Trump's Trip To Iraq No Secret On Twitter

Air Force One spotted flying over Leeds, England

President Donald Trump's unannounced visit to Iraq was no surprise to airplane buffs, reports NBC News.

NY Post Front Page Thursday 12/27/18

While the trip was shrouded in secrecy for security reasons, an airplane aficionado spotted the distinctive blue and white Boeing jet flying over England, and posted pictures of it on his Flickr account Wednesday morning.

When the president is on board, the VC-25A plane — a military version of the 747 — uses the call sign Air Force One. The plane spotted over England, however, was using the call sign RCH358.

Online detectives figured out the plane's disguised call numbers, and tracked its movements — even sharing them on Twitter.

WikiLeaks then got in on the act, tweeting out a map of the route the plane was taking. "The Boeing 747 usually used by Trump for Air Force One is currently moving towards Turkey," one of the tweets said.

That led to speculation online that Trump was going to visit troops in Afghanistan, or to pay his respects to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who reportedly recently told the president that Turkey would take responsibility for finishing off the Islamic State if the U.S. pulled out of Syria.

Is Trump on a surprise visit to Afghanistan? Turkey? Flight trackers show that one of two planes used for Air Force One (92-9000/VC-25) using what appears to be a fake HEXCODE of AE47C4, departed Andrews Air Force base at midnight. Transponders changed or disabled near Romania. pic.twitter.com/JtVzEPUoLv

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) December 26, 2018

WikiLeaks then tweeted that the plane's transponders — the device used to to track plane flights — were either changed or disabled near Romania.

The online tracking appeared to thwart, to an unusual degree, the security protocols that often have kept the plane's movements obscured on visits to war zones in the past.

Trump and Melania were spirited out of the White House late last night to board Air Force One, which flew 11 hours to Iraq. The plane's shades were drawn and lights out much of the trip for security. https://t.co/wpiJ4Z87Qg

— Steve Holland (@steveholland1) December 26, 2018

The plane's shades were drawn and lights were out for much of the 11-hour trip for security reasons, according to a Reuters reporter who was on the flight. Trump, meanwhile, stayed off Twitter for the duration of the flight — which to many on social media was also a tell that something was up, given his prolific tweeting in recent days.

"Trump spent a little more than three hours in Iraq," Reuters' Steve Holland reports. "On his way home, he stopped for about an hour and a half at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he shook hands and posed for pictures with some of the hundreds of troops lined up inside a hangar. "

Air Force One landed at Andrews at 5:13 a.m. Thursday.

Report: U-S May Ban Tech From Two China Companies

President Donald Trump is considering an executive order in the new year to declare a national emergency that would bar U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment made by China’s Huawei and ZTE, three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.

It would be the latest step by the Trump administration to cut Huawei Technologies Cos Ltd and ZTE Corp, two of China’s biggest network equipment companies, out of the U.S. market. The United States alleges that the two companies work at the behest of the Chinese government and that their equipment could be used to spy on Americans.

The executive order, which has been under consideration for more than eight months, could be issued as early as January and would direct the Commerce Department to block U.S. companies from buying equipment from foreign telecommunications makers that pose significant national security risks, sources from the telecoms industry and the administration said.

While the order is unlikely to name Huawei or ZTE, a source said it is expected that Commerce officials would interpret it as authorization to limit the spread of equipment made by the two companies. The sources said the text for the order has not been finalized.

The executive order would invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law that gives the president the authority to regulate commerce in response to a national emergency that threatens the United States.

The issue has new urgency as U.S. wireless carriers look for partners as they prepare to adopt next generation 5G wireless networks.

Disappointing Demand Still Reported for iPhoneXR

A new study has confirmed fears of disappointing demand for Apple’s newest entry-level iPhone.

According to The NYPost, the iPhone XR — this year’s cheapest model despite being priced at a stiff $749 — accounted for 32 percent of the iPhone market during its first month in stores, according to a study released Wednesday by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

That’s significantly lower than the 39 percent share captured by the comparably priced iPhone 8 and 8 Plus during the similar period last year, the study notes.

It’s also just 2 percent ahead of the share last year’s iPhone X had grabbed — despite the fact that prices for the X started at $999.

This year’s top-tier iPhone XS and XS Max models, which start at $999 and top out at a whopping $1,449, meanwhile took a 35 percent share of the iPhone market in the month following the cheaper XR’s release.

Sales of the XR have been a thorn in Apple’s side since it hit stores in late October. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has seen its stock drop more than 30 percent as numerous parts and chip suppliers for the iPhone have slashed sales forecasts.

December 27 Radio History

In 

➦1932...Radio City Music Hall, in New York City, began operation with the first event open to the public.




➦In 1939...“The Glenn Miller Show”, also known as “Music that Satisfies”, started on CBS radio. The 15-minute, three-a-week big band show was sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes and was heard for nearly three years.




➦In 1947...Bell Labs invented the transistor.


➦In 1958...Buddy Holly made his first appearance in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas since becoming a major recording star. Along with broadcasting "live" over KLLL radio from a fruit and vegetable store, he returned to the station's studios to record "You're The One," a song that station management challenged him to write in half an hour.


➦In 1963..."The Animals" performed on the BBC radio show, "Saturday Club", their first radio appearance.


➦In 1964...The Beatles' scored their sixth No. 1 song when "I Feel Fine" hit the top of the charts. Their previous No. 1 hits that year were: "I Want to Hold Your Hand"; "She Loves You"; "Can't Buy Me Love"; "Love Me Do" and "A Hard Day's Night."





➦In 1968...Don McNeils' "The Breakfast Club" signed off the ABC Radio network, after 35 years of successful broadcasting.

Don McNeil 1942

In Chicago during the early 1930s, McNeill was assigned to take over an unsponsored early morning variety show, The Pepper Pot, with an 8 a.m. timeslot on the NBC Blue Network. McNeill re-organized the hour as The Breakfast Club, dividing it into four segments which McNeill labeled "the Four Calls to Breakfast."

McNeill's revamped show premiered in 1933, combining music with informal talk and jokes often based on topical events, initially scripted by McNeill but later ad-libbed. In addition to recurring comedy performers, various vocal groups and soloists, listeners heard sentimental verse, conversations with members of the studio audience and a silent moment of prayer. The series eventually gained a sponsor in the Chicago-based meat packer Swift and Company. McNeill is credited as the first performer to make morning talk and variety a viable radio format.

The program featured Fran Allison (later of Kukla, Fran and Ollie fame) as "Aunt Fanny", plus Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers and various comedy bits. Every quarter-hour came the "Call to Breakfast" -- a march around the breakfast table. A featured vocalist on the show, under her professional name of Annette King, was Charlotte Thompson Reid, who later became an Illinois congresswoman for five terms (1962–71). Eileen Parker became a vocalist with the program in 1953.

The Breakfast Club initially was broadcast from the NBC studios in the Merchandise Mart. In 1948, after 4,500 broadcasts from the Merchandise Mart, the program moved to the new ABC Civic Studio. It was also heard from other Chicago venues: the Terrace Casino (at the Morrison Hotel), the College Inn Porterhouse (at the Sherman House) and "the Tiptop Room of the Warwick Allerton Hotel on Chicago's Magnificent Mile," as well as tour broadcasts from other locations in the U.S. It remained a fixture on the ABC radio network (formerly the NBC Blue Network; it became known as ABC in 1945), maintaining its popularity for years and counting among its fans Supreme Court Associate Justice William O. Douglas.

Don McNeil with comedian Sam Cowling 1956

After ABC Radio was split into four networks in 1968, The Breakfast Club was moved to the new American Entertainment network, and was known for its last months on the air as The Don McNeill Show.

➦In 1974...the Dear Abby 5-minute show ended its run on CBS radio after 11 years.

Tampa Radio: Beasley Flips WPBB To Classic Rock

Beasley Media Group has officially launched WPBB 98.7 FM The Shark-Tampa Bay’s Next Generation of Classic Rock.

The station kicked off the new format on the air at midnight on Wednesday, December 26th with AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”.

98.7FM The Shark will feature a new generation of classic rock songs geared towards the 80’s and 90’s, with songs ranging from AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and Ozzy Osborne’s “Crazy Train” to Pearl Jam’s “Alive” and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”.

Through the month of January, the station will be commercial-free each day after airing the company’s Detroit-based WRIF-FM Dave & Chuck the Freak Morning Show.  The show will begin simulcasting weekday mornings from 5:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. on January 7th 2019.

“We are thrilled to bring Classic Rock radio back to Tampa Bay with 98.7 The Shark,” said Beasley Media Group Tampa Interim Market Manager Steve Triplett. “With a hand-picked mix of Rock hits from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and the Dave and Chuck the Freak Morning Show, we’re excited to give listeners something new and truly unique!”                                 
“It’s been many years since Tampa Bay had a true Classic Rock station on a full signal and we’re excited to offer the next generation of Classic Rock to such a great Rock market,” said Executive Vice President of Programming Justin Chase. “Plus, we’re including our successful morning show Dave & Chuck the Freak which is a perfect complement to the music position.”

WPBB 98.7 FM (47 Kw) Red=60dBu Coverage Area

“There is a large group of Rock fans that do not have a radio station right now,” said Beasley Media Group Tampa Operations Manager Travis Daily. “Tampa Bay has always been one of the best Rock markets in America. Our goal is to give the music fans exactly what they have been asking for which is a highly entertaining morning show with Dave and Chuck the Freak with Classic Rock for the Next Generation the rest of the day!”

“After spending many years on Tampa Bay Rock Radio, it’s exciting to be part of a station with real bite,” said Station Program Director Ted Kamikaze.

Charleston SC Radio: WIWF Drops Country for Classic Hits

Cumulus Media announces that its Charleston, SC, radio station WIWF 96.9 FM launched today as The All-New 96.9 The Wolf, Charleston’s Classic Hits station.

The former Country station kicks off its new Classic Hits programming at 12:00 Noon EST today.

The All-New 96.9 The Wolf will play great songs like “Another One Bites The Dust” by Queen and “Every Breath You Take” by The Police, with big hits that no other radio station plays from artists including: Billy Joel, Journey, Prince, Bryan Adams, Hall & Oates, A-Ha and Blondie.

Sherry Dollar, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Charleston said: “Our New Year’s resolution is to be the station that only plays the best of Charleston’s Classic Hits. We think listeners will love hearing the songs that have stood the test of time and are now Classics! Their all-time favorites all have a home at 96.9 FM.”

WIWF 96.9 FM (100 Kw) red=60dBu Coverage Area

Bill West, WIWF-FM Operations Manager, said: “The All New 96.9 The Wolf will be a celebration of Charleston’s Classic Hits. Every time you tune in, I guarantee that you’ll hear a song you grew up with - the most important music of your life in a clean, non-controversial format that’s void of typical radio ‘clutter’. 2019 is going to be the Year of the Wolf!”

Holiday Shopping Best In Six Years

Sales during the holiday shopping season rose 5.1 percent, to over $850 billion, in 2018, the strongest in the past six years, according to a Mastercard report, as shoppers were encouraged by a robust economy and early discounts.

According to The NYPost, the data includes in-store and online sales between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24. The National Retail Federation had forecast US holiday retail sales to rise between 4.3 percent and 4.8 percent in November and December.

“From shopping aisles to online carts, consumer confidence translated into holiday cheer for retail,” said Steve Sadove, senior adviser for Mastercard.

Near full employment and rising wages have boosted consumer spending, which in October hit its highest in nearly two decades.

The data also indicated that consumer confidence was not dented by recent volatility in the stock markets and worries over slowing global growth.

With Christmas Eve falling on a Monday this year, customers got an extra day for shopping.

Not surprisingly, online sales posted strong gains, rising 19.1 percent, according to the SpendingPulse retail report, published by Mastercard’s analytics arm.

Amazon said on Wednesday it had a “record-breaking” holiday season, with a billion items shipped for free with Prime in the US alone.

In contrast, sales at department stores slipped 1.3 percent, after two years of below 2 percent growth, largely due to store closures. But online sales grew 10.2 percent for the group, indicating heavy investments in e-commerce to tackle continuing drop in store traffic was bearing fruit.

Apparel and home improvement spending had a strong season with growth of 7.9 percent and 9 percent, respectively. But sales of electronics and appliances dipped 0.7 percent, compared with a 7.5 percent rise last year.

The SpendingPulse report tracks spending by combining sales activity in Mastercard’s payments network with estimates of cash and other payment forms and excludes automobile sales.

Pandora Sets Stockholders Meeting to Vote on SiriusXM Merger

Sirius XM Holdings Inc. Monday announced that a definitive proxy statement/prospectus has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with SiriusXM's pending merger with Pandora Media, Inc.

Pandora's special meeting of stockholders to vote on the transaction is scheduled to be held on January 29, 2019.  Stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 30, 2018 will be entitled to vote at the special meeting in person or by proxy.  No vote of Sirius XM stockholders is required in connection with the merger.

The transaction has been unanimously approved by both the board of directors of SiriusXM and the independent directors of Pandora.  The Pandora board of directors recommends that the Pandora stockholders vote "FOR" the merger agreement and "FOR" each of the other proposals described in the proxy statement/prospectus.

As previously announced, on September 23, 2018, SiriusXM and Pandora entered into an agreement and plan of merger, valued at $35B, pursuant to which SiriusXM will acquire Pandora and, at the closing of the acquisition, each holder of Pandora common stock will be entitled to receive 1.44 shares of SiriusXM common stock for each share of Pandora common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the closing.  Upon closing of the transaction, SiriusXM will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Pandora common stock.

The combination of SiriusXM and Pandora creates the world's largest audio entertainment company, with more than $7 billion in expected pro-forma revenue in 2018 and strong, long-term growth opportunities.  The strategic transaction builds on SiriusXM's position as the leader in subscription radio and a critically-acclaimed curator of exclusive audio programming with the addition of the largest U.S. audio streaming platform.  Pandora's powerful music platform will enable SiriusXM to significantly expand its presence beyond vehicles into the home and other mobile areas.  Following the completion of the transaction, there will be no immediate change in listener offerings.

SiriusXM and Pandora also announced that the termination of the waiting period required under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 occurred on December 21, 2018.

SiriusXM and Pandora continue to expect that the transaction will close in early 2019, subject to approval by Pandora stockholders and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

Columbia SC Radio: Summer Arrives At WTCB

Summer James

Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed Summer James as Midday Personality for Adult Contemporary WTCB B106.7 in Columbia, SC. James debuts today in Middays, and will be heard on B106.7 weekdays from 10am-3pm.

James’ broadcasting career includes on-air positions for Cumulus Media in Los Angeles, CA; CBS Radio/Entercom in Los Angeles and San Diego, CA; and iHeartMedia in Los Angeles, CA.

Steve McKay, Program Director, WTCB, said: “We’re so fortunate to have found such a special talent. Summer brings a fresh, upbeat approach that’s infectious to everyone she meets. We’re so happy to welcome her to the Cumulus Columbia family.”

WTCB 106.7 FM (100 Kw) Red=60dBu Coverage Area

James said: “I’m so excited to be joining this great team on the air in the Capital City. They have a winning philosophy, I love South Carolina, and we have the signal to rock the state in 2019! Bonus: Now my Mom and Dad can ride by the studio and wave while I work. Dear Santa, Thank you!”

Buffalo Radio: Townsquare Turns-On 'The Breeze'

Townsquare Media has announced the launching of WMSX 96.1 The Breeze, Buffalo's Relaxing Favorites At Work.  The station dropped its HotAC format as 96.1 Joy FM after finishing several weeks of holiday hits.

The station is launching without jocks with 10,000 songs commercial-free.

The new radio station is airing what it calls a relaxing blend of music from diverse artists ranging from Air Supply, Fleetwood Mac, and Boys II Men to Adele, Ed Sheeran and Whitney Houston. This is Adult Contemporary music that hasn't been played in Buffalo for years.

WMSX 96.1 FM (47 Kw) Red=54dBu Coverage Area

Townsquare promises a full talent line-up in the coming weeks.

Research: Women Closing The Podcast Gender Gap

by Megan Lazovick, Edison Research

Thirteen years ago, when the only ways to listen to a podcast were through a computer or by transferring it to an iPod, someone from Edison Research added a question about podcast listening to our annual study Infinite Dial study. Thanks to the foresight of that hero of an audio geek, Edison has a unique look at the history of the growth of podcast listening in the U.S.

And throughout that history, Edison has observed that the number of women podcast listeners has trailed behind the number of men listeners. In the earlier years of podcasting, the gap was significant (in 2008, the percent of women who ever listened to a podcast lagged behind men by 25%). Today, podcasters are inching toward closing that gender listening gap (in 2018, the percent of women who ever listen to podcasts only lags behind men by 9%), and we at Edison would like to provide some information that might help close the gap further. To do so, Edison Research has taken a  look back at some of  previously published studies to take a closer look at the women in those data sets to understand podcasting’s role in women’s lives.

Women monthly podcast consumers overall are younger than the 12+ population, with 44% of them under the age of 35 compared to 37% in the total population. Women age 25-34 are the really sweet spot for podcasting listenership, with over a third of them saying they’ve listened to a podcast in the last month. There is still a lot of room for growth among in the other age groups, especially with women age 55 and older, with only 13% saying they’ve listened to a podcast in the last month.

Compared to the total population, age 18+, women podcast consumers have a higher annual household income. Fully 44% have a household income of $75,000, compared to only 38% of the total population. Women podcast consumers are also more likely to have obtained higher education than compared to the total population. Thirty-six percent of women who are monthly podcast consumers have attended at least some graduate school (vs. 23% of all Americans). So, women podcast listeners are pretty well-off and highly educated: two very sought after demographics for advertisers.

One number that Edison really sees grow year after year is the amount of time these weekly listeners spend listening to podcasts. In 2018, women podcast consumers that reported listening in the last week (15% of U.S. women), listen to an average of 5 hours and 37 minutes of podcasts per week, which is up from 4 hours and 29 minutes in 2017. Women weekly podcast consumers listen to an average of seven podcasts per week, up from five per week in 2017. These data along with and in-person interviews with podcast listeners all indicate that when someone becomes a podcast listener, he/she spends a lot of time listening to podcasts. Edison Research’s Share of Ear® study looks more deeply at time spent listening.

Blogger: Radio vs. Radio

by musicFirst Coalition Blog

Big Radio is feeling the heat again about their failure to evolve. This time though – it’s coming from radio itself, namely smaller stations. It appears that after another challenging year, many in radio are rethinking their industry’s approach, and the value of radio itself.

Modernizing radio in today’s constantly shifting music environment will not be easy. The ubiquity of music streaming services now gives listeners more freedom and choice in their music-listening experience than ever before. And while these services have grown to dominate the music industry, radio has stayed the same. Exactly the same.

Instead of innovating to provide consumers with more listening options like the rest of the industry, Big Radio believes that consolidation of local radio stations is the solution. Tom Langmyer, President & CEO of the Great Lakes Media Corporation says that’s wrong. Langmyer wrote a blog post this week that the push for the consolidation of local radio stations by larger radio conglomerates is threatening the industry’s future and letting down local communities.  He wrote:

“There are currently some major local radio institutions in big cities that are sitting ducks, just waiting to be further marginalized and warehoused by large conglomerates. Some familiar big-signaled, beloved, local giants are ripe for the picking to simply be used as relays to clear national syndication which is produced by those huge parent companies.”

Another [former] radio executive, Peter Smyth,  wrote in Radio Ink that the industry must reconsider its business model or risk being left behind:

“In the era of hyper-individualized choice, radio’s offerings creak under the weight not only of its debt structure, but also its accumulated history. Much like our brethren in television, we are being whipsawed by an expanding universe of consumer choices…We are at an inflection point that demands a more radical approach.”

Based on these viewpoints, we ask the same question as Mr. Langmyer did by ending his blog: “Investors, broadcasters and local direct-sellers, are you listening?!”

Innovation Map Reveals Emerging Technologies

The entertainment industry has generally been the most immediate route of introducing new technologies to consumers. Especially in the area of home entertainment, content consumption has been transformed from relying on stationary media, such as home theatre and gaming console/PC to becoming mobile.

The next wave of innovation is aimed at connecting home entertainment devices (Connected Home and Streaming) to provide a more immersive (3D/4D, VR/AR, and Drones) experience.

With the estimated entertainment and media revenue reaching $2.4 trillion by 2022, the Innovation Analysts at StartUs Insights researched more than 800 cutting-edge startups and identified the following innovation areas that significantly support companies to be at the forefront of technological change in the entertainment industry.

ESPN Issues 2018 In Review Report

• Launch of ESPN+ Marks Year of Innovation, Storytelling and Audience Expansion

In 2018, ESPN has continued to lead sports media with its core businesses and built a strong, innovative path forward to effectively address the evolving sports appetites of a wide variety of sports fans.  New President Jimmy Pitaro and the leadership team have identified and consistently communicated four business priorities – Innovation, Storytelling and Programming, Audience Expansion and Direct-to-Consumer – to keep ESPN poised for future success.  All four priorities are manifest in the year’s primary highlight, the successful debut of a new era of distributing live sports and original programming directly to consumers via ESPN+ -- the streaming service launched in April by The Walt Disney Company’s newly-formed Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) group and ESPN.

