The killing of three U.S. soldiers and the wounding of more than 40 other American troops in Jordan by Iranian-backed proxies has led some American political leaders and observers to call for direct U.S. attacks on Iran. Joseph Epstein‚ writing in Newsweek‚ advises the Biden administration to “make Iran pay for killing Americans by striking its territory.” Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted that the U.S. should target Iranian oil or military infrastructure in Iran to respond to the attacks on American forces. President Joe Biden pledged‚ “We shall respond.” But both Pentagon and White House spokespersons quickly clarified that the United States was “not seeking war with Iran.” READ MORE: Iran Proxies Kill Three US Soldiers in Middle East There is no doubt that Iran‚ despite its protestations of innocence‚ is waging proxy wars against Israel and other countries in the Middle East. U.S. forces in the region both on the ground and at sea have come under attack by Iran’s proxies. As Walter Russell Mead points out in the Wall Street Journal‚ Iran’s confident belligerence in the Middle East is due to the “catastrophic” failure of the Biden administration’s policies there. But‚ as Mead notes‚ Biden is only the latest president to be bedeviled by the region’s conflicts. It is a region‚ he contends‚ that the U.S. can neither fix due to “[b]itter ethnic‚ ideological‚ and sectarian conflicts” nor ignore due to its energy resources.  It was the combined failures of the George W. Bush and Obama administrations that produced the environment and circumstances that diminished U.S. influence‚ facilitated Russia’s resurgence‚ opened the door to increased Chinese influence‚ and paved the way for Iran’s hegemonic ambitions in the region. The twin debacles of the Iraq and Afghan wars and the failures of the so-called Arab Spring combined with the steady reduction in U.S. naval power to upset the always fragile balance of power in the Middle East. President George W. Bush zealously and against all empirical evidence attempted to democratize the region. President Barack Obama infamously conducted an “apology tour” in the region to confess America’s past sins and signed a flawed “nuclear deal” with Iran. Biden’s pursuit of the futile “nuclear deal” with Iran and what Mead calls his strategy to “reach some kind of détente” with the mullahs only encouraged Iranian ambitions. Much to the chagrin of the American foreign policy establishment‚ of the last four U.S. presidents‚ Donald Trump had the most effective Middle Eastern policy‚ manifested by the creation of the Abraham Accords‚ growth of domestic energy independence‚ and shelving of the “nuclear deal” with Iran. (READ MORE: Can America Survive Israel’s Nuclear Destruction?) What should America’s response be to Iran’s latest proxy attack? Those who counsel escalation should be mindful that there are undoubtedly similar voices in Russia advocating attacking NATO or U.S. targets in response to the proxy war we and our NATO allies are fighting in Ukraine. U.S. and NATO-backed Ukrainian forces are killing Russians — lots of Russians — every day with American and NATO weapons. The fact that the U.S. and NATO countries are helping Ukraine defend itself from Russian aggression will make no difference to Russia’s more hawkish observers and policymakers. It is important for proxy wars to remain proxy wars. Sometimes in international politics justice needs to give way to stability and restraint. Statesmen and policymakers earn their pay by prioritizing among competing interests and challenges to those interests. And as Walter Lippmann once warned‚ nations need to align their commitments to their resources. Or to put it more bluntly‚ as Abraham Lincoln did during the Civil War when certain Cabinet members were advocating war with England‚ “One war at a time.”  Proxy wars are wars fought on the cheap in terms of casualties and resources. Escalate those wars‚ and the casualties multiply and the resources dwindle. The last thing America needs is to go to war with Iran while fighting proxy wars in the Levant and Ukraine and attempting to deter a Chinese attack or blockade of Taiwan. This kind of realism may not be emotionally satisfying or politically popular‚ but‚ to paraphrase George Washington‚ it is for us‚ not others‚ to decide “when we may choose peace or war‚ as our interest‚ guided by justice‚ shall counsel.”   The post US Iran Hawks vs. Foreign Policy Realism appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Every so often‚ a book hits the shelves and becomes the “must read business book of the month.” I’m a bit behind the times‚ so I only now am picking up a copy of Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depends on It. It was published in 2016‚ which in today’s news cycle makes it‚ I guess‚ “retro.” Regardless‚ it deserves a revisit today. Not because of the core thesis of the book — how to negotiate effectively — but because it made a small side-note observation about academia eight years ago that we are seeing on full display today. READ MORE: Take an Exclusive Look Inside Itxu Díaz’s New Book: I Will Not Eat Crickets: An Angry Satirist Declares War on the Globalist Elite Written by top FBI negotiator Chris Voss‚ Never Split the Difference takes the reader inside the real and practical world of the top crisis and hostage negotiators in the world. His work literally saved lives. Then‚ in 2006‚ he decided to take