The WEF Wants To Hack Your Brain

 by John Mac Ghlionn via The Epoch Times,

Once an idea reserved for the pages of dystopian sci-fi novels, brain hacking is already here. The elites in Davos appear to be interested in harnessing this technology to further their questionable agenda...

At a recent World Economic Forum (WEF) presentation, those in attendance were told that attempts to decode the human brain was already well underway. As Tim Hinchcliffe, a man who has been sounding the alarm on the WEF’s plans for years, noted, the presentation came five years after historian Yuval Noah Harari told those in Davos that human beings were entirely hackable. We are, in a nutshell, walking, breathing, living algorithms, according to the academic. Harari’s vision, at the time, was a thing of feverish fantasy. Now, though, this fantasy is fast becoming a reality.

At the WEF Annual Meeting 2023, The Atlantic’s CEO Nicholas Thompson chaired a session called “Ready for Brain Transparency?” The session opened with an Orwellian-inspired video showing a scenario in which employees’ brainwaves were monitored and decoded. Besides using the information gathered to evaluate employee performance, brainwaves were decoded to assess whether or not any individuals had participated in criminal activity.

Following the video, Duke University’s Nita Farahany, an expert on both the ethical and legal implications of emerging technologies, explained to the audience that methods of decoding brainwaves already exist. Certain technologies, she said, already allow powerful organizations and governments to “pick up and decode faces that you’re seeing in your mind—simple shapes, numbers, your PIN number to your bank account.”

A file photo of an electroencephalogram (EEG) cap used to study brain activity. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

“Artificial intelligence,” she continued, “has enabled advances in decoding brain activity in ways we never before thought possible.” All those thoughts and feelings bubbling around inside, added Farahany, are just pieces of data, adding that this data can be decoded using artificial intelligence (AI). Contrary to popular belief, devices used to decode this “data” needn’t be as invasive as Elon Musk’s neural implants. According to Farahany, devices used are more like Fitbits for the human brain. “We’re not talking about implanted devices of the future; I’m talking about wearable devices that are like Fitbits for your brain,” she concluded in a rather chirpy tone.

On the same day Farahany was giving her presentation, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was also in Davos. Like Farahany, Stoltenberg probably knows his fair share about brain hacking. In 2021, NATO chaired a forum exploring the “‘weaponization of brain sciences” and exploiting the “‘vulnerabilities of the human brain.” As reported by Project Censored, an organization dedicated to the promotion of investigative journalism, greater media literacy, and critical thinking, the forum was created to explore “more sophisticated forms of social engineering and control.” This explains why, in the two years since the forum, NATO has added a sixth level to its five operational domains (air, land, sea, space, and cyber): the cognitive domain.

In a NATO-approved piece, experts from Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London discuss the many ways in which the human mind should be considered a battlefield. Cognitive warfare, they noted, involves much more than changing what people think; it also involves changing people’s behaviors. “Waged successfully,” reads the piece, cognitive warfare “shapes and influences individual and group beliefs and behaviours to favour an aggressor’s tactical or strategic objectives.” The aggressors “could conceivably subdue a society without resorting to outright force or coercion.” NATO’s purpose, it’s important to remember, is to keep us safe. That purpose appears to be changing.

From the origin of the coronavirus to claims of Russian collusion, this is the golden age of information warfare. But the golden age, with its focus on media control, is currently evolving. As the academics Tzu-Chieh Hung and Tzu-Wei Hung explained in an article last year, cognitive warfare extends from focusing solely on media control to explicit brain control. Cognitive warfare seeks to weaponize “neurological resources” as well as “mass communication techniques.” Whereas information warfare focuses almost entirely on the input of information, cognitive warfare focuses on both the input and the output (that is, our behaviors).

One needn’t be a card-carrying QAnon member to read the above and feel a profound sense of dismay. Talks of hacking the brain are straight out of communist China. As I write this, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is already using cognitive warfare to subdue the enemy. In the not-so-distant future, the unelected globalists in Davos and Brussels, home to NATO’s headquarters, could use the very same technology to subdue us.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/wef-wants-hack-your-brain

Vertex Gives Update on Next-in-Class CF Therapy Amid Demand for Generics

 Amid growing demands for generic versions of Vertex’s Trikafta, the company provided an update on the late-stage clinical development of vanzacaftor/tezacaftor/deutivacaftor, its next-in-class triple combination treatment for cystic fibrosis.

The update was provided Tuesday in the company’s full-year 2022 financial results.

Concurrent with the financial report, patients living with CF, their families and other sympathetic groups launched a global campaign to challenge what they called the company’s monopoly on treatments.

The movement is led by patient-led organizations Vertex Save Us and Just Treatment.

Monday, the campaign filed a petition to the High Court of South Africa, seeking a compulsory license that, if granted, would allow for generic competition to Vertex’s Trikafta. Similar petitions were also filed the same day to the governments of Ukraine, India and Brazil.

