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EPA Targets Geoengineering Company Injecting Pollutants in Air

(engin akyurt/Unsplash)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) has demanded information from a geoengineering company launching sulfur dioxide into the air.

Sulfur dioxide poses a risk to respiratory health.

The company, called Make Sunsets, has launched balloons with the compound in an effort to generate “cooling” credits.

“It is unclear where the balloons are launched and where the SO2 is from,” the EPA said. “Furthermore, it is not known if the company has been in contact with any state, local or federal air agencies.”

“The idea that individuals, supported by venture capitalists, are putting criteria air pollutants into the air to sell ‘cooling’ credits shows how climate extremism has overtaken common sense,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. “Based on Make Sunsets’ responses to our information request, we will look into all our authorities to ensure that we continue maintaining clean air for all Americans.”

According to Make Sunsets, the balloons act as a “sunscreen for the Earth” to combat so-called climate change.

Addressing its participation in geoengineering, the company argued that any human release of carbon dioxide is geoengineering, stating that “the earth is a bit warmer for every flight you take. We think it’s wrong to suddenly draw a line at the stratosphere: we screwed up the atmosphere, and now we have a moral obligation to fix things!”

Some states, such as Florida, have taken steps to combat geoengineering.

SB 56 states that the “injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of a chemical, a chemical compound, a substance, or an apparatus into the atmosphere within the borders of this state for the express purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of sunlight is prohibited.”

Those who participate in geoengineering, including “any public or private corporation,” have committed a felony of the third degree, the bill adds.

Shooting at Florida State University Leaves Several Hospitalized

(Kevin Dunlap/Unsplash)

At least six people have been hospitalized after shots were fired at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

“An active shooter has been reported in the area of Student Union. Police are on scene or on the way,” the university announced at 12:01 PM ET. “Continue to seek shelter and await further instructions. Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures.”

Rep. Neal Dunn (R) wrote on X that his team is “monitoring reports of an active shooter on FSU’s campus. It’s too early to understand the extent of the violence, but early reports are very disturbing.”

“Follow all local guidance. Shelter in place. Stay safe,” he wrote. “Thank you to our brave first responders for responding to the situation.”

Tallahassee Memorial Hospital told local outlets that five of the victims are in serious condition and one is in critical condition.

“TMH is actively receiving and caring for patients related to an incident that has occurred at Florida State University,” the hospital said in the statement. “We want to assure the community that our teams are fully mobilized and prepared to provide the highest level of care and support to all those affected.”

Governor Ron DeSantis (R) said, “Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding.”

President Donald Trump said from the Oval Office: “I’ve been briefed on the Florida State University, Tallahassee active shooting…It’s a shame. It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place. We’ll have more to say about it later.”

This is a developing story.

Judge Rules Google Illegally Dominates Market

Google Chrome (Rubaitul Azad/Unsplash)

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema found that Google illegally monopolized online advertising technology, violating antitrust laws.

Google violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power in the open-web display publisher ad server market and the open-web display ad exchange market,” the judge wrote.

“For over a decade, Google has tied its publisher ad server and ad exchange together through contractual policies and technological integration, which enabled the company to establish and protect its monopoly power” in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets.

“Google further entrenched its monopoly power by imposing anticompetitive policies on its customers and eliminating desirable product features,” Brinkema explained. “In addition to depriving rivals of the ability to compete, this exclusionary conduct substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web. Accordingly, Google is liable under Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.”

The ruling may allow prosecutors to push for a breakup of Google’s advertising programs

Google’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, said in a statement that the company “won half of this case and we will appeal the other half. The Court found that our advertiser tools and our acquisitions, such as DoubleClick, don’t harm competition.”

“We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools,” Mulholland added. “Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective.”

A similar ruling against Google was issued last year, when Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia wrote that “Google’s distribution agreements foreclose a substantial portion of the general search services market and impair rivals’ opportunities to compete.”

“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 wrote. “It has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act.”

WHO Reaches Pandemic Agreement

WHO
(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reached a draft pandemic agreement. The development has been in the works since December 2021.

“The nations of the world made history in Geneva today,” Dr. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “In reaching consensus on the Pandemic Agreement, not only did they put in place a generational accord to make the world safer, they have also demonstrated that multilateralism is alive and well, and that in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground, and a shared response to shared threats. I thank WHO’s Member States, and their negotiating teams, for their foresight, commitment and tireless work. We look forward to the World Health Assembly’s consideration of the agreement and – we hope – its adoption.”

Proposals in the agreement include creating a pathogen access and benefit-sharing system, utilizing a One Health system, technology transfers, establishing a global health emergency team, and developing a global supply chain and logistics network.

According to the WHO, the draft agreement does not allow the health body to “mandate States to take specific actions, such as ban or accept travellers, impose vaccination mandates or therapeutic or diagnostic measures or implement lockdowns.”

Tedros announced earlier this week that the WHO has “established the Pandemic Fund, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, the BioHub, the Global Health Emergency Corps, the Interim Medical Countermeasures Network, the Universal Health and Preparedness Review, and more.”

President Trump signed an executive order in January to begin the process of withdrawing the United States from the WHO.

SpaceX the ‘Frontrunner’ in Missile Shield Development: Report

Trump and Elon
Elon Musk and President Donald Trump (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

SpaceX and two partners are considered frontrunners in constructing part of President Trump’s missile defense system.

Reuters reports that SpaceX is partnering with software company Palantir and defense technology company Anduril for the bid. The plan would involve the construction and launch of at least 400 satellites to track missiles around the globe. Another fleet of 200 attack missiles would shoot down enemy missiles, sources told the outlet.

One of the sources familiar with the matter said the discussions are “a departure from the usual acquisition process. There’s an attitude that the national security and defense community has to be sensitive and deferential to Elon Musk because of his role in the government.”

Reuters noted that SpaceX may establish its role in the defense project as a “subscription service.”

“It remains to be seen whether SpaceX and these tech companies will be able to pull any of this off,” a source added. “They’ve never had to deliver on an entire system that the nation will need to rely on for its defense.”

The development comes as President Trump signed an executive order in January to construct an Iron Dome for the United States.

“The threat of attack by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and other advanced aerial attacks, remains the most catastrophic threat facing the United States,” the order said, calling for the U.S. to “provide for the common defense of its citizens and the Nation by deploying and maintaining a next-generation missile defense shield” as well as “deter — and defend its citizens and critical infrastructure against — any foreign aerial attack on the Homeland.”

Update: Appeals Court Halts Obama-Appointed Judge’s Order

Lee Zeldin
(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled this week that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot terminate parts of the billions of dollars in climate grants awarded under the previous White House administration.

According to Chutkan’s order, the EPA cannot “deny, obstruct, delay, or otherwise limit access to funds in accounts established in connection with Plaintiffs’ grants, including funds in accounts established by Plaintiffs’ subgrantees.”

Climate United Fund CEO Beth Bafford celebrated the ruling, saying the order “gives us a chance to breathe after the EPA unlawfully — and without due process — terminated our awards and blocked access to funds that were appropriated by Congress and legally obligated.”

“After a year-long application process, we were hired to do a job that we’ve done for decades: investing in communities and strengthening markets. We want to get back to work,” Bafford said.

Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order against the EPA’s grant terminations in March. “Based on the record before the court, and under the relevant statutes and various agreements, it does not appear that EPA Defendants took the legally required steps necessary to terminate these grants, such that its actions were arbitrary and capricious,” Chutkan wrote at the time.

“The Biden EPA handled politically connected and inexperienced nongovernmental organizations tens of billions in taxpayer funding in a manner that deliberately reduced the ability of EPA to conduct proper oversight,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said following the March order. “I will not rest until these hard-earned taxpayer dollars are returned to the U.S. Treasury. Every penny EPA spends will go towards our core mission of protecting human health and the environment, and Powering the Great American Comeback.”

Update:

The D.C. Court of Appeals issued a hold on Chutkan’s ruling, writing, “The purpose of this order is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the district court’s forthcoming opinion in support of its order granting a preliminary injunction together with the emergency motion for stay pending appeal and any response thereto, and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion.”

Trump Hosts Christian Leaders for Easter Prayer Dinner

Trump
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump held a prayer dinner at the White House as part of a Holy Week event ahead of Easter Sunday.

“Nearly 2,000 years ago, during this sacred week, the living Son of God entered Jerusalem in triumph. Soon after, the Savior of man who brought truth and light into the world was betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified, nailed to the cross,” Trump told attendees. “For our sake, He gave up His life…three days later Christ-followers found the empty tomb. Jesus had defeated darkness and death and promised new life to all of humankind and that’s what we celebrate on Easter when we joyfully proclaim on Sunday: ‘He is Risen!'”

“This is really — I hope — going to be one of the great Easters ever, because we have something going that I don’t think this country has seen in 100 years. And as we gather with family and friends, we’ll not forget the true source of our joy and our strength: America has put our trust in God,” Trump added. “It will always be ‘In God We Trust.’ We will never change that.”

“With God’s help we can overcome every challenge, triumph over every evil, and restore the spirit of faith in the United States for generations to come,” he declared. “We have a very simple slogan: ‘Make America Great Again,’ and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Trump highlighted the significance of Easter in a Palm Sunday message on Truth Social, saying he and First Lady Melania Trump “join in prayer with Christians celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ — the living Son of God who conquered death, freed us from sin, and unlocked the gates of Heaven for all of humanity.”

“Through His suffering, we have redemption. Through His death, we are forgiven of our sins,” Trump added. “Through His Resurrection, we have hope of eternal life. On Easter morning, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and light prevails over darkness — signaling that death does not have the final word.”

Harvard ‘Unfit’ to Have Taxpayer Dollars

Harvard
Harvard University (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ended $2.7 million in grants to Harvard University and threatened to revoke its ability to enroll foreign students.

Announcing the move in a news release, DHS said the university is “unfit to be entrusted with taxpayer dollars.”

Harvard must also provide records on foreign student visa holders’ activities by April 30 or face the immediate revocation of its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.

“With a $53.2 billion endowment, Harvard can fund its own chaos—DHS won’t,” the department explained. “And if Harvard cannot verify it is in full compliance with its reporting requirements, the university will lose the privilege of enrolling foreign students.”

“Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism — driven by its spineless leadership — fuels a cesspool of extremist riots and threatens our national security,” Noem said. “With anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology poisoning its campus and classrooms, Harvard’s position as a top institution of higher learning is a distant memory. America demands more from universities entrusted with taxpayer dollars.”

The canceled grants include a $800,303 Implementation Science for Targeted Violence Prevention that “branded conservatives as far-right dissidents in a shockingly skewed study,” DHS said, as well as a $1,934,902 Blue Campaign Program Evaluation and Violence Advisement grant that “funded Harvard’s public health propaganda.”

Harvard University announced this week that it will not comply with orders from the Trump administration to reform its campus policies.

“No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Harvard University President Alan Garber said.

President Trump has declared that Harvard “should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity” due to its activism.

Russia’s Shocking Offer: Boeing Jets for Ceasefire Deal

Boeing
Boeing 737 Max (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

In a recent development, Russia has proposed to the United States the use of its frozen assets to purchase Boeing aircraft, contingent upon the establishment of a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

According to Bloomberg, an anonymous source from Moscow indicated that while this proposal is not a formal condition for ending hostilities, it could serve as a diplomatic avenue for de-escalation and renewed engagement between the two nations.​

The specifics of the negotiation process remain limited. When approached for comments, National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes stated, “The U.S. will not discuss any economic commitments until a ceasefire has been reached.” Boeing declined to comment on the matter, and the Kremlin has not provided an immediate response to inquiries.​

This proposal emerges amidst ongoing discussions and efforts to find a resolution to the conflict, highlighting the complexities of international diplomacy and economic considerations in wartime scenarios.

Grieving Mother Confronts White House: ‘Who Speaks for My Daughter?’

Paty Morin
(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin—a Maryland woman brutally murdered in 2023 by an illegal immigrant from El Salvador—has publicly criticized Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) for his recent trip to El Salvador. The senator’s visit aimed to advocate for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported from the U.S. despite a court order halting his removal.​

In an interview with Sean Hannity, Morin expressed her frustration, stating that Van Hollen and other Maryland Democrats failed to reach out to her family following her daughter’s death. She noted that the only Democrat who contacted her was Governor Wes Moore, and that was after she had spoken with former President Donald Trump.​

“I’m actually angry. I’m actually outraged, but I’m too sad at the moment to show anger at the same time. He did not call our family; he did not give condolences. There was no action from the Democratic Party in any way… In Maryland, none of the senators did anything to help search for the murderer of my daughter,” Morin shared.

Morin detailed the horrific nature of her daughter’s murder, describing severe injuries inflicted by the assailant, Victor Martinez-Hernandez, who was convicted earlier this week. Martinez-Hernandez had illegally entered the U.S. and was also wanted for another homicide in El Salvador.

Morin detailed the gruesome nature of her daughter’s death with the hopes of shedding light on the type of person Democrats are scrutinizing Trump for deporting, and likewise, they are going through great lengths to retrieve.

“Three-fourths of her brain was hemorrhaged. Three-fourths of her skull was bashed in. She had a six-inch square in the back of her head where the skull was shattered, the way that you would crush an eggshell. Her face was bashed in…The murderer dragged her 150 yards as blood gushed out of her head,” Morin shared.

Morin had the opportunity to visit the White House on Wednesday and join White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during her press briefing to continue sharing her story with America and point out the double standard elected officials hold when it comes to “safety.”

She reiterated her message: “To have a senator from Maryland who didn’t even acknowledge, or barely acknowledge my daughter, and the brutal death that she endured… fly to El Salvador to bring back someone that’s not even an American citizen … I don’t understand this.”

Senator Van Hollen met with Salvadoran officials to discuss the case of Abrego Garcia, who is currently imprisoned in a high-security facility in El Salvador. Despite a U.S. court ruling against his deportation, the Trump administration proceeded with his removal, citing alleged gang affiliations, though no formal charges have been presented.​

The Salvadoran government has refused to release Abrego Garcia back to the U.S., stating he is a Salvadoran citizen. Even if released, U.S. officials have indicated he would be subject to removal again upon return.