Freedom First Network https://freedomfirstnetwork.com There's a thin line between ringing alarm bells and fearmongering. Tue, 18 Feb 2025 07:32:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/cropped-Square-32x32.jpg Freedom First Network https://freedomfirstnetwork.com 32 32 178281470 US Special Forces Deploy to Mexico for “Training” Mission Following Spy Plane SIGINT Operations https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/us-special-forces-deploy-to-mexico-for-training-mission-following-spy-plane-sigint-operations/ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/us-special-forces-deploy-to-mexico-for-training-mission-following-spy-plane-sigint-operations/#respond Tue, 18 Feb 2025 07:32:31 +0000 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/us-special-forces-deploy-to-mexico-for-training-mission-following-spy-plane-sigint-operations/ (Zero Hedge)—After two weeks of US Air Force RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft conducting multiple signals intelligence (SIGINT) operations along the US-Mexico border and in international waters off southern Baja California—areas controlled by heavily armed drug cartels—the Mexican Senate Commission has approved the deployment of US Special Forces operators to the country for “training missions.”

SOFREP’s Guy D. McCardle reports that the Mexican Senate Commission has already approved the US Army’s 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Green Berets to conduct training exercises at a naval facility in Campeche, a Mexican port city on the Gulf of Mexico.

As of Monday, the exercise is underway and will last through the end of March in conjunction with the Mexican Navy’s Infantería de Marina.

The training will take place at the Luis Carpizo naval facility in Campeche from February 17 to March 30, 2025. It has been officially approved by the Mexican Senate’s Naval Ministry Commission and will be conducted under the supervision of the Mexican Defense Ministry (SEDENA). This ensures that while the training benefits from US military expertise, it remains aligned with Mexico’s national defense priorities. -SOFREP

“It’s important to say the Green Berets’ role is going to be just that: Training,” Scott Stewart, vice president of intelligence for international security consultant TorchStone Global, told NewsNation, adding, “It’s not like they’re sending in the SEALs, the Delta (Force) or the (Army) Rangers. It’s not like we are seeing the deployment of combat troops or combat aircraft.”

Stewart suggested that the Mexican government likely permitted the USAF spy planes near cartel-controlled areas to collect SIGINT for law enforcement agencies.

“That may be an attempt to increase signals intelligence – that plane is a vacuum, it sucks up all communications – but I think it would be intelligence to pass to the Mexican marines and not necessarily in preparation for a US airstrike or something,” he noted.

As we previously reported:

Beyond training, this partnership comes as President Trump recently designated Mexican cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations.”

When reporters asked Trump earlier this month whether he would consider deploying Special Forces operators to Mexico, he responded, “Could happen” and added, “Stranger things have happened.”

ABC News asked Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan a few weeks ago whether the US military could get involved if cartels strike. Homan replied, “Yes, and we expect them to,” adding that US troops “need to protect themselves.”

At the start of the month, in what appeared to be the shortest trade war in history, Mexico and Canada each committed 10,000 troops to their respective borders, while the US reinforced its southern border with thousands of soldiers in the last three weeks.

Last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had some strong words for drug cartels.

As we’ve previously noted:

Dismantling Mexican drug cartels could be a very messy operation, which is why the Trump administration fortified the border with the military. The challenge, however, is that if US Special Forces operators kill cartel leaders, retaliatory attacks by cartel members could occur at Mexican beach resorts or, worse, on the streets of US cities. 

This move could mark the beginning of a broader deployment of US Special Forces in Mexico, aimed at dismantling drug cartels responsible for the drug death catastrophe of 100,000 Americans per year. Beyond military action, there is also the possibility that the Trump administration could launch financial hybrid warfare—applying pressure on Mexican banks to disrupt cartel operations. Additionally, Beijing may soon face more pressure from Trump in its role in subsidizing fentanyl precursor exports to Mexico.

This is what ‘America First’ looks like. 

]]>
https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/us-special-forces-deploy-to-mexico-for-training-mission-following-spy-plane-sigint-operations/feed/ 0 229835
Glenn Beck Calls for Nuclear Power Plants to Be Built for Artificial Superintelligence https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/glenn-beck-calls-for-nuclear-power-plants-to-be-built-for-artificial-superintelligence/ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/glenn-beck-calls-for-nuclear-power-plants-to-be-built-for-artificial-superintelligence/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2025 23:45:18 +0000 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/glenn-beck-calls-for-nuclear-power-plants-to-be-built-for-artificial-superintelligence/ There are two primary ways for us “conspiracy theorists” to look at the rise of Artificial Intelligence, which will soon lead to Artificial General Intelligence and then onto Artificial Superintelligence. Considering that there are exactly zero ways for us to stop it—only God could stop it at this point—then it’s important for the United States to lead the way instead of another country.

