from ZeroHedge: Authored by Gary Abernathy via The Empowerment Alliance, It has long been acknowledged that the United States’ energy infrastructure isn’t particularly secure, a concern exacerbated by the lack of a central planning process for our nation’s piecemeal electric grid. Presidential administrations and Congress have been slow to address the problem, apparently daunted by the mere size and […]

Let’s start this with a quote. “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.” -Ian Fleming And what do we have here? We have THREE separate incidents where a Chinese national was caught smuggling some sort “dangerous biological pathogen”, according to FBI Director, Kash Patel. All within 2 weeks. Kash Patel posts: Yesterday,@FBIDetroit arrested a second Chinese national on charges of smuggling biological materials into the U.S. and lying to federal agents. This individual is Chengxuan Han, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and a Ph.D. student in Wuhan, China. Han is the third PRC connected individual charged on similar allegations in recent days. Han is alleged to have sent four packages to the U.S. from China containing a biological material related to round worms — addressed to individuals associated with a lab at the University of Michigan. Upon arriving at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8, Han allegedly made false statements to federal officials regarding the packages she had previously mailed — and had erased her electronic device just days prior. In a follow up interview with FBI and ICE HSI agents, Han admitted to sending the packages and lying about their contents. This case is part of a broader effort from the FBI and our federal partners to heavily crack down on similar pathogeon smuggling operations, as the CCP works relentlessly to undermine America’s research institutions. Yesterday, @FBIDetroit arrested a second Chinese national on charges of smuggling biological materials into the U.S. and lying to federal agents. This individual is Chengxuan Han, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and a Ph.D. student in Wuhan, China. Han is the third… pic.twitter.com/TE4tJgtJQi — FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 9, 2025 #NEW: The FBI arrested a second @UMich scholar from China for smuggling biological material into the U.S. The case marks the third time in less than two weeks that a Chinese national with ties to the university has been charged with federal crimes. : https://t.co/w7DcLsrIAj pic.twitter.com/FYhuqwguWb — The Detroit News (@detroitnews) June 9, 2025 CBS News adds: Authorities say Han is a doctoral student at the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. “The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China — to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory — is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. How much longer are we going to allow this? The FBI just arrested another Chinese scientist for smuggling dangerous biological matter into our nation. When will our government acknowledge that Covid was a bioweapon unleashed by China, and at what point will we finally kick all the CCP opratives out of America for good? https://t.co/1q5YnknvpR pic.twitter.com/gD7GB09Xo8 — AJ Steel Show (@ajsteelshow) June 10, 2025 Santino posted less than a week ago: #BREAKING FBI Director Kash Patel is exposing what he calls a “direct threat to national security” after two Chinese nationals were charged Tuesday with allegedly smuggling a “dangerous biological pathogen” into the U.S. to study at the University of Michigan. Per Kash Patel… pic.twitter.com/RpvImfxTiz — SANTINO (@MichaelSCollura) June 4, 2025

The era of the U.S. Penny will soon come to an end. In February, President Trump requested that the U.S. Treasury stop making pennies. Take a look: Trump just announced that pennies are DONE right in the middle of the superbowl. pic.twitter.com/28uBW52sOX — Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) February 10, 2025 Trump’s reasoning behind eliminating the penny is that it costs too much to make. The Washington Examiner reported an update on the future of the penny: The era of the penny is nearing its end: Starting early next year, the Treasury Department announced that it will end the production of new pennies, leading to an eventual disappearance of the first-ever coin in the United States. When is the penny going away, and why? The Treasury Department’s pledge to stop minting new pennies by early 2026 comes after President Donald Trump directed Secretary Scott Bessent in a February Truth Social post to stop his agency’s production of the coins, saying they cost more to make than they’re worth. “For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful!” he wrote in the post. “I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let’s rip the waste out of our great nations budget, even if it’s a penny at a time.” How much does it cost to make a penny? It costs 3.69 cents to make a penny, whose value is just one cent, according to the U.S. Mint’s fiscal 2024 report. Last year alone, the penny’s production resulted in a loss of $85 million for the Mint. It’s not just the penny that costs more to mint than it’s worth. A nickel, despite holding a value of five cents, costs a whopping 13.78 cents to make, the Mint report said. On the other hand, the Mint found, a quarter costs 14.68 cents to make — less than its 25-cent value — and a half-dollar coin costs just 34 cents to produce. Even after the government stops minting pennies, the ones in circulation will still have value. In other words, your pennies will still work if you bring them to a store and try to pay in cash. But will today’s pennies soon become a collector’s item? An increase in their value remains uncertain. “I can’t tell the future,” said Julian Leidman of Bonanza Coins, a coin dealer and retail store in Maryland. “I think the penny should be discontinued myself, but only from a professional standpoint. From a collector standpoint, I don’t think it should be eliminated, because the penny has been going on since 1793, and a lot of people collect them.” Canada has already gotten rid of their pennies. The last Canadian penny was minted on May 4, 2012. Do you miss them? pic.twitter.com/xR5VrJrPG9 — Old Canada Series (@oldcanadaseries) June 19, 2022 Per Business News Daily: While discontinuing the penny may face resistance in the U.S., Canada ceased production of its one-cent coin in 2013 and encouraged businesses and financial institutions to return their pennies to the Canadian Mint. Canada removed its one-cent coin from circulation for reasons similar to those cited by U.S. penny-elimination proponents. “The penny is a currency without any currency in Canada, and it costs us 1.5 cents to produce a penny,” said former Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who presided over the decision. While some nostalgic souls north of the U.S. border may have lamented the passing of the iconic twin-maple-leaf coin, Flaherty said that when the Canadian senate committee held hearings on axing the penny, no witnesses came forward to fight for its preservation. Canada is far from the first penniless nation. New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Norway and Finland are among those that have made a smooth transition to a penny-free economy. WATCH: Will you miss the penny? Let us know in the comment section down below!

