Aug 19

Today’s News 19th August 2024

  • Judge Napolitano: When Presidents Kill
    Judge Napolitano: When Presidents Kill

    Authored by Andrew P. Napolitano

    Sometime before he withdrew from the presidential race, President Joe Biden secretly reaffirmed his own self-willed and self-created authority to kill persons in other countries, so long as the CIA and its military counterparts have “near certainty” that the target of the homicide is a member of a terrorist organization. That standard was concocted by the George W. Bush administration in 2002.

    There is no “near certainty” standard in the law, as the phrase is oxymoronic and defies a rational definition – like “nearly pregnant.” Just as one is either pregnant or not, one is either certain or not. There is no “near” there.

    The White House lit in red, white and blue in July, via Flickr

    Yet, the creation of this standard underscores the lamentable absence of the rule of law in government today. The Biden administration and its three immediate predecessors have all deployed drones to kill persons who were not engaged in acts of violence at the time of their killing, irrespective of the near certainty of their membership in any organizations.

    “Terrorist” cannot be a standard for extrajudicial murder because it is subjective. To King George III, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were terrorists. To the poor folks in Libya and Syria, to the popularly elected governments toppled by CIA-inspired violence in Iran in 1953 and in Ukraine in 2014, to the innocents tortured by the CIA at black sites around the world, the CIA is a terrorist organization.

    The presidential use of drones to kill persons overseas began in 2002 with Bush-ordered targeted killings. It continued under President Barack Obama – who even killed Americans overseas. The rules for killing were made up by each president. They were relaxed under President Donald Trump, who gave CIA senior personnel and military commanders the authority to kill without his express approval for each killing. Trump’s folks infamously murdered an Iranian general and his companions on their way to lunch with Iraqi generals to negotiate peace between the two countries.

    The Biden administration quietly took back the Trump grants of authority so that today only the president can authorize targeted killing. Yet, there is no moral, constitutional or legal authority for these killings. But presidents of both political parties do it anyway.

    The laws of war – a phrase itself that is oxymoronic – which are generally codified in the Geneva Conventions and the United Nations Charter, all of which were spearheaded, written and ratified by the United States, mandate essentially that lawful wars can only be defensive and must be proportional to the threat posed or the harm already caused. Stated differently, treaties to which the U.S. is a signatory restrain the president from killing persons in other countries with which the U.S. is not lawfully at war.

    Under the Constitution, treaties sit alongside the Constitution itself as the supreme law of the land. The last four occupants of the White House have ignored this when it comes to secret killings. Each has claimed publicly or secretly that the Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001, or its cousin, the AUMF of 2002, somehow provide congressional authorizations for presidents to kill whomever they please – and somehow Congress can lawfully authorize these killings.

    Yet the AUMF of 2001 purported to authorize Bush to hunt down and kill the folks whom he failed to see coming on 9/11 (those would be his friends, the Saudis), and whom he reasonably found caused 9/11. The AUMF of 2002 authorized Bush to invade Iraq in pursuit of the weapons of mass destruction that he was told by experts inside and outside the CIA Saddam Hussein did not possess. Both AUMFs no longer have a valid purpose today, yet they remain the law.

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    The Constitution authorizes Congress to declare war against foreign countries, not random killings of persons. Neither of the AUMFs was or is a valid declaration of war, which the Constitution requires as a predicate for all extrajudicial presidential killings. A declaration of war defines the target and sets the end. It is not open-ended as the last four presidents have claimed with respect to these two Bush-era statutes.

    If the presidents are right, and the AUMFs authorize them to kill whomever they wish – including Americans – then they are not presidents answerable to the law and the Constitution, but kings who can kill on a whim without transparency or legal consequence.

    The whole purpose of confining the war-making power to Congress and the war-waging power to the president was to keep those powers separate. History is littered with examples of tyrants using the powers of the state to kill for no moral purpose. American presidents have given themselves the power to kill. It is the functional equivalent to a loaded gun in a drawer of the president’s desk.

    Abraham Lincoln was the first head of state in world history to target civilians militarily and the first to engage in the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians of his own country. Franklin D. Roosevelt slaughtered thousands of innocent helpless German civilians at the end of World War II by carpet-bombing German cities, rather than targeting the German military. Harry Truman slaughtered many thousands of Japanese civilians at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    All these murders were met with popular approval, as the targets had been demonized by the machinery of government – just like the “terrorists” Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden have killed.

    But demonization of human targets and popular approval of their murders cannot turn an immoral act into a moral one. An act is moral when it is consistent with the Natural Law. According to the Declaration of Independence, under the Natural Law, all persons are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, and among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” The right to live is the foremost natural right and the great divine gift to all persons – not just Americans.

    No person may morally be targeted for death by government for any reason unless it is presently necessary to stop that person from actively killing an innocent. In the cases cited above, the presidential killings were done to terrify political opponents, as the civilian targets were helpless. And the killers were lauded as heroes.

    Today, American troops are on the ground in Ukraine showing Ukrainian forces how to use American weapons to kill Russian troops and in Israel showing the IDF how to kill civilians in Gaza. This was done by secret presidential orders that have never been publicly acknowledged. Russian troops and Gazan civilians pose no threat whatsoever to life, liberty or property in America.

    Why do American presidents kill? Because they can get away with it.

    * * *

    Andrew P. Napolitano, a former judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, is the senior judicial analyst at Fox News Channel. Judge Napolitano has written seven books on the US Constitution. The most recent is Suicide Pact: The Radical Expansion of Presidential Powers and the Lethal Threat to American Liberty. To learn more about Judge Andrew Napolitano, visit https://JudgeNap.com.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 23:20

  • Youth Unemployment High In South Asia
    Youth Unemployment High In South Asia

    Youth unemployment is being cited as one of the core drivers of the unrest in Bangladesh, which led to weeks of protests and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepping down from office.

    As Statista’s Anna Fleck shows in the following chart, based on ILO data, labor force unemployment for people aged 15-24 years in Bangladesh stood at 15.7 percent in 2023, above the world average for youth unemployment of 13.8 percent and the low and middle income average of 14.1 percent.

    Infographic: Youth Unemployment High in South Asia | Statista

    You will find more infographics at Statista

    Youth unemployment is a regional issue, with India having hit a similar level in 2023, while Nepal and Sri Lanka’s rates last year were worse, both surpassing the 20-percent mark.

    Of this selection of countries, Pakistan fared better in 2023 at around 9.7 percent.

    According to a report by the Japan Times, the latest figures indicate that in 2024, roughly 40 percent of Bangladeshi youth are not in education, employment or training, including those no longer looking for work or registered unemployed.

    The authors write that stagnant job growth in the private sector as well as a cooling economy has made public sector jobs more attractive. Protests started weeks ago over a quota for such civil service jobs which reserved 30 percent of government roles to relatives of veterans of the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.

    While all of the countries’ unemployment rates have fallen from a pandemic-induced peak, they have in all five cases risen in the past decade.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 22:45

  • Is Recalibrating Advanced Placement Exams Defining Deviancy Down?
    Is Recalibrating Advanced Placement Exams Defining Deviancy Down?

    Authored by Bruno V. Manno via RealClearEducation,

    There is nothing abnormal about deviance. This is a lesson I learned growing up during the 1950s and early 1960s in an Italian American neighborhood called Collinwood on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio. While the neighborhood had plenty of conformity, there was also sufficient forbearance for enough deviance to make life interesting and educational.

    Years later in the early to mid-1970s, I found myself a Ph.D. student in a seminar on the works of the French sociologist Emile Durkheim. I was pleasantly surprised that the lesson I learned growing up was one of Durkheim’s important sociological insights into our common life.

    Durkheim showed that deviance performs at least four important functions in society. It affirms our cultural values and norms; clarifies our moral boundaries; brings us together; and encourages social change by challenging our views. Moreover, our neighborhood was a good example of what’s called the Durkheim Constant: there is a limit to the amount of deviant behavior that a community will tolerate since deviant behavior causes conflict.  

    Many years later in 1993, I read a now-famous essay by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York titled Defining Deviancy Down who based his article on Durkheim’s insight into deviance. Moynihan wrote mostly about crime in America: “We have been redefining deviancy so as to exempt much conduct previously stigmatized, and also quietly raising the ‘normal’ level in categories where behavior is now abnormal by any earlier standard.”

    Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Chester E. Finn, Jr., suggests that today’s controversy about the recalibration of the College Board’s Advanced Placement exam scores is an educational example of Moynihan’s essay about our human predisposition to define deviancy down.

    The Advanced Placement Controversy

    The College Board Advanced Placement program is often described as the gold standard for high school academic excellence. High school students take college-level courses and exams in 39 subjects from Biology to Music Theory. Tests are typically composed of multiple-choice and essay questions and scored on a scale of 1–5. Depending on the college, students who earn at least a 3 can earn college credit, “place out” of certain college course requirements, or have AP scores transfer directly to credit hours.

    In 2022, the College Board revised the expert panel scoring process for AP exams because student success rates in some AP subjects were well under the 60% to 80% success rate of other subjects. That lower success rate produced a significant disconnect in these subject areas between AP scores and college grades. The College Board claimed that this revised scoring process would get all AP exams to that 60% to 80% success rate and better align all AP exam scores to equivalent college grades.   

    While the College Board did inform the AP community at its conferences about this change, there was no formal public announcement made about the undertaking. The Board has now gone public and released a public update on the scoring process. They describe two reasons for taking this action, which they dubbed evidence-based standard setting.

    First, new digital data collection technologies make it possible to collect and analyze large amounts of data. Second, these technologies allow them to create a new digital library of courses—the AP Classroom—linking each AP course’s units, topics, learning objectives, and skills to exam questions that produce granular student performance data that allow for more accurate exam scoring. Here is a description of what they did:  

    …from 2022-2024, researchers applied evidence-based standard setting (EBSS) processes to determine appropriate performance standards for students in a range of AP courses. This methodology collects input from hundreds of experts and then assembles fine-grained student performance data for analysis by subject-matter experts.

    This process produced a significant increase in average student scores in several AP exams, primarily in humanities subjects. For example, the EBSS process increased the success rate for AP English Literature from 43.9% in 2021 to 77.9% in 2022. The individual student score levels in English Literature increased, going from 12% to 27% earning a 4, and from fewer than 5% to 16% earning a 5. The overall effect on 9 AP exams over the last three years is that a 3 or better score was achieved by approximately a half million more students.

    The Reaction

    Liam Knox, writing in Inside Higher Ed, documents reports that many AP stakeholders support the new approach. On the other hand, not everyone is pleased. These views are summarized in articles with headlines like “Grade Inflation Sends AP Test Scores Soaring” and “Are AP Exams Getting Easier?”

    John Moscatello is a leading questioner of this recalibration process. He is the founder of Macro Learning company and works with school districts creating AP programs. He writes that the AP program “…is undergoing a radical transformation” and that the recalibration process has created “runaway [grade] inflation.”

    He and other critics point out that while there may be sound academic research to support this change in how exams are scored, the effort has lacked public transparency leaving many AP teachers and supporters confused.

    But there are other not-so-sound issues to consider beyond the lack of public transparency. For example, the number of students taking the AP has grown by leaps and bounds, creating a large revenue source for the College Board. Dana Goldstein writing in the New York Times reports that the AP program generated almost $500 million in 2022 revenue for the College Board, calculating that around 20% of that comes from federal, state, and local public dollars. Additionally, some states offer bonuses and salary increases to teachers when their students get a 3 or higher on an AP exam. “Higher scores are good for business” on multiple levels, Moscatello writes.

    A Way Forward

    “We are getting used to a lot of behavior that is not good for us,” writes Moynihan in the essay I reference at the beginning of this piece. He then goes on to reflect that societies and organizations under stress seek ways of killing their pain.

    Maybe we have reached Durkheim’s constant, the proverbial limit to the amount of deviant behavior that a community will tolerate. Or there may be legitimate reasons for the College Board’s new AP scoring approach.

    But it seems common sense that what we need is a lot more transparency on the part of the College Board. That might go a long way to assuring AP program supporters that this new approach is not just a way of defining deviancy down to kill the pain brought on by various forces putting the organization under stress.

    Time will tell.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 22:10

  • American Airlines Stuns By Halting All Israel Flights Until April 2025
    American Airlines Stuns By Halting All Israel Flights Until April 2025

    Within the last month, nearly all major Western and international airlines have announced suspensions and cancelations of their service to both Tel Aviv and Beirut. This also as foreign nationals have scrambled to get out of both countries, given ongoing fears of the outbreak of bigger regional war involving Iran and Hezbollah attacking Israel.

    While American Airlines was among the many carriers announcing temporary pauses in service, it has just issued a surprising lengthy extension to this suspension in flights. On Friday, the Fort Worth-based company announced it doesn’t plan to resume flights to Tel Aviv until April 2025.

    This is a longer cancelation than any other airline, including in all of Europe, so far as a result of the Gaza war and related fears of regional escalation and spillover.

    “American Airlines has suspended operations to and from Tel Aviv through March 29, 2025,” a spokesperson said in a fresh statement to Newsmax.

    “To provide additional flexibility, we will extend our travel alert allowing customers whose travel plans are impacted by this adjustment to rebook without a fee or cancel and receive a refund.”

    “We will continue to work closely with our partner airlines to assist customers traveling between Israel and European cities with service to the U.S.,” the statement continued.

    The latter part of the statement suggests that once AA-partner British Airways (BA) resumes service to Tel Aviv, tickets can be booked for the Europe part of a flight utilizing BA partner service.

    Newsmax wrote of the outlet Israel Hayom:

    The outlet said that it contacted the American Airlines reservation center and tried to book a flight in December. However, it reported that a representative was “surprised” to discover there were no American Airlines flights in its system and that it was not possible to book flights this winter.

    So it seems that despite recent US declarations that a Gaza ceasefire is at the “eleventh hour” and near the “goal line” – major carriers like American Airlines remain deeply skeptical and foresee extended safety issues in terms of airspace over the region.

    Iran has yet to retaliate for the July 31st Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran; however, Israel is still on the alert, and believes such a reprisal attack could come in the form of a ballistic missile and drone launches at any moment. This is also what has put international commercial aviation on alert.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 21:35

  • RFK Jr. Refutes Report That He Approached Harris For Cabinet Position
    RFK Jr. Refutes Report That He Approached Harris For Cabinet Position

    Authored by Jeff Louderback via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refuted a Washington Post report from earlier this week that said he would drop out of the race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in exchange for a cabinet position if she wins in November.

    During an Aug. 15 Latino Town Hall on TikTok, he told the moderators that the story is “fake news.”

    Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the Nixon library in Yorba Linda, Calif., on June 12, 2024. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

    “I didn’t ask for a cabinet position,” Kennedy said.

    “I want to meet with all candidates about dampening down the rhetoric and unifying our country.”

    Kennedy said candidates, including former President Donald Trump and Libertarian presidential nominee Chase Oliver, have met with him.

    “Kamala Harris said she doesn’t want to [meet],” he said.

    Kennedy has repeatedly said at campaign stops and in interviews with media outlets and on podcasts that he would always welcome conversations with opposing candidates, media outlets, and podcasters who do not share his views.

    He told The Epoch Times that many Democrats and Republicans acknowledge the division in America but then get mad “if you meet with Trump or Kamala Harris.” He said he is “willing to take the heat by working to build a bridge between both sides.”

    Kennedy, who is attempting to get on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, met with Trump last month in Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention. The Washington Post reported that Kennedy discussed dropping out of the race to back the former president and join his administration if he returns to the White House.

    Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waits to speak at a campaign rally at United Auto Workers Local 900 in Wayne, Mich., on Aug. 8, 2024. (Right) Republican Presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a rally at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St Cloud, Minn., on July 27, 2024. (Andrew Harnik, Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

    The purpose of meeting with President Trump was to talk about the chronic disease epidemic and children’s health, Kennedy said. He denied that he would end his presidential bid and support the former president.

    Democrats and Republicans alike have expressed concern that Kennedy could take away votes from their respective presidential candidates.

    Earlier this year, the DNC hired Lis Smith, a veteran Democrat strategist who managed Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign, to spearhead an aggressive communication plan to combat Kennedy, independent Cornel West, and Green Party nominee Jill Stein.

    In recent months, the DNC and Clear Choice, a super PAC aligned with Biden to counter third-party presidential candidates, have objected to Kennedy’s appearance on the ballot, making legal filings in multiple states.

    Last week, a New York State Supreme Court judge ruled that Kennedy falsely listed that he was a New York resident on his nominating petitions. As a result, he was removed from the state’s general election ballot, a decision Kennedy has appealed.

    The DNC has called Kennedy a “stalking horse” to “prop up” Trump. Kennedy, meanwhile, has accused the DNC of trying to win the election in courtrooms and keep voters from having another choice.

    Regarding the report that Kennedy sought a meeting with Harris, Matt Corridoni, a DNC spokesman.said, “No one has any intention of negotiating with a MAGA-funded fringe candidate who has sought out a job with Donald Trump in exchange for an endorsement.”

    2024 presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks with his vice presidential pick Nicole Shanahan in Oakland, Calif., on March 26, 2024. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

    David Carlucci, a former Democratic New York state senator who is now a Democratic strategist, told The Epoch Times that Kennedy’s attempt to reach out to Harris “speaks to the issue that many voters already know: Kamala Harris will be elected as our next president.”

    Kennedy’s actions during his campaign have “repeatedly shown that his judgment is not suitable for the presidency or any other leadership role in government,” he said.

    Stefanie Spear, Kennedy’s press secretary, told The Epoch Times in a statement that “Mr. Kennedy is willing to meet with leaders of both parties to discuss the possibility of a unity government” and has done so since he entered the presidential race.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 21:00

  • The Most Dangerous Question Of 2024 – What If Kamala Harris Isn't An Idiot?
    The Most Dangerous Question Of 2024 – What If Kamala Harris Isn’t An Idiot?

    Authored by Tom Luongo via Gold, Goats, ‘n Guns blog,

    On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, after a coup against their former standard-bearer Joe Biden, we face a very disturbing question.

    What if Kamala Harris isn’t the idiot the media has made her out to be?

    Harris was clearly chosen for this role. She’s been groomed for it for nearly two decades. She isn’t the best of a list of bad choices. The Democrats drove the good choices from the party and blocked others becoming a part of it.

    There were no Democratic primaries, folks.

    She was placed as Biden’s Vice-President to have the inside track on this gig when they decided Joe finally had to be dragged from the stage.

    The coup was penciled in on the Gantt Chart at Evil Corp. Central for the weekend of July 13th.

    In 2020, Harris voters roundly rejected her for President, getting zero delegates before being roasted by Tulsi Gabbard.

    She dropped out despite being the darling of the media and the donor class. Going into those primaries, she was the establishment’s pick.

    Once she failed they moved to Plan B: rig the game for Biden.

    They said, “We’ll install a mushroom so corrupt we can make him do whatever we want Joe just wants his money and his ice cream.”

    So you force Harris onto Joe. Or the other way around… never mind she’s too old for him.

    Meanwhile Harris waited. She let Joe take the heat. She said little, did less and then is installed, tabula rasa, into a campaign just days after a failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump to steal even that thunder.

    We were never allowed to discuss her culpability, along with the cabinet, as to how Biden could have been running the country for the past three years without them invoking the 25th amendment out of pity for the man if nothing else.

    Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot Democrats don’t have emotions other than hate and envy.

    She was installed as the candidate to front-run an insurgency at this week’s convention by Hillary Clinton and her merry band of Neocons. Don’t expect them to take this sitting down, there are likely to be some sparks this week in Chicago, even if they don’t turn into a bonfire.

    So, that leads me to ask my question, not because I think Harris is some latent IQ160 or anything. I asked my question because this is a woman who faced zero real voters and is one vote-rigging operation away from the presidency.

    So, maybe she’s a genius when measuring her political intelligence.

    What if we’ve all been led down the primrose path of stooping to Trump’s level coming up with cute memes about her vast collection of knee pads or her inappropriate laughter at tragedy?

    What if that is exactly the means to lull us all into thinking there’s no way anyone will vote for this woman?

    And if this was any normal (a nebulous term these days at best) election, I would agree with you. But, for 90% of the fifty elections the US is going to hold for its president, who you vote for doesn’t matter.

    This is, as always, a five state race.

    All that matters is printing/counting the right number of votes in those five states and the rest is just a Benny Hill skit.

    Harris chose uber-commie and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate to what, exactly? Shore up the only state that voted for Walter Mondale in 1984? Really?

    No, it was to do a few things:

    1. Signal that they didn’t need Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to win there.

    2. Continue Obama’s antipathy towards Israel. They don’t need “The Jews” anymore.

    3. Put the Quarter-Black HR Nanny in charge of the cucked White Guy.

    After that, all you have to do is use AI and special effects to make fake crowds supporting fake polls and faker ads to sell everyone on the idea that this woman is what Americans want to rule them over this…

    The sad part is that too many people still think this is all just part of the game. But it isn’t. It’s nothing more than the same playbook run in 2020 to create just enough plausible deniability that Harris can win this election before they steal it and dare us to do one damn thing about it.

    Or did you miss how upset the French and British are at their recent outcomes?

    So, Kamala cackles her way through scripted interviews. She and Walz dance around bringing “joy!” to the world. But when you actually get her talking about policy, about what she believes in, the cackling stops, the fangs come out, it’s just communism all the way down.

    I was asked by Sputnik News to comment on her announced economic plan. In short, it’s the same warmed-over ‘Eat the Rich,’ politics of envy the Democrats have used for decades to set the table for a class war where the soon-to-be permanent underclass is used to finish off destroying the middle class so that they both can live in squalor and be thankful for whatever thin gruel is left over.

    Those that don’t like it can go die in a meat grinder overseas somewhere else. Hey, at least it’s ‘3 hots and a cot’ right? Or is her ascension to the throne the moment when everyone gets just uncomfortable enough for the wolf to come out in a few million of us?

    No, I don’t think Harris is at all stupid. And I think we’d all do well to put away the memes and get serious about making sure that we make this a November 5th to her not to remember.

    Sputnik’s Questions and my full answers:

    1) Harris presented something that she called an “opportunity economy”. How different do you expect this to be from “Bidenomics”?

