Has there ever been a U.S. Government conspiracy involving Bigfoot? Did I and/or others somehow stumble upon a 'program' designed to create a hybrid being?I really don't like to discuss conspiracy theories‚ especially those that may pertain to the government. I'll admit‚ that my research and reports can‚ on occasion‚ easily fall into that category‚ but I prefer to stay clear. Nonetheless‚ there is no denying that much of what I'm about to post leans toward plots and schemes.Over the years‚ I've received many inquiries concerning my Bigfoot encounter on May 9‚ 1981‚ near Sykesville‚ MD. To be honest‚ I've had a few lingering questions about my sighting as well. In particular‚ 'What did I actually see?' Was it a Bigfoot‚ or something else? At the time‚ I called it a 'Bigfoot' because‚ frankly‚ that was the only way I could have described it. It wasn't human. It wasn't an ape. I have tried to comprehend exactly what it was that I encountered.One of the more consistent questions I have received concerns the quick reaction by officials after my phone call to the local police. I feel that this being had been under close surveillance at the time I witnessed it. There are only two scenarios that I feel may be plausible. I do know that another witness made a report of seeing a hairy hominid approximately 3 hours before my encounter (near Marriotsville‚ Maryland‚ a few miles downstream from my location)‚ and/or this creature had possibly escaped from an unknown location.The Sykesville Police Department has no official records of what happened that day. No phone logs or reports. In fact‚ the local police have no records of the '1973 Sykesville Monster' incidents either. I have made FOIA inquiries to all agencies that I feel were involved. No information has ever been forwarded to me.On May 23‚ 2015‚ I received a phone call from an investigator who lives in Maryland. We set up an interview for that evening.His first question to me was‚ 'Have I ever heard of a location in the Sykesville area referred to as 'the monkey house?' Apparently‚ one of the witnesses from 1973 had made a comment at the time that 'it' (the Sykesville Monster) was probably from the 'monkey house.' None of the witnesses I talked to in 1981‚ after my encounter‚ ever mentioned 'the monkey house.'I made several inquiries over the years about 'the monkey house.' According to one source‚ the original witness may have been referring to a two-story building that once stood near the present-day police and correctional training facility on Slacks Rd.‚ which was located just south of the former sprawling Springfield Hospital Center. This building was officially designated as a laundry facility used by the state hospital. I recall the building and from what I remembered‚ it had significant security around it. I was told‚ at the time‚ that correctional inmates were kept there to launder clothing and linens as part of a work detail. Many locals questioned this explanation. It just didn't seem right. The moniker 'monkey house' may have been used‚ for the most part‚ by people who worked at Springfield. The building was eventually razed and replaced by a residential community.The investigator stated that he was ex-USAF and had worked at a government facility north of Baltimore in Harford County in the early 1980s. The location and facility still exist. He was part of a group of ex-military who were employed to perform general work around the facility.On one particularly hot and humid day‚ he and the crew were working outside of a specific building at this government facility. They had been told that they could walk inside the building if they needed a quick break and a drink of water. He states that he entered the building looking for a water fountain‚ but couldn't locate one. He walked deeper into the building and soon witnessed a 'large heavy reinforced door' that seemed out of place. The door had been damaged as if it had been rammed by something of significant size and power. By this time‚ he was approached by a woman in uniform who informed him that he was in a classified area and that he must leave immediately. He explained he was just looking for the water fountain. A security officer was now on the scene and he directed the witness to the water fountain. As they were heading toward the building exit‚ the witness inquired about the damaged door. The security officer only mentioned that the 'door was damaged by something confined behind it.'After several years of scrutiny and questions‚ the investigator believes that the building was used for research and contained unknown bipedal beings that had somehow escaped between 1979-1984. He had received information that 20-34 individuals of both sexes had been in the building at some period. He also mentioned that during this period there had been many Bigfoot sightings at Rocks State Park and Gunpowder Falls State Park‚ which are located near the government facility.I have been aware of Bigfoot sightings in these locations over the years‚ but I don't know if these sightings are related to the aforementioned escapes. Of course‚ this information is completely anecdotal and based on one witness' account.So‚ let's be hypothetical for a second. Is it possible that the being I witnessed near Sykesville‚ MD in 1981 was an escaped 'experiment?' Was there a facility in the Sykesville area‚ known to some as the 'monkey house'? Was there another