Today’s News: June 30, 2022

WORLD NEWS

China and Russia want to create G7 alternative – media

Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that Beijing and Moscow hope to expand BRICS to include four more nations

China and Russia want BRICS, a club of five major emerging economies, to become a counterweight to the Western-dominated 

Group of Seven (G7), a German newspaper has reported. To this end, Beijing and Moscow are apparently seeking to expand the group, whose other three participants are Brazil, India and South Africa.

In a report on Wednesday, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung claimed that since the start of Russia’s offensive against Ukraine, and the imposition of sweeping Western sanctions, Moscow has been trying to strengthen and expand its alliances with nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Kremlin has reportedly nourished the hope of turning BRICS into an alternative to the G7 for years, after it was kicked out of the former G8. According to the German paper, the Kremlin has now doubled down on these efforts.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that two more nations, Argentina and Iran, had applied to join the group. On her Telegram channel, the diplomat noted that this happened “while the White House was thinking what to disconnect, ban or spoil in the world.”

Ukraine says it has pushed Russian forces from Snake Island

Winning back vital Black Sea island could weaken any future Russia coastal land attack

Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian forces from Snake Island, a strategic Black Sea island off the southern coast near the city of Odesa.

Russia portrayed the pullout from Snake Island off the port city of Odesa as a “goodwill gesture.” Ukraine’s military said the Russians fled the island in two speedboats following a barrage of Ukrainian artillery and missile strikes.

Ukraine’s win will weaken any plans Russia may have for a future land attack on that stretch of coastline, Ukrainian officials say.

Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander of Ukraine’s armed forces, said Ukrainian-made Bohdana howitzers had played an important role in routing Russian forces from Snake Island, and he thanked foreign partners for their support.

“KABOOM!” tweeted Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration. “No more Russian troops on Snake Island.”

Russia’s ministry of defence stated that it had completed its assigned tasks and was tactically withdrawing to allow for grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

“In order to organise humanitarian grain corridors as part of the implementation of joint agreements reached with the participation of the UN, the Russian Federation decided to leave its positions on Zmiinyi Island,” the defence ministry said.

Yermak described Russia’s claim of goodwill as a lie.

“Stage 6” Power Blackouts Hit South Africa Amid Labor Unrest

South African state power utility Eskom has been hit with labor unrest contributing to widespread blackouts after ten generation units went offline.

Reuters says Eskom is facing “Stage 6” power cuts that mean most South Africans will experience six hours without power, beginning Tuesday night, one of the worst power crises since 2019.

“Three of the 10 generation units that had tripped during the night have been returned to service. This, however, is still insufficient to stave off the implementation of Stage 6 load-shedding,” Eskom said in a statement.

Blackouts were caused primarily by “unlawful and unprotected labor action, which has caused widespread disruption to Eskom’s power plants,” the utility said.

How Bad Will the Food Shortage Get?

May 2020, I, along with other experts, predicted that food disruptions and even famine could follow the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, that prediction appears to be coming true, as food shortages and sky-high prices will become a long-term thing by this fall. Don’t panic, just prepare.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that severe food shortages are going to be inevitable, more or less worldwide, and whatever food is available will continue to go up in price

The cost of agricultural inputs such as diesel and fertilizers is skyrocketing due to shortages — caused by a combination of intentional and coincidental events — and those costs will be reflected in consumer food prices come fall and next year

Mysterious fires, alleged bird flu outbreaks and other inexplicable events are killing off livestock and destroying crucial infrastructure. Since the end of April 2021, at least 96 farms, food processing plants and food distribution centers across the U.S. have been damaged or destroyed

The global food price index had risen 58.5% above the 2014-2016 average as of April 2022, due to a convergence of post-pandemic global demand, extreme weather, tightening food stocks, high energy prices, supply chain bottlenecks, export restrictions, taxes and the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Combined, all of these factors set us up for guaranteed food shortages, food inflation and, potentially, famine in some places, so now is the time to prepare

Study: 25% of World Population at Risk as 6-Inch+ Floods Sweep China, India

Roughly one-quarter of the world’s population is currently at risk from “once-in-a-century” floods, with nearly 70 percent of this demographic living across South and East Asia, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday citing a new assessment published by the journal Nature Communications.

About 25 percent (1.8 billion) of the global population (7.9 billion) is at “significant” risk of exposure to floods with a depth of six inches or more, according to the report. Of this high-risk group, 395 million are people living in China and 390 million are people living in India.

In a report titled, “Flood exposure and poverty in 288 countries” published on June 28, authors including the World Bank’s Jun Rentschler wrote:

We find that about 1.81 billion people, or 23% of the world population, are directly exposed to inundation depths of over 0.15 meters. This would pose significant risks to lives and livelihoods, especially of vulnerable population groups. The majority (1.24 billion) are located in South and East Asia, where China (395 million) and India (390 million) account for over one-third of global exposure.

The analysis noted specific zones within India and China that are especially prone to flooding due to their locations along coastlines or river basins.

In a report titled, “Flood exposure and poverty in 288 countries” published on June 28, authors including the World Bank’s Jun Rentschler wrote:

We find that about 1.81 billion people, or 23% of the world population, are directly exposed to inundation depths of over 0.15 meters. This would pose significant risks to lives and livelihoods, especially of vulnerable population groups. The majority (1.24 billion) are located in South and East Asia, where China (395 million) and India (390 million) account for over one-third of global exposure.

The analysis noted specific zones within India and China that are especially prone to flooding due to their locations along coastlines or river basins.

U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Supreme Court Curbs EPA’s Power To Regulate Emissions And Fight Climate Change

The Supreme Court has made it more challenging for the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases and fight climate change, as justices ruled Thursday in favor of Republican-led states and coal companies that asked the court to limit how much the EPA can control emissions from power plants.

The court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines that the EPA does not have the authority under the Clean Air Act to create caps for greenhouse gas emissions and create “generation shifting” requirements (the method by which power plants can reduce emissions).

GOP-led states and coal companies had sued the Biden administration to limit how much the EPA can regulate emissions from power plants, even though the administration hasn’t actually come up with a rule for those emissions yet.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer Announces Official Retirement Date

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has announced when he’ll officially retire from the nation’s highest court.

In a letter to President Joe Biden, Breyer confirmed that his retirement will come into effect on June 30 at 12 p.m. ET.

“The Court has announced that tomorrow, beginning at 10 a.m., it will hand down all remaining opinions ready during this Term,” he wrote in the letter. “Accordingly, my retirement from active service under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. [Section] 371(b) will be effective on Thursday, June 30, 2022, at noon. It has been my great honor to participate as a judge in the effort to maintain our Constitution and the Rule of Law.”

Breyer, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1994, wrote that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is prepared to “take the prescribed oaths” to start her service on the Supreme Court.

Breyer’s retirement also fulfills a demand from some Democrats who wanted the 83-year-old to leave the Supreme Court to allow Biden to make his first appointment to the high court. Democrats currently have a razor-thin, 50–50 majority in the Senate, as Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, will cast the deciding vote in a deadlocked Senate vote.

1. Kelly Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison
2. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison Wednesday by Judge Ann M. Donnelly after being convicted for 9 charges, including sex crimes and human trafficking.

Prosecutors had been recommending a minimum 25-year sentence due to the heinous nature of Kelly’s crimes, according to TMZ. Dozens of witnesses took the stand, revealing that Kelly’s managers, bodyguards, and assistants would gather potential victims for Kelly, who would then proceed to groom them and impose sexual relations with them, according to TMZ. Kelly’s trial took over a month to unravel in court.

Supreme Court Reinstates Louisiana Election Map Disputed by Democrats

The Supreme Court granted an emergency Republican application to reinstate a disputed election map in Louisiana late in the day on June 28, a move that allows the map to remain in place for the next elections.

Attorney Marc Elias, whose law firm represents some of the voters challenging the map, was disappointed by the high court’s ruling.

“We will not give up,” he wrote on Twitter. “The fight for voting rights and fair districts continues.”

Election law expert J. Christian Adams, a former U.S. Department of Justice civil rights attorney who now heads the Public Interest Legal Foundation, an election integrity group, welcomed the Supreme Court’s order.

“Looks like the Court is ready to fix some bad redistricting law,” Adams told The Epoch Times by email.

In the ruling, the high court also stayed two lower court rulings that found that the redrawn congressional district boundaries in the map probably violated the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) by diluting the power of black voters.

Section 2 of the VRA “prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color, or membership” in a large language minority group, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The court said in the brief unsigned order (pdf) that it would hold off on considering the merits of the case until after it hears and decides a similar case from Alabama known as Merrill v. Milligan, court file 21-1086. The court decided on Feb. 22 to hear the case, which is scheduled for oral argument on Oct. 4.

In that case, 14 states are urging the Supreme Court to reject a lower court’s ruling that a new congressional electoral map approved by Alabama’s Legislature in 2021 be returned to state lawmakers for redrafting because it supposedly disadvantages black voters, as The Epoch Times previously reported. Alabama’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives currently consists of six Republicans and one Democrat.

In the case at hand, the map was approved by Louisiana state lawmakers in March after they overrode Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’s veto. According to a CNN summary, the map kept Republicans’ advantage in five of the Pelican State’s six congressional districts. This left only the 2nd district, which runs all the way from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, as the state’s only majority-black district and the sole district to favor Democrats. Reportedly, 33 percent of all Louisianans are black.

Those suing to block the map claimed in their lawsuit that the map maximizes “political power for white citizens” by concentrating black voters in one congressional district, while placing other black voters in five other districts where their numbers are too small to elect candidates they supposedly prefer.

The June 28 order came in Ardoin v. Robinson, court file 21A814. Kyle Ardoin is Louisiana’s Republican secretary of state. The respondent, Press Robinson, a black man, is a registered voter in Baton Rouge.

The emergency application to revive the electoral map was filed with Justice Samuel Alito, who referred the case to the full court.

The court’s liberal members—Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan—dissented from the new decision but didn’t provide reasons explaining why.

Former ICE Chief on Mass Smuggling Deaths: ‘No One Deserves to Die That Way’

The death of 50 illegal immigrants being smuggled in the back of a tractor-trailer in San Antonio on June 27 brought up tragic memories for Tom Homan, the former head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Homan had seen it before—in Victoria, Texas, in 2003. A tractor-trailer with as many as 80 illegal immigrants crammed inside with no water and no way to escape. It was a refrigerated truck in which the smugglers had turned off the refrigeration—the same as in San Antonio. Nineteen people died in the 2003 incident.

“I know in my case, he didn’t use [refrigeration] because he didn’t want to draw attention to himself, because … if he ever got stopped, he claims it’s empty, there’s no reason to check,” Homan told The Epoch Times.

He said it was 170 degrees inside the truck.

“It’s a steel box in a Texas summer,” Homan said.

The temperature in San Antonio had topped 100 degrees on June 27 when a nearby worker heard a cry for help coming from an abandoned truck and went to investigate, according to William McManus, San Antonio police chief. The person opened the doors and found “a number of deceased individuals inside,” McManus told media.

Forty-six people were already dead inside the truck and a further 16 were transported to the hospital, including “four pediatric” cases, said Charles Hood, San Antonio fire chief.

“The patients that we saw were hot to the touch. They were suffering from heat stroke, heat exhaustion,” Hood told media on June 27.

“We’re not supposed to open up a truck and see stacks of bodies in there. None of us come to work imagining that.”

Army Vet Wins Colorado GOP Bout Between Political Newcomers

A former U.S. Army officer and West Point graduate running for his first political office has won the June 28 Republican primary in Colorado’s Congressional District 7 (CD 7).

Erik Aadland, an Iraq/Afghanistan combat veteran awarded the Bronze Star for valor, edged economist Tim Reichert and 2016 Jefferson County Trump campaign chair and 2020 Republican National Convention delegate Laurel Imer to win the GOP nod in CD 7.

Aadland, who has worked as an oil and gas industry project manager for the last decade, will take on state Sen. Brittany Pettersen, a Democrat, in November’s general election.

Pettersen was unopposed in the Democratic primary after qualifying for the ballot through the assembly process. Political parties in Colorado conduct preliminary county, district, and state-level assemblies to designate primary candidates. Candidates can also petition for direct access to the primary ballot.

Pettersen was placed on the ballot in assembly votes, and no challenger petitioned to face off in a primary. Her nomination was assured when she garnered the endorsement of retiring Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.).

Perlmutter has represented CD 7 for 16 years, but post-2020 Census redistricting has made what had been a Democratic stronghold more competitive for Republican candidates.

The refashioned CD 7 no longer includes some Denver suburbs while adding rural mountain areas to the mix.

According to the Colorado Secretary of State Office, as of May 1, there are 142,996 registered Democrats, 128,404 registered Republicans, and 234,980 registered voters unaffiliated with any party in the new district.

Despite a D+6 rating, the number of independent voters makes the district “competitive,” according to FiveThirtyEight. The Cook Partisan Voting Index rates CD 7 “likely Democratic” but also “competitive.”

Those independents—44 percent of about 515,000 registered voters—will determine who wins in November, not only in CD 7 but in local, state, and congressional elections across Colorado, where 46 percent of the state’s 3.73 million voters are registered as unaffiliated with a party.

Independent voters can also essentially chart what candidates win primaries since Colorado law allows them to cast ballots in one primary of their choice.

UPDATE: Arizona Passes School Choice Bill, Setting New Standard For Education Choice For 1 Million Students

Arizona set a new standard for education this past week, passing a bill that allows families to pick the school of their choice, and the State will help fund that choice.

The legislation includes an empowerment scholarship account eligibility to every Arizona family.

Under HB2853, every family in Arizona is now eligible for the State’s 2011 Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program. The program was initially designed for disabled, military, or failing students. 

Under the program, all of the State’s families qualify for $6,500 in tuition annually per child for private or home schools or learning pods. The move puts the choice of decision back in the hands of parents, allowing them to make decisions they believe are best for their children. 

“This legislation is the most robust expansion of educational freedom in the nation,” Matt Beienburg, director of education policy of Goldwater Institute, told the Washington Free Beacon. 

“It guarantees every Arizona student, whether they are coming from public school, private school, or homeschooling, the opportunity to join the ESA program and receive their share of state funding to pursue any educational opportunity that best needs their needs,” he said.

Goldwater said many families make financial sacrifices annually, shouldering private school tuition costs or homeschool supplies. Yet, those same families have access to enroll their children in public schools, costing taxpayers over $10,000 per year. 

Arizona lawmakers decided to make those funds available to all of the State’s families regardless of school choice. 

Earlier this year, Governor Doug Ducey challenged the lawmakers in his State of the State address to “think big” regarding their children’s education.

“This session, let’s expand school choice any way we can,” Ducey said. “Send me the bills, and I’ll sign them.

REVENGE OF THE JACOBS (AND JEDI)

We want to invite you into a world of rancorous hearings and sanction motions and bar complaints and motions to recuse and petty jealousies and rages by Judges sanctioning lawyers (Bruce Jacobs) for raising defenses that plaintiffs were using fraudulent documents. It is a world of sanctions and fees and personal anger at a level never seen in the hallowed (and currently empty) halls of the REGJB. 

It is the world of mortage foreclosure defense.  The brief filed by Bruce Jacobs very competent counsel- David Winker- is troubling to read. Well respected Judges including the Judge de jour- Hanzman- come off looking not so great, threatening lawyers for raising defenses and arguing issues that – it appears to us- they have every right to raise and argue. 

It is world where mortgage foreclosure apparently consumes the litigators and the judiciary; where both plaintiff and defense counsel come to view their roles as avengers, and in which both sides have been repeatedly sanctioned and disciplined. It is a world where different appellate districts have taken vastly different views of the law and the practice of foreclosure defense, in which some districts buy whole heartedly the defense theories of fraud and robo-signing of documents, and other districts- notably the 3rd DCA- go so far as to sanction lawyers for advancing those defenses. 

It is a world in which Bruce Jacobs was forced to dig deep into himself, exploring his spirituality to sustain him through increasingly dark times. And it is a world in which Bruce Jacobs repeatedly defended homeowners pro bono, and stared down banks worth billions, forcing them to abandon mortgage foreclosure actions rather than respond to discovery orders. It is a world where Bruce Jacobs won a federal law suit vindicating his theories of fraud on the courts, and it is a world in which Hawaii was considering hiring Bruce Jacobs because of his fearsome advocacy, until well funded lobbyists, fearful of his lawyering, poisoned the well. 

It is a world we want no part of. The rancor and hatred and personal animosity that has apparently split both the bar and judiciary down the middle shocks us.  Give us a good death penalty case rather than the mean-spirited acrimony of foreclosure actions. 

Read the brief and decide for yourself —> Download this PDF

Alleged Intruder in Critical Condition After 93-Year-Old Homeowner Opens Fire

An alleged intruder is in critical condition after being shot by a 93-year-old Moreno Valley, California, homeowner early Wednesday morning.

FOX 11 notes that the incident occurred “in the 24300 block of Eucalyptus Avenue.”

ABC 7 reports that Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home to find the alleged intruder shot.

He was transported to a hospital.

Oscar Malma’s wife is related to the 93-year-old homeowner, and Malma told ABC 7 that the homeowner’s property has been the targeted by burglars/intruders numerous times.

Malma said of the homeowner, “He was tired because every time he calls the police, (they took) forever to come and assist him. He took the law into his own hands… He’s been working all his life and whatever little things he has, he’s (protecting).”

CBS News: Over Half U.S. Murder Cases Go Unsolved as Rate Continues to Surge

A shocking report revealed that almost half of the nation’s murder cases go unsolved, including around three out of four Chicago murder cases, a CBS News investigation team found.

Using FBI crime statistics to determine their findings, the team found that the national clearance rate for murder cases — meaning solved cases — in major U.S. urban cities had sunk to its lowest levels in over 50 years. The team primarily used data from 2020 as that year was the most recent release from the FBI.

Defund the Police: West Hollywood Council Votes to Cut 4 Cops, Replace with Unarmed ‘Ambassadors’

The city council of West Hollywood, California, voted Monday night to cut the number of armed sheriff’s deputies by four, replacing them with 30 unarmed “ambassadors,” despite a crime wave and a national backlash over “defund the police.”

The Democrat-dominated haven, whose mayor once tried to ban Donald Trump from speaking in the city, and which honored porn star Stormy Daniels with the key to the city during her crusade against Trump, has seen crime rise 137% in one year.

Nevertheless, NBC Los Angeles reported, the city council voted 3-2 to cut police funding in deference to the “Black Lives Matter” movement:

During the council’s vote to restructure the city’s budget on Monday, the measure was only narrowly approved. It passed without the support of West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister, who has been a vocal opponent of reducing the Sheriff’s presence in the city.

The restructuring will leave WeHo with four fewer patrolling Sheriff’s Deputies. Two of those deputies will be removed in six months, while the other two will be removed six months after that.

The new budget reallocates the funds from those four deputies to Block by Block, which staffs unarmed, blue-shirted security ambassadors and provides the city with supplemental law enforcement services.

Joe Rogan Reveals Likely Choice for President in 2024

Podcaster Joe Rogan revealed he would support Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the 2024 presidential election because of the governor’s stance on personal liberties.

When discussing the 2024 election with actress and former MMA fighter Gina Carano, Rogan suggested he would not support President Joe Biden, prompting Carano to inquire about who Rogan might support in two years.

“Ron DeSantis would work as a good president,” Rogan said in response. “What he has done for Florida has been admirable.”

Rogan made note of the mainstream media criticism against DeSantis during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ultimately, he was correct,” Rogan remarked about DeSantis’s policies. “He was correct when it comes to, like, deaths. He was correct when it comes to protecting our vulnerable populations. He was correct in terms of distribution of monoclonal antibodies, and he was furious when the government tried to pull those. They were trying to pull very effective treatments.”

“You know, he is not perfect. He’s a human being,” Rogan said. “But what he’s done is stand up for freedoms.”

Rogan also said there was “some weird gaslighting” where some people “equated freedom and saying the word ‘freedom’ to, like, right-wing bigotry and hate,” adding, “It’s so strange.”

It’s not clear, however, if DeSantis will even run for president. The Florida governor has made few public comments on a possible 2024 bid, and several weeks ago, told Fox News that he’s focused on running his state.

EXCLUSIVE: DOJ Has VA Suspend All Benefits of Jan. 6 Prisoner

‘This is what you have when vindictive leftists get in charge of major parts of the government’: Rep. Gohmert

Just when the wife of one incarcerated Jan. 6 prisoner believed things couldn’t get worse, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) informed her they are going to suspend all of her husband’s benefits. According to United States Representative Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), “this is what you have when vindictive leftists get in charge of major parts of the government.”

In an unsigned letter from the VA—dated June 13 and appearing to originate from the “Director Regional Office,”—Angel and Kenneth Harrelson were notified that the administration “received information from the United States Department of Justice” that Kenneth had been “indicted and charged with Seditious Conspiracy (18 U.S.C 2384).”

The letter further noted that: “Pursuant to 38 U.S. Code § 6105(a)”—Forfeiture for subversive activities—”after receiving notice of an indictment for the above offense” the “VA must suspend payment of gratuitous benefits pending disposition of the criminal proceedings. If convicted, gratuitous benefits are forfeited, automatically, from and after the date of the offense.”

The “date of the offense” is Jan. 6, 2021.

“Based on the information above,” the VA further informed the Harrelsons that they “propose to suspend” their “compensation benefit payments effective September 1, 2022, which is the first day of the month following a 60-day due process period.”

“If you are subsequently acquitted of this charge, payments can be resumed from the date of suspension, if otherwise in order. If you are convicted, benefits will be retroactively terminated effective January 5, 2021, the date proceeding the offense, or from the date your award commenced, whichever is later.”

According to 38 U.S. Code § 6105:

“Any individual who is CONVICTED after September 1, 1959, of any offense listed in subsection (b) of this section shall, from and after the date of commission of such offense, have no right to gratuitous benefits (including the right to burial in a national cemetery) under laws administered by the Secretary based on periods of military, naval, air, or space service commencing before the date of the commission of such offense and no other person shall be entitled to such benefits on account of such individual.”

According to the 18-page criminal complaint (pdf), Kenneth Harrelson was charged with Conspiracy (1) Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting (2) Destruction of Government Property and Aiding and Abetting (3) Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds (4) Tampering with Documents or Proceedings (5). According to the Arrest Warrant (pdf), Kenneth was arrested at his home in Titusville, Florida, on March 10, 2021. According to the Criminal Docket, the seditious conspiracy charge was added with several others on Jan. 12, 2022.

Kenneth is currently being held in the Correctional Treatment Facility in southeast Washington and has been incarcerated, without a trial and without being convicted of any crime, for over 475 days.

Page two of the letter explains that: “if convicted,” the change in his benefits “may mean” the VA had paid “too much,” in which case they will send another letter letting them “know if the changes go through.” If so, the “VA’s Debt Management Center will send a letter explaining how much” they’ve “been overpaid, as well as how to repay this debt.”

Supreme Court Shuts Down Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy

The nation’s highest court found that the Department of Homeland Security did have the authority to end enforcement of the Migrant Protection Protocols.

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Joe Biden’s attempt to unwind one of the Trump administration’s signature immigration policies, in a ruling that will have expansive implications for the president’s lurching pursuit of creating an orderly asylum system at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The nation’s highest court found that the Department of Homeland Security did have the authority to end enforcement of the Migrant Protection Protocols, better known by the Trump-given nickname “Remain in Mexico.”

“The Government’s rescission of MPP did not violate” the Immigration and Naturalization Act, the court’s majority ruled in a 5-4 decision, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joining the court’s liberal wing.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

STOCK MARKET WORST SINCE 1970… DEVELOPING…

Stocks fell on Thursday, as the S&P 500 caps off its worst first half in more than 50 years.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 320 points, or 1%. The S&P 500 slid 1%, and the Nasdaq Composite pulled back by 1.3%.

Cruise stocks continued to drag and led the market lower, after Morgan Stanley cut its price target on Carnival roughly in half Wednesday and said it could potentially go to zero. Carnival shares were down 5% Thursday along with Royal Caribbean. Norwegian Cruise Line fell 6%.

Home retail stocks were down too. High-end furniture chain RH saw shares drop about 9% after it issued a profit warning for the full year. Wayfair and Williams-Sonoma followed lower by 5% and 3%, respectively.

“The combination of slowing growth, fading EPS prospects, and ongoing monetary tightening has been weighing on equity sentiment for months and is causing consternation again this morning,” wrote Adam Crisafulli of Vital Knowledge.

Thursday marked the final day of the second quarter. The Dow and S&P 500 are on track for their worst three-month period since the first quarter of 2020 when Covid lockdowns sent stocks tumbling. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite is down more than 20% over the last three months, its worst stretch since 2008.

The S&P 500 is also on track for its worst first half of the year since 1962, which has been dominated by myriad factors pressuring markets. Those include surging inflation, Federal Reserve rate hikes, Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine and Covid-19 lockdowns in China – all of which have helped fuel fears of a coming global recession.

FCC Commissioner Calls on Apple and Google to Ban TikTok From App Stores

In light of national security threats posed by TikTok, Commissioner Brendan Carr called on both Apple and Google to ban TikTok in their app stores.

Brendan Carr, the Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) addressed the security issue in an open letter to Apple and Google on June 24.

He highlighted on Twitter: “TikTok is not just another video app;” “That’s the sheep’s clothing;” and “It harvests swaths of sensitive data that new reports show are being accessed in Beijing.”

Replying to Carr’s post, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) also wrote, “For YEARS, @BrendanCarrFCC & I have been warning about Communist China using TikTok to steal American technology and data and the dangerous threat this app poses.”

US Consumer Spending in Q1 2022 Revised Sharply Downward, a Bad Sign for the Economy

U.S. consumer spending was down in the first quarter of 2022, according to revised figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) on June 29, a sign that the economy is showing signs of weakening growth.

When adjusted for inflation, consumer spending increased by 0.5 percent in the first quarter, well below the previous estimate of 0.8 percent growth, but a slowdown from the 0.6 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The government partially blames the unexpected decline in economic activity on the Omicron variant and decreased government assistance payments to individuals, as well as a reduction in forgivable loans to businesses.

Real gross domestic product, which shrank 0.4 percent when adjusted for inflation, saw the equivalent of a 1.6 percent annual rate of contraction in the first quarter of 2022, according to the latest estimate released by the agency.

A broad decline in U.S. exports, government spending, a glut business inventories, along with an increase in imports, subtracted from the final calculation of real GDP in the report.

Consumer spending, the main driver of the economy, remained solid, especially in the service sector in the first quarter, but rose at a rate significantly less than expected, while spending on retail goods tumbled.

This was in stark contrast to the fourth quarter of 2021, which saw real GDP increase by 6.9 percent—the fastest gain in 40 years, due to a jump in exports.

Spending remained resilient in the last quarter, despite the fastest inflation growth in 40 years, but the latest revisions put the results in a somewhat different light.

Real disposable personal income saw a decline in the first quarter by 7.8 percent, compared with a decline of 4.5 percent in the fourth quarter.

Americans’ personal savings fell to $1.02 trillion from $1.45 trillion in the first and fourth quarters respectively.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

Tesla Lays Off 200 Workers in Embattled ‘Autopilot’ Division, Closes California Facility

Elon Musk’s Tesla has laid off hundreds of workers on its embattled Autopilot team as the company closed its California facility. The company’s Autopilot feature is facing mounting scrutiny from the federal government over a growing list of crashes involved the driver assist feature.

Bloomberg reports that Tesla has laid off around 200 workers from its Autopilot team. The move was reportedly a surprise given that Tesla previously disclosed layoffs targeted at salaried positions in the past rather than a reduction of its hourly employee workforce. Added to this, CEO Elon Musk outlined a plan to boost hourly jobs as recently as last week.

HEALTH

Marijuana Use Increases Risk for Emergency Room Visit  Read Newsmax: Marijuana Use 

Increases Risk for Emergency Room Visit | Newsmax.com

Toking up increases your risk of landing in the hospital, a new study reports.

Recreational marijuana use was associated with 22% greater odds of needing to visit an emergency room or be hospitalized, Canadian researchers found.

The study showed physical injuries, lung ailments and gastrointestinal problems were the top three reasons why pot users had to go to the hospital.

Salmonella Found in World’s Biggest Chocolate Plant

Production has been halted in the world’s biggest chocolate plant, run by Swiss giant Barry Callebaut in the Belgian town of Wieze, after salmonella contaminations was found, the firm said Thursday.

A company spokesman told AFP that production had been protectively halted at the factory, which produces liquid chocolate in wholesale batches for 73 clients making confectionaries.

There have been no reports so far of any chocolate consumers infected by the salmonella, which causes salmonellosis, a disease that cause diarrhea and fever but is only dangerous in the most extreme cases.

I’m An MD & PhD: This Shower Hack Will Supercharge Your Health

What if we told you that you could supercharge your health with a three-minute shower hack? According to Mark Harper, M.D., Ph.D., consultant anesthetist at Sussex University Hospitals, cold therapy expert, and author of Chill: The Cold Water Swim Cure, it’s totally possible. In fact, he has dedicated his work to discovering therapeutic uses of cold-water adaptation and open-water swimming—and his research on cold plunges and well-being is quite astounding. 

Harper is partial to an ocean dip, he tells us on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, but before you dive head-first into icy open waters, it helps to start out small—like, say, with cold showers. It turns out, you can reap many of the same benefits, and it only takes a few minutes. Allow Harper to gush about the benefits of cold therapy below, and find his tips to get started today.

Benefits of cold water therapy.

“We want to keep the stress response in the good physiological zone rather than the bad pathological zone,” Harper says, and cold water therapy can keep those stress levels steady: “If you go into cold water a few times, maybe half a dozen, that stress response is attenuated. Your baseline level of stress goes down, so you are spending more time in that good physiological level.” And when you hover around those good levels of stress, very good things can start to happen:

1. Less inflammation 

The theory is that cold water immersion activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is modulated by the vagus nerve—and the vagus nerve is connected to the inflammatory response. “That direct activation of the parasympathetic nervous system can actually reduce inflammation,” notes Harper. 

2. Immunity 

Cold therapy has also been lauded for its immune-supporting benefits, thanks to its ability to balance the inflammatory response. “There’s one interesting study which showed that people who took a cold shower every day had less days off work sick,” Harper notes. Specifically, this 2016 study found that people who took cold showers for at least 30 seconds for one month called in sick 29% less than the control group, and 54% less if they also engaged in regular physical exercise. Consider it another lifestyle intervention for a strong immune system—sort of like investing in a quality immune-supporting supplement.

3. Better mental health 

And because the vagus nerve is so important for emotional regulation, cold water therapy is thought to have mood-supporting benefits as well. Harper even found that 61 outdoor swimmers participating in a 10-week introductory outdoor swimming course had short- and long-term reductions in negative mood, as well as increases in well-being and positive mood. 

How to do it correctly. 

OK, so cold showers are associated with plenty of health benefits—but you shouldn’t simply hop under a freezing spray and call it a day. Harper has a few tips to get the most out of your icy dip:

• Go in warm: Your body, generally, stores heat. “If you go into cold water and your storage heater is cold, you haven’t got much reserve. But if you go in and your storage heater is warm, you’re gonna have a more pleasant experience,” says Harper. Perhaps start your shower off with a steamy spray, or opt for a cold shower after a sweaty, heart-pumping workout. 
• Get cold as quickly as possible: “You want to get yourself cold as quickly as possible,” says Harper. “It’s as simple as that—keep warm first and whack it down.” 
• Stay in until your breath evens out: In terms of how long you should stand there shivering, Harper says to bear it until you can control your breath—usually around three minutes. If you can only stand the frigid temperature for 30 seconds, that’s OK. Do what you can and work your way up to a longer stretch of time. And know that more does not necessarily equal better: “It really doesn’t take much time,” Harper says. 
• Then dunk your face: For those who want to go the extra mile: “Once you’ve passed those three minutes and your breathing comes under control, then you can start putting your head underwater,” Harper adds. Simply face forward into the spray for a couple of seconds. 
• Dry off and warm up again: “The rule for any swim or cold exposure is to get dry and warm as quickly as you can,” Harper says. Whether that’s wrapping yourself up in a big fluffy towel or turning the faucet back to steamy, try to quickly get your body heat back to baseline. 

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Are solar panels worth it in 2022?

In this article, we’ll help you answer the question: “Is it worth it to buy solar panels?” For most people, solar panels are worth the investment, but they may not be right for you in some rare circumstances. However, even renters may have solar options if their property owners or managers are open to it.

Key takeaways

• The amount you’ll save by going solar will vary based on factors including how much you pay for electricity, how much your installation costs, how much energy you use, what rebates and
• Virtually everyone has solar energy options, regardless of if you’re a homeowner, renter, or leasing their business property.
• The amount you’ll save by going solar will vary based on numerous factors.
• Most property owners will see a return on investment in less than 10 years.
• You can maximize your solar savings by shopping around and learning more about your options.

Visit the EnergySage Marketplace today to see how much you can save by going solar.

GARDENING, FARMING &HOMESTEADING

Bill Gates-Linked $13.5 Million Farmland Purchase Triggers Pushback in North Dakota

The sale of over 2,000 acres of North Dakota farmland to an entity linked to Bill Gates, the fourth-richest man in the world and America’s largest private owner of farmland, has attracted scrutiny from the state’s top prosecutor.

Red River Trust, a Texas-based entity with ties to Gates, in November purchased 13 parcels of land near the borders of Minnesota and Canada, a move that North Dakota officials said may violate the state’s corporate farming laws. Over 2,100 acres of land in North Dakota’s Pembina and Walsh counties were sold in the transaction, regional agricultural publication AgWeek reported. The company paid a total of $13.5 million, records The Epoch Times obtained from the two counties show.

The trust is located in Lenexa, a suburb of Kansas City, and shares the same address with Cottonwood Ag Management, a subsidiary of Cascade Investment, an asset management firm controlled by Gates, as well as Oak River Farms/Midwest, which has been previously traced to the billionaire Microsoft founder.

The trustee of Red River Trust is Peter Headley, whose LinkedIn profile identified him as head of agriculture investment for Cottonwood Ag since April 2017.

A research report last January found Gates to be America’s biggest private farmland owner, having acquired over 242,000 acres of land across 18 U.S. states. The amount is still less than 1 percent of the nation’s total farmland.

The seller of both land deals was Campbell Farms, a family-owned potato farming group headquartered in Grafton, North Dakota. The three brothers William P. Campbell, Gregory T. Campbell, and Thomas S. Campbell signed the agreements handing over land ownership to Red River Trust, according to Pembina and Walsh county records.

On June 21, North Dakota’s Attorney General Drew Wrigley penned a letter asking Red River Trust to explain how it plans to use the land to comply with state law. The regulation (pdf), with some exceptions, largely bars trust corporations and limited liability companies from owning or leasing farmland or ranchland, he wrote in the letter, warning that companies who fail to meet the regulations face up to a $100,000 fine.

Vogel Law Firm, which represents Red River Trust, told the North Dakota attorney general’s office that the trust has met the state law requirements by leasing the purchased land to Campbell Farms for farming.

“The Campbell family has a history of operating these Pembina and Walsh County farmlands, which has continued under the ownership of Red River Trust,” Matthew Thompson, an attorney with the law firm, wrote in a June 24 letter obtained by The Epoch Times.

The attorney general’s office has closed the inquiry.

Residents ‘Livid’

The state’s agriculture commissioner, Doug Goehring, said that the reaction from the public to the deal was far from positive.

“I’ve gotten a big earful on this from clear across the state, it’s not even from that neighborhood,” he told North Dakota TV station KFYR-TV. “Those people are upset, but there are others that are just livid about this.”

In a recent media interview, though, Wrigley appeared to downplay the issue.

“I don’t know that it’s quite as volatile a situation as some have depicted,” he told The Associated Press. “It’s taken off, it’s all over the planet, but it’s not me sticking a finger in the eye of Bill Gates. That’s not what this is.”

He said his office makes such corporate farming inquiries “as a matter of course.”

“It’s meant to get everybody up to speed on what the ownership arrangement is and what their intentions are for the land,” Wrigley said. “If it complies with state law, the matter goes forward. If not, they’re informed they’re going to have to divest of the land.”

Gates made his first public comment about his farmland investments in March 2021, during an “Ask Me Anything” session on the social media platform Reddit.

COVID RELATED NEWS

Pfizer Seeks Formal Approval of Oral COVID Treatment Paxlovid

Pfizer Inc said on Thursday it is seeking full U.S. approval for its oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid, which is currently available under an emergency use authorization (EUA).

Pfizer said it submitted a New Drug Application for Paxlovid to the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of COVID-19 in vaccinated and unvaccinated people at high risk for progression to severe illness.

That is basically consistent with the drug’s current EUA, which Pfizer said covers 50% to 60% of the U.S. population, citing estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Moderna Vaccine Increases Myocarditis Risk by 44 Times in Young Adults: Peer-Reviewed Study

The risk was 13 times higher with Pfizer vaccination

A French peer-reviewed study concluded that for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the risk of myocarditis skyrockets a week after vaccination.

The risk of myocarditis after mRNA vaccination was 8 times and 30 times greater than unvaccinated control groups for BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna), respectively.

The largest association for myocarditis following the Moderna jab was 44 times higher risk for persons aged 18 to 24 years.

As for the Pfizer shot, in relation to the same age group, the risk was 13 times higher.

Infection with the Chinese Communist Party virus yielded, by comparison, a 9 times greater risk of the same condition.

Myocarditis refers to the inflammation of the heart muscle—a life-threatening condition. There are many established causes for this heart condition. The leading cause—according to modern science’s most recent discoveries—is viruses; but during the pandemic, COVID mRNA vaccines have earned a place as a top suspect for myocarditis.

No Safety Data to Back CDC’s Recommendation on Co-administering COVID-19 Injections and Other Vaccines in Children

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in updated guidance on June 24, says that children as young as 6 months may simultaneously receive COVID-19 injections and other routine vaccines on the same day, although no safety study has been conducted by the vaccine manufacturers.

The guidance comes after the CDC recommended mRNA COVID-19 injections—a three-dose primary series from Pfizer or a two-dose primary series from Moderna—for children aged 6 months to 5 years on June 18.

Before that, both Pfizer and Moderna had told members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which provides the CDC with recommendations on vaccines, that they did not have such data, as their studies only focused on the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 mRNA shot.

“We did not allow concomitant immunization for kind of this first path study,” Dr. Rituparna Das, vice president for COVID-19 vaccines at Moderna, told panelists during a meeting on June 18. “We did ask the investigators to offset flu vaccine by about two weeks and offset other routinely administered vaccines by four weeks.”

Anthony Fauci Tests Positive for Coronavirus for Second Time After Experiencing Paxlovid ‘Rebound’

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, has tested positive for coronavirus two weeks after initially testing positive and getting treatment with Pfizer’s antiviral drug Paxlovid.

The 81-year-old Fauci first caught coronavirus two weeks ago, on June 15. After that, Fauci’s doctors prescribed him Pfizer’s antiviral drug Paxlovid due to age putting him at risk of developing complications.

CANCEL CULTURE

China Blocks Journalists from Covering 25th Anniversary of Hong Kong Takeover

The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) on Tuesday announced the Chinese Communist Party had barred at least ten local and international media organizations — including Reuters, Bloomberg News, AFP, and the South China Morning Post — from covering the 25th anniversary of the United Kingdom handing Hong Kong over to China.

HKJA chair Ronson Chan described the bans as “really perplexing,” since some of the affected media outlets are quite “courteous” to the Beijing-controlled administration of Hong Kong.

HKJA expressed its “utmost regret” over the “rigid reporting arrangements made by the authorities for such a major event” and said the decision “seriously undermines press freedom in Hong Kong.”

“It not only obstructs journalists from fulfilling their vocation, it also casts a smear on this major event with global attention,” HKJA said.

Some of the affected media outlets contacted the Hong Kong government to ask why they were banned but received no details.

The outright bans followed an earlier surprise announcement by Hong Kong’s Information Services Department (ISD) that only one journalist from each media outlet would be permitted at the key Hong Kong 25 ceremonies, instead of 20 apiece, as originally stipulated. The ISD said the reduced attendance requirement was necessary because of the ongoing coronavirus situation in Hong Kong.

PET NEWS

The 10 Very Best Guard Dogs For Security

Dogs are known as man’s best friend, and while it’s certainly arguable, many historians believe that dogs may have been the first animals to be domesticated by humans.  Dogs have long been used to protect us, herd other animals, hunt with us, and just to serve as loyal allies.

If you’re serious about security, having a good dog or two by your side will definitely be to your benefit. However, you can’t just select any breed you want, because not all dog breeds are the best choices to protect you.

The dog breed you select for your family should be:

• Loyal
• An excellent watch dog
• Intimidating to intruders
• Good with children

For example, while small dogs typically are excellent watch dogs and comforting pets, they lack the intimidation necessary to ward off intruders. In contrast, some big dogs, such as Golden Retrievers and Labs, are certainly loyal and good with kids, but they also lack intimidation due to their more docile nature and are known for being only average watch dogs.

If you have young children, do extra homework – and teach your children how to treat dogs properly. Children should never pull a dog’s ear or tail and never tease and be rough with a dog. Also, always supervise your children around dogs. Although this list includes dogs that are generally gentle with children, extra research is needed if you have young children.

Here are the top 10 dogs for security, in alphabetical order:

Akita

Originally bred for the upper class of Japan centuries ago, the bold and fearless Akita is a dog that deserves intense respect. Akitas are well-known for their fixed loyalty to their families and their intense suspicion of other people and animals, making them a worthy companion.  They are also large and robust dogs able to withstand harsh environments, and when working in pairs (as they often do), will especially be a daunting threat to any trespasser. But be warned: They do not cohabitate well with other breeds, so if this is the dog you want, this is the only one you should have. Also, Akitas will only let their loyalty be earned through a firm and experienced owner, so avoid this breed if you have never had a dog before.

Belgian Malinois. The Belgian Malinois is easily the most energetic breed of herding dog you can get, with some individuals continuing to display puppy-like traits until they are well over three years old, so owning one of these dogs will require you to make a serious commitment to ensuring they stay active with something to do (if neglected, they can become destructive).  Belgian Malinois are extremely vigorous, loyal and protective of their family. As a result of these qualities, Belgian Malinois actively serve as search-and-rescue dogs, working dogs for military and law enforcement, and guard dogs for protecting the White House.

Bullmastiff

Known as the “silent watchdog,” the lovable and protective Bullmastiff is a cross between an English Mastiff and an English Bulldog, but has been recognized as a purebred breed since the mid-1920s. Quiet, strong, and brave, the Bullmastiff has historically been used as a guard dog to keep poachers out of large properties. The Bullmastiff is also well-known for its affectionate love to its family members, and as a result is very defensive of them to strangers.  If there’s a downside to owning a Bullmastiff, it’s that you’ll have to deal with constant drooling.

Doberman Pincher

Alert and intelligent, the infamous Doberman has been utilized as a police dog in Germany since the 1890s, and continues to serve to this day. As long as they are properly socialized with the family and receive plenty of exercise, the Doberman will become a loving pet always on the lookout for danger.

German Shepherd

You probably expected beforehand to see a German Shepherd on this list, and indeed, no list of best guard dogs would be complete without this reputable breed. There’s a reason why the German Shepherd is the second-most popular breed in the United States: They are obedient, intelligent, strong and can literally adapt to any task. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the German Shepherd (assuming you’re okay with them constantly shedding) is the best guard dog on this list.

Giant Schnauzer. A working dog from Bavaria, the Giant Schnauzer has historically been used for a large number of functions: herding cattle, hauling carts, guarding brewers and serving as a police dog. Giant Schnauzers will bond very quickly with their families and especially with children, but without enough activity, their destructive side could be revealed. If you have young children, you may want to avoid this breed.

Great Pyrenees

While calm and gentle with children, they are very protective and defensive over whatever they are instructed to guard, whether it’s a herd of animals, a family or a home. Don’t expect the Great Pyrenees to spend most of its time with you by the fireplace; rather, this breed will be constantly patrolling the outside perimeters and alert you to trouble with its heavy, distinctive bark. Because they are slow to learn new commands, owning a Pyrenees will require you to have great patience.

Pitbull

Pit Bulls have been condemned by the media for years, and while they are fierce with anything they perceive to be threatening, they are in reality gentle with their owners and can be an excellent family pet as long as they are trained right and treated well.

Rottweiler

One of the oldest breeds on this list (possibly in service ever since the Roman Empire), the Rottweiler strives to receive plenty of exercise and can perform heavy duty tasks, such as pulling heavy carts to trekking over large distances on search-and-rescue missions. The Rottweiler is also very affectionate and protective over its family.

Siberian Husky

Everyone knows about the resilience of the Siberian Husky due to its capability in pulling sleds over extended distances in harsh, winter environments. However, this isn’t the only task Huskies are capable of performing; they are able to adapt to nearly any task you want to put them through, as long as it is in the outdoors with plenty of open space. The word “quit” is simply non-existent to the Siberian Husky, but it will also become very demanding of its owners if left bored.

GOOD NEWS

Churches Across US Build Tiny-Home Villages Amid Worsening Affordability Crisis

Churches across the US are working with homeless charities to construct tiny-home communities amid one of the worst housing affordability crises ever.

AP News says churches are using spare land to build tiny home communities to accommodate the homeless.

On vacant plots near their parking lots and steepled sanctuaries, congregations are building everything from fixed and fully contained micro homes to petite, moveable cabins, and several other styles of small-footprint dwellings in between.

Church leaders are not just trying to be more neighborly. The drive to provide shelter is rooted in their beliefs — they must care for the vulnerable, especially those without homes. -AP

More than half a million Americans were homeless in 2020, and the number has likely climbed as shelter costs if renting or owning have exploded, triggering the worst ever housing affordability crisis on record. As we’ve previously noted, soaring shelter costs force people into homelessness.

Days ago, we outlined how a tidal wave of evictions could be ahead with 8.4 million Americans, or about 15% of all renters, behind rent payments. Of that, 3.5 million said they could be evicted within the next two months. Unlike the pandemic, the federal eviction moratorium prevented people from ending up on the streets, though the moratorium has since expired during the worst inflation storm in four decades.

Jeff O’Rourke, lead pastor of Mosaic Christian Community in St. Paul, Minnesota, embraced tiny homes as a housing solution. He said his church uses “every square inch of property that we have to be hospitable.” (see image above)

Meridian Baptist Church in El Cajon, California, partnered with local nonprofit Amikas to construct a tiny-home community to address the homelessness crisis.

10 Ways To Secure Your Home Against Home Invasion

Protecting your home keeps your mind at ease when you’re home and on vacation. When you’re thinking proactively about home security, the hope is that your methods will never be put to the test. That said, while others’ actions are beyond your control, you can do your part to secure your home against invasions.

According to the latest FBI Crime Data Report, there were 492,911 burglary incidents in the United States in 2019. Of that total, 379,434 burglary incidents were committed at residential homes with an average loss of nearly $3,000 in personal property. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a burglary is considered a home invasion when a resident is present, which is the case 28% of the time, per 2010 statistics.

While that’s not exactly reassuring news, knowledge is power when it comes to protecting your home. Although burglaries can and do happen at any time, they are most common during daytime hours and burglary numbers spike during the summer months. By learning how to properly secure and protect your home against invasions or burglaries at any time of the day or night, you can reduce your chances of a crime occurring.

You can start protecting yourself by evaluating your home, changing your habits when you leave and putting other measures in place that could improve your home’s security.

1. Keep Curtains and Blinds Pulled

Windows offer you a view of the world, but unfortunately, it goes both ways. Criminals may look through windows to scout potential burglary targets or to evaluate whether residents are home. To protect yourself, keep curtains or blinds pulled down in any room where you aren’t currently enjoying the natural light. This also goes for when you leave the house for work, errands or trips. Additionally, try not to leave valuables in plain sight near windows. Motorized smart shades, which can be raised or lowered through an app, can help.

2. Install a Smart Lock

Even with the best of intentions and good habits, anyone can forget to lock entry doors to their home on occasion. Many smart lock systems will allow you to check the status of your doors’ locks remotely, and lock anything that wasn’t secured. With smart locks available at a variety of price points, this is a good option for homes in which residents frequently come and go.

3. Invest in a Home Security System

The gold standard when it comes to home security measures is installing a reliable home security system. From ones that can be professionally installed and monitored, to DIY options that still offer great protection against home invasions, there are numerous top home security systems available that will allow you to find one which suits both your security needs and budget.

4. Get Motion-Sensing Lights

With options available for less than $20, motion-sensing floodlights will shine an unwelcome light on anyone who trespasses outside your home, which is a good deterrent against unwelcomed trespassers. Inside the home, you can set motion-sensing smart lights to activate when you are out of the house and an uninvited guest enters. If you’re on vacation, this can also signal to any helpful neighbors who are keeping watch that something isn’t right.

5. Don’t Broadcast Upcoming Departures

With so much uninterrupted time and a delay before the resident can report the crime, residents’ vacations are best-case scenarios for burglars, so don’t make their jobs any easier. As tempting as it may be to share upcoming travel plans on social media, it’s not worth the risk. Even telling a friend about your itinerary when you are in a public place can be ill-advised as you don’t know who else may be eavesdropping on the conversation.

6. Develop a Vacation Strategy

Before going on a trip, create a game plan to help your house continue to look occupied while you’re gone. This includes putting your mail and deliveries on a hold. Additionally, consider asking a trusted neighbor to handle your trash day duties and check in on the house. If snow is in the forecast, you may want to line up a snow removal service to clear your driveway. Similarly, if you will be away from home for an extended period of time during the summer, consider scheduling routine lawn maintenance.

7. Don’t be Obvious With Routines

There’s a reason the majority of break-ins occur during the day. That’s when residents are most likely to be away from the home. Although your work schedule may be consistent, try to keep your comings and goings unknown as much as possible. Also, try not to widely share your whereabouts, even with people you know. According to the FBI, among 2019 burglaries with identified offenders, at least one-in-three of the burglars were known to the victim—such as the victim’s friend, neighbor or family member. (An additional 47% of the incident reports did not share the relationship between the offender and victim.)

8. Keep the Doors Locked and Garage Shut

It’s not just during times of extended departures that you should be on guard. If doors are left unlocked or the garage is open, fast-moving burglars can strike when you go out on a walk, or even are just in the yard. According to home security company ADT, 34% of burglars enter through the front door, 22% come in through the back door and 9% walk through the garage. With 23% of burglars coming in through a first-floor window, it’s also worth keeping your windows locked, and don’t forget any windows to the basement.

9. Look Out for Neighbors (and Vice Versa)

What’s good for your neighborhood is good for your home. By making it clear to burglars that you live in a place where neighbors look out for each other, they may be deterred from trying their chances. Many local police departments offer resources for Neighborhood Watch programs. Even with an informal program, you can look out for neighbors and ask them to look out for you. If you decide to make a house key available to a neighbor, give it to them directly rather than leaving it in an outdoor hiding place.

Featured Partners

10. Consider Your Curb Appeal to Burglars

We all like our homes to look good on the outside—but burglars have a different set of criteria. They may be attracted by shrubs that conceal entrances, personal items left around the yard and expensive landscaping features that may indicate there are pricey possessions on the inside of the home.