USAID funneled $53 million to EcoHealth Alliance, which then used U.S. taxpayer funds to support gain-of-function research on coronaviruses at the Wuhan lab—research that likely led to the creation of COVID-19. When considering the CIA’s deception regarding COVID-19 origins, one must understand USAID’s long history as a CIA front organization. With an annual budget exceeding […] The post USAID funneled $53M to EcoHealth Alliance & Then There Was COVID appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said on Sunday afternoon that his country will be withdrawing from communist China’s predatory Belt and Road Initiative after meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio’s trip comes as President Donald Trump has signaled that he is willing to use military power to retake control of the Panama Canal if the country does not regain complete control over the operations of the canal from China. “One important thing, which is a decision I made and communicated to him, is that the 2017 memorandum of understanding on the Silk Road, part of the Belt and Road Initiative, will not be renewed by my government,” Mulino said. “That is a fact.” “We are going to study the possibility of whether it can be ended earlier or not,” he continued. “I think it is up for renewal in one or two years, because it’s every three.” “So that initiative which was signed will not be renewed by my government,” he added. NEW: After meeting with @SecRubio today, Panama’s president announced the country will not be renewing its memo with China on its Belt and Road Initiative. Panama will also look into ending the agreement earlier than the set end date. pic.twitter.com/g7WF0w9WhT — Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) February 2, 2025 Rubio thanked Mulino for his support of the program to repatriate illegal immigrants, which has reduced illegal migration through the Darien Gap. The two leaders also spoke about improving the playing field for fair competition by U.S. businesses, and Mulino’s support for a democratic, free Venezuela. “Secretary Rubio expressed his gratitude for the productive discussion and underscored the United States’ dedication to making both nations safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” the statement added. “He noted this meeting marks an important step in reinvigorating the strategic relationship between the United States and Panama, in line with President Trump’s vision.” Kassy Akiva contributed to this report. Related: Ted Cruz Gives Legal Argument For Why U.S. Should Retake Panama Canal

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said over the weekend that illegal aliens sent to Guantanamo Bay will have the same rights as they would inside the U.S. and that the plan is not to detain them indefinitely. Noem made the remarks during a Sunday interview on NBC News’ “Meet The Press” with Kristen Welker when asked about the plan that President Donald Trump introduced last week. “Due process will be followed and having facilities at Guantanamo Bay will be an asset to us in the fact that we’ll have the capacity to continue to do there what we’ve always done,” Noem said. “We’ve always had a presence of illegal immigrants there that have been detained. We’re just building out some capacity. So we appreciate the partnership of the DoD in getting that up to the level that it needs to get to in order to facilitate this repatriation of people back to their countries.” “So remember that Guantanamo Bay clearly, by this president, has said that it will hold the worst of the worst, that we are going after those bad actors,” she continued. “This last week, I was in New York City. We were going after people that had warrants out for their arrest on murders and rapes, assaults, gun purchases, drug trafficking. In fact, we had a member of TDA that was one of the ringleaders that we picked up that week, had been trying to buy grenades. These are the types of individuals that we are targeting, we’re removing from communities, and that could end up having a stay at Guantanamo Bay before they are returned home to their countries to deal with.” When asked if illegal aliens could be held indefinitely at Guantanamo Bay, Noem responded: “That is not the plan.” “The plan is to have a process that we follow that’s laid out in law and make sure that we’re dealing with these individuals appropriately according to what the state and the national law directs,” she said. “So we will work with Congress to make sure that we’re addressing our legal immigration laws and using Guantanamo Bay appropriately. But it is an asset that we have that we fully intend to utilize.” .@Sec_Noem: Guantanamo Bay will be an asset to us for in detaining the worst of the worst illegal aliens as we facilitate their repatriation BACK to their own countries. pic.twitter.com/Qdc5AZyuuD — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 2, 2025

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) suggested over the weekend that he was not closed off to confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. Sanders left the possibility open during a Sunday interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” with host Margaret Brennan. “I have, up to now, voted for some Trump appointees. A few,” Sanders said. “I voted against most, and I’ll make my decisions next week. Where Kennedy is right is, we are an unhealthy society — a point I’ve been making, many others have been making for a long time. One of the things that concerns me very much, and Kennedy mentioned it, is our life expectancy. How long our people live is five years less than other wealthy countries.” “And if you’re working class in this country, you live six or seven years lower than if you are rich,” he continued. “It is an issue we have to deal with. And I think the kind of addictive and poisonous food that the food industry is providing our kids is one of the factors, not many. But when you have Kennedy come forward in saying he cannot — he believes, continues to believe that autism is caused by vaccines despite the fact that there have been a dozen studies over the years which disprove that. When he has other conspiracy theories, when he cannot acknowledge that if you’re going to make America healthy, you’ve got to guarantee health care to all people. He was not clear about the need to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower prescription drug costs. So I was not particularly happy with his presentation.” When asked if some of Kennedy’s responses were “red lines” for him, Sanders responded: “I just don’t go around making these announcements.” “I will vote when I’ll vote,” he said. “But anybody who watched that hearing understands my deep concerns about Kennedy, but I got to tell you, the conspiracy theories that he is throwing out is not unlike what we’re hearing all over the Trump administration. And to me, what is most important in terms of what’s been happening since Trump has been president, it’s not just him having the three wealthiest people in the country stand behind them. By the way, anybody, any working person in this country, should understand what that means. It means that you can have a government working for the very rich, not for the working class of this country, but the movement toward authoritarianism.” WATCH: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) won’t say whether he will vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, but he still has “deep concerns” about Kennedy’s stances on vaccines and other health issues. “The conspiracy theories that he is throwing out, it’s not unlike what… pic.twitter.com/YAr0d6TkBM — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 2, 2025

President Donald Trump announced 'a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico as well as a 10% additional tariff on imports from China' to address the 'national emergency' of illegal immigration and transnational drug trafficking

If he keeps them in effect for any significant period of time, Americans will pay a severe price.

WATCH: Margaret Brennan Gets Laid Out By Brian Mast After Demanding 'Evidence' of State Department DEI

WATCH: Pro-Illegal Protesters Completely Shut Down Major Freeway in Downtown LA--With No Police in Sight

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast, R-Fla., called for the restructuring of USAID, as opposed to its elimination, adding it should placed under the State Department.