The Epoch Times

"A Johns Hopkins trained physician walked into the Mayo Clinic one night - the emergency department - because he had some known problem that he self-diagnosed. It's very common, it wasn't a big deal, a healthy guy in his 40s, and they said, 'Well, why don't you stay overnight and we'll work you up tomorrow? Then you can drive back home' - because he was a far distance from home. Within 24 hours, he was in multiple organ failure and the doctors had no idea what was happening. The next week, his heart was removed, put on a machine, and three or four months later, he died a horrific death. And it was traced back and went through multi-district litigation, along with hundreds of other cases. It was contaminated blood thinner. The API was made in China. It was a highly sophisticated fake substitute for the real active ingredient and at high levels, it could cause death. So, the implications of poorly performing drugs - things that are not made properly - is profound. And by the way, this process by which this fake substitute was made? The Chinese government patented it, and it also flew under the radar of testing. So, another point: testing can get us only so far. Eventually we have to have our medicines made by people who are trustworthy, ethical, and in places where the FDA can do its job and protect the public." —Rosemary Gibson, author of “China Rx,” came back on American Thought Leaders almost exactly 5 years after we first interviewed on this issue—and offers some bombshells. Link to full interview in the comments.

For more than a decade, cybersecurity experts across the government and private sectors have sounded the alarm about the increasing risks posed by technology products manufactured in China. The United States’ longstanding dependency on Chinese-made devices has been repeatedly exploited as part of a state-backed effort by China’s ruling communist regime to undermine the strategic interests and national security of the United States, from preinstalled malware on consumer devices to sabotage operations in critical infrastructure. While not every Chinese-made device poses such a risk, the growing catalog of cyberattacks exploiting Chinese hardware underscores the need for vigilance when purchasing or using such products, and suggests the U.S. government may need to do more to curb its reliance on China for a broad array of devices. Here’s a look at some of the most egregious documented uses of Chinese devices in cyberattacks from the last decade. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/eH8pHXkH

“Trump is blowing up the global trading system, and he's also blowing up the Chinese economic model, as the Treasury Secretary said,” Gordon Chang tells me. “China needs the US market. It's the world's largest. It can't be replaced. Xi Jinping has basically put the fate of his regime in Donald Trump's hands, and the reason is that Xi Jinping has turned his back on consumption as the basis of the Chinese economy, which means his only way to rescue an increasingly grim situation is to export more. So, America is the answer to all of his problems, but he has decided to take on Trump, and that never really works out well for anybody - even someone as powerful as Xi Jinping.”

The most fun (and often most challenging) part of political reporting is talking to voters. In Wisconsin last week, I met people who were angry, frightened, wary--and some hopeful and confident. These days, a lot of folks are leery of talking to reporters, and I don't blame them. But most will respond to a smiling face and a warm greeting. Even when they don't care to share an opinion, it's nice to meet new people. Green Bay is one of the nicest small(ish) towns I've been to. They also have a football team. If you get up that way, stop in at Casco, where you'll find a church, cemetery, tavern, and town hall at the four corners of two county roads. If that ain't America, I don't know what is. (Thanks to my colleagues Madalina V., Jacob Burg, Samantha Flom, and Timothy (TJ) Muscaro for the solid reporting and great pics on this story.)

🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING: Trump Raises Tariffs on China to 125 Percent, Orders 90-Day Tariff Pause on Other Countries China had retaliated with a total 84 percent tariff on US goods.

🚨 Why the U.S. Has the Upper Hand Over Beijing in Tariff Standoff The U.S. & China are in a battle for resetting the international trade protocol and even the world order, according to U.S.-based economist Davy J. Wong. “If [China] want[s] to draw this out for years and years—go ahead,” Christopher Balding said, describing Trump’s approach. “We’re going to impose enormous amounts of pain very early on so that if you want to draw it out, you’re drawing out your pain.” Link to the whole excellent analysis in the comments:

Jan Jekielek, host of American Thought Leaders and senior editor for The Epoch Times, moderated an insightful panel discussing the State of the Freedom Movement at the Independent Medical Alliance in Atlanta on April 6. Joining the discussion were Jeffrey Tucker, founder and president of the Brownstone Institute, Warner Mendenhall, attorney and founder of the Freedom Counsel, Stephanie Lorrichio, manager of advocacy and outreach for the Children's Health Defense, and Dr. Chris Martenson, independent director and senior fellow of toxicology for the IMA.

4:30 am check-in for Honor Flight. Excited to report on military veterans’ trip from Cincinnati to our nation’s capital!

TUCSON, Ariz.—Joe Marihugh caught the gold bug years ago while running buckets of sand through a washer to extract flakes of the precious yellow metal. He and his wife once ran 50 buckets to retrieve two grams of gold, which was worth nearly $200 at the time. Since then, he has been using his dependable Minelab Gold Monster 1000 metal detector, with high expectations and his eyes fixed on the ground. “I love searching for gold. It’s what we do,” Marihugh said as he swept the metal detector’s search coil across the hard, dry soil south of Tucson, Arizona, hoping to discover something valuable beneath the surface. On March 22, Marihugh and more than 20 members of the Desert Gold Diggers set out to make profitable discoveries during the club’s annual spring outing for metal detecting. Like forensic investigators searching for evidence, the metal detectorists worked with focused determination in a close formation under the bright morning desert sun. “There are people out here that do find gold nuggets,” said club president Ralph Montano. “I tell everybody: you’re not going to get rich” metal detecting, but, “you might get lucky.” It’s not just the thrill of the hunt that draws metal detector enthusiasts, like the Desert Gold Diggers, to remote locations in search of hidden treasure. It’s the attraction of discovering precious metals following gold’s recent surge to more than $3,000 an ounce—marking the first time in U.S. history. At the same time, silver continues rising and is more than $34 an ounce. Montano told The Epoch Times that it’s not merely by chance that the club has been receiving more inquiries from individuals interested in metal detecting. There seems to be a direct connection between gold prices and interest in the hobby. “We’ve gotten a lot of interest lately. In the last couple of months, we’ve gotten a lot of new members,” Montano said. “They’re coming out and learning from us about what equipment they will need and what to look for—how to look for the spots that might produce.” Not since gold reached an all-time high of $1,896 and silver hit $49.52 per ounce in 2011 have precious metals—often considered “barbarous relics” in the financial world—commanded such prices. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eU7u8Myg

Explore the extensive art of coffee, from familiar cafe favorites to elaborate world specialties. Which ones have you yet to try? See the infographic here: https://lnkd.in/e_Kn6ESy