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Trump Administration Fast-Tracks Controversial Self-Amplifying mRNA Vaccine for H5N1 Bird Flu

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End Time Headlines

The Trump administration announced its decision to grant Fast Track designation to ARCT-2304, a self-amplifying mRNA (sa-mRNA) vaccine candidate developed by Arcturus Therapeutics targeting the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

This move has sparked significant debate, with proponents highlighting its potential to bolster pandemic preparedness and critics raising concerns about safety and transparency.

ARCT-2304 differs from traditional vaccines by utilizing a self-replicating mRNA platform.

Unlike conventional mRNA vaccines, which instruct cells to produce a viral protein to trigger an immune response, sa-mRNA continues to replicate within cells, potentially amplifying the production of flu-fighting proteins.

According to The Gateway Pundit, the vaccine is currently in Phase 1 trials and is being positioned as a critical defense against a possible H5N1 pandemic.

The technology aims to enhance immune responses with lower doses, but its novel approach has raised questions about long-term effects.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), previously instrumental in Operation Warp Speed, is spearheading the funding and acceleration of ARCT-2304.

Reports indicate that BARDA has been granted broad authority to expedite pandemic-related therapeutics, a move that echoes strategies from the COVID-19 response.

While this could streamline vaccine availability, some sources note that the fast-tracking process may limit scrutiny.

The Gateway Pundit emphasized BARDA’s role, highlighting its history with mRNA vaccines during the prior Trump administration.

The announcement has elicited mixed reactions. Supporters argue that the Fast Track designation reflects proactive public health planning, especially given H5N1’s potential to mutate and spread.

However, skepticism abounds, fueled by experiences with mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posts on X reflect significant public unease, with users expressing distrust and referencing side effects reported from earlier mRNA vaccines.

Critics argue that the self-amplifying nature of ARCT-2304 introduces untested variables, though no major news outlet has confirmed specific risks at this stage.

The decision comes amid heightened scrutiny of vaccine development processes.

Some reports draw parallels to the rapid deployment of COVID-19 vaccines, noting that while those vaccines were effective for many, side effect reports eroded trust for some communities.

The Gateway Pundit highlighted public complaints about mRNA vaccine side effects, suggesting that ARCT-2304’s approval could face similar resistance.

Additionally, there are calls for greater transparency in trial data to address concerns about the sa-mRNA platform’s safety profile.

[…]

Via https://endtimeheadlines.org/2025/04/trump-administration-fast-tracks-controversial-self-amplifying-mrna-vaccine-for-h5n1-bird-flu/#google_vignette

Anger in Israel as US says it’s withdrawing from Syria

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US troops in Syria, 22 October 2019 [Twitter]

US troops in Syria, 22 October 2019 [Twitter]

Middle East Monitor

Anger has mounted in Tel Aviv as the United States informed Israel of its decision to begin a gradual withdrawal from Syria in the coming period, according to Israeli media reports yesterday.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that American security officials notified the Israeli occupation army that the withdrawal is set to commence within two months.

Israeli officials quoted by the paper said that Tel Aviv is still pressing Washington to delay the pullout, fearing that “Turkiye will take over more strategic assets in the new Syria” once US troops leave.

The report clarified that the decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw American forces from Syria does not come as a surprise. Trump had announced his intention to pull troops out of the region on 20 January.

The paper noted that Israel is concerned about heightened tensions with Turkiye, which has been openly working to expand its influence in the region following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.

It added that “Israel believes the withdrawal of American forces could embolden Turkiye to take control of additional strategic military assets on the ground.”

Since a coalition of opposition factions ousted Al-Assad in late 2024, the Israeli occupation’s military has launched hundreds of strikes in Syria, under the pretext of targeting military installations, naval bases and air bases to prevent the new administration from seizing the former army’s arsenal.

Israeli forces have also infiltrated the buffer zone in the Golan Heights and expanded their occupation of Syrian land.

Israel has expressed concerns over Ankara’s growing influence in Damascus, especially given Turkiye’s alliance with the interim Syrian government.

