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Saturday, February 1, 2025

Australian Spy Agency Had "Signals Intelligence" On China COVID Origins: Ex State Dept Investigator

 David Asher, a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute and the lead investigator of the State Department's Covid-19 origins investigation during President Trump's first term, appeared on Sky News on Tuesday. Asher disclosed that Australian spy agencies had previously collected signals intelligence concerning the origins of the virus in Wuhan, China. 

What Asher means by signals intelligence is the interception of voice, text, and other communications (e.g., phone calls, emails, and radio transmissions). Australian spy agencies conducted much of this in Asia, which the CIA later obtained. 

"I never thought the intel picture based on human intelligence, which is what the CIA has, but it was reasonably clear based on the reactions of senior Chinese leaders that something terrible had gone wrong inside Wuhan, specifically inside the Wuhan Institute of Urology and perhaps also the Wuhan University and the CDC ... they shared certain programs together," Asher told Sky News host Sharri Markson. 

He said, "I think there will be much more coming out - with CIA Director John Ratcliffe - who you interviewed previously - is adamant about declassifying information or releasing information that is already declassified. There is going to be signals intelligence and how much of that makes its way out - just trust me - there was a lot of it." 

Sky News Markson asked Asher: "What do you mean by signals intelligence that hasn't come out yet?" 

"Just picking up phone calls, picking up the emails, things like that ... just messages between different people, I can't comment on what they are, but it's no secret we do this. Much of our collection is actually done in Australia, as you know," Asher responded. 

He continued: "So your government is fully aware, which is another reason why they are really puzzled and dismayed that the Australian government, which has the same information ... as we do, has been so passive, especially given the fact that your Prime Minister originally came out and said that we had to have an investigation."

"It's just sort of pathetic if you ask me," Asher noted, who was referring to Western governments burying the Covid lab leak theory during the Biden-Harris administration. 

Asher's interview with the Australian media outlet came shortly after the CIA released an assessment identifying the Wuhan lab as the most likely origin of Covid. It only took a change in administration for this conclusion to be made public. Our view is that the CIA knew all along - with high confidence - about lab origins. Meanwhile, former FBI Director Christopher Wray stated in 2023 that the virus "most likely" originated from the Wuhan lab.

Yet during President Biden's first term, the radical leftists in the administration deployed the taxpayer-funded censorship blob to combat lab origins and maintain the official gov't narrative that Covid originated naturally. 

Recall Zero Hedge was temporarily banned from Twitter, Facebook, and Google over 'Covid conspiracy theories' (when we first suggested in January 2020 that the fact there was a Level 4 virus lab in Wuhan.

Plus this.

And this. 

Asher also noted in the interview that Biden's failure to disclose the true origin of Covid to the American people "is another indication how much Biden was in the pocket of the Chinese government." 

Biden's "financial interests with the Chinese are far greater than anyone ever understood. I think there's going to be some sort of Department of Justice investigation related to that and as well as there is a congressional investigation going on," Asher said. (hence the pardons)...

This is what federal investigators are looking at... 

Asher's full interview: 

A mandate the American people gave Trump is transparency. Hopefully, that extends to Covid origins, ensuring accountability for those who funded and caused the pandemic so the world can move forward. Perhaps that's why Trump is reportedly preparing to sign an executive order banning federal funding of gain-of-function research. 

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/australian-spy-agency-collected-signals-intelligence-related-covid-china-origins-former

Egypt's Sisi, Trump discuss Gaza; no mention of Palestinian transfer

 Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on the need to consolidate the Gaza ceasefire deal in a phone call on Saturday, the Egyptian presidency said, but it was unclear if they discussed Trump's call for the transfer of Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan.

The White House said the leaders spoke about "Egypt’s important role in the release of hostages from Gaza", and that Sisi expressed confidence that Trump could bring peace to the region.

Egypt said the two leaders had a positive dialogue that stressed the importance of fully implementing the first and second phases of the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, and the need to step up humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza.

The White House statement on the call did not refer to the ceasefire.

Neither statement mentioned whether they discussed Trump's assertion last week that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians from Gaza following 15 months of Israeli bombardments that have left most of the enclave's 2.3 million people homeless.

Critics have called his suggestion tantamount to ethnic cleansing.

Sisi rejected the idea on Wednesday, describing it as an "act of injustice". However, on Thursday Trump reiterated his call, saying, "we do a lot for them, and they are going to do it," in an apparent reference to U.S. aid to both Egypt and Jordan.

Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Saturday also rejected a transfer of Palestinians from their land, saying such a move would threaten regional stability, spread conflict and undermine prospects for peace.


Sisi invited Trump to visit Egypt as soon as possible to discuss problems in the Middle East, the statement added. The two presidents also discussed the need to strengthen their economic and investment ties, it said.

The White House said the two leaders also discussed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a disputed project that Egypt has long opposed because of worries about its future water supplies from the Nile River.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-02-01/egypts-sisi-trump-discuss-gaza-ceasefire-no-mention-of-palestinian-transfer-in-statement

Trump's oil tariffs a boost for European and Asian refiners

 U.S. President Donald Trump's trade tariffs on Canadian and Mexican oil imports will offer European and Asian refineries a competitive advantage against their U.S. rivals, analysts and market participants told Reuters.

Trump on Saturday ordered 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and 10% on goods from China starting on Tuesday to address a national emergency over fentanyl and illegal aliens entering the U.S., White House officials said. Energy products from Canada will have only a 10% duty, but Mexican energy imports will be charged the full 25%, they said.

The tariffs on the two biggest sources of U.S. crude imports will raise costs for the heavier crude grades U.S. refineries need for optimum production, industry sources said, cutting their profitability and potentially forcing production cuts.

That provides refiners in other markets an opportunity to make up the difference. The U.S. is currently an exporter of diesel and importer of gasoline.

"Less U.S. diesel exports would support European margins, while more export opportunities may remain in the strongly pressured gasoline market," consultancy Vortexa's chief economist David Wech said.

"So overall a positive for European refiners, but likely not for European consumers," he added.

"European margins may improve because the U.S. Northeast will have to import more gasoline," an executive at a brokerage said. "I think European and Asian refiners are the big winners."

Tariffs would also likely force impacted crude sellers to discount prices to find buyers, said Matias Togni, founder of analytics firm Next Barrel. Asian refiners are well poised to soak up that discounted Mexican and Canadian crude, something that could also buoy their profit margins, he said.

Asian refiners could get the competitive advantage because they have the equipment to run heavy crudes and are also in the midst of raising their run rates, said Randy Hurburun, head of refining at Energy Aspects.

    The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) in Canada, which launched last May, means the pipeline can now ship an extra 590,000 barrels per day to the Canadian Pacific Coast.

Higher TMX shipments to China could substitute imports from Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, trading sources said.

Asia-Pacific refiners could also exploit fuel arbitrage opportunities to the U.S. West Coast, which might be hit by higher feedstock costs incurred from sourcing crude from further afield, Vortexa's Wech added.

To be sure, there are expectations Midwest refiners will continue to buy Canadian crude, even with the tariff, and could simply pass the costs on to their customers at the pump.

"Folks in the Midwest could look forward to spending an extra 20 or 25 cents a gallon," said Stewart Glickman, Equity research analyst at CFRA Research.

US FEEDSTOCK CONUNDRUM

Canadian and Mexican crude accounted for around 28% of U.S. refiners' crude diet in 2023, Energy Information Administration data (EIA) showed, with inland refineries in the Midwest especially reliant on Canadian barrels.

U.S. refiners' ability to run more abundant supply of light WTI crude in place of Canadian and Mexican oil will be limited because of their different qualities, analysts said.

"More use of WTI in domestic refiners is probably limited in scope, they really need the residual fuels," Sparta Commodities analyst Neil Crosby said.

Although some U.S. refineries have completed upgrades to process more light crudes, this would lead to an underloading of secondary units, weighing on both economics and efficiency, said Energy Aspects' Hurburun.

"When you put friction in the system, and particularly around crude optimization for a refiner, you're likely to come up with higher costs as a result," Deloitte's global sector leader for oil, gas and chemicals, John England said.

U.S. imports of Canadian crude hit their highest on record in the week to Jan. 3, according to the EIA, a potential sign of refiners stocking up with tariffs looming. Imports have slipped slightly since, last at 3.72 million bpd in the week to Jan. 24, but remain elevated on the year according to the EIA.

Meanwhile, U.S. refiners have already seen earnings slide from record levels in 2022. Oil major Chevron, for example, reported fourth-quarter earnings below Wall Street estimates, after weak margins dragged its refining business into a loss for the first time since 2020.

Tariffs and subsequently higher prices could further impinge on U.S. refiners' ability to turn a solid profit.

