Month: April 2021

China in Focus (April 23): Tesla Releases Crash Data, Responds to Regulators

Tesla releases data from a car crash after a Chinese car owner accuses the company of a brake system failure. A Chinese chemist stole $120 million worth of trade secrets from U.S.-based companies like Coca-Cola. China’s most famous tech billionaire is evading the public eye. A comment he made nearly 10 years ago is now…


No Sign of Indonesian Sub as Air Dwindles, Search Resumes

The oxygen supply for the 53 crew members of an Indonesian submarine missing in waters off Bali is believed to have run out early Saturday with no sign of the vessel while the search resumed, bolstered by the arrival of a sonar-equipped Australian warship. The KRI Nanggala 402 went missing after its last reported dive…


Texas Senate Passes Resolution to Curb China’s Forced Organ Harvesting: ‘There Needs to Be a Global Outcry’

Texas Senate lawmakers have unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the Chinese regime’s “vile practice of forcibly removing human organs for transplant” while urging the United States to take a more aggressive stance on the issue. “We want to go on record as saying: ‘No, this is happening, and we condemn it,’” state Sen. Angela Paxton,…


Potential Risks and Butterfly Effect of Economic Globalization

Commentary In the past year, various potential risks of economic globalization have gradually surfaced. A series of events raised the alarm, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S.-China cold war, the global chip shortage crisis, skyrocketing shipping costs caused by a global shortage of containers, and the unexpected blockage of the Suez Canal. Economic globalization has always…


Trudeau’s Chief of Staff Knew of Allegation Against Vance, Ex-PMO Adviser Suggests

OTTAWA—A former senior adviser to the prime minister gave testimony before a parliamentary committee Friday suggesting Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford knew about a misconduct allegation against Canada’s then−top military commander three years ago. Elder Marques, who worked in the Prime Minister’s Office, said Telford or her assistant contacted him on March 1…


Australia’s Northern Territory Cash Offer to Attract Tourism Workers

The Northern Territory is offering thousands of dollars to help attract hospitality and tourism workers to the Top End of Australia ahead of the coming dry season. The Territory traditionally relies on seasonal workers, international students, and working holidaymakers to fill the roles during the busy tourist season. But COVID-19 travel restrictions have left many businesses…


Tustin Rejects ‘Hero Pay’ Ordinance 

A proposal to boost the hourly wages of Tustin’s grocery and retail drug workers failed to garner enough support to pass a city council vote. Tustin city council on April 20 rejected the “hero pay” ordinance by a 2-3 vote. The ordinance would have increased the hourly wages of grocery and retail drug workers by $4 per hour for…


Ghislaine Maxwell Pleads Not Guilty to Sex Trafficking

NEW YORK—British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal sex trafficking charges in the case accusing her of helping the late financier Jeffrey Epstein recruit and sexually abuse girls. Maxwell, 59, entered her plea through her lawyer before U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan. The charges had been included in an…


Most of Orange County’s School Districts Are in Debt

Commentary Of the 27 school districts in Orange County, just one has restricted net assets. The remaining districts have unrestricted net assets, meaning their liabilities exceed their assets. To help understand the solvency of school districts, I provided a chart. It provides the unrestricted net position from the June 30, 2019 audited financial statements from…


Ken Cuccinelli: Radical Left Wants to Exploit Border Surge to Win Elections

Illegal border crossings have surged in recent months, with record numbers of families and unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. Many border patrol agents have been forced to put aside their normal duties to take care of the influx of children. Who is suffering the costs of this surge? And how will it impact future U.S….