    Not much, to be honest. Democrats are looking to rebrand the same agenda they had during both Obama’s two terms and “Biden’s” one term. It’s all an extension of the original plan, which is to nationalize all the important sectors of the economy – housing, health care, energy, transportation – that the Federal Government didn’t already control, e.g. communication and defense.

    This strategy is simply to break the private economy — dislocate trillions of investment capital, displace millions of workers, disrupt supply chains – and then create new “opportunities” for those most harmed by these policies, the lowest strata of wage earners young people, by giving them handouts. This is classic ‘divide and rule’ politics engaged in by the oligarch class to set the lower class, in their terminology the ‘proletariat,’ against the middle class, the “bourgeoisie.’

    Nothing new here. Typical “Break your legs and hand you a crutch” politics.

    2) How are the measures that Harris’ economic plan includes going to be paid for?

    Debt at first and the hoped for transition to Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) after the debt passes the point of sustainability, where they just print money and tax your earnings at whatever rate they need to in order to maintain power, via programmable Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

    3) Harris promised to push forward a federal government law against price gouging as a solution to Americans’ frustration with the high cost of living. What effect would a law like this have on prices? How would a small business react to such a law?

    The Democrats have been prepping this talking point for more than a year by sending out Elizabeth Warren to complain about corporations gouging us on food prices. But if you look at retailer, especially supermarket, corporate profits you’ll see their costs rising with our costs. The average bottom line margin for a supermarket chain is around 2%. If Harris and Warren think this is “Price Gouging” then they have no idea what the term means.

    Real costs of production will rise. Prices will rise. The government will then use a flat fining structure to punish the bad guys.

    Because of this small businesses will go under. Larger firms can always absorb the cost of new regulations better than smaller businesses. They are the primary target because they are the engine of economic growth. Harris is nothing new, just another in a long line of doctrinaire communists promoted via anti-democratic processes to serve an overclass desperate to hold onto power as their old system of wealth extraction reaches its terminal stage.

    4) How do you assess the possibility that a federal law against price gouging might backfire and trigger shortages?

    All price floors and price ceilings lead to shortages, never surpluses. This is literally first semester macro-economics. Harris and her handlers know this. In fact, they are counting on creating shortages. It’s part of the strategy in the end to destroy the country they lead.

    This is not stupidity or incompetence. It is policy.

    5) Harris promised to address housing affordability by issuing $25K support for first-time house byers. How would you expect such a measure to affect the housing market?

    It can’t stop the deflation of housing prices, it will only further dislocate the market by keeping prices up and suckering people who can’t afford a home into thinking they can. What needs to happen is sincere price corrections which reallocate scarce capital back to generating jobs that create wealth rather than subsidizing the things you buy once you have wealth.

    Starter homes now cost $180-200 per square foot to build in the US. At those prices, there are no new affordable homes. The tiny home industry in the US is booming. People are trying to right size their debt with their income. And are now coping with the insanity by telling themselves they can raise a family in 500 sq.ft. They can’t.

    So, again, what’s the goal? It’s not to put people in new homes. It’s to put people in smaller homes and/or choose to live in a rented space whose cost is subsidized by the government in the medium-term to nudge them towards the preferred outcome… living in cities with no food security, no real security, and constant/total surveillance.

    6) How realistic do you find Harris’ promise to build 3 million new houses?

    We can build any number of houses. The US has more than enough productive capacity to build 3 million houses. That’s not the right question. The right question is should we build any new houses, and for what price?

    It’s a talking point. A pathetic attempt to buy young voters who are increasingly looking at them and thinking they are crazy people.

    7) How successful do you expect Harris to be in distancing herself from the criticisms and negative effects that the Biden/Harris administration’s policies had on the US economy in recent years? How would you describe her target audience and why would this tactic work for it?

    She won’t be. You can’t run as the “reform candidate” when you are the incumbent. And nothing she has proposed is functionally any different than what was done previously while she was in office. Her target audience for this is the wholly unsophisticated young voter who is entering a broken workforce and economic landscape today and seeing nothing but a lack of real opportunities. They are hoping for a new round of “Obama Youth” to marshal into an effective fighting force for “Hope and Change.”

    What they are doing is purposefully increasing the possibility of full-blown civil war.

    8) How should we expect Harris’ economic plan to increase the US national debt?

    Exponentially. Again, that is the goal. They will use ruinous fiscal policy to run out the clock on Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve who are telling them that if they want their Communist revolution they will pay for it at 5.5% or higher. All of these ‘subsidy’ programs –food, housing, etc.—are meant to extend the current pricing regime until after the end of Powell’s term in 2026 and then close the loop, bringing the Fed back into the fold.

    *  *  *

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    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 19:50

  • Lebanon Plunged Into Darkness As Last Operational Power Plant Runs Out Of Fuel
    Lebanon Plunged Into Darkness As Last Operational Power Plant Runs Out Of Fuel

    The entirety of the Lebanese capital and the whole nation has been plunged into darkness amid a crippling power outage which has been in effect since midday Saturday.

    That’s when the state power provider Electricité du Liban (EDL) announced in a statement that “the last operational unit at the Zahrani power plant was forced to shut down completely, due to the complete depletion of the plant’s fuel oil reserves, resulting in a total power outage across all Lebanese territories.”

    The official statement identified that the shutdown affects “essential facilities such as the airport, port, water pumps, sewage systems and prisons.”

    The situation could grow dangerous for the citizenry given that even wastewater treatment facilities and drinking water pumping stations have been impacted, resulting in the South Lebanon Water Establishment to issue a statement “urging citizens to conserve water as much as possible due to the expected reduction in water supply.”

    Separate regional reports say that the government anticipated the depletion of fuel, and prepared for electricity generators to temporarily supply power to Beirut Airport for two days. 

    The General Director of Beirut Airport expressed hope that it can still be operational until additional fuel arrives, while caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayad indicated a timeline of 24-48 hours for the resumption of regular power operations across the capital.

    Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Energy Minister Walid Fayyaz is seeking to assure the public that new gas shipments from Egypt will soon arrive at Lebanese ports to resupply the fuel required for power plants. Algeria too has in a fresh statement said it is ready to send emergency fuel assistance.

    While Lebanon’s economic and electricity and resource woes have been exacerbated by the de facto state of war between Hezbollah and Israel in the southern border, the reality is the country has already suffered energy shortages and rolling blackouts for at least the last two years following the banking and currency crisis.

    Neighboring Syria too has also had regular blackouts and periods where the water is turned off going back years. The whole region came under severe wartime economic strain going back to the height of the Syrian proxy war, and the full impact on smaller Lebanon is now being felt full force. But is also a story of severe mismanagement by the Central Bank of Lebanon, also amid long-running and historic corruption and elite cronyism.

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    Some Western analysts have blamed Hezbollah for stealing and diverting fuel and electricity from Beirut airport, and for holding the country’s resources hostage, but the economic woes are a much bigger force which have been felt for a long time before the current conflict with Israel.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 19:15

  • IDF Expands Gaza Operations As Blinken Arrives For 9th Visit To Israel
    IDF Expands Gaza Operations As Blinken Arrives For 9th Visit To Israel

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed in Israel on Sunday for his ninth visit since Oct.7 as part of an ongoing effort to achieve ceasefire in Gaza, and to gain the release of the hostages.

    He’s expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 11 a.m. tomorrow (local time), alongside which there will be meetings with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Foreign Minister Israel Katz and President Isaac Herzog.

    The Biden administration has constantly claimed to be “at the goal line” of achieving a truce deal, a refrain heard for months, but with still nothing official to show.

    Via RTE

    Both warring sides have blamed the other. Hamas has long insisted on a full Israeli military withdrawal as a condition for releasing the hostages.

    But Netanyahu has countered that he will not order troops out of Gaza until Hamas as an organization is destroyed and fully eradicated. Some of his own generals, however, have argued that this will be impossible and an protracted, or even endless insurgency will result.

    The latest words of Netanyahu reveal he won’t budge despite international and US pressure: 

    Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel is sticking to its demands in ongoing hostage talks, positions that he says are in line with the proposal laid out by the White House in May.

    “We are conducting very complex negotiations,” he says, “while on the other side stands a murderous, uninhibited, and obstinate terrorist organization.”

    “But I want to emphasize,” the premier continues, “we are conducting negotiations [“give-and-take” in Hebrew], and not give-and-give. There are areas where we can show flexibility, and there are area where we can’t show flexibility — and we are standing firm on them. We know quite well how to distinguish between the two.”

    For whatever ‘optimism’ comes out of Doha, and for whatever ‘carrots’ the US hopes to use to entice both sides to at least agree to a pause in fighting, Blinken’s ninth trip appears yet another diplomatic exercise in futility.

    The US still hasn’t hesitated to approve gargantuan defense packages for Israel of late. So in the end Tel Aviv clearly has little to fear from White House ‘pressure’. 

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    At the same time US progressives and also conservative anti-war activists have long pointed out that the White House’s condemnation of the unfolding humanitarian disaster, which US-supplied bombs are having an outsized role in, is all for show and mere public relations damage control.

    And likely that’s what Blinken’s latest trip to the region is all about. There will be much high-ideal rhetoric and little substance. And the war and escalation will continue. Meanwhile a Times of Israel Sunday top headline reads: IDF expanding operations in southern, central Gaza… even as Blinken is in country.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 18:05

  • Vast Stretches Of America Are So Depressed That They Look Like Something Out Of A Horror Movie
    Vast Stretches Of America Are So Depressed That They Look Like Something Out Of A Horror Movie

    Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

    The wealthy are doing just fine at the moment, but they don’t seem to understand that much of the country is deeply hurting right now.  59 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. economy is currently experiencing a recession, and that is because most of them are personally experiencing economic pain.  Literally just about everything is substantially more expensive in 2024, more major layoffs are being announced with each passing day, and thousands of businesses are going bankrupt.  We haven’t seen a tsunami of economic suffering like this in a long time.

    If you live in a wealthy area in a good part of the country, you may wonder what all of the fuss is about.

    If you and everyone around you is still doing well, life may still seem quite good.

    But the truth is that there are vast stretches of this country that are so depressed that they literally look like something out of a horror movie.

    There are many communities that are so plagued by poverty, drugs, homelessness, violence and theft that it seems like there is no possible way that things could ever turn around.

    A man named Drew Binksy recently visited one of the poorest parts of West Virginia, and he discovered that most of the people there are living in poverty…

    ‘Most of [the residents] live below the poverty line and life expectancy is well below the national average.

    ‘Many families rely on Government assistance just to get by and there’s limited access to healthcare.’

    Today, tens of millions of Americans are heavily dependent on the checks that they get from the government each month.

    In areas where most people have lost hope of ever finding a better life, drug addiction often runs rampant, and that is precisely what Binksy witnessed…

    He also notes that ‘crystal meth and Fentanyl addictions run wild’ in the state, while many people are ‘living so isolated, they have their own dialect.’

    The content creator starts his journey in Bluefield and as he wanders through the once prosperous manufacturing city, he says it feels like he has stepped into ‘a forgotten world.’

    He continues: ‘Empty streets and closed shops stretch as far as the eye can see. It’s like life just stopped.’

    This is where the entire country is heading.

    Just a few days ago, I wrote about the “retail apocalypse” that is rapidly spreading across America.

    Thousands upon thousands of stores are closing, and most of those abandoned stores will not be filled any time soon.

    But at least they will make convenient locations for drug addicts to gather.

    According to one woman that Binksy interviewed, 30 percent of the people in her community are into illegal drugs…

    One woman in the store tells the camera crew: ‘We’re the poorest county in the United States or we were.

    ‘About 30 per cent of our community are dopers, druggies… more than 30 per cent!’

    The same conditions are being repeated in rural community after rural community all over America.

    Sadly, the standard of living in our rural communities is going to continue to go down because the cost of living just keeps going up…

    The cost of frozen noncarbonated juices and drinks has risen by 19.2 percent from July 2023 – the most of any grocery item.

    Eggs, meanwhile, have increased by 19.1 percent in price, and frankfurters are now 9.7 percent more expensive.

    The cost of bacon, beef roasts, pork chops and butter have also risen notably in the last year.

    In terms of non-food items, car insurance is the biggest riser in the last year – with an 18.6 percent price hike.

    We have already reached a stage where a large portion of the population cannot even afford the basics.

    As I shared yesterday, I was absolutely shocked to learn that 39 percent of Americans have been forced to skip meals so that they will have enough money to make their housing payments…

    39% of Americans say they’ve skipped meals to make housing payments, per Clever Real Estate survey.

    And among millennials, that figure rose to 44%. Among Baby Boomers, it was 20%.

    It is no wonder why so many voters are so deeply frustrated with the current state of the economy.

    This is our country now, and the outlook for the future is not positive at all.

    In fact, it appears that very alarming changes are starting to happen in the employment market as large companies lay off large numbers of workers…

    Another domino falls for recession as job creation turns negative for small businesses, which employ nearly half of all Americans.

    In the past year, payrolls for companies with under 50 employees plunged by nearly 100,000, while job trends were flat for midsized businesses up to 500 employees.

    The only bright spot was big businesses—which might be changing, given recent layoff announcements, including 2,500 at Chrysler, 4,000 at Cisco, 12,000 at Dell, and 15,000 at Intel. Paramount and the left-wing Axios both cut 10% to 15% of their workforce.

    20 years ago, most American families were clearly thriving.

    Today, most American families are clearly struggling.

    This change occurred so gradually that most people didn’t even realize what was happening.

    The gap between the wealthy and the rest of us is now larger than ever, and our major cities are teeming with millions of highly desperate people.

    This story is not going to end well, but most of you already knew that.

    When people feel like they have nothing left to lose, it doesn’t take much to push them over the edge.

    Unfortunately, it appears that the next few months represent a major tipping point, and it won’t be too long before all of the frustration that has been building up in this country starts to boil over.

    *  *  *

    Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 17:30

  • Could Democrats Make Kamala Harris President Before Election?
    Could Democrats Make Kamala Harris President Before Election?

    Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

    An opinion piece in The Hill posits that Democrats could spring the ultimate October surprise by making Kamala Harris president before the election in November.

    Douglas MacKinnon notes that “This is already the most surreal presidential election of our lifetimes,” and that it could get even more bizarre.

    He adds, “I wrote several times in this space over the last two years that I never believed Biden would be the nominee, and I was proven right. I also honestly believe Trump will pull away from Harris come September and October.”

    “So, what then? How would the Democrats and the Harris campaign react to that?” MacKinnon wonders.

    He suggests that “At some point, might it become politically expedient to the Democrats to elevate Harris to the presidency for the remainder of the campaign?” adding “Is anything off the table in this weird election cycle? I don’t think so.”

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    As is well documented, Democrats could invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Biden from office. But at this point, it would be clearly a political move. Biden has not been running anything for three years anyway.

    MacKinnon suggests the 25th may not even be needed, noting that Biden could even enter the Democratic National Convention and say “I’ve had it. I’m done. I am resigning from my office and going back to Delaware.”

    It’s a bit far fetched, but who knows with the state of this election cycle.

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    Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 16:20

  • Chechen Warlord Shows Off Cybertruck With Heavy Machine Gun Turret
    Chechen Warlord Shows Off Cybertruck With Heavy Machine Gun Turret

    Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov claimed on Telegram on Saturday, “We received a Tesla cybertruck from the respected Elon Musk.”

    Kadyrov’s claim that he received a Cyberbeast from Elon Musk or Tesla was not independently confirmed. Given that the US State Department has sanctioned Kadyrov over numerous human rights violations, the warlord more than likely bought the vehicle off the black market or through a third party.

    Video uploaded on Telegram shows the warlord parading the Cyberbeast with a heavy machine gun mounted in the rear bed around Chechnya, a republic within the Russian Federation.

    Kadyrov said, “I express my sincere gratitude to Elon Musk! This is, of course, the strongest genius of our time and a specialist. Great man! Well, the cybertruck turned out to be a powerful project. Undoubtedly one of the best cars in the world! I literally fell in love with this car.” 

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    “Based on such excellent characteristics, the cybertruck will soon be sent to the North-East Military District zone, where it will be in demand under appropriate conditions. I am sure this “beast” will bring a lot of benefits to our soldiers,” he said.

    If the translation is accurate, the Cybertruck could soon be battle-tested on the modern battlefield in Eastern Europe. However, the stainless steel exoskeleton, which can withstand impact from a 9 mm handgun, would need to be upgraded with heavy armor to withstand rifle rounds and IEDs. 

    On Friday, we were the first to reveal Archimedes Defense and Unplugged Performance’s UP.FIT’s new bolt-on ‘ultimate defense upgrade‘ for the Tesla Cybetruck to protect against “14.5mm heavy machine gun rounds” and “IED/mine protection” for military and defense operations. 

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    Without additional steel and ceramic armor plating to stop heavy machine gun rounds and a ‘V-hull’ to protect the battery pack, plus a turbine generator in the rear to provide constant charging, Kadyrov’s claim the Cybertruck will be sent to the battlefield is just a stunt. After all, a Ukranian kamikaze drone would easily penetrate the glass roof.  

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 15:45

  • Catalysts And What Type Of Landing
    Catalysts And What Type Of Landing

    By Peter Tchir of Academy Securities

    Catalysts and What Type Of Landing?

    AI came back with a vengeance as equal weighted and small cap indices lagged.

    Inflation seems to be under control (by recent standards), which helped markets. We were a bit surprised how strongly the market reacted to PPI, as it is generally a tier 2 piece of data, and we seem to continue to underestimate how many people are very concerned about a rebound in inflation (we are not).

    But the big story seems to have been that we are back to a “soft” or “no” landing. Better than expected retail sales seemed to pave the way for many to wipe out the “recession” risk narrative. Retail sales and jobless claims (not anything I would hang my hat on) helped reverse all the fears about the economy.

    In some ways, we saw less evidence of froth as some of the larger, tech-focused ETFs didn’t see a surge of inflows. Offsetting that, at least a little, is the successful launch of MSTX. Anything that has $16 million in AUM in two days seems pretty decent, since all it does is leverage MSTR’s daily returns. I need to dig out an “April Fools’ Day” note I did on ETFs – as dark comedy becomes reality. Evidence that quantitative funds were loading back up on stocks as they retook various technical levels made sense. Somewhat more difficult to digest was chatter that people were piling back into the “yen carry trade” based on the BOJ’s “promises” not to mess with the currency during times of volatility.

    One thing we continue to witness that makes us very cautious on position size is the lack of liquidity in both directions. Moves in both directions seem amplified relative to the data or catalyst for the move. Yes, everything felt great most days last week, but I put very little faith in the idea that we’ve developed a “strong base” of support here.

    Let’s look at the potential catalysts.

    Catalysts – The Fed

    We get Jackson Hole this week. Back during the financial crisis, this event provided a great forum for Bernanke and others to lay out policy shifts (sometimes radical policy shifts). Don’t expect much this time around. The topic is “Reassessing the Effectiveness and Transmission of Monetary Policy.” While we could glean some information about future Fed decisions, they will likely try to avoid that and focus on how they will behave in some more distant future. Personally, I think QE should be categorized as a “nuclear option” and only used when absolutely necessary, and on the smallest possible scale, for the shortest period of time, but that is unlikely to occur.

    The Fed minutes might tell us how close they were to cutting in July (we think they should have), but again, that seems largely priced in now.

    With the market pricing in cuts at a pace only marginally faster than our base case, I’m not expecting a lot of movement in bonds or stocks based on the Fed this week.

    Catalysts – Earnings

    NVDA isn’t until August 28th. Other earnings will matter. The AI front is important, and it was incredibly important that Walmart highlighted how important AI had been in driving their performance in a recent earnings release. The one thing we’ve been looking for is “AI Success” stories. Not from the companies that benefit from AI adoption, but from AI users. That note fit the bill and more notes like that will convince us that valuations might not have gotten ahead of themselves in the space. The other thing we will all be looking for is anything that points to the direction of the economy and the consumer.

    Catalysts – The U.S. Election

    My head already hurts thinking about this election. Presumably, we will get a bit more policy information during this week’s DNC in Chicago and a likely additional bump in the polls (as is typical). Then I think – and I had to recheck the math a few times – more than 10 weeks of campaigning remain. I’m not sure how many more twists, plot turns, and truly “unprecedented” things will happen between now and the election, but I think we will get some more shocks.

    I remain wedded to the view that as the campaign heats up and policies get announced, we will realize that large annual budget deficits are on the horizon regardless of who wins. The amount of debt that needs to be issued, with a “cavalier” attitude towards debt creation, is going to continue to grow. The Fed will control the front end, but I expect the market will respond by re-installing some element of term premium.

    Catalysts – Geopolitical Risk

    For the first time in weeks, we are decreasing the near-term geopolitical risk, for two key reasons.

    • The consensus view is that when Iran attacked Israel with hundreds of rockets, missiles, and drones, it was merely “for show” as it was well-telegraphed and failed to damage Israel. Several members of the Geopolitical Intelligence Group pointed out that the attack was too large and too well-coordinated to be “merely” a show. That it wasn’t a coincidence that after the failed attack, Iran seemed to reduce sales to Russia (forcing the Russians to turn to North Korea) so that Iran could rebuild their stockpiles. One reason why Iran may not have retaliated since Israel killed the political leader of Hamas in Tehran, is that they haven’t figured out a better strategy and are too worried about another failed attempt (while at the same time, they are worried about being too successful and prompting Israel to attack Iran’s facilities).
    • Political uncertainty in the U.S. seemed to have created an opportunity to “test” us. Now, from a variety of conversations, there might be a willingness to see how this plays out. The chance that the new administration will be easier to work with than the current administration, from their perspective, might have them wait.

    The big caveat to that is how will Russia respond to Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory. For many, you could see this as an event bringing both sides to the negotiating table. On the other hand, Russia may view this as a reason to up the ante on their offensives in Ukraine.

    Catalysts – The Economy

    Talk about burying the lede. Normally we start with the most important piece and work our way down. But today we wanted to address the other potential catalysts briefly, before digging into the main event – the direction of the economy!

    Advance retail sales popped nicely, but the control group, while still “ok,” declined. In general, these numbers had been tracking each other reasonably well in terms of direction and it looks like last month’s deviation was just corrected. Not a big knock-on retail sales, but at least a question mark.

    “Amazon Prime Day” was July 16th and 17th. That event has become so big that it has spurred all sorts of price competition in and around it. So “goods were for sale” this past month – which the American consumer loves! How much demand was pulled forward by the sales? Many economists who predict these data points had discussed the possibility of upside surprises due to the sales. While encouraging, I would take this uptick in sales with some caution, as it likely indicated that demand was pulled forward to buy items on sale, rather than truly strong consumer spending.

    From Zerohedge, we get this chart of revisions.

    Revisions for the past year have been consistently to the downside, and to a non-trivial amount. No guarantee that this one was also overstated, but it is worth paying some attention to.

    This fits a running theme: that for whatever reason, initial readings on jobs and sales seem to overstate what actually occurred as the officials have more time to collect data.

    The other “intriguing” part of the report was that auto sales were a big contributor.

    That is possible, as U.S. Auto Sales Total Annualized SAAR popped from 15.3mm to 15.8mm between June and July.

    I could not find an ETF for U.S. or global automakers. I found a European centric one and did a simple calc for a U.S. proxy. Again, the charts tell more of a mixed story.

    The stocks, which should capture the future expectations, have rebounded of late (positive) but are still well below where we were at the start of July (not positive).

    The Manheim Used Auto Index, one of my “favorites” since the start of COVID, did see a small uptick in values in July, but it was not the first month with an uptick in what has been a pretty steady decline from the “I cannot find a vehicle anywhere” peak as we reopened from COVID. While not a “perfect substitute” for new car prices, it probably doesn’t help the price of new cars when used ones are more readily available.

    We’ve also seen inventory-to-sales ratios creep higher. Still below pre-COVID levels, but it is nearing those levels, and heading in a direction that is not great for pricing power on the part of dealers.

    Then we get to the nitty gritty of the consumer. There are a variety of “auto delinquency” indices on Bloomberg. We chose this one, but they all tell a similar story – delinquencies are rising. They are nearing or above “normal” levels. What we don’t know (or at least I don’t know) is how many loans were issued based on high residual values when the used car market was en fuego, hence exposing the lender to some potential losses as the used car market has softened since the peak.

    As credit card delinquencies are also rising (depending on which measure you use, back above pre-COVID levels), we can see that the amount of revolving debt for the consumer has expanded well above the trend line. While consumers are still willing and/or able to borrow – we see no problems. But we’ve seen credit stabilize and even dip in some months lately. That could be a function of some consumers putting the brakes on themselves (they know their own job prospects, etc.) or it could be lenders tightening. In any case, not sure how supportive this chart is for consumer consumption going forward!

    Yes, bank deposits remain high and money market funds continue to set new records, but as the economy continues to bifurcate into the “haves” and “have nots,” not sure how useful the “money on the sidelines” argument is. Those with money are fully gorged, and those without are losing access to what they need.

    Yes, the economy is largely driven by what people in the middle do, but my concern is that (and we see some of this in which retailers are doing well versus those that are doing less well) much of the middle class it close to tapping out (or just willing to spend on bargains).

    We won’t have much clarity on the economy until the first week of September when the jobs reports start hitting, but I am leaning towards investors getting concerned about recession risk.

    Bottom Line

    Far from out of the woods on the economy and markets. Stocks staged an impressive rally last week.

    • Lack of liquidity helped push markets further on data than they might have moved otherwise.
    • We never saw panic – a touch of fear, but not panic. And while not back to full froth, it seems clear that we are back in greed mode.

    It would be great to see a resilient economy, and that any indications of slowing were an anomaly. Over the coming days and weeks, I think retail sales and a couple of initial jobless claims reports will be exposed as the anomalies.

    I fail to see how the election campaigns give any comfort to buyers of longer-dated Treasuries. Yes, the Fed helps. Yes, lower inflation helps. Yes, a potential slowdown helps, but as every politician seems to create policies that are variations of “vote or donation buying,” I am not sure bond investors can be as comfortable as they currently are.

    Clearly I’m still in some sort of the “bumpy” landing crowd, and this week’s data did little to dissuade me from that. The most bullish information that I’m trying to work into my analysis is the actual praise of AI by a user, which we had not seen enough of, and this could turn the tide.

    There are many potential catalysts, but at this point, anything that drives us one way or the other on the “type of landing” to expect will be extra important to markets.

    Good luck, and for those trying to take some vacation time, hopefully this week plays out calmly. But I suspect volatility and dramatic moves will be the norm again this week across markets.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 15:10

  •  "Wet Winter Whirlwind": Farmers' Almanac Releases New Winter Forecast For US 
     “Wet Winter Whirlwind”: Farmers’ Almanac Releases New Winter Forecast For US 

    It’s that time of year again—while many visit the beach and or mountains before the school season kicks off in just a few weeks, others are already beginning to prepare for the upcoming winter season, with new forecasts from the Farmers’ Almanac. 

    The 208th edition of the Farmers’ Almanac is titled “Wet Winter Whirlwind” and revealed, “There will be a lot of precipitation and storms”—all dependent on location.  

    Winter Temperatures – How Cold?

    The Almanac is predicting a deep chill to settle over the Northern Plains and Great Lakes regions for much of the winter season. But don’t think the South is off the hook. Southern areas can still expect some frigid blasts from Old Man Winter, even if the temperatures are slightly more moderate overall. Cold snaps are forecast to hit during the final week of January into early February, with the Northern Plains potentially seeing the most extreme cold.

    Snow?

    The Northeast is in the bullseye for a barrage of storms this winter, with the Farmers’ Almanac calling for above-normal amounts of winter precipitation. Ski-lovers will enjoy nice powder days. Snow will likely be more plentiful in the interior and mountainous regions of New England and the Northeast, while those near the coast can expect more sleet and rain. And if you live in the Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes, or Southeast, get ready for a wet, white, and slushy season.

    On the flip side, the Southwest and South Central States are looking at a drier winter with below-normal precipitation.

    Here is the Farmers’ Almanac’s forecast map for the upcoming 2024-25 winter season across the Lower 48.

    Farmers’ Almanac Editor Sandi Duncan told USA TODAY, “It definitely looks more wet than white in many areas,” adding, “Obviously, depending on where you live, there might be more white than wet, but we’re focusing in on the wet winter ahead.”

    The weather prediction formula that Farmers’ Almanac uses revolves around a climate pattern known as La Niña, likely to emerge in September-November. 

    Remember that the emergence of La Nina can impact weather conditions across the Lower 48 this coming winter season.

    Duncan said, “The coldest temperatures look like they’re going to be over the North Central States into the Great Lakes area.” 

    She noted that much of the country can expect a wet Thanksgiving holiday, “except for way out in the Southwest,” and even said Christmas “looks wet rather than white for most areas.”

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 14:35

  • WHO Raises Outbreak Alarm As Once Eradicated Polio Returns To Gaza
    WHO Raises Outbreak Alarm As Once Eradicated Polio Returns To Gaza

    Authored by Brett Wilkins via Common Dreams,

    Following over a month of warnings, Gaza recorded its first case of polio since the highly contagious virus was eradicated there 25 years ago, prompting a Friday call by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for a temporary truce to enable a vaccination drive in the embattled strip.

    The Gaza Health Ministry said Friday that an 10-month-old infant in the central city of Deir al-Balah “who has not received any polio vaccine dose” has tested positive for the virus, which often causes paralysis and can be fatal. The ministry said the baby is one of “a number of children” who have presented with symptoms consistent with polio in recent days.

    Via AFP

    “The continued brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has caused a health disaster as witnessed by international organizations,” the ministry added, citing “the lack of basic hygiene needs, the lack of sanitation services, the accumulation of waste on the streets and around the shelters of the displaced, and the lack of safe drinking water” as factors that “have created a conducive environment for outbreaks.”

    Responding to the news, Guterres implored Israeli and Palestinian forces to lay down their arms so that U.N. humanitarian aid workers can launch a campaign to vaccinate half a million Gazan children.

    “I am appealing to all parties to provide concrete assurances right away guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for the campaign,” he told reporters at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

    “Let’s be clear: The ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian cease-fire,” Guterres stressed. “But in any case, a polio pause is a must.”

    The U.N. World Health Organization and other groups sounded the alarm after poliovirus type 2 was found in Gaza wastewater last month. The discovery prompted the Israel Defense Forces to offer polio vaccines to its soldiers taking part in the invasion of the coastal enclave. Earlier this month, the Gaza Health Ministry declared the entire strip a “polio epidemic zone.”

    Guterres said Friday that Gaza’s health, water, and sanitation systems “have been decimated” by Israeli attacks, which have destroyed or damaged most hospitals and primary care facilities and created fertile ground for the spread of disease.

    As Leslie Roberts wrote recently for Science:

    The poliovirus is transmitted through the “fecal-oral” route—by contact with the feces of an infected child or consumption of water or food contaminated by fecal matter. The conditions in which the 1.9 million displaced Gazans are living—crammed into unhygienic camps with little access to clean water and sanitation and untreated sewage flowing openly between tents—create an ideal environment for the virus to thrive.

    Since the war began in October 2023, 70% of water and sanitation facilities in Gaza have been significantly damaged, and about 340,000 tons of solid waste have accumulated in or near populated areas, according to an estimate from the U.N. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Cluster. In June, Oxfam estimated there is just one toilet for every 4,130 people in Al-Mawasi, a supposed “safe zone” west of Khan Younis that recently came under Israeli attack.

    In addition to polio, Israel’s assault on Gaza and its disruption of medical supplies have fueled the spread of other preventable diseases including measles and hepatitis A.

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    “We know how an effective polio vaccination campaign must be administered,” Guterres said. “Given the wholesale devastation in Gaza, at least 95% vaccination coverage will be needed during each round of the two-round campaign to prevent polio’s spread and reduce its emergence.”

    The Gaza Health Ministry said that it has been working with the U.N. and other international organizations “over the past weeks on developing an integrated comprehensive plan for the implementation of an expanded polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip,” and that it will “carry out a vaccination campaign in the next few days targeting children under the age of 10.”

    Children, who make up around half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people, have been particularly hard-hit by Israel’s 316-day Gaza onslaught. More than 16,000 of the at least 40,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli bombs and bullets are minors. The “complete siege” of Gaza—which has been entered as evidence in the International Court of Justice genocide trial against Israel—has disrupted the entry of food, medicine, and other vital supplies, fueling a famine that has killed dozens of Palestinian children.

    The Gaza Health Ministry said 1.1 million doses of a two-dose, orally administered type 2 polio vaccine have been provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund, with another 400,000 doses on the way. UNICEF said it “is coordinating delivery efforts and the cold chain equipment needed for storage.”

    Medical teams from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)—which is the largest healthcare provider in Gaza, even as Israeli forces have killed around 200 of its workers—said they are ready to administer the polio vaccines and assist in their distribution.

    The Gaza Health Ministry renewed its “appeal to the international community and the international health organizations to speed up intervention to immediately stop the barbaric Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, work to prepare the ground conditions in order to rescue what can be salvaged, and provide immediate healthcare services to… our people.”

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    The agency also made an “urgent appeal” for “the necessity of immediate action to rebuild safe drinking water and sanitation systems, dispose of medical and solid waste, work on importing fuel to pump clean fresh water, and allow unconditional entry of medical supplies, medicines, and special materials used for personal hygiene.”

