You know what happens when you take the law completely out of context and weaponize it for situations it was never intended for? Sometimes you build the trap so big it ensnares YOU! That may have just happened to Jack Smith in a stunning turn of events. This is absolutely incredible and if you ask me its POETIC JUSTICE. Check this out: Shame on all of them. Jack Smith has admitted to violating the same law used against J6 defendants – American Thinker https://t.co/ft1kQuJjLc — Lara Logan (@laralogan) May 10, 2024 Special Prosecutor Jack Smith *CAUGHT* Breaking the Same Law He Weaponized Against J6 Defendants Jack Smith is on the hot seat at SCOTUS for weaponizing an obscure law that the D.C. court has thrown at hundreds of J6 defendants. Obstruction of an official proceeding. However,… pic.twitter.com/ldxqJHTXFX — Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) May 10, 2024 Major credit to the American Thinker for first putting this out there: Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has just admitted that he and other DOJ and FBI minions manipulated documentary evidence underlying the Mar-a-Lago case against Donald Trump. Everybody from Judge Aileen Cannon on down realizes this is bad. Still, I wonder how many people have noticed that Smith has admitted to doing what the J6 defendants are accused and have been convicted of doing: Violating 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2). The statutory charges against the J6 defendants are a specious abuse of the law but they perfectly fit Smith’s admitted conduct. One of the main tools in the DOJ arsenal against anyone near the Capitol on January 6, 2021, is § 1512(c)(2), which the DOJ claims means imprisonment for a person who “corruptly…obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding…” That is what the DOJ claims happened when ordinary Americans (a) exercised their rights of free speech and (b) usually inadvertently, entered onto Capitol land after masked agitators had removed “no trespassing” signage and fencing and after the Capitol police had opened the building’s doors. The penalty is fines and/or imprisonment, with the latter potentially as long as 20 years. The Supreme Court, though, is hearing Fischer v. United States, which sees one of the DOJ’s victims contesting the DOJ’s assertion about § 1512(c)(2)’s applicability to the J6. The argument is that § 1512(c)(2) manifestly applies to a very narrow fact set; namely, corruptly interfering with evidence in an official investigation. Heck, it’s in the statute’s title: “Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant.” Every section of the statute manifestly deals solely with efforts to destroy or otherwise manipulate evidence in a matter intended to lead to a criminal indictment. But as the American Thinker points out, it might be Section (1) not Section (2) that ensnares Jack Smith: Nevertheless, to imprison ordinary Americans, the DOJ came down hard on subsection (c)(2) of the statute because it contains the phrase “official proceeding.” (c) Whoever corruptly— [snip] (2) otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. But while the DOJ is focusing everyone’s attention on subsection (2), they’re ignoring subsection (1): (c) Whoever corruptly— (1) alters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record, document, or other object, or attempts to do so, with the intent to impair the object’s integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding… Does that remind you of anything? It certainly does me. It reminds me of Smith’s admission to Judge Aileen Cannon about his and his minions’ handling of the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, documents that then served as the basis for his decision to indict Donald Trump. (Ignore, for now, the fact that Trump, as president of the United States, had plenary powerto do as he would with national security information, unhindered either by prior Executive Orders, administrative regulations, or legislation. But back to Smith’s admission: Prosecutors admitted in a court filing on Friday that “there are some boxes where the order of items within that box is not the same as in the associated scans.” The prosecutors had previously told the court that the documents were “in their original, intact form as seized.” As any litigator knows, maintaining documents in the order in which they’re seized or produced is enormously important. That’s because order itself provides important information about the chronology of events or a person’s intent or innocence. It’s also of particular concern in this case because these documents were apparently packed by the General Services Administration, which then told Trump to pick them up. In addition, it’s now beyond question that the DOJ doctored the crime scene photos it publicized to the world to “prove” that Donald Trump had allegedly violated national security laws. (See my disclaimer above about Trump’s immunity from such a claim.) Thus, we have two known instances in which the DOJ altered records, documents, and objects. Moreover, the staged Mar-a-Lago photo indicates that this was done to harm President Trump. That strongly implies both corruption and intention, two elements of a criminal cause of action. When/if Trump returns to the White House, he needs to have his DOJ investigate the lead-up to how Smith and his minions altered and manipulated those documents. And if there’s reasonable evidence that they did so corruptly and intentionally, they must be prosecuted to the full extent of the actual laws, as written (as opposed to the Democrats’ “make it up as we go along” version of “law”). Our nation cannot survive with a partisan DOJ that is willing to violate the nation’s laws to destroy its perceived political opponents. The full text of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) reads as follows: (c) Whoever corruptly— (1) alters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record, document, or other object, or attempts to do so, with the intent to impair the object’s integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding; or (2) otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. Will this be the most epic example of the Trump Boomerang Effect of all time?

