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Monday, January 13, 2025

China's deployment of 'monster ship' alarming, says Philippine security official

 The Philippines said China's deployment of its largest coast guard vessel inside Manila's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) was alarming and clearly meant to intimidate fishermen operating around a contested shoal in the South China Sea.

"We were surprised about the increasing aggression being showed by the People's Republic of China in deploying the monster ship," National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a press conference on Tuesday.

Manila has lodged a protest over the presence of the 165 m (541 ft) long vessel Chinese coast guard vessel 5901, which was spotted 77 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales province, and demanded its withdrawal from the EEZ, Malaya said.

"It is an escalation and provocative," Malaya said, saying the presence the vessel was "illegal" and "unacceptable".

The Philippine Coast Guard said it had deployed two of its largest vessels to drive away the Chinese vessel.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that its coast guard's "patrol and law enforcement activities" were "reasonable, lawful and beyond reproach".

Tensions between the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, and Beijing have escalated over the past two years due to overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

In 2016, an international tribunal ruled China's claims to large swathes of the disputed waterway had no basis, a decision Beijing rejects.

China's expansive claims overlap with the EEZs of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The disputed waterway is a strategic shipping route through which about $3 trillion of annual commerce moves.

https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/China-s-deployment-of-monster-ship-alarming-says-Philippine-security-official-48749817/

JBS, Labor Department Enter $4 Million Settlement Addressing Child Labor

 The Labor Department reached an agreement with JBS that will see the meatpacker pay $4 million and address its compliance issues with child-labor laws.

JBS USA Food, an outpost of the Brazilian meatpacker, will provide $4 million to assist individuals and communities affected by unlawful child labor practices nationwide, the Labor Department said Monday.

Also under the agreement, JBS will ensure its supply chain, third-party contractors and service providers are held accountable for illegal child labor, and the company will create a targeted advertising campaign to raise awareness about unlawful child labor practices, according to the agency.

JBS, which admits no liability as part of the agreement, said it entered the agreement in part to set the standard for third-party contractors' compliance with labor and employment laws.

"We voluntarily took all sanitation services in-house and no longer work with third-party sanitation service providers," a company spokesperson said. "We believe the fund outlined in the agreement will provide valuable resources and assistance to support youth who need it, which is in alignment with our zero-tolerance policy for child labor."

Moving forward, the company will implement additional changes including hiring a child-labor compliance specialist, maintaining a hotline for compliance concerns to be anonymously reported, and requiring nationwide training on the prevention of illegal child labor to all third-party sanitation employers at JBS facilities and all JBS employees at meat-packing establishments, the Labor Department said.

"JBS has taken responsibility for children performing dangerous work at its facilities by proposing concrete and enforceable solutions to address those issues, setting the standard as a market leader in preventing illegal youth employment," said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman.

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/JBS-S-A-6499588/news/JBS-Labor-Department-Enter-4-Million-Settlement-Addressing-Child-Labor-Update-48749093/

China Discusses Sale of TikTok US to Musk as One Possible Option

 Chinese officials are evaluating a potential option that involves Elon Musk acquiring the US operations of TikTok if the company fails to fend off a controversial ban on the short-video app, according to people familiar with the matter.

Beijing officials strongly prefer that TikTok remains under the ownership of parent ByteDance Ltd., the people say, and the company is contesting the impending ban with an appeal to the US Supreme Court. But the justices signaled during arguments on Jan. 10 that they are likely to uphold the law. Senior Chinese officials had already begun to debate contingency plans for TikTok as part of an expansive discussion on how to work with Donald Trump’s administration, one of which involves Musk, said the people, asking not to be identified revealing confidential discussions.

A potential high-profile deal with one of Trump’s closest allies holds some appeal for the Chinese government, which is expected to have some say over whether TikTok is ultimately sold, said the people. Musk spent more than $250 million supporting Trump’s re-election, and has been tapped for a prominent role in improving government efficiency after the Republican takes office.

Under one scenario that’s been discussed by the Chinese government, Musk’s X — the former Twitter — would take control of TikTok US and run the businesses together, the people said. With more than 170 million users in the US, TikTok could bolster X’s efforts to attract advertisers. Musk also founded a separate artificial intelligence company, xAI, that could benefit from the huge amounts of data generated from TikTok.

Chinese officials have yet to reach any firm consensus about how to proceed and their deliberations are still preliminary, the people said. It’s not clear how much ByteDance knows about the Chinese government discussions or whether TikTok and Musk have been involved. It’s also unclear whether Musk, TikTok and ByteDance have held any talks about the terms of any possible deal.

Musk and his representatives did not respond to a request for comment. Musk posted in April that he thinks TikTok should remain available in the US. “In my opinion, TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the X platform,” he wrote on X. “Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression. It is not what America stands for.”


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-discusses-sale-tiktok-us-000749334.html

Intercepted Mexican Boat Smuggling Migrants Rams Coast Guard, Prompt Machine Gun Fire, Arrests

 Tensions at the Southern Border are on the rise just days before President Trump takes office.