    Guterres underscored the need to “defeat a vicious virus that, left unchecked, would have a disastrous effect not only for Palestinian children in Gaza, but also in neighboring countries and the region.”

    “Polio does not care about dividing lines, and polio does not wait,” he said. “Polio goes beyond politics. It transcends all divisions. And so it is our shared obligation to come together. To mobilize—not to fight people, but to fight polio.” However, he stressed, “it is impossible to conduct a polio vaccination campaign with war raging all over.”

    “A successful polio vaccination campaign needs safety,” Guterres added. “Safety for health workers to do their jobs. Safety for children and families to get to the health facilities. And safety for those health facilities to be protected from bombardment.”

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 14:00

  • Belarus Says Ukraine Amassing Troops At Border; Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Suffers Drone Attack
    Belarus Says Ukraine Amassing Troops At Border; Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Suffers Drone Attack

    Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has warned Sunday that Ukraine is also amassing troops on Belarus’ border amid the ongoing incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Lukashenko alleged that Kiev has positioned more than 120,000 soldiers along its border with Belarus and this is being deemed an act of ‘aggression’ by military authorities. But it is curious where Ukraine got the manpower for this, if accurate.

    State-run BelTA quoted Lukashenko as saying, “Seeing their aggressive policy, we have introduced there and placed in certain points – in case of war, they would be defense – our military along the entire border.”

    West Asia News Agency/Reuters

    Thus he made it clear that Belarusian forces could counter-attack into Ukraine if Minsk observes any Ukrainian incursion on its sovereign territory.

    These extreme border tensions are nothing new, given Belarus has long been a logistics hub and staging ground for Russia’s Ukraine operations; however, the whole Kursk shock cross-border operation has certainly upped the ante.

    While these constitute serious threats from Lukashenko, it is as yet unclear how many regular army troops have been sent to bolster the state security services’ some 12,000 border guards already typically deployed.

    Meanwhile, Russia has launched another ballistic missile attack on Kiev in retaliation for the Kursk invasion. This one was an early morning Sunday assault, with the Kyiv City Military Administration stating on Telegram: “This is the third ballistic missile attack on the capital in August with a clear interval of six days between each attack.” Drones were also sent, with Ukraine’s military saying it intercepted all of them.

    Also, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued new warnings and concerns over the situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which since early in the war has been occupied by Russian troops and authorities. The IAEA warned the safety of the complex is “deteriorating” following a nearby weekend drone strike. The IAEA further—

    …warned on Saturday of an escalation in the security dangers at the plant, reporting “intense” military activity over the past week in the area, including very close to the plant.

    …IAEA experts on site reported that the damage “seemed to have been caused by a drone equipped with an explosive payload”, affecting the road between the plant’s two main gates.

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    It seems the Ukrainians are attempting to stage a provocation in a desperate act following accusations from President Zelensky last week that the Russians set fire to the plant.

    Fighting inside Kursk is still intense, with Ukraine forces have destroyed a second key bridge, which strongly suggests they plan to seek to hold territory for significantly longer. The Associated Press details on Sunday:

    Ukraine has destroyed a key bridge in Russia’s Kursk region and struck a second one nearby, less than two weeks into its stunning cross-border incursion, disrupting Russian supply routes and possibly signaling that its troops are planning to dig in.

    Russia’s pro-Kremlin military bloggers have acknowledged that the destruction of the first bridge, which spanned the Seim River near the town of Glushkovo, will impede deliveries of supplies to Russian forces repelling Ukraine’s incursion, although Moscow could still use pontoons and smaller bridges in the area. Ukraine’s air force chief, Lt. Mykola Oleshchuk, on Friday released a video of a Ukrainian airstrike that split the bridge in two.

    Less than two days later, Ukrainian troops hit a second bridge in Russia, according to Oleshchuk and the Russian regional governor, Alexei Smirnov.

    Still, Russian defense ministry statements continue to try and paint a positive picture, with a top ranking Commander Major General Apty Alaudinov telling TASS on Sunday “Our situation is completely under control.”

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    “The enemy is trying to break through into our territory around the clock. All these attempts end with the elimination of the enemy and the burning of the equipment. That is why we are destroying the enemy’s reserves,” he told TASS.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 13:25

  • The Curious Story Of Taylor Lorenz … And Belated Concerns Of The Washington Post
    The Curious Story Of Taylor Lorenz … And Belated Concerns Of The Washington Post

    Authored by Jonathan Turley via jonathanturley.org,

    There is a rather curious controversy brewing over one of the Washington Post’s most controversial writers, Taylor Lorenz. The “tech columnist” for the Post has drawn continual criticism over public meltdowns and alleged doxxing. However, the Post seemed to value her notoriety…until she posted a picture of President Joe Biden with “war criminal” on it. Lorenz appeared to suggest that others added those words before various mainstream media outlets contradicted her account. She is now denying that she denied it was her words and the Post is investigating. What is most curious, however, is what it takes for the Post to investigate alleged false claims by its columnists.

    Lorenz posted the image during the White House Creator Economy Conference with the President. Many on the left have characterized Biden as a “war criminal” for his stance on Gaza.

    Mainstream media outlets reported the posting by a prominent Post columnist in echoing the criticism of Biden.

    Lorenz then responded by seemingly denying that she posted the words, chiding others on X that “[y]ou people will fall for any dumbass edit someone makes.”

    Many outlets then covered the story that Lorenz was denying the post. However, that produced a torrent of skepticism from even liberal outlets. For example, NPR ran a story that verified that the photo and “war criminal” caption were real:

    NPR has obtained a screengrab of Lorenz’s actual post, which contained that caption. … Four people with direct knowledge of the private Instagram story confirmed its authenticity to NPR. They spoke to NPR on condition they not be identified due to the professional sensitivity of the situation for Lorenz.

    After the NPR and other stories questioned her account, Lorenz publicly issued her denial of the earlier denial. She tweeted that “I literally never ‘denied it was real.’” She added “Yeah that’s saying they’re falling for (charitable view) something that’s an obvious meme reference by taking it seriously. Please don’t put words in my mouth[.]”

    So now, the Post is looking into it.

    For some of us, the controversy only adds to the uncertainty over the current standards at the Post. For example, there is apparently no problem in a White House Post reporter supporting government censorship of Donald Trump as an “America issue.”

    Likewise, the Post has publicly stood with reporters who have repeatedly published false claims and conspiracy theories. Take Philip Bump, who had a meltdown in an interview when confronted over past false claims. After I wrote a column about the litany of such false claims, the Post surprised many of us by issuing a statement that they stood by all of Bump’s reporting, including false columns on the Lafayette Park protests, Hunter Biden laptop and other stories.  That was long after other media debunked the claims, but the Post stood by the false reporting.

    There was no announced or apparent investigation into those claims, or similar alleged false or misleading claims by political or legal columnists. Many of those past controversies involved false claims directed against former president Donald Trump.

    The future of Taylor Lorenz is hardly a weighty question for American journalism. However, the lack of consistency on these issues is a matter of concern, particularly as the Post tries to come to grips with falling readership and revenue.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 12:50

  • "Make It Great Like '68": Chicago Businesses Board Up As Protesters Threaten To Shut Down DNC 
    “Make It Great Like ’68”: Chicago Businesses Board Up As Protesters Threaten To Shut Down DNC 

    Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to descend near the Democratic National Convention in downtown Chicago in the coming days. Local media reports that shops have already boarded up doors and windows with plywood ahead of what could be a chaotic week. 

    Crews with Chicago Board Up Services told WGN-TV that at least a dozen shops around the West Loop, downtown, and Daley Plaza have been completely boarded up. They expect additional businesses to do the same. 

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    Scott Schapiro, the owner of Syd Jerome, a menswear shop at 20 N. Clark St., told NBC Chicago that he is no stranger to smash-and-grab and looting in the metro area and decided to take extra precautions, such as boarding up doors and windows ahead of the convention – where thousands of protesters are expected.

    “You get that phone call in the middle of the night and your heart jumps out of your chest,” Schapiro told the local media outlet.

    He continued, “We want to sleep a little more soundly at night, and this gives us a little security, and we hope that there isn’t any incident obviously, but in the event there is, we want to have maximum protection.” 

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    Protest organizers told NBC News that 20,000 demonstrators from several states will take over downtown streets in an approved protest area near the Democratic National Convention. 

    “The 264 protest groups that have said they will participate are primarily focused on Palestinian rights, ending the war in Gaza and reducing US aid to Israel,” NBC said, adding, “Others represent a patchwork of left-leaning causes: climate activists, socialists, anti-racist organizations, queer and trans rights groups.” 

    Mayor Brandon Johnson informed business owners and residents last week that the metro area is well prepared for social unrest. He reiterated that Chicago’s police force has worked with the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies. 

    Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker brushed off fears that next week’s Democratic National Convention could erupt into the same kind of violence experienced during the 1968 convention.

    Other local media outlets predict a much larger crowd size, upwards of 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters.

    One protest organization, Behind Enemy Lines, has called for “Make it Great like ’68,” referring to the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention. 

    “We’re not calling for violence or planning on anything illegal, but we think that there’s ways for people to protest that do go beyond business as usual,” the group spokesperson said, who asked not to be named and quoted by WBEZ Chicago. 

    The media outlet explained, “Behind Enemy Lines has opened a temporary office on Chicago’s Northwest Side, decorated with posters bearing slogans such as “Stop Killer Kamala” and “Fight Back for Gaza!”” 

    Any outbreak of civil disobedience could ignite a wave of bad press for VP Harris and the Democrats.

    VP Harris is already coming off a week of terrible headlines after debuting her first economic policies, including communist-style price controls.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 12:15

  • The Super-Wealthy Have A Problem
    The Super-Wealthy Have A Problem

    Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog,

    The less self-congratulatory camp of the super-wealthy understand the pressure cooker of inequality and unfairness is going to blow unless they relinquish some of their unearned gains generated by Fed policies.

    The cultural consensus holds that the super-wealthy always manage to come out ahead in any spot of bother. Due to their grip on the levers of financial and political power, whatever lays waste to the bottom 90% of the populace is either 1) an opportunity to increase their wealth or 2) a minor bump in the road to ever-expanding wealth.

    History offers an abundance of examples. A favorite of mine is the guest books of the French chateaus owned by the super-wealthy, which logged visits from the Usual Suspects (political and financial bigshots) until 1940, when the names of Nazi bigshots began filling the ledgers, and then in 1945, the visitor list reverted to the Usual Suspects: a seamless transition from one set of political overlords to the next that the chateau owners rode without difficulty.

    But there are counter-examples as well. Consider the family estate of famed architect I.M. Pei in Suzhou, China. I visited the impressive Pei residence, which is now a government-owned property open to the public. The Pei family was wealthy enough to be comfortably in the top tier of Chinese society. Life was good for China’s elite, right up to 1949. These elites did not glide though the revolution intact; their wealth was confiscated.

    They were replaced with a new elite, who now holds vast troves of wealth secreted away in the West, and just as I.M. Pei attended prestigious American Ivy League universities, so too do the sons and daughters of China’s party elites, under assumed names, of course, to allow them a private experience outside the limelight.