I love it when people WAY smarter than me confirm something I have been telling you about for a long time. In this particular case, that would be the fine folks at the Mises Institute. Never heard of them? That’s ok, here’s a short bio of who they are: The Austrian Mises Institute, a non-profit organization, was founded to promote teaching and research in the Austrian School of economics, individual freedom, honest history, and international peace, following the tradition of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard. As a think tank headquartered in Auburn, Alabama, the institute is recognized as a center for Austrian economics, radical right-wing libertarian thought, and the paleolibertarian and anarcho-capitalist movements in the United States. It was established under the leadership of Lew Rockwell, Burton Blumert, and Murray Rothbard, who was a student of Ludwig von Mises and a leading figure in the development of anarcho-capitalism. The institute has been instrumental in the revival and popularization of Austrian economics and libertarian thought, hosting numerous events, publishing books, and engaging in research. It has attracted scholars, activists, and students from around the world, fostering intellectual exchange and collaboration. The institute’s efforts have been particularly influential in the United States, with its ideas and principles impacting political and economic discussions and policies. The Mises Institute publishes The Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, a leading academic journal in the field, and The Austrian, a flagship physical print publication featuring provocative articles by cutting-edge laissez-faire and Austrian thinkers. It also maintains a comprehensive online presence, offering a vast array of resources, including books, articles, lectures, and courses, to promote the understanding and application of Austrian economics and libertarian principles. The institute has received various accolades and recognition for its contributions to economic thought and policy. It has been a strong voice against economic interventionism, central banking, and the welfare state, advocating for free markets, individual liberty, and private property rights. It has also played a significant role in the development and dissemination of the Austrian Business Cycle Theory, which has provided a powerful critique of central banking and inflationary monetary policies. In addition to its academic and intellectual contributions, the Mises Institute has been involved in public outreach and educational initiatives. It has organized numerous events, conferences, and seminars to engage with the broader public and to encourage the study and application of Austrian economics. The institute’s efforts have helped to create a vibrant community of scholars, students, and activists committed to advancing the principles of liberty, free markets, and peace. And here’s what they just told the world: As The Dollar Falters, Gold Becomes Insurance, Not Speculation https://t.co/CloSuFYMxR — zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 10, 2024 Allow me to translate…. It’s exactly what I’ve been telling you for months now. Gold becomes a safe-haven. It’s why I recently told you about this: https://wltreport.com/2023/10/15/gold-now-classified-as-tier-1-risk-free/ Yes folks, that is the Banks classifying gold as a quote “TIER 1 RISK FREE ASSET”. It doesn’t mean it can’t go down in price, but that’s a very important term used by banks to convey a very specific and important designation. More on that down below in a just a bit, but first I want to show you more of the report from the Mises Institute because it’s important you see this: Economics trumps sentimentality, and gold’s elevated price has some people raiding the family jewelry box to pay bills. “Young people are not wearing grandma’s jewels. Most of the young people, they want an Apple watch. They don’t want a pocket watch,” Tobina Kahn, president of House of Kahn Estate Jewelers told Bloomberg. “Sentimental is now out the door.” When times are tough, treasures change hands, the late Burt Blumert, once a gold dealer and Mises Institute Board Chairman, used to say. “Prices are high, and I need cash,” Branden Sabino, a thirty-year-old information technology worker said, adding that with the cost of rent, groceries, and car insurance rising, he doesn’t have any savings. He sold a gold necklace and a gold ring to King Gold and Pawn on Avenue 5 in Brooklyn. “People are using