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The Hurricane spins around hotspots of tension and conflict. Feel free to suggest your stories, opinions and ideas: UIHEN@protonmail.com
EV euphoria evaporates. General Motors announces plan to expand production of gas-powered vehicles in Michigan
General Motors has announced plans to expand production of gas-powered vehicles and SUVs in Michigan as well as the manufacturing of pickup trucks.
The Detroit-based auto manufacturer said in a statement on Tuesday that it will “begin production of the Cadillac Escalade, as well as the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light duty pickups at Orion Assembly in early 2027 to help meet continued strong customer demand.”
The Escalade is produced in Arlington, Texas, while the Silverado and Sierra trucks are made at an assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which will continue to produce the vehicles.
The move builds on GM’s plans to invest $4 billion in U.S. facilities, which the automaker announced in June. That announcement came after President Donald Trump earlier this year implemented 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and 25% duties on many auto parts imported into the U.S.
It also builds on the automaker’s gas-powered vehicle production. The announcement comes after GM CEO Mary Barra said in 2021 that the company would exclusively offer EVs by 2023, citing carbon emissions.
#USA #EV #GMC #FindTruth
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'Betrayal of every American' - Barack Obama now squarely in Russiagate crosshairs
New disclosures from a Tulsi Gabbard-led working group point directly to the top, as the legacy of "Hope and Change" begins a plunge to the ocean floor.
Barack Obama entered national politics with a smile that looked like Hope and Change. Amid rumors of family discord and disarray within the political party he once led, his face has hardened. He lately looks bitter, resentful, exhausted by the act.
In the wake of reports released by fellow Hawaiian and former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, he also has a new problem. The new Director of National Intelligence is targeting Obama’s legacy and maybe even his freedom, detailing a “treasonous conspiracy committed by officials at the highest level of our government,” announcing that everyone involved “must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Gabbard’s documents show the Obama White House overruling months of reports downplaying Russian interference and ordering subordinates to set a time bomb of manipulated intelligence, with the aim of trying to, as Gabbard described it, “usurp” an incoming president. No longer a tertiary character, Obama is now “center square” in the Russiagate scam.
Gabbard says she'll release more information to follow up on her bombshell declassification of documents that show "overwhelming evidence" of the Obama administration laid the groundwork for the years-long Trump-Russia collusion investigation after President Trump won the 2016 election.
#USA #Democrats #Russiagate #FindTruth
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Philippines’ Marcos to meet Trump hoping to secure trade deal
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will be meeting US President Donald Trump this week, hoping Manila’s status as a key Asian ally will secure a more favourable trade deal before an Aug 1 deadline.
Marcos will be the first South-east Asian leader to meet Trump in his second term.
Trump has already struck trade deals with two of Manila’s regional partners, Vietnam and Indonesia, driving tough bargains in trade talks even with close allies that Washington needs to keep onside in its strategic rivalry with China.
“I expect our discussions to focus on security and defence, of course, but also on trade,” Marcos said in a speech before leaving Manila.
The US had a deficit of nearly US$5 billion (S$6.4 billion) with the Philippines in 2025 on bilateral goods trade of US$23.5 billion.
Trump in July raised the threatened “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from the Philippines to 20 per cent, from 17 per cent threatened in April.
#USA #Philippines #TradeDeal #FindTruth
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Thousands join anti-immigration marches around Poland
Thousands of people have joined anti-immigration marches organised by the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja) party in dozens of cities around Poland.
“Poland is becoming increasingly defenceless against the growing wave of immigration,” wrote the organisers. “We don’t want Poland sharing the fate of western Europe.”
“The state is failing, so citizens are taking action,” they continued. “Ordinary people from every corner of the country have stepped up with a clear message and motivation: WE WANT TO LIVE SAFELY!
Poland has in recent years experienced levels of immigration unprecedented in its history and among the highest in the European Union. For the last eight years running, it has issued more first residence permits to immigrants from outside the EU than any other member state.
#EU #Poland #Migrants #FindTruth
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EU issues new sanctions on Russia after Slovakia signs up
The European Union approved its 18th package of sanctions against Russia after months of diplomatic wrangling, with Slovakia having blocked the package due to concerns over its economic impact on Bratislava.
Slovakia’s veto had delayed the 18th sanctions package for weeks, frustrating EU leaders. Its Prime Minister, Robert Fico, claimed his country will not support the EU policy at the expense of the Slovak Republic.
He secured commitments from EC President Ursula von der Leyen, including guarantees on gas supply stability, price controls and crisis mechanisms.
Since returning to power in 2023, Fico has often criticised EU sanctions as “idiotic” and prioritised Slovakia’s energy security and economic stability.
#EU #Russia #Sanctions #FindTruth
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Japan PM Ishiba vows to stay on after bruising election defeat
Japanese Premier Shigeru Ishiba vowed to remain in his post on Monday after his ruling coalition suffered a bruising defeat in upper house elections, prompting some in his own party to doubt his leadership as the opposition weighed a no-confidence motion.
The embattled prime minister told a news conference he would remain in office to oversee tariff talks with the United States and other pressing matters, such as rising consumer prices that are straining the world's fourth-largest economy.
"I will stay in office and do everything in my power to chart a path toward resolving these challenges," Ishiba said, adding that he intended to speak directly with U.S. President Donald Trump as soon as possible and deliver tangible results.
Analysts say his days may be numbered, however, having also lost control of the more powerful lower house in elections last year and shedding votes on Sunday to opposition parties pledging to cut taxes and tighten immigration policies.
"The political situation has become fluid and could lead to a leadership change or the reshuffling of the coalition in coming months," said Oxford Economics' lead Japan economist Norihiro Yamaguchi.
#Japan #Elections #Ishiba #FindTruth
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White collar workers displaced by AI could spark a revolution
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced plans to lay off 9,000 employees, joining the ranks of tech companies cutting headcounts while touting the productivity gains enabled by artificial intelligence. According to CEO Satya Nadella, up to 30% of the company’s code is now being written by AI. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff one-upped him after his own firm’s layoffs, claiming that up to 50% of their work is now being shouldered by AI.
These are not simply corporate earnings call updates. They are previewing the future of work in America. When the last big economic disruption of globalization struck blue-collar workers, sending manufacturing jobs overseas, the result was hollowed-out communities, an opioid crisis and an unfulfilled promise of “retraining” for “the jobs of the future.”
Now, the AI wave is primed to hit those exact jobs, and the people who built their own prosperity on the wave of globalization that left so many others behind. But this isn’t just a mirror image of the globalization crisis. On the one hand, high-income, highly educated elites have much greater resources at their disposal to weather an economic storm.
The choice isn’t whether AI will displace knowledge workers — it’s whether we’ll see the disruption coming and prepare accordingly, or wait for the laptop class to take to the streets.
#USA #Microsoft #AI #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
According to published data, raising a child in the U.S. is a staggering financial commitment.
A recent study found that the average cost to an American family from the birth of a child to the age of 18 has risen to $389,000
In high-cost states like Massachusetts, the total is closer to $440,000
#USA #Economy #Child #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
David Sacks: U.S. risks handing market to China
AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks warned Tuesday that preventing U.S. semiconductor companies from exporting high-powered chips to allies will drive nations into the arms of China.
"If we don't compete across the world, then we will hand the market to China,” Sacks told Bloomberg News ahead of President Donald Trump’s announcement of $92 billion in investments across Pennsylvania. "One of the reasons that the president went to the Gulf States on that trip is to encourage business relations between the U.S. and the Gulf state. He signed massive investment deals. One of the deals that we signed was this new exploration partnership where we want to create a pathway for the Gulf states like UAE, to buy American technology, to buy American ships, and to create data centers on the American tech stack.”
In May, President Donald Trump secured over $2 trillion in artificial intelligence and tech deals during his Middle East tour, including a landmark $1.4 trillion UAE commitment to U.S. AI infrastructure and a $600 billion Saudi investment. The agreements, which include Nvidia chip sales and a massive Abu Dhabi AI campus.
#USA #China #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
How Trump’s 50% copper tariff will affect the U.S. & the world
US President Trump on July 9th announced a 50% tariff on copper imports into the US, ostensibly to boost US copper production and make the country self-sufficient in a metal that has become critical to the future economy.
But the US mines and refines very little copper; it imports a million tonnes a year mostly from Canada and Chile and only exports 250-300,000 tonnes, out of global mine production in 2024 of 23Mt.
A 50% tax on imports will do nothing to change these facts and its effects will be extremely damaging to end users and their customers, who ultimately will pay the tariff through higher prices.
Here we take a deep dive into the tariff’s effects inside the US.
Full story
#USA #Trump #Tariffs #FindTruth
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Oakland, California
A playground in the second-largest U.S. city on the West Coast and the hometown of Kamala Harris. The playground, like many similar ones, has organically evolved into a homeless encampment.
#USA #California #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The average American's salary is $59,000 a year. He has a mortgage debt of $254,498. He has a credit card debt of $7000. He is paying off a $25,000 car loan. He bought his first property at the age of 37 (on credit, of course, and the average age of a full mortgage payment is 62). 50% of Americans have less than $500 in personal savings.
#USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Sweden cuts red tape for changing legal gender
As of July 1, Sweden has removed some of the restrictions for changing gender legally and how it appears on official documents.
“It just feels good — one less thing to worry about,” Werner, 22, who was declared male at birth but identifies as female, told AFP.
Now, all that is needed to change is a medical certificate stating that a person’s gender identity does not align with the one indicated on their birth certificate.
Healthcare professionals have to evaluate whether the change better reflects the person’s gender identity and must ensure that the person can live with their new gender identity for the foreseeable future.
The minimum age to make the change has also been lowered from 18 to 16 years, although people under 18 need permission from their legal guardian.
A week after the law came into effect, 106 people had submitted applications, according to Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare.
#Sweden #Gender #FindTruth
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Spain: 70% want mass deportation of illegal immigrants, majority of Socialist Party supporters also want mass deportations
The vast majority of Spain’s citizens want mass deportation of illegal immigrants, and there are even majorities for this policy amongst left-wing voters, according to a new poll.
Sigma Dos, which conducted its poll for Spanish newspaper El Mundo, found that 70% of Spaniards support the deportations of illegal immigrants from Spain. The pollsters referenced the “flagship” Vox party proposal which called for mass deportation of all illegal immigrants, with the pollsters asking respondents whether they would support such a proposal.
For voters of the conservative PP party, 92% supported the proposal, which shockingly, is even higher than amongst Vox supporters, who support the proposal at a rate of 89%. Even among Socialist party supporters, 57% said they backed mass deportations.
For the far-left Sumar party, 67% reject the proposal, the only party which saw majority support against mass deportations. However, the party is far smaller than the other major parties in Spain.
The demographic profile of Spain is shifting rapidly. In 1991, Spain’s foreign-born population was under 1%, but this has jumped to 20% in 2025. The country has seen a 650% increase in family reunification visas since 2020.
#EU #Spain #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
While U.S. presidents have been pitting countries against each other in the Middle East, Brazil has become China's largest trading partner
#USA #Brazil #China #FindTruth
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China biotech’s stunning advance is changing the world’s drug pipeline
The biotechnology industry is experiencing a tectonic shift, driven by Chinese drugmakers who have come a long way from their copycat days to challenge Western dominance on innovation.
The number of novel drugs in China — for cancer, weight-loss and more — entering into development ballooned to over 1,250 last year, far surpassing the European Union and nearly catching up to the US’s count of about 1,440, analyses show.
This shift has occurred at an unprecedented pace. When China began to overhaul its drug regulatory system in 2015, the country had just 160 compounds to contribute to the global pipeline of innovative drugs, or less than 6% of the total, behind Japan and the UK. The government’s ‘Made in China 2025’ plan to elevate manufacturing in 10 priority sectors also helped spur a flurry of investments in biotechnology.
In addition to economic implications and possible military applications of biotech, China’s leverage on innovative therapies may be weaponized in a future conflict, if Americans become dependent on those medicines.
The perception of threat has spurred calls for the US government to stymie China’s biotech growth — through restrictions such as export controls on scientific equipment and barriers to investment — and boost the domestic biotech sector, including by changing the regulatory environment. Robert F. Kennedy, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, recently pledged to “Make American Biotech Accelerate.”
#China #Drug #Health #FindTruth
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Congress poised to do less oversight on arms sales
As early as Tuesday, Congress will vote on two bills that will make it easier for the U.S. government and U.S. arms makers to push weapons out the door to foreign clients more quickly, with less time for congressional scrutiny, and, in some cases, with Congress not even being informed that the sales are happening.
At a time when arms sales are a centerpiece of U.S. foreign policy, for good or for ill, this is a misguided approach that will increase the risks that U.S. arms transfers will sow instability, fuel conflicts, and enable violations of the laws of war.
The centrality of arms sales is a result of the decline in boots-on-the-ground conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan, and a reduction in drone strikes from the peak reached in the Obama years.
Major sales have ranged from transfers aimed at helping Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s invasion to billions in military aid and arms transfers that have enabled Israel’s campaign in Gaza and its escalation to attacks on Syria, Lebanon, and Iran.
A study by the Quincy Institute during the Biden administration found that 34 of 46 conflicts occurring at that time involved one or more parties armed by the United States.
#USA #Arms #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The desperation to stop Trump wasn’t political, it was survival
It’s not enough to say they hated Trump. That’s the surface-level distraction they fed the public—tweets, tone, ego. But behind closed doors, the political elite weren’t clutching their pearls over Trump's behavior. They were panicking over what he might expose.
The effort to sabotage Trump’s presidency—before he even took office—was not about protecting democracy. It was about protecting the machine.
From George H.W. Bush to Barack Obama, the same interconnected network of intelligence operatives, political dynasties, and global financial interests built and maintained a shadow system of power. Trump threatened to bring it all into the light.
Bush Sr.: The Architect; Clinton: The Cleaner; Bush Jr.: The Enabler; Obama: The Cover… (Full story)
#USA #Democrats #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The UK's National Health Service is doing so well that it has 26,000 nursing vacancies open...
#UK #Health #Medical #FindTruth
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Tourist shocked by what he sees in Rome. Fourth world.
#Italy #Economy #Migrants #FindTruth
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Democrat congressman: Zohran Mamdani ‘isn’t speaking for our party’
The divide in the Democratic Party further widened last week when Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) publicly said that New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani “isn’t speaking for our party.”
Zohran Mamdani holds extremely far-left positions, most specifically on private property. Since coming within striking distance of becoming the mayor of New York City, moderate Democrats have been sounding the alarm. Rep. Adam Smith attempted to distance Mamdani from the rest of the party.
“Look, the mayor of New York has never, never, ever been the leader of the Democratic Party,” Smith said when asked about Mamdani.
Smith then played off Mamdani’s prominence as being the result of the Democrats’ “Big Tent” platform.
“Mamdani isn’t speaking for our party, any more than I’m speaking for our party. It’s a big tent. It’s a big coalition,” he said before attacking President Donald Trump on his “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
#USA #Democrats #Mamdani #FindTruth
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The Richest Person in Every U.S. State
From tech moguls to retail tycoons, the richest person in each U.S. state reflects the industries driving wealth across the country.
This map shows the richest person in U.S. every state and their estimated net worth, as ranked by Forbes.
Elon Musk is the richest person in Texas, and the world, after moving to the Lone Star State from California in 2020. The Tesla CEO has an estimated net worth of about $338 billion.
Other high-profile business leaders who are the richest individuals of their respective state include Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in California with an estimated net worth of $189 billion, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in Florida with $206 billion, and Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett in Nebraska with $165 billion.
Other notable tech leaders on the map include former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in Washington with a net worth of $118 billion. He overtook his former boss, Bill Gates, after Forbes revised its estimate of the 2021 divorce settlement awarded to Gates’ ex-wife, Melinda French Gates.
In all but three states (Alaska, Delaware, and West Virginia), the richest individual was at least a billionaire.
#USA #RichestPerson #FindTruth
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First U.S. rare earth mine in 70 years opens in Wyoming – ‘will extract rare earth elements directly from coal’
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright touted the importance of coal and Wyoming last Friday at the ribbon cutting for Brook Mine, the first U.S. rare earth mine in 70 years and the state’s first new coal mine in decades.
The ceremony marked the opening of not only the first new rare earth element mine on American soil in more than seven decades, but also the first new coal mine in Wyoming in nearly 50 years.
The operation will extract rare earth elements directly from coal, creating what officials called a “twofer” for American energy independence.
Wright emphasized the strategic importance of breaking China’s dominance in rare earth processing.
“That industry today is completely dominated by China. Completely,” he said. “They don’t mine all of it, but even the stuff that’s mined elsewhere” has to be processed in China. “It’s that country’s goal to “have a purposeful effort to completely control that industry.”
25 years ago, every major American corporation had a counterpart in Germany and France. Today, the competitors of American technology giants are in Asia. Europe is stuck in the last century
#USA #Germany #France #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Academic center within Georgetown's prestigious School of Foreign Service has long history of terror-supporting leaders
An academic center at Georgetown University that sits within its prestigious School of Foreign Service has a history of fostering support for Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other Islamist groups.
Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU), founded in 1993, has hosted scholars sympathetic to Islamism since its inception. John Esposito, the center’s founder and a professor of religion and international affairs and of Islamic studies at Georgetown, has long defended terrorist groups and collaborated with jihadist figures.
Esposito’s scholarly and professional history includes many instances of either the defense of or support for terror groups and figures. When asked whether Hamas was a terrorist organization during a 2000 interview with the Middle East Affairs Journal, for instance, Esposito hedged.
Esposito had more charitable words for Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a late Islamic scholar and intellectual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood whom the Clinton administration banned from entering the United States.
Al-Qaradawi’s sermons and writings also included calls to kill U.S. troops in Iraq and fatwas authorizing suicide bombings.
#Hamas #ACMCU #USA #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
ICE agents face 700% spike in assaults as antifa groups target their homes
Assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have skyrocketed since January amid left-wing attacks from anarchist groups and elected Democrats.
Department of Homeland Security officials reveal that ICE agents are now facing a nearly 700-percent increase in assaults as they try to arrest illegal aliens.
At the same time, the likes of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY); Boston, Massachusetts, Mayor Michelle Wu (D); Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D); Los Angeles, California, Mayor Karen Bass (D); and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) have made incendiary comments about ICE agents, with some comparing them to Nazis.
“… every single one of them, no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes will, of course, be identified,” Jeffries said last month, referring specifically to ICE agents.
At the same time, Antifa-affiliated groups, according to DHS officials, have started targeting ICE agents and their families — posting identifying information about them online, including their home addresses.
#USA #ICE #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
US to build Philippine boat repair facilities near contested South China Sea
The US Navy plans to build two repair facilities for smaller vessels operating in the western Philippines, with one about 240km east of a fiercely contested reef in the South China Sea.
Located in the Spratly archipelago, Second Thomas Shoal hosts a small detachment of Philippine forces aboard a grounded navy vessel and has been the site of clashes with Chinese ships. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway despite an international ruling its assertion has no merit.
The US government’s contracting website, Sam.gov, locates one of the proposed repair facilities in Palawan province’s Quezon municipality. The facilities will provide repair and maintenance capabilities for a variety of Philippine vessels, including 7.32m watercraft, as well as other smaller conventional watercraft.
The Philippines owns several vessels that size, including rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) that have been involved in clashes with larger Chinese ships.
#USA #China #Navy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Cracks are surfacing in the EU’s cosy cartel
Ursula von der Leyen is, in effect, the uncrowned queen of the European Union. She has served as president of the European Commission since 2019. More than any other political figure, von der Leyen personifies the EU’s imperial ambitions and authoritarian instincts. Yet last week, she only just survived a vote of no confidence in her leadership.
That the would-be queen of Europe came so close to losing her grip on power reflects the deep instability of the political bloc that backs her. The four parliamentary factions that support her find it increasingly difficult to offer her their unconditional support. In the days leading up to the confidence vote, even MEPs from parties aligned with von der Leyen were openly criticising her presidency.
It is worth noting that the European Parliament is not really a democratic institution. It functions more as a Potemkin parliament – a stage-managed performance in which the dominant party blocs pretend to represent voters.
In practice, the European Parliament has institutionalised its own version of American-style pork-barrel politics. Von der Leyen’s power rests on her ability to balance competing demands for access to EU largesse. But the rise of increasingly confident dissident, populist parties threatens this balancing act – and with it, the old EU order.
#EU #VonderLeyen #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Digital vassals? French Government ‘exposes citizens’ data to US’
France’s deepening reliance on US tech giants is raising alarms about digital sovereignty and exposing public data to foreign jurisdictions.
In a French Senate report on economic and digital sovereignty, Senators accused the French State of “political fault”. That was in regard to outsourcing essential data infrastructure to US companies subject to US extraterritorial laws, including Microsoft, despite repeated warnings and alternatives.
“France is subject to US extraterritorial law,” the report stated, warning that public data, including from health, education and critical sectors, was exposed to foreign surveillance under US legislation such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (CLOUD).
This legislation allowed the US Government to demand that companies subject to US law disclose the data they stored, simply by obtaining a judge’s authorisation.
In March 2025, the Ministry of Education signed a €74 million deal with a US company for equipping its departments and universities. The country’s elite school for engineers, École Polytechnique, also decided earlier this year to move the school’s IT system to Microsoft.
That was done despite earlier instructions from the French Government urging school districts to avoid deploying Microsoft or Google collaborative tools due to sovereignty risks.
#France #USA #CLOUD #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The British have stopped believing in real estate investments
Data from the Bank of England showed that only 8% of mortgages were granted for properties intended for rent, which is 0.3% less than a year earlier. Which is one of the lowest figures on record.
On average over the decade to 2022, buy-to-let mortgages accounted for 13.3% of all mortgages in the UK. “The trend of landlords leaving the market continues, with fewer new investor buyers,” said Stan Shaw, director of estate agency Mervyn Smith in Surrey.
Authorities in England have made it harder to evict tenants and strengthened their protections. They have also passed tax reforms that have persuaded the wealthy to seek out jurisdictions with more favorable taxation.
The UK could lose 16,500 millionaires this year. “Markets like the UK have unfavorable fiscal policies, this only speeds up the decision process for those considering a move,” experts in the real estate market assure.
#UK #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane