A group of men charged with running an illegal marijuana farm in rural Maine have extensive ties to a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organ responsible for intelligence gathering and foreign influence operations, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation found.
Two of the men, who pleaded not guilty, are leaders of the Sijiu Association of New York, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit, which works closely with the New York Chinese Consulate and United Front Work Department (UFWD) — one of Beijing’s main influence and intelligence arms. Chinese government records reveal several Sijiu Association officials belong to UFWD branches, and state-run media reports show the nonprofit has also agreed to fund UFWD projects.
Chinese illegal marijuana grows in the Pine Tree State have taken root within former residential dwellings, recycling facilities, cedar mills, elementary schools and other industrial locations, according to investigative reports by the Maine Wire. Police raids have recovered hundreds of pounds of cultivated marijuana and thousands of cannabis plants within a single location, and sometimes have also led to the discovery of methamphetamines or banned neurotoxins used for fumigation.
“We’ve identified and visited more than 150 illegal Chinese marijuana growing operations throughout the state of Maine,” Steve Robinson, editor-in-chief of the Maine Wire, told the DCNF. “The neighbors are terrified, and legitimate marijuana businesses are collapsing due to the illegal competition.”
One explanation of this is the Vatican, symbolized by the pope, is at the center of a global power and money laundering operation linked to royal and elite families and national intelligence services, including the CIA, 5eyes, Mossad and more. This is speculative and also plausible, imo. ABN
This is put perfectly. Academia is full of these types, and as such constitutes a meso-example of how an entire field of human endeavor can rapidly skid downhill as scumbag mentors bring in worse scumbag mentees, year after year. ABN
An international team of researchers has uncovered the oldest spear tip ever discovered in Europe, revealing that it was crafted by Neanderthals. In their study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the team provides detailed insights into the spear tip’s discovery, its condition, and the findings they gleaned from extensive analysis.
The spear tip was initially found in 2003, buried within a sediment layer in a cave in the North Caucasus, Russia. Alongside it were numerous animal bones and remnants of a campfire. However, it wasn’t until recently that the spear tip was thoroughly examined.
Using advanced techniques such as spectroscopy, computed tomography, and microscopy, the researchers determined that the 9 cm-long spear tip was made from animal bone, likely bison. It was attached to a wooden shaft with a type of tar.
The team also discovered that the spear tip had been shaped with stone tools and showed signs of use in either hunting or combat, evidenced by cracks indicating it had struck something very hard. Notably, the tip showed no signs of prolonged use, implying that it had likely been used shortly after its creation. This finding challenges previous theories that Neanderthals never advanced beyond using stone tools and suggests that they were capable of strategic planning, both in crafting tools and in their use.
American Buddhist Net 
