The List 7228
Good Saturday morning July 5 . It was foggy and overcast again this morning. But it started clearing and is now clear and heating up to 86 by this afternoon. I hope that you all had a great fourth of July. The Bubba Breakfast went well with about 20 show up.
Warm Regards,
skip
HAGD
Make it a GREAT Day
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see the director's corner for all 91 H-Grams
5 July
1801 David G. Farragut is born near Knoxville, Tenn. Known for the quote, Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead during the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864, he is appointed vice admiral by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and is commissioned an admiral, the first-ever in the US Navy, by a Congressional Act in 1866.
1814 The sloop-of-war, USS Peacock, captures British vessels HMS Stranger, HMS Venus, HMS Adiona, and HMS Fortitude.
1859 Hawaiian bark Gambia, commanded by Capt. N.C. Brooks, discovers the Midway Islands. The islands are named "Middlebrook Islands." On Aug. 28, 1867, Capt. William Reynolds of the USS Lackawanna takes possession of the atoll for the U.S., making Midway the first offshore islands annexed by the U.S. government.
1862 The Navy Department is reorganized by act of Congress.
1942 USS Growler (SS 215) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese destroyer, Arare, in the Salmon Lagoon, off Kiska. In the attack, USS Growler damages destroyers Kasumi and Shiranui.
1944 USS Thomas (DE 102) and USS Baker (DE 190) from Task Group 22.5, sink German minelayer submarine (U 233) off Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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Today in World History July 5
1776 The Declaration of Independence is first printed by John Dunlop in Philadelphia.
1806 A Spanish army repels the British during their attempt to retake Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1814 U.S. troops under Jacob Brown defeat a superior British force at Chippewa, Canada.
1832 The German government begins curtailing freedom of the press after German Democrats advocate a revolt against Austrian rule.
1839 British naval forces bombard Dingai on Zhoushan Island in China and occupy it.
1863 Federal troops occupy Vicksburg, Mississippi and distribute supplies to the citizens.
1892 Andrew Beard is issued a patent for the rotary engine.
1940 Marshal Henri Petain's Vichy government breaks off diplomatic relations with Great Britain.
1941 German troops reach the Dnieper River in the Soviet Union.
1943 The Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle in history, begins.
1944 The Japanese garrison on Numfoor, New Guinea, tries to counterattack but is soon beaten back by U.S. forces.
1950 American forces engage the North Koreans for the first time at Osan, South Korea.
Just a note from 4 July
1942 the 8th Air Force flies its first mission in Europe using borrowed British equipment. Only three of the six aircraft return to England. That was just the beginning. The 8th Air Force went on to lose more air crew than all the Marines lost in the Pacific campaign.
On July 5, 1946, French designer Louis Réard unveils a daring two-piece swimsuit at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool in Paris. Parisian showgirl Micheline Bernardini modeled the new fashion, which Réard dubbed "bikini," inspired by a news-making U.S. atomic test that took place off the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean earlier that week.
European women first began wearing two-piece bathing suits that consisted of a halter top and shorts in the 1930s, but only a sliver of the midriff was revealed and the navel was vigilantly covered. In the United States, the modest two-piece made its appearance during World War II, when wartime rationing of fabric saw the removal of the skirt panel and other superfluous material. Meanwhile, in Europe, fortified coastlines and Allied invasions curtailed beach life during the war, and swimsuit development, like everything else non-military, came to a standstill.
In 1946, Western Europeans joyously greeted the first war-free summer in years, and French designers came up with fashions to match the liberated mood of the people. Two French designers, Jacques Heim and Louis Réard, developed competing prototypes of the bikini. Heim called his the "atom" and advertised it as "the world's smallest bathing suit." Réard's swimsuit, which was basically a bra top and two inverted triangles of cloth connected by string, was in fact significantly smaller. Made out of a scant 30 inches of fabric, Réard promoted his creation as "smaller than the world's smallest bathing suit." Réard called his creation the bikini, named after the Bikini Atoll.
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
July 5
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
Links to all content can now be found right on the homepage http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com. If you scroll down from the banner and featured content you will find "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which highlights events in the Vietnam war that occurred on the date the page is visited. Below that are links to browse or search all content. You may search by keyword(s), date, or date range.
An item of importance is the recent incorporation of Task Force Omega (TFO) MIA summaries. There is a link on the homepage and you can also visit directly via https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/task-force-omega/. There are 60 summaries posted thus far, with about 940 to go (not a typo—TFO has over 1,000 individual case files).
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Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
For Saturday July 5 . .
