Morning Brief 2022-06-10

Bottom of Hour 1
GUEST: Salena Zito
TOPIC: The first January 6th hearing & Salena's piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Rhetoric versus realism at the pump, and in the formula aisle.

Top of Hour 2
GUEST: Bill O'Reilly
TOPIC: Bill's top stories of the week

Top of Hour 3
GUEST: Michael Malice
TOPIC: Michael has purchased his first firearm!

Bottom of Hour 3
GUEST: Ryan Kelley
TOPIC: Kelley, a Republican seeking the Governorship in Michigan against Gretchen Whitmer, was arrested on a January 6th Capitol riot charge.

CB, RR, JB, SK, BM, NN

Domestic News...

Revealed: Ministry of Truth was formed to fight 'conspiracy theories' regarding COVID-19, 2020 election, domestic extremism
"The people that the Biden administration thinks are the real threat to America, it's not the drug cartels, it's not foreign threats. It's you, it's the American people," said Hawley.

Aware of Injuries Inside, Uvalde Police Waited to Confront Gunman
More than a dozen students remained alive for over an hour before officers entered their classrooms. The commander feared a risk to officers’ lives, new documents show.

Man attempting to 'forcibly enter' elementary school, patrol car fatally shot by police
A school resource officer went outside to check on the situation. The officer found the person and started engaging in a conversation with him, which led to a physical altercation were the suspect was attempting to take the officer's gun.

Michigan County Limits In-Person Responses To 911 Calls After Blowing Through Gas Budget
“We have exhausted what funds were budgeted for fuel with several months to go before the budget reset,” the sheriff’s office explained.

Sriracha Sauce Is Off The Menu Amid Chili Pepper Shortage
First, it was toilet paper. Then, it was baby formula. Now, it’s sriracha sauce.

Court rules Geico to pay $5.2 million to woman who caught STD in car
The woman contracted HPV from a man insured by Geico. She alleged he knew he had the virus but had unprotected sex with her in his car anyway. As a result, the woman notified Geico she would be seeking damages from the company.

"Baby Holly" found 41 years after parents murdered in Texas
An Oklahoma woman has been identified as “Baby Holly” — the infant who made headlines four decades ago when she vanished without a trace during her parents horrific 1981 murder in Texas.

Tech founder spends $93M to buy out three Miami homes from longtime owners
Phillip Ragon plans on demolishing the fairly modest beach houses, and replacing them with a large family home.

Life on tech billionaire’s Hawaiian island is so expensive only the super-rich could afford it
Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison's purchase of a Hawaiian island 10 years ago has made life there so expensive that residents who have been there for generations have been forced to leave.

2 workers fall into chocolate tank at Mars facility
The chocolate-coated victims weren’t hurt, but couldn’t get out of the tank on their own.

Politics...

Biden approval sinks to 22% among young adults, 24% among Hispanics: poll
Approval of President Biden’s job performance slipped to just 33% in a poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University — as even key Democratic voting blocs such as young people and racial minorities give the president a big thumbs-down.

DA refuses to release video from Paul Pelosi’s DUI arrest
"...the Napa County District Attorney’s Office has advised the release of records would jeopardize an ongoing investigation."

Democrat: "I believe I’m the only member of this House that is a victim of gun violence"
Who would expect her to remember Steve Scalise being shot up by a Bernie Bro when the news coverage of it only lasted for about 8 hours.

The Day Democracy Almost Died...

NYT Analysis: Trump Depicted as Would-Be Autocrat Seeking Power at All Costs
The House panel outlined a conspiracy to overturn a free and fair democratic election executed by Trump.

Trump accuses Jan. 6 committee of burying 'positive witnesses and statements'
"So the Unselect Committee of political HACKS refuses to play any of the many positive witnesses and statements, refuses to talk of the Election Fraud and Irregularities that took place on a massive scale, and decided to use a documentary maker from Fake News ABC to spin only negative footage."

It Took Only Minutes For Dem To Invoke KKK, Slavery During Jan 6 Hearing
“I am from a part of the country where people justified the actions of slavery, the Ku Klux Klan and lynching,” Thompson said. “I’m reminded of that dark history as I hear voices today try and justify the actions of the insurrectionists on January 6th, 2021.”

J6 Show Trial Committee Chair Called Clarence Thomas An ‘Uncle Tom,’ Mitch McConnell Remark ‘Racist’
The chairman of the January 6 committee previously called Clarence Thomas an “Uncle Tom,” claimed the justice disliked black people, and accused Mitch McConnell of making “racist” remarks.

Betsy DeVos says 25th Amendment discussed by Trump Cabinet after Capitol riot
DeVos said she explored the feasibility of using the 25th Amendment to oust Trump, but Pence quickly dashed any hopes of backing the initiative, so she tendered her resignation the following day out of dismay over the riot.

Democrats Don’t Just Fail To Apologize For Violence That Pushes Their Agenda, They Actively Incite It
If you disagree with Democrats, you’re an insurrectionist. But if you’re a Democrat actually inciting violence, you get away with it.

Ryan Kelley, a candidate for Michigan governor who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, is arrested by the FBI
While it might sound like the FBI is just a political tool of the Democrat party, you must understand that Kelly was arrested on misdemeanor charges by the FBI, in part because he gestured “to the crowd” that it should continue moving.

Tucker Carlson unloads on Jan. 6 hearing
"This is the only hour on an American news channel that will not be carrying the propaganda lie. They are lying, and we are not going to help them do it. We hated seeing vandalism at the U.S. Capitol ... but we did not think it was an insurrection because it was not an insurrection."

Rikki: There will come a time when you don't recognize your own country...
ABC News uses 'he/him' on title banner under name of man during a news story.

Economy...

Average gas prices surpass $5 per gallon in US
It was only on March 5th that the average price surpassed $4/gallon for the first time since 2008.

CNBC CFO Survey: The recession will hit in the first half of 2023
Most of the CFOs agreed that recession would hit the first half of 2023. ALL of them agreed a recession was inevitable.

Consumers changing eating, shopping habits as inflation pushes up prices
“The stuff that we used to eat we’re not eating anymore. We’re eating more spaghetti and that type of stuff because it’s cheap — but it’s not healthy for you.” The family used to eat a lot of chicken, but it’s gotten so expensive that they're substituting less expensive, fattier hamburger.

Rents across U.S. rise above $2,000 a month for the first time ever
She keeps getting outbid when she makes offers to buy houses. And now with mortgage rates up sharply she says she's just been priced out completely. Meanwhile, continuing to rent is getting harder to afford, too. "My rent is increasing 22% this year," she says.

Sanders, Warren and other Dems unveil plan to expand Social Security by $2400/yr
Sanders' Social Security Expansion Act "would lift this cap and subject all income above $250,000 to the Social Security payroll tax," to pay for this new handout.

Famed economist Robert Shiller sees ‘good chance’ of recession
He placed the odds of a recession within the next couple of years at a “much higher than normal” 50%.

South of the Border...

Biden’s impotence on full display at Summit of the Americas
Biden has neither the vision nor the will to secure the cooperation needed from other nations to bring mass illegal migration under control. And the entire hemisphere will continue to suffer as a result.

WAR News... 

Russia says it is planning to hijack a German space telescope
The Russian Space Agency has claimed it will confiscate a German telescope placed on a Russian-built spacecraft, after being banned from involvement in a cooperative X-ray telescope project with Germany in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine are battling over underwater mines as the global food crisis worsens
“The real issue going forward is that Russia seems intent on using this as an instrument of leverage.”

Putin, offering a glimpse into his sense of his own grandeur, likened himself to Peter the Great
Putin said that when Peter founded the city of St. Petersburg on the captured land, “none of the countries of Europe recognized it as Russian.” That remark seemed to be a reference to today, when no Western country has recognized Moscow’s claim to Crimea.

Polish president says talking to Putin is like negotiating with Hitler
“Did anyone speak like this with Adolf Hitler during World War II? Did anyone say that Adolf Hitler must save face? That we should proceed in such a way that it is not humiliating for Adolf Hitler? I have not heard such voices”

Finland Plans To Fortify Its Border With Russia
The amended legislation will permit fencing and new roads to facilitate border patrolling amid concerns Russia could flood Finland with asylum seekers as a means of applying political pressure.

Turkey threatens US allies and partners as Ukraine war gives Erdogan leverage
A cross-border assault could upend the U.S. approach to suppressing IS and perhaps even drive the most important American partner in the country into an alliance with Syrian.

MONDUCKVID-2219...

WHO expert group says lab leak theory needs more study
During initial investigations into how the global pandemic seeped into circulation, the WHO assessed it was “extremely unlikely” COVID-19 originated as the result of a lab leak. Now, the organization said the theory warrants further study.

Covid death rate for White Americans now exceeds Black/Latino/Asian Americans
The death rate for white Americans has recently exceeded the rates for Black, Latino and Asian Americans.

Diseases suppressed during Covid are coming back in new and peculiar ways
"We've never seen a flu season in the U.S. extend into June. Covid has clearly had a very big impact on that. Now that people have unmasked, places are opening up, we're seeing viruses behave in very odd ways that they weren't before," he said.

Airborne transmission of monkeypox 'has not been reported,' CDC says
It may spread through "saliva or respiratory secretions" during face-to-face contact, but these secretions "drop out of the air quickly," and studies have found that this method of transmission seems uncommon.

Deadly bird flu found in ducks on the Mall in Washington
People should avoid handling live or dead birds or coming into contact with their droppings as the virus can be easily moved around on shoes, the Park Service said.

Commie Update...

The US Military Is Almost Completely Dependent On China For Key Mineral Used In Ammunition
The U.S. military depends almost completely on China for a mineral essential to the production of ammunition and other defense products, Defense News reported Wednesday.

Panic buying in Shanghai as mass testing notices spark fears of new lockdown
On Thursday, Shanghai residents rushed to supermarkets to stock up on food and other daily necessities, forming long lines at checkouts and leaving shelves empty.

Entertainment...

Trump Broke Luke Skywalker. Cringe J6 Tweet Is The Latest Proof
Mark Hamill is wearing classic ANTIFA-chic of a black shirt, black beanie, black pants, and holding a bowl of pretty flavorless looking popcorn, while asking who else will be watching the J6 shot trial.

Britney Spears’ Ex Livestreams Attempt To Crash Wedding, Gets Tackled By Security, Police Called
Jason Alexander took to Instagram on Thursday to livestream his attempt to crash Britney Spears’ wedding.

Jurassic World: Dominion is ‘the worst’ in the franchise, critics say
The final film in the new trilogy is the worst reviewed of all six films in the franchise, currently holding a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Media...

WaPo Terminates Reporter Who Went On Weeklong Public Meltdown
Felicia Sonmez continuously targeted her colleagues in the newsroom and criticized the higher ups at her own newspaper beginning June 3 when political reporter Dave Weigel retweeted a joke she didn't like.

Middle East...

Biden overrules Trump policy on Palestinians
Biden’s move is viewed by some as rewarding the Palestinian leadership after a wave of terrorism during which two Palestinians wielding an ax and knife murdered three Israelis in the town of Elad in May.

Fatal blow to JCPOA if Iran doesn’t restore access within 3-4 weeks - IAEA
IAEA head Rafael Grossi said his agency would be unable to competently advise the US on Tehran's nuclear limits.

Environment...

Widespread power shortages are expected this summer, but Biden doesn't care
With all 50 states having now hit record gas prices this year, electricity is set to be the next casualty in a trail of Biden’s destructive policies. In 2021, Biden said that by 2020, “[We want to] make sure all of our electricity is zero-emissions.”

How a battery shortage is hampering the U.S. switch to wind, solar power
At least a dozen storage projects meant to support growing renewable energy supplies have been postponed, canceled or renegotiated as labor and transport bottlenecks, soaring minerals prices, and competition from the electric vehicle industry crimp supply.

LGBTQIA2S+...

Twitter locks out Libs of TikTok for exposing drag shows for kids
LoTT is posting public videos and event ads. She's not doxxing or personally harassing anyone. All she is doing is reposting videos of men in thongs gyrating before little kids, or teaching them how to do drag makeup, or having the kids themselves dance for crowds of sex-obsessed adults.

Education...

Disney exec who opposed Florida's parental rights bill OUSTED
A Disney chairman who voiced his opposition for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' anti-grooming bill has been ousted from the company.

Conservatives are all but shut out of university commencement ceremonies
Young America’s Foundation found that just three conservatives were invited to give commencement addresses at the top 100 schools as ranked by U.S. News and World Report: Glenn Youngkin, Tim Tebow and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece’s prime minister.

Technology...

Tech’s Decade of Stock-Market Dominance Ends, For Now
Big technology stocks are in the midst of their biggest rout in more than a decade. Some investors, haunted by the 2000 dot-com bust, are bracing for bigger losses ahead.

A.I. gurus are leaving Big Tech to work on buzzy new start-ups
Artificial intelligence gurus are quitting top jobs at companies like Google, Meta, OpenAI and DeepMind and joining a new breed of start-ups that want to take AI to the next level.

Elon Musk Raves About Diet Coke, Popcorn, And Movies
"I don’t even care if it lowers my life expectancy"

Science...

Israeli scientists solve mystery: How human brain processes, stores movement
Scientists have not known until now how this amazing organ in our heads remembers this wide range of motions and learns new ones or how it calculates how to move so we can take hold of a glass of water without dropping it or failing to grab it.

GM and Lockheed announce first products in commercial space market
Plan to produce an array of moon-roving vehicles for commercial space missions.

NASA Plans to Join U.F.O. Research Efforts
Dr. Zurbuchen said that examining U.F.O. reports could be “high-risk, high-impact kind of research,” possibly uncovering some entirely new scientific phenomenon — or possibly coming up with nothing new or interesting at all.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams says crystals give city ‘special energy’
Speaking to Politico in the spring, Adams said he discovered NYC’s iconic bedrock is comprised of unique gems and minerals and that “there’s a special energy that comes from here.”

Sports...

PGA Tour Suspends Players Who Jumped To Saudi-Backed LIV Tournament
A slew of members on the PGA Tour in recent weeks have announced they will bail from the top league in the world to join the new Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.

John Elway cost himself $900 million with one Broncos decision
Elway, the former Broncos quarterback-turned-executive, was offered the chance to purchase a stake in the team in 1998. It would have earned him around $900 million with the sale today — if he hadn’t turned it down.

NAACP Demands Redskins’ Jack Del Rio Be Fired For Comments Comparing J6 Riots and BLM Riots
Del Rio issued an apology, but NAACP President Derrick Johnson called for him to quit or be fired. “It’s time for Jack Del Rio to resign or be terminated,” Johnson said in a statement meant to raise funds for the far left group.

Animals...

Movie star chimp found alive after owner faked death to avoid PETA seizure
An elderly chimpanzee who appeared in the film “Buddy” with actor Alan Cumming was found alive last week after his former owner faked his death to avoid having him confiscated by PETA, according to Rolling Stone.

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How Trump is WINNING at the Panama Canal

MARK SCHIEFELBEIN / Contributor | Getty Images

Despite the doubts of the nay-sayers, Trump's Panamanian plans have already borne fruit.

Shortly before his inauguration, President Trump drew national attention to the Panama Canal. He reminded Americans of just how important the canal is for the U.S. and highlighted the Chinese influence that has been slowly taking control of the vital passage ever since America handed it over to Panama.

President Trump was immediately mocked and ridiculed by the Left, who called him delusional and an imperialist. However, earlier this week, Trump's Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, made a trip to Panama and spoke with the Panamanian President, José Raúl Mulino, and Rubio made some serious headway. As Glenn has explained, Trump's boisterous talk is part of his strategy. Invading Panama was never the goal, just one of several options to get what America needed, and after Rubio's visit, it seems like America's needs will be met.

Here are the TOP THREE takeaways from Marco Rubio's visit to Panama:

1. Marco Rubio makes headway

MARK SCHIEFELBEIN / Contributor | Getty Images

On February 2nd, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha and President José Raúl Mulino where they discussed critical regional and global challenges, including the canal. Rubio drew attention to the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal in which the U.S. promised Panama ownership of the canal on the condition of its guaranteed neutrality. Rubio argued that China's growing influence qualified as a breach of the treaty and that it gives the U.S. the power to take necessary measures to rectify the faults, given Panama doesn't act. As of this week, reports say Panama agreed and promised to take immediate action to purge Chinese influence from canal operations.

2. Panama is ditching China's Belt Road

MARK SCHIEFELBEIN / Contributor | Getty Images

After his meeting with Rubio, Panamanian President Mulino agreed that Panama would step away from China's "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI). The BRI is a Chinese effort to establish China as the main economic power in developing nations across the world. In 2017, Panama signed on to this initiative, and China's influence in the small nation has exponentially grown. However, after Rubio's visit, President Mulino has not only stated that Panama will not renew its agreement with China, but moreover, the country will also look for ways to back out of the agreement early. This is a massive win for the Trump Administration and the American people.

3. The Chinese may lose their ports on the canal

MARTIN BERNETTI / Contributor | Getty Images

Shortly after Rubio left Panama City, two lawyers spearheaded the effort to kick out a Chinese company that controls two major ports on the Panama Canal. The Chinese company—CK Hutchison Holdings—has operated one port on both ends of the canal since 1997, which could potentially give China a massive degree of control over traffic. After analyzing the contract, the Panamanian lawyers argue that the contract is potentially in violation of the Panamanian constitution and should be revoked. It is unclear if the constitutional issues relate to the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, but even on its own merit, this is a huge victory for America.

Top 15 jobs AI is TAKING OVER

CFOTO / Contributor, VCG / Contributor | Getty Images

The AI takeover has begun.

Last week, Glenn delved into the World Economic Forum's 2025 summit in Davos, where our malevolent overlords focused especially on AI and how it can replace millions of workers worldwide. We are at the precipice of a monumental change in how the world is run—WEF founder Klaus Schwab called it "The Fourth Industrial Revolution"—and in time, AI will augment every one of our lives.

Already, AI is taking jobs. Thousands, if not millions, of tasks are slowly being delegated to it. The affected fields are largely data entry, admin tasks, and clerical work, along with graphic design and some customer support roles. However, as AI becomes more sophisticated, the scope of its abilities will only grow. The WEF is all for it, and last month they released a shocking chart

that revealed what jobs were already feeling the pain. Check out the top 15 jobs that are already disappearing:

1. Postal service clerks

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

2. Bank tellers

JOHANNES EISELE / Staff | Getty Images

3. Data entry clerks

AFP / Staff | Getty Images

4. Cashiers and ticket clerks

Andreas Rentz / Staff | Getty Images

5. Administrative assistants and executive secretaries

6. Printing workers

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

7. Accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll clerks

8. Material-recording and stock-keeping clerks

9. Transportation attendants and conductors

10. Door-to-door salesmen

11. Graphic designers

12. Claims adjusters, examiners and investigators

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

13. Legal officials

14. Legal secretaries

15. Telemarketers

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

3 stories that prove USAID is a criminal organization

Kevin Dietsch / Staff | Getty Images

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has one mission—to eliminate government waste—and it's starting with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID is a federal agency that, on paper, is responsible for distributing foreign aid to conflict-ridden zones across the world. However, for years, Glenn has revealed that the USAID acts more like a second CIA, but without the regulation or oversight under the State Department. Elon Musk concurred, describing the federal agency as not merely "an apple with a worm in it" but rather "just a ball of worms."

Don't fall for the left's narrative calling USAID a "humanitarian" organization. Here are the top three stories that reveal just how corrupt the USAID really is:

1. USAID has funded terrorist organizations and Osama bin Laden

Ahmad Khateib / Stringer | Getty Images

In 2023, USAID provided "assistance" to nearly 130 countries, including Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Yemen, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Syria (which is currently run by a terrorist that received aid from the Obama-era CIA). Under Obama, USAID gave funds to an organization known as the Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA), which was known at the time to help finance Jihadist groups and had been labeled by the U.S. Treasury Department as a "terror-financing organization."

The ISRA also funded and gave shelter to the 9/11 mastermind, Osama bin Laden—U.S. taxpayer dollars sent straight to the perpetrator of the deadliest terrorist attack in history and the most lethal attack on U.S. soil.

2. USAID "loses" funds that happen to end up in individuals' pockets

MANDEL NGAN / Contributor | Getty Images

A recent investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) revealed that in 2016, Chemonics International colluded with a USAID subcontractor to massively overcharge a USAID project to pocket extra funds from the project's bottom line. Moreover, the USAID project used "self-reported" performance metrics, which made it impossible to verify the actual progress of the project and how the funds were being used.

Even the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic has USAID's sticky fingerprints all over it. In 2014, USAID provided $38 million to an EcoHealth Alliance project called "Predict-2." One of the subcontractors, Ben Hu, headed the Wuhan Institute of Virology's gain-of-function research and was one of the first three people infected with COVID-19 in late 2019. That means U.S. taxpayer dollars were likely used to fund the very research that gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. USAID operates as a second "CIA" with no accountability

Andrew Burton / Staff | Getty Images

The CIA isn't the only agency that meddles in the political inner workings of foreign powers. USAID has conducted similar operations since the 1950s. USAID notoriously sowed dissent in Cuba to grow U.S. influence, and they even taught South American police forces Nazi torture methods. In the late 1990s, 300,000 Peruvian women were forcibly sterilized in a "poverty reduction strategy" that received $35 million in funding from USAID.

More recently, USAID's foreign influence has grown significantly under former Obama adviser, Samantha Power, called USAID America's "soft power arsenal." Under her leadership, the organization meddled in the political affairs of several nations, including Ukraine, Ethiopia, and, Bolivia. Several domestic, left-leaning influence groups, such as the Tides Center, received several grants and aid.

Top THREE reasons we NEED the Panama Canal

Justin Sullivan / Staff | Getty Images

Is Trump seriously planning a military conquest of the Panama Canal?

In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, Donald Trump launched the Panama Canal into the national spotlight. The canal is one of the most important passages in the world, and its continued operation has been critical for both the U.S. military and economy since its construction.

Since America relinquished sovereignty of the canal, China has asserted its authority in the region. The Chinese Communist Party has been growing its influence in Panama and neighboring Latin American countries, convincing them to join their "Belt and Road Initiative," an effort to poise China as the main economic power in developing nations across the world. Panama in particular is quickly becoming a Chinese puppet state. There are currently over 200,000 Chinese living in Panama, a Chinese company runs two of the canal's five major ports, and another Chinese company provides telecommunication service for a large portion of the canal. The government of Panama has even gone as far as cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

It's clear that the Panama Canal is under serious threat of falling into Chinese hands, but President Trump doesn't intend to let them move in. Here are the top three reasons we need the Panama Canal:

1. The canal was built by the U.S.

Hulton Archive / Stringer | Getty Images

Without the United States, neither Panama nor the Panama Canal would exist. In 1903, after Colombia refused to allow the U.S. to build a canal across the isthmus of Panama, President Teddy Roosevelt devised a controversial plan. He supported a Panamanian independence movement, which swiftly overthrew the local Colombian government. Meanwhile, he stationed a U.S. warship off the coast, preventing Colombia from sending military forces to retake Panama.

The moment Panama declared its independence, the U.S. recognized it and struck a deal with the new government: the U.S. would control the Canal Zone, while Panama would receive $10 million and an annual payment of $250,000. Construction of the canal took over a decade, cost $375 million, and resulted in thousands of American casualties, making it the most expensive U.S. construction project of its time.

Fast forward to 1964 when tensions between the U.S. and Panama over the canal erupted into a riot. President Lyndon B. Johnson decided it was time to transfer control of the canal to Panama. However, this proved more complicated than expected. In 1968, General Omar Torrijos, a known ally of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, seized control of Panama in a coup. Negotiations over the Canal stalled, as many Americans opposed giving such an important asset to a controversial figure. It wasn’t until 1999, following the deployment of 27,000 U.S. troops to facilitate yet another change in power, that the Canal was officially handed over to Panama.

2. The canal is vital for the U.S. economy

IVAN PISARENKO / Contributor | Getty Images

The U.S. relies heavily on the Panama Canal for commercial shipping. Between 13 and 14 thousand ships use the Panama Canal every year, which is roughly 40 percent of the global cargo ship traffic. Additionally, 72 percent of ships traversing the canal are either heading toward or leaving a U.S. port.

The time ships save using the Panama Canal reduces shipping costs massively. For example, when the canal first opened in 1922, it was estimated that a ship’s journey from Oregon to the UK, was shortened by 42 percent, reducing costs by 31 percent. If the Panama Canal was blocked or destroyed, or if American merchant vessels were denied passage, the effects on the U.S. economy would be tremendous.

3. The canal is a key defense point for the U.S. military

Historical / Contributor | Getty Images

Similarly, the canal is key to the U.S. military and national security. The canal shaves off approximately 8,000 miles of the voyage between the Pacific and the Atlantic. If U.S. Navy ships were denied access in a time of crisis, the extra time required to bypass the canal would be disastrous. Conversely, if the U.S. can keep the Panama Canal from being used by foreign aggressors, it would provide a massive advantage in future conflicts.

A foreign enemy could easily exploit the canal's current vulnerability. This was proven in 2021 when a cargo ship accidentally blocked the Suez Canal for a week, paralyzing global trade. Imagine China intentionally sabotaging the Panama Canal, considering it controls ports on both ends, owns a bridge that spans the Canal, provides its telecom services, and has the second-largest fleet of ships using the route.