Conservative thought-leader Glenn Beck recently called on America to build nuclear power plants specifically to power the massive server farms that will be required for AGI and ASI. He’s absolutely correct, and while it will take a gigantic investment into not only the technology but also the infrastructure to run AGI and ASI, it is worth it.

Imagine if Russia or China got access to ASI before we did. That would be a disaster. So as much as I distrust our government, I do not want ASI to be led by our enemies. The U.S. government is the best bad choice to reign over the Artificial Intelligence revolution, as I noted in today’s episode of The JD Rucker Show.

]]>
https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/glenn-beck-calls-for-nuclear-power-plants-to-be-built-for-artificial-superintelligence/feed/ 0 229832
World’s First Gay Imam Shot After Lesbian Wedding https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/worlds-first-gay-imam-shot-after-lesbian-wedding/ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/worlds-first-gay-imam-shot-after-lesbian-wedding/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2025 23:26:56 +0000 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/worlds-first-gay-imam-shot-after-lesbian-wedding/ (Frontpage Mag)—Name three careers that have no future.

  1. Elevator operator
  2. USAID employee
  3. World’s first gay Imam

Imam Muhsin Hendricks’s career would have likely been cut short far earlier if he hadn’t been operating in South Africa’s relatively small Muslim community. In Pakistan, Afghanistan or parts of London, the career of the ‘world’s first openly gay imam’ would have been measured in seconds or perhaps even nanoseconds.

But while South Africa is a rather violent place, it’s more of a base for Islamic terrorist state sponsors and their political allies, like Iran, than a place where Muslim terrorists can hope to do much on account of the fact that they’re a minority and the majority includes leaders like Julius Malema who is happy to admire Hamas, but would chop up South Africa’s mostly Pakistani/Indian origin Muslim middle-class professionals in minutes if they were to actually start behaving the way they do in Paris or Dearborn.

And so Imam Muhsin Hendricks went on living and officiating until he performed his final lesbian wedding in Port Elizabeth. The world’s first gay Imam was reportedly ambushed by two masked gunmen, and the authorities are still seeking the motive, which will likely be either mental illness or failure to integrate, but at least he avoided being thrown off the roof in the usual Koranic manner.

]]>
https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/worlds-first-gay-imam-shot-after-lesbian-wedding/feed/ 0 229829
“No Longer Justifies the Cost”: Migrant Shelters Close Down as Illegal Alien Numbers Plunge Under Trump https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/no-longer-justifies-the-cost-migrant-shelters-close-down-as-illegal-alien-numbers-plunge-under-trump/ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/no-longer-justifies-the-cost-migrant-shelters-close-down-as-illegal-alien-numbers-plunge-under-trump/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2025 23:19:47 +0000 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/no-longer-justifies-the-cost-migrant-shelters-close-down-as-illegal-alien-numbers-plunge-under-trump/ (DCNF)—Migrant shelters along the border and across the country are closing down as illegal immigration continues to plunge under the Trump administration.

American taxpayers have shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars to various migrant shelter facilities in Texas, California, New York and elsewhere since the border crisis reached its height under the Biden administration. With President Donald Trump prioritizing border enforcement and illegal immigration falling to unprecedented lows, leading to substantially fewer migrants needing care, many of these shelters have no reason to remain open.

“We’ve been preparing for these changes in federal policies and enforcement,” Michael Hopkins,” CEO of Jewish Family Service (JFS) of San Diego, said in a January statement regarding the closing of its migrant shelter. “While there are no longer individuals or families seeking asylum released from short term federal immigration custody to our Shelter Services, we are seeing increased needs for immigration legal assistance and other social service supports to vulnerable San Diegans.”

The JFS-run San Diego Rapid Response Network Migrant Shelter provided services to roughly 250,000 asylum seekers since it opened in 2018, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. This behemoth facility, which was once hailed as a national model for other migrant shelters, received incredible backing from the federal government, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarding JFS $22 million in fiscal year 2024 alone.

However, the shelter’s operators say circumstances changed rapidly upon Trump’s return to office. Hopkins revealed that since Trump was inaugurated and immediately shut down the CBP One app for asylum applicants, the shelter has received a grand total of zero new migrants.

The San Diego Rapid Response Network Migrant Shelter is far from the only facility experiencing this trend.

The San Antonio Migrant Resource Center (MRC), in partnership with Catholic Charities, opened in July 2022 and provided shelter for illegal migrants arriving by bus and plane by the hundreds every single day, according to a press release by the City of San Antonio. Since January 2021, the city has served more than 640,00 migrants traveling through to other destinations — costing the city roughly $35 million to operate the MRC.

As fewer and fewer migrants arrive in San Antonio, with arrivals declining by 72% from January 2024 to 2025, city leadership says there’s no reason to keep the shelter open any longer.

“The number of migrants currently arriving at the MRC no longer justifies the cost of running it,” City Manager Erik Walsh said in a statement earlier in February. “At the time, hundreds of migrants were arriving at the San Antonio International Airport and the downtown Greyhound Bus Station daily, with most having no travel arrangements to get to their destinations. That is no longer the case.”

More than 1,000 miles away from the U.S.-Mexico border, a city once at the epicenter of the national illegal immigration crisis is now closing down its migrant shelters as fewer illegal migrants arrive.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Friday the impending closure of six emergency shelters for asylum seekers, bringing the total number of migrant shelter closures in NYC from June 2024 to June 2025 to 52. Adams’ office in January confirmed that the number of people in city-run shelters have declined for 27 consecutive weeks.

The immense drop in migrant numbers marks a welcome change for the country’s biggest sanctuary city. Adams said Thursday that more than 230,000 migrants have flocked to the Big Apple since the spring of 2022, costing taxpayers roughly $7 billion and once forcing the mayor to announce major budget cuts in order to shoulder the massive number of illegal migrants.

The shelter closures coincide with incredible drops in migrant encounters along the southern border.

“In the last 24 hours the US Border Patrol has encountered a total of 229 aliens across the entire southwest border,” border czar Tom Homan posted Monday on X. “That is down from a high of over 11,000 a day under Biden. I started as a Border Patrol Agent in 1984 and I don’t remember the numbers ever being that low.”

Since Trump re-entered office, Customs and Border Protection and other government officials have confirmed substantial drops in illegal immigration activity. Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Chris Olivarez confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that illegal border crossings along the Texas-Mexico border fell by 85% in January, citing a combination of successful policies by Gov. Greg Abbott and the new Trump administration.

Since resuming the Oval Office, Trump has issued an exhaustive list of executive orders aimed at controlling the border and removing incentives for would-be illegal migrants, such as declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and attempting to end birthright citizenship. His administration has also published a number of internal directives to better equip federal immigration authorities, such as removing barriers for enforcement actions and deputizing agents across many other federal agencies with immigration authorities.

Fear of U.S. tariffs prompted the Mexican government to deploy 10,000 soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border to help stop the flow of illegal immigration and end the importation of fentanyl, securing an international boundary already bolstered by American troops deployed by the Trump administration. Upon news of Trump’s re-election, many illegal migrants have chosen to turn around, feeling there was no use of even attempting to enter unlawfully any longer.

“President Trump promised a secure border and he is delivering,” Homan said.

The Jewish Family Service and the City of San Antonio did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the DCNF.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
]]>
https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/no-longer-justifies-the-cost-migrant-shelters-close-down-as-illegal-alien-numbers-plunge-under-trump/feed/ 0 229827
‘Moderate Islam’ Is as Stupid as ‘Moderate Nazism’ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/moderate-islam-is-as-stupid-as-moderate-nazism-video/ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/moderate-islam-is-as-stupid-as-moderate-nazism-video/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2025 22:52:54 +0000 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/moderate-islam-is-as-stupid-as-moderate-nazism-video/ (RAIR Foundation)—Renowned scholar Raymond Ibrahim has once again shattered the establishment’s narrative on Islam, directly challenging the myth that because not all Muslims engage in violence, Islam itself must be innocent. Ibrahim, who has spent over two decades researching Islamic history and doctrine, presents a clear and unflinching truth: Islam contains supremacist and violent teachings, but not all Muslims actively follow them—just as not all members of a dangerous ideology necessarily embody its worst aspects.

The Nazi Analogy: A Brutal but Necessary Truth

Ibrahim draws a powerful parallel to Nazi Germany. Many Germans, including Oskar Schindler, were members of the Nazi Party yet opposed its genocidal policies. Does this mean Schindler followed a “moderate” version of Nazism? No—it means his conscience overpowered his allegiance. Likewise, many Muslims who treat non-Muslims fairly do so in spite of Islam’s supremacist doctrines, not because of them.

The Establishment’s Cowardice

For over a millennium, the West understood Islam as an expansionist, violent force—from medieval scholars to Winston Churchill. Yet today’s media, academia, and politicians whitewash Islam, silencing critics and falsely equating it with other religions. The reason? Weakness and political correctness. Ibrahim dismantles this deception, proving that separating Islam’s teachings from the actions of individual Muslims is the only way to understand this issue honestly.

Who is Raymond Ibrahim?

Censored for telling the truth, Ibrahim has written over 2,000 essays and multiple books, including Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar. Before being blacklisted for his candor, he appeared on CNN, NPR, PBS, C-SPAN, Al-Jazeera, and was published in The New York Times, Washington Post, and Financial Times. He has testified before Congress, lectured at top military institutions, and continues to expose uncomfortable truths despite relentless suppression.

The Bottom Line

Islam contains supremacist and violent doctrines—this is a fact. That many Muslims are good people does not absolve Islam. Just as Schindler’s goodness did not make Nazism moderate, a kind Muslim’s actions do not change Islam’s fundamental nature. Ibrahim’s fearless clarity exposes the West’s self-imposed blindness—and it’s time to wake up.

]]>
https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/moderate-islam-is-as-stupid-as-moderate-nazism-video/feed/ 0 229825
More Democrats Want a More Moderate Party, Poll Says https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/more-democrats-want-a-more-moderate-party-poll-says-2/ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/more-democrats-want-a-more-moderate-party-poll-says-2/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2025 21:52:30 +0000 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/more-democrats-want-a-more-moderate-party-poll-says-2/ (Just The News)—Data from a new Gallup survey suggests that close to half of Democrats want their party to move more toward the middle, while more than 40% of Republicans are happy with their party.

Today, 45% of Democrats and left-leaning independents surveyed indicated they would prefer a more moderate Democratic Party, up 11% from 2021, according to Gallup. Meanwhile, the number of Republicans who want their party to stay the same – 43% – has similarly climbed over the same time by 9%. Those wanting a more conservative party declined by 12%.

“Both party groups’ preferences have shifted significantly since 2021, at the start of Joe Biden’s presidency, the last time Gallup measured opinions on this question,” wrote Gallup Senior Editor Megan Brennan.

This just days after Gallup released another survey showing of the five living American presidents, former President Barack Obama is the most liked, and former President Joe Biden is the least. Forty-eight percent of Americans surveyed had a favorable opinion of President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, though more people were unfavorable toward Trump (12% answered as having ‘no opinion’ on Clinton).

The data from the latest Gallup survey coincides with data from another poll the analytics firm released in January showing “that partisans have grown more ideologically polarized in the past few years.”

That poll reflected all-time highs in the number of Republicans and Democrats identifying as conservative and liberal. Seventy-seven percent of Republicans identified as conservative in the January poll, with 24% saying they were very conservative, while 55% of Democrats identified as liberal and 19% as very liberal. Each of these were record highs, with the percentage of those describing themselves as conservative growing by four points from 2023.

]]>
https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/more-democrats-want-a-more-moderate-party-poll-says-2/feed/ 0 229822
The Grid Doctor 300 Is an Affordable and Portable Solar Power Generator Worth Getting https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/the-grid-doctor-300-is-an-affordable-and-portable-solar-power-generator-worth-getting/ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/the-grid-doctor-300-is-an-affordable-and-portable-solar-power-generator-worth-getting/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2025 20:23:26 +0000 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/the-grid-doctor-300-is-an-affordable-and-portable-solar-power-generator-worth-getting/ Don’t get stuck waiting for FEMA to find you if the grid goes down. Get a strong solar generator without breaking the bank.

The Grid Doctor 300 utilizes the latest technology to charge your electric appliances and digital devices in a fraction of the time that standard chargers take. Discharge and charge to 100% over 2,000 times.

Thanks to pass-thru charging, there’s no need to wait for a full battery. Charge the generator while you use it to power your electric appliances and digital devices! This uninterrupted power supply allows you to keep essential electronics operational at all times.

There are ENDLESS ways to plunge your world into darkness.

That’s why the Grid Doctor 300 solar generator with one FREE 100W solar panel included should be #1 on your survival checklist. It gives you what you’ve always wanted from solar generators, but never got from other brands:

  • Lasts longer and runs stronger than other generators by connecting to TWO solar panels at once for up to 200W of charging power from the sun (second panel sold separately).
  • The latest tech like Maximum Power Point Tracking, pass-through charging, and more.
  • Nearly universal charging: No device left behind.
  • Ease of use for all, from kids to grandparents.

Get your Grid Doctor 300 today!

]]>
https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/the-grid-doctor-300-is-an-affordable-and-portable-solar-power-generator-worth-getting/feed/ 0 229816
How a US Iron Dome Could Reshape Global Nuclear Relations https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/how-a-us-iron-dome-could-reshape-global-nuclear-relations/ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/how-a-us-iron-dome-could-reshape-global-nuclear-relations/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2025 14:43:41 +0000 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/how-a-us-iron-dome-could-reshape-global-nuclear-relations/ (The Epoch Times)—The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is already searching for cutting-edge missile defense technologies after President Donald Trump signed a new executive order, calling for an “Iron Dome for America.”

The executive order gave the Department of Defense 60 days to evaluate the U.S. missile defense network and overhaul it with hypersonic weapon sensors, space-based missile interceptors, and other so-called “non-kinetic” missile defense capabilities.

Trump has also tasked military leaders with conceiving new ways to stop incoming threats earlier than ever before, including before they launch.

Four days after Trump signed the order, the Missile Defense Agency published a request for information from arms industry insiders on promising advancements to meet Trump’s call for a better missile defense shield.

The quick turnaround suggests the Trump administration is urgently pursuing advanced new strategic defenses at a moment of growing U.S. competition with Russia and China.

Both nations have made advances in offensive strategic weapons technology in recent years, and the U.S. military has struggled to keep pace.

While Trump’s order calls for several new missile defense capabilities, a major focus is on evaluating what systems already exist and whether they’re deployed in the right manner to protect the United States and forward-deployed U.S. troops and allies.

Daniel Flesch, a senior policy analyst for the Allison Center for National Security at the Heritage Foundation, described Trump’s order as a holistic approach that expands on capabilities the U.S. military already has.

“Where are the gaps, and where do we need to develop or invest?” Flesch told The Epoch Times.

The launch trajectory of a strategic weapon like a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is generally divided into three phases.

The “boost phase” is the initial stage as a weapon burns its propellant at launch. After a ballistic missile expends most of its propellant in the liftoff, it begins its main course of flight toward its target, known as the “midcourse.”

Finally, after reaching the apex of its trajectory, a ballistic missile will fall toward its target in what’s known as the “terminal phase” of its trajectory.

The U.S. Navy currently has both land and ship-based variants of the SM-3 missile that can intercept enemy ballistic missiles in space, at the height of their mid-course flight. The U.S. Army also has ground-based interceptors for mid-course interceptions.

For ballistic missile interceptions in the terminal phase of flight, the Navy has the ship-based SM-6 missile, while the Army has the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and newer variants of the Patriot air-defense missile system.

The midcourse presents the largest window for an intercept but requires sophisticated interceptors capable of reaching ballistic missiles at high altitudes, including in space.

Terminal phase interceptors don’t have to reach as high as midcourse interceptors, but it’s a narrow and high-stakes window to stop a ballistic missile before it reaches its final target.

The boost phase presents an attractive opportunity to stop a missile threat because the missile is less capable of evading interceptors or deploying decoys, but detecting a launch in this early stage is difficult, as is having an effective system in position to stop it.

Along with new and improved sensors for tracking the trajectory of weapons throughout their flight, Trump’s order envisions a network of space-based interceptors that could stop threats in their boost phase.

Weapons researchers have long considered high-powered lasers as one potential option for boost phase interceptions.

The United States and Israel have both seen advancements with lasers for intercepting drones and missiles, but more improvements may be needed to effectively counter sophisticated ballistic missiles.

Trump’s order could potentially renew development for an airborne laser system for boost-phase interceptions, such as the U.S. Air Force’s shelved Boeing YAL-1 airborne laser aircraft.

A ‘Star Wars’ Sequel

Trump’s Iron Dome for America takes direct inspiration from the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a missile defense program President Ronald Reagan put in motion in 1983.

“President Ronald Reagan endeavored to build an effective defense against nuclear attacks, and while this program resulted in many technological advances, it was canceled before its goal could be realized,” Trump’s order states.

SDI indeed looked to develop space-based and non-kinetic interception capabilities that many critics dismissed as figments of science fiction. The initiative was referred to, often derisively, as Reagan’s “Star Wars” program.

Trump’s concept for a network of space-based interceptors bears a close resemblance to at least one SDI concept, codenamed “Brilliant Pebbles,” which called for the deployment of potentially thousands of small satellites, each armed with interceptors to stop enemy ballistic missiles in the boost phase.

Eric Gomez, an independent analyst who previously researched arms control and nuclear stability topics for the Cato Institute, said an improved layer of space-based sensors for tracking ballistic missiles is among the most feasible technological advancements Trump’s order describes, while space-based interceptors are among the most challenging to achieve.

Gomez assessed Trump’s order may bring about some renewed research on space-based interceptor technology, but expressed doubts such systems will be ready in the next five years.

He did, however, note private enterprises such as Space X have demonstrated the ability to put expansive networks of satellites in orbit.

“Historically, part of the problem with them is that the tech was really hard to make work, and the cost to launch things was high,” Gomez told The Epoch Times.

“Now launch costs are coming down with companies like Space X.”

Space X is operated by Elon Musk, who has been a close ally to Trump in recent months.

Flesch, likewise, categorized the space-based interception capabilities as a more futuristic piece of Trump’s order, while acknowledging advancements by private enterprises have lowered space launch costs in recent years.

Gomez and Flesch also noted challenges surrounding the efficacy of non-kinetic interceptor systems, such as lasers. Atmospheric conditions such as water vapor would make laser interceptor systems less effective over longer ranges.

An aircraft could potentially bring a high-powered laser into effective range to intercept a missile threat as it launches, but Flesch noted fairly large aircraft are needed to support a laser powerful enough to damage a ballistic missile, and those aircraft would have to fly in regular shifts to be in position for such a purpose.

In his March 23, 1983 speech announcing SDI, Reagan fully acknowledged the technology he envisioned could take years, if not decades to mature.

“We’re talking about a process that may not reach fruition until the turn of the century,” Reagan said at the time.

Breaking MAD

As the Soviet Union joined the United States as a nuclear-armed power and ushered in the Cold War era, nuclear deterrence theory quickly centered on a concept known as mutual assured destruction (MAD).

In essence, the MAD theory meant the thing that kept the Soviets from launching a nuclear attack on the United States was the knowledge that Washington would match the attack blow for blow, taking the Soviets down with them.

If the United States can develop the means to effectively and consistently intercept the majority of enemy nuclear attacks, it can move away from a deterrence model based on mutual vulnerability.

The first U.S. anti-ballistic missile, the Nike Zeus, saw development through the late 1950s and early 1960s and entailed using a low-yield nuclear weapon to provide enough blast radius to destroy an incoming enemy ballistic missile.

Missile defense systems may insulate one nation against the consequences of a mutual exchange of nuclear strikes with an adversary, but developing these defenses could fuel distrust with nuclear-armed competitors such as Russia and China.

“If the U.S. has a missile defense system that is a lot better than the Soviet one, then we could conceivably launch a first strike on the Soviet Union and be in a better position to negate the retaliation,” Gomez said.

In 1972, the United States and the Soviet Union entered into the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, wherein both sides agreed to limit the number of systems they would employ to counter a potential nuclear attack from the other.

Gomez said the ABM Treaty was meant to put the United States and the Soviet Union on equal footing in their defensive capabilities to reduce the pressure on either side to produce greater offensive capabilities.

The ABM Treaty was one product of the 1969 Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, which also included an interim agreement capping either side’s offensive nuclear arsenals.

President George W. Bush ordered the unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the ABM Treaty in December 2001, stating the agreement hindered the U.S. government’s ability to develop defenses against attacks from terrorists and rogue states.

Gomez said the erosion of past arms control treaties has already inspired competitors to develop new nuclear offensive capabilities, and warned that Trump’s new push for expanded defensive capabilities could fuel further distrust.

He noted Russia has recently developed and demonstrated new offensive capabilities, including nuclear-tipped torpedoes.

Russia also struck Ukraine in November with a new medium-range ballistic missile variant that Russian President Vladimir Putin has bragged modern missile defense systems would struggle to intercept.

Art of the Deal

Trump’s effort to revamp the U.S. missile defenses could dovetail with plans to reach new arms control agreements with both Russia and China.

He raised this very prospect as he delivered a virtual address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 23.

“We want to see if we can denuclearize, and I think that’s very possible. And I can tell you that President Putin wanted to do it. He and I wanted to do it. We had a good conversation with China,” Trump said via video link.

“They would have been involved, and that would have been an unbelievable thing for the planet.”

Reagan had declined requests from Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to discontinue his SDI missile defense program but had offered to share technology from the program with the Soviets as a trust-building measure on the path to denuclearization.

Full denuclearization never prevailed, but Reagan and Gorbachev did agree to the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, wherein the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to do away with ground-based missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (about 310 and 3,420 miles).

“If that’s the goal of the administration, to have an arms reduction treaty or discussion, then this can certainly aid in that,” Flesch said of Trump’s missile defense order.

Gomez also considered the possibility that Trump’s missile defense executive order could facilitate further arms control talks but expressed doubts there’s enough trust to make a deal encompassing the United States, Russia, and China.

He assessed China will likely wish to stockpile more nuclear warheads, to achieve relative parity with Russia and the United States, before it will join a framework for mutual nuclear arms reduction.

“I’m generally pessimistic on the prospects,” Gomez said.

]]>
https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/how-a-us-iron-dome-could-reshape-global-nuclear-relations/feed/ 0 229814
Democrat AGs Suing to Block Musk’s Influence in Government Looking to Hire Bloomberg’s Climate Crusaders https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/democrat-ags-suing-to-block-musks-influence-in-government-looking-to-hire-bloombergs-climate-crusaders/ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/democrat-ags-suing-to-block-musks-influence-in-government-looking-to-hire-bloombergs-climate-crusaders/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2025 14:10:48 +0000 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/democrat-ags-suing-to-block-musks-influence-in-government-looking-to-hire-bloombergs-climate-crusaders/ (DCNF)—Democratic attorneys general who are suing to block Elon Musk’s supposed federal “power grab” are actively looking to hire lawyers from a program established with cash from Democrat mega donor Michael Bloomberg.

Keith Ellison of Minnesota, William Tong of Connecticut and Anthony Brown of Maryland are three of the 14 Democrat attorneys general who filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that President Donald Trump broke the law in appointing Musk to launch a full assault on wasteful governance via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While the three officials say that Musk  — an unelected official and billionaire — undermines the Constitution, each of their offices are soliciting applicants from a New York University (NYU) law school program that received about $6 million from Bloomberg, who is an unelected billionaire, in 2017.

NYU School of Law’s State Energy and Environmental Impact Center (SEEIC) “studies and supports the work of state attorneys general in defending, enforcing, and promoting strong laws and policies in the areas of climate, environmental justice, environmental protection, and clean energy,” according to its website. SEEIC started with the help of about $6 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Bloomberg’s charitable organization, and it has placed fellows into state attorney general offices in the past to assist with lawsuits targeting major energy companies for their role in climate change, for example.

SEEIC’s website currently features open applications for special attorney general positions inside the offices of Tong, Ellison and Brown; while the particulars vary for these positions, they all generally focus on climate, energy and related issues by design, according to their respective descriptions. However, SEEIC pays the salaries of its fellows, rather than the state governments that compensate the sitting attorneys general.

The description of the open roles in Minnesota notes that preferred qualifications include “a background in federal administrative law challenges,” suggesting that any prospective hire may be working on challenges to the Trump administration’s aggressive energy agenda. Depending on their level of experience and qualifications, applicants hired by the three attorneys general can rake in anywhere from $85,000 to $174,000 in salary.

While they are actively seeking out climate-focused lawyers funded by an unelected billionaire, the three Democrats are at the same time deeply concerned over their belief that Trump broke the law in deputizing Musk to make the government more efficient with his DOGE team.

“There is no greater threat to democracy than the accumulation of state power in the hands of a single, unelected individual. Although our constitutional system was designed to prevent the abuses of an 18th century monarch, the instruments of unchecked power are no less dangerous in the hands of a 21st century tech baron,” the Democrat attorneys’ general lawsuit states. “In recent weeks, Defendant Elon Musk, with President Donald J. Trump’s approval, has roamed through the federal government unraveling agencies, accessing sensitive data, and causing mass chaos and confusion for state and local governments, federal employees, and the American people.”

In personal statements, Ellison bemoaned that “Trump installed Elon Musk at the head of that agency without vetting and Senate confirmation,” while Tong lamented that “no one elected Elon Musk” and that “Donald Trump has allowed this unelected billionaire to worm his way into our government.” For his part, Brown said that “the president has given one man unchecked power to reshape our government.”

Bloomberg has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into climate activist groups and organizations explicitly aiming to crush the coal and petrochemical industries in the U.S. After Bloomberg dropped out of the 2020 presidential race, he proceeded to give future President Joe Biden tens of millions of dollars to beat Trump.

“It’s quite entertaining from a consumer protection perspective to watch public officials who are using billionaire-backed law firms to push climate change cases to fundamentally reshape our economy and remove products from store shelves, and officials who are actively soliciting for billionaire funded attorneys to be placed in their offices, turn around and sue over the amount of influence of a billionaire who they don’t agree with and don’t control,” O.H. Skinner, executive director of the Alliance for Consumers, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “And that’s before considering how much money the federal government under Joe Biden shoveled out to left-wing nonprofits to subsidize their collective efforts to reshape our country, which is exactly what is under pressure from the efforts of Elon Musk and others in the Trump administration.”

The offices of Tong, Brown and Ellison did not respond to requests for comment.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

]]>
https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/democrat-ags-suing-to-block-musks-influence-in-government-looking-to-hire-bloombergs-climate-crusaders/feed/ 0 229811
Chinese GPUs Surpass Nvidia Chips by Nearly Tenfold in Supercomputer Simulation: A Game-Changer in Tech Sovereignty https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/chinese-gpus-surpass-nvidia-chips-by-nearly-tenfold-in-supercomputer-simulation-a-game-changer-in-tech-sovereignty/ https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/chinese-gpus-surpass-nvidia-chips-by-nearly-tenfold-in-supercomputer-simulation-a-game-changer-in-tech-sovereignty/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:41:28 +0000 https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/chinese-gpus-surpass-nvidia-chips-by-nearly-tenfold-in-supercomputer-simulation-a-game-changer-in-tech-sovereignty/
  • Chinese scientists have significantly improved the performance of supercomputer simulations using domestically designed GPUs, surpassing systems powered by Nvidia’s advanced hardware.
  • Professor Nan Tongchao and his team at Hohai University achieved the performance gains through a “multi-node, multi-GPU” parallel computing approach, using Chinese CPUs and GPUs for large-scale, high-resolution simulations.
  • The study highlights how U.S. sanctions aimed at limiting China’s access to advanced semiconductors may have inadvertently spurred innovation, leading to technological self-sufficiency and reduced reliance on foreign hardware.
  • China’s recent achievement is part of a broader strategy to mitigate vulnerabilities in critical technologies by investing in domestic semiconductor production and software ecosystems, reducing dependence on foreign supplies.
  • While the breakthrough is significant, experts caution that software optimizations alone cannot fully compensate for hardware limitations, emphasizing the need for continued advancements in both hardware and software for sustained performance improvements.

  • Editor’s Note: The sourcing of this article, including the sub-sources, focuses on a report from the South China Morning Post. This Hong Kong-based news outlet is owned by Alibaba and while not technically state-owned, it has been known to share narratives the Chinese Communist Party wants out. That’s not to say the report is inaccurate, but I’m skeptical about the 10x claim. With that said, the threat of any technological advancement beyond what’s operated within the United States is a concern to monitor.


    (Natural News)—In a groundbreaking development that could reshape the global semiconductor landscape, Chinese researchers have achieved a near-tenfold performance boost in supercomputer simulations using domestically designed graphics processing units (GPUs), outperforming systems powered by Nvidia’s cutting-edge hardware. This milestone, detailed in a peer-reviewed study published in the Chinese Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, underscores China’s growing prowess in high-performance computing (HPC) and its determination to mitigate reliance on foreign technology.

    The achievement comes at a pivotal moment in the global tech race, as escalating U.S. sanctions on advanced semiconductors have forced China to accelerate its efforts to develop homegrown alternatives. While skeptics caution that software optimizations alone cannot bridge hardware gaps indefinitely, the study highlights how innovative parallel computing designs and software tweaks can unlock unprecedented efficiency gains, even with less advanced hardware.

    A breakthrough in parallel computing

    The research, led by Professor Nan Tongchao of Hohai University’s State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, focused on a “multi-node, multi-GPU” parallel computing approach. By leveraging domestically produced CPUs and GPUs, the team achieved significant performance improvements in large-scale, high-resolution simulations—critical for applications like flood defense modeling and urban waterlogging prevention.

    “The challenge for Chinese scientists is even more daunting,” the study notes, pointing to the dominance of foreign manufacturers in producing advanced GPUs like Nvidia’s A100 and H100. Compounding the issue is Nvidia’s proprietary CUDA software ecosystem, which is restricted from running on third-party hardware, effectively locking out Chinese developers from accessing key tools for algorithm development.

    Despite these hurdles, Professor Nan’s team demonstrated that software optimization techniques could dramatically enhance the efficiency of Chinese GPUs, enabling them to outperform U.S. supercomputers in specific scientific computations. This breakthrough not only challenges Nvidia’s dominance but also highlights the potential for alternative approaches to high-performance computing.

    The broader implications of tech sanctions

    The study’s findings underscore the unintended consequences of U.S. tech sanctions, which were designed to curb China’s access to advanced semiconductors and critical technologies. Instead of stifling innovation, these restrictions appear to have galvanized China’s efforts to achieve technological self-sufficiency.

    “The accomplishment points to possible unintended consequences of Washington’s escalating tech sanctions while challenging the dominance of American-made chips, long considered vital for advanced scientific research,” the study states.

    This development aligns with Beijing’s broader strategy to mitigate “chokepoint” risks in critical technologies—a term referring to vulnerabilities in supply chains that could be exploited by geopolitical adversaries. By investing heavily in domestic semiconductor production and software ecosystems, China aims to reduce its dependence on foreign hardware and software, ensuring its technological resilience in an increasingly fragmented global market.

    Historical context: From dependency to innovation

    The significance of this achievement cannot be overstated when viewed in the context of China’s decades-long struggle to catch up with Western semiconductor technology. Historically, China has relied heavily on imports for advanced chips, with U.S. companies like Nvidia, Intel and AMD dominating the market. This dependency became a glaring vulnerability as geopolitical tensions escalated, prompting the U.S. to impose sweeping export controls on advanced semiconductors and chip-making equipment.

    In response, China has ramped up investments in its domestic semiconductor industry, with initiatives like the “Big Fund” injecting billions of dollars into research and development. While challenges remain—particularly in producing chips at the cutting-edge 3-nanometer and below nodes—this latest breakthrough demonstrates that China is making significant strides in leveraging existing hardware through software innovation.

    What lies ahead?

    While the study’s results are impressive, experts caution that software optimizations alone cannot fully compensate for hardware limitations. Nvidia’s GPUs, for instance, are renowned not just for their raw processing power but also for their versatility and integration with a robust software ecosystem. Replicating this level of performance across a wide range of applications will require continued advancements in both hardware and software.

    Nevertheless, the study marks a significant step forward in China’s quest for technological sovereignty. As Professor Nan’s team continues to refine their parallel computing approach, the implications for fields like climate modeling, artificial intelligence and national security could be profound.

    In the words of one industry observer, “This is a wake-up call for the global tech community. China is proving that it can innovate under pressure, and the rest of the world will need to adapt to this new reality.”

    As the tech war between the U.S. and China intensifies, this study serves as a reminder that innovation often thrives in the face of adversity. Whether this breakthrough will lead to a broader shift in the balance of technological power remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the race for semiconductor supremacy is far from over.

    Sources include:

    ]]>
    https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/chinese-gpus-surpass-nvidia-chips-by-nearly-tenfold-in-supercomputer-simulation-a-game-changer-in-tech-sovereignty/feed/ 0 229809