“For nearly four decades ESPN has held an essential place in the lives of sports fans, with the best rights portfolio, storytelling and technology, along with scale unparalleled in sports media,” said Pitaro.  “I have been a long-time fan of ESPN, and now I’m proud to be part of this organization with its passionate culture focused on innovation, storytelling, expanding our audience and the company’s direct-to-consumer business.  I love where we are and where we are going.”

The Place of Record for Sports Fans -- The Numbers Speak for Themselves

The ESPN brand is both widely popular and deeply embedded in many ways in the daily lives of sports fans.

• ESPN – with a TV and digital audience that nears 100 million Americans per month – annually airs the great majority of cable’s most-viewed programs.  For 2018 to date, ESPN has aired the top six and 17 of the top 20.   Ratings increases and multi-year highs were set throughout the year, from the College Football Playoff, NCAA basketball and NBA last winter to Wimbledon, WNBA, Little League, tennis’ US Open and X Games in the summer to Monday Night Football and college football this fall.
• ESPN+ reached one million subscribers in under six months.
• ESPN Digital is by far the world’s leading sports digital platform, averaging 115 million users a month. ESPN is No. 1 in sports in average minute audience, total minutes of usage and total visits. The ESPN mobile app continued its position as the No. 1 most popular sports app, enjoying its best month ever in September and again in October with visitors up 19% and minutes used up 21%. ESPN Fantasy – including football, baseball, basketball, hockey and ESPN’s highly popular Streak game – was again the No. 1 provider of fantasy sports in 2018, with more than 20 million fans.
• ESPN Radio is the nation’s largest sports radio network (on more than 600 stations with 32 million listeners per week) and is home to half of all sports radio listenership.  The podcast business broke its record for most successful month three times, and year-to-date downloads are up 55% (through October).  
• ESPN The Magazine celebrated its 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of “The Body Issue,” won numerous awards and has more than 100 million readers across print, desktop and mobile, the largest cross-platform audience of any magazine brand.
• The ESPN brand reaches every continent across television, radio, print, Internet, broadband, wireless, consumer products and event management. 
• Quality and Quantity:  While the quality of ESPN’s productions is unsurpassed, it is all the more impressive when seen against the backdrop of the quantity:  In the fiscal year that ended September 30, ESPN presented 23,542 live events and 64,056 total live hours of studio and event programming – TV and digital combined. 

Huawei Exec Is More Than Just A Smartphone Guru

Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s arrest in Vancouver on Dec. 6 led to immediate blowback.

Furious Chinese Communists have begun arresting innocent Canadians in retaliation. So far, three of these “revenge hostages” have been taken and are being held in secret jails on vague charges. Beijing hints that the hostage count may grow if Meng is not freed and fast.

So who is Meng Wanzhou?

Currently under house arrest and awaiting extradition to the US, she will face charges that her company violated US sanctions by doing business with Iran and committed bank fraud by disguising the payments it received in return.

It turns out that “Princess” Meng, as she is called, is Communist royalty. According to Steven Moser writing for The NYPost, her grandfather was a close comrade of Chairman Mao during the Chinese Civil War, who went on to become vice governor of China’s largest province.

She is also the daughter of Huawei’s Founder and Chairman, Ren Zhengfei. Daddy is grooming her to succeed him when he retires. In other words, Meng is the heiress apparent of China’s largest and most advanced hi-tech company, and one which plays a key role in China’s grand strategy of global domination.

Huawei is a leader in 5G technology and, earlier this year, surpassed Apple to become the second largest smartphone maker in the world behind Samsung.

But Huawei is much more than an innocent manufacturer of smartphones.  It is a spy agency of the Chinese Communist Party.

How do we know?  Because the party has repeatedly said so.

First in 2015 and then again in June 2017, the party declared that all Chinese companies must collaborate in gathering intelligence.

“All organizations and citizens,” reads Article 7 of China’s National Intelligence Law, “must support, assist with, and collaborate in national intelligence work, and guard the national intelligence work secrets they are privy to.”

Huawei is a key part of this aggressive effort to spy on the rest of the world. The company’s smartphones, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray, can be used to “maliciously modify or steal information,” as well as “conduct undetected espionage.” Earlier this year the Pentagon banned the devices from all US military bases worldwide.

As a global leader in 5G technology, it has been tasked with installing 5G “fiber to the phone” networks in countries around the world.

The new superfast 5G networks, which are 100 times faster than 4G, will literally run the world of the future. Everything from smartphones to smart cities, from self-driving vehicles to, yes, even weapons systems, will be under their control.

In other words, whoever controls the 5G networks will control the world.