will ever arrive. However, there are still some online shops that are selling the very last N95 masks, one of them being a small company called Amazyble.com.
Should I Wear Face Masks in Public? Here’s What Science Says
With the coronavirus pandemic quickly spreading, U.S. health officials have changed their advice on face masks and now recommend people wear cloth masks in public areas where social distancing can be difficult, such as grocery stores.
Research on SARS, another coronavirus, found that N95 masks were highly effective at blocking transmission of that virus. Even ill-fitting medical face masks have been found to interrupt airborne particles and viruses, keeping them from reaching as far when someone sneezes.
The universal use of mouth and nose covering with masks is a low-risk intervention that can only assist in reducing the spread of this terrible illness. If everyone wears a mask, individuals protect one another, reducing overall community transmission. It could even remind people not to touch their faces after touching potentially contaminated surfaces.


weareanonymous--2020-04-23--Evangelical Pastor “Challenges” Struggling Americans to Hand $1200 Stimulus Checks to Churches

A notorious Christian church leader who became the center of national controversy after defying coronavirus lockdown orders to hold church services is in the news again—this time for urging his followers to give him their $ 1,200 stimulus checks .
Pastor Tony Spell of Life Tabernacle Church has thrown down the # PastorSpellStimulusChallenge to worshipers , demanding in a YouTube video that church-goers “ donate your stimulus package to : Home Missions , Missionaries , Evangelist or Churches !
” With at least 22 million Americans out of work and many more worrying about how they ’ ll be putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d think that Pastor Spell would be a little more understanding about the difficulties that compelled the IRS to distribute the $ 1,200 checks to begin with .
However , Life Tabernacle Church pastor from Baton Rouge , Louisiana , is hoping to intercept those funds before they are spent on food , rent , and the electrical bill and instead redistribute it to evangelical church leaders who are unable to collect their tithes while churches remain shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic .
According to Spell , the # PastorSpellStimulusChallenge consists of three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one : April the 19th , 2020 , it begins .
Rule number two : Donate your stimulus money .
Rule number three : Donate it to evangelists – North American evangelists , who haven ’ t had an offering in a month .
Missionaries , who haven ’ t had an offering in a month .
Music ministers , who haven ’ t had an offering in a month.
” According to Spell , he won ’ t be collecting any of the money himself .
Instead , he and his family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus funds to his evangelists .
“ I ’ m donating my entire stimulus : $ 1200 .
My wife is donating her stimulus : $ 1200 .
My son is donating his stimulus , $ 600.
” “ If you don ’ t have a church , give through my website , ” Spell added .
On March 22 , Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued a statewide “ Stay At Home ” order .
Spell , however , skyrocketed to notoriety after defying the lockdown orders to conduct church services .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the urgings of relevant health authorities because , he claimed , “ the Lord told us to.
” According to WAFB , services at the Baton Rouge church were jammed by hundreds of parishioners who flouted social distancing recommendations to remain at least six feet apart .
Congregants also hugged each other and shook hands as they departed the services .
TMZ reports that the church also held a packed Easter Sunday service that Pastor Spell claims was attended by at least 1,300 parishioners .
Local police estimate that the number was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more than the advisory limiting gatherings to 10 people .
The church leader has also insisted that his congregation would rather die than not go to church during the quarantine period .
“ They say everybody ’ s going to get it .
Then if everybody ’ s going to get it… Let ’ s get on with life.
” “ The bible teaches us to be absent from our bodies and be present with the lord .
So like any pure religious person…death looks to them like a welcome friend.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month , the pastor offered a bizarre explanation for why he would continue holding services while maintaining that he believed the advice of health authorities regarding the dangers of CoViD-19 .
Spell said : “ We believe the science of this .
However , we do have a command from God and there are no governing bodies that can tell us we can not gather and worship freely.… the church is more essential now than ever…to let them know there is a physician in Jesus Christ .
”

The same pastor faces criminal charges for holding gatherings at his church in defiance of social distancing.
A notorious Christian church leader who became the center of national controversy after defying coronavirus lockdown orders to hold church services is in the news again—this time for urging his followers to give him their $1,200 stimulus checks.
Pastor Tony Spell of Life Tabernacle Church has thrown down the #PastorSpellStimulusChallenge to worshipers, demanding in a YouTube video that church-goers “donate your stimulus package to: Home Missions, Missionaries, Evangelist or Churches!”
With at least 22 million Americans out of work and many more worrying about how they’ll be putting food on the table, you’d think that Pastor Spell would be a little more understanding about the difficulties that compelled the IRS to distribute the $1,200 checks to begin with.
However, Life Tabernacle Church pastor from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is hoping to intercept those funds before they are spent on food, rent, and the electrical bill and instead redistribute it to evangelical church leaders who are unable to collect their tithes while churches remain shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Spell, the #PastorSpellStimulusChallenge consists of three rules. He explained:
“Number one: April the 19th, 2020, it begins. Rule number two: Donate your stimulus money. Rule number three: Donate it to evangelists – North American evangelists, who haven’t had an offering in a month. Missionaries, who haven’t had an offering in a month. Music ministers, who haven’t had an offering in a month.”
According to Spell, he won’t be collecting any of the money himself. Instead, he and his family members plan to donate their own emergency coronavirus funds to his evangelists.
Continuing, he explained:
“I’m donating my entire stimulus: $1200. My wife is donating her stimulus: $1200. My son is donating his stimulus, $600.”
“If you don’t have a church, give through my website,” Spell added.
On March 22, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued a statewide “Stay At Home” order. Spell, however, skyrocketed to notoriety after defying the lockdown orders to conduct church services. The services were held in open disregard of the urgings of relevant health authorities because, he claimed, “the Lord told us to.”
According to WAFB, services at the Baton Rouge church were jammed by hundreds of parishioners who flouted social distancing recommendations to remain at least six feet apart. Congregants also hugged each other and shook hands as they departed the services.
TMZ reports that the church also held a packed Easter Sunday service that Pastor Spell claims was attended by at least 1,300 parishioners. Local police estimate that the number was closer to around 330 in the morning—still far more than the advisory limiting gatherings to 10 people.
The church leader has also insisted that his congregation would rather die than not go to church during the quarantine period.
In a video interview with TMZ, Spell explained:
“They say everybody’s going to get it. Then if everybody’s going to get it… Let’s get on with life.”
Continuing, the pastor added:
“The bible teaches us to be absent from our bodies and be present with the lord. So like any pure religious person…death looks to them like a welcome friend.”
In a separate interview with CNN earlier this month, the pastor offered a bizarre explanation for why he would continue holding services while maintaining that he believed the advice of health authorities regarding the dangers of CoViD-19. Spell said:
“We believe the science of this. However, we do have a command from God and there are no governing bodies that can tell us we cannot gather and worship freely.… the church is more essential now than ever…to let them know there is a physician in Jesus Christ.”
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com


weareanonymous--2020-04-23--Email Addresses And Passwords From WHO, Wuhan Lab, And Gates Foundation Dumped On 4chan

A cache of nearly 25,000 email addresses and passwords allegedly belonging to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) , Wuhan Institute of Virology , Bill Gates Foundation and several other groups involved with the coronavirus pandemic response were dumped on 4chan before appearing on several other websites , according to the SITE Intelligence Group .
The report by SITE , based in Bethesda , Md.
, said the largest group of alleged emails and passwords was from the NIH , with 9,938 found on lists posted online .
The Centers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number , with 6,857 .
The World Bank had 5,120 .
The list of WHO addresses and passwords totaled 2,732 .
–Washington Post WHO chief information officer Bernardo Mariano told Bloomberg that the organization wasn ’ t hacked , and that the data was possibly obtained through prior data breaches .
“ The employees may have used their work email address to register an account for a particular website , and then that website has been hacked , leaking their password.
” According to Mariano , 400 of the credentials were still active @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the passwords were used to access sensitive information due to the organization ’ s two-factor authentication system .
4chan users , on the other hand , said that they were able to use the passwords to gain access to a WHO website called “ Extranet , ” according to Bloomberg .
Mariano added that the organization has been seeing an increasing number of attempted cyber-intrusions since mid-March , and that there had recently been a “ sustained attempt ” to hack into the computers of four WHO employees in South Korea , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
4chan users said they were using the credentials to download ‘ everything ’ they could .
An unverified photo posted as part of the dump appears to refer to “ Splicing HIV ” into “ coronavirus , ” fueling speculation that COVID-19 was genetically engineered with HIV spike proteins – a theory posted by Indian researchers soon after the virus ’ s genome was published , and later withdrawn after their findings were refuted .
The Gates Foundation told WaPo “ We are monitoring the situation in line with our data security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have an indication of a data breach at the foundation.
” If legit , someone named Mararet at the Gates Foundation ( last name withheld ) is apparently a fan of the dark lord : Australian cybersecurity expert Robert Potter said he was able to verify the WHO information , and that “ their password security is appalling.
” “ Forty-eight people have ‘ password ’ as their password , ” he said .
Others used their own first names or “ changeme.
” Potter said the alleged email addresses and passwords may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dark Web , a portion of the Internet that is not indexed by most search engines and where hacked information often is posted for sale .
He said the WHO credentials appear to have come from a hack in 2016 .
–Washington Post

