Elon Musk Just Exposed the Oil Oligarchy’s Control Over Mainstream Media in Epic Rant

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Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, Space-X, and PayPal, recently posted a series of Tweets pointing out how media organizations have an obvious incentive to give bad press to electric cars and alternative energy in general.

Musk was unforgiving towards the mainstream media in his epic Twitter rant, calling them hypocrites and saying that the public no longer trusts them. He said that he doesn’t advertise for Tesla, his electric car company, which means that he contributes no money to the media, who depend on advertising dollars to stay in business.

On the other hand, the traditional auto industry and fossil fuel companies are among the world’s largest advertisers, meaning that they are one of the primary industries keeping the mainstream media in business. When it comes time to cover a story that involves these industries, journalists, and media organizations have an obvious bias and conflict of interest that will influence their coverage of the story even if they were not given explicit orders to create propaganda.

“The holier-than-thou hypocrisy of big media companies who lay claim to the truth, but publish only enough to sugarcoat the lie, is why the public no longer respects them. Problem is journos are under constant pressure to get max clicks & earn advertising dollars or get fired. Tricky situation, as Tesla doesn’t advertise, but fossil fuel companies & gas/diesel car companies are among world’s biggest advertisers,” Musk said.

One of the dark secrets of the advertising industry is the fact that commercials are not always intended to sell something, but are sometimes an undercover bribe, which corporations use to control the narrative on the sponsored news sources. An obvious example of this is how military arms suppliers like Boeing or Lockheed Martin will advertise on major networks despite the fact that their products are not available for sale to the people watching the advertisements.

It is no coincidence that international stories are covered with a pro-war slant on every major media platform when the arms dealers are advertising on each one—in fact, that is the very reason they advertise. The same goes for recruitment ads for the military, these serve the double purpose of recruiting and also controlling the narrative of the media outlet by becoming their sponsor.

Next, Musk announced that he was planning on creating his own media ranking website that would rate the credibility of journalists by crowdsourcing reviews from readers. He also put up a poll asking his followers if it would be a good idea, or gave the sarcastic option of “no, media are awesome.”

Musk suggested that he would call his site “Pravda,” and while it would seem that these were thoughts coming off the top of his head, one Twitter follower pointed out that one of Musk’s agents “incorporated Pravda Corp in California” in October 2017.

As opposed to centralized fact-checking sites like Snopes or Politifact, which have an obvious bias, a site that allowed the public to decide who they trusted could be an interesting way to rate journalists. Of course, any type of rating system is dependent upon the opinions of the masses, which can sometimes be wrong, and are almost always controversial. However, this seems to be the best model that has been proposed thus far, and it does not seem to favor the mainstream media as other popular “fact checkers” do. (For more from the author of “Elon Musk Just Exposed the Oil Oligarchy’s Control Over Mainstream Media in Epic Rant” please click HERE)

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Trump Plans to Reschedule North Korea Summit

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By The New York Times. President Trump said on Friday that the White House was back in touch with North Korea and that the two sides might reschedule his summit meeting with Kim Jong-un, a startling reversal that revealed not only Mr. Trump’s improvisational approach to diplomacy but also deep divisions among his advisers about the risks of going ahead.

Twenty-four hours after announcing that he was calling off the meeting in a letter to Mr. Kim, the North’s leader, Mr. Trump told reporters that he and Mr. Kim might yet meet in Singapore on June 12.

Before boarding Marine One on his way to deliver a commencement address at the United States Naval Academy, Mr. Trump said that he welcomed a conciliatory statement issued by North Korea in response to his announcement on Thursday. North Korea, it said, was “willing to sit down with the United States any time, in any format, to resolve the problems,” and urged the president to reconsider. (Read more from “Trump Plans to Reschedule North Korea Summit” HERE)

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It Is Welcome News That the Korea Summit Is Once Again Set to Go Ahead – Particularly for Those Living in the South

By The Independent. It is not impossible that Kim Jong-un is a master of diplomacy. Certainly, he is making the Americans appear if not amateurish then unsure, although that in itself may not be difficult.

The on-again, off-again nature of the summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea may, paradoxically, be emblematic of Donald Trump’s confused presidency, but is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the vacillation is a consequence of Mr Kim’s manipulation of the scenario than part of a White House master plan.

That the proposed meeting between these giant egos is now seemingly set to proceed once more is welcome news, of course. Putting to one side the extraordinary theatre that surrounds these two strongmen of 21st century politics, it is unquestionable that the world – and especially the Korean peninsular – will be a safer place if Mr Kim curtails his nuclear ambitions.

