Disaster Tourists; Birds Of War; Perfume Capital Of The World | 60 Minutes Full Episodes
In a Nutshell
Extremist groups like Active Club and Patriot Front exploit U.S. natural disasters such as Hurricane Helene as "disaster tourists," offering aid to recruit white nationalists, spread anti-government conspiracies, and soften their image via social media, complicating official rescues. Colombia's post-2016 FARC peace deal has sparked a birding ecotourism boom in Tatama National Park, where diverse species thrive amid former war zones, providing livelihoods for ex-guerrillas and healing through nature. Grasse, France, revives as the perfume capital via luxury brands like Chanel investing in local rose and jasmine fields for iconic scents like No. 5, preserving traditions against synthetic dominance and urban sprawl.
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After natural disasters, anti-government conspiracists and white nationalists descend on hard-hit communities with offers to help. Their motive: recruit, soften their image. "Going to a disaster relief is directly helping our people. You're going to help white people? Yeah."
A surge of over 200 tornadoes hit over 20 states in April. Hurricane season is approaching. Militias, conspiracists, and white supremacists show up offering help, as in Texas last week. Called disaster tourists, they sow doubt in government, soften their image, gain followers.
September 2024: Hurricane Helene barreled through North Carolina, nearly wiping out Bat Cave, lifting homes, toppling trees. Sheriff Lowell Griffin: "Imagine taking in a box of toothpicks and dumping them on your kitchen counter." Faced days of heavy rain then hurricane: "Like a triple whammy."
Outsiders poured in, including anti-government far-right groups. Sheriff: "They were in the minority. However, that minority can create chaos." Some launched own rescue operations, acted as militia to bring self-deployed law and order, with weapons. This diverted time from real rescues.
Among groups: members of white nationalist Active Club. Robert Rundow co-founded Active Club in 2020 for disgruntled young white men to work out and share ideology. Nearly 90 chapters; described by watchdogs as one of country's fastest growing white supremacist networks: anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-democracy. Hold mixed martial arts tournaments.
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