Good evening. I'm Will Dove and this is the nightly news for Thursday, June 5.
President Donald Trump has enacted a new travel ban, barring entry for nationals from 19 countries in response to recent security breaches. The order, taking effect June 9, targets Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen with total bans. Additionally, citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela face partial restrictions, losing access to all immigrant visas and select non-immigrant travel options.
The move follows a terror attack in Colorado, where an Egyptian national—alleged to have overstayed his visa—was accused of firebombing pro-Israel demonstrators. Trump warned that Egypt may be added to the ban list pending a formal review of its screening processes.
Commentary from the UK highlights statistics showing foreign nationals, though only 15% of the population, commit 41% of all crime and up to 25% of sex crimes. Afghans and Eritreans are cited as being over 20 times more likely to be convicted for sexual offences than native Britons, with official data reinforcing these concerns regarding foreign criminality.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has publicly criticized President Donald Trump, calling out what he describes as the President’s “ingratitude” in the wake of their recent interactions. While Musk has been previously supportive or at least open to dialogue with Trump on various issues, he has now voiced his dissatisfaction with Trump's approach.
Musk claims that despite assistance, advice, and support offered to the President, Trump has failed to acknowledge these efforts, instead choosing to discount or ignore contributions from outside his immediate circle. Musk's stance represents a shift in tone, suggesting a fraying relationship between the two high-profile figures.
There has yet to be an official response from President Trump regarding Musk’s statements.
A leaked letter reveals that European defence ministers have voiced serious concerns that stringent environmental regulations are undermining the continent’s ability to prepare for a potential Russian invasion. The letter, circulated among several EU member states, warns that restrictive green rules are interfering with military readiness and logistics.
The ministers argue that regulations designed to cut emissions and protect the environment are directly impeding the movement and deployment of necessary defence equipment and personnel. They warn this could leave Europe vulnerable to attack, particularly amid increasing tensions with Russia and ongoing hostilities in Eastern Europe.
For strong evidence that Putin has zero interest in invading the E.U. see my recent interview with economist Martin Armstrong titled “The E.U. will start World War 3”.
Israeli forces have conducted airstrikes targeting southern Beirut on the eve of Eid al-Adha, escalating tensions with Lebanon. The attacks, which took place in districts traditionally regarded as Hezbollah strongholds, come amid an already volatile regional climate.
According to initial reports, the strikes focused on strategic infrastructure and positions believed to be used by Iranian-backed groups. Observers noted significant damage in the affected areas, though Lebanese sources have not yet released official casualty figures.
The timing of the strikes, immediately before a major religious holiday, has drawn criticism from Lebanese leaders, who accuse Israel of deliberately inflaming tensions. In response, Israeli officials have stated that the attacks were carefully targeted and intended to disrupt imminent threats to Israeli citizens and interests.
Tensions between Israel and Lebanon have remained high in recent months, with cross-border skirmishes and intermittent rocket fire contributing to the instability. The latest strikes mark a significant escalation and have prompted international calls for restraint on both sides to prevent further escalation during a sensitive period in the religious calendar.
Airlines have turned checked baggage fees into a major source of revenue, collectively raking in billions of dollars each year from travellers. According to industry data, baggage charges now represent a significant portion of airline earnings, far outpacing previous years when such fees were either non-existent or nominal.
These additional charges, introduced by most major carriers, have risen sharply over the past decade. Airlines have steadily increased these fees, with some charging as much as $50 or more for a single checked bag on standard routes. The cumulative effect is staggering: airlines worldwide now generate several billion dollars annually from baggage alone.
Analysts note that these fees have helped offset rising operational costs and the impact of fluctuating fuel prices. However, consumer advocates argue that the surcharges disproportionately burden families and lower-income travellers, forcing many to travel with only carry-on luggage or avoid air travel altogether.
Despite customer dissatisfaction, airlines show little sign of reversing course, with baggage fees entrenched as a critical revenue stream. The financial incentives are simply too strong for airlines to abandon what has become an industry-standard practice.
A Phase 1 clinical trial in Uganda has revealed alarming safety concerns about Bill Gates-funded self-amplifying mRNA Covid vaccines. The ARCT-154 "replicon" vaccine, developed by Arcturus Therapeutics, caused severe blood abnormalities in 93% of participants (39 of 42 healthy adults) after the second dose. Grade 3+ adverse events included thrombocytopenia (low platelets), lymphopenia (immune suppression), and neutropenia (infection risk).
Systemic adverse events like muscle pain, fever, and vomiting affected 85.4% of recipients, with worsening lab abnormalities suggesting cumulative toxicity. Notably, Arcturus senior advisor doctor Peter A. Patriarca also consults for the Gates Foundation. Critics like epidemiologist Nicolas Hulscher and doctor Peter McCullough warn that self-replicating mRNA technology poses unprecedented risks, as the vaccine’s ability to reproduce in vivo could trigger autoimmune attacks.
Despite these findings, the study authors called the vaccine “well tolerated,” while the FDA recently approved Arcturus’ replicon trials for H5N1 bird flu vaccines. McCullough condemned the technology as “inhumane and potentially lethal,” emphasizing that no trials have addressed shedding risks.
Top FDA officials have clarified that despite approving a new COVID-19 vaccine, they are not officially recommending that Americans receive it. Dr. Vinay Prasad, head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, stressed that the agency “is not your doctor” and does not recommend shots to individuals, but makes vaccines available for patients to discuss with their healthcare provider. The FDA’s new authorization for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, issued May 31, targets those 65 and older and people aged 12 to 64 with pre-existing health conditions that raise their risk for severe COVID-19. The approval was based on data showing non-inferior immune responses compared to previous Moderna shots. The FDA emphasizes that for healthy, low-risk individuals—including children and pregnant women—recommendations have been rolled back, and further trial data is required before broad approval.
The World Council for Health has issued a stark warning, asserting that billions of people who have received COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are potentially facing what the group describes as a “ticking time bomb” of long-term deaths, disease, and injuries. Central to these concerns are lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), synthetic fat particles used in mRNA shots to facilitate delivery of genetic material into human cells. The WCH report, backed by various independent researchers, notes that LNPs were initially marketed as safe and effective, but are now facing scrutiny over possible long-term toxicity, metabolic disruption, and the triggering of autoimmune or neurodegenerative conditions.
Transparency remains a significant issue. Notably, when German researcher Maria Gutschi asked Moderna about the quantity of LNPs in a vaccine dose via a Freedom of Information Act request, the response was “We don’t know, and it’s irrelevant.” Similar inquiries to the UK’s drug regulator reportedly went unanswered. Only one published paper provided numerical data on LNPs, detecting ionisable lipids from Moderna’s SM-102 still present in the bloodstream a week after injection—above background levels.
The WCH highlights that oxidized lipids found in some batches could act like “biological grenades,” promoting inflammation and disrupting normal cellular function. With batch-to-batch consistency data unavailable, the group is calling for independent batch testing, LNP quantification, oxidation monitoring, and urgent long-term safety follow-up.
The U.S. FDA has over time authorized hundreds of drugs lacking clear evidence they actually work for their intended purposes. This critical assessment comes from analysis of FDA approval patterns, where medications are often fast-tracked or approved based on surrogate endpoints or limited clinical data rather than robust outcome trials. The FDA’s primary mandate is to ensure products are safe and effective, but critics argue this standard is not always rigorously applied, especially for drugs intended to treat serious or life-threatening conditions.
As a large majority of drugs approved for use in the U.S. are also approved in Canada, we are likely safe in assuming that over the years Health Canada has also approved drugs absent evidence that they actually work.
I’m Will Dove and that’s the news for today, Thursday, June 5.