A cache of nearly 25,000 email addresses and passwords allegedly belonging to the World Health Organization (WHO), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Wuhan Institute of Virology, Bill Gates Foundation and several other groups involved with the coronavirus pandemic response were dumped on 4chan before appearing on several other websites, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.
The report by SITE, based in Bethesda, Md., said the largest group of alleged emails and passwords was from the NIH, with 9,938 found on lists posted online. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had the second-highest number, with 6,857. The World Bank had 5,120. The list of WHO addresses and passwords totaled 2,732. –Washington Post
WHO chief information officer Bernardo Mariano told Bloomberg that the organization wasn’t hacked, and that the data was possibly obtained through prior data breaches.
“The employees may have used their work email address to register an account for a particular website, and then that website has been hacked, leaking their password.”
According to Mariano, 400 of the credentials were still active – and he claims that none of the passwords were used to access sensitive information due to the organization’s two-factor authentication system. 4chan users, on the other hand, said that they were able to use the passwords to gain access to a WHO website called “Extranet,” according to Bloomberg.
Mariano added that the organization has been seeing an increasing number of attempted cyber-intrusions since mid-March, and that there had recently been a “sustained attempt” to hack into the computers of four WHO employees in South Korea, along with the organization’s Geneva headquarters.
4chan users said they were using the credentials to download ‘everything’ they could.
An unverified photo posted as part of the dump appears to refer to “Splicing HIV” into “coronavirus,” fueling speculation that COVID-19 was genetically engineered with HIV spike proteins – a theory posted by Indian researchers soon after the virus’s genome was published, and later withdrawn after their findings were refuted.
The Gates Foundation told WaPo “We are monitoring the situation in line with our data security practices. We don’t currently have an indication of a data breach at the foundation.”
If legit, someone named Mararet at the Gates Foundation (last name withheld) is apparently a fan of the dark lord:
Australian cybersecurity expert Robert Potter said he was able to verify the WHO information, and that “their password security is appalling.”
“Forty-eight people have ‘password’ as their password,” he said. Others used their own first names or “changeme.”
Potter said the alleged email addresses and passwords may have been purchased from vendors on the dark Web, a portion of the Internet that is not indexed by most search engines and where hacked information often is posted for sale. He said the WHO credentials appear to have come from a hack in 2016. –Washington Post


weareanonymous--2020-04-25--Forget The Pandemic, This Could Kill 90% Of US Population

As bad as the coronavirus and the COVID-19 sickness it causes are , warning cries are increasing over a much bigger threat with the potential to kill 90 % of the U.S. population .
And , unlike the virus , Washington has known of the threat for decades and done little to nothing .
“ We have seen this movie before and are living through it now , ” said Peter Pry , one of the nation ’ s leading experts on electromagnetic pulse , the electric grid killer that threatens naturally from the sun and from weapons held by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even prepared for the coronavirus , imagine the consequences if we get hit with a real existential threat , like EMP , ” he said .
Advocates for protecting the nation ’ s electric grid and other vital systems , including military bases , from an EMP attack are seizing on the virus crisis to inject urgency into budgeting to protect electric transformers , transfer stations , and wires from disruption or meltdown .
“ For the $ 2 trillion that will be spent on the coronavirus , we could harden all critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense Brilliant Pebbles before the end of a second Trump term , modernize the U.S. nuclear deterrent from top to bottom ( delivery vehicles , weapons , scientific-industrial base ) , and have over $ 1 trillion to spare , ” said Pry , a key member of congressional EMP commissions and author of the new book The Power and the Light : The Congressional EMP Commission ’ s War to Save America 2001 – 2020 .
Brian Sullivan , a government and military security analyst , said , “ Can you imagine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost electricity for an extended period of time ?
As bad as our current situation is , it could always be a lot worse .
We relied on our government leaders to prepare our country for a pandemic , and we see what that got us .
We rely on that same leadership now to protect our electric grid.
” While warnings of the current pandemic have been around for less than a year , reports have been written about EMP attacks for decades .
The first congressional EMP panel , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an attack on the electric grid .
“ The EMP Commission estimates a nationwide blackout of the United States lasting one year could kill 90 % of Americans from starvation and societal collapse , ” said Pry .
That would be about 295 million people .
In the past , warnings have been met inside the government and energy industry with eye-rolling .
But President Trump has taken the threat seriously , especially as China and other foes have developed EMP weapons , and signed an executive order to move toward protecting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps to protect its operations .
But Pry details in his new book the efforts inside the “ deep state ” federal bureaucracy and electric industry to “ slow-roll and sabotage ” Trump ’ s agenda while making it look like they ’ re making progress .
“ The strategy of pretending to do something but really doing nothing and then throwing money at the threat when it happens will get millions of Americans killed when there is an EMP , ” he told Secrets .

As bad as the coronavirus and the COVID-19 sickness it causes are, warning cries are increasing over a much bigger threat with the potential to kill 90% of the U.S. population. And, unlike the virus, Washington has known of the threat for decades and done little to nothing.
“We have seen this movie before and are living through it now,” said Peter Pry, one of the nation’s leading experts on electromagnetic pulse, the electric grid killer that threatens naturally from the sun and from weapons held by China.
“If we are not even prepared for the coronavirus, imagine the consequences if we get hit with a real existential threat, like EMP,” he said.
Advocates for protecting the nation’s electric grid and other vital systems, including military bases, from an EMP attack are seizing on the virus crisis to inject urgency into budgeting to protect electric transformers, transfer stations, and wires from disruption or meltdown.
“For the $2 trillion that will be spent on the coronavirus, we could harden all critical infrastructures against EMP, deploy space-based missile defense Brilliant Pebbles before the end of a second Trump term, modernize the U.S. nuclear deterrent from top to bottom (delivery vehicles, weapons, scientific-industrial base), and have over $1 trillion to spare,” said Pry, a key member of congressional EMP commissions and author of the new book The Power and the Light: The Congressional EMP Commission’s War to Save America 2001 – 2020.
Brian Sullivan, a government and military security analyst, said, “Can you imagine if our grid went down and we lost electricity for an extended period of time? As bad as our current situation is, it could always be a lot worse. We relied on our government leaders to prepare our country for a pandemic, and we see what that got us. We rely on that same leadership now to protect our electric grid.”
While warnings of the current pandemic have been around for less than a year, reports have been written about EMP attacks for decades. The first congressional EMP panel, for example, warned of a yearlong blackout following an attack on the electric grid.
“The EMP Commission estimates a nationwide blackout of the United States lasting one year could kill 90% of Americans from starvation and societal collapse,” said Pry. That would be about 295 million people.
In the past, warnings have been met inside the government and energy industry with eye-rolling. But President Trump has taken the threat seriously, especially as China and other foes have developed EMP weapons, and signed an executive order to move toward protecting the grid. The military has also taken steps to protect its operations.
But Pry details in his new book the efforts inside the “deep state” federal bureaucracy and electric industry to “slow-roll and sabotage” Trump’s agenda while making it look like they’re making progress.
“The strategy of pretending to do something but really doing nothing and then throwing money at the threat when it happens will get millions of Americans killed when there is an EMP,” he told Secrets.


weareanonymous--2020-04-27--Is The “Second Wave” Of The COVID-19 Pandemic Already Here? (And Is It Worse Than The First?)

