The Wire - April 10, 2025

//The Wire//2300Z April 10, 2025//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: FLOODING CONCERNS REMAIN IN KENTUCKY. OIL SPILL CLEANUP CONTINUES IN NORTH DAKOTA. USA/CHINA TRADE SPAT ESCALATES.//

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-HomeFront-

New York: This afternoon a private helicopter (tail number: N216MH) crashed in the Hudson River in the vicinity of the Holland Tunnel. As of this report, no survivors have been reported, though rescue operations are ongoing.

North Dakota: Tuesday morning a rupture was reported at the Keystone pipeline near Fort Ransom. Roughly 3,500 barrels of oil were spilled in a farmer's field as a result of the pipeline rupture.

Kentucky: Recovery efforts continue following the flooding events of the past week. Severe weather events swept through the region last week, causing widespread damage from the floods. Many areas are still inaccessible due to roads washing out, and debris generally causing challenges with transportation.

Washington D.C. - Tariff shenanigans continue as the White House clarifies the math on the total tariffs on China. So far, the final tally as of this morning is that a 145% tariff on all imports from China is in effect.

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Analyst Comments: As the helicopter crash in New York is a developing situation, not much is confirmed. Eyewitnesses state that the aircraft broke up mid-flight, with no obvious signs of distress or mechanical failure before the incident. Analysis of the aircraft's transponder data does not indicate any abnormal flight pattern before the incident that may indicate what happened. 

Of note, misleading videos are already circulating on social media, being pushed by very big accounts. An older video of a similar helicopter showing erratic flight is being falsely claimed to be from this incident, when in reality that footage was from a few years ago. In today's age, misleading, old, or even outright fake video clips always circulate on social media in the minutes after a disaster. Despite this, most people on social media quickly forget the accounts that push fake information, thus continuing the circus the next time something happens.

In North Dakota, no cause was reported for the Keystone pipeline incident. However, the impacts will continue to be felt as the pipeline remains shut down (almost three days after the incident) while repairs are underway. This pipeline transports on average 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day, so any downtime whatsoever will probably negatively impact the prices of petroleum products while repairs continue.

Analyst: S2A1
Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
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