"The mechanics of putting tariffs on Mexico and Canada are very tricky for competitiveness of the U.S. system," Sparta's Crosby added.

https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2025-02-01/analysis-trumps-oil-tariffs-a-boost-for-european-and-asian-refiners

Military Strikes On Cartels Inside Mexico "On The Table": Hegseth

 by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Announced Friday that all options, including military strikes against cartels on Mexican soil are “on the table.”

Hegseth asserted that nothing is out of the question “if we’re dealing with what are designated to be foreign terrorist organizations who are specifically targeting Americans on our border.”

The development comes after Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office to designate “cartels and other organizations as foreign terrorist organizations.”

The order stated that “The Cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere that has not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs.”

Hegseth urged “We’re finally securing our border. We’ve been securing other people’s border for a very long time. The military is orienting, shifting toward an understanding of homeland defense on our sovereign territorial border.”

“That is something we will do and do robustly. So we’re already doing it,” Hegseth continued, adding “Should there be other options necessary to prevent the cartels from continuing to pour people gangs and drugs and violence into our country — we will take that on.”

“So the president will make that call. I’ll work with him in that decision making process. Ultimately, we will hold nothing back to secure the American people,” he emphasized.

While campaigning, Trump repeatedly vowed to use the military against the cartels, suggesting that special forces could be deployed in Mexican territory.

Border czar Tom Homan also recently stated that Trump intends to “use the full might of the United States Special Operations to take ’em out,” and “ take ’em off the face of Earth.”

During a recent discussion with Joe Rogan, former Green Beret Evan Hafer, noted that if Trump does decide to go to war with the cartels he could opt to use Delta Force and Seal Team 6 to destroy them.

“These dudes are not going to understand what the fuck is going on,” Hafer promised, adding “They are in for a world of ultra violence they’ve never actually felt before… we could just kind of like erase the problem in about two years. It’d be gone.”

* * *

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/military-strikes-cartels-inside-mexico-table-hegseth

US envoy leaves Venezuela with six Americans after meeting Maduro

 Six Americans who had been detained in Venezuela in recent months were freed by the government of President Nicolás Maduro after he met Friday with a Trump administration official tasked with urging the authoritarian leader to take back deported migrants who have committed crimes in the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump and his envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, announced the release of the six men on social media. The visit by Grenell came as a shock to many Venezuelans who hoped that Trump would continue the “maximum pressure” campaign he pursued against Maduro during his first term.

Grenell’s hours long trip to Venezuela, according to the White House, was focused on Trump’s efforts to deport Venezuelans back to their home country, which currently does not accept them, and on the release of the detained Americans.

“We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens,” Grenell posted on X along with a photo showing him and the men aboard an aircraft. “They just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and they couldn’t stop thanking him.”

Trump wrote Saturday on his social media site Truth Social that he was happy to have the Americans back home.

“And very important to note, that Venezuela has agreed to receive, back into their Country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the U.S., including gang members of Tren de Aragua. Venezuela has further agreed to supply the transportation back,” he wrote. “We are in the process of removing record numbers of illegal aliens from all Countries, and all Countries have agreed to accept these illegal aliens back.”

The press office of Venezuela’s government said Saturday it would not officially comment on the claims for now.

The meeting in Venezuela’s capital took place less than a month after Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term despite credible evidence that he lost last year’s election. The U.S. government, along with several other Western nations, does not recognize Maduro’s claim to victory and instead points to tally sheets collected by the opposition coalition showing that its candidate, Edmundo González, won by a more than a two-to-one margin.

Venezuelan state television aired footage of Grenell and Maduro speaking in the Miraflores Palace and said the meeting had been requested by the U.S. government.

Signing an executive order in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump was asked if Grenell being filmed meeting with Maduro lent legitimacy to a government that the Trump White House does not officially recognize.

“No. We want to do something with Venezuela. I’ve been a very big opponent of Venezuela and Maduro,” Trump responded. “They’ve treated us not so good, but they’ve treated, more importantly, the Venezuelan people, very badly.”

Maduro, appearing on state television after Grenell had left Venezuela, said the visit yielded “initial agreements” but did not provide any details.

“I have seen three U.S. presidents pass before me,” Maduro said. “This is the fourth term, and our message has been one: We want to build relationships of respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty, for Venezuela’s democratic life, for international law and for our Latin American region.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Friday that Trump had instructed Grenell to “identify a place and ensure that repatriation flights” carrying Venezuelans, including members of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization, “land in Venezuela.” She said Trump also ordered Grenell to “ensure that all U.S. detainees in Venezuela are returned home.”