Last week Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he has “great relations” with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, adding that “Any problem that you have with Turkiye, I think I can solve. I mean, as long as you’re reasonable, you have to be reasonable. We have to be reasonable.”

Via https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250416-anger-in-israel-as-us-says-its-withdrawing-from-syria/

Maryland senator goes to El Salvador in push for Abrego Garcia’s return

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US Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) speaks delivers remarks on June 24, 2024 in College Park, Maryland.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
CNN

US Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador on Wednesday seeking to meet with government officials there about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who had been living in his state until he was mistakenly deported by the Trump administration last month to a mega-prison in the Central American nation.

“I just landed in San Salvador a little while ago, and I look forward to meeting with the team at the U.S. embassy to discuss the release of Mr. Abrego Garcia,” the Maryland Democrat wrote on X. “I also hope to meet with Salvadoran officials and with Kilmar himself. He was illegally abducted and needs to come home.”

Ahead of his flight early Wednesday, Van Hollen said he aimed to “check on [Abrego Garcia’s] condition — and remind him that we won’t stop fighting until he’s home.”

The March deportation of Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and Maryland resident, has become a flashpoint in the fight over the Trump administration’s hardline deportation push.

The senator’s trip swiftly drew the ire of the White House.

Communications director Steven Cheung called Van Hollen “a complete disgrace” and the Office of Communications accused the senator in a statement of a lack of concern regarding crimes they say were committed by undocumented immigrants against his constituents. Abrego Garcia has not been charged with any crimes in the United States.

While Abrego Garcia had not been legally in the US prior to his deportation, a 2019 court order said he could not be returned to El Salvador and the Trump administration admitted in court documents he was deported there due to a clerical error.

In recent days, however, Trump administration officials have denied that he was mistakenly deported. US officials have alleged he is a member of the MS-13 gang, which the administration has designated as a foreign terrorist organization – a claim his attorneys dispute and at least one federal judge has voiced skepticism toward.

Despite a Supreme Court ruling that the US must “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return, White House officials have argued it’s up to El Salvador whether to do so. The Trump administration and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele made clear during an Oval Office meeting earlier this week that the Maryland man wouldn’t be returned to the US.

Bukele said during the meeting that while he has the power to release Abrego Garcia, he wasn’t willing to do so [Ed Note – because the contract Trump signed with him pays him to keep Garcia in prison].

Officials in the Oval Office meeting, including President Donald Trump, made no effort to ask for his cooperation in the matter.

[…]

Via https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/16/politics/kilmar-abrego-garcia-maryland-senator-el-salvador/index.html

US threatens China with 245% tariff

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US threatens China with 245% tariff
©  Win McNamee/Getty Images

RT

Chinese imports to the US could face tariffs as high as 245%, according to a White House fact sheet released on Tuesday. The warning comes amid a growing trade rift between the world’s two largest economies.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has cited Beijing’s retaliation to previous levies as the reason for the latest potential hike.

“China now faces up to a 245% tariff on imports to the United States as a result of its retaliatory actions,” the fact sheet reads. However, it’s not clear from the document when the increase would come into force.

Washington has imposed several major tariff rises on Beijing in the past two months, increasing the duties from an initial 20%.

Beijing’s retaliation has included a hike to 125% on all American imports, a suspension of global shipments of rare-earth metals and magnets used in tech and military industries, and an order to Chinese airlines to stop accepting Boeing jets and parts.

The standoff with China comes amid a broader US tariff campaign targeting dozens of countries. According to Trump, the measures are part of an effort to balance the US trade deficit with its trading partners.

Following turmoil on the financial markets, the US administration paused higher tariffs for most countries to allow trade negotiations, except for China.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Trump was open to making a trade deal with the Asian nation, but that Beijing should make the first move.

China has slammed US tariffs as “a weapon to exert extreme pressure and pursue private interests” and an act of “unilateral economic bullying.” It has also vowed to continue to “take resolute measures to safeguard its legitimate interests.”
[…]

From Oakland to Tehran Part 1 – The History of Iranian/American Emnity

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From Oakland to Tehran - Part I

From Oakland to Iran – Part 1

Press TV (2024)

Film Review

https://www.presstv.ir/doc/Detail/2025/02/15/742838/Imam-Khomeini-Iran-colonialism-US-Abbas-Muntaqim-Revolution-1979-Documentary-PressTV

Abbas Muntaqim, an African American instructor at Berkeley, became curious about the 1979 Iranian Revolution after converting to Islam. It intrigued him that the Iranian students released all women and African Americans after taking over the US embassy on November 4, 1979.