To that end, the quiet resolve of South Korea remains crucial in bridging the divide (rhetorical or substantive) between Pyongyang and Washington.

Indeed, it is the people living in the South who – along with their neighbours in the North – have most to gain from full and lasting detente and from Mr Kim’s potential agreement to halt his nuclear weapons programme. (Read more from “It Is Welcome News That the Korea Summit Is Once Again Set to Go Ahead – Particularly for Those Living in the South” HERE)

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Top Iranian Official, John Kerry Meeting Partner, Caught Chanting ‘Death to America’

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By The Daily Caller. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, a key architect of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, was caught on camera chanting “Death to America,” “Death to Britain” and “Death to Israel,” Israeli outlet Ynetnews reported on Saturday.

Zarif participated in the violent chants on Thursday after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a speech in Tehran, according to Ynetnews.

Zarif’s call for the destruction of America came less than two months after he secretly met with former Secretary of State John Kerry in mid-April to try and save the Iran nuclear deal. (Read more from “Top Iranian Official, John Kerry Meeting Partner, Caught Chanting ‘Death to America'” HERE)

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China to Host Iran to Avoid Project Disruption Amid Nuclear Deal Doubt

By Reuters. China will host Iranian President Hassan Rouhani next month at a regional summit aimed at avoiding disruption of joint projects, its foreign ministry said on Monday, as major powers scramble to save Iran’s nuclear deal after the United States pulled out.

Rouhani will pay a working visit to China and attend the summit of the China and Russia-led security bloc the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the ministry said.

It did not give exact dates for his visit, but the summit is scheduled to be held on the second weekend of June in the northern Chinese city of Qingdao.

Iran is currently an observer member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, though it has long sought full membership. (Read more from “China to Host Iran to Avoid Project Disruption Amid Nuclear Deal Doubt” HERE)

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James Clapper Struggles to Explain Why Trump Campaign Wasn’t Warned of Russian Threat

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By The Daily Caller. . .During an interview with Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Clapper seemed to argue that the Russian threat “had [not] reached the point” where the FBI would alert the campaign, but apparently had reached the point where the FBI would send in an informant.

“The first thing is just to determine what was going on,” Clapper said. “If there wasn’t a concern about the Russians…perhaps no reason to do that. You know, the FBI has rules and protocols for when they decide to do something like that and I don’t think that at that point it had reached the point where it would be appropriate to engage the head of the campaign or the nominee.” (Read more from “James Clapper Struggles to Explain Why Trump Campaign Wasn’t Warned of Russian Threat” HERE)

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Trump: Lives Have Been ‘Devastated and Destroyed’ by Russia Probe

By Politico. President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that the Russia probe has “devastated and destroyed” the reputations of people, continuing his weekend Twitter assault against the Robert Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“Who’s going to give back the young and beautiful lives (and others) that have been devastated and destroyed by the phony Russia Collusion Witch Hunt? They journeyed down to Washington, D.C., with stars in their eyes and wanting to help our nation. … They went back home in tatters,” the president wrote on Twitter.

Trump has repeatedly called special counsel Mueller’s probe a “witch hunt,” a charge that in recent weeks has been coupled with renewed calls from his allies to end the probe soon. Some House lawmakers have gone even further, arguing that reports stating a confidential FBI informant met with Trump campaign officials means the investigation is irrevocably tainted.

“With Spies, or ‘Informants’ as the Democrats like to call them because it sounds less sinister (but it’s not), all over my campaign,” Trump wrote on Twitter on Saturday, “even from a very early date, why didn’t the crooked highest levels of the FBI or ‘Justice‘ contact me to tell me of the phony Russia problem?” (Read more from “Trump: Lives Have Been ‘Devastated and Destroyed’ by Russia Probe” HERE)

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North Korea Caves to Trump After Summit Scrap; Amazing 2014 Tweet Indicates POTUS Bet They Would

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. . .The on again, off again summit with North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un looks to be on again with Fox News reporting that North Korea responded to an announcement from President Donald Trump that he was cancelling the planned summit to say his decision is not in line with the world’s wishes and that North Korea is still willing to resolve its issues with the U.S. . .

“We express our willingness to sit down face-to-face with the U.S. and resolve issues anytime and in any format,” North Korea Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan said in a statement, according to state-run Korean Central News Agency.

The official statement out of North Korea said Kim sees the need for an upcoming meeting between the nations as “urgent.

Kim said the U.S.’ decision to cancel the upcoming talks demonstrates how serious the animosity between the North and the U.S. remains, which he said underlines the urgent need of a summit between the leaders of the two countries.

. . .

But then, it seems the author of “Trump: The Art of the Deal” called all of this back in 2014.