First approved in 2019, Trikafta (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor) increases the quantity and function of the F508del-CFTR protein at the cell surface. Vertex has estimated the drug, and those like it, help approximately 90% of CF patients.

The next-in-class triple threat, vanzacaftor/tezacaftor/deutivacaftor, is designed to be taken once a day and also addresses the underlying causes of the disease.

In CF, the CFTR gene is mutated such that the protein it produces is incompletely processed and cannot be carried through the cell to be presented on its surface.

Vanzacaftor and tezacaftor assist in these processing and trafficking processes, thereby increasing the amount of the CFTR protein on the cell. Meanwhile, deutivacaftor is a potentiator that keeps CFTR engaged for much longer, leading to better clearance of mucus from the airways and easing CF symptom burden.

Though Trikafta has set a high bar in CF, Vertex expects its vanzacaftor program to “deliver even greater benefit to patients,” said Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., CEO and president director, Vertex, in an investor call Tuesday.

“The vanzacaftor triple also has the benefit of once-daily oral dosing and a substantially reduced royalty burden relative to Trikafta,” Kewalramani said.

Vertex is studying its next-in-class drug in the pivotal SKYLINE 102 and SKYLINE 103 trials, enrollments for which have been completed. These studies are designed to compare the safety and efficacy of vanzacaftor/tezacaftor/deutivacaftor with Trikafta in CF patients aged 12 years or older. A parallel study, dubbed RIDGELINE, is also assessing the triple combination candidate in children 6 to 11 years of age.

The company expects to complete both SKYLINE studies by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Vertex is developing VX-522, an mRNA-based CF candidate, with Moderna. VX-522 works by delivering a functional copy of the CFTR gene into lung cells and is designed to treat patients who completely lack the gene.

The FDA signed off on an Investigational New Drug application for VX-522 in December, and Vertex began a single ascending dose study for the therapy, which it hopes to complete in 2023.

https://www.biospace.com/article/vertex-gives-update-on-next-in-class-cf-therapy-amid-demand-for-generics/

Spectrum Gets Permanent CMS Code for Cancer Therapy

 Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NasdaqGS: SPPI), a biopharmaceutical company focused on novel and targeted oncology announced today that a permanent J-code, J1449, has been issued for ROLVEDON (eflapegrastim-xnst) Injection by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) effective as of April 1, 2023.

"This is an important milestone in the ROLVEDON launch. A permanent J-code will enable a more efficient and predictable reimbursement in the outpatient setting. The combination of a permanent J-code on April 1, 2023 and ROLVEDON’S inclusion in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® Supportive Care Guidelines (NCCN Guidelines) announced on December 6, 2022 are key elements in establishing brand awareness and building customer confidence in our novel product," said Tom Riga, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals.

J-codes are permanent reimbursement codes used by commercial insurance plans, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and other government payers for Medicare Part B drugs like ROLVEDON that are administered by a physician. Claims submission and documentation are simplified with a permanent J-code, facilitating and streamlining the billing and reimbursement process.

The permanent J-code for ROLVEDON, J1449 (Injection, eflapegrastim-xnst, 0.1 mg), will take effect April 1, 2023. The permanent J-code is published online on the CMS website here.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/spectrum-pharmaceuticals-receives-permanent-j-120000505.html

China Refused US Request For Phone Call After Spy Balloon Shot Down

 After the United States shot down China's spy balloon on Saturday, China refused a US request for a call between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his counterpart, Wei Fenghe - a sharp escalation in tensions during an already tenuous period in US-China relations.

“On Saturday, 4 February, immediately after taking action to down the PRC balloon, the DOD submitted a request for a secure call between Secretary Austin and PRC Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe. We believe in the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and the PRC in order to responsibly manage the relationship. Lines between our militaries are particularly important in moments like this. Unfortunately, the PRC has declined our request. Our commitment to open lines of communication will continue," according to a statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder.

On Tuesday, China said it will "resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests" over the shootdown - which resulted in the cancellation of a highly anticipated visit to Beijing this week by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which many hoped would result in an improvement in relations.

Crew members pull the remains of a Chinese surveillance balloon shot down off Myrtle Beach, S.C,. onto their vessel in this image provided by the U.S. Navy. A commander said recovery teams were taking precautions in case the balloon was rigged with explosives. (U.S. Navy via Associated Press)

According to China, it was a civilian balloon used for meteorological research - with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterating on Tuesday that the "unmanned airship" posed no threat and 'accidentally' entered US airspace.

Mao said that the US overreacted, instead of conducting itself in a "calm, professional" manner.

"The balloon does not belong to the U.S. The Chinese government will continue to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," Mao added a a daily briefing, adding that the balloon "belongs to China."

Tensions between the US and China have been the source of concern for US lawmakers and many allies, who worry that an outright conflict with Beijing would lead to economic disaster, and further solidify their relationship with Russia.

According to Taiwanese media, the same type of balloon has been spotted over the island at least three times in the past two years - though Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has never formally blamed China.