Harvard Law School’s Winter Negotiation Course as a nice easy bit of professional development for a career FBI agent. What Voss learned was that academia was decades behind the real world in practical skills. “It was as if we were playing different games‚ with different rules‚” Voss reports as he not only won every student-versus-student negotiation game but bested the faculty as well. As Voss beat every round‚ he found that “[w]ith my old-school‚ experiential knowledge‚ I was killing guys who knew every cutting-edge trick you could find in a book.” Harvard Law School had a problem. Its negotiation training was based on deeply analyzed logical and mathematical calculations‚ assuming all parties were weighing all options and looking to expertly calculate their highest success. It may work in a textbook and on a spreadsheet‚ but at their root‚ the academics had removed any human element to teaching negotiation. Voss notes: In my short stay I realized that without a deep understanding of human psychology‚ without the acceptance that we are all crazy‚ irrational‚ impulsive‚ emotionally driven animals‚ all the raw intelligence and mathematical logic in the world is little help in the fraught‚ shifting interplay of two people negotiating. Why is this so relevant today? Because the economics departments at nearly every major university are committing the exact same error! Yes‚ I took economics in college‚ and‚ no‚ in the real world‚ equilibrium price does not equate to Qd = x + yP. If you don’t know what that formula means‚ don’t worry. It doesn’t matter. Price is not simply the supply and demand formula‚ nor is it the “labor plus materials” calculation socialists use. Price is whatever people will pay. Any good businessman knows that. And humans are irrational‚ emotional‚ impulsive‚ and driven by all types of underlying motivations. Anyone with two eyes and a brain knows that. Two months ago‚ who would have thought that a fight over the Stanley Cup would refer to anything other than hockey. A year ago‚ who would have thought that the Kansas City Chiefs would be selling out merchandise to 28-year-old white girls (thanks‚ Taylor!). When Voss waltzed into Harvard Law’s negotiating class and proceeded to hand everyone (including the faculty) their rear ends‚ he did so because his practical experience proved that humans are not just calculating robots but robust psychological beings. It wasn’t just that he was a better practiced negotiator; it was that the entire system he was using was based on reality‚ while the text-book negotiation classes were all based on raw theory. (READ MORE: A Dialogue With the Dead: Gary Saul Morson’s Wonder Confronts Certainty) Mises‚ Hayek‚ and the entire Austrian and Chicago schools of economics are largely based on economics as psychology‚ not science. This generates sneers throughout the world of academia but consistently runs rings around the scientific and mathematical calculations of Keynesian economics. It’s time the universities caught up to the real world. Voss caught it eight years ago in negotiation classes‚ and conservative students catch it every day as economics professors prattle on about deficit spending. The gap between theory and practice regardless of discipline is palpable‚ and until this problem is fixed‚ starry-eyed economics grads are going to wonder why we can’t spend our way out of a recession‚ and journalists everywhere will continue to have fodder for articles on “the crisis in higher education.” The post A Hostage Negotiator Reveals the Flaw in Academia’s Economics appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

This story is moving fast‚ and we’re monitoring things as news develops. But it looks like another major bank is failing before our eyes. What happens when Signature Bank fails (remember last year?) and a bigger bank buys them up? But then….that bigger bank starts failing? Yeah‚ that’s what’s happening right now. I covered the breaking details earlier today in this article in case you missed it: Bank Crash 2.0 Incoming? Another Bank On The Verge Of Collapse — Death Candle — Trading Halted! Now I want to advance the story. MeetKevin has nearly 2 million Followers on YouTube and he's big for a reason -- because he makes complicated financial things easy to understand. And here's his exact quote:  "Holy Sh9t Another **Major** Bank is Failing". Watch his short video here as he breaks it all down: Now‚ if you want to get the DEEPER story‚ one of my other favorite financial guys on YouTube is the Rebel Capitalist. This guy is also awesome. He goes deeper‚ much deeper‚ and I think he's a flat out genius -- but he still also makes it (fairly) easy to understand. So if you'd like to understand why he says they are likely not going to recover from this‚ and why the contagion will likely soon spread‚ you need to watch this: And if you missed my earlier article‚ catch up here: Bank Crash 2.0 Incoming? Another Bank On The Verge Of Collapse -- Death Candle -- Trading Halted! Heads up folks... I've been on my soapbox sounding the alarm about the banking system for the past several months. We had 6 banks crash and collapse last year in 2023 and many thought the Banking Crash was over. I kept telling you it wasn't. I kept telling you I feared that was just the prelude. This is one of those times I wished I was wrong‚ but it's not looking like I will be. In fact‚ it's looking like the Bank Crash 2.0 is right around the corner. Here's