So, at this point, the USG reports shooting down how many UFOs? At last count, I think we’re up to four. 

Last week, the Biden administration confirmed they “scrambled the jets” to take out a Chinese weather (surveillance?) balloon off the shore of the Carolinas. 

Since then, three other unexplained objects have been shot down over Alaska, Lake Huron and Canada. 

“These objects did not closely resemble… the PRC balloon and we will not definitively characterize them until we can recover the debris, which we are working on,” says a National Security Council spokesperson. 

Responding to all the hubbub, George W. writes: “My primary concern is that such a balloon would be a perfect vehicle to detonate a nuclear device and create a high altitude electromagnetic pulse that could wipe out the country's electronics.

“Are these balloons trial runs to lull the U.S. into complacency?” 

I understand your concern. 

But I wonder if this entire thing is more USO (unidentified shiny object) than UFO; in other words, creating an exploitable distraction… 

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Your Rundown for Monday, February 15, 2023...

“We… Nuked A Town” 

Consider the following: “Twice a day, every day of the year, weather balloons are released simultaneously from almost 900 locations worldwide,” says the National Weather Service. 

Meaning, there are objects flying around in Earth’s atmosphere at all times, with zero to little fanfare. But, in recent weeks, Americans have become obsessed. 

It couldn’t have anything to do with nonstop media coverage, could it? 

Whenever this sort of media obsession occurs, it’s reasonable to question why the smokescreen and for which smoking gun… In present circumstances, it’s a literal smoking gun. 

On Friday, February 3 around 9 pm, 50 railcars owned by Norfolk Southern Railways derailed in the town of East Palestine, Ohio — population 4,700. 

Courtesy: Twitter

Twenty of the railcars contained toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate and ethylhexyl acrylate, per the EPA 

“The most dangerous of these is vinyl chloride, chronic exposure to which can cause liver damage,” says New Scientist. “At high concentrations, it can cause dizziness, drowsiness and headaches.

“These chemicals may produce an odor at concentrations below safe levels,” (Emphasis ours)

With that in mind, East Palestine resident Ben Ratner, who lives less than a mile from the derailment site, says: “You could taste it in the air,” he says of the chemical spill before he and his family evacuated. “It was like a mix of gasoline, paint thinner and nail polish remover.” 

Then on February 6, “an EPA team conducted what officials called a controlled burn of vinyl chloride from five cars, diverting the chemical into a trench and burning it off,” says New Scientist. 

“When burned, vinyl chloride creates phosgene and hydrogen chloride, which are toxic to people at high concentrations.” 

Hazardous materials specialist Sil Caggiano says: “We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open.” 

Nevertheless? “In recent days… the EPA has declared the air safe,” says ABC. “[Ben] Ratner says his family took a few extra days, but eventually made the decision to come home. There weren't many other options.” 

Aside from the human toll, questions remain about air, soil and water quality. “The monitoring continues on the Ohio River,” says Metro News, “where a plume of chemical from this month’s train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio is making its way toward Huntington [West Virginia].” 

The EPA continues to reassure the public, however, that water samples have shown chemical levels are safe (even though the agency reports a 3,500 fish kill). At the same time, the EPA recommends bottled water for local residents who use well water. 

But, lest we forget: Flint, Michigan. Jackson, Mississippi. 

“There’s a lot of what ifs, and we’re going to be looking at this thing 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the line and wondering, ‘Gee, cancer clusters could pop up, you know, well water could go bad’,” says Mr. Caggiano. 

There’s little doubt this is an environmental disaster unfolding in real time… while too many of us have our heads in the clouds.

Market Rundown for Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023

S&P 500 futures are down 0.40% to 4,115. 

Oil is down almost 1% to $78.33 for a barrel of WTI. 

Gold, too, is down about 1% to $1,848.30 per ounce. 

And Bitcoin’s up 2.4% to $22,725. 

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