As for China's 'weather balloon' claim, the head of Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau, Cheng Ming-dian, thinks not.

"In the meteorology world, I haven’t found a person who has seen or heard of a weather balloon that looks like this."

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/china-refused-us-request-phone-call-after-spy-balloon-shot-down

At least 4 injured after battery catches fire on United flight from San Diego

 A United Airlines flight from San Diego to Newark was forced to return to San Diego International Airport shortly after takeoff because of an external battery device that caught fire on the flight.

The San Diego Fire Department (SDFD) reported on Twitter that an external battery pack caught fire, but the flight crew prevented it from spreading further through the airliner's cabin by placing a fire bag over it. SDFD evaluated all passengers and crew following the incident and said that four patients were transported to the hospital while two others opted not to be transported.

"This morning, United Airlines flight 2664 departed San Diego International Airport heading to Newark. Shortly after departure, the aircraft declared an Alert 2 which indicates a major difficulty with the aircraft, in this case there was an electrical device fire in the cabin," Sabrina LoPiccolo, a spokesperson for San Diego International Airport, told FOX Business. " The aircraft landed safely at San Diego International Airport where emergency crews responded to the aircraft and assisted passengers."

LoPiccolo noted that no other operations at the airport were impacted by the incident.

United Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires lithium batteries be stored in carry-on baggage only. 

The rule applies to spare or uninstalled lithium-ion batteries and lithium metal batteries, including power banks and cell phone battery charging cases. It also covers lithium metal and spare rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for personal electronics such as cameras, cell phones, laptops, tablets, watches, calculators, and more.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/at-least-4-injured-after-battery-catches-fire-united-flight-from-san-diego

‘Tremendous concern’ terrorists among 1.2M ‘gotaways’ that slipped into US: border chief

 A Border Patrol chief admitted his “tremendous concern” terrorists and spies have infiltrated into the country through the porous US-Mexico border during a Congressional hearing Tuesday morning.

The stunning response was in answer to a question asked during a border security hearing in which two US Border Patrol chiefs assigned to different parts of the international boundary testified.

Republican Congressman Paul Gosar of Arizona asked if terrorists or foreign agents could be among the 1.2 million “gotaways” — people Border Patrol have spotted on camera or by sight but been unable to stop getting into the country — since President Biden took office.

“To speculate who could possibly be in the ‘gotaways’ or the unknowns would just simply be speculation,” said Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin, who heads up the Tucson sector of the agency.

Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin is in charge of the Tucson sector of the agency.

Bloomberg via Getty Images

“All I can tell you is that it is a tremendous concern that anyone goes through the border undetected, but the reality is that we know that there are people getting by.”

In the fiscal year 2022, Customs and Border Protection apprehended 98 people whose names appeared on the terror watchlist trying to enter the US illegally. Since the new year started in October 2022, 38 people identified as known terrorists, suspected terrorists, or associates of both were stopped from attempting to cross into the US.

A record-shattering 2.4 million migrants were encountered by federal agents at the border in the fiscal year 2022 — the most ever. The second highest year was 2021 when 1.7 million attempts to cross the southern border were made, according to federal statistics.

“We went from what I would describe as ‘unprecedented’ to a point where I don’t have the correct adjective to describe what’s going on,” Modlin described of the strain on his department.

Rio Grand Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez said, “the world is watching” how the US handles the ongoing border crisis.

Bloomberg via Getty Images

Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican, blamed President Biden’s policies for the historic surge and asked immigration officials if they agreed.

“Interviewing [migrants] post-arrest, what became the most common response was that they believed that when the administration changed, the policy changed, and that there was an open border,” stated the Tucson chief.

El Paso, Texas became the epicenter of the migrant crisis in the last year and currently has the most migrant apprehensions in the entire nation.

REUTERS

However, Modlin added that while perception among those coming to the border may have shifted the law and policies did not. He said immigration agents are not enforcing the law differently than they did under previous administrations.

Like many Congressional hearings, Tuesday’s border hearing featured more political point-scoring than a discussion of how to fix problems. However, one lawmaker did ask the border chiefs what solutions they could offer to help end the border crisis.

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Migrants who crossed the US-Mexico Border evade capture by a Customs and Border Protection officer on, Jan. 4, 2023

James Keivom

Asylum-seeking migrants from Peru being processed by a Border Patrol agent.

Go Nakamura for New York Post

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A map of the Border Patrol sectors in the US.

Courtesy: US Customs and Border Protection

Gloria Chavez, the chief of the Rio Grande Valley sector in Texas, said the men and woman on the front lines should be helping lawmakers to reform immigration policy.

“Whenever Congress is ready to put that team together, look at Border Patrol agents to come in and advise you,” Chavez stated. “If we don’t have the right policies or consequences, the world is watching us — we’re going to continue to see these large migration flows from around the world entering here at our southern border.”

https://nypost.com/2023/02/07/terrorists-could-be-among-1-2-million-million-us-border-gotaways/