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The Hurricane spins around hotspots of tension and conflict. Feel free to suggest your stories, opinions and ideas: UIHEN@protonmail.com
US Treasury's Bessent calls for review of Fed non-monetary policy operations
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Federal Reserve's vital independence on monetary policy is threatened by its "mandate creep" into non-policy areas and he called on the U.S. central bank to conduct an exhaustive review of those operations.
The Fed's autonomy "is threatened by persistent mandate creep into areas beyond its core mission, provoking justifiable criticism that unnecessarily casts a cloud over the Fed's valuable independence on monetary policy," Bessent said in a post on X.
He called Fed monetary policy "a jewel box" that should be walled off to preserve its independence, which he called a cornerstone of continued U.S. economic growth and stability.
Bessent said a review should be conducted into the Fed's decision to launch a massive renovation project of its headquarters at a time when it is posting operating losses.
#USA #Economy #Bessent #FindTruth
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FDA approved Moderna COVID shot for kids behind Kennedy's back—two HHS aides fired
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) quietly granted full approval to Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 injection for children while HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was on vacation—and without his knowledge or consent.
Kennedy should have been directly informed of any decision involving pediatric mRNA shots—especially one as politically and medically sensitive as full approval for children as young as six months.
On July 10, Moderna, Inc. announced the FDA approved the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Spikevax®, the Company’s COVID shot, in “children 6 months through 11 years of age who are at increased risk for COVID-19 disease.”
The approval was made despite Moderna’s own scientists’ admission that there are “unacceptable toxicity” levels in mRNA vaccines, and that “lipid nanoparticle structural components, production methods, route of administration and proteins produced from complexed mRNAs all present toxicity concerns.”
On July 17, CNN reported that Secretary Kennedy had fired two of his top aides Heather Flick Melanson and Hannah Anderson “in an abrupt shakeup of the leadership at the nation’s sprawling health department,” also citing unnamed sources.
#FDA #COVID #Vaccines #FindTruth
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12,000 German companies went bankrupt in six months. This is the maximum in a decade
#Germany #Economy #FindTruth
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China biotech’s stunning advance is changing the world’s drug pipeline
The biotechnology industry is experiencing a tectonic shift, driven by Chinese drugmakers who have come a long way from their copycat days to challenge Western dominance on innovation.
The number of novel drugs in China — for cancer, weight-loss and more — entering into development ballooned to over 1,250 last year, far surpassing the European Union and nearly catching up to the US’s count of about 1,440, analyses show.
This shift has occurred at an unprecedented pace. When China began to overhaul its drug regulatory system in 2015, the country had just 160 compounds to contribute to the global pipeline of innovative drugs, or less than 6% of the total, behind Japan and the UK. The government’s ‘Made in China 2025’ plan to elevate manufacturing in 10 priority sectors also helped spur a flurry of investments in biotechnology.
In addition to economic implications and possible military applications of biotech, China’s leverage on innovative therapies may be weaponized in a future conflict, if Americans become dependent on those medicines.
The perception of threat has spurred calls for the US government to stymie China’s biotech growth — through restrictions such as export controls on scientific equipment and barriers to investment — and boost the domestic biotech sector, including by changing the regulatory environment. Robert F. Kennedy, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, recently pledged to “Make American Biotech Accelerate.”
#China #Drug #Health #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Congress poised to do less oversight on arms sales
As early as Tuesday, Congress will vote on two bills that will make it easier for the U.S. government and U.S. arms makers to push weapons out the door to foreign clients more quickly, with less time for congressional scrutiny, and, in some cases, with Congress not even being informed that the sales are happening.
At a time when arms sales are a centerpiece of U.S. foreign policy, for good or for ill, this is a misguided approach that will increase the risks that U.S. arms transfers will sow instability, fuel conflicts, and enable violations of the laws of war.
The centrality of arms sales is a result of the decline in boots-on-the-ground conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan, and a reduction in drone strikes from the peak reached in the Obama years.
Major sales have ranged from transfers aimed at helping Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s invasion to billions in military aid and arms transfers that have enabled Israel’s campaign in Gaza and its escalation to attacks on Syria, Lebanon, and Iran.
A study by the Quincy Institute during the Biden administration found that 34 of 46 conflicts occurring at that time involved one or more parties armed by the United States.
#USA #Arms #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The desperation to stop Trump wasn’t political, it was survival
It’s not enough to say they hated Trump. That’s the surface-level distraction they fed the public—tweets, tone, ego. But behind closed doors, the political elite weren’t clutching their pearls over Trump's behavior. They were panicking over what he might expose.
The effort to sabotage Trump’s presidency—before he even took office—was not about protecting democracy. It was about protecting the machine.
From George H.W. Bush to Barack Obama, the same interconnected network of intelligence operatives, political dynasties, and global financial interests built and maintained a shadow system of power. Trump threatened to bring it all into the light.
Bush Sr.: The Architect; Clinton: The Cleaner; Bush Jr.: The Enabler; Obama: The Cover… (Full story)
#USA #Democrats #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The UK's National Health Service is doing so well that it has 26,000 nursing vacancies open...
#UK #Health #Medical #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Tourist shocked by what he sees in Rome. Fourth world.
#Italy #Economy #Migrants #FindTruth
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Democrat congressman: Zohran Mamdani ‘isn’t speaking for our party’
The divide in the Democratic Party further widened last week when Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) publicly said that New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani “isn’t speaking for our party.”
Zohran Mamdani holds extremely far-left positions, most specifically on private property. Since coming within striking distance of becoming the mayor of New York City, moderate Democrats have been sounding the alarm. Rep. Adam Smith attempted to distance Mamdani from the rest of the party.
“Look, the mayor of New York has never, never, ever been the leader of the Democratic Party,” Smith said when asked about Mamdani.
Smith then played off Mamdani’s prominence as being the result of the Democrats’ “Big Tent” platform.
“Mamdani isn’t speaking for our party, any more than I’m speaking for our party. It’s a big tent. It’s a big coalition,” he said before attacking President Donald Trump on his “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
#USA #Democrats #Mamdani #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The Richest Person in Every U.S. State
From tech moguls to retail tycoons, the richest person in each U.S. state reflects the industries driving wealth across the country.
This map shows the richest person in U.S. every state and their estimated net worth, as ranked by Forbes.
Elon Musk is the richest person in Texas, and the world, after moving to the Lone Star State from California in 2020. The Tesla CEO has an estimated net worth of about $338 billion.
Other high-profile business leaders who are the richest individuals of their respective state include Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in California with an estimated net worth of $189 billion, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in Florida with $206 billion, and Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett in Nebraska with $165 billion.
Other notable tech leaders on the map include former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in Washington with a net worth of $118 billion. He overtook his former boss, Bill Gates, after Forbes revised its estimate of the 2021 divorce settlement awarded to Gates’ ex-wife, Melinda French Gates.
In all but three states (Alaska, Delaware, and West Virginia), the richest individual was at least a billionaire.
#USA #RichestPerson #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
First U.S. rare earth mine in 70 years opens in Wyoming – ‘will extract rare earth elements directly from coal’
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright touted the importance of coal and Wyoming last Friday at the ribbon cutting for Brook Mine, the first U.S. rare earth mine in 70 years and the state’s first new coal mine in decades.
The ceremony marked the opening of not only the first new rare earth element mine on American soil in more than seven decades, but also the first new coal mine in Wyoming in nearly 50 years.
The operation will extract rare earth elements directly from coal, creating what officials called a “twofer” for American energy independence.
Wright emphasized the strategic importance of breaking China’s dominance in rare earth processing.
“That industry today is completely dominated by China. Completely,” he said. “They don’t mine all of it, but even the stuff that’s mined elsewhere” has to be processed in China. “It’s that country’s goal to “have a purposeful effort to completely control that industry.”
25 years ago, every major American corporation had a counterpart in Germany and France. Today, the competitors of American technology giants are in Asia. Europe is stuck in the last century
#USA #Germany #France #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Academic center within Georgetown's prestigious School of Foreign Service has long history of terror-supporting leaders
An academic center at Georgetown University that sits within its prestigious School of Foreign Service has a history of fostering support for Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other Islamist groups.
Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU), founded in 1993, has hosted scholars sympathetic to Islamism since its inception. John Esposito, the center’s founder and a professor of religion and international affairs and of Islamic studies at Georgetown, has long defended terrorist groups and collaborated with jihadist figures.
Esposito’s scholarly and professional history includes many instances of either the defense of or support for terror groups and figures. When asked whether Hamas was a terrorist organization during a 2000 interview with the Middle East Affairs Journal, for instance, Esposito hedged.
Esposito had more charitable words for Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a late Islamic scholar and intellectual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood whom the Clinton administration banned from entering the United States.
Al-Qaradawi’s sermons and writings also included calls to kill U.S. troops in Iraq and fatwas authorizing suicide bombings.
#Hamas #ACMCU #USA #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
ICE agents face 700% spike in assaults as antifa groups target their homes
Assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have skyrocketed since January amid left-wing attacks from anarchist groups and elected Democrats.
Department of Homeland Security officials reveal that ICE agents are now facing a nearly 700-percent increase in assaults as they try to arrest illegal aliens.
At the same time, the likes of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY); Boston, Massachusetts, Mayor Michelle Wu (D); Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D); Los Angeles, California, Mayor Karen Bass (D); and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) have made incendiary comments about ICE agents, with some comparing them to Nazis.
“… every single one of them, no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes will, of course, be identified,” Jeffries said last month, referring specifically to ICE agents.
At the same time, Antifa-affiliated groups, according to DHS officials, have started targeting ICE agents and their families — posting identifying information about them online, including their home addresses.
#USA #ICE #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
US to build Philippine boat repair facilities near contested South China Sea
The US Navy plans to build two repair facilities for smaller vessels operating in the western Philippines, with one about 240km east of a fiercely contested reef in the South China Sea.
Located in the Spratly archipelago, Second Thomas Shoal hosts a small detachment of Philippine forces aboard a grounded navy vessel and has been the site of clashes with Chinese ships. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway despite an international ruling its assertion has no merit.
The US government’s contracting website, Sam.gov, locates one of the proposed repair facilities in Palawan province’s Quezon municipality. The facilities will provide repair and maintenance capabilities for a variety of Philippine vessels, including 7.32m watercraft, as well as other smaller conventional watercraft.
The Philippines owns several vessels that size, including rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) that have been involved in clashes with larger Chinese ships.
#USA #China #Navy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Hunter Biden goes on expletive-laced rant about... everything
Hunter Biden launched into an unhinged, expletive-filled meltdown during a recent interview, attacking his own party's elite establishment while defending illegal immigration and making shocking admissions about his drug-fueled past.
The younger Biden lashed out at top Democrats, calling George Clooney a "fucking brand" rather than an actor, dismissing James Carville as irrelevant, and exposing the Pod Save America hosts as grifting "junior fucking speech writers" who have been "making millions" off their Obama connections.
Obama advisor David Axelrod wasn't spared either, with Biden dismissing his entire career: "David Axelrod had one success in his political life and that was Barack Obama and that was because of Barack Obama."
Biden even turned his venom on powerful Democrat consultant Anita Dunn, revealing the stunning amounts of money these political parasites have extracted from the party: "Anita Dunn has made $40-$50 million off the Democratic Party."
Perhaps most disturbing were Biden's casual admissions about his drug-manufacturing activities.
"Places that you can go get it are some of the most dangerous places in whatever location you happen to be in," Biden said. "Mainly for that reason, I learned how to make my own."
This bombshell admission reveals the depths of depravity the Biden family has sunk to, with the president's son openly bragging about manufacturing illegal narcotics while his father occupied the nation's highest office.
#USA #Biden #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Diplomacy watch: Will Europe pay for Trump’s Ukraine aid?
President Trump announced a new arms deal for Ukraine last week, which includes sought after Patriot missiles.
The Europeans, via NATO, will reportedly pay for the deal. Indeed, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, reportedly Europe’s ringleader for the weapons deal, have lauded the plan. But it doesn’t appear that all NATO countries are on board as France, Italy and the Czech Republic have signaled outright that they would prefer not to help.
Even the EU’s foreign policy representative Kaja Kallas raised concerns. Namely, she praised renewed U.S. interest in helping send Ukraine weapons, but said the relevant costs must be shared between the U.S. and other NATO members.
While a “formula” — money plus flattery — may appease Trump, it may not be good for Europeans’ political future. Keeping the U.S. sweet with literal bribes, to keep junior partner status in U.S. primacy is terrible for Europe.
According to Quincy Institute and independent activist Almut Rochowanski, “The weapons the Europeans will now pay for will not be more than Ukraine has received to date. And at that level, Ukraine has been losing every day. Eventually, this war will end with diplomacy, but when that day comes, Ukraine will be a far more diminished nation than it is now and its bargaining chips will be fewer.”
#USA #EU #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
EV euphoria evaporates. General Motors announces plan to expand production of gas-powered vehicles in Michigan
General Motors has announced plans to expand production of gas-powered vehicles and SUVs in Michigan as well as the manufacturing of pickup trucks.
The Detroit-based auto manufacturer said in a statement on Tuesday that it will “begin production of the Cadillac Escalade, as well as the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light duty pickups at Orion Assembly in early 2027 to help meet continued strong customer demand.”
The Escalade is produced in Arlington, Texas, while the Silverado and Sierra trucks are made at an assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which will continue to produce the vehicles.
The move builds on GM’s plans to invest $4 billion in U.S. facilities, which the automaker announced in June. That announcement came after President Donald Trump earlier this year implemented 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and 25% duties on many auto parts imported into the U.S.
It also builds on the automaker’s gas-powered vehicle production. The announcement comes after GM CEO Mary Barra said in 2021 that the company would exclusively offer EVs by 2023, citing carbon emissions.
#USA #EV #GMC #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
'Betrayal of every American' - Barack Obama now squarely in Russiagate crosshairs
New disclosures from a Tulsi Gabbard-led working group point directly to the top, as the legacy of "Hope and Change" begins a plunge to the ocean floor.
Barack Obama entered national politics with a smile that looked like Hope and Change. Amid rumors of family discord and disarray within the political party he once led, his face has hardened. He lately looks bitter, resentful, exhausted by the act.
In the wake of reports released by fellow Hawaiian and former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, he also has a new problem. The new Director of National Intelligence is targeting Obama’s legacy and maybe even his freedom, detailing a “treasonous conspiracy committed by officials at the highest level of our government,” announcing that everyone involved “must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Gabbard’s documents show the Obama White House overruling months of reports downplaying Russian interference and ordering subordinates to set a time bomb of manipulated intelligence, with the aim of trying to, as Gabbard described it, “usurp” an incoming president. No longer a tertiary character, Obama is now “center square” in the Russiagate scam.
Gabbard says she'll release more information to follow up on her bombshell declassification of documents that show "overwhelming evidence" of the Obama administration laid the groundwork for the years-long Trump-Russia collusion investigation after President Trump won the 2016 election.
#USA #Democrats #Russiagate #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Philippines’ Marcos to meet Trump hoping to secure trade deal
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will be meeting US President Donald Trump this week, hoping Manila’s status as a key Asian ally will secure a more favourable trade deal before an Aug 1 deadline.
Marcos will be the first South-east Asian leader to meet Trump in his second term.
Trump has already struck trade deals with two of Manila’s regional partners, Vietnam and Indonesia, driving tough bargains in trade talks even with close allies that Washington needs to keep onside in its strategic rivalry with China.
“I expect our discussions to focus on security and defence, of course, but also on trade,” Marcos said in a speech before leaving Manila.
The US had a deficit of nearly US$5 billion (S$6.4 billion) with the Philippines in 2025 on bilateral goods trade of US$23.5 billion.
Trump in July raised the threatened “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from the Philippines to 20 per cent, from 17 per cent threatened in April.
#USA #Philippines #TradeDeal #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Thousands join anti-immigration marches around Poland
Thousands of people have joined anti-immigration marches organised by the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja) party in dozens of cities around Poland.
“Poland is becoming increasingly defenceless against the growing wave of immigration,” wrote the organisers. “We don’t want Poland sharing the fate of western Europe.”
“The state is failing, so citizens are taking action,” they continued. “Ordinary people from every corner of the country have stepped up with a clear message and motivation: WE WANT TO LIVE SAFELY!
Poland has in recent years experienced levels of immigration unprecedented in its history and among the highest in the European Union. For the last eight years running, it has issued more first residence permits to immigrants from outside the EU than any other member state.
#EU #Poland #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
EU issues new sanctions on Russia after Slovakia signs up
The European Union approved its 18th package of sanctions against Russia after months of diplomatic wrangling, with Slovakia having blocked the package due to concerns over its economic impact on Bratislava.
Slovakia’s veto had delayed the 18th sanctions package for weeks, frustrating EU leaders. Its Prime Minister, Robert Fico, claimed his country will not support the EU policy at the expense of the Slovak Republic.
He secured commitments from EC President Ursula von der Leyen, including guarantees on gas supply stability, price controls and crisis mechanisms.
Since returning to power in 2023, Fico has often criticised EU sanctions as “idiotic” and prioritised Slovakia’s energy security and economic stability.
#EU #Russia #Sanctions #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Japan PM Ishiba vows to stay on after bruising election defeat
Japanese Premier Shigeru Ishiba vowed to remain in his post on Monday after his ruling coalition suffered a bruising defeat in upper house elections, prompting some in his own party to doubt his leadership as the opposition weighed a no-confidence motion.
The embattled prime minister told a news conference he would remain in office to oversee tariff talks with the United States and other pressing matters, such as rising consumer prices that are straining the world's fourth-largest economy.
"I will stay in office and do everything in my power to chart a path toward resolving these challenges," Ishiba said, adding that he intended to speak directly with U.S. President Donald Trump as soon as possible and deliver tangible results.
Analysts say his days may be numbered, however, having also lost control of the more powerful lower house in elections last year and shedding votes on Sunday to opposition parties pledging to cut taxes and tighten immigration policies.
"The political situation has become fluid and could lead to a leadership change or the reshuffling of the coalition in coming months," said Oxford Economics' lead Japan economist Norihiro Yamaguchi.
#Japan #Elections #Ishiba #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
White collar workers displaced by AI could spark a revolution
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced plans to lay off 9,000 employees, joining the ranks of tech companies cutting headcounts while touting the productivity gains enabled by artificial intelligence. According to CEO Satya Nadella, up to 30% of the company’s code is now being written by AI. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff one-upped him after his own firm’s layoffs, claiming that up to 50% of their work is now being shouldered by AI.
These are not simply corporate earnings call updates. They are previewing the future of work in America. When the last big economic disruption of globalization struck blue-collar workers, sending manufacturing jobs overseas, the result was hollowed-out communities, an opioid crisis and an unfulfilled promise of “retraining” for “the jobs of the future.”
Now, the AI wave is primed to hit those exact jobs, and the people who built their own prosperity on the wave of globalization that left so many others behind. But this isn’t just a mirror image of the globalization crisis. On the one hand, high-income, highly educated elites have much greater resources at their disposal to weather an economic storm.
The choice isn’t whether AI will displace knowledge workers — it’s whether we’ll see the disruption coming and prepare accordingly, or wait for the laptop class to take to the streets.
#USA #Microsoft #AI #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
According to published data, raising a child in the U.S. is a staggering financial commitment.
A recent study found that the average cost to an American family from the birth of a child to the age of 18 has risen to $389,000
In high-cost states like Massachusetts, the total is closer to $440,000
#USA #Economy #Child #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
David Sacks: U.S. risks handing market to China
AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks warned Tuesday that preventing U.S. semiconductor companies from exporting high-powered chips to allies will drive nations into the arms of China.
"If we don't compete across the world, then we will hand the market to China,” Sacks told Bloomberg News ahead of President Donald Trump’s announcement of $92 billion in investments across Pennsylvania. "One of the reasons that the president went to the Gulf States on that trip is to encourage business relations between the U.S. and the Gulf state. He signed massive investment deals. One of the deals that we signed was this new exploration partnership where we want to create a pathway for the Gulf states like UAE, to buy American technology, to buy American ships, and to create data centers on the American tech stack.”
In May, President Donald Trump secured over $2 trillion in artificial intelligence and tech deals during his Middle East tour, including a landmark $1.4 trillion UAE commitment to U.S. AI infrastructure and a $600 billion Saudi investment. The agreements, which include Nvidia chip sales and a massive Abu Dhabi AI campus.
#USA #China #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
How Trump’s 50% copper tariff will affect the U.S. & the world
US President Trump on July 9th announced a 50% tariff on copper imports into the US, ostensibly to boost US copper production and make the country self-sufficient in a metal that has become critical to the future economy.
But the US mines and refines very little copper; it imports a million tonnes a year mostly from Canada and Chile and only exports 250-300,000 tonnes, out of global mine production in 2024 of 23Mt.
A 50% tax on imports will do nothing to change these facts and its effects will be extremely damaging to end users and their customers, who ultimately will pay the tariff through higher prices.
Here we take a deep dive into the tariff’s effects inside the US.
Full story
#USA #Trump #Tariffs #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Oakland, California
A playground in the second-largest U.S. city on the West Coast and the hometown of Kamala Harris. The playground, like many similar ones, has organically evolved into a homeless encampment.
#USA #California #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The average American's salary is $59,000 a year. He has a mortgage debt of $254,498. He has a credit card debt of $7000. He is paying off a $25,000 car loan. He bought his first property at the age of 37 (on credit, of course, and the average age of a full mortgage payment is 62). 50% of Americans have less than $500 in personal savings.
#USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Sweden cuts red tape for changing legal gender
As of July 1, Sweden has removed some of the restrictions for changing gender legally and how it appears on official documents.
“It just feels good — one less thing to worry about,” Werner, 22, who was declared male at birth but identifies as female, told AFP.
Now, all that is needed to change is a medical certificate stating that a person’s gender identity does not align with the one indicated on their birth certificate.
Healthcare professionals have to evaluate whether the change better reflects the person’s gender identity and must ensure that the person can live with their new gender identity for the foreseeable future.
The minimum age to make the change has also been lowered from 18 to 16 years, although people under 18 need permission from their legal guardian.
A week after the law came into effect, 106 people had submitted applications, according to Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare.
#Sweden #Gender #FindTruth
@uinhurricane