(Read more from “North Korea Caves to Trump After Summit Scrap; Amazing 2014 Tweet Indicates POTUS Bet They Would” HERE)

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Two Guys Stroll Into an Indian Restaurant in Toronto, Drop an IED and Split

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The blast from the improvised explosive device planted at the Bombay Bhel restaurant in Mississauga — just west of Toronto — wounded 15 people, according to police, three of whom suffered critical injuries, according to police.

The two men didn’t say anything when they dropped off the bomb at the Indian restaurant, and it’s unclear what their goals were, Peel Regional Police Sgt. Matt Bertram told reporters.

“We have no indication to call it a hate crime or any kind of terrorism act,” Bertram said. “It appears they just went in, dropped off this device and took off right away.”

Both men, believed to be in their mid-20s, were wearing masks and clothing to conceal their identities. Police have circulated a photo captured from security cameras.

“Glass was broken in the street,” neighbor Andre Larrivee said. “There was a child’s birthday party. Everything was destroyed. Lots of blood in the floor. Many people were screaming. They were trying to run out from the restaurant. There was a guy with glass inside his eyes. Many people were bleeding so much.” (Read more from “Two Guys Stroll Into an Indian Restaurant in Toronto, Drop an Ied and Split” HERE)

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Prime Minister: Pro-Life Law ‘a Legacy of Shame’

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By The Daily Wire. On the eve of Ireland voting on whether or not to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right, the country’s far-left Prime Minister condemned Ireland’s pro-life record as being “a legacy of shame.”

The abortion activists in Ireland could not possibly have a greater ally than Prime Minister ​Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who has been pushing a far-left agenda ever since his ascendancy in 2015 that saw the overturn of traditional marriage. Leading up to the vote on overturning the country’s Eighth Amendment, the PM has aggressively pushed the pro-abortion agenda.

“There has been in Ireland a legacy of shame in many ways,” Varadkar said, the Irish Examiner reports. “The fact that 170,000 women have had to travel, sometimes in secret, to another jurisdiction to end their pregnancies.” . . .

These are the same talking points pushed by Irish actor Liam Neeson just a few weeks ago. LifeNews responded by debunking the false picture of Ireland’s handling of women’s health painted by pro-abortion activists:​ . . .

Irish doctors have been some of the most outspoken advocates against abortion, saying the repeal of the Eighth Amendment would do nothing whatsoever to help Irish women.

(Read more from “Prime Minister: Pro-Life Law ‘a Legacy of Shame'” HERE)

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Exit Polls Show That Voters in Ireland Might Have Just Legalized Abortion by a Landslide

By The Blaze. Irish citizens voted on Friday over whether or not to lift the ban on abortion in the country, and exit polls are showing that the bid to allow the practice appears to have been quite successful.

In 1983, the eight amendment to the Irish constitution was ratified, which outlawed abortion in the country. Since then, roughly 170,000 Irish women have traveled to other countries to have pregnancies terminated.

A poll conducted by RTE Television showed that almost 70 percent of respondents voted to repeal the abortion ban, and another poll for The Irish Times was similar — showing 68 percent of those surveyed voted for repealing the eight amendment, against 32 percent who said abortions should still be banned in the country.

The results also exposed large divisions between age groups, with voters over 65 mostly voting against repealing the ban on abortions, and 18 to 24-year-olds voting for repeal at roughly 87 percent. (Read more from “Exit Polls Show That Voters in Ireland Might Have Just Legalized Abortion by a Landslide” HERE)

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U.S. Government Employee in China Experiences ‘Sensations of Sound and Pressure,’ Similar to ‘Sonic Attacks’ on Diplomats in Cuba

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On Wednesday, the State Department’s “travel” Twitter account uploaded a story followed by a warning for personnel in China:

Speaking before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said:

The medical indications are very similar, and entirely consistent with, the medical indications that were taking place to Americans working in Cuba. One incident – we announced it to the workforce while we slept here last night. We have medical teams that are moving to be on the ground there. We are working to figure out what took place both in Havana, and [now] in China as well. We’ve asked the Chinese for their assistance in doing that, and they have committed to honoring their commitments under the Vienna Convention to keep American foreign service officers safe.

In 2016 and 2017, U.S. diplomats in Havana, Cuba reported feeling as though they had been prey to “auditory and sensory phenomena in their homes or hotel room,” according to a study published in March 2018.

The 21 individuals who were evaluated in the study had allegedly developed “cognitive, vestibular, and oculomotor dysfunction, along with auditory symptoms, sleep abnormalities, and headache.” The study adds that the individuals “appeared to have sustained injury to widespread brain networks without an associated history of head trauma.” (Read more from “U.S. Government Employee in China Experiences ‘Sensations of Sound and Pressure,’ Similar to ‘Sonic Attacks’ on Diplomats in Cuba” HERE)

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Trump Cancels North Korea Summit

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By CNBC. President Donald Trump canceled his historic nuclear summit with Kim Jong Un on Thursday, accusing North Korea of “tremendous anger and open hostility.”

The meeting, which would have marked the first face-to-face encounter between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, was set for June 12 in Singapore.

“Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” Trump wrote in a letter to Kim, which was released Thursday morning. The president dictated every word of the letter himself, a senior White House official told reporters.

The senior White House official also said that North Korea had suspended direct communication with the U.S. over the past week. (Read more from “Trump Cancels North Korea Summit” HERE)

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Stocks Close Lower After President Trump Cancels North Korea Summit

By CNBC. U.S. stocks closed lower Thursday after President Donald Trump announced that the hotly anticipated summit next month with North Korea was cancelled.

The meeting would have been the first face-to-face encounter between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader.

“Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” Trump wrote in the letter.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 75.05 points to finish at 24,811.76 by the closing bell, well off a 280-point drop following news of the cancelled summit in Singapore. The S&P 500 shed 0.2 percent to close at 2,727.76 thanks to a 1.6 percent fall in energy stocks and a slip in oil prices.

The Nasdaq composite finished largely unchanged as losses in Facebook and Intel offset gains in Netflix and Adobe. (Read more from “Stocks Close Lower After President Trump Cancels North Korea Summit” HERE)

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‘Eye-Popping’ Number of Children Abducted by Illegals, Used to Pose as Families

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A growing number of illegal immigrants are abducting children in order to falsely claim them as family members in an effort to improve their chances of gaining entry into the United States, according to a report Tuesday by The Washington Times.

According to statistics provided by the Department of Homeland Security, there have been 191 cases of children having to be separated because of fraudulent family claims during the first five months of fiscal year 2018. That far exceeds the 46 cases reported for all of 2017.

That puts the U.S. on pace for more than 400 such attempts this year, which equates to a 900-percent increase over last fiscal year.

“The eye-popping increase in fraud and abuse shows that these smugglers know it’s easier to get released into America if they are part of a family and if they bring unaccompanied alien children,” Katie Waldman, a Homeland Security spokeswoman, told the newspaper.

“These loopholes make a mockery of our nation’s laws, and Congress must act to close these legal loopholes and secure our borders.”

As the number of families seeking to enter the country increases, the number of cases where illegal immigrants who aren’t even related to the children are showing up and fraudulently claiming to be families is on the rise.

The Times says its research found Honduran men on multiple occasions have attempted to cross into Texas with unrelated children in tow and bogus birth certificates claiming to show parentage.

The paper says not all of these cases involve abductions. Some involve children whose parents knowingly lend them to friends looking to pose as a family.

The paper says Border Patrol agents are also seeing instances of parents with multiple children splitting up to enter the U.S., said Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council.

He said the parents know that if they came as a couple along with their children, one parent might be separated, leaving just the other parent with the children. But if they cross individually, each with a child, agents won’t separate the child from someone who appears to be a single parent.

The Times report says authorities attribute the surge to an overall increase in attempts to jump the border and to a series of court rulings at the end of the Obama administration that created the family catch-and-release policy.

“In those rulings, U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee … ruled that the children should generally be released from Homeland Security custody within 20 days. But she also ruled that the children are best-served when they are placed with their parents, so it made sense for the entire family to be released from custody,” the Times report said.

The Obama Justice Department actually argued that Gee’s 2016 ruling created an incentive for people to bring children on the dangerous journey — and in some cases to kidnap children to pose as families.

“When people now know that when I come as a family unit, I won’t be apprehended and detained — we now have people being abducted so that they can be deemed as family units, so that they can avoid detention,” Leon Fresco, deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s office of immigration litigation, told the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at the time.

Critics of the president claim the number of children who brought into the country by someone who has abducted them is much smaller than the number of children being separated from their actual parents by the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance prosecution policy of illegal border crossers.

In a meeting last week with DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the laws being enforced at the border.

“It’s a horrible thing where you have to break up families,” Trump said. “The Democrats gave us that law and they don’t want to do anything about it. They’ll leave it like that ’cause they don’t want to make any changes. And now you’re breaking up families because of the Democrats. It’s terrible.” (For more from the author of “‘Eye-Popping’ Number of Children Abducted by Illegals, Used to Pose as Families” please click HERE)

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