More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left their home country since 2013, when its economy unraveled and Maduro first took office. Most settled in Latin America and the Caribbean, but after the pandemic, migrants increasingly set their sights on the U.S.

Venezuelans’ desire for better living conditions and their rejection of Maduro are expected to keep pushing people to emigrate.

Ahead of the presidential election last year, a nationwide poll by Venezuela-based research firm Delphos showed about a quarter of the population thinking about emigrating if Maduro was re-elected.

Grenell has reached out to Maduro before on Trump’s behalf to secure the release of imprisoned Americans only to come home empty handed.

In 2020, he traveled with Erik Prince, the founder of controversial security firm Blackwater, to Mexico City for a secret meeting with a top Maduro aide. The backchannel talks centered on Maduro’s offer to swap eight Americans then imprisoned in Venezuela for businessman Alex Saab, a close ally of the president charged in the U.S. with money laundering, The Associated Press previously reported.

No deal was struck and Grenell’s demand that Maduro step down was dismissed by the Venezuelan president’s envoy. Grenell has always denied he was negotiating a hostage swap.

Later, in December 2023, the Biden administration exchanged Saab for 10 Americans as part of a policy to re-engage Maduro ahead of presidential elections.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-envoy-migrants-grenell-edfa58920c0a76f0bbe9de995a07d1a3

Trump fires consumer bureau director Chopra, source says

 Rohit Chopra, head of the top watchdog agency for consumer finance, submitted his resignation early Saturday after President Donald Trump fired him overnight, according to a resignation letter he posted online and a person familiar with the situation.

Chopra’s resignation ends a term at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in which he spent years sparring with the financial sector under former President Joe Biden.

“I know the CFPB is ready to work with you and the next confirmed director, and we have devoted a great deal of energy to ensure continued success,” Chopra wrote in a letter to President Donald Trump, which was posted on social media site X.

Rohit Chopra, head of the top agency for consumer finance, submitted his resignation early Saturday after President Donald Trump fired him overnight, according to a source familiar with the situation.CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The Trump administration has not announced a replacement, but U.S. Senator Tim Scott, the chair of the Senate Banking Committee, told reporters on Tuesday that he expected a “blockbuster announcement sometime soon” on who will take over from Chopra, according to The New York Times.

The White House did not immediately provide comment.

The removal of Chopra, who established a reputation as an aggressive watchdog under former President Joe Biden, was widely expected after he spent years sparring with the financial industry, which often argued he overstepped his bounds.

The leadership change clears the way for the Trump administration to pursue a less adversarial approach, including rescinding many of Chopra’s measures and pulling back from enforcement.

The Trump administration has not announced a replacement, according to reports.Pool/ABACA/Shutterstock
Chopra’s resignation ends a term at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in which he spent years sparring with the financial sector under former President Joe Biden.Bloomberg via Getty Images

Long a target of conservatives seeking to undo reforms created following the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB survived possible abolition in May when the Supreme Court rejected industry-backed constitutional challenges to its funding structure.

But with control of Congress, Republicans may still seek to overhaul some of Chopra’s major rules or push legislation that would allow Congress to weaken the agency.

Trump ally Elon Musk, tapped to lead an advisory body on deregulation, said on Nov. 27 that the agency should be “deleted.”

As the Biden White House battled to respond to voter outrage over inflation, Chopra became a key figure in the administration’s campaign against “junk fees,” which officials said were often hidden and unjustified and were squeezing already distressed household budgets.

With control of Congress, Republicans may still seek to overhaul some of Chopra’s major rules or push legislation that would allow Congress to weaken the agency.Getty Images

During Chopra’s tenure, the CFPB contended with newly emboldened industry litigators who challenged several rules, including new CFPB rules on credit card late fees, consumer data rights, and small business lending.

The agency also racked up big enforcement actions against name-brand financial institutions, including a $3.7 billion settlement with Wells Fargo over abusive consumer practices, the agency’s largest-ever enforcement action, as well as actions against Bank of America, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, and Apple.

Unlike Biden’s other banking regulators, who told lawmakers in November they had ceased rulemaking ahead of Trump taking office, Chopra has pushed ahead with rulemaking activity in the final weeks of Biden’s administration and into the early days of the Trump administration.

https://nypost.com/2025/02/01/us-news/trump-fires-rohit-chopra-from-consumer-financial-protection-bureau-report/