what's happening right now as I type this: JUST IN - New York Community Bancorp stock crashes‚ trading halted. — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) January 31‚ 2024 This is what the chart looks like: This is the stock of 'New York Community Bancorp‚' the bank that acquired troubled Signature Bank last year. They announced a $264 million loss in Q4‚ and as a result‚ the stock opened down over -40%. pic.twitter.com/6rAlqfywwj — WhaleWire (@WhaleWire) January 31‚ 2024 This is the same bank that bought Signature Bank last year....gee‚ I guess the contagion spread? Who would have thought? While everyone is focused on Mag7s‚ NYCB - New York Community Bancorp (yes‚ the bank that bought troubled Signature Bank last year) announced a $260M loss in Q4‚ and the stock opened down 40%. What was in that loan portfolio? pic.twitter.com/lzNlj9ED1t — James Lavish (@jameslavish) January 31‚ 2024 Many are calling this the "death candle": BREAKING: New York Community Bancorp #NYCB shows a concerning Death Candle. $NYCB pic.twitter.com/cTVi3xzwtX — Financial Summit (@FinSummit) January 31‚ 2024 I asked Grok if New York Community Bank is collapsing and here's what it said: Quote: "It is facing significant challenges....[but].....it would be premature to conclude the bank is failing. Anyone else get echoes of Jim Cramer in 2009 when you hear that? "BEAR STERNS IS FINE!" Remember this? On this day in 2008 Bear Stearns was bailed out by JP Morgan $JPM and The Federal Reserve at $2 per share Six days prior Jim Cramer told Mad Money viewers that "Bear Stearns is fine" and to "not pull money out" pic.twitter.com/9H68ztTZsU — Ticker History (@TickerHistory) March 16‚ 2023 Here's what I just wrote: "BEAR STERNS IS FINE!" -- Jim Cramer On March 16 in 2008 Bear Stearns was bailed out by JP Morgan $JPM and The Federal Reserve at $2 per share. Six days prior Jim Cramer told Mad Money viewers that "Bear Stearns is fine" and to "not pull money out". History is about to repeat… pic.twitter.com/yaeKeXoqQ6 — DailyNoah.com (@DailyNoahNews) January 31‚ 2024 Look‚ I'm not a financial advisor.... I'm not an accountant.... I'm not a TV guru like Jim Cramer (thank God!). I'm just a reporter and a dot-connector and I'm telling you I think a major crash is right around the corner. I think it's likely this bank fully goes under or gets bought out.... I think you see a much bigger name go down next‚ and if I had to pick one I'd say it's Citibank.... BREAKING: Citigroup To Slash 20‚000 Jobs! And I'll leave you with this.... The time to get prepared is NOT after the crash starts. The time to get prepared is now. And while I'm not a financial advisor‚ I will tell you Gold and Silver have always been God's money and they historically are safe-havens in times of massive financial crashes. That is‚ if you can find any. KEEP READING AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE BEST CONNECTION I HAVE FOR KEEPING YOUR FAMILY SAFE AND GETTING PREPARED Andy Shectman: "No one wants to sell their Gold or Silver at these make believe prices" I've been telling you for a long time now that Gold and Silver are vastly undervalued. I'm not a financial advisor and I can't tell you what to do‚ but I can look at historical data and I can easily see that the current price of Gold and Silver makes no sense unless....it's being manipulated. Now who would want to do that? And the more important question: will it go on forever‚ or do the manipulators eventually release the stretched rubber band and ride an explosion up? I've you've been paying attention in life‚ you know the answer. You know these crooks on Wall Street manipulate things down‚ ⭐ then they load their boats‚ then they manipulate them up into a bubble. Where are we in that process right now for commodities like Gold and Silver? Right exactly where I placed that star up above. ⭐ = You Are Here The Big Boys are loading their boats. But that's not just my opinion. I'm a nobody. Listen to Andy Schectman who is an expert on these things and he lays it out PERFECTLY in two minutes. Here's my rough paraphrase: "A concerted effort by the very powerful to use the suppression of commodities (gold‚ silver‚ but also a long list of all other commodities)...these countries are not complaining about suppressed low prices yet because they're accumulating!  But once it becomes obvious that the availability of these commodities is very scarce and no one wants to sell at these "make believe prices" then the public says "OMG‚ what have we been missing?"  And maybe that all happens in concert with a breakdown of the banking system‚ then the public says "give it to me now" and that's when you'll see the circuit breakers be put into affect.  But at that point it's too late." Oh my! It's so much better to listen to him explain it in his own words. It's just 2 minutes long. Watch here (as presented by my friend the Digital Asset Investor): Comex 589 pic.twitter.com/uPzrOGXhZ5 — Digital Asset Investor (@digitalassetbuy) September 11‚ 2023 Or if that doesn't work‚ try this: Andy Shectman: "A concerted effort by the very powerful to use the suppression of commodities (gold‚ silver‚ but also a long list of all other commodities)...these countries are not complaining about suppressed low prices yet because they're accumulating! But once it becomes… pic.twitter.com/PyDSyEnCFX — DailyNoah.com (@DailyNoahNews) December 14‚ 2023 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.