incident‚ or series of incidents‚ at another facility in Maryland during the same period?I have talked to several people who were aware of‚ or part of various government biological experiments. One facility that continued to come up in conversations was the Edgewood Arsenal in Harford County‚ Maryland‚ the same facility mentioned by the investigator.A 1994 documentary titled 'Bad Trip to Edgewood' can be viewed here and starts by showing clips of animals being cruelly tested in the Edgewood laboratory with the voiceover stating that animals were always tested before humans. The clips are highly disturbing. But then the documentary states that such experiments were not confined to animals.The 'Medical Research Volunteer Program' was conducted at the facility between 1948 and 1975. The aim of the experiments was to analyze the impact of chemical warfare agents on military personnel to test the likes of vaccines‚ pharmaceuticals‚ and protective clothing. It is now known that 7‚000 soldiers and 1000 civilians were used as guinea pigs‚ half of which were tested with so-called 'psycho chemicals' and mind-altering drugs. The 'medical volunteers' were never told what the chemicals were and when they asked what the drugs were they were told to 'not ask questions.'But what is the actual extent of experimentation taking place at Edgewood and other facilities throughout the county? The location in Edgewood was later designated as the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) — at the Edgewood Area‚ Aberdeen Proving Ground‚ Maryland. It is also known as the U.S. Army Research Development and Engineering Command - Edgewood Chemical Biological Center.It has been speculated that Soviet dictator (USSR) Josef Stalin ordered the creation of ultra-hominid warriors by crossing humans with apes‚ according to secret documents uncovered in 2005. In the mid-1920s the USSR's top animal breeding scientist‚ Ilya Ivanov‚ was ordered to turn his skills from horse and animal work to the quest for a super-warrior. According to Moscow newspapers‚ Stalin told the scientist: “I want a new invincible human being‚ insensitive to pain‚ resistant and indifferent about the quality of food they eat.” The project failed because the technology was not available.Is it possible that the United States government embarked on a project remotely paralleling the Soviets?Again‚ the investigator I interviewed stated:"...the building was used for research and contained unknown bi-pedal beings that had somehow escaped between 1979-1984. He had received information that 20-34 individuals of both sexes had been in the building at some period. He also mentioned that during this period of time that there had been many Bigfoot sightings at Rocks State Park and Gunpowder Falls State Park‚ which are located near the government facility."I will state now that this investigator was once employed by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) and continued as a private investigator after retiring from the military. As to his other resources‚ he did not disclose them to me.There have been many hairy hominid sightings in Harford and Baltimore counties (Maryland)‚ north into Pennsylvania‚ west of the Susquehanna River‚ over the past 40+ years. Not unlike my sighting near Sykesville‚ most of the descriptions were of human-like faces. In fact‚ many of the East Coast hairy hominids share that distinction‚ as opposed to descriptions of ape-like features further west.This all begs for another familiar question. Why haven't any of these beings ever been caught or found dead?If bio-engineering is part of the development of these beings‚ who is to say that reverse-engineered extraterrestrial technology has never been incorporated in the formulation of this or any other life form? Could certain technology give these beings the ability to cloak or be multi-verse travelers? Who is to say that other unknown beings and/or bipedal cryptids can't possess similar traits? This may be a big drop into the rabbit hole‚ but I will never discount man's willingness to venture ever closer to the creator.My question is 'How far would they go?'Bloodline of the Gods: Unravel the Mystery in the Human Blood Type to Reveal the Aliens Among UsThere Were Giants Upon the Earth: Gods‚ Demigods‚ and Human Ancestry: The Evidence of Alien DNA (Earth Chronicles)DNA of the Gods: The Anunnaki Creation of Eve and the Alien Battle for HumanityThe Secret History of Extraterrestrials: Advanced Technology and the Coming New RaceHAVE A COMMENT? GO TO OUR SUBREDDIT AND POST YOUR THOUGHTSJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming&; FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTSUBSCRIBE TO THE PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS TELEGRAM GROUPHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonAccess Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----DRAGONS‚ WYVERNS‚ &; SNALLYGASTERS | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Dragons #WyvernsDragons &; Wyverns have been a part of historical legend &; heroic stories for centuries. These creatures have been a part of our modern lexicon since the advent of media entertainment. They are seen as destroyers‚ as well as instruments used to battle evil.When we hear or read of modern sightings our imaginations go back to the prehistoric Far East or the Medieval period when these behemoths were said to exist throughout antiquity.Then we hear of flying monsters of the New World‚ particularly in the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Piedmont. Dragon-like cryptids that the German settlers referred to as the Snallygaster. Are these the descendants of the legendary winged serpents of earlier times?So‚ please listen to the following accounts I have received from witnesses who recall their encounters‚ and then decide for yourself. I hope that you enjoy the presentation.