⚠️ US Dept of Defense Establishes ‘Mine to Magnet’ Supply Chain for 17 Rare Earth Materials

Since 2020, the DOD has awarded more than $439mn to establish domestic rare earth element supply chains - to manufacture the permanent magnets used in important US military weapons systems.  

Magnets produced from rare earth elements are used in systems such as F-35s, nuclear submarines, Tomahawk missiles, a variety of radar systems, Predator UAVs and the Joint Direct Attack Munition series of smart bombs.

“The US can no longer afford to rely on overseas, single-points-of-failure for critical components," a DOD spox said.

@RiseGS

⚠️ US Air Force Wants Fleet of 1,000 AI-Piloted Ghost Fighter Jets

The US Air Force has launched a $6bn contract for 1,000 AI-piloted fighter jets that can fly 30ft above the ground at 600mph and make moves that are too dangerous for manned planes. 

Five companies are bidding for the contract: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics and Anduril Industries.

The Pentagon will choose two of the companies by the summer to start building the jets and hopes to have hundreds completed within five years at an estimated cost of $10 to $20mn per plane.

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⚡️ JUST IN: Javier Milei caught red-handed increasing his own salary by 48%

The Libertarian leader has fired his labor secretary for his “mistake” in a bid to stem the fallout over his 48% salary increase.

Milei’s gross monthly salary rose from just over 4mn pesos in January ($4,700) to just over 6mn pesos in February.

Members of the opposition shared details of a decree mandating the increase that bears the president’s signature.

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⚡️NEW: Boeing whistleblower found dead in US 😮

A former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the firm's production standards has been found dead in the US. (BBC)

John Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017.

In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.

@RiseGS

🔠 Biden Thinks Executive Action Just Happens 🙃

The US president is apparently going to let the crisis play out...

"When is a border executive action coming?"

Biden: "I'm counting on the border action happening by itself."

@RiseGS

⚠️ 🇫🇷 Liberation Newspaper Publishes Cartoon Mocking People of Gaza

The left-wing paper is owned by French-Israeli billionaire Patrick Drahi.

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☄️ BREAKING: Aid Ship Leaves Cyprus Bound for Gaza

The vessel belonging to Spanish NGO Open Arms will take 200 tonnes of food, sourced by the World Central Kitchen charity.

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ℹ️ Biden ‘definitely thought about’ conditioning military aid if Israel begins Rafah offensive - US Officials (Politico)

Biden and “thought” in the same sentence that doesn’t include “ice cream” - strange times…

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📣 JUST IN: Russia, China and Iran Begin Naval Drills in the Gulf of Oman – 🇷🇺 MoD

The primary purpose if the exercises is to practise safety in maritime economic activities.

During the drills, the combat ships of the three countries will jointly manoeuvre and conduct firing at surface and air targets, as well as hone elements to liberate the ship hijacked by the pirates.

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❗️FLASHBACK: Majority of Boeing Factory Employees Caught on Hidden Camera Wouldn’t Fly on Planes They Are Assembling

An Al Jazeera reporter with a hidden camera visited the Boeing plant in South Carolina in 2014, where the 787 Dreamliner aircraft is assembled.

He asked the workers if they themselves would fly on the planes they were assembling - of the 15 random respondents, 10 said “no.”

Boeing clearly haven’t learnt any lessons from the documentary – the embattled aircraft manufacturer responded to the report by accusing the piece of “pursuing its own agenda.”

@RiseGS

⚠️ Haitian PM Ariel Henry Resigns after Law & Order Collapses

Henry has agreed to resign following weeks of mounting pressure and increasing violence in the country.

He is currently stranded in Puerto Rico after being prevented by armed gangs from returning home.

Henry, who had led the country supposedly on an interim basis since July 2021 following former President Jovenel Moïse's assassination, had repeatedly postponed elections, saying security must be restored first.

@RiseGS

😳 Killary Clinton's Shadow… Quick Timeline of Haiti Since 2010

Jan 2010: Devastating earthquake claims 220k lives, decimates Haiti - the Clinton Foundation raises $30mn for relief… that goes largely unaccounted for

Nov 2010: Hillary endorses Michel Martelly, but he comes in third place and does not qualify for election runoff scheduled for March 2011

Jan 2011: US Sec of State Hillary travels to Haiti, meets with President Preval, and threatens to cut off aid if Martelly is not on ballot - Celestin is dropped and Martelly is placed on ballot

March 2011: Martelly "wins" election marred by voter fraud allegations – some 650k "ghost ballots" reportedly counted, including many who died in the earthquake

2011-2016: Martelly admin is plagued with corruption scandals - mainly centered around claims of accepting bribes in exchange for construction project deals that never materialized

2016: Martelly resigns and flees to Florida a week before his term is set to expire

June 2016: Results of special election annulled after audit found extensive voter fraud

Nov 2016-2020: Jovenel Moise wins new elections - he begins enacting agrarian reforms, establishing free trade zones, fighting corruption, and arresting narcotics and human traffickers

July 7, 2021: 6 months after Joe Biden takes office, 28 foreign - mostly Colombian - mercenaries storm the presidential palace and assassinate President Moise

July 7–21, 2021: Departing PM Claude Joseph takes over as president for 14 days, but stands down in favor of Ariel Henry, who was supported by the US

Feb 2024: Claude Joseph and Moise's widow are indicted for plotting Moise's assassination

March 2024: Henry travels to Kenya to sign an agreement for 1,000 troops to help restore order in the Haitian capital but is unable to return home due to security concerns. Henry remains stranded in Puerto Rico as warring gangs wrestle for control of the govt.

@RiseGS

☄️ BREAKING: Plane Crashes in Ivanovo Region, Northeast of Moscow after Engine Erupts in Flames - Reportedly Russian Military II-76 Cargo Aircraft

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🤔 Remember When the British Royal Family Didn’t Doctor Their Photos?

Simpler times…

@RiseGS