Australia Is Now Threatening Citizens With Seizure Of Homes & Bank Accounts Over Covid Violations
ZeroHedge – Multiple reports out of Australia over the past days have confirmed that state and territory governments are threatening to seize the homes and bank accounts of citizens over unpaid ‘COVID violation’ fines. This as much of the country’s population are now living under vaccine mandates linked to employment: take the jab or face termination, many Aussies are being told.
For example, a new report in Daily Mail has reviewed fresh government data compiled by the Queensland health authority. It found that “Queenslanders who received fines for breaking Covid-19 rules risk having their homes seized and bank accounts frozen in a government crackdown to collect $5.2 million in repayments.”
Over 3,000 cases of unpaid fines have piled up across the large northeast Australian state – but the current number may be much more – given the last available data tracks the overdue fines through the end of September.
Writing on the potential punitive actions that the State Penalties Enforcement Register (SPER) is now threatening Australian citizens with, the Brisbane Times details:
SPER was undertaking “active enforcement” on another 18.4 per cent of fines, worth about $1 million, which a spokesman said “may include garnishing bank accounts or wages, registering charges over property, or suspending driver licenses”.
The remaining 25.2 per cent of fines were either under investigation or still open to payment without further action being taken.
So effectively large swathes of Australia are seeing the government now exercising total control over their lives – taking away everything from citizens, who apparently still have no recourse: private citizens’ money, property, and even ability to freely transport their own vehicles are under threat.
British Medical Journal Publishes Damning Report Claiming Pfizer Faked Vaccine Data in Trials
RT – Leading medical journal The BMJ has published an incendiary report exposing faked data, blind trial failures, poorly trained vaccinators, and a slow follow-up on adverse reactions in the phase-three trial of Pfizer’s Covid jab.
Central to the exposé is Brook Jackson, who, for two weeks, served as regional director at Ventavia Research Group, the company contracted to assist with the pivotal trial. She provided The BMJ with dozens of internal company documents, photos, audio recordings, and emails supporting her concerns.
Jackson reveals that Ventavia staff who conducted quality-control checks were overwhelmed by the volume of problems they were identifying. She repeatedly informed her superiors of poor laboratory management, and patient safety and data integrity issues.
In a cited internal document from August 2020, shortly after the Pfizer trial began, a Ventavia executive identified three site staff members with whom to “go over e-diary issue/falsifying data, etc.” One employee was said to have been subsequently “verbally counseled for changing data” and “not noting late entry.”
Jackson reported her concerns to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but was fired later the same day on the basis that she was “not a good fit.”
In a recording of a late September meeting provided by Jackson, in which she met with two Ventavia directors, the unwelcome prospect of an FDA inspection had been openly discussed. “We’re going to get some kind of letter of information at least, when the FDA gets here … I know it,” one said to Jackson.
Another former Ventavia employee has confirmed that the company had been expecting a federal audit of its Pfizer vaccine trial, though this did not materialize. A 2007 US Department of Health report found that, between 2000 and 2005, the FDA inspected just 1% of clinical trial sites, while, in 2020, just 50 on-site visits were conducted.
In the aforementioned recording, an executive can also be heard explaining that, when examining paperwork for trial quality control, the company wasn’t able to quantify the types and number of errors that were being identified. “In my mind, it’s something new every day,” the senior staffer says. “We know that it’s significant.”
An email sent in September to Ventavia by Icon, the research organization with which Pfizer partnered on the trial, shows Icon was dissatisfied with Ventavia’s inability to keep up with data entry queries. Icon reminded Ventavia that “the expectation for this study is that all queries are addressed within 24 hours,” noting that more than 100 queries had remained outstanding for more than three days.
Among those queries were two cases in which test subjects had “reported with severe symptoms/reactions.” According to protocol, subjects experiencing grade-three local reactions – “severe” redness, swelling, or pain at the injection site – should have been contacted. Icon asked for confirmation as to whether contact had indeed been made, so as “to ascertain further details and determine whether a site visit is clinically indicated,” and that the subjects’ forms be updated accordingly.
