Genuine Report 033
Genuine Report 033
The World
The Globe
The East and the West go beyond rhetoric, and everyone needs to actively show an allegiance.
COVID vaccine maker AstraZeneca acknowledge side effects and governments fund the victims of the program.
The Vatican update the rules for validating a claim of supernatural phenomena.
Julian Assange has been released from Belmarsh prison.
Africa and Middle East
Everyone is partnering up with either the East or the West.
Niger’s Junta-led PM Zeine ended military ties with the U.S. due to potential sanctions if they sold Uranium to Iran.
Chad talks with Russia as France exits Africa, and Burkina Faso’s pro-Russia military leadership with remain in power for 5 more years.
South African voters show their disappointment with the ANC for the first time in 30 years, as support for opposition DA rises.
Israel and Iran officially exchange strikes, while Iran loses IRC Quds commanders, and Iranian PM and top officials die in helicopter accident.
ICC issues warrant for Israel’s Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant alongside 3 Hamas leaders.
Israel’s coalition government breaks down as Benny Gantz steps down, as Netanyahu holds firm support for far right.
Europe
Everyone has a firm stances for or against Russia, while citizens united towards the right.
Russia and Ukraine struggle for recruits to fight this ongoing war, and lower conscription ages.
Russia relies on munitions from DRPK, and financial partnerships with China and the BRICS nations.
Poland and Frontline Five pause protests against Ukrainian grain sales into EU market.
Ukraine receive military pledges from France and Euro nations, while U.S. F16 Fighter jets are arriving this summer with authorization to fly into Russia airspace.
The French voters push far-right nationalist forward in latest elections, showcasing a growing trend all throughout Europe.
Asia
Everyone is preparing for a multipolar powered world.
Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong resigns, Vietnam’s National Assembly elects To Lam to replace Vo Van Thuong who stepped down due to corruption.
India re-elects Narendra Modi but as a minority leader, reflecting a clear democratic position that all Indians need to be represented.
Tension grows in South China Seas between the Philippines and Chinese navy in disputed borders.
Japan, Republic of Korea, and the U.S. launch their first trilateral military drill on the Korean Peninsula, named Freedom Edge.
South and Central America
Everyone is taking steps to clean their own houses.
Ecuador’s military targets 22 drug cartels bordering Peru, and their police raid Mexican Embassy in search of hiding VP Henry Glass.
Argentina’s President Milei set first surplus budget in 16 years and inflation drops to single digits.
Mexico elects Claudia Sheinbaum as President, its first female and first Jewish president in its 200-year history.
Venezuelan sanctions reset by the U.S. reinstituted until fairer elections practices have been set.
Brazilian state Rio Grande do Sul experiences three month worth of rain in two weeks, 172 die in the deluge.
North America
Everyone is taking sides for either Trump or the Democrats, with RFK Jr. courting Independents.
Rare earth metal discovery of 2B metric tons found in Wyoming.
Russia brings nuclear powered submarine and three other ships to Havana, Cuba to practice military exercises.
Haitian government is being run by citizen gangs and conflict with Kenyan forces is underway.
U.S. Supreme Court overturns 40-year rule Chevron deference, giving judges greater power than industry experts.
U.S. Presidential debate challenges voters to consider Trump, or a scrambling Democratic party reconsidering Biden.
Politics & Religion
How to read between the lines
(May 1st 2024) Toronto - Canada
At the beginning of the 21st Century, the modern News Media was on a precipice of change. Newspapers were losing readership, radio was for pop music, cable TV ratings were rising, and journalism schools only taught public relations (PR). 24 years later, the story is similar but now the ‘Legacy Media’ on cable TV is failing, and the ‘Alternative Media’ of podcasts (new radio) and clips on YouTube are the new voice.
Journalism has been a corner stone of democracy since days of the printing press, and the public has relied on access to objective reporting and earnest editorialism to be properly informed. The power of the press has earned it an honourary reputation of being the “4th” branch of the U.S. government, providing the needed checks and balance of those in control. In America, the 1st Amendment ensures free speech is upheld for journalists to remain independent and to speak the truth, yet throughout time corporate control has taken over that media narrative to corrupt public opinion.
In 1977, Carl Bernstein exposed CIA Director Allen Dulles influenced a vast media network of 25 newspapers and wire agencies for over 20 years. In his Rolling Stone article ‘The CIA and the Media’ Bernstein revealed how CBS, The New York Times, Time Inc had sent reporters overseas to use their credentials and act as spies, while other outfits unwittingly pushed CIA planted PR statements. Later in 1988, Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky published ‘Manufacturing Consent’ to reveal the economic forces and ideological systems underscoring the media landscape, and how authoritative parties leverage the media to control public sentiment. The ideals of non-biased reporting are easily corrupted by nationalist interests, and corporate control, which is why it is continually important for the public to battle for free speech and champion the principle of the 1st Amendment.
In 1731, Benjamin Franklin drafted ‘An Apology for Printers’ to advocate for the importance of presenting all sides of an issue, he claimed the truth will always win out over error. This is a noble consideration, present all sides of fact to the audience and the moral outcome will lead us to the truth. Yet in a time of ‘Alternative Facts’, we need to ensure the audience is equipped with the media savvy to understand when opinions are presented versus actual news. Social Media and editorial broadcasting of ‘Just Asking Questions’ blur the lines between news reporting and opinion. Newspapers are often divided into objective reports in the front, and an editorial section with colour commentary bias in the back. However, on Social Media and cable TV the information is often opinion based but received as a news report from the source, or public figure. The repetition of opinion creates an echo chamber and before we know it extremists views are represented as fact and appear to be the ‘common’ sense of a larger group – not the fringe faction, which often it is.
Last month U.S. Congress took aim to shutdown TikTok unless transferred from foreign ownership, with similar focus being placed on ‘X’ (previously Twitter) with over 25% attributed to one individual. The power of these media sites can be leveraged to censor or promote information, which ironically the U.S. government was exposed in doing during the pandemic when Elon Musk released ‘the Twitter files’ after taking over the platform. Additionally the media sites can pull data from its users giving a foreign entity, or one citizen too much information about the whole population
With that background, beyond supporting the necessity of ‘Free Speech’, as citizens we also need to better equip ourselves in today’s complicated media landscape? We are one of the most informed generations in history, yet we need to be able to navigate between the genuine truths and self-serving lies, especially when you accept in all truths the author always has an objective.
Tools and Wire Agencies
Media Bias & Misinformation
As the number of news outlets reach into the millions, it can be difficult to sort through the accuracy of reporting content and political spin being placed on an article. Thus, civic groups and organizations have taken on this fact checking and media bias review role.
Ground News - (Snapwise, Inc. / $ = Subscription based)
The group aggregates real-time articles, identifying who has reported on the topic. They create a bias spectrum, showing if there is a ‘Blindspot’ from either the left or right.
Ad Fontes Media (Subscription based / $ = Glen Nelson Center’s Horizon Fund – Gaingels – Stout St. Capital)
Vanessa Otero started the watchdog group in 2018 with hopes of revealing media bias. They developed a chart on reliability and political leaning to grade news outlets.
PolitiFact (Poynter Institute-Tampa Bay Times / $ = Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – Meta – Ford Foundation)
Established in 2007, the project has developed into a Pulitzer Prize winning fact-checking outfit, to juxtapose pundits and politicians comments being reported on.
Wire Services and News Agencies
Since 1846, News organizations have relied on Wire news services to provide on-the-ground news stories from the many bureaus posted throughout the world. The service provides global coverage for smaller outlets that cannot afford foreign correspondents in all jurisdictions.
Agence France-Presse (formerly Havas Agency)
Across 150 countries, AFP is also a world leader in digital verification. With 2,600 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world in six languages” headquartered in Paris, France.
Associated Press (AP)
Based in New York, with over 200 global bureaus, licensing reports to international news outlets without the same reach, and sets the AP Stylebook of standard of language and grammar guidelines for reporting outlets.
Established in Germany in 1851, later acquired in 2008 by Canada’s Thomson Corporation. Employs over 3,000 journalist and photojournalists across the globe and in 16 different languages.
Based in Madrid, Spain, the major Spanish-language news wire agencies, with bureaus located in 110 countries and 180 cities.
Media Landscape
Television News
During the Trump administration the cable news ratings were dominant, as each end of the political spectrum chose a channel to find their news. However, after the 2020 elections and then throughout the Pandemic, trust in these sources began to wane due to obvious corporate and government influence.
Fox News - 1.8M viewers (Down 20% YoY) / (Fox Corporation / $ = Glaxosmithkline – MyPillow – JP Morgan Chase )
Fox settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $770M, after pushing a false narrative of voting machine being hacked during the 2020 election, resulting in their top ratings performer Tucker Carlson being fired. The results have impacted Fox News numbers with continued drop since 2021.
MSNBC - 1.2M viewers (Up 2% YoY) / (Comcast / $ = ABBVIE Inc. – Verizon – Proctor & Gamble)
Interest has risen in the MSNBC line-up, absorbing left leaning viewers from CNN the previous staple for American Democrats.
Newspapers
The original standard of authority, authenticity and accuracy. However, in the last 15 years, 25% of all print media has folded, and today 42% of the largest 100 papers no longer publish daily. Despite that, ‘The industry has attracted (interest) from hedge funds like Alden Global Capital, Chatham Asset Management, and Apollo Global Capital’, as print media brands have started to adapt digitally by successfully setting up a subscription pay wall to cover their overhead.
New York Times – 10.3M readership (Up 2% YoY) (Ochs-Sulzberger Family / $ = Subscription based – Uber Eats – Door Dash - Capital One )
The legacy of the paper has built a brand and with lifestyle acquisitions like the Athletic they modernized with digital subscription supported by a left leaning audience.
Washington Post – 4.2M readership (Down 16% YoY) ($ = Nash Holdings – Jeff Bezos / Subscription based – Pfizer – Optum - Subaru)
After developing a national audience, it saw uplifts since 2017 with its exposure of President Trump. However, since 2021 they have lost the grip on their audience.
PodCasts
In 2009, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ hit the airwaves, and in 5 years the long form podcast challenged the legacy media by proving profitable. Later Rogan sold his herbal supplement business Onnit to Unilever and later inked $250M Spotify deals. Listeners of all Podcasts have hit 500M in 2024, with 8.7% growth from 2023.
The Tucker Carlson Podcast - (Tucker Carlson, Neil Patel and Justin Wells / $ = Subscription based - PublicSq. - Colombier Acquisition Corp.)
After Fox News fired him, Tucker Carlson developed a new media network and was given a platform on ‘X’ to bring an unfettered right-wing voice to the dialogue.
Today, Explained (Vox Media-Comcast / $ = ABBVIE Inc. – Verizon – Proctor & Gamble)
A part of the Vox Media family and frontrunners in digital video media, the daily themed Podcast started in 2018 and continues to top the charts .
Up First (NPR Subscription based / $ = Donations – Ford - SAP)
In the spirit of NPRs left leaning community sponsored news, the headline news podcasts gives quick insight to the news of the day.
Social Media
Young generations gather all their news from on their phone, and mobile applications like YouTube, TikTok, and others have provided the environment for creators to host, comment and participate in citizen journalism. However, if not developed properly these channels may just curate larger news organization output.
Dylan Page (News Daddy) – 10.7M followers (TikTok)
The UK 20-Something has singlehandedly built the #1 News channel on TikTok through an understanding of going viral with news.
The Philip Defranco Show – 6.5M followers (YouTube / $ = Beautiful Bastard - Netflix – State Farm)
Starting in 2007, the pop culture and news series has developed as did the audience, the industry, and in the end has taken home many streaming awards.
Under the Desk News – 3.1M followers (TikTok / $ = Patreon Donations – Lyft )
Hosted by Vitus Spehar, who developed their format of reporting ‘under the desk’ when posting about the January 6th Insurrection in 2021.
It is important to remember, everyone wants your attention. And the reason for that is to sell you a product, an idea, or better yet a cause. They will appeal to your sensibilities, even if that means trolling you to get you angry and keep your attention in a chat thread. We all need to recognize when we receive information nowadays, the majority of the time it is opinion or editorial. Recognize the talking heads on television are no different then your neighbours, and often the news they are presenting will fit their opinion or worse yet that of their agency.
The future of news media will continue to develop and transform, the questions remain…
Will we see local news outlets be replaced with national news, or will we see citizen journalists to take to the street?
Will big media institutions shrink staff to introduction of AI generated articles?
Will digital creators end up as curators, similar to PR departments, bringing forward corporate and government messaging as influencers?
Will digital creators find their content easily translated into all languages, developing a global base for true international news reporting?
Business
(June 1st 2024) Toronto - Canada
Who is TEMU, and why are they advertising to you at every turn?
Within 6 months from starting in the U.S. in September 2022, the online retailer gained 51M followers by selling cheap goods. The immediate attraction is good prices, and then the platform leverages gamification gambling with bonus wheels and sale clocks to increase buying. The adoption rates surpass all the competitors from China, like Shein, Alibaba (AliExpress) and JD.com (JoyBuy), and they even have Amazon on alert.
If the company is running at a loss per sale, what is the business model, and does it have greater geo-political concerns?
· Like Shein, TEMU escapes de minimis shipment tariffs as the traditional sale is under $800 and direct from manufacturer to consumer.