In Part 1, Muntagim visits with Iranian historian Khoshrow Motazed to better understand the origin of Iran’s hostile relationship with the US. According to Motazed, Iranians greatly admired Americans in the 19th century for freeing themselves from British colonialism. In 1835, their country admitted the first American missionaries to start a hospital to treat plague, typhoid and malnutrition. One of them, Dr Howard Baskerville, was killed during Iran’s Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911), fighting alongside Sattar Khan, Iran’s national hero.

As late as 1909, only the country’s central region enjoyed any autonomy, as the Russians controlled northern Iran and the British the south. Seeking to free themselves from foreign occupation, Iran’s parliament asked the US to send an economic advisor, William Morgan Shuster, who the parliament appointed as Treasurer-General in 1911. When both Russia and Britain threatened to occupy the entire country, they were forced to expel him. Britain acquired their first Iranian oil concession in 1901 and began exporting oil in 1912.

Following the onset of World War I, the entire country came under joint British and Russian occupation. British confiscation of Iranian foodstuffs for their troops resulted in death by starvation roughly half the population (8 to 10 million people). With Russian troops withdrawing following the1917 Bolshevik revolution, Iran became a full fledged British colony in 1921. In 1925, the UK instigated a coup to install a new king, Reza Khan, despite Iran’s 20-year status as a constitutional republic.

During World War II, Russia invaded Iran from the Northeast and Britain from the the Southwest. Reza Shah was deposed and his son Mohammed Reza became king. At British invitation, the US assisted in occupying Iran with 30,000 troops. According to Motazed, they created a little Detroit, took over the Iranian railroad (which they virtually destroyed with their heavy movement of troops and equipment), drank and fought a lot and molested Iranian women.

Based on America’s anti-colonial history, Iran expected the US to support the strong grassroots movement that forced the British to leave Iran and led to the election of Mohammad Mosadegh (who favored nationalizing Iran’s oil) as Iranian prime minister. Although Truman supported Mossaddegh, following Eisenhower’s 1952 election, the US (via the CIA) opted to support Britain’s Operation Ajax. The latter incited Iraq to invade Iran, kidnap Iran’s police chief and their highest ranking military officer and kill them.

Afraid of being deposed like his father, Mohammed Reza dismissed Mossadegh on August 19, 1953 and on October 21, 1954 signed new contracts granting the five American oil companies a 40% share (divided equally among the five of them) of Iran’s oil revenues. British Petroleum, in turn, granted a 40% share and Royal Dutch a 14% share. This arrangement continued until the 1979 revolution.

On December 7, 1953, during a student protest against vice-president Nixon’s visit to Tehran, the Iranian military stormed the University of Tehran attacking and killing three students. With the assistance of the US and Israel, Shah Reza formed the Savak, a secret police that kept order by brutally repressing Iranian civilians. All Savak operatives were sent to Israel for training in torture techniques.

 

Harvard Takes Trump to Court

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By Alga Fredly

Harvard University’s professors sued the Trump administration on April 11 after it threatened to withhold nearly $9 billion in grants and contracts if the university fails to adopt the administration’s required structural changes.

The Harvard faculty chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) filed a lawsuit alleging that the administration’s action represents an “unlawful and unprecedented misuse of federal funding and civil rights enforcement authority to undermine academic freedom and free speech” on a university’s campus.

According to the court filing, the university received a letter from the administration on April 3 outlining the “non-exhaustive preconditions” it must meet in order to keep its government funding, following an investigation into the university’s failures to address anti-Semitism on campus.

Among the requirements are a review of programs that fuel anti-Semitic harassment on campus, to “improve viewpoint diversity, and end ideological capture” within the university. Harvard was also required to enact a mask ban and eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, according to the lawsuit.