    So the super-wealthy don’t always skate through tumultuous times, emerging richer than ever. We all understand how vast wealth inequality influences the political and social responses to crises. What is less well understood is the role of fairness in the social and political realms: if the inequality is understood to be the result of extremes of unfairness, the public mood darkens considerably, as humans are innately sensitive to unfairness.

    The porousness of the border between the wealthy and the poor matters greatly in assessing fairness. If the financial-social membrane between the two classes is relatively porous, enabling the most ambitious and brightest of the poor to enter the ranks of the wealthy (or the ranks of the the top 10% who serve them), then the society maintains a minimum level of fairness that alleviates the pressure to overthrow the regime.

    The remedial actions of the state also matter greatly. If the government acts decisively to raise estate taxes, taxes on unearned (i.e. rentier) income and on the higher reaches of earned income, and devotes some minimal attention to the basic needs of the bottom 90%, these policies also alleviate the pressure to overthrow the regime.

    The book The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First Century addresses these dynamics in admirable detail.

    In other words, extremes of wealth/power inequality set the stage, but the closing act is decided by our responses to soaring inequality. If the response is PR artifice, i.e. the rich keep getting richer as the suffering of the bottom 90% increases, regime change starts looking like the only solution available.

    If, on the other hand, policy makers and the public push back against the dominance of the super-wealthy, then the status quo can avoid fragmentation and dissolution.

    The super-wealthy play a key role in this choice of response, and this fragments the elites into warring camps, a dynamic I’ve addressed many times over the years, including in my chart of some of the overlapping crises that will demand more than duct-tape responses:

    The backdrop is the policies that have handed the super-wealthy immense gains in wealth and power via policy-driven asset appreciation and the gradual diminishment of the purchasing power of wages. Over the past 45 years, the value of earnings has declined $149 trillion to the benefit of unearned gains reaped by the already-wealthy:

    This chart shows how wealth inequality has risen from the late 1970s, and how it was rocket-boosted by the Federal Reserve’s “wealth effect” policies of quantitative easing (QE):

    The bottom 80% own a mere fraction of the wealth owned by the top 1% and top 10%

    While the wealthy cling to the self-serving narcissistic view that since we’re doing fine, everyone’s doing fine, the reality is the bottom 80% are awakening to the reality that they’re not doing fine, a divide that will only widen as recession tightens its grip on the throats of the bottom 80%:

    This is the vision of the “our wealth is rightly all ours” camp of the super-wealthy: the rest of us will own nothing and we’ll be gloriously happy. Uh, sure. Since we’re so happy, why don’t we switch places?

    The less self-congratulatory camp of the super-wealthy understand the pressure cooker of inequality and unfairness is going to blow unless they relinquish some of their unearned gains generated by Fed policies. While they naturally intend on keeping the vast majority of their gains, they realize the dividends of limitless greed might just be the overthrow of the regime they control to serve their own interests.

    The rest of us play a part, too, of course, and our choice boils down to this: “And you want me to join this?”

    The super-wealthy have a problem: if they refuse to release the pressure building in a grossly unfair, rigged system that’s enriched them beyond measure, then the pendulum may swing to the other extreme and they’ll be visiting their former estates as tourists in a few years.

    But if they agree to relinquish some part of their gains, they fear the tides of history may erode their sand castles. Aiya, what a dilemma.

    *  *  *

    Become a $3/month patron of my work via patreon.com.

    Subscribe to my Substack for free

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 11:40

  • Disney Fights 'Wrongful Death' Lawsuit Claiming Plaintiff Waived Rights When He Signed Up For A Disney+ Trial
    Disney Fights ‘Wrongful Death’ Lawsuit Claiming Plaintiff Waived Rights When He Signed Up For A Disney+ Trial

    This might be the most stone cold lawyer trick we’ve seen in a while and remember: we deal with the financial world on a daily basis, so that’s saying something.

    Disney is fighting a wrongful death lawsuit by claiming the complainant agreed to arbitration when he signed up for a one month trial of Disney+ streaming services, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

    The suit was brought by Jeffrey Piccolo, the husband of Kanokporn Tangsuan, a 42 year old doctor who allegedly had a “fatal allergic reaction” to food at an Irish Pub in Disney Springs last October. 

    In a motion to the court, Disney’s lawyers argued that he had “agreed to settle any lawsuits against Disney out of court through the arbitration process when he signed up for a one-month trial of Disney+ in 2019”.

    They wrote: “The Terms of Use, which were provided with the Subscriber Agreement, include a binding arbitration clause.”

    The motion continued: “The first page of the Subscriber Agreement states, in all capital letters, that ‘any dispute between You and Us, Except for Small Claims, is subject to a class action waiver and must be resolved by individual binding arbitration’.”

    Disney points out that Piccolo also agreed to arbitration when he signed up on their website and app before visiting the theme park.

    The report says Piccolo’s attorney fired back: “The notion that terms agreed to by a consumer when creating a Disney+ free trial account would forever bar that consumer’s right to a jury trial in any dispute with any Disney affiliate or subsidiary, is so outrageously unreasonable and unfair as to shock the judicial conscience, and this court should not enforce such an agreement.”

    Disney commented that its “deeply saddened” by the suit and said: “We are merely defending ourselves against the plaintiff’s attorney’s attempt to include us in their lawsuit against the restaurant.”

    Disney argued in its May 31 filing that whether Piccolo reviewed the service terms is irrelevant, noting the arbitration provision covers “all disputes,” including those involving Disney or its affiliates.

    The Reporter notes that Raglan Road, the Irish pub at Disney Springs where Tangsuan dined, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    Piccolo’s February lawsuit claims that despite repeated warnings about Tangsuan’s severe nut and dairy allergies, the restaurant served her food that was not properly flagged as allergen-free. Tangsuan later died from anaphylaxis, with a medical examiner confirming the presence of dairy and nuts in her system.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/18/2024 – 11:05

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Aug 18

Today’s News 18th August 2024

  • New York Times' 'Distorted' Coverage Of CCP Abuses Likely Cost Lives, Report Says
    New York Times’ ‘Distorted’ Coverage Of CCP Abuses Likely Cost Lives, Report Says

    Authored by Petr Svab via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    At critical moments over the past 25 years, the New York Times has aided the interests of a power faction within the Chinese Communist Party responsible for atrocities against practitioners of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong.

    On top of implicating itself ethically, the paper has also, as a result, distorted its China coverage and misled its readers, as revealed by an analysis of The New York Times’ China coverage as well as interviews with half a dozen experts on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) politics and geopolitics.

    Due to the paper’s disproportionate influence on policy, its skewed coverage has likely led to a loss of life and treasure that is difficult to quantify, some experts said.

    The New York Times has for decades positioned itself as a global newspaper, insisting on a necessity of access to China, according to former staffers. That meant convincing the communist regime that the paper’s presence would benefit it.

    The paper has never explained what price it has paid for access to the country.

    “There’s always the issue of, if you want to be a global newspaper, what do you have to do to keep China happy and stay in business there?” Tom Kuntz, a former editor at the paper, told The Epoch Times.

    “There’s always been tensions, and I know they’ve, like a lot of companies, tried to maintain access to China.”

    Bradley Thayer, a former senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy, expert on strategic assessment of China, and a contributor to The Epoch Times, was more blunt.

    “If they don’t cover the regime the way the regime wants to be covered, they’re going to be blackballed. They’re not going to be able to return,” he told The Epoch Times.

    “So all of these individuals have a vested interest, if you will, in toeing the Party line.”

    Covering Chinese politics, The New York Times has ascribed sincerity where deception is expected and glossed over where it should have dug deeper, all in a pattern of affinity with the interests of a CCP clique aligned with former Party leader Jiang Zemin, multiple experts affirmed.

    Jiang’s influence has waned since 2012, when incoming CCP leader Xi Jinping exhibited an unexpected dexterity in eliminating his opponents. Only a minority of Jiang’s acolytes have maintained influence since his death in 2022. Despite the shift in power, however, The New York Times has maintained the pro-Jiang pattern.

    The New York Times did not respond to a detailed list of emailed questions for this article.

    Privileged Position

    The paper developed a special connection with Jiang in 2001, when its then-publisher, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., and several editors and reporters were granted a rare audience with the dictator.

    The paper ran a flattering interview headlined “In Jiang’s Words: ‘I Hope the Western World Can Understand China Better.’”

    Within days, the CCP unblocked access to The New York Times’ website in China.

    A month later, the CCP unblocked several other Western news sites, including those of The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the BBC. The sites were blocked again within a week.

    The New York Times, on the other hand, remained accessible. Users then reported that content on the site was being blocked selectively, giving the paper a chance to benefit from access to the Chinese market to the degree that it kept within bounds acceptable to the CCP.

    The interview came at a sensitive time for Jiang. He had only a little more than a year left before he was supposed to hand over Party control to Hu Jintao, fulfilling the succession line stipulated by Deng Xiaoping, his predecessor.

    But things weren’t going well for Jiang. His persecution of the spiritual practice Falun Gong, a political campaign that was supposed to whip the Party and the nation into conformity under his control, was failing to reach its goals. Even worse, foreign media, including The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, were taking apart the CCP’s anti-Falun Gong propaganda and highlighting accounts of wrongful detention and torture.

    The New York Times, by contrast, appeared most helpful to Jiang’s campaign. By the time of the 2001 interview, the paper ran several dozen articles on Falun Gong, almost all of them profusely parroting the propaganda portraying the practice as a “cult” or a “sect.”

    Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline consisting of slow-moving exercises and teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It was introduced to the public in China in 1992, and by the end of the decade, an estimated 70 million to 100 million people were practicing it.

    When in January 2001 CCP state media claimed that several people who set themselves on fire on Tiananmen Square in Beijing were Falun Gong practitioners, The Washington Post dispatched a reporter to fact-check the story. The New York Times, on the other hand, immediately took the CCP line as fact.

    If the paper employed its much-touted investigative acumen, it would have discovered, as others have, that the incident was staged. After the first man allegedly set himself alight in the middle of the square, four policemen somehow managed to obtain several fire extinguishers, rush to the scene, and put out the fire, all in less than one minute.

    Given the distances involved on the giant square, that wouldn’t have been physically possible—unless the officers already had the fire extinguishers ready and knew in advance where on the square they would be needed that day, several independent investigations concluded, pointing out dozens of other inconsistencies.

    Even without any investigation, the incident made little sense. The victims supposedly followed a belief that burning themselves alive would bring them to heaven. But Falun Gong includes no such belief. In fact, its literature treats suicide as killing a human life, which it explicitly prohibits.

    The New York Times didn’t even find it strange that since Falun Gong’s public introduction in 1992, of the tens of millions of people practicing it, none of them had publicly set themselves on fire until that day, and none had done so since.

    Even after The Washington Post investigation traced several of the alleged victims back to their hometown and found that none had ever been seen practicing Falun Gong, The New York Times continued to parrot the CCP’s propaganda.

    Jiang was apparently pleased with The New York Times, calling it during the 2001 interview “a very good paper.”

    Getting in Jiang’s good graces on the Falun Gong issue would have been particularly critical, as it struck at the heart of a core principle of CCP politics, several experts affirmed.

    Partners in Crime

    One of the bedrocks of the CCP’s internal politics is ensuring one’s own safety, particularly upon retirement. Cadres are well aware of the pitiful fate of many high-ranking comrades. Infamously, Liu Shaoqi, once No. 2 to the CCP’s first leader, Mao Zedong, was purged during the Cultural Revolution, arrested, and tortured to death.