The Daily Caller News Foundation obtained footage appearing to show a group of migrants held in a room at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport guarded by a U.S. service member. Georgia state Sen. Colton Moore‚ a Republican‚ filmed the video Tuesday night. “I went to Atlanta Airport after a Whistleblower reported to me a room guarded by U.S. Military FULL of Illegal Aliens‚” Moore said Wednesday. “@BrianKempGA @JoeBiden this is a total dereliction of your duty and breach of public trust onto Georgians. GA Borders are Breached.  TREASON!  We are being invaded and the State and Federal Government are backing this human trafficking operation of unimaginable size at the Largest Airport in the World‚” he added. BREAKING: I went to Atlanta Airport after a Whistleblower reported to me a room guarded by U.S. Military FULL of Illegal Aliens. @BrianKempGA @JoeBiden this is a total dereliction of your duty and breach of public trust onto Georgians. GA Borders are Breached.  TREASON!  We… — Sen. Colton Moore (@realColtonMoore) January 31‚ 2024 Daily Caller reports: In the video‚ there appears to be a uniformed soldier guarding a room full of migrants and volunteers with a group called Team Libertad‚ which boasts of helping migrants travel on its social media accounts. “We’re all getting them flights to where they need to be‚” a man who identified himself as a volunteer from Team Libertad says in the video. “These are just recently documented travelers getting released from ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] getting to where they need to be.” “There’s people that‚ they get dropped off here from ICE detention with no help‚” the man added. Team Libertad‚ which is part of a program run by the nonprofit group Inspiritus‚ greets migrants at the Atlanta airport and accompanies them to their gates‚ according to a sign up page the organization uses to recruit volunteers. “Team Libertad helps travelers find their way through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Information regarding these travelers is protected by HIPAA‚” the group told the DCNF in a statement. Migrants who come to the U.S. illegally can fly commercially‚ even without IDs‚ the DCNF reported in January 2022. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) accepts a number of alternate forms of identification that include certain arrest warrants and their notices to appear in court. Here’s the video: “Illegal aliens are being trafficked all over America by NGOs through America’s airports while being guarded by the U.S. military. When our @FreedomCaucusGA. Vice Chair tried to film them doing it‚ they forcibly pushed him away. This is madness‚” State Freedom Caucus Network wrote. Illegal aliens are being trafficked all over America by NGOs through America's airports while being guarded by the U.S. military. When our @FreedomCaucusGA Vice Chair tried to film them doing it‚ they forcibly pushed him away. This is madness. https://t.co/CIkL8cfqEo — State Freedom Caucus Network (@SFC_Network) January 31‚ 2024 This is crazy! Video Appears To Show Migrants Tucked Away In Hidden Room Under Military Guard at Atlanta Airport. State Senator (contacted by a whistleblower) shows up to record it and they try to take his phone away. This is so wrong! https://t.co/n4sKnz9eC0 — Sweet17 (@RealSweet17) February 1‚ 2024 A Georgia National Guard spokesperson provided a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation‚ saying they’re “not aware of the incident in question or any such activity involving the Georgia National Guard at the airport.” The Pentagon did not respond to the outlet’s inquiries. “The room was absolutely packed with people from every continent on this planet‚” Moore told the outlet. “When I took my phone and reached it up above the guy to get a better view of all the illegals in the room‚ that’s when chaos broke out. That’s when the U.S. Army guy took the phone. It was a scrimmage between he and I in order to get the phone back. And then he proceeded to tell me to get out of there and just made a real big scene out of it‚” he added. Georgia State Senator @realColtonMoore was the target of this assault. Makes me sick. https://t.co/IDhD4Qyj21 — The REAL Politically Savvy (@patriot_savvy) January 31‚ 2024 From The Georgia Record: Sources have informed The Georgia Record that a GA State Senator and staff were assaulted by U.S. military members in Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta last evening‚ for uncovering and filming a migrant trafficking operation through the airport that seems to have been going on for some time. The U.S. enlisted members were leading 30 military-aged migrant males through the airport facility. The GA legislative staff were assaulted when trying to ask questions‚ wrestled phone/ camera back. UPDATE: GA State Senator Colton Moore was the legislator involved‚ as well as his chief of staff. Sources tell The Georgia Record the migrants are escorted every Monday and Tuesday at 11pm by U.S. military. The trafficking operation has been going on for some time and is fully understood by Governor’s Kemp’s office.  

Oregon officials have declared a 90-day state of emergency in Portland due to the ongoing fentanyl crisis. The emergency comes three years after Oregon became the first state to decriminalize all drugs. Oregon’s experience in drug decriminalization is a warning to other cities that think it’s compassionate to let drug users populate the streets with impunity.https://t.co/CuGss8lBd1 — Wall Street Journal Opinion (@WSJopinion) January 31‚ 2024 “State‚ County and City officials declared the ‘tri-government’ fentanyl emergency following recommendations by the governor-established Portland Central City Task Force late last year‚” Zero Hedge reports. Officials will establish a ‘command center’ in Portland’s central city to utilize current resources. Portland Declares Emergency Over Fentanyl Crisis Three Years After Decriminalizing Drug Possession https://t.co/hcqa74FILh — zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 1‚ 2024 Per Zero Hedge: Fentanyl addicts who interact with first responders in downtown Portland over the next 90 days will be triaged in this new command center. “Our country and our state have never seen a drug this deadly addictive‚ and all are grappling with how to respond‚” said Gov. Tina Kotek (D). According to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler‚ “We cannot underestimate the tremendous value of bringing leaders from different disciplines in a room on a daily basis who all account for a different part of the solution.” Mike Meyers‚ director of Portland’s Community Safety Division will head up the command team‚ while deputy police chief Nathan Reynolds of the state’s Office of Resilience and Emergency Management will be the state’s incident commander. Portland Police will also work with Oregon State Police to jointly patrol downtown streets for fentanyl sales. As the Epoch Times notes further‚ the emergency declarations do not provide extra funding for the joint actions‚ and government agencies will instead rearrange current budgets to cover the costs. Oregon leaders declare 90-day state of emergency to address Portland fentanyl crisis https://t.co/PuzTpa3hBh — John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) January 31‚ 2024 Oregon issues state of emergency over Portland’s rampant fentanyl problems https://t.co/FnZmsuuutD pic.twitter.com/lOyPhD4blq — New York Post (@nypost) January 31‚ 2024 More from the New York Post: The center will serve as an immediate care access site‚ where those addicted to synthetic opioids will be connected with resources from a bed in a drug treatment center to meeting with a behavioral health clinician to help with registering for food stamps. Health department officials will also collect data on the impacts of fentanyl in Portland’s downtown area to strategically address gaps in the government’s approach to quelling the city’s growing drug problem. The effort also extends the Portland Police Bureau’s partnership with Oregon State Police to crack down on those pushing the deadly drugs‚ while health representatives will conduct outreach with civilians‚ including distributing and training on the use of Narcan. “Today‚ we move forward with urgency to address these challenges together under the authority of emergency declarations. This is exactly the type of coordinated action needed to make a direct impact and a lasting difference‚” Mayor Wheeler said. The declaration is a recommendation from a governor-established task force that met for several months last year to determine ways to rejuvenate downtown Portland. The major announcement also comes just six months after data was released showing that overdose deaths from synthetic opioids‚ mainly fentanyl‚ jumped 533% between 2018 and 2022 in Multnomah County‚ where Portland is located. WATCH: