Google Hit Hard as Judge Finds Violation of U.S. Antitrust Laws

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On Monday, Google faced a significant legal setback as U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta ruled that the tech giant violated U.S. antitrust laws through its search business. This ruling marks a notable moment in the ongoing scrutiny of Big Tech companies, highlighting the clash between corporate power and regulatory oversight.

Judge Mehta’s decision is rooted in the assertion that Google has behaved as a “monopolist,” leveraging its dominant position in the search engine market to suppress competition. Specifically, Mehta condemned Google for using exclusive contracts to ensure its search engine was the default option for major browsers like Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox. “After having carefully considered and weighed the witness testimony and evidence, the court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” Mehta stated, emphasizing that Google’s practices violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act.

The ruling follows a high-profile lawsuit filed last January by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and several state attorneys general. They accused Google of monopolizing various digital advertising technologies, thereby violating both Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland underscored the gravity of the allegations, asserting that Google’s actions aimed to “eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies.”

Financially, Google has reportedly invested billions to secure its dominant position. Notably, it paid Apple approximately $18 billion in 2021 alone to remain the default search engine on Safari. Critics argue that such expenditures are a clear attempt to stifle competition and entrench its market position. During the trial, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai defended the company, asserting that Google’s dominance was a result of providing superior services to consumers. In contrast, Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella criticized Google’s practices, describing them as creating an “oligopolistic” relationship with Apple.

The DOJ’s complaint also accused Google of maintaining a protected monopoly over its advertising space within its search engine. Allegations included raising ad prices beyond what is deemed reasonable in a free market, which supposedly reflects Google’s excessive market power. The claim highlights a broader concern that Google’s market practices may be undermining fair competition and inflating costs for advertisers and consumers alike.

This ruling is significant as it represents the first major antitrust case involving a tech company in over two decades. The outcome could set a precedent that influences other legal challenges facing tech giants such as Apple, Amazon, and Meta. While Judge Mehta has yet to determine the specific consequences for Google, the potential ramifications could be profound, impacting not just Google’s operations but also shaping the regulatory landscape for the tech industry at large. (Read more from “Google Hit Hard as Judge Finds Violation of U.S. Antitrust Laws” HERE)

Report: Secret Service Allegedly Planned to Destroy White House Cocaine, Agency Denies Claims

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The Secret Service addressed the controversy surrounding the disposal of cocaine discovered at the White House in 2023.

The statement came in response to a RealClearPolitics report detailing alleged internal disputes over the handling of the narcotics found just days after a Biden family gathering. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi clarified that the cocaine was disposed of in line with existing retention policies, though he did not specify which policies.

“This is false,” Guglielmi said in a statement. “The US Secret Service takes its investigative and protective responsibilities very seriously. There are retention policies for criminal investigations, and the Secret Service adhered to those requirements during this case.” (Read more from “Report: Secret Service Allegedly Planned to Destroy White House Cocaine, Agency Denies Claims” HERE)

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Remote Mind Control Achieved by Scientists in Shocking Experiment

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Mind control sounds like something out of science-fiction or maybe some sort of supernatural power, but it’s becoming a potential reality. Scientists at the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea are working on a potentially revolutionary way to remotely control the minds of lab mice. That’s a long way away from controlling a human’s mind, but it’s also a significant step beyond prior experiments in controlling how lab mice act.

Prior efforts at influencing the minds of lab mice involved implanting electrodes and sending electrical signals to different parts of the brain. The remotely controlled mind-control technology researchers are developing does away with wires to directly tap into the neural pathways of lab mice. That’s good because wires are very invasive, limit potential movement in the subject, and could lead to medical complications.

The remote mind-control system under development uses a Magnetogenetic Interface for NeuroDynamics. The researchers just call it “Nano-MIND.” The full name is very descriptive and suggests the use of a magneto and genetic interface to stimulate the neural pathways within a lab mouse’s brain. The intent is to enable researchers to study how they might remotely activate the brain’s neural circuits and affect how the subject mouse acts.

Instead of using wired electrical signals the stimulate the mouse’s brain, the experimental Nano-MIND enables remote stimulation with the help of magnetic fields. The Nano-MIND system is under development to make it possible for scientists to create artificial neural networks and better understand how the brain works. It also might help researchers to develop new ways to treat neurological disorders. . .

The Nano-MIND system integrates ion channels into targeted cells within specific areas of a test subject’s brain. The magnetic fields activate the ion channels within the subject’s brain cells to change its behavior in a type of mind control. Scientists can use a very small actuator to use magnetism to activate the ion channels that are placed within particular neural circuits within the test subject’s brain. (Read more from “Remote Mind Control Achieved by Scientists in Shocking Experiment” HERE)

Trump Warns of ‘Great Depression of 2024’ After ‘Kamala Crash’

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Former President Donald Trump ripped Vice President Kamala Harris for the sharp drop in stock market indexes in the United States on Monday, declaring that the markets will not “accept” Harris and calling her a “Radical Left Lunatic.”

Trump took to Truth Social to blast Harris for the “Kamala Crash” in a series of posts. . .

Major stock indexes like the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and the Nasdaq Composite took sharp hits Monday morning, Breitbart News’s economics editor John Carney reported:

The decline highlights the level of worry among investors since economic data released last week showed unemployment rising and job growth slowing more than expected. Surveys of manufacturers also indicated a steep fall off in activity in the sector, which is often a bellwether for the economy.

The economy added just 114,000 jobs in July, according to the Department of Labor, significantly below the 180,000 forecast. Seperate surveys of business executives known as purchasing managers by the Institute for Supply Management and S&P Global both showed that factory activity had contracted in the month.

(Read more from “Trump Warns of ‘Great Depression of 2024’ After ‘Kamala Crash’” HERE)

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Pentagon Abandons $110 Million Military Base as African Regime Takes Over

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The Pentagon announced Monday that it had finished withdrawing U.S. forces from a $110 million military base in Niger, Africa, as the nation’s ruling regime takes over.

Niger’s Air Base 201 previously hosted hundreds of U.S. troops who have now evacuated at the request of the country’s military junta. The Pentagon said in a statement on Monday that all remaining forces and assets at the base have been withdrawn as final evacuation efforts come to a close.

Opened in 2019, Air Base 201 cost the Pentagon $110 million to build and $30 million annually to maintain, according to Defense News. The base played a pivotal role for U.S. forces working in coordination with Niger’s army in fighting against terror networks including al Qaeda and the Islamic State, both of which maintain a sweeping presence in the violent Sahel region, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“This effort began on May 19 following the mutual establishment of withdrawal conditions and coordination will continue between U.S. and Nigerien armed forces over the coming weeks to ensure the full withdrawal is complete as planned,” a statement from the Pentagon reads. “The effective cooperation and communication between the U.S. and Nigerien armed forces ensured that this turnover was finished ahead of schedule and without complications.”

Some U.S. troops will remain at the U.S. Embassy in Niger while final withdrawal operations are completed in the coming weeks, according to The New York Times. Some equipment from Air Base 201 was shipped out, such as weaponry, but other equipment was left behind. (Read more from “Pentagon Abandons $110 Million Military Base as African Regime Takes Over” HERE)

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Gold Medal Winner Sleeps on the Lawn, Says Olympic Village Has ‘Bad Food,’ No AC

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Organizers designed the Olympic Village to be an eco-friendly habitation that would prioritize oneness with the environment. Well, in a sense, they achieved that. Olympic athletes are so miserable in the Olympic Village that they are embracing sleeping outdoors in the environment.

Thomas Ceccon, an Italian swimmer who won gold in the 100-meter backstroke, didn’t even qualify for the 200-meter because he said he was “too tired.”

“It’s hard to sleep both at night and in the afternoon,” Ceccon said after the 200-meter. “Here, I really struggle between the heat and the noise.”

Saudi rower Husein Alireza spotted Ceccon lying on a sheet beside a bench on the lawn outside his building. What was Ceccon doing? According to the Italian swimmer, he was taking a “nap.”

“There is no air conditioning in the village, it’s hot, the food is bad,” Ceccon explained. “Many athletes move for this reason. It’s not an alibi or an excuse; it’s the reality of what perhaps not everybody knows.” (Read more from “Gold Medal Winner Sleeps on the Lawn, Says Olympic Village Has ‘Bad Food,’ No AC” HERE)

Prosecutor Resigns After Getting Caught Trying to Meet With 13-Year-Old Boy

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A New York City prosecutor suddenly resigned after he was caught allegedly trying to meet up with a 13-year-old boy that he met online.

William C.C. Kemp-Neal quit his job as a prosecutor at the Bronx District Attorney’s office after a group called “Dads Against Predators” filmed Kemp-Neal in the parking lot of a Target attempting to coerce the young male.

Ironically, he made $84,990 annually as an ADA handling child-endangered cases, as well as harassment.

On July 8, the group confronted the 30-year-old prosecutor in a Target parking lot o East Sanford Boulevard in Mount Vernon. The video shows the group asking Kemp-Neal if he is “Marcus,” prompting him to flee. The men pursued him, shouting, “Excuse me everybody, this man right here came to meet a 13-year-old boy.” At one point, a bystander, intervened and restrained Kemp-Neal in a chokehold. In a clip, Kemp-Neal is seen struggling to breathe and attempting to break free. Via Times Now.

(Read more from “Prosecutor Resigns After Getting Caught Trying to Meet With 13-Year-Old Boy” HERE)

The Latest RFK Jr. Story is Beyond Surreal

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the basis for two of the most bizarre stories in the 2024 cycle. The first was that his brain had been partially eaten by worms, which he blamed on consuming too many tuna sandwiches. Kennedy has zero shot of winning the 2024 election, but his handlers wanted to tell us that even with parts of his brain eaten by parasites, it shouldn’t impede him from carrying out duties as our chief executive. Now, he’s the man behind the dead bear cub that was discovered in Central Park ten years ago.

Kennedy was trying to get ahead of a story about him regarding this incident, so he decided to tell actor Roseanne Barr, who said he had witnessed the car collision that killed the bear. It was still in good condition, so he wanted to skin and eat it later. Kennedy laughably says this was due to the redneck in him. I don’t even know what this means; he’s a Kennedy, the furthest thing from rednecks. Circumstances changed, which led to him dumping the bear in Central Park, staging it as if the cub had been hit by a bicycle. (Read more from “The Latest RFK Jr. Story is Beyond Surreal” HERE)

US Embassy Issues Urgent Security Alert, Warns Citizens to Flee Ahead of ‘Emergency Situations’

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The U.S. embassy in Lebanon issued a warning to American citizens on Saturday to leave the country ahead of possible “emergency situations.”

The security alert recommended U.S. citizens in Lebanon make plans to leave or prepare to “shelter in place for an extended period of time.” The alert comes as the country anticipates a retaliation effort from Israel following a missile attack from Lebanese-based Hezbollah terrorists that killed 12 children on July 27.

“We encourage those who wish to depart Lebanon to book any ticket available to them, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow their first-choice route,” the embassy alert reads. “We recommend that U.S. citizens who choose not to depart Lebanon prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period of time.”

Several airlines have suspended or canceled flights to the country, however commercial options are still available, according to the alert.

“We recommend U.S. citizens develop a crisis plan of action and leave before a crisis begins,” Rena Bitter, U.S. assistant secretary of state for the bureau of consular affairs, said in a video posted to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut X account on July 29.

(Read more from “US Embassy Issues Urgent Security Alert, Warns Citizens to Flee Ahead of ‘Emergency Situations'” HERE)

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Video Shows Pilot Arrested, Removed From Aircraft Prior to Departure

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A Frontier Airlines pilot was arrested aboard an aircraft Saturday before departure at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, CBS News reported.

Houston police handcuffed and removed Seymour Walker, 45, from Flight 3195 just ahead of its scheduled departure to Dallas, according to CBS News. An arrest warrant had been issued for the pilot accused of assault involving family violence, the outlet reported. The incident reportedly took place around 4 p.m., as passengers were boarding the aircraft.

Texas law enforcement officials boarded the aircraft at a specific gate after all passengers deplaned and took Walker into “custody without incident,” according to the outlet, citing police. Frontier Airlines confirmed the incident and subsequent disruption in a statement to CBS News.

“The activity occurred prior to the start of boarding for Flight 3195 scheduled from IAH to Dallas Forth Worth (DFW). A replacement crew member was not immediately available and therefore the flight was canceled,” Frontier Airlines said in a statement, CBS News reported.

(Read more from “Video Shows Pilot Arrested, Removed From Aircraft Prior to Departure” HERE)

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