· Goods are being made from Xinjiang Province in China by Muslim Uighurs under forced conditions, and in 2024 slavery is validated as good for business.
· The primary goal is to have you download the App, access to data becomes available to the organization with deleting the App becoming difficult.
So who is TEMU?
A company run through WhaleCo Technology Limited, operating under PDD Holdings (owner of Pinduoduo from Shanghai, China) incorporated out of Dublin, Ireland. The Consumer goods are direct from China, and the Headquarters are in Boston, Massachusetts.
But in short, it is a Chinese company with CCP support.
DIYscape
How to Age and Rack Wine
(April 16th 2024) Toronto - Canada
Over the years, wine has earned an air of sophistication. A drink for the elites to deconstruct its flavours and spend obscene amounts for the best of the best. However, it is also a down-to-earth dinner staple made for generations by many a home brewing grandpa from the old land. Winemaking can be a simple recipe cooked up in the garage alongside some drying salami and seasonal pasta sauce.
How To: Make the Homemade Wine
Simple
All you need for a basic wine is sugar (300g), grape concentrate (1l), yeast, hot water (4l), yeast (1.5g) and the patience to wait 42 days. If you take a sterile jug, add the ingredients, shake until the sugar dissolves, and top the jug with a balloon (with a pin prick) secured by a rubber band.
Place in a dark room temperature spot, and within days you will see the balloon inflated as the sugar converts to alcohol. When the balloon is fully deflated in 6 weeks, you should have a nice wine (12%) ready to go.
More Traditional
If you are more inclined to want to share your wine, you may want to enhance your set-up. Get yourself an 8L (2 gallon) Crock, 4L (1 gallon) Carboy with a thin neck or 60L (15 gallon) Demijohn, an airlock, a siphon tube, and clean wine bottles / caps for long-term storing.
If you don’t want to squeeze out the juice, you can buy pre-made quality juice from local vendors who will add the sugar at time of purchase.
Preparation (Day 1)
Choose your fruit (Organic seasonal grapes and berries are best choice)
Destem and wash your fruit.
Fill Crock and mash fruit (up to 4cm to top of the crock)
Add 2 cups of boiling water to mashed fruit (to kill wild yeast and bacteria)
Add 2 cups of natural honey to provide food for the yeast.
If you want to add sugar instead, this will also work.
Add 2g of yeast (e.g. Lalvin K1V-1116) for every 8L (2 gallon) and thoroughly mix
Seal Crock with a cloth or breathable lid, and store overnight at 21’ C (70’F)
Fermentation (Day 2-3)
After the first day, unseal and stir the mix every 4 hours.
For day 2-3, stir the mix every 6 hours.
After day 3, when bubbles have died down, strain out the fruit solids.
Then siphon mix into the Carboy(s) or Demijohn, filling to 85-90% to allow for gas to build through continued fermentation and seal with an airlock filled with a spirit or sanitizing solution.
If you don’t have an Airlock, then you can seal the lid with a balloon (with 5 pin sized punctures to allow gas to escape), to limit oxygen coming in and spoiling the wine.
Aging and Racking (Day 4-42)
Measurement (Day 4) It is good to measure the gravity of the mixture, by using a hydrometer in a flask of your mix, which should reveal the highest sugar content, and in time the alcohol concentration. Measure and note, continue this at each step.
Degas (Day 5-6) If airlock is overwhelmed, release airlock for short period to degas and allow some CO2 to escape.
Rack Wine (Day 14) – At this point sediment will have built up in aging fermentation process and settled at the bottom. Rack (transfer over) to new Carboy(s) or Demijohn to allow for the end process of fermentation. Measure the gravity, which should be progressing towards a higher alcohol, less sugar content.
Taste and Add Sulphites (Day 30) As long as the mix appears still, then taste and measure. If the wine is flavour and not sour or putrid, then you are tracking well. If the Gravity reveals a prominent alcohol content – 12-14% then you can stop the fermentation process by adding sulphites.
Taste and Bottle (Day 42) Taste and Measure, if the wine is settled in and flavourful then you can take steps to bottle by transferring the wine from the carboy or demijohn with a valved siphon directly into the bottles. If you are making red wine, green or dark bottles are preferred.
Notes and Areas for Mistake
Do make sure to sterilize all containers and tools throughout the process, to avoid contamination.
Do aerate and degas when racking the wine.
Don’t allow too much oxygen in the containers when fermenting, this helps prevent wine turning to vinegar.
Do ensure to use sterilized equipment and containers.
Don’t use metal storage containers, or wooden tools to stir or mash fruit mix.