Top health officials and the mainstream media keep insisting that “ the worst is behind us ” , but is that actually true ?
According to Worldometers.info , 2,804 new coronavirus deaths were added to the U.S. total during the 24 hour period that just ended , and that was a huge increase over the 1,939 new deaths from the previous 24 hour period .
In addition , we are seeing an alarming explosion in the number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases in Singapore , Pakistan , Saudi Arabia , Peru , India , Brazil and Russia .
So while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporarily slowed down the spread of the virus in some areas of the globe , it appears that we are witnessing the emergence of a “ second wave ” in other areas .
And of course the countries that have been successful in slowing down this pandemic could see another huge surge in cases once their lockdowns are ended .
Sadly , the truth is that we are still in the early stages of this crisis , but most people don ’ t seem to realize that .
On Tuesday , CDC Director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globe when he warned that there could be a “ second wave ” of COVID-19 next winter… A second coronavirus outbreak could emerge this winter in conjunction with the flu season to make for an even more dire health crisis , the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told The Washington Post in an interview .
“ There ’ s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through , ” CDC Director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
“ And when I ’ ve said this to others , they kind of put their head back , they don ’ t understand what I mean.
” But what if he is completely wrong and the “ second wave ” is already here ?
Or perhaps it may be more accurate to say that the first wave has never ended .
If you go to the Johns Hopkins dashboard for this pandemic , you will notice that the global curve of confirmed cases has not “ flattened ” much at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been “ locked down ” for weeks .
And the antibody data is telling us that virtually the entire global population is still vulnerable .
According to the WHO , only 2 to 3 percent of the entire global population has developed antibodies for this virus… The head of the World Health Organization on Monday said that likely no more than 2 % to 3 % of the global population have developed antibodies for COVID-19 .
Here in the United States , a study of adults in L.A. County found that only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this virus… Four percent of adults in Los Angeles County tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies in a recent study , suggesting hundreds of thousands of people might have actually been infected in early April when only 8,000 cases had been confirmed .
So what this means is that we are a long , long , long way from herd immunity .
More than 95 percent of the population is still vulnerable , and that means once the lockdowns are lifted this virus could start spreading like wildfire inside the U.S. once again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases in Georgia is soaring just as that state is preparing to end the current restrictions… The number of coronavirus deaths and infections in Georgia has spiked over a 24 hour period as the state prepares to partially lift lockdown restrictions this week – and cases across the country have doubled in two weeks to more than 200,000 .
The death toll in the state increased by 85 in 24 hours , bringing the total number of fatalities to 772 .
Infections spiked by more than 1,000 , bringing the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19,300 .
And in Massachusetts , authorities are warning that the death toll in that state will likely double “ in less than a week ” … Massachusetts has quickly become a hot spot of coronavirus infections with the state ’ s death toll expected to double in less than a week .
COVID-19 deaths are expected to surpass 2,000 this week in Massachusetts where officials are scrambling to boost hospital capacity and trace new infections to curb the spread of the disease .
That certainly doesn ’ t sound like “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I don ’ t even know what to make of this story from Philadelphia… The horror of the coronavirus pandemic took an especially macabre turn on Sunday afternoon when a Ford pickup truck pulled up behind the Philadelphia Medical Examiner ’ s Office with five or six bagged bodies stacked in its open cargo bed .
The driver got out , spoke briefly to a medical examiner ’ s employee who seemed unnerved by the delivery , and then climbed onto the cargo bed , walking on bodies that initially had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Inquirer photographer who was working near the site in University City .
Look , I understand that a lot of people out there are still mocking this pandemic and are absolutely convinced that it is a “ nothingburger ” .
One of those skeptics was 60-year-old John McDaniel… On March 15 , he seemingly commented on Ohio governor Mike DeWine ’ s stay-at home order , which required shops , bars and restaurants to close .
“ If what I ’ m hearing is true , that DeWine has ordered all bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say bulls*** !
, ” the post reads .
“ He doesn ’ t have that authority .
If you are paranoid about getting sick just don ’ t go out .
It shouldn ’ t keep those of us from living our lives.
” Now he is dead , and it was the virus that he mocked that killed him .
And even if you get this virus and survive , it can permanently scar your lungs and leave you with “ breathing difficulties for months ” .
So please don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you get hit really hard by COVID-19 it will be one of the worst experiences of your life even if you live through it .
For those that believe that a vaccine will be the golden ticket that gets us out of this mess , I am afraid that you may be setting yourself up for disappointment .
There has never been a successful vaccine developed for any coronavirus , and one leading expert is openly warning that it is possible that “ we will never get a coronavirus vaccine ” .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough , now a new study has discovered that there are “ at least 30 different variations ” of COVID-19 .
A new study in China has found that the novel coronavirus has mutated into at least 30 different variations .
The results showed that medical officials have vastly underestimated the overall ability of the virus to mutate , in findings that different strains have affected different parts of the world , leading to potential difficulties in finding an overall cure .
So not only do scientists have to come up with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time in history , they also have to hope that they are targeting the correct strain .
Good luck with all that .
Unfortunately , the truth is that this pandemic is going to be with us for a long time to come , and what we have experienced so far is just the very beginning of our problems .
Even if all of the lockdowns around the world were kept in place for the foreseeable future , this virus would continue to spread .
And in the long run , approximately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to catch this virus and approximately the same number of people are going to die no matter what restrictions are instituted .
This pandemic is not going to be over until COVID-19 roars through most of the population and herd immunity is achieved , and the numbers are telling us that we are a long , long way from that point .

Top health officials and the mainstream media keep insisting that “the worst is behind us”, but is that actually true? According to Worldometers.info, 2,804 new coronavirus deaths were added to the U.S. total during the 24 hour period that just ended, and that was a huge increase over the 1,939 new deaths from the previous 24 hour period. In addition, we are seeing an alarming explosion in the number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases in Singapore, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Peru, India, Brazil and Russia.
So while it is true that the lockdowns have temporarily slowed down the spread of the virus in some areas of the globe, it appears that we are witnessing the emergence of a “second wave” in other areas. And of course the countries that have been successful in slowing down this pandemic could see another huge surge in cases once their lockdowns are ended. Sadly, the truth is that we are still in the early stages of this crisis, but most people don’t seem to realize that.
On Tuesday, CDC Director Robert Redfield made headlines all over the globe when he warned that there could be a “second wave” of COVID-19 next winter…
A second coronavirus outbreak could emerge this winter in conjunction with the flu season to make for an even more dire health crisis, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told The Washington Post in an interview.
“There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a story published Tuesday.
“And when I’ve said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don’t understand what I mean.”
But what if he is completely wrong and the “second wave” is already here?
Or perhaps it may be more accurate to say that the first wave has never ended.
If you go to the Johns Hopkins dashboard for this pandemic, you will notice that the global curve of confirmed cases has not “flattened” much at all even though much of the planet has been “locked down” for weeks.
And the antibody data is telling us that virtually the entire global population is still vulnerable. According to the WHO, only 2 to 3 percent of the entire global population has developed antibodies for this virus…
The head of the World Health Organization on Monday said that likely no more than 2% to 3% of the global population have developed antibodies for COVID-19.
Here in the United States, a study of adults in L.A. County found that only 4 percent of them had developed antibodies for this virus…
Four percent of adults in Los Angeles County tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies in a recent study, suggesting hundreds of thousands of people might have actually been infected in early April when only 8,000 cases had been confirmed.
So what this means is that we are a long, long, long way from herd immunity.
More than 95 percent of the population is still vulnerable, and that means once the lockdowns are lifted this virus could start spreading like wildfire inside the U.S. once again.
In fact, the number of confirmed cases in Georgia is soaring just as that state is preparing to end the current restrictions…
The number of coronavirus deaths and infections in Georgia has spiked over a 24 hour period as the state prepares to partially lift lockdown restrictions this week – and cases across the country have doubled in two weeks to more than 200,000.
The death toll in the state increased by 85 in 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities to 772. Infections spiked by more than 1,000, bringing the number of cases in the state to more than 19,300.
And in Massachusetts, authorities are warning that the death toll in that state will likely double “in less than a week”…
Massachusetts has quickly become a hot spot of coronavirus infections with the state’s death toll expected to double in less than a week.
COVID-19 deaths are expected to surpass 2,000 this week in Massachusetts where officials are scrambling to boost hospital capacity and trace new infections to curb the spread of the disease.
That certainly doesn’t sound like “the worst is behind us” to me.
And I don’t even know what to make of this story from Philadelphia…
The horror of the coronavirus pandemic took an especially macabre turn on Sunday afternoon when a Ford pickup truck pulled up behind the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office with five or six bagged bodies stacked in its open cargo bed.
The driver got out, spoke briefly to a medical examiner’s employee who seemed unnerved by the delivery, and then climbed onto the cargo bed, walking on bodies that initially had been covered by mats, according to an Inquirer photographer who was working near the site in University City.
Look, I understand that a lot of people out there are still mocking this pandemic and are absolutely convinced that it is a “nothingburger”.
One of those skeptics was 60-year-old John McDaniel…
On March 15, he seemingly commented on Ohio governor Mike DeWine’s stay-at home order, which required shops, bars and restaurants to close.
“If what I’m hearing is true, that DeWine has ordered all bars and restaurants to be closed, I say bulls***!,” the post reads.
“He doesn’t have that authority. If you are paranoid about getting sick just don’t go out. It shouldn’t keep those of us from living our lives.”
Now he is dead, and it was the virus that he mocked that killed him.
And even if you get this virus and survive, it can permanently scar your lungs and leave you with “breathing difficulties for months”.
So please don’t mock this virus, because if you get hit really hard by COVID-19 it will be one of the worst experiences of your life even if you live through it.
For those that believe that a vaccine will be the golden ticket that gets us out of this mess, I am afraid that you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. There has never been a successful vaccine developed for any coronavirus, and one leading expert is openly warning that it is possible that “we will never get a coronavirus vaccine”.
And if things weren’t already complicated enough, now a new study has discovered that there are “at least 30 different variations” of COVID-19.
A new study in China has found that the novel coronavirus has mutated into at least 30 different variations.
The results showed that medical officials have vastly underestimated the overall ability of the virus to mutate, in findings that different strains have affected different parts of the world, leading to potential difficulties in finding an overall cure.
So not only do scientists have to come up with a successful vaccine for a coronavirus for the first time in history, they also have to hope that they are targeting the correct strain.
Good luck with all that.
Unfortunately, the truth is that this pandemic is going to be with us for a long time to come, and what we have experienced so far is just the very beginning of our problems.
Even if all of the lockdowns around the world were kept in place for the foreseeable future, this virus would continue to spread.
And in the long run, approximately the same number of people are going to catch this virus and approximately the same number of people are going to die no matter what restrictions are instituted.
This pandemic is not going to be over until COVID-19 roars through most of the population and herd immunity is achieved, and the numbers are telling us that we are a long, long way from that point.


