Good morning. Congrats to the Boston Celtics and Meralco Bolts fans out there! Just like them, we can all be champions. It’s more than just holding a trophy high or getting your name etched in gold. Being a champion is about showing up, facing challenges head-on, and making those clutch moves when it counts. It's the relentless pursuit of excellence, the grit to keep going when the going gets tough, and the grace to lift others as you rise. So as you guys push through this week, know that we are there for you as you are for yourself and your loved ones….

Local News

💉 Uncle Sam’s Shady Vaccine Hustle: How the US Military Tried to Sabotage China’s Jabs

By Tobias Bautista

Picture this: a meme on your X-feed (formerly Twitter) that was crudely photoshopped – a grinning Chinese dragon injecting a syringe filled with a question mark into a cowering Filipino. The caption: "Don't be a lab rat! Say NO to the Dragon Flu Juice!"

We are no strangers to online propaganda. But this was different. This was a US covert operation, a digital shadow play against a rising superpower – China. The mission: sow doubt about China’s Sinovac COVID vaccine, the "Dragon's Breath," in Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, a nation that was teetering on the brink of a viral collapse.

The Pentagon’s initial posts were subtle – questions about the "Dragon's Breath's" testing, rumors of hidden side effects. But as desperation mounted, so did the tactics. Posts morphed into fear-mongering verbal attacks, preying on existing religious anxieties. They falsely spread that Sinovac contained pork gelatin — forbidden under Islamic law.

The lines between national security and social sabotage were blurring fast. Maybe, just maybe, the real enemy wasn't the dragon on the other side of the screen, but the tactics the US was mirroring. Plenty of lives were lost due to vaccine hesitancy. There had to be a better way.

For the full story, read this.

World News

⚔️ Green Cards and Balancing Acts: Biden’s New Immigration Tango

By Tobias Bautista

To all the Kabayans with relatives in the states…

President Biden is making waves with a big election-year move aimed at helping potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status in the U.S. The White House announced on Tuesday that it will soon allow certain spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship. Translation: a potential game-changer for over half a million immigrants.

To get the golden ticket, immigrants must have been in the U.S. for at least ten years as of Monday and be married to a U.S. citizen. If approved, they get three years to apply for a green card, a temporary work permit, and a no-deportation guarantee. Bonus: About 50,000 noncitizen kids with a U.S. citizen parent might also qualify.

Biden's announcement, set for Tuesday, coincides with the 12th anniversary of DACA—a program that’s like the VIP lounge for young undocumented immigrants. Biden's move follows a recent crackdown on the southern border, which stirred up a hornet's nest among advocates and some Democratic lawmakers.

Think of it as Biden balancing the scales: tough on border security, but with a softer touch for immigrant families. As Andrea Flores of FWD.us put it, it’s Biden’s way of keeping his Day 1 promise to protect undocumented immigrants and their American families.

Sports

🍀 After 16 years of heartbreak, the Boston Celtics are NBA Champions once again

By Koby del Rosario

What a time to be a Boston Celtic fan. 

The C’s came out the gates firing and delivered on their home floor a Game 5 win, 106-88, over the Dallas Mavericks to seal their destiny as 2024 NBA World Champions.

In a mini-race on who would come out on top as Finals MVP between the J’s, Jaylen Brown was awarded with the trophy as he capped off a stellar playoff campaign with 21 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. This game, however, was led by Jayson Tatum near triple-double of 31 markers, eight boards, and 11 dimes.

Nevertheless, it was one heck of a run for the Mavs as their turnaround in the second half of the season bolstered their Finals push as the fifth seed of a tightly-contested Western Conference. MVP candidate Luka Doncic closed out his season with 28 points and 12 caroms while running mate Kyrie Irving was held to merely 15 points but did have nine dishes.

Congrats to the whole Boston Celtics franchise on an overall dominant 2023-2024 campaign.  

By the way, this is the sixth different NBA champion since 2019. Parity in the league is alive more than ever. 

⚡️ Chris Newsome and company relish in the Meralco Bolts’ first PBA championship

By Koby del Rosario

It’s been all smiles for the Meralco Bolts as of late with the team winning their first PBA (and subsequently, Philippine Cup) championship since the franchise was put together back in 2010.

Years and years of falling short that included Ginebra legend Justin Brownlee’s championship-clinching game-winner back in 2016, the Bolts finally broke through their curse with their Game 6 80-78 win over the mighty San Miguel Beermen to win the 48th PBA Ph Cup Finals, 4-2.

It was all too poetic for Meralco as the chip came at the hands of Gilas Pilipinas standout Chris Newsome. Along with bagging the Finals MVP award for his stellar play, his fadeaway mid-range jumper from the short corner was what won them the contest. Take that, JB. 

For veterans Raymond Almazan and Chris Banchero, they’re just soaking in yet another milestone in their already illustrious careers. Their perseverance to stay afloat in the ever-evolving league was what they felt got them over the hump.

Meanwhile, stalwart Cliff Hodge continues to rack up more wins this year, as he celebrates the new ring with his wife who is expecting. The lucky charm to his victory indeed. 

With much celebration to follow, the Orange and Purple can finally call themselves champions as they aim for another successful campaign in the next PBA conference.

News Roundup

• South Korean soldiers fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers cross border

• Mayor Alice Guo is actually Guo Hua Ping?

• NEDA allows e-signatures to expedite infra project approvals

• Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and PH Navy Ramming incident caused a PH sailor to lose thumb, while CCG boarded PH ships during Ayungin mission.

• Mayor Belmonte says QC will fully solarize city-owned buildings ☀

• Partial Operations of LRT-1 Cavite Extension to be expected this October

• Healthcare provider Maxicare data breached in attack on third-party provider

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