July 5: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1222
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Thanks to American Facts
Who Nearly Replaced Roosevelt? 10 Truths About Mount Rushmore!
We've all seen Mount Rushmore, whether in person or on screen. But this monumental landmark is more than just four giant heads carved into granite. If you want to discover some surprising facts they don't teach in schools, read on!
A tough decision
While the first three figures —Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln— were almost unanimously agreed upon, there was some debate over who should be the fourth face on Mount Rushmore. Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor, advocated for Theodore Roosevelt, but others believed Woodrow Wilson should be included. In the end, Borglum stuck with his original choice, and that's why today we see Teddy Roosevelt up there on America's Shrine of Democracy.
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The original plan
While it's hard to picture the Black Hills without the iconic faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln, the original idea for Mount Rushmore was actually quite different. At first, Sculptor Gutzon Borglum envisioned a more complex job (yes, even more complicated than it already is!) In his original plan, he imagined not just the presidents' heads but their upper bodies as well! There was even talk of including other key figures from American history, like explorers Lewis and Clark.
14 long years
We can assume that carving the giant heads of 4 presidents into the granite was no easy task. But do you know how long it took to complete the monument we see today? 14 years! That's right; 14 years of hard work, 400 men, and a whole lot of dynamite went into bringing this colossal project to life.
The first
As the first President of the United States and widely known as the "Father of His Country," George Washington was a must for this incredible monument. In fact, his face was the first to be completed and was officially dedicated in a grand ceremony. In addition, as part of the powerful symbolism behind the work, Washington's sculpture is also the most prominent.
Starting over
One of the many unexpected construction challenges involved the placement of Thomas Jefferson's sculpture.
The original plan was to place Jefferson's face to the left of Washington. However, when the dynamiting process began, they found quartz beneath the surface, which made it impossible to continue carving in that spot. After 18 months of work, they "erased" (yes, again, with dynamite) what they had of Jefferson and started over to the right of Washington, where it is today.
The secret door
Did you know there's a secret room hidden behind the 60-foot-tall heads on Mount Rushmore? The sculptor had big plans for the monument, including a Hall of Records carved into the mountain to store important national documents like the Constitution. And he started to build it! However, when Congress found out that part of the budget was set aside for the Hall of Records, they asked Borglum to focus solely on carving the heads.
The last one
After Washington's, the other faces followed: Jefferson's was dedicated second, and Lincoln's was officially unveiled in 1937. So, which one came last? That's right! The last to be completed was Theodore Roosevelt's, with his iconic mustache included! Of course, members of the Roosevelt family attended the big ceremony.
The legacy
Building Mount Rushmore took many years. Unfortunately, Gutzon Borglum, the mind behind the project, didn't get to see it fully completed, as he passed away just a few months before the work officially ended. However, it was his son Lincoln who stepped in to complete the great work his father had started.
An extra foot
Borglum believed this monument should stand the test of time, built to inspire and be admired for thousands of years to come. So, how did he achieve that? Some historical sources suggest one of Borglum's techniques was adding extra material to certain angled areas of the sculpture, like Washington's nose, for example. That's right! It's believed that the author added an extra foot to George Washington's nose to help it better withstand erosion over time.
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Thanks to America First
An OUTSTANDING response by the Speaker of the House to CM Jeffries!
After House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) concluded his nearly nine-hour, Bible-quoting marathon on the House floor, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) wasted no time in cutting through the partisan rhetoric.
Johnson delivered a sharp rebuke to Jeffries's unprecedented filibuster, championing President Donald J. Trump's "America First" agenda and the sweeping $4.5 trillion tax cuts and spending reforms bill.
"Ronald Reagan said one time that no speech should be longer than 20 minutes. And unlike the Democrat leader, I'm going to honor my colleagues time and be a little more brief than that, all right," Johnson began, clearly signaling a departure from the Democrats' theatrical display. He then hit hard at Jeffries's lengthy criticisms, stating, "It takes a lot longer to build a lie than to tell the simple truth."
"From whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some trans-Atlantic military giant step the earth and crush us at a blow? Never. All the armies of Europe and Asia...could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River or make a track on the Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years. No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free-men we will live forever or die by suicide."
― Abraham Lincoln
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. "Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the revolutionary army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the revolutionary war.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers or both, looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: 'For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.'"
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Thanks to Boris
The grandest "Dear John" letter in history:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation …
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honour."
Once retired, growing in years and firmly characterized in the "once weres" category, holidays and days off kinda loose something. But some things remain … taking a few minutes over morning coffee sitting out front with the dog and just reflecting on the focus of that particular holiday, be it Memorial Day, Veterans Day or Independence Day.