gold as an ATM they never had,” said store owner Gene Furman. At King Gold, fifty-five-year-old Mirsa Vijil pawned a bracelet to pay her gas bill. “Gold is high,” she said, adding she’d never pawned her jewelry before but will do it again if she needs to. Adrian Ash, director of research at online gold investment service BullionVault says there is twice as much selling as a year ago on BullionVault’s platform. “People are very happy to take this price.” “It’s very busy and we are getting more calls than ever before about clients wanting to bring in their jewels,” Kahn said. “I’m telling the clients to bring them in now, as we are at unprecedented levels.” So while there is plenty of liquidating to pay the bills, demand at the United States Mint is tepid, with sales in March the worst since 2019 for its American Eagle gold coin. It turns out more than a few of those well-publicized Costco gold bar buyers are having trouble selling them. The bars, not being American Eagles or other similar gold coins, are not as liquid, given that the seller, Costco, will not buy them back. The Wall Street Journal reports, thirty-three-year old Adam Xi called five different gold dealers to get a price he would accept for the gold bar he bought at Costco in October. He was offered $200 less by one dealer than the $2,000 he had paid. But he found a Philadelphia coin dealer near his home willing to pay $1,960, or twenty dollars under market price. Mr. Xi has learned, or should have learned, that buying gold to turn a quick profit is a fantasy. His plan was to rack up credit-card points buying the gold and then quickly resell it for a profit. Buyers can expect their gold to immediately lose around 5 percent of its value, according to Tom Graff, chief investment officer at the wealth advising company Facet. One pays a premium to buy and pays fees to sell. “You need a holding period that’s long enough to overwhelm that cost,” said Graff. What Has Government Done to Our Money? Luke Greib told the Wall Street Journal that he sold a one-ounce Credit Suisse bar on a Reddit page dedicated to trading precious metals to avoid taxes and fees. Buying physical gold is purchasing insurance against monetary mischief by the Federal Reserve, not to earn a profit via a quick flip. Perhaps it’s hard to imagine currency destruction so devastating that your gold would serve as not only a store of value but a medium of exchange. Peter C. Earle explains in a piece for the American Institute for Economic Research, “During the peak of its 2008 hyperinflation, [Zimbabwe] experienced a catastrophic economic downturn, characterized by the issuance of billion—and trillion-dollar banknotes that were, despite their nominal enormity, virtually worthless.” Now with that in mind I want you to read this very carefully: Gold Now Classified As A “TIER 1 RISK FREE” Asset — Here’s Why That’s A Big Deal! I’ve been telling you about gold for a while now… Here’s more proof you can trust my reporting. Actually, this is a double whammy! You have to check out this video below and then I’ll give you more sources below, but here’s the short summary…. 1⃣ Thanks to Basel III, gold is now classified as a Tier 1 asset. What’s that mean? It’s essentially classified as a “risk free” asset, right along side cash and treasury bonds! 2⃣ Because of this, and because of the historic price manipulation, many believe gold could easily reach $10,000/ounce in the not too distant future! I’m not a financial advisor, I’m just a reporter, let me make that clear…. But I know a good thing when I hear it. “Risk free” and the potential to go up significantly? That’s not me saying it, watch this short video and they’ll explain it all in about 2 minutes: An ounce of GOLD gold could reach $10,000 DOLLARS. There’s an intersection between commodities and Blockchain. The price of gold is 100% manipulated. Some precious insights by @VersanAljarrah pic.twitter.com/lPcM7hCTvH — EDO FARINA ? XRP (@edward_farina) October 14, 2023 Incredible, right? This is a good summary from Chards: It’s basic supply and demand… As more banks and institutions can now hold gold as a TIER ONE asset, that should lead to an increase in its demand. From Investing.com, you have to read this — and then tell me if this isn’t exactly what I’ve been telling you recently? The Bank of International Settlements created new regulations following the collapse of Lehman Brothers to stop banks from reckless lending and a repeat of the ensuing financial collapse. Having carried out