-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Finale-----TODAY'S TOP LINKSAncient ‘Dune’-like Sandworm Existed Far Longer Than ThoughtThe mystery of Clatter Brook MeadowsPolice Officer in India Reports Multiple UFO Sightings Near Nuclear PlantTwisted magnetic field observed around Milky Way's central black holeABDUCTIONS! ALIEN‚ BIGFOOT‚ &; OTHERS | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #AbductionsPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO on SPOTIFY: ABDUCTIONS! ALIEN‚ BIGFOOT‚ &; OTHERS | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #AbductionsLISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHAREPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube Playlist**********Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonContact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Also available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs‚CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

Our exploration of the top 10 Fountains of Wayne songs highlights a band that masterfully combined pop sensibilities with the grit of alternative and indie rock‚ achieving notable acclaim in the U.S. Established in New York in 1995‚ Fountains of Wayne quickly distinguished themselves through their adept songwriting‚ weaving narratives filled with both pathos and humor. Their sound‚ often likened to prominent bands of the ’90s and 2000s like Blink-182‚ Sum 41‚ and Simple Plan‚ was significantly shaped by Adam Schlesinger’s exceptional songwriting prowess. Schlesinger’s talent in crafting melodies and lyrics not only defined the band’s hits but also earned The post Top 10 Fountains of Wayne Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Whether it's their lyrics‚ stage presence‚ or vocals‚ some singers are downright overrated. Even some of the most popular artists around‚ such as Taylor Swift‚ shouldn't be regarded as "the best‚" thanks to their cookie-cutter way of songwriting. When it comes to these singers‚ people can agree to disagree‚ but they're some of the most overrated artists around. Katy Perry is known for her stage... Source

In 1913‚ Woodrow Wilson and his progressives promised that the Federal Reserve would avert both depressions and inflation‚ while preventing the wealthy from controlling America’s financial markets at the expense of the poor. More than a century later‚ it’s clear that was all a lie‚ and the Fed has helped create a permanent American underclass. The Fed was designed to transfer wealth from the American people to the government‚ mostly through the hidden tax of inflation. But this process has prevented countless American families from being able to save and get ahead‚ because their savings are constantly losing value. For two decades‚ the Fed kept interest rates artificially low to help finance massive government spending. When that spending reached unprecedented heights in 2020‚ the Fed intervened more drastically than ever‚ creating trillions of dollars and devaluing the currency. Thus began an unparalleled transfer of wealth that continues to this day‚ and which has driven a wedge between different groups of Americans. The painful inflation of the last three years has increased prices throughout the economy‚ distorting the signals that prices are supposed to convey to buyers and sellers. For example‚ the cost to own a median-price home today has doubled since January 2021‚ but it’s still the same house. This phenomenon represents the monetization of housing‚ where a dwelling becomes a much better store of value than the currency‚ even if the real value of the house hasn’t improved. Likewise‚ Americans’ earnings have increased substantially over the last three years‚ but not in the most meaningful sense—that is‚ what they can buy. Instead‚ the opposite has happened‚ and today’s larger incomes buy less. What would have been a decent salary in 2019 is no longer enough to even get by in many places‚ and it’s certainly not enough to ever fulfill the American dream of homeownership. A family earning the median household income can afford a median-price home in only a handful of major metropolitan areas in the entire country. In many cities‚ the cost to own a median price home exceeds the take-home pay from the median household income. Even if you didn’t spend a dime on other necessities such as food‚ you still wouldn’t have enough for your mortgage payment. It’s truly a condemnation of the status quo when even those with seemingly high incomes cannot afford a typical house. Worse‚ as prices continue marching upward‚ people can save less‚ making it harder to accrue a sufficient down payment. Even by the time a family reaches their goal‚ home prices have increased again‚ and they’re back on the hamster wheel‚ trying to save for an even larger down payment. Meanwhile‚ inflation is steadily‚ though silently‚ taxing away the real value of the family’s savings as they sit in the