Last week, the captain and first mate of a Mexican fishing boat are in federal custody after brawling with U.S. Coast Guard members attempting to board their vessel, according to Border Report.

The clash occurred last Sunday off San Diego’s Mission Bay after a federal Joint Operations Center in Imperial Beach flagged the boat as suspicious.

The boat, with six occupants and an “excessive number” of fishing poles, was under surveillance by U.S. Border Patrol near Dana Launch. Agents observed four passengers disembarking, later identified as Mexican migrants. They were instructed to sit on the pier while agents searched for the boat's operators.

The Border Report article says agents spotted two individuals hiding near public restrooms, but the pair fled back to the boat, quickly unmooring and escaping before they could be apprehended.

The Joint Operations Center tracked the boat remotely and dispatched a U.S. Coast Guard vessel to intercept it. About 20 minutes later, the Coast Guard caught up, using emergency lights and loudspeakers to order the boat to stop.

Instead of complying, the boat rammed the Coast Guard vessel, and its two occupants began hurling metal objects at crew members. The Coast Guard disabled the boat's engines with machine gun fire and used pepper ball projectiles to subdue the suspects. 

Coast Guard members boarded the boat, subdued the non-compliant suspects with pepper spray, and placed them in handcuffs. Oscar Eduardo Audelo Rodriguez and Francisco Brado Cota were taken to Naval Base Point Loma for medical evaluation and released the same day.

The pair declined to explain their actions or involvement with the migrants. According to court documents, three of the four migrants identified Audelo as the captain and Brado as the first mate, stating they paid $7,000 to $16,000 each to be smuggled into the U.S.

Audelo and Brado remain in custody, facing charges of smuggling migrants for profit. A detention hearing is scheduled for next week, the report says.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/intercepted-mexican-fishing-boat-smuggling-migrants-rams-coast-guard-boat-prompting-machine

Judge Allows Public Release Of Volume 1, Blocks Volume 2 Of Smith's Report On Trump Cases

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

A federal judge has cleared the way for the public release of volume one of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on investigations involving President-elect Donald Trump while opting to keep volume two of the report restricted.

(Left) Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks in Washington on Aug. 1, 2023. (Right) Former President Donald Trump attends his trial in New York State Supreme Court in New York City on Dec. 7, 2023. Drew Angerer, David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

Volume one pertains to Smith’s election interference case against Trump, while volume two relates to the classified documents case.

In a Jan. 13 order, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon partially denied an emergency motion by two Trump co-defendants—Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira—to block the public release of the report. Nauta and De Oliveira had filed an emergency motion seeking to prevent the release of both volumes of Smith’s report, citing concerns that it would prejudice their pretrial rights.

Cannon upheld their request to restrict volume two—pertaining to a classified documents probe involving Trump in which Nauta and De Oliveira are co-defendants. The judge noted that release of volume two would be “inconsistent” with the defendants’ right to a fair trial.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) had argued that selective release of volume two to congressional leaders was in the public interest but stopped short of advocating for broader dissemination. Nauta and De Oliveira had argued that releasing the volume, even in a limited capacity, could irreparably damage their legal standing.

Cannon scheduled a hearing for Jan. 17 to address the DOJ’s request for limited disclosure of volume two to congressional leaders while withholding it from the public.

“Release of Volume II, even on a limited basis as promised by the United States, risks irreversibly and substantially impairing the legal rights of Defendants in this criminal proceeding,” Cannon wrote. “The Court is not willing to make that gamble on the basis of generalized interest by members of Congress, at least not without full briefing and a hearing on the subject.”

The judge noted that a portion of the hearing may need to be conducted under seal to prevent parts of volume two from being disseminated to the public.

However, Cannon agreed with the DOJ’s position that volume one contained no substantive references to the defendants or the classified documents case. Noting that there was “insufficient basis” to restrict the public release of volume one, Cannon cleared the way for its public release.

After Trump won the presidential election, Smith moved to dismiss the classified documents case and the election interference case against Trump, citing DOJ rules around not prosecuting presidents. The motions to dismiss were made “without prejudice,” meaning charges could be refiled after Trump finishes his second term as president. However, the statute of limitations and the prospect of Trump pardoning himself stand in the way of potential re-prosecution.

Federal law requires special counsels to prepare a final report outlining their prosecution decisions and submit it to the attorney general, who has the discretion to determine whether the report will be made public.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said last week that both volumes of Smith’s final report would be made public when the courts give it the green light.

Smith, who was appointed by Garland to investigate Trump in the two cases—election interference and classified documents—resigned from the DOJ on Jan. 10. Smith’s resignation marks the end of his criminal prosecutions of Trump over the past two years or so.

Trump has denied wrongdoing in the cases has repeatedly described the prosecutions as politically motivated.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/judge-allows-public-release-volume-1-blocks-volume-2-smiths-report-trump-cases

Tuberculosis Reported In Small-Town Charleroi, PA, Swamped By Haitians

 Health officials are on high alert after a case of tuberculosis was reported in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, a small town thrust into the spotlight by President-elect Donald Trump during a rally in September. Trump highlighted a staggering 2,000% increase in Haitian migrants in the town in just a few short years, many of whom were funneled into local factories like cattle. The TB case has heightened fears of a potential outbreak. 

The Charleroi Area School District superintendent notified parents on Monday morning about a teen recovering from TB who returned to class without clearance from doctors.

"I am writing to provide an update regarding a recent health matter involving one of our high school students. The student, who attended school today, was diagnosed with tuberculosis a couple of weeks ago. Upon learning that the student had returned without a doctor's clearance to return to school, we immediately isolated the student and sent them home," Superintendent Dr. Edward Zelich wrote in the letter.

Zelich continued, "Please know that we are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to work with the appropriate health authorities to ensure our students' and staff's safety and well-being."

A little more than two weeks ago, Zelich called social media posts mentioning "supposed tuberculosis outbreak" fake news: "We are aware of recent social media posts circulating inaccurate information regarding a supposed tuberculosis (TB) outbreak." 

Think tank America 2100's Nate Hochman pointed out on X, "Charleroi is a small town in Pennsylvania. In the past few years, it's been flooded with thousands of Haitian immigrants. The school system has seen an 1,800% increase in non-English speaking students. Now, a student just tested positive for tuberculosis." 

"Who would have thought Tuberculosis at Charleroi High School," one X user said. 

No comment.... 

In a matter of weeks, the Charleroi Area School District shifted from calling social media posts about a potential TD outbreak as "fake news" to now acknowledging at least one student has caught the highly contagious bacterial disease that usually affects the lungs. 

Was there a cover-up?

Residents are furious (via Facebook group "Charleroi Ramblings"): 

The second question: Is there an active tuberculosis outbreak in the town that has been swamped with migrants from third worlds? 

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/closely-monitoring-situation-tuberculosis-reported-small-town-charleroi-pa-swamped

FBI's Wray Drops 'Chinese Infiltration' Bomb On Way Out, Warns Of Threat To Critical Infrastructure

 While the FBI - the same FBI that participated in the Russiagage hoax, polarizing half of America into focusing on the Kremlin for a decade, the Chinese government - the same one that enriched the Biden family to the tune of millions, has apparently been 'lying in wait' all over America and is ready to attach critical infrastructure at a moment's notice.

According to outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray in a Sunday appearance on "60 Minutes," - "The Chinese government is prepositioning on American civilian critical infrastructure to lie in wait on those networks to be in a position to wreak havoc & inflict real world harm at a time & place of their choosing."

Wray described the CCP as "the greatest long-term threat" and the "defining threat of our generation" due in part to its state-funded cyber program that's poised to "wreak havoc" on a whim - targeting water treatment plants, the electrical grid, natural gas infrastructure and other systems.

According to Wray, China has pre-positioned malware throughout American infrastructure.

He also says that Beijing has been listening to communications by high-level US officials.

Of course, while the media took the Russiagate ball and went full retard - Wray has been fairly consistent about China. In July of 2000, he warned that nearly half of the FBI's 5,000 or so counterintelligence investigations are related to Chinese espionage.

"We’ve now reached the point where the FBI is opening a new China-related counterintelligence case approximately every ten hours," said the FBI chief, speaking at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute.

"The greatest long-term threat to our nation’s information, intelligence property and to our economic vitality is the counterintelligence and economic espionage threat from China," he added.

A cyber strike of that scale would aim to impede the deployment of U.S. troops, induce societal panic and otherwise interfere with U.S. military actions, according to the report.

China over the past decade has been accused of multiple state-sponsored hacking campaigns aimed at the U.S. — as well as European and Asian countries — but it routinely denies involvement.

The U.S. Treasury on Jan. 3 sanctioned Integrity Technology Group Inc., a Beijing-based cybersecurity company, for its alleged involvement in multiple hacking attempts against the U.S.

The hacks were connected to Flax Typhoon, which the Treasury described as “a Chinese malicious state-sponsored cyber group that has been active since at least 2021, often targeting organizations within U.S. critical infrastructure sectors,” according to the Treasury news release announcing the sanctions. -stripes.com

According to a Feb. 5 assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, China is the "most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. Government, private-sector, and critical infrastructure networks."

"If Beijing believed that a major conflict with the United States were imminent, it would consider aggressive cyber operations against U.S. critical infrastructure and military assets," the report said.

In a Jan. 6 press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Jiakun Guo denied Beijing's hacking program.

"We urge the U.S. to stop using the issue of cybersecurity to vilify and smear China. For quite some time, the US has been trumpeting so-called ‘Chinese hacking’ and even using it to impose illegal and unilateral sanctions on China," he said.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fbis-wray-drops-chinese-infiltration-bomb-way-out-warns-threat-critical-infrastructure