A tragic story has developed in Washington State. Three little girls were found dead at a campsite in Chelan County, Washington. The suspected killer of the girls is their father, Travis Decker. Authorities have not found Decker for over a week, leading the Governor of Washington to deploy the National Guard to find him. KOMO had these key details to report: Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson activated the Washington National Guard Friday evening to aid law enforcement in the search for a man wanted in the killing of his three daughters. Tonight, I am tapping emergency funds and ordering Washington National Guard resources to support the search for Travis Decker, who is suspected of killing his three daughters,” Ferguson said. “At the request of the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, we will be providing helicopter transportation for law enforcement as they search in remote areas. Local and federal law enforcement have been searching for the 32-year-old father from the air and on the ground after the bodies of his daughters, 5-year-old Olivia Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker, and 9-year-old Paityn Decker, were discovered Monday. The bodies of all three girls were found about 75 to 100 yards away down an embankment, and investigators noted zip ties and plastic bags were scattered throughout the area. The girls were first reported missing on May 29 after Decker failed to return them to their mother as part of their court-ordered visitation plan. “As a parent, my heart goes out to Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia’s mom, Whitney, and all those who love them,” wrote Ferguson on X. “The brutal murder of these young children has shocked our state. I’m committed to supporting law enforcement as they seek justice for Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia.” New photos released of Travis Decker as huge manhunt continues fo veteran dad accused of murdering 3 daughters https://t.co/yfB094YlRu pic.twitter.com/ohW0I1crti — New York Post (@nypost) June 9, 2025   Yahoo News gave background information on Decker:   Decker is a military veteran who earned badges in the army for expertise in infantry and had experience in parachuting. Social media posts from members of the armed forces, which were reviewed by Fox 13, also appear to show that he earned his “Ranger” tab, which means he had advanced wilderness survival skills — something authorities believe will make him more elusive. Fox 13 Seattle confirmed with a spokesperson from the Washington National Guard that Decker was a member of the organization, and that he had been awaiting disciplinary discharge due to failure to attend his required monthly drills. Per Fox 13, the girls’ mother told investigators that Decker’s mental health had appeared to worsen in the time leading up to their daughters’ deaths, and that he had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder but did not take medication to manage the condition. Decker, who had been divorced from his ex-wife for several years, was living in temporary housing like motels and campgrounds after becoming unhoused, according to multiple news reports. He was reportedly only allowed to have day visit access to his children via a court-approved visitation schedule, explaining why his ex-wife was concerned when he failed to return the children home. #Travisdecker used to have his hair shaved. Wherever you are looking for him, remember that he could look very different. pic.twitter.com/UZ9JMCn4Z8 — Lilly inLondon (@Lillyin_London) June 5, 2025

Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) announced he will retire before the end of his term. The Tennessee Republican said he will resign from Congress after the House votes again on the reconciliation package. “After nearly 40 years of public service, I am stepping back from my position as a Congressman. Thank you to all the people of TN-07 who have supported me during my tenure as their representative,” Green said. After nearly 40 years of public service, I am stepping back from my position as a Congressman. Thank you to all the people of TN-07 who have supported me during my tenure as their representative.https://t.co/c4dvWO0R91 pic.twitter.com/7ocyf4aT2X — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) June 9, 2025 A closer look: Fox News reports: Green is an Army veteran who has served in Congress since 2019. As House Homeland Security Committee chairman, he oversaw Republicans’ impeachment of former Biden administration DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. It’s not clear where in the private sector Green will go, but it’s a safe bet to assume his House seat will stay in Republican hands. The district voted for President Donald Trump by more than 20 percentage points over former Vice President Kamala Harris last year. Republican leaders are hoping to complete consideration of Trump’s massive agenda bill by the Fourth of July or shortly thereafter. The bill passed the House in a narrow 215-214 vote, and it is now being considered by the Senate. If the Senate changes the bill, as expected, the House will have to approve that version before it hits Trump’s desk. Green’s exit will temporarily leave Republicans with an even smaller House majority. BREAKING: GOP Rep Mark Green Abruptly Announces Retirement From Congress Before End of Term, Leaving Republicans with Razor-Thin Majority https://t.co/X5XfxLiRWN — The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) June 10, 2025 From POLITICO: Green did not disclose the identity of his future employer. Under House rules, members are required to disclose negotiations with a future private employer to the Ethics Committee, and are required to recuse themselves from matters where their future employment would pose a conflict of interest. A spokesperson for the Ethics Committee declined to comment on whether Green disclosed any job talks in advance. The retirement could leave Johnson with a vacancy for several months. Under Tennessee law, GOP Gov. Bill Lee has to call a special election within 10 days after the vacancy is official, with the general election to be held between 100 and 107 days after that. The seat is considered safely Republican, with Donald Trump having won the district by 22 points last year.

Listen to four songs recorded for John Peel in 1971, taken from a newly discovered off-air reel-to-reel tape

A Chinese researcher has been arrested after he allegedly tried smuggling biological materials into the U.S. from Wuhan.