As a history reader and semi-writer, I have always been intrigued by the intersections of events that come from various sources some revealed years after the event or earlier histories. It's why I still pick up new books on the long past Vietnam War, But that's just a note in passing.
For today, the linked history and reflection concerns America's birthday and the events of Christmas of '76. Posted in 2010, some reflections:
We celebrate our country's birthday in the warmth of summer recalling the day we declared our right as free and independent states, the day the signers pledged their lives, fortune and sacred honor, but we would do well to also recall a bitter cold Christmas night, a general and an army that made it so.
Happy Birthday America
Boris
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Thanks to Brett
GEOPOLITICAL BRIEF
Risk Briefs are part of RANE's Risk Intelligence platform, featuring verified OSINT, proprietary analysis, forecasts, events, and data visualization & workflow tools. Access here to see more.
The Week Ahead:
Netanyahu's Washington visit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit President Donald Trump on 7 July in Washington for their first meeting since the Israeli-US air campaign against Iran's nuclear program. Trump and Netanyahu will likely indulge in a proverbial victory lap regarding that conflict, but subtle divisions between their agendas will persist. Trump wants another Gaza ceasefire, even a temporary one, to reclaim his mantle as a peacemaker after intervening in the Iran-Israel war. Netanyahu wants a ceasefire that allows him to claim complete victory over Hamas. At the same time, Netanyahu's right flank is pushing him to lobby Trump to allow full-scale annexations in the West Bank, something Trump has resisted before (notably in 2020) in favor of Israeli-Arab normalization. Meanwhile, rumors of Iran-US nuclear talks in Oslo, Norway, next week have emerged. Israel would only want this if it were to lead to a complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program. Eager to avoid another so-called "forever war" in the Middle East, Trump might, however, cut a deal that falls short of that goal.
A Franco-British Summit in London. French President Emmanuel Macron on 8-10 July will travel to London, where he will meet with King Charles III and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with whom he will co-chair the 37th Franco-British summit. The meeting comes amid growing bilateral alignment on defense, energy, and migration, and will serve to reinforce close cooperation between the two countries amid an increasingly volatile international context reflecting broader efforts to revitalize post-Brexit ties. On defense, the leaders are expected to announce updates to their bilateral Lancaster House treaties, reaffirming joint commitments to European security and support for Ukraine. On migration, the two may finalize a joint, so-called One In, One Out asylum screening mechanism under which France would host EU-funded hubs for English Channel-bound migrants while the United Kingdom would commit to accepting only vetted applicants. The summit might also mark the formal announcement of Centrica's entry into the $55 billion Sizewell C nuclear project alongside France's EDF. Further agreements are expected on artificial intelligence research, academic cooperation, and cultural exchange.
A BRICS+ summit in Brazil. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will push Brazil's agenda at the organization's 17th summit on 6-7 July in Rio de Janeiro. This will include arguments for multilateralism, respect for international law, artificial intelligence governance, and reform of the international system, with increased representation from the Global South as Lula seeks to consolidate the country's position as a leader both within the bloc and among developing countries more broadly. The expansion of BRICS from its initial founding members to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will make it increasingly difficult, however, to reach consensus, especially amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and Iran's recent war with Israel. Apart from formalizing Vietnam's adhesion as a partner country and announcing a guarantee fund backed by the New Development Bank to lower financing costs and boost investment, the summit is unlikely to result in significant concrete developments amid the absence of the presidents of China, Egypt, and Russia. Moreover, Brazil and India oppose Russia's push for the bloc to develop a payment system away from the dollar, as they wish to avoid alienating the United States.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Key Developments - Analysis • Other Stories We're Tracking - Curated Content
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS - ANALYSIS
Chinese Officials Wield Export Checks Even Against Nonrestricted Goods
What Happened: Chinese officials are triggering inspections for export products even if they appear to have one word in common (e.g., magnet or titanium) with China's long list of export restrictions targeting the United States, the Financial Times reported on 30 June, citing Chinese and Western company executives. Likewise, some Chinese logistics companies are refusing to ship goods that could be seen as affiliated with export restrictions because if they do trigger inspections, it could hold up other goods in the same container.
Why It Matters: Beijing probably is not seeking to apply export restrictions so broadly, but local officials have a predilection toward overcompliance, making such side effects unavoidable — particularly as China's trade tensions with other countries deepen. Such effects are amplified as Chinese supply chain partners, which are sometimes equally uncertain about Beijing's wishes, seek to curb trade disruptions.