It stated that the administration threatened to terminate at least $255.6 million in contracts and place more than $8.7 billion in multiyear grant commitments to Harvard University and its affiliates under review unless the university agrees to implement the proposed changes.

“Harvard, like all American universities, depends on federal funding to conduct its academic research. Threats like these are an existential ‘gun to the head’ for a university,” the lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs accused the administration of misusing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, an anti-discrimination law that applies to federally funded institutions, to “coerce universities into undermining free speech.”

“These sweeping yet indeterminate demands are not remedies targeting the causes of any determination of noncompliance with federal law. Instead, they overtly seek to impose on Harvard University political views and policy preferences advanced by the Trump administration and commit the University to punishing disfavored speech,” they state.

The professors asked the court to preliminarily and permanently enjoin any further investigation or review of the university’s federal funding. They also requested that it block the administration from using its authority to penalize Harvard over the viewpoints of its members.

“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” said Harvard President Alan Garber in a message.

The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

Harvard University is one of 60 institutions of higher education currently under investigation for allegations of anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment on campus.

Protests erupted across universities in the United States after Israel launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip with the stated goal of eradicating the Hamas terrorist group. The operation was retaliation for Hamas launching a land, sea, and air attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking hostage 251 more. Last spring, pro-Palestinian protesters camped out on campus and, at one point, took over a building.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has previously urged university leaders to prevent discrimination against Jewish students on campus or risk losing federal funding.

“The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year,” McMahon said in a statement on March 10.

“U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal anti-discrimination laws.”

Harvard University’s professors also filed a motion on April 11 seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the government from cutting funding while the litigation continues, saying that it would cause “severe irreparable harm” to the university and disrupt its research operations.

“No law in this country permits Trump to suspend billions from universities simply because he doesn’t like the constitutionally protected speech of their students & faculty,” Nikolas Bowie of Harvard’s AAUP said in a statement.

[…]

Via https://www.algora.com/Algora_blog/2025/04/14/will-not-surrender-harvard-takes-trump-to-court

“Widespread Freezes”: Trump’s Tariff Blitz Sends US Import Bookings Crashing, Global Supply Chains Crack

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Zero Hedge

The latest high-frequency data on container freight bookings reveals that Chinese shippers rushed shipments to the U.S. over the last year to front-run the trade war—but have now abruptly paused shipments amid sky-high levies.

Freight data firm Vizion published a new report Friday titled “Tariff Shockwave: U.S. Import Bookings Collapse After Q1 Surge. ”

Here are snippets from the alarming report that warns about “widespread booking freezes” and unfolding global trade turmoil:

U.S. Import Bookings YoY % Change: 5-Year View

The chart below illustrates year-over-year changes in U.S. import bookings, highlighting key shifts over the past five years. After a surge during the pandemic that peaked in 2021, booking volumes declined sharply through 2022. A steady recovery began in 2023 and gained momentum through 2024, leading to a strong start in early 2025.

But that momentum didn’t last. March 2025 bookings fell 20% from January peaks, even though volumes were still 30% higher year-over-year compared to 2024. The most likely explanation? Shippers moved quickly to front-load shipments ahead of anticipated tariff increases.

A Sudden April Crash in Bookings

As tariff-related uncertainty intensified, booking volumes collapsed in real time. Comparing the week of March 24–31, 2025 to the following week, April 1–8, 2025, we saw sharp declines:

  • Global TEUs Booked: ↓ 49%
  • Overall U.S. Imports: ↓ 64%
  • Overall U.S. Exports: ↓ 30%
  • U.S. Imports from China: ↓ 64%
  • U.S. Exports to China: ↓ 36%

This dramatic drop aligned with two key developments: the April 4th U.S. tariff announcement, followed by China’s retaliatory measures announced on April 5. The result? A widespread booking freeze, as shippers paused mid-shipment cycle to reassess costs, timelines, and broader trade strategy.