regulations previously through Basel I and Basel II, Basel III rules are pages and pages of jargon and waffle; however, the salient points that we need to consider are the Net Stable Funding Ratio and how this relates to banks and their balance sheets. The Net Stable Funding Ratio is the available amount of stable funding divided by the required amount. This must be equal to or greater than 100%. Put, you cannot lend more than you own. Banks have two sides to their balance sheets – assets and liabilities. On the assets side, amongst other things, are tier 1 assets. As the name suggests, these are zero-risk tangible assets valued at 100% of their value. These are cash, treasuries, and now physical gold. Paper gold or any unallocated gold is not classified as a tier 1 and hence would need to be “topped up” with cash reserves to make it 100%. This is critical to understand. A leaflet in your vault claiming gold ownership cannot be rated at 100% cash value, and therefore is not classed as tier 1, whereas physical gold now is. On June 28, Europe (Excluding the UK), the USA, and the Comex became Basel III NSFR compliant. The UK and the LBMA, who have fought this for nearly a decade, were given a further six-month extension until Jan. 1, 2022, to be NSFR compliant. What Does This Mean For Gold? It, of course, raises several serious questions. Why would the LBMA, which deals almost exclusively in unallocated gold, be so heavily against the implementation of the NSFR? Have central banks been front running this and been buying physical gold for the last few years at a greater rate than we have seen for decades? If physical gold can be rated as a tier 1 and given point two, wouldn’t it be in banks’ interest for the price of gold to go up? Folks, I’ve been telling you! Here’s one more prime source for you…. Direct from MarketWatch.com: In its essence, Basel III is a multiyear regime change that aims to prevent another global banking crisis, by requiring banks to hold more stable assets and fewer ones deemed risky. Under the new regime, physical, or allocated, gold, like bars and coins, will be reclassified from a tier 3 asset, the riskiest asset class, to a tier 1 zero-risk weight —putting it “right alongside with cash and currencies as an asset class,” said Adam Koos, president of Libertas Wealth Management Group. Since physical gold will have a risk-free status, this could cause banks around the world to continue to buy more, Koos said, adding that central banks already have stepped up purchases of physical gold to be held in the institutions’ vaults, and not held in unallocated, or paper form. Allocated gold is owned directly by an investor, in physical form, such as coins or bars. Unallocated gold, or paper contracts, often are owned by banks, but investors are entitled to that gold, and avoid storage and delivery fees. Under the new rules, paper gold would be classified as more risky than physical gold, and no longer counted as an asset equal to gold bars or coins. That’s why I always recommend PHYSICAL GOLD. Always have, always will. In fact, keep reading and I can get you connected with the best option to grab some…even tax free and maybe with no money out of pocket! How’s that sound? So, what can YOU do to protect yourself? To protect your family? To stay safe? Simple: you need to get some #Gold or #Silver in your own possession. It’s called “physical” gold and silver. Not paper traded garbage on the stock exchanges that isn’t backed by anything. Don’t touch that stuff. I have two special hook-ups for you. Both involve PHYSICAL gold and silver. Because if you do NOTHING else, make sure you own “physical” gold and silver, not paper contracts. The paper contracts (like stock ticker SLV and GLD) could very well go POOF one day and disappear or go to zero, because they’re not actually backed by the gold and silver they claim to represent. It’s a massive game of musical chairs out there and when the music stops (and I think it will stop soon…) people who only own paper might find themselves owning something not worth the paper it’s literally written on. And I know you’ll never forget it if I give you this GIF so….Let’s Get Physical: Now…WHERE do you get physical gold and silver and how do you know it’s real and safe? And that you’re getting the best price? Oh, and how about personal one-on-one real customer service? You know, like you were some Big Wig millionaire at Goldman Sachs who could just call their personal banker and get help? That’s what I’m about to tell you.   I have two killer connections for you… The first is for purchasing gold and silver bullion. That means bulk bars. That’s the cheapest and most economical way to do it, to stretch your dollar into as much gold and silver as possible. The website is called WLT Precious Metals and when you see my logo in the top left-hand corner, you’ll know you’re in the right place. You’ll get a personal phone call with Ira Bershatsky (or someone on his team) and they will work with you free of charge for as long as needed to answer any questions you have and get you taken care of. How about that! You don’t see that much anymore, but Ira and his team pride themselves on good old-fashioned real customers service: No sales pitch, just real, actual help. And the best prices you will find. Here’s the only disclaimer I will give you: because they do pride themselves on dedicated service, it might take a few days before you get a phone call back.  Just be patient. Good things come to those who wait! You can contact Ira and WLT Precious Metals here. Ok, that was #1. Now I want to tell you about option #2. An equally great company, I am so happy to be working with these guys. This next company is called Genesis Gold and this is for people who want to purchase real physical gold or silver in their IRAs (Investment Retirement Accounts). You know what the beauty of that is? TAX FREE baby! I’m not a tax advisor, but that’s a general oversimplification. Never pay more taxes than you are legally required to pay. And that’s why I love getting gold and silver in my IRA (and why I hold a large chunk in an IRA myself!). There’s so much to love about Genesis Gold, starting with the fact they are proudly and un-ashamedly Christina! They call it “Faith-Driven Stewardship” and they put it right on the homepage of their website along with a quote from Ezekiel: Wealth Preservation With Gold & Silver – The Genesis Gold IRA By your wisdom and your understanding you have made wealth for yourself, and have gathered Gold and Silver into your treasuries – EZEKIEL 28:4 Genesis Gold Group believes the Bible gives clues on how man-made currencies (paper money) represent instability, and a lack of virtue and encourages living wastefully in excess. Conflicts have beleaguered us since the dawn of civilization, and they can all be encapsulated into one battle. The battle is between currency, man-made paper, and gold and silver — the two precious metals found in our Earth’s crust, sent to us by our Lord to use as money. Man-made currency always leads nations down the path to increased war, greed, and ultimate collapse. History has shown that abandoning gold and silver has always been a bad idea. Gold and Silver enforce discipline, nurture self-constraint, self-reliance, and balance, and lead to confidence, a restrained government, and a more stable foreign policy. Genesis Gold Group believes in empowering faith-driven stewardship with Gold & Silver are an integral part of a balanced portfolio. Protecting your finances with precious metals has never been more crucial during these trying times. With a combined 50-plus years in the precious metals industry, let your Genesis gold and silver experts guide you through the simplicity of asset protection and growth with our Genesis Gold IRA. Sincerely, Genesis Gold Group Empowering Faith-Driven Stewardship Oh….and they’re VERY good at what they do. You also get physical gold and silver with Genesis, believe it or not!  The gold and silver is purchased for you (in whatever combination of coins and bars you prefer, a picture taken and sent to you, and then stored safely in a vault for you! I love what these guys are doing. Here’s more on why gold and silver in your IRA are so powerful: You can contact Genesis Gold here. They are also very backed up with record demand, so you may have to wait a bit, but someone WILL get in touch with you for personal customer service and assistance! Tell ’em Noah sent ya! Oh, and did you know Genesis is recommended by SUPERMAN himself? It’s true. Superman himself, Clark Kent — Dean Cain — came on my show a few weeks ago and we broke it all down: Watch here: Stay safe! Make sure you can weather the storm when it hits! Because the storm always hits eventually, doesn’t it? As for me and my house, we will be ready.

U.S. Intelligence agencies will soon be using a secret generative artificial intelligence (AI) platform from Microsoft that allows America’s spies to utilize AI models in order to better analyze sensitive information. 

