<h2>Why Mexico doesn't want U.S. corn</h2>In a <a href="https://frontline.news/post/mexico-denies-u-s-industry-claims-of-gmo-glyphosate-safety-part-1-of-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">trade war</a> with Mexico, U.S. agriculture and biotech industries, with&nbsp;corporatocracy backing, have <a href="https://frontline.news/post/corporatocracy-pushing-trade-partners-to-accept-genetically-modified-sprayed-food" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">insisted</a> that GMO crops are safe and, therefore, Mexico must buy them under the terms of the USMCA (United States, Mexico, and Canada) agreement. Yet, Mexico, the “birthplace of corn,” has&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/globalist-free-trade-agreement-to-destroy-mexican-farms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fought back</a> against demands that the country accept American-grown GMO corn and plans to&nbsp;provide evidence that GMO corn is harmful with studies from its large GMO database when the stand-off is adjudicated by a special panel expected to convene in March 2024. (Mexico has also banned GMO soy.)Concern about corn and soy stems from the fact that 92% of all corn and 94% of all soy[fn]Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “GMO Crops, Animal Food, and Beyond.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, <a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/gmo-crops-animal-food-and-beyond" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/gmo-crops-animal-food-and-beyond</a> [/fn] grown in the U.S. today are genetically modified crops. Commonly referred to as “Bt corn” and “Bt soy,”[fn]“Bt” is the acronym for the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry and Cyt protein families, a diverse group of proteins with activity against insects of different orders - Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, and also against other invertebrates such as nematodes. (Bravo, Alejandra, et al. “Mode of action of bacillus thuringiensis cry and cyt toxins and their potential for insect control.” Toxicon, vol. 49, no. 4, 15 Mar. 2007, pp. 423–435, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2006.11.022" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2006.11.022</a> )[/fn] they (along with other Bt crops) have been genetically modified to produce the Cry protein DNA of the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) which targets the larvae of particular insects, enabling the protein to replicate in the plants and destroy those pests before they can harm the plants.[fn]Bessin, Ric. “Bt-Corn: What It Is and How It Works.” Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, 2019, <a href="https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef130" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef130</a>[/fn].&nbsp;Mexico, while defending its own population, is actually alerting Americans to the potential dangers they face domestically. Farmers depend on corn and soy for livestock feed. Food manufacturers use corn and soy for numerous products that line supermarket shelves. Unless specifically identified as organic, it is all genetically modified.&nbsp;<h2>Multiple studies refute industry claims of GMO safety&nbsp;</h2><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Misinformation propagated by GMO proponents</h3>CONAHCYT, the Mexican government’s leading scientific body, has a large studies database backing up its claims.[fn]“Documentos y Actividades En Bioseguridad.” CONAHCYT, Gobierno de Mexico, <a href="https://conahcyt.mx/cibiogem/index.php/sistema-nacional-de-informacion/documentos-y-actividades-en-bioseguridad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://conahcyt.mx/cibiogem/index.php/sistema-nacional-de-informacion/documentos-y-actividades-en-bioseguridad</a> [/fn] Included in the database is an article titled “An illusory consensus behind GMO health assessment”[fn]Krimsky, Sheldon. “An Illusory Consensus behind GMO Health Assessment” (PDF). ResearchGate, Science Technology &amp; Human Values 40(6), Aug. 2015, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282485442_An_Illusory_Consensus_behind_GMO_Health_Assessment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282485442_An_Illusory_Consensus_behind_GMO_Health_Assessment</a> [/fn] which demonstrates that misinformation about GMO crops is proliferated by GMO crop proponents who insist that the scientific consensus is that GMO crops are safe for health and the environment.&nbsp;<blockquote>This article examines scientific reviews and papers on GMOs, compares the findings of professional societies, and discusses the treatment of scientists who have reported adverse effects in animal feeding experiments. This article concludes by exploring the role that politics and corporate interests have had in distorting an honest inquiry into the health effects of GMO crops.</blockquote>The following are quotes from three of the studies cited in the article that demonstrate toxic effects on organs, reproductive effects, alteration of blood, biochemistry, and immunological parameters for humans and rodents eating GMO foods:Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods[fn]Dona, Artemis, and Ioannis S. Arvanitoyannis. “Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, vol. 49, no. 2, 2009, pp. 164–175, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10408390701855993" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1080/10408390701855993</a> [/fn]<blockquote>The results of most studies with GM foods indicate that they may cause some common toxic effects such as hepatic, pancreatic, renal, or reproductive effects and may alter the hematological, biochemical, and immunologic parameters. . . . The use of recombinant GH or its expression in animals should be re-examined since it has been shown that it increases IGF-1 which may promote cancer.</blockquote>Morphological and biochemical changes in male rats fed on genetically modified corn[fn]Gab-Alla, et al. “Morphological and Biochemical Changes in Male Rats Fed on Genetically Modified Corn (Ajeeb YG)” Research Gate, Journal of American Science, Aug. 2012, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235256863_Morphological_and_Biochemical_Changes_in_Male_Rats_Fed_on_Genetically_Modified_Corn_Ajeeb_YG" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235256863_Morphological_and_Biochemical_Changes_in_Male_Rats_Fed_on_Genetically_Modified_Corn_Ajeeb_YG</a>[/fn]<blockquote>The data showed several statistically significant differences in organs/body weight and serum biochemistry between the rats fed on GM and/or Non-GM corn and the rats fed on AIN93G diets [purified diets for laboratory rodents]. In general, GM corn sample caused several changes by increase or decrease organs/body weight or serum biochemistry values. This indicates potential adverse health/toxic effects of GM corn&nbsp;and further investigations still needed.</blockquote>A long-term study on female mice fed on a genetically modified soybean: effects on liver ageing[fn]Malatesta, Manuela, et al. “A long-term study on female mice fed on a genetically modified soybean: Effects on liver ageing.” Histochemistry and Cell Biology, vol. 130, no. 5, 2008, pp. 967–977, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-008-0476-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-008-0476-x</a> [/fn]<blockquote>This study demonstrates that GM soybean intake can influence some liver features during ageing and, although the mechanisms remain unknown, underlines the importance to investigate the long-term consequences of GM-diets.</blockquote><h3>Damage to pancreas, liver, and testes&nbsp;</h3>GM Watch editor Claire Robinson reviewed the findings of two studies, by Italian scientist Manuela Malatesta, on rats fed GMO soy.[fn]Robinson, Claire. “GM Soy Injures the Pancreas, Rat Feeding Study Shows.” GM Watch, 15AD, <a href="https://gmwatch.org/en/106-news/latest-news/20129-gm-soy-injures-the-pancreas-rat-feeding-study-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://gmwatch.org/en/106-news/latest-news/20129-gm-soy-injures-the-pancreas-rat-feeding-study-shows</a> [/fn] Long-term feeding of GMO soy (up to 8 months) showed pancreatic damage and diminished function in the liver and testes.<blockquote>In 2002 and 2003 the Italian scientist Manuela Malatesta published two groundbreaking studies showing damage to the pancreas of mice fed GM soybeans for long-term periods of up to eight months. The GM-fed mice also suffered damaged liver and testes function.&nbsp;. . .&nbsp;[T]he pancreatic studies were followed up a few years later in the 2008 study by Mexican researchers – who confirmed her findings.</blockquote><hr><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/aflds/image/upload/v1705929936/image_48c6a6d6cd.png"></figure><hr>Robinson qualifies the findings, suggesting that it is difficult to know if the damage was caused by the GMO diet and/or the “toxic glyphosate weedkiller” sprayed on them.<blockquote>GM soy is one of the most widely grown GM crops in the world and accounts for over 90% of US-grown soy. It is engineered to survive being sprayed with toxic glyphosate weedkiller. It is not known whether the adverse effects associated with the GM soy diet in either study was caused by the GM crop or the weedkiller, or both.&nbsp;</blockquote><h3>DNA damage not ruled out</h3>Robinson is not convinced that DNA damage does not or cannot occur or that foreign DNA won't be purposely inserted, reminding us that we have no assurances of safety since governments and biotech lobbyists are “mov[ing] to remove safeguards from a new experimental generation of GM foods and crops amid claims that they are safe:”<blockquote>It's useful to remind ourselves of these studies as governments and GMO industry lobbyists move to remove safeguards from a new experimental generation of GM foods and crops amid claims that they are safe. Assurances that new GM gene-edited foods, crops and animals, unlike the first generation GM crops tested by the Mexican team, don't contain foreign genes or DNA are lies. Gene-edited GMOs can unintendedly incorporate fragments of foreign DNA in their genome, which can persist in the final product, or they can be contaminated by foreign DNA present in materials used in tissue culture. In addition, gene editing can be used to deliberately insert foreign DNA.However, the risks of new GM gene-edited foods and crops are not confined to the insertion of foreign DNA, but can result from the most apparently small and simple gene "edit", the gene disruption type known as SDN-1, as a scientific review shows.As far as we know, no one has carried out an animal feeding study with new gene-edited foods, crops, and animal products such as meat and dairy. So their safety profile remains unknown.</blockquote><h3>Increased death</h3>IRT (Institute for Responsible Technology) identified studies revealing serious harms resulting from GMO diets[fn]“Genetically Modified Foods: Toxins and Reproductive Failures.” Institute for Responsible Technology, 15 Mar. 2020 <a href="https://responsibletechnology.org/genetically-modified-foods-toxins-and-reproductive-failures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://responsibletechnology.org/genetically-modified-foods-toxins-and-reproductive-failures/</a> [/fn] including:<ul><li>toxic reactions in the digestive tract,</li><li>liver damage,</li><li>higher death rates and organ damage,</li><li>reproductive failures and infant mortality, and</li><li>farmer reports of livestock sterility and deaths.</li></ul><h3> BT toxins found in blood samples - study discredited by industry</h3>Do BT toxins survive in the gut? A study found traces of the toxins in women's blood samples. Daily Mail Consumer Affairs editor Sean Poulter cited an independent study by doctors at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at the University of Sherbrooke Hospital Centre in Quebec, Canada[fn]Poulter, Sean. “GM Food Toxins Found in the Blood of 93% of Unborn Babies.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 20 May 2011, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1388888/GM-food-toxins-blood-93-unborn-babies.html " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1388888/GM-food-toxins-blood-93-unborn-babies.html </a>[/fn] who studied the blood of 30 pregnant women and 39 non-pregnant women. Traces of BT toxins were found in the blood samples of:&nbsp;<ul><li>93% (28 out of 30) of pregnant women,&nbsp;</li><li>69% (27 out of 39) of non-pregnant women, and</li><li>80% (24 out of 30) of the umbilical cords.&nbsp;</li></ul>Industry, which usually finances food safety studies, discredited this one.<h2>Monsanto - disregarding inconvenient evidence?</h2>Despite much evidence to the contrary, Monsanto asserts that its GMO corn is safe based on its contention that the Cry protein inserted into the corn through genetic modification [fn]See footnotes 2 and 3[/fn] cannot react with non-target cells. In a 2015 report,[fn] Koch, Michael S, et al. “The Food and Environmental Safety of Bt Crops.” Frontiers in Plant Science, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 29 Apr. 2015, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4413729/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4413729/</a> [/fn] Monsanto scientists stated that the genetically modified produce is safe for livestock and human beings because,<blockquote>[a]n essential component of the highly selective insecticidal properties of most Cry proteins is the requirement that the toxin interact with one or more specific receptors. Many studies have demonstrated that the GI-tract epithelial surface of non-target insects and mammals, including humans, lack specific high-affinity Cry protein receptors.&nbsp;</blockquote><h3>Monsanto relying on unproven theories</h3>Scientists working for Testbiotech, an independent German institute, question Monsanto. They found (among other issues) that Monsanto's contention that Cry proteins only work in the presence of the receptor cells may be theory, not fact. Their 2017 paper[fn]Then, Christoph, and Andreas Bauer-Panskus. “Possible Health Impacts of Bt Toxins and Residues from Spraying with Complementary Herbicides in Genetically Engineered Soybeans and Risk Assessment as Performed by the European Food Safety Authority EFSA.” Environmental Sciences Europe, U.S. National Library of Medicine, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5236067" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5236067</a> [/fn] states that<blockquote>there is also evidence that Bt proteins can exert toxicity by different modes of action, which are not as yet fully understood.. . .Certainly, the absence of specific receptors in mammalian species is not sufficient to conclude that Bt proteins are not toxic for them. Potential effects might be subtle and show up only after chronic exposure.</blockquote><h3>Effects of multiple modifications not studied</h3>Testbiotech scientists also questioned the safety of stacking – including more than one modification in a plant – which Monsanto hadn’t studied. Some Bt crops, such as corn and soy, called <a href="https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/roundup-ready-crops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Roundup Ready</a>, have also been modified to resist Monsanto’s glyphosate Roundup weed killer.&nbsp;<h2><a href="https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/roundup-ready-crops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/aflds/image/upload/v1706013134/image_2977218d04.png"></a></h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>What about glyphosate?&nbsp;</h2>Mexico and the U.S. are also arguing about glyphosate. Mexico does not want to buy it from the U.S. citing safety risks; the U.S. says it is safe and therefore Mexico must accept Monsanto's glyphosate weedkiller according to the USMCA trade agreement.&nbsp;As Claire Robinson noted in her review of GMO studies, it is not clear if observed damage is caused by genetic modifications, by the toxic glyphosate sprayed on the crops, or both. Mexico also has a database of glyphosate studies which it will reference to prove the weedkiller is toxic when the dispute is adjudicated in March 2024. Frontline News will review select studies in the final installment of this series.See our additional coverage of the trade dispute:<ul><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/globalist-free-trade-agreement-to-destroy-mexican-farms">Globalist free trade agreement to destroy Mexican farms?</a></li><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/corporatocracy-pushing-trade-partners-to-accept-genetically-modified-sprayed-food">Corporatocracy pushing trade partners to accept genetically modified, sprayed food</a></li><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/mexico-president-denies-us-industry-s-safety-claims-for-gmo-roundup">Mexico president denies US industry's safety claims for GMOs, Roundup</a></li><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/will-mexicans-lose-the-tasty-tortillas-they-have-eaten-for-centuries">Will Mexicans lose the tasty tortillas they have eaten for centuries?</a>&nbsp;</li></ul>

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Medical

GMO studies refute biotech claims of safety

GMO crops - organ damage, fertility impact; DNA damage not ruled out 

A British vigilante group known as the “Blade Runners” is receiving widespread support from British taxpayers as it continues to destroy climate surveillance cameras across London.<h2>The ULEZ mandate</h2>By order of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the city is peppered with ultra-low emission zones (ULEZs), areas accessible only to low-emission vehicles. Cars that do not meet the city’s environmental standards are charged £12.50 ($16) for entering the ULEZ. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras positioned around the zones read license plates and check them against the vehicles’ make and model in real time. If a vehicle does not meet the environmental threshold, a fine is levied against the car owner.&nbsp;The ULEZ climate mandate has drawn heavy&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/london-hundreds-protest-against-climate-mandates">protests</a> from residents, including&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/british-veteran-launches-hunger-strike-as-unrest-grows-over-climate-mandates">hunger strikes</a> and refusals to pay fines. Taxpayers have also taken to disabling the ANPR surveillance cameras which Transport for London (TfL), the city’s transportation department, said will be used both for climate and law enforcement.<h2>Taxpayers cheer the ‘Blade Runners’</h2>Since the climate restrictions were expanded last year, the Blade Runners have taken to disabling and destroying hundreds of cameras. Between April and September 2023, Metropolitan Police recorded 200 reports of cameras being stolen and 595 reports of cameras being vandalized.TfL began placing black boxes around ULEZ camera wirings to protect them from being cut, but taxpayers found other ways to disable the cameras — like removing them completely.<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"> MUST SEE: Blade Runners topple THREE ULEZ cameras in a coordinated strike… The people are fighting back! <a href="https://t.co/Yvr2Xr7Lun">pic.twitter.com/Yvr2Xr7Lun</a>— David Morgan #StayFree (@david_r_morgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/david_r_morgan/status/1802726912050995623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In response, the city&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/london-taxpayers-attack-surveillance-vans-in-continued-revolt">deployed</a> mobile surveillance vans mounted with ANPR cameras across London in the hopes of evading attacks, but Blade Runners soon began targeting those as well. Some surveillance vans have been spotted covered in graffiti with their tires slashed, while others have been completely covered in tarp.Last month, 21 cameras were destroyed in the hours after Sadiq Khan was re-elected mayor of London, the&nbsp;Daily Mail&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13538797/Moment-Blade-Runner-uses-power-tool-cut-ULEZ-camera-traffic-light-latest-attack-Sadiq-Khans-hated-scheme.html">reported</a>. Last weekend, Blade Runners used power tools to topple a ULEZ camera and traffic lights to the delight of some fellow taxpayers. In a video that was posted to social media, passing cars can be heard honking in support.The video received over 37,000 likes. Comments on the post were largely supportive, with users writing that, “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty,” and “Fair play to them, it's a complete scam that does nothing.”Blade Runner Matt Hardy told the&nbsp;Daily Mail&nbsp;that the Blade Runners are “people pissed off about the tyranny reigning over us and getting out and doing things about it – real votes, real boys here.”<h2>‘These cameras are not about the climate. They are about control’</h2>British actor and influencer Laurence Fox said this week he was just given back his electronic devices by police after being arrested earlier this year for cheering on the Blade Runners:<blockquote>These cameras are not about the climate. They are about control. They are the primary infrastructure for all sorts of things that ideologues like the midget dictator [Sadiq Khan] would like to impose upon us.I can now finally say the word ‘Bladerunners’ again. One of the ridiculous restrictions on free speech imposed by the police.It’s a dreadful shame to see so many of these cameras dying suddenly. I’m not at all thrilled about it. Just because I am smiling like a Cheshire Cat, it doesn’t mean that I am over the moon that these scameras continue to topple in high winds.&nbsp;Vive la résistance!</blockquote><div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">POLICE UPDATE Following 6 coppers bursting into my house earlier this year to arrest me for saying how pleased I was that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULEZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ULEZ</a> scam was meeting such robust resistance, this morning the <a href="https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@metpoliceuk</a> were ordered by the magistrate to hand back all my devices, including my…— Laurence Fox (@LozzaFox) <a href="https://twitter.com/LozzaFox/status/1803030521095622912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> &nbsp;

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Pushback_Resistance

Climate Change

‘Pissed off about the tyranny reigning over us’

British taxpayers cheer vigilante group destroying climate cams

Fisker is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the electric vehicle (EV) company announced Tuesday.<h2>‘Like other companies in the electric vehicle industry’</h2>“Fisker has made incredible progress since our founding, bringing the Ocean SUV to market twice as fast as expected in the auto industry and making good on our promises to deliver the most sustainable vehicle in the world,” a spokesperson <a href="https://assets.ctfassets.net/cghen8gr8e1n/6W19OiEBJDVIFVEmo4feHA/df902c5cb2b067251a300efb0b35f611/Fisker-Filing-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a>.The California-based company added it is not the only EV maker that has been struggling to stay in business.“We are proud of our achievements, and we have put thousands of Fisker Ocean SUVs in customers’ hands in both North American [sic] and Europe. But like other companies in the electric vehicle industry, we have faced various market and macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted our ability to operate efficiently. After evaluating all options for our business, we determined that proceeding with a sale of our assets under Chapter 11 is the most viable path forward for the company.”Fisker’s collapse is the latest indication that the EV industry is folding due to sinking demand. Other EV industry players are also cutting their losses as they jump ship.<h2>Hertz</h2>In March, Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr&nbsp;<a href="https://www.motorfinanceonline.com/news/hertz-ceo-resigns-amid-ev-investment-setback/#:~:text=Scherr's%20departure%20coincides%20with%20Hertz's,electric%20vehicle%20(EV)%20rentals">resigned</a> after his bet on EVs cost the car rental giant its biggest quarterly loss since 2020. Hertz had been praised by the Biden administration for its ambition to convert 25% of its fleet to EVs by the end of this year. In January, however, the company announced it would instead be selling its 20,000 EVs — including Teslas — at heavily discounted prices and replacing them with gas-powered cars.<h2>Mercedes-Benz</h2>Mercedes-Benz also recently had to give up its ambition to only sell electric cars by 2030. Instead, EVs are expected to make up only 50% of the German carmaker’s sales over the next decade.<h2>Apple</h2>In February, Apple abandoned its multi-billion dollar effort to create an electric car. Despite being a decade in the works and employing 2,000 people, Project Titan was axed due to falling consumer demand.<h2>Aston Martin</h2>A lack of consumer demand is also partly to blame for Aston Martin&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13138123/Aston-Martin-puts-brakes-new-electric-supercar-2026-bosses-say-drivers-want-engines-throaty-roar.html">placing</a> its battery-operated “supercar” on hold until 2026.“Demand, certainly at an Aston Martin price point, is not what we thought it was going to be two years ago,” said Aston Martin Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll.&nbsp;<h2>Ford</h2>In December, Ford slashed production of its flagship EV at its assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan by half. The automaker cut the monthly production quote for the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck from 3,200 units to 1,600 units per month.<h2>Biden administration continues to force EV production</h2>Nevertheless, the Biden administration in March issued new climate mandates aimed at forcing more EV production. The new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contain tight emissions standards that will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-electric-vehicles-emissions-limits-climate-biden-e6d581324af51294048df24269b5d20a">require</a> 56% of new vehicle sales to be fully electric by 2032, with an additional 13% required to be hybrids.

car market decline.jpg

US News

Biden administration continues to force EV production

Electric car company files bankruptcy as EV market folds

For the last two years, British authorities have been testing AI-powered emotion recognition cameras on travelers in train stations, according to recently disclosed documents.<h2>What can the cameras see?</h2>In each of eight train stations around the UK, five to seven cameras or sensors scan the passing crowds. Using AI software from Amazon, the cameras use object recognition algorithms to spot criminal activity, trespassing, weapons, wet floors, overcrowding, and overstuffed trash cans.&nbsp;They can also alert authorities when passengers engage in “unusual behavior,” such as shouting, running, smoking, or skateboarding.&nbsp;A combination of existing cameras and newly installed smart cameras are being used for the surveillance project. All are equipped with Amazon’s Rekognition surveillance system.<h2>Emotional recognition</h2>Through a combination of facial and behavioral analyses, the Rekognition software allows officials to also <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-ai-cameras-emotions-uk-train-passengers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">analyze visitors’ emotions</a>. Internal documents note that the cameras can detect whether a passenger is “happy, sad [or] angry.” They can also recognize passenger satisfaction, which “could be utilized to maximum advertising and retail revenue.”<h2>Anti-social behavior</h2>Authorities can also detect passengers who exhibit “anti-social behaviour,” which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/what-is-antisocial-behaviour/">according</a> to London’s Metropolitan Police Service means “behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person.”<h2>Social distancing, face masks, and demographics</h2>Other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24757655-usecases_dpas_review_managed_stations?responsive=1&amp;title=1">use cases</a> for the surveillance cameras include detecting whether passengers are keeping to social distancing rules and wearing face masks. The cameras can also scan for demographics by identifying people’s age profiles and “socio-economic classification,” which the documents note can create “revenue opportunities for better targeted advertising and product placement.”<h2>‘Quite a concerning step’</h2>The documents were obtained by Big Brother Watch, a civil rights and government watchdog group, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Network Rail, a body within the Department of Transportation which manages most of the country’s train network, has been overseeing the surveillance project.&nbsp;“The rollout and normalization of AI surveillance in these public spaces, without much consultation and conversation, is quite a concerning step,” Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-ai-cameras-emotions-uk-train-passengers/">told</a> Wired.As of now, the surveillance systems do not use facial recognition technology, which analyzes faces and matches them against facial images stored in certain databases.

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surveillance

World News

Cameras can also detect 'anti-social behavior,' social distancing

UK tests emotion recognition cameras in train stations

The European Union (EU) is considering subjecting foreign travelers to lie detector tests administered by AI technology.&nbsp;<h2>How would it work?</h2>Authorities at airports and ferry ports would use cameras equipped with machine-learning software to detect whether a person is being untruthful. As travelers fill out their entry applications, their eye, facial, and behavioral movements would be analyzed. If the camera indicates the traveler is lying, the software will send an alert to an immigration officer who will investigate.The technology has already been successfully tested in trials conducted by EU countries in the last few years. iBorderCtrl and TRESPASS, two such trials, explored how to create an automated border control system. Several features were tested, including the lie detector tests described above. They also piloted a feature in which AI software scans the social media accounts of travelers before granting them entry.Critics of the lie-detection scheme include Patrick Breyer, a German MEP. Breyer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13534215/Outrage-British-tourists-going-away-EU-countries-face-lie-detector-test-carried-artificial-intelligence-granted-entry.html">told</a> The Mail on Sunday that the technology is “pseudoscience” that threatens to profile the wrong people.&nbsp;“It will discriminate against anyone who is disabled or who has an anxious personality. It will not work,” said Breyer.<h2>Part of the Entry-Exit System</h2>If the EU decides to implement AI-powered lie detection, it will likely be introduced as part of the new Entry-Exit System (EES) due to take effect on October 6th. EES will replace the passport-stamping process by having foreign travelers apply for entry through self-service kiosks. These kiosks will collect the travelers’ biometric data, including their fingerprints and facial images.These data will eventually be stored in the Common Identity Repository (CIR), a massive database being built by the EU. The CIR will be capable of storing biometric files on 300 million individuals.&nbsp;<h2>EES for outsiders, digital ID for insiders</h2>While the EU prepares to roll out the EES for foreigners, including British citizens, it is also rolling out a digital ID program for EU citizens .Regulations that took effect last month&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/europe-launches-digital-id-scheme/">require</a> EU&nbsp;Member States in the European Union to provide a digital ID wallet to their citizens by 2026 which must conform to the European Union Digital Identity (EUDI) wallet specifications. These specifications include the ability to store a taxpayer’s identity papers, such as driver’s licenses, health insurance cards, diplomas and other official documents.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>How will the wallet be used?</h2>The digital wallet will allow access to both public and private services. Uses include making payments, opening a bank account, getting prescriptions, signing contracts, traveling, accessing government services, receiving social security benefits, logging into social media accounts, and more.&nbsp;“It can also be used to facilitate the freedom of movement by storing documents such as the European Health Insurance Card,” explains the European Commission (EC) on its&nbsp;<a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eudi-wallet-implementation">website</a>.Under the current rules, the EUDI wallet will be optional for taxpayers.&nbsp;<h2>Critics raise concerns about the wallet</h2>The EUDI wallet’s main selling point is that users will be able to share only the details necessary to authenticate themselves for a given service. All other personal information will remain hidden. The EC expects this feature to satisfy widespread privacy concerns.But concerns about the wallet remain. The main worry is that while users only share those details that are necessary, the government can decide at any point which information is “necessary” to share. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the European Commission made proof of vaccination necessary to access services and establishments. Prior to that, each taxpayer’s health information was considered confidential.

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UK tests emotion recognition cameras in train stations

Europe may subject travelers to lie detector tests