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Daniel Noboa’s electoral theft will cement cartel and corporate control over Ecuador

President Daniel Noboa appears to have stolen Ecuador’s election. He’s now poised to consolidate control of a system that has benefitted cartels and multinational corporations – including his family business – at the expense of average Ecuadorians. And Washington likes what it sees.

Watch The Grayzone’s special video report on Noboa’s well-documented ties to transnational drug cartels here.

On April 13, 2025, Ecuador’s National Electoral Council proclaimed incumbent President Daniel Noboa the winner of the presidential runoff—a result that his challenger, the left-wing Luisa González, denounced as “massive fraud.”

If Noboa secures what appears to be an ill-gotten victory, he will be able to consolidate complete control over a state weakened by austerity and corrupted by deep infiltration by transnational drug cartels – a criminal network that is deeply enmeshed with his family’s business.

González, who led several polls by up to 6 points as of Friday, has demanded a vote-by-vote recount.

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Ukraine’s Extension Of Martial Law Exposes Zelensky’s Fear Of Losing Re-Election

The US might pressure him to assemble a government of national unity on pain of once again suspending military and intelligence aid if he refuses to dilute his power in lieu of holding elections…

Ukraine extended martial law until 6 August following Zelensky’s request earlier this week, which will prevent elections from being held over the summer like The Economist claimed late last month was a scenario that he was considering in an attempt to give himself an edge over his rivals. This move therefore exposes his fear of losing re-election. It’s not just that he’s very unpopular, but he likely also fears that the US wants to replace him after his infamous fight in the White House.

To that end, the Trump Administration might not turn a blind eye to whatever electoral fraud he could be planning to commit in order to hold onto power, instead refusing to recognize the outcome unless one of his rivals wins.

As for who could realistically replace him, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service claimed last May that the US had reportedly entered into talks with Petro Poroshenko, Vitaly Klitschko, Andrey Yermak, Valery Zaluzhny, and Dmytro Razumkov.

The New York Times (NYT) just ran a feature article on Poroshenko, who took the opportunity to propose a government of national unity (GNU) almost 18 months after this idea was first floated by Politico in December 2023, but even the article’s author felt obligated to inform readers that he’s unlikely to return to power. 

Citing unnamed political analysts, they assessed that “Mr. Poroshenko may be angling for an electoral alliance with General Zaluzhny…[who] has remained mostly silent about politics” till now.

Nevertheless, Poroshenko’s NYT feature article succeeded in raising wider awareness of the GNU scenario, which the Trump Administration might seek to advance over the summer. 

Zelensky continues to irritate Trump, most recently by alleging that Russia has “enormous influence” over the White House and accusing his envoy Steve Witkoff of overstepping his authority in talks with Putin. 

This comes as Ukraine continues dragging its heels on agreeing to the latest proposed mineral deal with the US.

From the US’ perspective, since the increasingly troublesome Zelensky can’t be democratically replaced through summertime elections, the next best course of action could be to pressure him into forming a GNU that would be filled with figures like Poroshenko who’d be easier for the US to work with. 

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US Open to Giving Crimea to Russia in Peace Deal

The United States is prepared to recognize Russian control over Crimea. This is part of a broader peace agreement the US has facilitating between Ukraine and Russia.

If elected, President Trump promised to bring peace to Ukraine, but he did not understand that illegitimate President Volodymyr Zelensky and the globalist West would be his main obstacles to peace in the region.

Crimea is a peninsula in the Black Sea. In 2014, Russia took control of the region and its ports.

As far as its history goes – Crimea came under Russian control following the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca  in1774.  Catherine the Great from Russia annexed the peninsula for Russia in 1783.

Anglo-French forces later in 1856 and took control of Sevastopol, Crimea, a major port on the Black Sea.ssia then took control of Crimea during the Russian Civil War in 1918 to 1920 when the Bolsheviks took control of the country.

The peninsula later became the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1921.

In 1954 the peninsula was transferred from the Russians to Ukraine.

In 1991 Crimea was once again made an autonomous republic within the Soviet Union. Then, as the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991, Crimea was passed to the newly independent Ukraine.

Russia, under Vladimir Putin took control of Crimea in 2014.

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Legal Coalition Challenges Trump’s Use of Executive Orders Against More Law Firms

A broad coalition of legal and civil liberties organizations is once again challenging President Trump’s use of executive orders to retaliate against law firms that he perceives as political opponents, suppress opposition and chill lawful First Amendment activity.

The coalition, which includes the ACLU, ACLU of DC, CATO, Electronic Frontier Foundation, FIRE, the Institute for Justice, the Knight First Amendment Institute, the National Coalition Against Censorship, the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, the Society for the Rule of Law, and The Rutherford Institute, filed two more amicus briefs (Jenner & Block and WilmerHale) asking a federal court to strike down as illegal and unconstitutional the president’s executive orders targeting the law firms of Jenner & Block and WilmerHale. The coalition filed a similar amicus brief in Perkins Coie LLP v. U.S. Department of Justice challenging the president’s executive order as a violation of the separation of powers and an unconstitutional infringement on the rights to free speech, advocacy and due process.

“That President Trump is weaponizing the government in order to wage a war against dissent, against due process, and against the very foundations of our constitutional republic should be a warning to all Americans,” said constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of Battlefield America: The War on the American People. “History shows that when governments claim the power to silence dissent—whether in the name of national security, border protection, or law and order—that power rarely remains limited. These threats against the legal community are just the beginning.”

In an effort to punish a number of major law firms and discourage others from challenging the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to sidestep the Constitution, President Trump issued Executive Orders directing the federal government to suspend the firms’ security clearances, cease providing all goods and services, terminate any contracts with the firms and those who do business with them, limit the firms’ access to federal buildings and employees, and refrain from hiring employees of the firms. The intent behind the president’s actions, per former advisor Steve Bannon, is to “put those law firms out of business” in response to the firms using the system of checks and balances to prevent the Administration from violating the Constitution.

Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block and WilmerHale each challenged Trump’s Orders on grounds that they violate the separation of powers and the First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. Warning that Trump’s actions constitute a brazen attack on the independence of the legal profession and the judicial branch, the legal coalition’s amicus briefs in support of the law firms argue that Trump’s Executive Orders not only infringe the First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and petitioning the government, but also essentially give the government an unfettered veto over a person’s right to choice of counsel due to the government pushing for a cancel culture and creating a blacklist of firms, similar to what the NRA previously claimed was done to it by a New York state official. Moreover, if the executive orders are allowed to stand, they could set a precedent for future Administrations of either political party to suppress challenges to a president’s unconstitutional policies and actions and to deter lawyers from representing the president’s political opponents or any clients adverse to the Administration.

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While Russia Is At war, China Is Stealing Its Military Market

The situation at the front in Ukraine does not show any major change on the ground. There are no breakthroughs, no large surrenders of territory. However, there is one constant – the Russian army is constantly advancing.

This progress is not great, but it is constant and with the passage of time this progress becomes obvious. The pressure on the Ukrainian army is getting stronger and stronger. Logically, the question arises, how long will the Ukrainian army be able to hold the front lines?

To achieve this, the Russians underwent a complete transformation of their military industry. Over the past decade, the arms industry faced significant challenges, with many traditional companies going bankrupt and many repair plants closing.

From missiles to artillery, during the last 3 years, the Russian government invested billions to modernize the outdated Soviet-era infrastructure.

It is clear that Russia will win this war, but at what cost?

If the Russians celebrate a victory, it will be humiliating for the European Union. However, the Russians also will soon face their own reality.

After victory, a large part of Russian and military-industrial structure will be dismantled as the Russian state cannot sustain such a vast apparatus, including new equipment.

During Soviet times, many countries were clients, like the communist countries, the Arab world and others, but now there are several competitors, including the Chinese, Turks, Iranians and Indians, all offering low prices. The global market has shifted significantly, and Russians will fight hard to regain what they had.

They can no longer maintain this massive military industrial base due to several factors. To understand this, we need to observe the past two decades of the Russian arms industry. Despite their high Soviet stockpiles, these companies went bankrupt even with almost 1/3 of the global arms market. The answer lies in government treatment; they are required to offer up to 50% discount for domestic orders in exchange for future export opportunities. Who would invest under such conditions?

With new players, exporting will become challenging. Consequently, the Russian government will emerge with immense fiscal responsibilities, managing an economy transitioning out of a semi-war state. This will lead to thousands being laid off, normalizing labor shortages but also confronting post-war traumas.

Realistically, new Russian territories will demand investment for reconstruction. Who will invest if not the Russian state? Yes, the cost is substantial.

Thus, I highlight the reduction of industry, many pensions, reconstruction of territories, and maintaining a larger army. Challenging times are ahead as the military industry heavily pushes the Russian economy.

If Russia and Western countries (especially Germany) negotiate an end to sanctions and asset release, it could alleviate a significant part of the problem. The Russian economy has adapted to the eastern world.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, there was a whole sphere of Russian influence and a captive market for military equipment. That is gone, and the sphere of Russian influence is infinitely smaller and under threat, especially since there are now several Eastern suppliers positioned to compete on price with the Russians.

After the onset of the war in Ukraine, Russia suspended exports of ground equipment, leaving a huge vacuum for… the Chinese!

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Former Marijuana Prisoners Who Got Clemency From Trump Hold Event Outside White House To Request Relief For Those Still Behind Bars

Former marijuana prisoners who received clemency from President Donald Trump during his first term staged an event outside the White House on Thursday, expressing gratitude for the relief they were given and calling on the new administration to grant the same kind of help to others who are still behind bars for cannabis.

Flanked by cardboard cutouts of individuals pardoned or granted commutations by Trump, activists impacted by criminalization stood outside the White House with a message to “free all cannabis prisoners.”

The grassroots “Cannabis Prisoners Unity Day” called attention to the opportunity to build upon the executive-level relief. In addition to Trump’s clemency actions in his first term, former President Joe Biden also pardoned and commuted sentences for hundreds of people while he was in office. But numerous people remain behind bars over non-violent federal cannabis convictions.

“President Trump, we are your example of a victory,” Craig Cesal—who received a commutation for a life sentence he was handed down in 2002 for a marijuana distribution conviction—said during a panel discussion ahead of the White House meetup.

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Epstein: Mossad or CIA?

“If you look at Epstein’s list, he’s not going after Congressmen… They already own Congress with AIPAC” ~Ryan Dawson

Last night, we hosted the ultimate panel for those wanting to learn more about government-pedo-blackmail operations… aka the craziest thing on Earth that media will not cover. It featured the legendary reporter and author Nick Bryant, relentless researcher Ryan Dawson, and was hosted by Ian Carroll one of the most effective communicators of this information at scale.

Below were the highlights for those who missed it though we strongly recommend listening to the full 2-hour discussion:

History of sex blackmail: Alexander Hamilton

“Sexual political blackmail has been around forever,” says Bryant, dating back to the days of the Founding Fathers. He tells the story of Alexander Hamilton’s affair with a married woman whose husband attempted to extort Hamilton. A muckraking journalist published the story while trying to curry favor with and secure a political appointment from Hamilton’s nemesis Thomas Jefferson. When Jefferson refused, the journalist outed him for having sex with his slaves.

“It goes all the way back…”

From there Dawson dives into modern era sex blackmail beginning with American mobster Micky Cohen, who Dawson says was the likely the first to use video tape.

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For 4/20, Ben & Jerry’s Teams Up With Marijuana Justice Group To Push Governors To Free Cannabis Prisoners

As consumers and businesses across the U.S. gear up for the 4/20 holiday on Sunday, ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s is drawing attention to the “tens of thousands of people who will spend their 4/20 in prison for the same cannabis-related activity.”

This year the company—which has regularly used 4/20 to highlight justice-related cannabis matters—has partnered with the advocacy group Last Prisoner Project (LPP) to urge state governors to grant relief to those behind bars for marijuana.

“This 4/20, the need for cannabis justice is at an all-time HIGH,” Ben & Jerry’s said about the new effort.

The groups are also encouraging supporters to take action, recommending they reach out to their state governors to call for clemency, sign petitions to free people incarcerated for cannabis crimes, spread the word using the #420ForFreedom on social media and attend a Washington, D.C. event—the Cannabis Unity Week of Action, held April 29 through May 1—aimed at promoting broader marijuana legalization.

The company says that as “cannabis businesses will rack up sales, public figures will use their platforms to highlight cannabis culture, and millions of Americans will take advantage of their freedom and consume with friends and family” on 4/20, it’s crucial that advocates continue pushing to right the wrongs of prohibition.

“When we say legalization without justice is half baked, we mean that legalization while people, disproportionately Black and Brown, are still sitting in prison for cannabis or reeling from the detrimental impacts of having a cannabis conviction on their records is simply not justice fully realized,” Palika Makam, Ben & Jerry’s U.S. activism manager, said in a statement.

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North Carolina Lawmakers File Bill To Legalize Medical Marijuana For Patients With Debilitating Conditions

A new bill in the North Carolina House of Representatives would legalize medical marijuana for patients with a variety of specified conditions, including cancer, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, end-of-life care and other serious ailments.

The measure, HB 1011, was filed on Tuesday by Rep. Aisha Dew (D) and has been cosponsored by several other Democratic lawmakers.

The 28-page bill, titled the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act, is considerably more detailed than a separate Democrat-led medical marijuana bill introduced this week that would allow access only for patients enrolled in a “registered research study.”

Advocates have been awaiting House introduction of a comprehensive bill, especially since Senate President Phil Berger (R) said his chamber is deferring to the House to move first on medical marijuana reform this session.

“Glad to finally see a real medical cannabis bill get introduced,” Kevin Caldwell, Southeast legislative manager for the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project, told Marijuana Moment in an email Wednesday.

The new bill, HB 1011, appears to be based largely on an earlier medical marijuana proposal from Sen. Bill Rabon (R), SB 3, filed in the 2023–2024 legislative session. That measure passed the Senate but failed to advance in the House due to an informal rule that requires a majority of the chamber’s GOP caucus to support a bill in order to bring it to the floor.

Caldwell at MPP said he would have liked to see the new House medical marijuana bill be sponsored by a Republican, which he reasoned would increase its chances of being heard in the GOP-controlled body. But he added that “legislators have known a medical bill has been in the works, and I hope they take this opportunity to provide relief to the tens of thousands of North Carolinians who are suffering from debilitating conditions.”

The new measure says in its findings section that “medical research has found that cannabis and cannabinoid compounds are effective at alleviating pain, nausea, and other symptoms associated with several debilitating medical conditions.” A majority of states and four of five U.S. territories have already legalized medical marijuana, it continues, and “North Carolina now takes similar action to preserve and enhance the health and welfare of its citizens.”

Under the proposal, the new medical cannabis program would be overseen by the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

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