According to the New York Times, WABC suspended Rudy Giuliani and canceled his radio show for violating company policy by trying to discuss the legitimacy of the 2020 election on the air. John Catsimatidis, the billionaire Republican businessman who owns the station, said he had decided after Mr. Giuliani refused to avoid the topic after […] The post Rudy Giuliani Suspended from WABC, His Show Canceled appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Greta Thunberg. Remember her? “How dare you go? How dare you!” She’s a cretinous little dweeb with the brains of a kumquat. She always was, but we weren’t allowed to say it because she wasn’t a teen; she was a child. You can’t attack a child. Well, she’s now been 18 for three years, so we can, indeed, say it. She was trotted out for years as some sort of moral exemplar because she was under 18, and she mouthed nasty little platitudes about how her elders had ruined the world: “We will hold you accountable.” “How dare you!” She was treated as a political Joan of Arc. The whole world trembled at her supposed moral superiority, as she called for the impoverishment of nearly all of humanity in the name of the Earth becoming incrementally warmer but slightly less quickly, supposedly. In reality, Thunberg was always a child-sized Trojan Horse for anti-Western radicalism, socialism, and deindustrialization. WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show Now the mask is off, and it’s instructive. On Thursday, Thunberg showed up in a protest in Malmo, Sweden. What was being protested? A singer for the Eurovision contest from Israel. That singer’s name is Eden Golan, a 20-year-old young woman — younger than Greta Thunberg — who was just singing a song in a dumb contest they hold in Europe every year that’s similar to “American Idol.” Her song was called “Hurricane,” which is largely about the reaction of Israelis to the Hamas massacre of Israelis on October 7.  And she was booed inside the hall.  Golan’s presence drew thousands of people to protest, including Thunberg, who showed up wearing a keffiyeh, a symbol of solidarity with terrorism. Thunberg showed up and explained how she was standing against destruction of the environment — and also the Jews, saying, “Once again, young people are leading the way, showing the world how we should react to this.” 12,000 people showed up to yell about the Jews because a Jewish singer performed at an event in Sweden. It’s no surprise it happened in Malmo, which is about 25% Muslim. In fact, if you flash back to 2022, Reuters reported:  Sweden has failed to integrate the vast numbers of immigrants it has taken in over the past two decades, leading to parallel societies and gang violence, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Thursday, as she launched a series of initiatives to combat organised crime. Many Swedes were shocked earlier this month after violent riots left more than 100 police injured. The violence erupted after a Swedish-Danish politician burned the Quran at a rally and sought to hold more in several immigrant-dominated neighborhoods. Radical Muslims are quite prevalent in Sweden, which is why Jews are not in Malmo. Malmo has basically become a no-go zone for Jews for a reason. One of the chants from the crowd was “Sinwar, we will not let you die,” a reference to Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, who planned the massacre of over 1,200 Israelis on October 7 and is currently hiding in terror tunnels, allegedly surrounded by 15 hostages in the hope that they will protect him from death. These protesters want Sinwar to survive because they’re not just against the war in Gaza, they are in solidarity with Hamas. That is who Thunberg was marching with. The army of losers is very large in the West. It includes drag queens who go on BBC to explain they are canceling their Eurovision watch party in order to demonstrate solidarity with Hamas.  These global losers are fans of Palestinian terrorism who cannot succeed in a meritocracy and emigrate en masse to Europe where they form entire population centers that do not participate in the Western system. They hate the system in which they are given welfare and education and in which they are largely unsuccessful; they are useless socialists who have performed zero service and public value their entire lives but are very angry at capitalism. People like Greta Thunberg and people who feel marginalized because of their bizarre sexual fetishes and rage against a traditionalist machine are marching together in Malmo against — surprise!— the Jews. But the Jews here are really just a stand-in for the West because these anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists believe that the Jews control the West. Their entire theory of the world is predicated on an evil belief that failure inherently means victimization, and that success inherently means exploitation. And because the Jews are disproportionately successful, this means they are disproportionately exploitative. And the United States, according to an argument made by critical race theorists about white people, is where white people built the system for the benefit of whites, which is why whites are so darn successful. The problem, of course, is that there are other groups that are very successful who are not white. Jews, historically not categorized as white, now have been included in that rubric. If Jews are disproportionately successful, then they can certainly not be victims, this mob argues. Their argument is that Jews built the system for the benefit of the Jews, and so it’s perfectly appropriate to beat Jews in the streets or try to mob a Jewish singer on a continent where Jews were slaughtered by the millions a couple of generations ago. After all, the system has to be destroyed. This is an army of losers. Losers of the world, unite! That’s what you’re watching in Malmo. It’s what you’re watching on America’s college campuses. It’s what you’re watching in large precincts of the Democratic National Committee. It’s an army of losers, a coalition of losers. The Jews are just a convenient excuse — and they are just the tip of the spear. This is the ugliest manifestation of hatred for the West.

'You’re not supposed to be making this a mutual effort'

'He regretfully declines'

His career was a winding path as he battled addiction