Week-over-Week Drop in U.S. Imports by Product Type

Zooming in on product-level trends between March 31-April 6, 2025, and the prior week (March 24-30) reveals sharp booking declines across several categories:

  • Apparel & Accessories: ↓ 59%
  • Wool, Fabrics, and Textiles: ↓ 57%
  • Art, Antiques, Umbrellas, Feathers: ↓ 50%+

These are largely discretionary or seasonal categories, often the first to react to rising costs, demand shifts, or trade policy changes. Many of these goods also fall under one of many tariff adjustments, making them more sensitive to uncertainty and pricing volatility in the short term.

‍Week-over-Week Drop in U.S. Imports from China by Product Type

Imports from China showed similar pain, particularly in foundational manufacturing inputs:

  • Plastics: ↓ 45.4%
  • Copper: ↓ 31.1%
  • Wood Products: ↓ 24.0%

These categories are deeply tied to industrial and manufacturing supply chains and now face significant tariff pressure. On April 10, the White House clarified that tariffs on Chinese goods now total 145%, combining the previously announced 125% rate with an additional 20% import tax tied to other enforcements. This sharp increase in effective duty rates has already created significant hesitation in forward bookings from China, especially in high-volume, high-cost raw material categories.

The analysts at Vizion summed tariffs have sparked vast amounts of uncertainty:

The message is clear: Shippers moved early to get ahead of tariffs, and then hit the brakes as conditions changed. This behavior, visible in booking data weeks before it shows up at the port, shows just how critical forward-looking logistics intelligence has become.

With tariffs from other trade partners currently on a 90-day pause, shippers are navigating a highly uncertain and fast-changing trade environment. The rest of 2025 is likely to bring continued volatility marked by demand swings, accelerated ordering patterns, and a re-evaluation of sourcing strategies the global response to these trade actions continues to unfold.

Emerging signs of trade disruption on major maritime shipping lanes between China and the U.S. come as Chinese suppliers are being swamped with canceled or reduced orders from U.S. companies…

We previously noted that the latest high-frequency indicators from Goldman—dated April 3 and covering Chinese consumption, mobility, production, investment, and broader macro activity—show that Trump’s tariff blitz has not yet impacted the real economy, particularly in terms of traffic congestion.

However, as we also pointed out, with suppliers pulling back on orders and container shipments declining, these high-frequency indicators could be on the verge of deteriorating…

[…]

Via https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/widespread-freezes-trumps-tariff-blitz-sends-us-import-bookings-crashing-global-supply

Young Adults Likely Produce Toxic Spike Protein for Over a Year After COVID mRNA Injection

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This article originally appeared on Focal Points and was republished with permission.

Guest post by Nicolas Hulscher, MPH

Persistent elevation of inflammatory cytokines over one year post-injection indicates ongoing immune stimulation likely driven by systemic Spike protein production.

The study titled, Altered Circulating Cytokine Profile Among mRNA‐Vaccinated Young Adults: A Year‐Long Follow‐Up Study, was just published in the journal Immunity, Inflammation and Disease:

Objectives

This longitudinal study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on cytokine profile.

Methods

A total of 84 Saudi subjects (57.1% females) with mean age of 27.2 ± 12.3 participated in this longitudinal study. Anthropometric data and fasting blood samples were obtained at baseline and after final vaccination, with an average follow-up duration of 14.1 ± 3.6 months for adolescents and 13.3 ± 3.0 months for adults, calculated from the first dose of vaccination. Assessment of cytokine profiles was done using commercially available assays.

Results

After follow-up, a significant increase in weight and body mass index was observed overall (p = 0.003 and p = 0.002, respectively). Postvaccination, significant increases were observed in several cytokines, including basic fibroblast growth factor 2 (p < 0.001), interferon gamma (IFNγ) (p = 0.005), interleukin-1 beta (IL1β) (p < 0.001), IL4 (p < 0.001), IL6 (p = 0.003), IL7 (p = 0.001), IL17E (p < 0.001), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1) (p = 0.03), MCP3 (p = 0.001), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) (p < 0.001), and VEGFA (p < 0.001). A significant reduction was observed only in macrophage colony-stimulating factor (p < 0.001). When adjusted for age, epidermal growth factor (EGF), IL4, IL6, MCP3, TNFα, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) remained statistically significant. Gender-based analysis revealed that men experienced greater increases in IL6 (p = 0.008), IL4 (p = 0.04), and TNFα (p = 0.015) compared to women. Age-based analysis showed that older participants had more pronounced increases in EGF (p = 0.011), IL6 (p = 0.029), MCP1 (p = 0.042), and TNFα (p = 0.017), while younger participants had a greater increase in VEGFA (p = 0.025).

