[My News] The administration of US President Donald Trump called on American banks and other financial institutions Thursday to step up monitoring of suspected Chinese money-laundering networks it says fuel fentanyl addiction in the United States.
The advisory highlighted how informal Chinese money-laundering operations work in a symbiotic relationship with the Jalisco New Generation, Sinaloa, Gulf and other Mexican drug cartels to effectively bypass financial safeguards.
"Money-laundering networks linked to individual passport holders from [China] enable cartels to poison Americans with fentanyl, conduct human trafficking, and wreak havoc among communities across our great nation," said John Hurley, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury Department. "The United States will not stand by and allow nefarious actors to launder illicit proceeds through our financial system."
Echoing "know your customer" US banking rules strengthened after the September 11 attack, the advisory pressures financial institutions to flag Chinese customers who — whether intentionally or unknowingly, including students, retirees and housewives — fit the "unexplained wealth" profile of those potentially laundering money for cartels.
Trump has pressured Beijing since his January inauguration to clamp down on Chinese exports of ingredients known as precursors used in making fentanyl. In March, he imposed a 20 per cent across-the-board tariff on Chinese imports over the issue that remains in effect.
Analysts said the release highlights the importance the administration assigns to the issue, but does not immediately raise the bar.
[IBTimes] The FBI is investigating the threats, which have already led to the arrest of other group members
An bully boy group is offering fake school‑shooting threats for as little as $20 (£14.79), triggering a nationwide law enforcement alert and raising urgent concerns about how bully boy online networks are weaponising emergency systems.
This practice, known as 'swatting for hire', involves malicious actors placing false emergency calls in order to provoke an armed police response. The tactic not only drains public safety resources, it also endangers the lives of students, faculty, and bystanders.
COORDINATED CAMPUS ATTACKS BEGIN WITH TELEGRAM GROUP PURGATORY
According to Wired, a person using the online alias 'Gores' claims to be co‑leader of an online group named Purgatory, which has links to the bully boy network known as The Com. Gores and another member, known as 'tor', began placing swatting calls on 21 August. That same day, both the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Villanova University were forced into lockdowns following fake reports of active shooters.
Inside Higher Ed later reported that 19 swatting calls had been confirmed at American universities between 19—28 August. Targets included Mercer University, the University of Wisconsin—Madison, the University of Utah, and the University of New Hampshire.
Villanova University, a Catholic school in Pennsylvania, was hit twice in four days. During the second incident, a hoax call forced students and faculty to evacuate during an orientation Mass. Student Ava Petrosky, who was singing at the time, told CNN ...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for... she thought she was going to die.
At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, senior Luke Robbins described chaos as armed police stormed the building: 'In two seconds, the whole classroom evacuated. Run outside, there's cops with ARs [assault rifles] in the hallways, and they're like, "Hey, go up this way," so we get out. Run across the street. There's even more cops telling us to go. I mean, it was just hectic. It's crazy.'
LIVESTREAMED CHAOS AND A PAID CAMPAIGN OF TERROR
As the swatting spree escalated, Purgatory members reportedly livestreamed their actions on Discord to an audience of around 40 people. Wired confirmed that researchers had monitored these calls in real time and reviewed recordings of swatting attempts shared by members.
Gores told Wired that swatting attacks were available for hire—initially offered for $20, with prices increasing to $95 during the current campaign. The group also advertised threats against hospitals, businesses, and airports for $50. So-called 'brickings' and 'slashings' were listed at $10. Gores further claimed that Purgatory had earned roughly $100,000 during the spree, although Wired could not independently verify that figure.
Not every hoax was successful. One researcher affiliated with the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) was able to intercept a live call targeting Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and alert campus security, preventing a police deployment. In another case, the same researcher heard Gores include the sound of a shotgun blast in the background of a hoax call to try to convince emergency responders of its authenticity.
FBI INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY, PAST ARRESTS HIGHLIGHT THE THREAT
The FBI confirmed it is investigating the rise in swatting incidents and said it is seeing an increase in such events across the country. In a public statement, the agency warned: 'Knowingly providing false information to emergency service agencies about a possible threat to life drains law enforcement resources, costs thousands of dollars and, most importantly, puts innocent people at risk.'
Wired also reported that Nicole Mueksch, a spokesperson for the University of Colorado Boulder, said the university police are working with 'state and federal partners, including the FBI, to explore any potential leads or patterns that may be connected to other recent swatting cases across the country.'
The group's activities are not entirely new. In 2024, three Purgatory members—Owen Jarboe, Brayden Grace, and Evan Strauss—were arrested in connection with swatting attacks on a Delaware high school, a trailer park in Alabama, Albany International Airport, an Ohio casino, and a private residence in Georgia. All three pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges including conspiracy, cyberstalking, and threatening to damage property with fire or explosives.
Despite the scrutiny, Gores told Wired the campaign would continue for another two months. When asked if he was concerned about the FBI's investigation, he replied: 'Shit don't put fear into me. Just another day in our life yk?'
#2
Swatting is a bad game because it has been done to some of the most capable internet hackers in the past. Some of that group can be easily motivated to discover who is doing it.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
08/29/2025 7:10 Comments ||
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[FoxNews] The Air Force decided to extend military funeral honors to deceased Senior Airman Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a police officer during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
The decision came after Air Force leadership during the Biden administration previously denied the request in February 2021, shortly after Babbitt was killed. The decision also comes on the heels of a wrongful death settlement reached in July, which resulted in the government paying the Babbitt family nearly $5 million.
"On behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force, I write to extend the offer for Military Funeral Honors for SrA Ashli Babbitt," stated an Aug. 15 letter from the undersecretary of the Air Force, sent to Babbitt's husband, Aaron, according to the family's legal representatives. "After reviewing the circumstances of Ashli’s death, and considering the information that has come forward since then, I am persuaded that the previous determination was incorrect." said.
Babbitt was shot and killed by a U.S. Capitol police officer as she was attempting to forcibly gain access to the Capitol chambers during the events of Jan. 6. Roughly three months later the Department of Justice announced it would not be pursuing criminal charges against the officer who shot Babbitt.
[FoxNews] Nantucket authorities launched wastewater testing program this summer to monitor island-wide drug trends.
The sewage in New England's exclusive Nantucket retreat is full of cocaine, according to local authorities, who this summer began testing it to monitor potential drug use in a popular summer getaway for the rich and powerful.
"During COVID, a lot of these communities, and most communities, decided that it was important for them to start testing the water to see if there were any spikes in COVID in the region." said Randolph Rice, a Maryland attorney and legal analyst. "But what Nantucket has now decided to do as of the beginning of the summer is to actually start testing for other types of substances, particularly drugs, nicotine and other items…within the system there. And what they're finding is that there is a high level of cocaine."
The testing, conducted at the Surfside Wastewater Treatment Facility on Nantucket, found cocaine levels about 50% higher than the national average, according to publicly posted data from local authorities. The same tests found below-average levels of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid blamed for overdoses around the country.
Local health officials announced the wastewater testing program would begin earlier this summer. The island's treatment plant serves about three-quarters of local homes, which authorities said would give them access to "island-wide trends without identifying individuals or neighborhoods" – protecting privacy while giving health officials a glimpse into what's going on behind closed doors.
🇲🇽 Brawl breaks out in Mexican Senate over US military intervention against drug cartels
A brawl broke out in the Mexican Senate between two of the chamber's most senior politicians after a heated debate over US military intervention in Mexico.
head of the opposition Pri party, and Gerardo Fernández Noroña, the senate president from the ruling Morena party can be seen pushing each other.
The incident came after the Morena party accused the opposition Pri and Pan parties of calling for US military intervention to stop Mexico's drug cartels. The parties deny the claims.
Its the kind of accusation that could result in a cartel hit, which I think very much explains the initial theatrics and resulting fight. The entire episode is supplication to the cartels.
— TUC - The Ungroomed Cockapoo (@slickChihuahua) August 29, 2025
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Hero of Russia, Major General and veteran of the FSB anti-terrorist unit "Alpha" Valery Kanakin passed away at the age of 65. This was reported on August 28 by the international association of veterans of "Alpha" on its Telegram channel.
Kanakin was born on May 5, 1960. From 1978 to 1980, he served in the Strategic Missile Forces. Then he entered the 401st KGB special school in Leningrad. In January 1984, he was enrolled in Group "A" (Alpha unit) of the Seventh Directorate of the KGB of the USSR. There he rose from a private soldier to the head of Directorate "A" of the Special Operations Center of the FSB of Russia.
In the 1980s, he took part in military operations in Afghanistan. He went through military campaigns in the North Caucasus. He took part in hostage rescue operations in Dubrovka, Budyonnovsk and Beslan. On May 5, 2005, Kanakin received the Hero of Russia star from the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The general was also awarded other state awards many times, including the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th degree (with swords), Courage, medals of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st and 2nd degree, and For Bravery.
“The bright memory of Valery Vladimirovich Kanakin will forever remain in our hearts,” says a message published on the channel of the international veterans association “Alpha”.
Q2 of 2025 GDP up a bit more than first estimate
Oil price a bit lower
New Jobless Claims a bit lower than expected
Note: the GDP estimate counts Federal spending as a positive so the various cuts depress the estimate in the short term even though it improves the long term prospects
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
08/29/2025 00:00 ||
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🚨 Bombshell report above how the left - groups tied to Obama, Biden, and the Chinese Communist Party - has funded a web of fake experts to crush nuclear development in America. pic.twitter.com/R8de81XC8g
#2
Hardly groundbreaking news. The Soviets underwrote so-called 'Green' anti-nuke groups in the 60's onward and those groups simply moved on to the next paymaster.
[ZERO] When Taylor Lorenz breaks a story on Democrat dark money, you know something strange is happening. Lorenz, who has made a career as the poster child for progressive social media culture, finally turned her reporting lens onto her own side. And what she uncovered in Wired is pretty dark: a secret program bankrolled by one of the largest Democrat dark money machines in America, designed to quietly pay off dozens of high-profile influencers to steer young voters toward the left.
The story centers around the Sixteen Thirty Fund, one of the crown jewels of Arabella Advisors' dark money empire. According to public filings, this fund has been showered with staggering sums from progressive megadonors:
$257.1 million from the New Venture Fund
$64 million from the Open Societies Action Fund
$20.2 million from the Hopewell Fund
$13 million from the North Fund
$5.6 million from Tides Advocacy
A spreadsheet posted by DataRepublican on X bluntly spelled it out: "That 'dark money' group, Sixteen Thirty Fund, is Arabella Advisors and is pure Open Society passthrough."
[World Net Daily] Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that there will be launched new studies into the effects of some anti-depressant drugs, and their use by those who turn out to be killers.
The announcement comes in the aftermath of this week's mass shooting at a Catholic church and school in Minneapolis that left two dead and more than a dozen more injured.
"SSRIs, or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, are a class of antidepressant medications that are used to treat depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders," the report said. "They are frequently used to treat common mental health challenges, especially in younger adults seeking to transition from their God-given gender who already suffer a higher rate of depression-related issues."
The shooting attack this week, by a transgender individual, a man who claimed to identify as a woman, came "two years after another trans-involved shooting spree in Nashville," the report said. There was no immediate confirmation on any medications taken by the Minneapolis shooter.
"We're launching studies on the potential contribution of some of the SSRI drugs and some of the other psychiatric drugs that might be contributing to violence," Kennedy said. "You know, many of them on there have black box warnings that warn of suicidal ideation and homicidal ideation."
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[World Net Daily] Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that there will be launched new studies into the effects of some anti-depressant drugs, and their use by those who turn out to be killers.