bank. This has left countless Americans as perpetual renters‚ with almost an entire generation of young people giving up on having the standard of living that their parents had. An artificial chasm has been constructed between those who already own capital‚ like housing‚ and the remaining Americans who can only borrow such assets‚ as they do by renting. Similarly‚ many of those struggling to afford sharply increased rents are going deeply into debt to keep a roof over their head while those who locked in a mortgage with a fixed interest rate before both home prices and interest rates exploded have shielded themselves from one of the largest drivers behind the cost-of-living increases of the last three years. Many homeowners could not afford to buy their same home today. The monthly mortgage payment on a median-price home has doubled since January 2021. Thus‚ even if two families have identical incomes‚ the one that bought a home three years ago has a nearly insurmountable advantage over the other family trying to do so today. The Fed‘s monetary manipulations have financed trillions of dollars in federal budget deficits‚ but they’ve also created a permanent American underclass‚ something antithetical to the Founders’ vision for the country. Class mobility is at the heart of the American dream‚ and the Fed has turned it into a nightmare. Originally published by The Washington Times The post How the Federal Reserve Created an American Caste System appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Academic culture is facing a crisis of its own making. The now myriad plagiarism and other scandals rocking the ivory tower increasingly are being waved away by left-wing media. But this growing phenomenon represents an existential crisis for institutions that have long coasted on flimsy claims to their exalted position in our society. Following the January resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay‚ who a month earlier had had a disastrous performance before a House committee hearing on antisemitism‚ several other professors and diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion administrators have been hit with serious accusations of plagiarism. The latest is influential Harvard sociology assistant professor Christina J. Cross‚ whose writing on families and race have appeared in The New York Times. She’s been accused of lifting huge sections of uncited work and claiming it as her own—among other‚ smaller infractions. The Left’s message on these scandals—copied and pasted‚ it seems—is that plagiarism has been “weaponized” by the Right. “As the culture wars lurch on‚ the Right has found a perfect weapon with which to hit the university—taken straight from the academy’s arsenal itself: claims of plagiarism‚” wrote the editorial board of The Harvard Crimson in February. Yes‚ how dare those mean conservatives use basic academic standards against academics for the purpose of the “culture war‚” which our unbiased and totally meritocratic universities surely never engage in. Defenders of the academy have also gone with the old standby of crying “racism.” Tiresome‚ but all very predictable. I will have to concede one thing‚ though: In a certain sense‚ plagiarism has been “weaponized‚” by the Right‚ which holds no power in academia outside of a handful of small‚ isolated bastions. This method of criticism has only become possible because higher education has made itself so open to attack. To use a historical comparison‚ the peoples conquered by Islam in the days after the rise of Muhammad were typically preyed upon and powerless. What those living under dhimmitude had was the Quran. Their only protection came from pointing out the violations of faith by their new rulers. That forced a choice on their Muslim overlords: Weaken their rule or weaken their faith‚ which was ultimately tied to their power and status. That’s the dilemma facing academia. While universities don’t punish leftist students for shutting down politically incorrect speakers and other kinds of illiberal conduct‚ they still—for now‚ at least—make an attempt to punish those who have violated their most basic standards. Here’s a question‚ though: Would plagiarism and other kinds of scandals have been such a problem if our elite institutions weren’t filled with so many superfluous‚ underwhelming hacks? That may sound mean‚ but it’s impossible not to notice that the quality of our most elite schools—and of the people who staff them—is quickly dropping. Stories about left-wing insanity on college campuses became run-of-the-mill generations ago. But now‚ something new is happening. Now‚ many Americans‚ even ones who placed a huge amount of faith in higher education despite its flaws‚ are coming to see that they aren’t even providing the most fundamental service they—at least in theory—promise to provide; namely‚ an elite education delivered by scholars in pursuit of the truth. With the costly‚ borg-like takeover of DEI initiatives that have bled into all disciplines‚ it’s become obvious to all who are not wholly blinded to reality that higher education now places more emphasis on ideology and identity politics than teaching and scholarship. In the end‚ those who hired and appointed the DEI administrators and “anti-racism” swamis like Ibram X. Kendi didn’t expect them to produce high-quality research. No‚ they are there to demonstrate institutional commitment to leftist beliefs. Nothing else has mattered‚ and now the original product that allowed them to amass such power is slipping away. Consider this: Harvard University’s history department finally brought back an introductory history course after going nearly 20 years without one. The previous yearlong survey course was dropped in 2006 for being too “Eurocentric‚” according to The Harvard Crimson. A description of the class makes it sound more like an NPR podcast than a high-minded instruction at one of the world’s most prestigious universities. It’s apparently been designed to teach “empathy‚” and according to one of the professors‚ “on Wednesdays‚ they will ‘riff’ on recent headlines for a portion of the lecture.” I only wonder what famed Harvard alum John Quincy Adams would think about this kind of coursework. In his day‚ its students used to be required to know Latin and have a deep understanding of the classics before they attended the school. Now‚ they don’t even require courses in Latin or Greek to complete a degree in the classics. The dirty open secret is that higher ed has abandoned its role of providing trustworthy research and transmission of Western ideas to new generations. It is increasingly an environment more committed to enforcing extremely narrow left-wing ideology and ensuring that all other governmental‚ political‚ and civic institutions throughout the West maintain the same level of ideological gatekeeping. Legacy admissions may be on the decline‚ but they are being replaced by new‚ smugger so-called meritocratic pseudo-elites who lecture America about all its problematic history while making excuses for genuine evil in the here and now. As the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel starkly revealed‚ these institutions hardly have claims to moral authority. Hating the West and excusing savagery are just part of the overall package. While the power that elite academic institutions have in Western societies is immense—perhaps greater than it has ever been—they nevertheless have a collective weakness. These schools are ultimately dependent on the support‚ both social and material‚ of the rest of society. They’ve operated for decades with nearly a blank check of private and public funding. And higher education has run up a massive bill on their graduates‚ too‚ that they expect taxpayers to pay. Let me ask: Would you rather pay for your groceries with money to spare or ensure that a Starbucks employee with pronouns on his or her name tag can get his psychology degree paid for? Exactly. The goodwill from times past is long gone. In its place is well-earned doubt and hostility. Higher education is now left with a choice: Abandon the path of DEI and ruthless ideological enforcement in a return to genuine merit or double down on them with the fading support from the rest of society. The post Higher Ed’s Dilemma: Punish Plagiarism or Stick With DEI appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The U.S. “would be a less safe place” if China were to invade the self-governing democratic island of Taiwan‚ according to Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts. Roberts‚ who led a Heritage Foundation delegation to Taiwan and Japan in February‚ made the remarks during a Thursday event at Heritage titled‚ “The American Case for Taiwan.” Jeff Smith‚ director of the foundation’s Asian Studies Center‚ moderated the event. (The Daily Signal is the news arm of The Heritage Foundation.) “Since returning from Taiwan‚ I have heard you use the word ‘indispensable’ to describe Taiwan and its centrality to U.S. security and economic interests‚” Smith said. “I don’t recall you using that word prior to the trip. Something must have changed your mind.” “Yes‚ the value of seeing first hand what the world would be like‚ what the United States would be like‚ if‚ God forbid‚ Taiwan were invaded‚” Roberts responded. “And again‚ just with my parochial hat on as an American‚ which‚ of course‚ is totally appropriate. People from certain countries need to place as the top priority the needs of their nation state‚” Roberts said. “If Taiwan were invaded‚ America would be a poorer place.” "If Taiwan were invaded‚ America would be a poorer place. America would be a less safe place." https://t.co/ggqQxtgfhU— Samantha Aschieris (Renck) (@samantharenck) March 28‚ 2024 During their trip to Taiwan‚ Roberts and the Heritage delegation met with both the outgoing Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and the incoming Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. “America would be a less safe place. But also there would be a chain reaction‚” Roberts continued. “During the first Cold War‚ we’re in the second one with China‚ we operated with a thesis of a domino effect‚ which was real. The Soviet Union initiated that.” Chinese leader Xi Jinping has repeatedly called for the “reunification” of mainland China with the sovereign nation of Taiwan‚ though the island was never ruled by the Chinese Communist Party.  Honored to present President @iingwen with Heritage's Index of Economic Freedom‚ showcasing Taiwan's stellar #4 rank—a testament to an exemplary free-market nation.@Heritage and the American people are proud to stand united with Taiwan. https://t.co/EqobreT2bV— Kevin Roberts (@KevinRobertsTX) February 26‚ 2024 “Make no mistake: the Chinese saber-rattling toward Taiwan is born out of the same saber-rattling they do to us in the United States‚” Roberts added. “And if I may be really blunt‚ Jeff‚ Taiwan is indispensable if something like that scenario were to happen.” “But it’s also indispensable if hopefully that doesn’t happen‚ it causes us in the United States to realize the number one enemy in the world‚ in the history of this great country‚ the United States‚ is the Chinese Communist Party‚” Roberts said‚ adding: As awful as the Soviet Union was‚ as awful as Nazi Germany was‚ as much as we dislike the United Kingdom in the 1770s and 1780s‚ the Chinese Communist Party is the gravest threat to this country and to free people ever in the history of this country. Taiwan helps us remember that what’s at stake if something happens to them. Thursday’s event came just one day after the release of Michael Cunningham’s special report‚ also titled “The American Case for Taiwan.” Cunningham‚ who also spoke at the event‚ is a research fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center. The report highlights how U.S. national security could be impacted should China take over Taiwan.  Specifically‚ Cunningham explores how the U.S. might not be able to remain neutral in the event of a war over Taiwan‚ noting that tens of thousands of U.S. citizens living on the island would be directly impacted. He also discusses the U.S.’ involvement in respect to its treaty allies‚ the Philippines and Japan. Why would the everyday American’s prosperity be affected by a takeover or conflict over Taiwan? Heritage’s Michael Cunningham explains? pic.twitter.com/UNWp6Y1tHJ— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) March 28‚ 2024 Cunningham’s report also addresses the potentially devastating impact a Chinese takeover of Taiwan could have on both the global and U.S. economy‚ and presents five recommendations for Washington with the goal of keeping Taiwan secure and free from the Chinese Communist Party’s control.  The-American-Case-for-Taiwan-1Download Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post ‘America Would Be A Less Safe Place’ If China Invades Taiwan‚ Heritage Foundation President Says appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The “new unofficial rules” around US elections were set years ago: if one side wins‚ the integrity of the vote cannot be questioned at all; if they don’t‚ then it must be questioned. And for Democrats the preferred way to do the latter is to bring up “foreign meddling.” This is now also done “preemptively‚” ahead of a ballot. And‚ this is proving to be useful in justifying many things‚ some of which should be considered blatantly illegal‚ such as the government colluding with private tech companies to censor speech online. Related: Shadow Games: Questioning America’s Battle Against “Foreign Disinformation” in the Upcoming Election But‚ if you frame it as spy agencies engaging in “partnership with tech companies‚” and if you explain the need for it as a way to “secure elections” against the ever-meddling foreign bogeyman – the current White House clearly hopes its highly controversial activities can be sold as something positive. However‚ critics and those on the receiving end of such activities in the US – namely‚ political opponents – see this as the Biden administration basically doubling down on tech collusion‚ regardless of the fact that allegations about it are currently being deliberated all the way up in the Supreme Court (the Murthy v. Missouri case). This type of brazen behavior could mean that the ruling apparatus is very sure of itself and its ability to get away with pretty much anything – or‚ that it is not confident at all it can get Biden reelected‚ and is making risky and perhaps desperate moves. Like this: “The US intelligence community is ramping up work with technology companies ahead of the November elections as cybersecurity professionals search for new ways to combat foreign threats to the American electoral system that appeared unthinkable four years ago.” That’s how The Washington Times describes the current state of “partnerships” with tech companies – although it isn’t entirely clear if the “unthinkable” reference is meant to concern the ways foreign threats are allegedly tackled – or the fact the US intelligence community should be “ramping up work with technology companies” in the first place. At the same time‚ NBC is reporting that the FBI – having reportedly “paused” what is called its “outreach” to social platforms (regarding foreign propaganda‚ of course) – is now resuming that effort which involves “sharing information” with some US tech firms. As for what put the efforts on pause in the first place – it was “lawsuits and government scrutiny.” But that is set to the side now that elections are nearing‚ as desperate times appear to call for desperate measures. The post Shifting Election Narratives and Tech Collusion: Federal Government Continues Outreach to Tech Companies appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Unsealed court documents in California – part of a class action lawsuit filed by consumers against Meta and alleging anti-competitive behavior via deceptive data extraction – have revealed that back in 2016‚ Facebook came up with a secret project dubbed “Ghostbusters.” We obtained a copy of the documents for you here. What Facebook effectively did was use man-in-the-middle attack-style ways to intercept encrypted traffic‚ initially targeting competitor Snapchat (hence the project’s name‚ referring to the Snapchat logo)‚ to later expand this to Amazon and YouTube. An internal Facebook email sent by CEO Mark Zuckerberg included in the now unsealed documents explains why the company decided to take this type of action – apparently‚ to get access to “analytics” regarding Snapchat’s traffic‚ given that Facebook had none up until that point thanks to the app’s encryption. The “analytics” referenced here was necessary for Facebook to improve its targeting signals. “Given how quickly they’re growing‚ it seems important to figure out a new way to get reliable analytics about them. Perhaps we need to do panels or write custom software. You should figure out how to do this‚” Zuckerberg wrote to his underlings in the summer of 2016. And so they set out to find a way to “intercept and decrypt‚” that work being done by the giant’s In-App Action Panel (IAPP). Three years prior‚ Facebook bought Onavo‚ a company in the business of analyzing web traffic sent through its VPN‚ Onavo Protect‚ to gain access to statistics about how other apps are used. We now know why that acquisition happened in the first place. Three years after Ghostbusters was launched‚ in 2019‚ Facebook had to shut down Onavo after yet another unrelated scandal. And this was the same year when IAPP also apparently ceased operations. As for the scandal developing now‚ members of the IAPP project came up with “so-called kits that can be installed on iOS and Android that intercept traffic for specific subdomains‚ ‘allowing us to read what would otherwise be encrypted traffic so we can measure in-app usage‚” TechCrunch writes‚ quoting from one of the emails. However‚ some of Facebook’s top engineers (unsuccessfully) pushed back against the idea‚ calling it “a legal‚ technical‚ and security nightmare.” But not everyone had to be spied on: if they agreed to give Facebook data‚ that is. At least that’s how the class action lawsuit describes the relationship between Facebook and Netflix. The post Facebook Used “Man-in-the-Middle” Approach To Snoop on Users’ Encrypted Traffic in Secret Project appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. RMIT ABC Fact Check – a collaboration between RMIT University and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation – is continuing to lose whatever credibility it had left after a series of previous scandals. And‚ this case once again sheds negative light on the phenomenon that is the fact-checking industry‚ one of the by-products of the censorship and information control that’s dominated the media over the past years. The latest scandal saw businessman Dick Smith directly accusing RMIT of being the actual spreader of misinformation and lies – after the group came out with its “fact-check” of his remarks related to nuclear and renewable energy. Related: Zuckerberg says he has “empathy” for those censored by “fact-checkers” who crush debate‚ but doesn’t suggest any changes And despite RMIT at first attempting to stick to its guns‚ maintaining that its assertions were accurate‚ Smith yesterday received an apology from the ABC‚ which also had to correct its original report‚ which is now described as “riddled with errors” thanks to RMIT’s “fact-checking.” It all started several days earlier when Smith spoke for a Sydney radio station‚ refuting a claim made by Australia’s government agency‚ the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)‚ which said it is possible for an entire country to depend solely on solar and wind energy. That is “simply a lie (…) they (CSIRO) are telling lies” said the businessman‚ adding that since there is no example anywhere of a country managing to sustain itself‚ energy-wise‚ on renewables – “we should be making a decision to go nuclear now.” This “activated” RMIT ABC Fact Check‚ that quickly came out with a report supposedly proving that Smith was wrong by making what turned out to be a false claim that Nepal (and three others) is an example of a country which uses 100 percent renewable energy sources. What possessed RMIT to pick Nepal of all places as an example remains unknown‚ since reports say the country is “highly reliant on the debilitating burning of bio-fuel.” But it did provide Smith with another opportunity to call out liars. “I’m angry. The whole document is full of misinformation and lies‚ it’s designed to discredit me. Absolutely disgusting‚” Smith said. “They (RMIT) say on the document… this is your inoculation against misinformation and their document is just completely misinformation because the left at the ABC have to be against nuclear‚ so they just make up every lie they can to distort anyone who says we have to move to nuclear‚” he added. Smith also said that the three other countries mentioned by RMIT – Albania‚ Bhutan and Paraguay – also all use fossil fuel. Elon Musk was quick to support Smith’s comments‚ responding to journalist Michael Shellenberger by writing‚ “Having government ‘fact-checkers’ is a giant leap in the direction of tyranny.” Previously‚ even Facebook had to cut ties with RMIT after the group was accused of hijacking its fact-checking program and behaving as an activist. The post Facebook “Fact-Checker” RMIT Accused of Misconduct‚ Criticized for Spreading Misinformation about Energy appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Democrats Are Still Pushing a Wealth Tax