Conclusions

The findings of this study indicated that COVID-19 vaccination resulted in an increase in cytokine levels, which signifies the persistence of the humoral immune response to messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. This effect may be attributed to the persistent production of spike protein and highly inflammatory nature of mRNA–lipid nanoparticle. Additionally, the results suggested differences in cytokine levels based on gender and age. Notably, the cytokine profile remains favorably altered in young adults who received mRNA vaccinations, even after 1 year.

In other words, this study found that in young adults (mean age = 27.2), mRNA injection likely leads to sustained Spike protein production lasting at least one year—evidenced by persistently elevated levels of multiple proinflammatory cytokines. Elevation of inflammatory markers is likely to play a role in symptomatic long pandemic syndromes.

Key Points from the Study:

Long-Term Immune Stimulation

Participants showed significantly elevated cytokine levels 13–14 months post-vaccination, well beyond the expected duration of a typical immune response.

Cytokines Upregulated After mRNA Injection

TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-4, IL-7, IL-17E
These cytokines are associated with chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, and autoimmune activation.

VEGFA (angiogenesis), FGF2, IFN-γ
These markers are linked to vascular remodeling, tissue repair, and persistent immune activation.

MCP-1, MCP-3
These markers are associated with chronic inflammation, vascular remodeling, and autoimmunity.

Only One Cytokine Decreased

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MCSF) levels dropped significantly, possibly indicating immune system dysregulation.

Mechanistic Implication

The authors suggest this sustained cytokine activity may stem from the persistent expression of Spike protein, driven by:

  • Modified nucleoside-stabilized mRNA
  • Pro-inflammatory lipid nanoparticles known for systemic biodistribution

Biological and Clinical Concerns

  • Prolonged IL-6 and TNF-α elevation is linked to autoimmune conditions and post-acute inflammatory syndromes.Persistent VEGFA suggests ongoing vascular endothelial activation and potential long-term cardiovascular effects.

These findings are not unexpected — 130 peer reviewed studies have documented:

I) the systemic biodistribution of the injected mRNA,
II) the persistence of both the synthetic mRNA and the spike protein it encodes, and
III) the toxic potential of the lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery system used to transport the genetic payload.

As yet another study reveals grave harms linked to the COVID-19 mRNA injections, the case for their immediate removal from the market grows stronger and more urgent.

[…]

Via https://www.vigilantfox.com/p/young-adults-may-produce-toxic-spike

US airstrikes in Yemen lay groundwork for ‘ground invasion’ by UAE-backed militias

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(Photo credit: Getty)

The Cradle

With US support, UAE proxy militias in Yemen are planning a ground offensive to take the port city of Hodeidah from the Ansarallah-led Yemeni government and armed forces, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on 15 April, in a move that would reignite the country’s devastating civil war.

“Private American security contractors provided advice to the Yemeni factions on a potential ground operation, people involved in the planning said. The United Arab Emirates, which supports these factions, raised the plan with American officials in recent weeks,” the WSJ wrote.

The ground offensive seeks to take advantage of the recent US bombing campaign targeting the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF).

US officials speaking with the newspaper said Washington has launched more than 350 strikes during its current campaign against Yemen and claim that the YAF has been weakened as a result.

While the Ansarallah-led National Salvation Government controls Yemen’s most populous areas, including the capital, Sanaa, and the strategic port city of Hodeidah, other parts of the country have remained in control of UAE and Saudi-supported factions since the end of the civil war in 2022.

Under the plan being discussed, factions of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) would deploy their forces north to the western Yemeni coast and try to seize the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, pro-UAE Yemeni sources said.

If successful, the ground operation would push the YAF back from large parts of the coast from where they have launched attacks on Israeli-linked ships transiting the Red Sea.