weareanonymous--2020-04-27--Kim Jong Un Reportedly on His Death Bed – These Are the Most Likely Heirs to the North Korean Throne

Many fear that Kim Jong Un ’ s sister would be even more diabolical and hostile than her brother .

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weareanonymous--2020-04-27--Tyson Foods Warns “Food Supply Chain is Breaking” in the United States

News feeds in April have been inundated with food supply chain disruption stories due to coronavirus-related shutdowns .
At least a third of US meatpacking facilities handling hogs have shifted offline this month , other plants that process cows and chickens have also shuttered operations , forcing farmers to cull herds and flocks .
This is because each plant closure diminishes the ability for a farmer to sell animals at the market , leaves them with overcapacity issues similar to the turmoil facing the oil industry .
Only unlike oil where pumped oil must be stored somewhere ( as one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nearest river ) even if that ends up costing producers money as we saw last Monday when oil prices turned negative for the first time ever , food producers have a simpler option : just killing their livestock .
We previously explained what this imbalance has created : crashing live cattle spot prices while finished meat prices are soaring , which doesn ’ t just affect farmers but also consumers simultaneously and could spark a shortage of meat at grocery stores as soon as the first week of May .
And in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prices could last for a long time , Tyson Foods warned in a full-page ad in the New York Times on Sunday that the “ food supply chain is breaking.
” “ As pork , beef and chicken plants are being forced to close , even for short periods of time , millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain , ” wrote Tyson Chairman John Tyson , patriarch of the company ’ s founding family , in a Tyson Foods website post that also ran as a full-page ad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply chain is breaking.
” Confirming the worst fears of American pork and bacon consumers , Tyson wrote that the company has been forced to close plants , and that federal , state and local government officials needed to coordinate to allow plants to operate safely , “ without fear , panic or worry ” among employees .
He warned that supply shortages of its products will be seen at grocery stores , as at least a dozen major meatpacking plants close operations for virus-related issues .
“ It ’ s a lose-lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of losing everything and consumers at the risk of paying higher prices.
” Last week , Smithfield Foods , one of the top pork producers in the world , closed another operation in Illinois .
That news came directly after Hormel Foods closed two of its Jennie-O turkey plants in Minnesota .
Then it was reported over the weekend that major poultry plants across Maryland , Delaware , and Virginia had reduced hours because of worker shortages due to virus issues .
And then on Sunday , JBS USA closed a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During this pandemic , our entire industry is faced with an impossible choice : continue to operate to sustain our nation ’ s food supply or shutter in an attempt to entirely insulate our employees from risk , ” Smithfield said in a statement Friday .
“ It ’ s an awful choice ; it ’ s not one we wish on anyone.
” Even before the Tyson warnings , last week we cautioned that it was appropriate to label virus outbreaks at meatpacking plants as the “ next disaster zones ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just because of workers and USDA inspectors were contracting the virus , and in some cases dying – but because food shortages could also add to social instabilities during a pandemic and economic crisis .
The distress in the agricultural space has not been limited to just livestock .
Dairy and produce farmers have had to dump or throw out spoiled products due to a collapse in demand for bulk products , mostly because of shifting supply chains with the closure of restaurants , cruise ships , hotels , resorts , education systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deemed essential in a lockdown .
What this means is that farmers who generally sell bulk products do not have the means at the moment to convert product lines into individual items for direct to consumer selling .
This will take time for the conversion .
So , in the meantime , with no customers , farmers have to dump .
Politico has outlined some of this disruption : “ Images of farmers destroying tomatoes , piling up squash , burying onions and dumping milk shocked many Americans who remain fearful of supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who recently lost their jobs lined up for miles outside some food banks , raising questions about why there has been no coordinated response at the federal level to get the surplus of perishable food to more people in need , even as commodity groups , state leaders and lawmakers repeatedly urged the Agriculture Department to step in.
” Tom Vilsack , who served as agriculture secretary during the Obama administration , put it this way : “ It ’ s not a lack of food , it ’ s that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand is somewhere else and they haven ’ t been able to connect the dots .
You ’ ve got to galvanize people.
” The immediate outcome of this food supply chain collapse will be even more rapid food inflation , hitting Americans at a time of unprecedented economic hardships with at least 26.5 million now unemployed since the pandemic struck the US .
And with a sharp economic recession , if not outright depression unfolding , more Americans are ditching grocery stores for food banks , putting incredible stress on these charities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deploy National Guard troops at many locations to ensure food security to the neediest .

News feeds in April have been inundated with food supply chain disruption stories due to coronavirus-related shutdowns. At least a third of US meatpacking facilities handling hogs have shifted offline this month, other plants that process cows and chickens have also shuttered operations, forcing farmers to cull herds and flocks. This is because each plant closure diminishes the ability for a farmer to sell animals at the market, leaves them with overcapacity issues similar to the turmoil facing the oil industry. Only unlike oil where pumped oil must be stored somewhere (as one can’t just dump it in the nearest river) even if that ends up costing producers money as we saw last Monday when oil prices turned negative for the first time ever, food producers have a simpler option: just killing their livestock.
We previously explained what this imbalance has created: crashing live cattle spot prices while finished meat prices are soaring, which doesn’t just affect farmers but also consumers simultaneously and could spark a shortage of meat at grocery stores as soon as the first week of May.
And in the starkest warning yet that high food prices could last for a long time, Tyson Foods warned in a full-page ad in the New York Times on Sunday that the “food supply chain is breaking.”
“As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain,” wrote Tyson Chairman John Tyson, patriarch of the company’s founding family, in a Tyson Foods website post that also ran as a full-page ad in several newspapers. “The food supply chain is breaking.”
Confirming the worst fears of American pork and bacon consumers, Tyson wrote that the company has been forced to close plants, and that federal, state and local government officials needed to coordinate to allow plants to operate safely, “without fear, panic or worry” among employees. He warned that supply shortages of its products will be seen at grocery stores, as at least a dozen major meatpacking plants close operations for virus-related issues.
Brett Stuart, president of Denver-based consulting firm Global AgriTrends, calls the situation “absolutely unprecedented.”
“It’s a lose-lose situation where we have producers at the risk of losing everything and consumers at the risk of paying higher prices.”
Last week, Smithfield Foods, one of the top pork producers in the world, closed another operation in Illinois. That news came directly after Hormel Foods closed two of its Jennie-O turkey plants in Minnesota. Then it was reported over the weekend that major poultry plants across Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia had reduced hours because of worker shortages due to virus issues. And then on Sunday, JBS USA closed a large beef production facility in Wisconsin.
“During this pandemic, our entire industry is faced with an impossible choice: continue to operate to sustain our nation’s food supply or shutter in an attempt to entirely insulate our employees from risk,” Smithfield said in a statement Friday. “It’s an awful choice; it’s not one we wish on anyone.”
Bloomberg’s map shows the latest closures of meatpacking plants:
Even before the Tyson warnings, last week we cautioned that it was appropriate to label virus outbreaks at meatpacking plants as the “next disaster zones” of the pandemic. This wasn’t just because of workers and USDA inspectors were contracting the virus, and in some cases dying – but because food shortages could also add to social instabilities during a pandemic and economic crisis.
The distress in the agricultural space has not been limited to just livestock. Dairy and produce farmers have had to dump or throw out spoiled products due to a collapse in demand for bulk products, mostly because of shifting supply chains with the closure of restaurants, cruise ships, hotels, resorts, education systems, and anyone else who is not deemed essential in a lockdown.
What this means is that farmers who generally sell bulk products do not have the means at the moment to convert product lines into individual items for direct to consumer selling. This will take time for the conversion. So, in the meantime, with no customers, farmers have to dump.
Politico has outlined some of this disruption:
“Images of farmers destroying tomatoes, piling up squash, burying onions and dumping milk shocked many Americans who remain fearful of supply shortages. At the same time, people who recently lost their jobs lined up for miles outside some food banks, raising questions about why there has been no coordinated response at the federal level to get the surplus of perishable food to more people in need, even as commodity groups, state leaders and lawmakers repeatedly urged the Agriculture Department to step in.”
Tom Vilsack, who served as agriculture secretary during the Obama administration, put it this way: “It’s not a lack of food, it’s that the food is in one place and the demand is somewhere else and they haven’t been able to connect the dots. You’ve got to galvanize people.”
The immediate outcome of this food supply chain collapse will be even more rapid food inflation, hitting Americans at a time of unprecedented economic hardships with at least 26.5 million now unemployed since the pandemic struck the US.
And with a sharp economic recession, if not outright depression unfolding, more Americans are ditching grocery stores for food banks, putting incredible stress on these charities, which has forced the government to deploy National Guard troops at many locations to ensure food security to the neediest.
By Tyler Durden | ZeroHedge.com | Republished with permission


weareanonymous--2020-04-27--UN Food Agency Chief Warns Global Famine of “Biblical Proportions” Just Months Away

The world is facing “ a perfect storm ” due to the pandemic , economic crisis , locust swarms , and numerous wars .
David Beasley , director of the United Nations World Food Program , told the U.N. Security Council this week that the world is on “ the brink of a hunger pandemic ” and we could be facing “ multiple famines of biblical proportions within a short few months.
” Beasley warned that the world is facing “ a perfect storm ” due to the pandemic , economic crisis , locust swarms , and numerous wars that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It is critical we come together as one united global community to defeat this disease , and protect the most vulnerable nations and communities from its potentially devastating effects , ” Beasley said .
According to the 2020 Global Report on Food Crisis , which was published this week , an additional 135 million people will be facing starvation by the end of the year .
“ In a worst-case scenario , we could be looking at famine in about three dozen countries , and in fact , in 10 of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people per country who are on the verge of starvation , ” Beasley said .
“ There ’ s a real danger that more people could potentially die from the economic impact of COVID-19 than from the virus itself , ” he added .
Beasley said that places like Haiti , Nepal , and Somalia , where a large number of families depend on income from overseas workers will be hit especially hard .
He urged world leaders to set aside their differences and slow down their military adventures to meet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN Security Council , 21 April Yesterday , I spoke to the United Nations Security Council on the significant effect that war and conflict have on driving hunger .
Millions of civilians living in conflict-scarred nations , including many women and children , face being pushed to the brink of starvation .
With COVID-19 , I want to stress that we 're not only facing a global health pandemic , but also a global humanitarian catastrophe – a HUNGER pandemic.By the end of this year , 265 million people risk being on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no famines yet , I warned UN Security Council members that if we don ’ t prepare and take action now , we could be facing multiple famines of biblical proportions within a few short months.I know this is very startling but if we act wisely , and we act NOW , we can stop this .
The actions we take , as a global community , will determine our success , or our failure.Watch my address to the UN Security Council below .
“ We need all parties involved in conflicts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all vulnerable communities , so they can get the assistance to them that they need , regardless of who they are or where they are .
Supply chains have to keep moving if we are going to overcome this pandemic and get food from where it is produced to where it is needed , ” he said .
Another concern is that countries will ban exports on certain important foods and medicines , which has already started to happen .
According to Bloomberg , Kazakhstan has banned exports of wheat flour , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country is one of the world ’ s biggest producers .
Meanwhile , Vietnam , the world ’ s third-largest exporter of rice , has temporarily suspended rice export contracts .
Politicians and business leaders have insisted that the supply chain is strong and that shelves will continue to be filled to meet the increasing demands at grocery stores .
However , there is no doubt that there have been some supply chain disruptions to different parts of the global economy since the outbreak began .
There are also concerns that domestic supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued outbreaks among essential workers .
Last week , meat packaging plants across the U.S. were forced to close as hundreds of workers became sick with the virus .
According to a new investigation by USA Today , meatpacking plants are acting as epicenters for the virus and causing further spread to neighboring communities .
According to the report , rates of infection around these meat packaging plants are higher than 75 % of other counties in the country .

The world is facing “a perfect storm” due to the pandemic, economic crisis, locust swarms, and numerous wars.
David Beasley, director of the United Nations World Food Program, told the U.N. Security Council this week that the world is on “the brink of a hunger pandemic” and we could be facing “multiple famines of biblical proportions within a short few months.”
Beasley warned that the world is facing “a perfect storm” due to the pandemic, economic crisis, locust swarms, and numerous wars that are still ongoing across the planet.
“It is critical we come together as one united global community to defeat this disease, and protect the most vulnerable nations and communities from its potentially devastating effects,” Beasley said.
According to the 2020 Global Report on Food Crisis, which was published this week, an additional 135 million people will be facing starvation by the end of the year.
“In a worst-case scenario, we could be looking at famine in about three dozen countries, and in fact, in 10 of these countries we already have more than one million people per country who are on the verge of starvation,” Beasley said.
“There’s a real danger that more people could potentially die from the economic impact of COVID-19 than from the virus itself,” he added.
Beasley said that places like Haiti, Nepal, and Somalia, where a large number of families depend on income from overseas workers will be hit especially hard. He urged world leaders to set aside their differences and slow down their military adventures to meet the current challenge.
Official address to the UN Security Council, 21 April Yesterday, I spoke to the United Nations Security Council on the significant effect that war and conflict have on driving hunger. Millions of civilians living in conflict-scarred nations, including many women and children, face being pushed to the brink of starvation. With COVID-19, I want to stress that we're not only facing a global health pandemic, but also a global humanitarian catastrophe – a HUNGER pandemic.By the end of this year, 265 million people risk being on the verge of starvation. While there are no famines yet, I warned UN Security Council members that if we don’t prepare and take action now, we could be facing multiple famines of biblical proportions within a few short months.I know this is very startling but if we act wisely, and we act NOW, we can stop this. The actions we take, as a global community, will determine our success, or our failure.Watch my address to the UN Security Council below. Posted by David Beasley on Wednesday, April 22, 2020
“We need all parties involved in conflicts to give us swift and unimpeded humanitarian access to all vulnerable communities, so they can get the assistance to them that they need, regardless of who they are or where they are. Supply chains have to keep moving if we are going to overcome this pandemic and get food from where it is produced to where it is needed,” he said.
Another concern is that countries will ban exports on certain important foods and medicines, which has already started to happen.
According to Bloomberg, Kazakhstan has banned exports of wheat flour, which is a major concern because the country is one of the world’s biggest producers. Meanwhile, Vietnam, the world’s third-largest exporter of rice, has temporarily suspended rice export contracts.
Politicians and business leaders have insisted that the supply chain is strong and that shelves will continue to be filled to meet the increasing demands at grocery stores. However, there is no doubt that there have been some supply chain disruptions to different parts of the global economy since the outbreak began.
There are also concerns that domestic supply chains will be disrupted if there are continued outbreaks among essential workers.
Last week, meat packaging plants across the U.S. were forced to close as hundreds of workers became sick with the virus. According to a new investigation by USA Today, meatpacking plants are acting as epicenters for the virus and causing further spread to neighboring communities.
According to the report, rates of infection around these meat packaging plants are higher than 75% of other counties in the country.
By John Vibes | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com


weareanonymous--2020-04-29--Shocking Moment California Cop Repeatedly Punches 14-yo Boy

Attorney Rebecca Kavanaugh said the juvenile has a serious heart condition and was still suffering from chest pain a day after the violent encounter on Monday According to the police department the Problem Oriented Policing ( POP ) Officer was proactively patrolling the area of Mills Station Road and Mather Field due to complaints from citizens about hand-to-hand sales of alcohol , tobacco and drugs to minors and saw what he believed to be a hand-to-hand exchange between an adult and juvenile .
The department stated that the cop lost sight of the adult in the area and when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was uncooperative and refused to give the deputy basic identifying information ’ .
‘ He told the deputy he was 18 years old .
Having reasonable suspicion that criminal activity was occurring , the deputy attempted to detain the juvenile so he could conduct further investigation , ’ police continued in the statement .
‘ The juvenile became physically resistive at that time , causing the deputy to lose control of his handcuffs , which landed several feet away .
The deputy attempted to maintain control of the juvenile without his handcuffs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrive and assist him.
’ The department said in the statement : ‘ It ’ s important to put video footage into context , especially in relation to a use of force incident.
’ They added the deputy ‘ recovered tobacco products from the 14-year-old juvenile , which is presumably the reason for his resistance ’ .
The juvenile was cited for resisting arrest and released to his guardians .
The boy ’ s sister tweeted that he ‘ was simply trying to get his arms free because he was in pain !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ kid and has never been in any kind of trouble with the law !
’ Tufono tweeted .
‘ He was very scared and in so much pain !
!
!
’ However the attorney clarified on Twitter that the child didn ’ t have marijuana on him , ‘ just a Swisher ( cigar ) .
’ His mother confirmed on Facebook that he had an adult purchase a swisher for him before the cop arrived in an unmarked car .
‘ I think it matters zero if he was smoking marijuana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the family of the child asked for the video to be shared in hope the officer is fired or charges are brought upon him .
One shocked follower replied to her Twitter thread : ‘ This is what he ’ s comfortable doing in public , while recorded .
Now take a moment to consider what he does when he knows no one can hold him accountable.
’ A social media user responded : ‘ I was thinking the same .
One of those punches alone could have killed that poor kid.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smoke Marijuana but not too young to get Punched in the face ?
’ A third wrote : ‘ This is a 14 year old child !
The heavy handedness with black and brown kids starts early .
This is why there is a Black Lives Matter movement .
Police routine do not acknowledge the humanity of black people – at 18 no more punches by the cop – he ’ s pulling the trigger.
’ The Sheriff ’ s Office and Rancho Cordova Police Department have started an investigation into the use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to maintain public trust and transparency .
‘ The police department added in the statement : ‘ This type of situation is hard on everyone–the young man , who resisted arrest , and the officer , who would much rather have him cooperate .
‘ The community should know our deputies have a heart for the Rancho Cordova community , especially for the youth they serve through the schools , PAL sports , and our new Youth Center .
’

Attorney Rebecca Kavanaugh said the juvenile has a serious heart condition and was still suffering from chest pain a day after the violent encounter on Monday
According to the police department the Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Officer was proactively patrolling the area of Mills Station Road and Mather Field due to complaints from citizens about hand-to-hand sales of alcohol, tobacco and drugs to minors and saw what he believed to be a hand-to-hand exchange between an adult and juvenile.
The department stated that the cop lost sight of the adult in the area and when he approached the juvenile, ‘the juvenile was uncooperative and refused to give the deputy basic identifying information’.
‘He told the deputy he was 18 years old. Having reasonable suspicion that criminal activity was occurring, the deputy attempted to detain the juvenile so he could conduct further investigation,’ police continued in the statement.
‘The juvenile became physically resistive at that time, causing the deputy to lose control of his handcuffs, which landed several feet away. The deputy attempted to maintain control of the juvenile without his handcuffs and while alone waiting for his partners to arrive and assist him.’
The department said in the statement: ‘It’s important to put video footage into context, especially in relation to a use of force incident.’
They added the deputy ‘recovered tobacco products from the 14-year-old juvenile, which is presumably the reason for his resistance’.
The juvenile was cited for resisting arrest and released to his guardians.
The boy’s sister tweeted that he ‘was simply trying to get his arms free because he was in pain!!’
‘He’s a kid and has never been in any kind of trouble with the law!’ Tufono tweeted. ‘He was very scared and in so much pain!!!’
However the attorney clarified on Twitter that the child didn’t have marijuana on him, ‘just a Swisher (cigar).’ His mother confirmed on Facebook that he had an adult purchase a swisher for him before the cop arrived in an unmarked car.
‘I think it matters zero if he was smoking marijuana,’ Kavanaugh tweeted.
She said the family of the child asked for the video to be shared in hope the officer is fired or charges are brought upon him.
One shocked follower replied to her Twitter thread: ‘This is what he’s comfortable doing in public, while recorded. Now take a moment to consider what he does when he knows no one can hold him accountable.’
A social media user responded: ‘I was thinking the same. One of those punches alone could have killed that poor kid.’
Another posted: ‘Too young to smoke Marijuana but not too young to get Punched in the face?’
A third wrote: ‘This is a 14 year old child! The heavy handedness with black and brown kids starts early. This is why there is a Black Lives Matter movement. Police routine do not acknowledge the humanity of black people – at 18 no more punches by the cop – he’s pulling the trigger.’
The Sheriff’s Office and Rancho Cordova Police Department have started an investigation into the use of force by the deputy in an effort to maintain public trust and transparency.
‘The police department added in the statement: ‘This type of situation is hard on everyone–the young man, who resisted arrest, and the officer, who would much rather have him cooperate.
‘The community should know our deputies have a heart for the Rancho Cordova community, especially for the youth they serve through the schools, PAL sports, and our new Youth Center.’


weareanonymous--2020-04-30--Pentagon Releases 3 UFO Videos Taken By US Navy Pilots

The US Department of Defense has released three declassified videos of “ unexplained aerial phenomena ” .
The US Department of Defense today officially released three short videos of “ unidentified aerial phenomena ” – aka unidentified flying objects – that it still apparently doesn ’ t have an explanation for .
The footage has already been widely circulated online , thanks to Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge : he is on a mission to obtain and publicly distribute UFO sightings via his To The Stars organization , and revealed the trio of videos between December 2017 and March 2018 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ material online , which shows Navy pilots observing strange stuff mid-flight .
The Pentagon said it released the videos “ to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real , or whether or not there is more to the videos.
” The first video , code-named FLIR presumably after the thermal-imaging tech involved , shows an encounter in 2004 off the coast of Mexico .
A Navy fighter recorded what the commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 41 , David Fravor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ object hovering above the water , ” with no wings nor rotor wash. His aircraft circled the object , which in turn circled him , Fravor claimed , but when he approached the object it headed away at “ supersonic ” speeds .
Here it is : The other two pieces of footage , codenamed GOFAST and GIMBAL , are dated between summer 2014 and March 2015 , and were shot on the US East Coast between Virginia and Florida .
In the first vid , codenamed GOFAST , a pilot targets a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water .
“ What the f**k is that thing !
” he cries .
You can judge for yourself below .
GIMBAL shows an object , or a fleet of them as one pilot says , spotted moving at high speeds against 120 knot winds and seemingly rotating in flight .
One of the pilots who witnessed the event , Lieutenant Ryan Graves , told The New York Times the object would skip between sea level and 30,000 feet at “ hypersonic speeds.
” “ After a thorough review , the department has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems , and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena , ” the Pentagon said today .
“ These aircraft — we ’ ll call them aircraft — are displaying characteristics that are not currently within the US inventory nor in any foreign inventory that we are aware of , ” Elizondo said of objects they researched .
He says he resigned from the Defense Department in 2017 in protest over the secrecy surrounding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
“ If pilots at Oceana or elsewhere are reporting flight hazards that interfere with training or put them at risk , then Senator Warner wants answers .
It doesn ’ t matter if it ’ s weather balloons , little green men , or something else entirely — we can ’ t ask our pilots to put their lives at risk unnecessarily , ” Rachel Cohen , spokeswoman for Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner , told CNN at the time .
The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Likely explanations for the strange blobs can be found here :

The US Department of Defense has released three declassified videos of “unexplained aerial phenomena”.
The US Department of Defense today officially released three short videos of “unidentified aerial phenomena” – aka unidentified flying objects – that it still apparently doesn’t have an explanation for.
The footage has already been widely circulated online, thanks to Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge: he is on a mission to obtain and publicly distribute UFO sightings via his To The Stars organization, and revealed the trio of videos between December 2017 and March 2018.
Now Uncle Sam has itself emitted the material online, which shows Navy pilots observing strange stuff mid-flight. The Pentagon said it released the videos “to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos.”
The first video, code-named FLIR presumably after the thermal-imaging tech involved, shows an encounter in 2004 off the coast of Mexico. A Navy fighter recorded what the commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 41, David Fravor, called “a 40-foot long tictac shaped object hovering above the water,” with no wings nor rotor wash. His aircraft circled the object, which in turn circled him, Fravor claimed, but when he approached the object it headed away at “supersonic” speeds.
Here it is:
The other two pieces of footage, codenamed GOFAST and GIMBAL, are dated between summer 2014 and March 2015, and were shot on the US East Coast between Virginia and Florida. In the first vid, codenamed GOFAST, a pilot targets a small, seemingly fast-moving target over the water. “What the f**k is that thing!” he cries. You can judge for yourself below.
GIMBAL shows an object, or a fleet of them as one pilot says, spotted moving at high speeds against 120 knot winds and seemingly rotating in flight. One of the pilots who witnessed the event, Lieutenant Ryan Graves, told The New York Times the object would skip between sea level and 30,000 feet at “hypersonic speeds.”
“After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena,” the Pentagon said today.
The Pentagon has previously studied recordings of aerial encounters with unknown objects as part of a since-shuttered classified program that was launched at the behest of former Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada. The program was launched in 2007 and ended in 2012, according to the Pentagon, because they assessed that there were higher priorities that needed funding.
Nevertheless, Luis Elizondo, the former head of the classified program , told CNN in 2017 that he personally believes “there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone.”
“These aircraft — we’ll call them aircraft — are displaying characteristics that are not currently within the US inventory nor in any foreign inventory that we are aware of,” Elizondo said of objects they researched. He says he resigned from the Defense Department in 2017 in protest over the secrecy surrounding the program and the internal opposition to funding it.
Reid tweeted Monday that he was “glad” the Pentagon officially released the videos, but that “it only scratches the surface of research and materials available. The U.S. needs to take a serious, scientific look at this and any potential national security implications.”
And some members of Congress are still interested in the issue, with senators receiving a classified briefing from Navy officials on unidentified aircraft last summer.
“If pilots at Oceana or elsewhere are reporting flight hazards that interfere with training or put them at risk, then Senator Warner wants answers. It doesn’t matter if it’s weather balloons, little green men, or something else entirely — we can’t ask our pilots to put their lives at risk unnecessarily,” Rachel Cohen, spokeswoman for Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, told CNN at the time.
The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as “unidentified.” Which is nothing new. Likely explanations for the strange blobs can be found here:


weareanonymous--2020-05-01--Armed Gunmen Enter Capitol Building Demanding End to Coronavirus Lockdown

Some demonstrators on Thursday wore “ Make America Great Again ” hats , while others carried firearms into the Capitol building .
It is legal to carry a visible weapon in Michigan .
“ You aren ’ t allowed to bring in posters to the Michigan State Capitol , but you can bring guns and rifles , ” wrote progressive activist Linda Sarsour .
The protesters demanded to be let into the state House chamber , where the Republican-controlled legislature was debating an extension of Whitmer ’ s emergency order , which is due to expire at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjourned without extending the order .
Democratic State Senator Dayna Polehanki posted photos of armed men with long guns in the public gallery above the floor : A number of progressive advocates noted that racial and economic justice demonstrations have been met with force in recent years , while the crowd of largely white and pro-Trump protesters was permitted to force their way into the Capitol building with weapons .
The protest—during which one speaker compared the crowd to civil rights leaders including Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr.—came as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results showing the majority of Michigan residents oppose protests like the American Patriot Rally and Operation Gridlock .
More than half of respondents said they trust Whitmer to handle the state ’ s response to the pandemic , while only 15 % said they trust the state legislature and 24 % said they trust President Donald Trump .
Only 25 % supported the anti-Whitmer protests , and 56 % opposed them .
“ Once again , the polling shows that Michiganders support Gov .
Whitmer ’ s commonsense , science-based handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , executive director of Progress Michigan .
“ Operation Gridlock protesters have made a lot of noise , but these numbers make it clear they ’ re only a very vocal minority of our state.
” The demonstration came a day after a state court ruled that Whitmer ’ s stay-at-home order does not violate constitutional rights .
“ Our fellow residents—have an interest to remain unharmed by a highly communicable and deadly virus , and since the state entered the Union in 1837 , it has had the broad power to act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state when faced with a public crisis , ” Court of Claims Judge Christopher M. Murray wrote .

Some demonstrators on Thursday wore “Make America Great Again” hats, while others carried firearms into the Capitol building. It is legal to carry a visible weapon in Michigan.
“You aren’t allowed to bring in posters to the Michigan State Capitol, but you can bring guns and rifles,” wrote progressive activist Linda Sarsour.
The protesters demanded to be let into the state House chamber, where the Republican-controlled legislature was debating an extension of Whitmer’s emergency order, which is due to expire at the end of the day Thursday. The lawmakers eventually adjourned without extending the order.
Democratic State Senator Dayna Polehanki posted photos of armed men with long guns in the public gallery above the floor:
Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us. Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today. #mileg pic.twitter.com/voOZpPYWOs — Senator Dayna Polehanki (@SenPolehanki) April 30, 2020
A number of progressive advocates noted that racial and economic justice demonstrations have been met with force in recent years, while the crowd of largely white and pro-Trump protesters was permitted to force their way into the Capitol building with weapons.
Can’t quite put my finger on why, but I’m pretty sure I’d get arrested for this. https://t.co/FpQBwpOlTn — Kashana (@kashanacauley) April 30, 2020
I got tear gassed protesting right to work for less being passed in Michigan while completely unarmed and being completely peaceful.#1u https://t.co/jEJUj4tiS0 — Randy Bryce (@IronStache) April 30, 2020
This is outrageous and dangerous. The “liberate” Michigan protest in Lansing just somehow got inside the statehouse. I’ve seen countless activists on the left arrested for less, and that’s without carrying guns. pic.twitter.com/lwGMs1x0eR — Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) April 30, 2020
The protest—during which one speaker compared the crowd to civil rights leaders including Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—came as the advocacy group Progress Michigan released poll results showing the majority of Michigan residents oppose protests like the American Patriot Rally and Operation Gridlock.


weareanonymous--2020-05-01--50 Million Americans Have Lost Their Job in Past 6 Weeks, Survey Finds

“ I have nothing .
As much as I don ’ t want my kids to see me stress out , each one has seen me cry.
” When Thursday ’ s initial claims report is published at 8:30am on Thursday , the Dept of Labor will confirm that the current depression unlike any seen before , with approximately 30 million Americans losing their jobs in the past 6 weeks alone .
That number , however , may be underestimating the full number of of Americans who have lost their jobs by as much as 50 % .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Policy Institute , millions of Americans who have been thrown out of work during the coronavirus pandemic have been unable to register for unemployment benefits .
The poll found that for every 10 people who have successfully filed unemployment claims , three or four people have been unable to register and another two people have not tried to apply at a time of acute economic crisis .
Official statistics show that 26.5 million people have applied for unemployment benefits since mid-March , wiping out all of the jobs gained during the longest employment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.5 million initial claims are expected to be filed this week .
“ It ’ s almost set up to fail .
It was made complicated so people would get discouraged and give up.
” EPI surveyed 24,607 adult internet users using Google Surveys between April 13 and April 24 .
The poll has a confidence interval , an indicator of accuracy , of plus or minus 1 % .
9.4 % of poll respondents said they had successfully applied for unemployment benefits , while 3.4 % said they tried but could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they did not apply because the process was too difficult .
Among the reasons for the continuing technical challenges listed by Reuters , is that states like New Jersey and Georgia have struggled to find staffers who know how to update computer systems that run on decades-old technology .
Others that have moved to newer technology have also encountered technical woes .
States have also had to incorporate enhanced federal benefits that provide an extra $ 600 per week and extend coverage to Uber drivers and other independent contractors .
On top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis with fewer workers to handle unemployment claims as an improving economy had allowed them to cut staff .
States had the equivalent of 26,360 full-time workers in their unemployment offices in the 2018 fiscal year , according to the U.S. Labor Department , down 30 % from staffing levels during the peak of the Great Recession in 2009 and 2010 .
Many Americans who managed to file claims have yet to receive payments weeks after they lost their jobs .
Labor Department statistics show that 71 % who apply are getting payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
Florida , for example , said on Saturday it had sent payments to roughly one in five of those who had successfully submitted claims .
Among those waiting are Rachel Alvarez , 44 , who says she now hides snacks in her bedroom so her three children can not eat them too quickly .
The former restaurant server in Naples , Florida , says she has run through her savings since she was laid off on March 25 .
“ I have nothing , ” she said .
“ As much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids to see me stress out , each one has seen me cry .
”

“I have nothing. As much as I don’t want my kids to see me stress out, each one has seen me cry.”
When Thursday’s initial claims report is published at 8:30am on Thursday, the Dept of Labor will confirm that the current depression unlike any seen before, with approximately 30 million Americans losing their jobs in the past 6 weeks alone. That number, however, may be underestimating the full number of of Americans who have lost their jobs by as much as 50%.
According to an online poll by the left-wing Economic Policy Institute, millions of Americans who have been thrown out of work during the coronavirus pandemic have been unable to register for unemployment benefits. The poll found that for every 10 people who have successfully filed unemployment claims, three or four people have been unable to register and another two people have not tried to apply at a time of acute economic crisis.
Official statistics show that 26.5 million people have applied for unemployment benefits since mid-March, wiping out all of the jobs gained during the longest employment boom in U.S. history, and another 3.5 million initial claims are expected to be filed this week.
“It’s almost set up to fail. It was made complicated so people would get discouraged and give up.”
EPI surveyed 24,607 adult internet users using Google Surveys between April 13 and April 24. The poll has a confidence interval, an indicator of accuracy, of plus or minus 1%. 9.4% of poll respondents said they had successfully applied for unemployment benefits, while 3.4% said they tried but could not get through. A further 1.9% said they did not apply because the process was too difficult.
Among the reasons for the continuing technical challenges listed by Reuters, is that states like New Jersey and Georgia have struggled to find staffers who know how to update computer systems that run on decades-old technology. Others that have moved to newer technology have also encountered technical woes. States have also had to incorporate enhanced federal benefits that provide an extra $600 per week and extend coverage to Uber drivers and other independent contractors.
On top of that, many states entered the crisis with fewer workers to handle unemployment claims as an improving economy had allowed them to cut staff.
States had the equivalent of 26,360 full-time workers in their unemployment offices in the 2018 fiscal year, according to the U.S. Labor Department, down 30% from staffing levels during the peak of the Great Recession in 2009 and 2010. Many Americans who managed to file claims have yet to receive payments weeks after they lost their jobs.
Labor Department statistics show that 71% who apply are getting payments, although that figure varies significantly by state. Florida, for example, said on Saturday it had sent payments to roughly one in five of those who had successfully submitted claims. Among those waiting are Rachel Alvarez, 44, who says she now hides snacks in her bedroom so her three children cannot eat them too quickly. The former restaurant server in Naples, Florida, says she has run through her savings since she was laid off on March 25.
“I have nothing,” she said. “As much as I don’t want my kids to see me stress out, each one has seen me cry.”
By Tyler Durden | ZeroHedge.com | Republished with permission


weareanonymous--2020-05-02--The End Of The (Petro)Dollar? Venezuela is Paying Iran In Gold For Help

With cash levels dwindling and its once mighty oil sector on its knees and needing help desperately , OilPrice.com ’ s Tsvetana Paraskova reports that Nicolas Maduro ’ s regime in Venezuela is paying Iran in gold for help with Venezuela ’ s crumbling oil industry , U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said at a conversation with Washington-based think tank Hudson Institute this week .
And since , over the past few weeks , Iran has been sending more and more planes to Venezuela , Abrams said that “ our guess is that they are being paid in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those planes that are coming in from Iran that are bringing things for the oil industry are returning with the payments for those things : gold , ” Abrams said .
In April alone , Venezuela loaded 9 tons of gold , worth around US $ 500 million , on airplanes for Iran , in exchange for Iranian help for repairing Venezuela ’ s crumbling refineries , sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg this week .
We suspect Venezuela ’ s gold vaults are running extremely dry .
At last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was around 100 tons… But that was before Maduro started to dramatically increase his sales of Venezuelan Gold around the world .
[ ZH : It makes perfect sense for Iran to demand payment in gold since even the official Bolivar is utterly worthless .
For a sense of just how gold is supposed to behave in a hyperinflationary environment , we note that in January 2010 , a Venezuelan could by an ounce of gold for 1000 so-called “ Strong ” -Bolivars .
Today , that same ounce of yellow metal costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” -Bolivars ( which were devalued by 1000:1 in March 2018 ) or 300 million ‘ new ’ - Bolivars… ] On Thursday , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also mentioned the Iranian-Venezuelan cooperation , saying , “ We are deeply concerned about Iran ’ s destabilizing behavior in Venezuela- over the last few days , Iranian aircraft have transferred unknown support to the regime.
” “ Over the last few days , multiple aircraft belonging to Mahan Air have transferred unknown support to the Maduro regime .
Birds of a feather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Iran uses to move weapons and fighters around the Middle East .
These flights must stop , and countries should do their part to deny overflights , just as many have already denied landing rights to this sanctioned airline , ” Secretary Pompeo said at a press conference earlier this week .
The U.S. has stepped up pressure on the Maduro regime in recent months , the latest being ordering U.S. supermajor Chevron to wind down its Venezuelan operations by the end of the year .
Halliburton has also said it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after Washington tightened the noose around Caracas by banning U.S. oil companies operating in the country from drilling for oil , transporting it , or providing any equipment for use in Venezuela .

With cash levels dwindling and its once mighty oil sector on its knees and needing help desperately, OilPrice.com’s Tsvetana Paraskova reports that Nicolas Maduro’s regime in Venezuela is paying Iran in gold for help with Venezuela’s crumbling oil industry, U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said at a conversation with Washington-based think tank Hudson Institute this week.
Venezuela’s oil output is at record lows…
And since, over the past few weeks, Iran has been sending more and more planes to Venezuela, Abrams said that “our guess is that they are being paid in gold,” he said.
“Those planes that are coming in from Iran that are bringing things for the oil industry are returning with the payments for those things: gold,” Abrams said.
In April alone, Venezuela loaded 9 tons of gold, worth around US$500 million, on airplanes for Iran, in exchange for Iranian help for repairing Venezuela’s crumbling refineries, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg this week.
We suspect Venezuela’s gold vaults are running extremely dry. At last count, in August 2019, it was around 100 tons…
But that was before Maduro started to dramatically increase his sales of Venezuelan Gold around the world.
[ZH: It makes perfect sense for Iran to demand payment in gold since even the official Bolivar is utterly worthless. For a sense of just how gold is supposed to behave in a hyperinflationary environment, we note that in January 2010, a Venezuelan could by an ounce of gold for 1000 so-called “Strong”-Bolivars.
Today, that same ounce of yellow metal costs your average Venezuelan 300 billion “strong”-Bolivars (which were devalued by 1000:1 in March 2018) or 300 million ‘new’- Bolivars…]
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also mentioned the Iranian-Venezuelan cooperation, saying, “We are deeply concerned about Iran’s destabilizing behavior in Venezuela- over the last few days, Iranian aircraft have transferred unknown support to the regime.”
“Over the last few days, multiple aircraft belonging to Mahan Air have transferred unknown support to the Maduro regime. Birds of a feather. This is the same terrorist airline that Iran uses to move weapons and fighters around the Middle East. These flights must stop, and countries should do their part to deny overflights, just as many have already denied landing rights to this sanctioned airline,” Secretary Pompeo said at a press conference earlier this week.
The U.S. has stepped up pressure on the Maduro regime in recent months, the latest being ordering U.S. supermajor Chevron to wind down its Venezuelan operations by the end of the year. Halliburton has also said it will suspend most of its operations in Venezuela, after Washington tightened the noose around Caracas by banning U.S. oil companies operating in the country from drilling for oil, transporting it, or providing any equipment for use in Venezuela.