Source: RANE Worldview
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US Trade Deal With Vietnam Signals High Tariffs Will Remain After Other Deals
What Happened: The United States has reached a trade deal with Vietnam that will see the United States place a 20% tariff on Vietnamese goods in exchange for Vietnam cutting tariffs on US goods to "zero," US President Donald Trump posted on 2 July on Truth Social. Trump said that goods that transshipped from Vietnam will be subject to a 40% tariff.
Why It Matters: The deal will allow Vietnam to avoid the threatened 46% tariff that the United States was threatening to place on Vietnam from 9 July as part of the United States' so-called reciprocal tariff plan. It marks the first deal the United States has reached with a trading partner with which it has a trade deficit. It signals that the United States will seek to place tariffs on countries higher than its 10% baseline tariff as a part of trade talks with them, meaning that trade negotiations with the European Union, Japan, and other large trading partners still may result in a tariff above 10%, though below the threatened levels that often exceed 20%, depending on the country. How the United States and Vietnam will implement the 40% tariff on transshipped goods remains unclear, since generally speaking, transshipped goods under US law are already subject to tariffs placed on goods' original place of origin, not the location of transshipment.
Source: RANE Worldview
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Canada To Rescind Digital Services Tax After US Calls Off Trade Talks
What Happened: Canada will not collect taxes from its digital services tax on 30 June and will introduce legislation to formally rescind the Digital Services Tax Act, Canada's Department of Finance announced on 29 June, adding that the move is aimed at advancing trade talks with the United States. The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump said in a 27 June post on Truth Social that the United States was exiting trade talks with Canada over the tax, and would inform Canada of new tariffs on its goods. Trump has not commented on the announcement, and US officials have not said whether talks will quickly resume. Canada's 3% digital services tax has been on the books since 2020, but has never been collected; collections had been set to commence on 30 June.
Why It Matters: The development means trade talks between the two will almost certainly resume quickly, with the two countries aiming to conclude trade talks by 21 July and the United States unlikely to place a more immediate tariff on Canada as Trump threatened. The United States and Canada remain likely to reach some sort of a trade accord, or at the very least an agreement to extend talks beyond 21 July, that prevents most tariffs on many United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement goods, and an agreement could be reached that reduces the current 25% tariffs on non-USMCA goods to 10% or 12%.
Source: RANE Worldview
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European Companies Ask EU Commission To Delay Enforcement of AI Act
What Happened: More than 45 European organizations including prominent technology and artificial intelligence companies ASML Holding, Airbus, and Mistral have called on the European Commission to delay the enforcement of the landmark AI Act for two years, Bloomberg reported on 3 July. The letter calls for a two year "clock-stop" on enforcement for two impending deadlines linked to the legislation for general purpose and high-risk AI systems slated to enter effect 2 August 2025, and 2 August 2026, respectively, until further clarity is provided around explicit compliance expectations.
Why It Matters: The latest pushback from Europe's leading companies comes against the backdrop of broader calls for the European Union to lessen stringent requirements for AI applications — both within the bloc and from key allies like the United States — which probably will ultimately compel EU lawmakers to either delay or weaken the act's enforcement. Although top EU officials have publicly claimed that there will be no significant changes to the bloc's digital policy frameworks as the result of diplomatic pressure from the Trump administration, the commission has suggested it could look to simplify the legislation's implementation. This could include making narrow changes, a tactic that could allow the bloc to marry its objectives of bolstering EU competitiveness and innovation while avoiding the appearance of capitulating to pressure from Washington. The exact changes that could be made remain unclear, but any reduction in testing or auditing requirements for AI developers and companies would likely ease multinational concerns about operating in the bloc and could elevate the EU ability to build out its AI sector.
Source: RANE Worldview
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OTHER STORIES WE'RE TRACKING - CURATED CONTENT
ASIA
China's Bid to Influence the Philippines Heats Up
They came bearing gifts — cash for poverty-relief schemes and shiny motorbikes for police officers. But the Chinese ingratiating themselves with Philippine officials were also mapping military bases, snapping coastguard vessels, and surveying power plants. Since January, the Philippines has arrested more than a dozen Chinese nationals and alleged Filipino accomplices on charges of espionage. The arrests point to operations that blur the line between influence-peddling and spying.
Source: The Economist
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Thai Court Suspends Prime Minister as Political Crisis Spirals
A Thai court suspended the prime minister on Tuesday, plunging the country into fresh political turmoil as a border dispute with Cambodia has heated up. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the scion of a powerful and polarizing Thai political dynasty, is fighting for her political survival less than a year after taking office.
Source: The New York Times
AI Powering Transnational Crime as Asian Gangs Move Into Pacific
Southeast Asia has become a global hub for organized crime that is extending its digital tentacles around the world through mastery of artificial intelligence. And, as the operating environment changes, criminal syndicates have their eyes set on a new region for their base: the Pacific. "The Pacific is really the frontier where things are moving," Benedikt Hofmann, the acting regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, told Nikkei Asia in an interview.
Source: Nikkei Asia
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EUROPE
Russia-Azerbaijan Tensions Soar, Threatening Moscow's Influence
Tensions rose sharply between Russia and the neighboring republic of Azerbaijan over the past week after two brothers, both ethnic Azerbaijanis, died in Russian custody, causing a diplomatic crisis that threatens to further erode Moscow's influence in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan's sharp reaction laid bare Moscow's shrinking sway over a country that only a few years ago was considered one of its closest partners among former Soviet states.
Source: The New York Times
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How Europe Is Cracking Down on Russia's Shadow Fleet
On Tuesday, Sweden and Germany joined Denmark as coastal nations that will request insurance paperwork from tankers transiting their waters or headed for the vital Danish Straits, the key chokepoint for Russia's exports of crude oil and oil products. The idea is that ships without proper insurance will be added to the already large and growing roster of blacklisted vessels by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the EU — which is meant to further constrain Russia's ability to sidestep Western sanctions on its energy sector and keep financing the war.
Source: Foreign Policy
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Kremlin Says Anti-Government Protests in Serbia Could Be an Attempted 'Color Revolution'
The Kremlin said that it could not rule out the possibility that anti-government protests in Serbia, a close Russian ally, could be an attempted "color revolution," but that it was sure the Serbian leadership could restore calm. Serbian police on Saturday clashed with anti-government protesters demanding snap elections and an end to the 12-year rule of President Aleksandar Vucic.
Source: Reuters
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MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA
The Israel-Iran War Has Not Yet Transformed the Middle East
With the 12-day war over, proponents of the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities now speak of a region transformed. Yet the mood is less effusive in Arab capitals—even those that have long viewed Iran as an enemy. The fear is that the war was not transformative but merely inconclusive.
Source: The Economist
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Congo and Rwanda Sign a US-Mediated Peace Deal Aimed at Ending Decades of Bloody Conflict
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda last Friday signed a peace deal facilitated by the US to help end the decades-long fighting in eastern Congo while helping the US government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. While the deal is seen as a turning point, analysts don't believe it will quickly end the fighting because the most prominent armed group says it does not apply to it.
Source: AP News
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AMERICAS
China Is Quietly Supplanting Russia as Cuba's Main Benefactor
Cuba is in desperate need of help. Shortages of food, fuel, and medicine, grueling hours-long blackouts, and plunging tourism and exports, combined with renewed US sanctions under the second Trump administration, have devastated its economy. A Reuters review of various sites on the ground suggests that where many of Russia's most recent promises have fizzled, China has discreetly stepped up to fill the void, pushing ahead with a number of critically-timed projects aimed at helping Cuba salvage its economy.
Source: Reuters
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Mexico and Brazil Seek Deeper Trade Ties to Expand Beyond US and China
Brazil and Mexico have begun preliminary talks to deepen their trade agreement as Latin America's two largest economies seek to boost commercial partnerships beyond China and Donald Trump's US. Diplomats from the two nations have held ongoing informal talks since Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October to try to set the terms for formal negotiations, three people with knowledge of the matter said. In that time, left-wing leaders Sheinbaum and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have met on four separate occasions. Both have publicly stated an intention to deepen economic ties. Brazil's trade secretary is set to travel to Mexico City in August to look into it in greater detail, Sheinbaum said this month.
Source: Financial Times
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The Gold Bull-Market Has a Dirty Secret
In Colombia and Peru, gangs are now thought to make more money from gold than from the sale of narcotics. The Peruvian Institute of Economics reckons the country exported $4.8 billion of illegal gold last year, representing 44% of Peru's total gold exports, up from 20% a decade ago. In Brazil, the government estimates that gangs earned more than 18 billion reais (around $3 billion) from the sale of gold in 2022, compared with 15 billion reais from cocaine. The gangs' involvement in the gold trade is spurring violence and helping to prop up autocrats.
Source: The Economist
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GLOBAL
China's $50 Billion Chip Fund Switches Tack to Fight US Curbs
The third phase of the state-backed National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, better known as Big Fund III, will focus on backing local companies and projects in areas considered bottlenecks to technological advances, people familiar with the matter said. That includes lithography systems, where Dutch firm ASML dominates, and chip design tools, an arena controlled by US companies Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys.
Source: Bloomberg
Quad Countries Agree to Diversify Critical Mineral Supplies Amid China Concerns
The United States, Japan, India, and Australia have pledged to work together to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals, as worries grow over China's dominance in resources vital to new technologies. The four countries said in a joint statement that they were establishing the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, aimed at "collaborating on securing and diversifying" supply chains. They offered little detail but made clear the goal was to reduce reliance on China.
Source: The Guardian
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Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor--Independence Day Wrap-Up
Another July 4th, one of the hottest days of the year, so what did we do? We all sat outside of our air-conditioned homes and cooked over a fire?
Did you enjoy colorful fireworks last night? If so, don't forget to thank Aluminum, Barium, Calcium, Chlorine, Copper, Iron, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sodium, and Strontium.
Have you ever thought that July 4th is to pyromaniacs what Thanksgiving is to overeaters?
The Fourth of July weekend was approaching, and Miss Pelham, the nursery school teacher, took the opportunity to tell her class about patriotism. "We live in a great country," she announced. "One of the things we should be happy is that, in this country, we are all free."
Trevor, who was a little boy in her class, came walking up to her from the back of the room. He stood with his hands on his hips and said loudly, "I'm not free. I'm four."
A Jewish Rabbi and a Catholic Priest met at Albuquerque's annual 4th of July picnic. Old friends, they began their usual banter. "This baked ham is really delicious," the priest teased the rabbi. "You really ought to try it. I know it's against your religion, but I can't understand why such a wonderful food should be forbidden. You don't know what you're missing. You just haven't lived until you've tried Mrs. Warren's prized Virginia Baked Ham. Tell me, Rabbi, when are you going to break down and try it?"
The rabbi looked at the priest with a big grin, and said, "At your wedding."
Mrs Whyte, his teacher advises the class that each school day starts with the "Pledge of Allegiance"*** and instructs them to put their right hand over their heart and repeat after her. As Mrs Whyte starts the recitation she looks around the room, "I pledge allegiance to the flag........", when her eyes are drawn to Andy who has his hand over the right cheek of his bottom.
"Andy, I cannot continue till you put your hand over your heart," she demands.
Andy looks up and replies, "It is over my heart."
After several more attempts to get Andy to put his hand over his heart, Mrs Whyte enquires, "Why do you think that is your heart, Andy?"
"Well Miss," answers Andy, "because every time my Grandma comes to visit she pats me there and says, "Bless your little heart," and my Grandma never lies."
Independence Day Groaners
Did you hear the one about the Liberty Bell?
It'll crack you up!
Why aren't there any Fourth of July knock-knock jokes?
Because freedom rings.
What do you say when leaving the Statue of Liberty?
"Keep in torch."
What's the difference between a duck and George Washington?
One has a bill on his face, and the other has his face on a bill.
Where did George Washington get the ax to cut down a cherry tree?
The chopping mall.
What did they call George Washington's home when he had mice?
Mount Vermin.
Which Founding Father is a dog's favorite?
Bone Franklin.
What was Thomas Jefferson's favorite dessert?
Monti-Jell-O.
Who was the funniest person in George Washington's army?
Laugh-ayette.
Which colonists told the best jokes?
Pun-sylvanians.
Why were early Americans like ants?
They lived in colonies.
What did King George III think of the colonists?
He thought they were revolting.
What ghost haunted King George III?
The spirit of '76.
Why doesn't fire get to enjoy a day off on the Fourth of July?
Because fire works.
What did the little firecracker say to the bigger firecracker?
"Hi, Pop."
What do you call eating pie on the Fourth of July?
Pastry-otic.
How did one flag greet another flag?
It waved.
What would you get if you crossed the first signer of the Declaration of Independence with a rooster?
John Han-cock-a-doodle-doo!
What quacks, has webbed feet, and betrays his country?
Beneduck Arnold!
What protest by a group of dogs occurred in 1773?
The Boston Flea Party!
What happened as a result of the Stamp Act?
The Americans licked the British!
What do you call a parade of German mercenaries?
A Hessian procession!
What would you get if you crossed a patriot with a small curly-haired dog?
Yankee Poodle!
What would you get if you crossed George Washington with cattle feed?
The Fodder of Our Country!
What's red, white, blue, and gross?
Uncle Spam!
How was the food at the Fourth of July picnic?
The hot dogs were bad and the brats were wurst!
Why did Washington chop down the cherry tree with his hatchet?
Because his mom wouldn't let him play with the chain saw!
The Declaration of Independence was written in Philadelphia. True or false?
False! It was written in ink!
What would you get if you crossed a monster with a redcoat?
A bigger target.
What has feathers, webbed feet, and certain inalienable rights?
The Ducklaration of Independence!
What would you get if you crossed the American national bird with Snoopy?
A bald beagle!
Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
On the bottom!
Hope you had a great Fourth, enjoy your week and your freedom, Uncle Sam
"Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesty, above thy fruited plain. America, America, God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea."—Irving Berlin
"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal."--Thomas Jefferson
"I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."--Patrick Henry
"Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow -- red, yellow, brown, black and white--and we're all precious in God's sight."--Jesse Jackson
"Our flag is our national ensign, pure and simple, behold it! Listen to it! Every star has a tongue, every stripe is articulate."--Robert C. Winthrop (1809-1894), Senator from Massachusetts "You can't appreciate home till you've left it, money till it's spent, your wife until she's joined a woman's club, nor Old Glory till you see it hanging on a broomstick on a shanty of a consul in a foreign town."--O. Henry
"To live in the hearts of those you leave behind is never to die"--Robert Orr
"Soldier, rest! Thy warfare o'er, sleep the sleep that knows not breaking, dream of battled fields no more. days of danger, nights of waking."--Sir Walter Scott
"The greatest glory of a free-born people is to transmit that freedom to their children."--William Havard
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends."--John 15:13
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This Day in US Military History
JULY 5
1861 – The first large-scale engagement of the Civil War is fought in southwestern Missouri, signaling an escalation in the hostilities between the North and South. Missouri was the scene of some of the most bitter partisan fighting during the war. After the clash at Fort Sumter in April, the state was deeply divided. The Missouri State Guardsmen, a force of 6,000 men commanded by Confederate Governor Claiborne Jackson and Colonel Sterling Price, were poorly equipped and outfitted mostly in civilian clothing. Their Union counterpart was a force of 1,100, mostly German-Americans from St. Louis, commanded by General Franz Sigel. Sigel's force occupied Springfield in late June, and then collided with the Confederates at nearby Carthage on July 5. Outnumbered, Sigel eventually withdrew, but was able to hold off several small attacks. By nightfall, the Union troops had retreated through Carthage and escaped a dangerous trap. Both sides declared victory, and losses were light: 13 Union men were killed and 31 were wounded, while 40 Confederates were killed and 120 were wounded. The forces remained in the area of Springfield, gathering strength over the next month. They would fight again in August at Wilson's Creek, Missouri.
1943 – US invasion fleet (96 ships) sailed to Sicily.
1943 – On New Georgia, American force of regimental strength lands in the north at Rice Anchorage. Fighting on the Zanana-Munda track continues. During the night (July 5-6) Japanese destroyers bring nearly 3000 more troops to Vila. Admiral Ainsworth, with 3 cruisers and 4 destroyers, engages elements of the Japanese force and sinks one destroyer while losing the cruiser Helena.
1944 – The Japanese garrison on Numfoor, New Guinea, tried to counterattack but was soon beaten back by U.S. forces.
1944 – Elements of US 1st Army capture La Haye du Puits.
1945 – It is announced that General Spaatz will lead the US Strategic Air Force in the campaign against Japan.
1945 – Britain and the United States recognize a new Polish government of National Unity. Mikolajczyk, former leader of the London based Polish government in exile, is one of the deputy premiers.
1945 – US General Douglas MacArthur announced that the liberation of the Philippines from its Japanese occupiers was complete.
1946 – French designer Louis Reard unveils a daring two-piece swimsuit at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool in Paris. Parisian showgirl Micheline Bernardini modeled the new fashion, which Reard dubbed "bikini," inspired by a news-making U.S. atomic test that took place off the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean earlier that week. European women first began wearing two-piece bathing suits that consisted of a halter top and shorts in the 1930s, but only a sliver of the midriff was revealed and the navel was vigilantly covered. In the United States, the modest two-piece made its appearance during World War II, when wartime rationing of fabric saw the removal of the skirt panel and other superfluous material. Meanwhile, in Europe, fortified coastlines and Allied invasions curtailed beach life during the war, and swimsuit development, like everything else non-military, came to a standstill. In 1946, Western Europeans joyously greeted the first war-free summer in years, and French designers came up with fashions to match the liberated mood of the people. Two French designers, Jacques Heim and Louis Reard, developed competing prototypes of the bikini. Heim called his the "atom" and advertised it as "the world's smallest bathing suit." Reard's swimsuit, which was basically a bra top and two inverted triangles of cloth connected by string, was in fact significantly smaller. Made out of a scant 30 inches of fabric, Reard promoted his creation as "smaller than the world's smallest bathing suit." Reard called his creation the bikini, named after the Bikini Atoll. In planning the debut of his new swimsuit, Reard had trouble finding a professional model who would deign to wear the scandalously skimpy two-piece. So he turned to Micheline Bernardini, an exotic dancer at the Casino de Paris, who had no qualms about appearing nearly nude in public. As an allusion to the headlines that he knew his swimsuit would generate, he printed newspaper type across the suit that Bernardini modeled on July 5 at the Piscine Molitor. The bikini was a hit, especially among men, and Bernardini received some 50,000 fan letters. Before long, bold young women in bikinis were causing a sensation along the Mediterranean coast. Spain and Italy passed measures prohibiting bikinis on public beaches but later capitulated to the changing times when the swimsuit grew into a mainstay of European beaches in the 1950s. Reard's business soared, and in advertisements he kept the bikini mystique alive by declaring that a two-piece suit wasn't a genuine bikini "unless it could be pulled through a wedding ring." In prudish America, the bikini was successfully resisted until the early 1960s, when a new emphasis on youthful liberation brought the swimsuit en masse to U.S. beaches. It was immortalized by the pop singer Brian Hyland, who sang "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini" in 1960, by the teenage "beach blanket" movies of Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, and by the California surfing culture celebrated by rock groups like the Beach Boys. Since then, the popularity of the bikini has hardly diminished; though on beaches in Brazil and the Mediterranean today, many women favor the "monokini," a swimsuit style that consists solely of a bikini bottom.
1952 – Kentucky's 623rd Field Artillery Battalion, armed with eighteen 155mm towed howitzers, moves into this area in support of X Corps in holding operations against Communist Chinese assaults. During this period it will earn a Republic of Korea Unit Citation for its fire support of South Korea troops in repelling an enemy assault. In October the battalion, the last Guard artillery unit deployed to Korea, will see hard fighting and earns a Navy Unit Commendation embroidered PANMUNJOM for firing missions in support of the 1st Marine Division. The unit served again overseas in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
1954 – The B-52A bomber made its maiden flight.
2000 – Coast Guard HH-65A CGNR 6539 rescued 51 persons from a burning oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The aircrew responded to the fire and safely airlifted 15 people to a nearby platform nine miles from the fire. They then evacuated another 36 people to awaiting boats. One of the 6539's crew had landed on the platform to coordinate the rescue. As the helicopter returned to retrieve him, the rig exploded and sent a fireball 100 feet into the air. Unsure whether he survived, the 6539 flew into the thick, black column of smoke and safely rescued him. All four aircrew were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day There were none awarded
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 5, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
5 July
1911: The Chief Signal Officer approved the first flight form (Form N.277). Subsequently, the Army's Aviation School at Augusta inaugurated its use. (24)
1912: Capt Charles DeForest Chandler, Lts Thomas DeWitt Milling, and Lt Henry H. Arnold became the first qualified "Military Aviators." They received their badges on 6 October. (11) (24)
1938: Richard C. DuPont set US glider altitude record of 6,806 feet at Elmira.
1943: The first turbo jet engine developed for the Navy, the Westinghouse 19A, completed its 100-hour endurance test. (24)
1944: Harry Crosby, company pilot, flew the Northrop MX-324, the first US rocket-powered aircraft, for the first time at Harper Dry Lake, Calif. (20)
1952: World record of 124 parachute jumps in one day set at Grand Prairie, Tx., by paratrooper Neal Stewart of Birmingham, Ala. (24)
1962: Flying from Hill AFB to Springfield, Minn., Capt Chester R. Radcliffe, Jr., piloted a H-43B Huskie to a world's distance records of 900 miles. (24)
1970: Boeing received the first contract for the new AWACS that would serve as a combat direction center for ADC. (16) (26)
1974: The 555 TFS moved without personnel or equipment from Udorn RTAFB to Luke AFB to become the first F-15 Eagle squadron in the USAF. (16) (26)
1993: Through 12 July, AMC moved 334 US Army soldiers and 850 short tons of equipment from Germany to Macedonia on 15 C-5, 2 C-141, and 3 C-130 missions to help the UN prevent the spread of fighting in the former Yugoslavia. (16) (26)
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