The YAF began targeting Israeli-linked ships in November 2023 in response to Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. The US launched a war against Yemen and the YAF on Israel’s behalf shortly thereafter.

Capturing Hodeidah would be a “major blow” to the Ansarallah-led Yemeni government, “depriving them of an economic lifeline while also cutting off their main route to receive arms from Iran,” the WSJ wrote.

“A major ground offensive risks reigniting a Yemeni civil war that has been dormant for years and that spurred a humanitarian crisis when a Saudi–Emirati coalition supported local ground forces with a bombing campaign,” the WSJ added.

Officials from Saudi Arabia, which supports another Yemeni faction, the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), have privately said they will not join or help a ground offensive in Yemen.

During the civil war, the Saudi-led coalition, alongside the UAE, conducted a major bombing campaign in Yemen that killed nearly 15,000 people, while the Saudi navy blockaded Yemen’s major ports, causing a humanitarian crisis that killed hundreds of thousands more.

In 2018, the Saudi Kingdom launched three operations against Ansarallah in an attempt to capture Hodeidah, yet failed.

Ansarallah forces retaliated by launching ballistic missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities, including striking a Saudi Aramco oil storage facility in Jeddah, which threatened to devastate the kingdom’s oil production and exports.

The YAF also responded to the UAE’s aggression on Yemen by launching its first drone and missile attacks on Abu Dhabi in January 2022, targeting three oil trucks and an under-construction airport extension infrastructure.

Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia allegedly cooperated with and recruited fighters from the local Al-Qaeda affiliate, known as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), to assist in their proxy war against Ansarallah.

[…]

Via https://thecradle.co/articles/us-airstrikes-in-yemen-lay-groundwork-for-ground-invasion-by-uae-backed-militias-report

Is El Salvador CECOT Prison Replacing Guantanamo Bay Where Prisoners Have No Rights to Due Process?

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by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele was in the Oval Office with President Trump today, and said that he does not plan to return a Maryland man whom the Trump administration admitted was mistakenly deported to El Salvador after an immigration judge had previously ordered that he NOT be deported there, and where his life is allegedly in danger.

The Trump Administration, which the Supreme Court ruled 9 to 0 had to return the man who was deported illegally, is taking the position that it has no authority over El Salvador, and is unable to do so.

Even more concerning, Trump today said he wanted to send U.S. Citizens to this prison in El Salvador as well.

He told reporters today that he was open to deporting U.S. citizens if they had committed “violent, criminal acts.”

According to the Washington Post:

Trump also told reporters on Monday that he was open to deporting U.S. citizens if they had committed violent, criminal acts.

“If it’s a homegrown criminal, I have no problem,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “We’re studying the laws right now, Pam [Bondi, the attorney general] is studying. If we can do that, that’s good.”

U.S. laws, of course, do not allow a U.S. Citizen to be arbitrarily deported, so this is just code speak to Pam Bondi to “find me an emergency order I can invoke to bypass the laws and do it by executive order,” his #1 playbook for ignoring The Constitution of the United States, which he began in 2020 with the PREP Act emergency orders to rush experimental “vaccines” into the market that would never have been approved by the FDA under current laws.

So there you have it. No conspiracy theories, just the plain FACT that Donald Trump is now on the record as saying he wants to deport U.S. Citizens whom he declares are “criminals.”

This should come as no surprise based on the Trump Administration’s actions so far under Trump 2.0, which has included rounding up Green Card permanent residents who are here legally, and have also reportedly had ICE detain U.S. Citizens as well, including Americans from Puerto Rico and indigenous native Americans living on reservations.

Several members of Congress have requested more information from Trump about how many U.S. Citizens are currently being detained by ICE, but they have allegedly refused to answer these Congressional inquiries, according to a new report published by Pro Publica. Congress Has Demanded Answers to ICE Detaining Americans. The Administration Has Responded With Silence.

[…]

Via https://vaccineimpact.com/2025/is-el-salvador-cecot-prison-replacing-guantanamo-bay-where-prisoners-have-no-rights-to-due-process-of-law-trump-is-trying-to-send-u-s-citizens-to-el-salvador/