The day after her meeting with her directors, Jackson submitted a complaint to the FDA. She listed a dozen issues she’d personally witnessed, including “participants being placed in a hallway after injection and not being monitored by clinical staff,” “a lack of timely follow-up of patients who experienced adverse events,” “protocol deviations not being reported,” “vaccines not being stored at proper temperatures,” “mislabeled laboratory specimens,” and the targeting by Ventavia of staff who reported these problems.
Jackson’s account has been reinforced by several former Ventavia employees who have either since departed or been fired from the company. An executive present at the September meeting has since apologized to her, assuring her that everything she had complained about was “spot-on.”
Deadly landslide hits western Colombia: Authorities
Al Jazeera – At least 10 people were injured and 15 to 20 people were missing following the incident in Narino province.
Gulf states doubt US commitment to Middle East after failures in Afghanistan and Iraq, ex-Saudi spy chief says
RT – Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief has claimed that the US’ military and policy failures in the Middle East have caused the Gulf states “strategic confusion” over the Biden administration’s commitment to the region.
Two failed military campaigns in as many decades have brought Washington’s influence into question, Turki al-Faisal said on Tuesday, citing the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August and the planned departure of combat forces from Iraq.
Noting that the relationship between the US and the Gulf states was “imperative to peace and stability in the region,” al-Faisal – a former ambassador to the US – warned US President Joe Biden to “weigh [the issues] carefully” before taking “any steps … that impact this historical bond,” and suggested “[building] on it” to create a “new security structure for the region.”
This failed experience in Afghanistan and, I would say, semi-failed experience in Iraq, are responsible for the perceived failure or defeat of a great power, the US, and the greatest military alliance, NATO, in sustaining a regime and project of their creation.
After its run as the “dominant power for the last seven decades,” al-Faisal said “doubts” about the US were “accumulating” and causing “strategic regional confusion” that, in turn, would lead to “more conflicts and crises.” He added that the Middle East greatly feared the “danger” posed by this confusion.
Taliban bans foreign currencies in Afghanistan
BBC – The Taliban has banned the use of foreign currencies in Afghanistan, a move that could further disrupt an economy on the brink of collapse.
“The economic situation and national interests in the country require that all Afghans use Afghani currency in their every trade,” the Taliban said.
The economy is struggling due to the withdrawal of international financial support after the Taliban took control.
The US dollar has been used widely in Afghanistan’s markets.
Dollars are also often used for trade in areas bordering Afghanistan’s neighbours such as Pakistan.
“The Islamic Emirate instructs all citizens, shopkeepers, traders, businessmen and the general public to henceforth conduct all transactions in Afghanis and strictly refrain from using foreign currency,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement posted online.
“Anyone violating this order will face legal action,” the statement said.
Anti-CRT Parents Win School Board Victories Throughout America
Breitbart – The victory of Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin (R) over former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has spurred excitement for future Republican wins, but the triumphs in local school board races hold special significance for those parents who fought big battles against leftist tyranny and Marxist-based Critical Race Theory (CRT) right in their own communities.
Ryan James Girdusky’s 1776 Project PAC has helped a number of candidates for local school boards win their elections. He and the PAC tweeted out the victories.
Girdusky, a New York native, political consultant, and author of They’re Not Listening: How the Elites Created the Nationalist Populist Revolution, exposed the corruption in the anti-Trump Lincoln Project in January, forcing several board members to resign.
His 1776 Project PAC self-describes as “dedicated to electing school board members nationwide who want to reform our public education system by promoting patriotism and pride in American history.”
The PAC is “committed to abolishing critical race theory and ‘The 1619 Project’ from the public school curriculum.”
Moms for America said about the PAC that, “to fix schools, replace radical school boards.”
The “moms” observed what many parents have learned over the past two years – the great power of local government:
We have learned during the pandemic and the raging debate over the poisonous and inaccurate “critical race theory” agenda, that local school boards wield a lot of power. Most are in hip pockets of the teacher unions – because they flood the zone with millions of dollars into these local elections – which means that the kids and families don’t matter.
The “moms” organization said the 1776 Project PAC “will be supporting school board candidates who want to keep critical race theory and the history of the radical 1619 Project out of classrooms.”
“This is an effort to have parents not unions determine the curriculum in schools,” they added.
Judge makes stunning ruling for businesses with Christian beliefs
WND – A federal judge has ruled that for-profit businesses when they operate on sincerely held religious beliefs are protected from liability for claims of discrimination by those who choose the LGBT lifestyles.
The company that filed the action, Braidwood, “has established Title VII places a substantial burden on its religious exercise, and defendants fail to meet the burden to show a compelling interest,” wrote the judge. “But even if their broad formulation of their interest in ‘preventing all forms of discrimination’ were sufficient, defendants have not selected the least restrictive means.
“Forcing a religious employer to hire, retain, and accommodate employees who conduct themselves contrary to the employer’s views regarding homosexuality and gender identity is not the least restrictive means of promoting that interest, especially when defendants are willing to make exceptions to Title VII for secular purposes.”
Bloomberglaw reported the case was decided just days ago by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Forth Worth.
Shocker in New Jersey: Governor’s race a nail-biter
Politico – New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli were locked in a neck-and-neck battle Tuesday night, with the outcome too close to call in a race Democrats had long been confident about.
Republican strongholds Ciattarelli was counting on — especially Ocean County, the biggest GOP vote-producing county in the state — saw massive turnout while turnout appeared milquetoast in the state’s urban, heavily Democratic areas.
Whether Murphy wins or loses, the results offer a massive reality check for New Jersey Democrats. The party had benefited from the deep unpopularity of former Republican Gov. Chris Christie and former President Donald Trump to turn once-solid GOP suburbs blue, saw their voter registration advantage over Republicans soar to more than a million and grew their state legislative majorities.
Red Flag Law Opponent Winsome Sears Wins Virginia’s Lt. Governor Race
Breitbart – Pro-Second Amendment, anti-red flag Winsome Sears (R) emerged as the victor in Tuesday’s lieutenant governor election in Virginia.
In April of this year, the former Marine made clear that she will not support a red flag law in Virginia:
ABC 3 News pointed out that Sears received criticism for posing for a photo while holding a gun.
Sears brushed off the criticism, saying, “I’m a Marine. I know how to use a gun. But let’s think about this: the second amendment tells us we have a right to do so. We have a right to own guns.”
In addition to being pro-2A and anti-red flag law, Business Insider notes that Sears “is the first woman of color to be elected to statewide office in Virginia.”
Gov. Phil Murphy Refuses to Concede Tight Race: ‘Every Vote Will Be Counted’
Breitbart – Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) said Tuesday night that he would not concede the election as he trails Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli in a race that is too close to call.
Defeated Joe Biden Returns from Europe Silent After Failed Democrat Victory Prediction in Virginia
Breitbart – President Joe Biden returned from his trip to Europe early Wednesday morning, remaining silent after his party lost in the blue state of Virginia and margins stayed tight in New Jersey.
The president did not speak to reporters are departing Air Force One at 1:06 a.m. just hours after he predicted a former Gov. Terry McAuliffe win in Virginia.
“We’re gonna win,” Biden boasted to reporters in Glasgow, Scotland after the climate summit, just five hours before media outlets began calling the race for Republicans. “I think we’re going to win in Virginia.”
But Biden landed at Joint Base Andrews as Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin took the stage in the early morning hours to declare victory over the Democrats in a blue state.
Biden was also silent as he arrived at the White House at 1:38 a.m. as reporters shouted questions about the election results.
Despite campaigning twice for failed candidate for Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe, Biden tried to stress in Glasgow that a defeat for McAuliffe would not inhibit his ambitious leftist agenda.
“I’ve not seen any evidence that whether or not I am doing well or poorly, whether or not I’ve got my agenda passed or not, is going to have any real impact on win or lose,” Biden claimed at the press conference.
Elsewhere in the president’s political circles, Democrats questioned Biden’s embrace of the political leftists in his party.
“Some in Biden-land are already asking themselves if the president has allowed himself to be tugged too far to the left while in office, and those voices are likely to get louder now,” reported an editor at the New York Times on social media.
The president has no public events scheduled for Wednesday.
Facebook Shuts Down Massive Photo Tagging Facial Recognition Program
Vice – “We’re shutting down the Face Recognition system on Facebook,” which has the faces of more than 1 billion users.
Facebook is shutting down the photo tagging facial recognition program that was key to its product for years, and is deleting more than a billion “face prints” of users, according to a blog the company posted Tuesday.
“We’re shutting down the Face Recognition system on Facebook,” said Jerome Pesenti, vp of artificial intelligence at Facebook. “As part of this change, people who have opted in to our Face Recognition setting will no longer be automatically recognized in photos and videos, and we will delete the facial recognition template used to identify them.”
Specifically, Pesenti is referring to Facebook’s photo tagging system, which automatically identified a user and their friends in photos they uploaded to the platform and suggested that they be “tagged” in the photos.
For years, photo tagging was a core Facebook feature and was one of the main things people “did” on Facebook. To tag a photo, you clicked a specific part of it and wrote in the name of your friend. This then added the photo to your friend’s page of tagged photos, and allowed them and their friends to comment on them, cementing Facebook as one of the main places people uploaded photos online.
While photo tagging was manual at first, in 2010, Facebook began automatically detecting who was in a photo by comparing new photos to photos that were already uploaded of that person. This facial recognition technology made it much easier to tag photos, it was also seen as very creepy by a lot of users and civil liberty experts as Facebook automatically opted users into the program and used existing photos of them to build a database of face recognition templates.
Face recognition became so embedded in Facebook’s design that it became a core security feature. If a user tried to log into Facebook from an unrecognized computer, they would be presented with random tagged photos of their friends and would have to correctly identify who was in the photo. It also eventually began notifying people who were in photos that they weren’t tagged in.
The move away from facial recognition in this specific instance, following a growing movement against the technology, is laudable, and represents the end of what is one of the largest face recognition systems ever created, considering Facebook’s more than 2.9 billion users. But Facebook said it “still see[s] facial recognition technology as a powerful tool” for preventing fraud and impersonation, for example, and as Motherboard wrote Monday, the company is still trying to monetize basic human activity through its metaverse plans. Facebook also told the New York Times that it is not getting rid of DeepFace, the software that powers its facial recognition system.
Democrats Reach Deal on Lowering Prescription Drug Prices
Lawmakers also look to roll back cap on state and local tax deduction as they finalize spending package
WSJ – Democrats reached an agreement on provisions designed to lower the price of some prescription drugs, appearing to resolve one of the final issues in the party’s negotiations over their $1.85 trillion healthcare, education and climate-change bill.
The agreement, which is backed by the White House, would empower Medicare to negotiate the price of some drugs, penalize drug companies for raising prices faster than the rate of inflation and cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors at $2,000 annually. It also creates a $35 out-of-pocket monthly maximum for insulin, Democrats said.
‘Big surprise’: California condors reproduce without mating
Al Jazeera – California condors, a critically endangered species, can reproduce without mating, a new study by conservation scientists at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has found.
The unexpected discovery came during a routine analysis of biological samples from the California condors in the zoo’s decades-long breeding programme, the scientists found that two condor chicks had hatched from unfertilised eggs.
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