    When Mao’s successor, Deng Xiaoping, looked for somebody to helm the CCP after him in 1989, he picked Jiang Zemin, the Shanghai Party secretary who supported the CCP’s deployment of military to crush the 1989 student protests.

    “Because Jiang was implicated in the repression of the students, Deng could trust Jiang to be his successor. Jiang could not in the future use the massacre against Deng without implicating himself,” explained Matthew Little, a senior editor of The Epoch Times, in a 2012 analysis.

    The persecution of Falun Gong played much the same role for Jiang, who encouraged his cronies to build “political capital” by backing the campaign. Some did so with fervor, escalating the persecution to a point of unspeakable barbarity, particularly in encouraging torture to force Falun Gong practitioners to renounce their faith, The Epoch Times previously reported.

    These officials, tied by shared complicity in the atrocities, were at the core of Jiang’s power faction, sometimes called the “Shanghai gang.”

    In exchange for their support, Jiang let the gang abuse their offices and plunder state-owned assets, setting the tone for a nationwide culture of corruption.

    That culture served a dual purpose for Jiang. On one hand, it allowed him to buy supporters, especially in the 1990s, when he struggled to form a power base among CCP cadres, who generally saw him as incompetent, according to an unofficial biography of Jiang published by The Epoch Times.

    On the other hand, he could eliminate his rivals in the name of “anti-corruption.”

    But the sword of anti-corruption cuts both ways. As Xi later demonstrated, it could be applied selectively against the Jiang faction, too.

    The bond through culpability in the Falun Gong repression was more solid. The crimes became so extensive that none of the culprits would have risked their revelation, some China experts said.

    There was a problem, though: Jiang’s designated replacement, Hu Jintao, showed little enthusiasm for the Falun Gong campaign.

    “Jiang tried to push Hu to persecute Falun Gong and found he was quite reluctant,” said Li Linyi, a China commentator, expert on CCP internal politics, and Epoch Times contributor.

    “Their relationship started to deteriorate after that. Jiang just felt more and more concerned about Hu.”

    Just as the CCP under Deng redressed some victims of the Cultural Revolution, Hu could, at least theoretically, redress Falun Gong, blame Jiang, and purge his faction.

    (Left) Chinese police tackle and arrest Falun Gong adherents on Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Feb. 14, 2002. (Top Right) A man blocks a line of tanks heading east on Beijing’s Avenue of Eternal Peace during the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 5, 1989. (Bottom Right) A poster depicts how to deal with so-called “enemies of the people” during the Cultural Revolution, in Beijing in late 1966. (Frederic Brown/AFP via Getty Images, Jeff Widener/AP Photo, Jean Vincent/AFP via Getty Images)

    In reality, this was unlikely to happen, Li said.

    “There was a huge price for redressing the Cultural Revolution,” he said. “Not only did some top CCP leaders get purged, but the CCP admitted they made a big mistake. That is not good for them in order to hold power in China in the long term. The CCP is still criticized for what they did during the Cultural Revolution.”

    CCP leaders would only backtrack on Falun Gong as a last resort, if they felt it would save the regime, he said.

    That didn’t mean, however, that Hu and his supporters couldn’t use the Falun Gong issue to endanger Jiang and his faction in other ways. Indeed, there’s evidence that they have.

    “All [Jiang’s] policies could have continued to be carried out by Hu Jintao, except this one. … The only thing Jiang Zemin worried about was the policy of persecuting Falun Gong,” said Heng He, a veteran China commentator with NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times.

    Jiang was thus extremely motivated to constrain Hu and prop up his own image, several experts confirmed.

    The New York Times proved helpful in this pursuit.

    Shoring Up a Dictator’s Legacy

    By 2002, The New York Times was in pro-Jiang mode. Parroting the Party propaganda, the paper declared that Falun Gong had been successfully “crushed.”

    Citing CCP sources, it suggested that Falun Gong was already passé and that it only ever had 2 million practitioners. It went as far as claiming that the figure cited by Falun Gong sources, 70 million, was baseless.

    Yet a few years earlier, before the persecution began, multiple Western and Chinese media, including The Associated Press and The New York Times, provided figures of 70 million or 100 million, generally attributing them to estimates by the Chinese State Sports Administration, which had the best insight due to a massive survey of Falun Gong practitioners it conducted in the late 1990s.

    Read more here…

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 23:20

  • Here's Why The US Is Playing Dumb About Ukraine's Plans To Invade Kursk
    Here’s Why The US Is Playing Dumb About Ukraine’s Plans To Invade Kursk

    Authored by Andrew Korybko via substack,

    White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed that the US didn’t know about Ukraine’s plans to invade Russia’s Kursk Region, but that’s unbelievable since there’s no way that its intelligence services didn’t even catch a hint of it, not to mention likely participate in the preparations.

    Putin even reaffirmed during a meeting on Monday with high-ranking government officials about this crisis that Ukraine is the West’s proxy for waging war on Russia. Here are the five reasons why the US is still playing dumb:

    1. Maintain Plausible Deniability For Escalation Control

    Admitting complicity in Ukraine’s invasion of Russia’s universally recognized territory would make the US a direct participant in these unprecedented hostilities and thus place enormous pressure upon Moscow to respond against it and/or other NATO countries like Poland. The US doesn’t want that to happen, ergo why it also forced Ukraine to call off its reportedly planned assassination of Putin last month as explained here, so dishonestly denying knowledge of its proxy’s plans is par for the course and not unexpected.

    2. Avoid Embarrassment & Responsibility Once Ukraine Fails

    It’s unlikely that Ukraine will be able to indefinitely hold the territory that it captured inside of Russia so it’s a question of when and not if it fails. Accordingly, the US wants to avoid the embarrassment associated with that once it happens and also reduce the chances that Russia feels pressured to respond against it and/or other NATO countries as written above. The US is basically letting Ukraine hold the bag after everything inevitably fails apart so that Russia’s full fury is directly solely against its proxy.  

    3. Propagate David-vs.-Goliath Optics For Boosting Morale

    By pretending to be caught off guard by what just happened, the US is lending false credence to the optics that the latest phase of the already decade-long Ukrainian Conflict that began almost two and a half years ago is a modern-day David vs. Goliath story. This is meant to boost morale inside of Ukraine amidst its drastic slump caused by the ramping up of forcible conscription there and increase support among the Western public for continuing to fund this proxy war in the face of growing fatigue.

    4. Keep Up The Charade Of A “Gentlemen’s Agreement” Gone Bad

    RT’s Sergey Poletaev introduced an intriguing theory into the global information ecosystem earlier this week when he wrote that “The relative calm along the 1,000-kilometer border for two and a half years likely wasn’t coincidental. We can suggest there were agreements between Moscow and Washington, specifically with the administration of US President Joe Biden.” If there’s any truth to that, then lying about not being aware of Kiev’s plans could be an attempt by the US to try to hoodwink Putin yet again.

    5. Troll Russia After It Previously Denied Supporting Donbass

    Russia always denied militarily supporting Donbass throughout the eight years between “EuroMaidan” and the special operation, but the US insisted that this was a lie and that Russia had “invaded” Ukraine, albeit at a limited scale. Whatever the truth may be, playing dumb about its support for Ukraine’s indisputable invasion of Russia is also an attempt to troll Russia for denying the dubious claim that it “invaded” Donbass before 2022.  

    There’s no truth to the US’ denial that it knew nothing about Ukraine’s plans to invade Russia, but claiming otherwise advances its escalation control and soft power interests.

    Those who play along with this are insulting the intelligence of their targeted audience, some of whom might feel pressured not to call them out though due to fear of being aggressively harassed online and “canceled”.

    All objective observers know the truth, especially those in the Global South, which is all that matters for Russia.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 22:45

  • Sen. Scott Urges Commerce Department To Investigate Chinese-Owned Temu
    Sen. Scott Urges Commerce Department To Investigate Chinese-Owned Temu

    Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is calling on the Commerce Department to open an investigation into the business practices of Chinese budget online retailer Temu.

    In a letter dated Aug. 14 to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Scott warned that the fast-growing Temu represents “a new challenge” to efforts to ensure fair trade practices in the United States.

    Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) speaks during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol in Washington on July 11, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

    “To protect our nation’s economic interests and the well-being of our citizens, I believe it is imperative that we address this issue promptly,” Scott wrote.

    Temu’s platform, which began in the United States in September 2022, is owned by Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings, which also operates the Chinese e-commerce platform Pinduoduo. In January, the research firm Marketplace Pulse estimated that more than 100,000 China-based sellers were operating on Temu.

    Scott identified five areas of concern surrounding Temu—product safety and quality, labor practices, unfair competition, data privacy, and counterfeit goods—as reasons why the Commerce Department must take action against the shopping platform.

    The Florida senator warned that products sold on Temu “are not subject to the rigorous safety tests and inspections that other competitor products made elsewhere around the world undergo.”

    “There are concerns that Temu may be a conduit for counterfeit products,” he added.

    South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported on Aug. 14 that toxic substances were found on women’s accessories, such as hats and sandals, being sold on three Chinese online platforms, including Temu, citing the South Korean city government of Seoul.

    “There are reports of unsafe working conditions, labor abuses, and human rights violations associated with [the] production of products for Temu,” Scott wrote. “We need to ensure that the products sold on Temu are not manufactured using forced labor or other unethical practices that violate international labor standards.”

    In June last year, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) published a report warning consumers that “there is an extremely high risk that Temu’s supply chains are contaminated with forced labor.”

    “Temu does not have any system to ensure compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA),” the report reads.

    The law bans imports from China’s far-western region of Xinjiang—where the Chinese regime has been accused of committing genocide against Uyghurs—unless companies can prove products weren’t produced with forced labor.

    Scott also questioned Temu’s ability to sell products at lower prices than U.S. retailers, suggesting that it could result from “unfair trade practices or the exploitation of loopholes in our import regulations.”

    In February, Scott and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) sent a letter to President Joe Biden, asking his administration to end the “de minimus” trade rule because it’s a loophole that “unfairly benefits foreign companies and overseas e-commerce platforms such as Temu.” Under the rule, imports under $800 in valuation can enter the United States without paying duties and taxes and with little or no customs inspection.

    “De minimis shipments, now numbering 3 million a day, are at an elevated risk of violating UFLPA, containing counterfeit goods, exacerbating the fentanyl crisis, or posing a serious health danger to consumers,” the two senators wrote in their letter.

    Scott pointed out in his Aug. 14 letter that data security should be another concern.

    “Given Temu’s Chinese ownership, we must investigate potential risks to American consumers’ data privacy and security,” Scott wrote. “Concerns regarding exploitation of Temu application users lead U.S.-based companies to announce warnings and ‘how-to’ guides on removing the Temu application from its application purchasing platform and user devices.”

    In China, there are different laws, including the National Intelligence Law, that can compel Chinese companies to hand over data collected within China and elsewhere to Beijing’s intelligence agencies.

    Scott asked the Commerce Department to “launch a comprehensive investigation” into Temu, work with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to assess potential risks, evaluate the need for new regulations, and submit a detailed report to Congress on its findings.

    The Florida senator also requested a meeting with Raimondo to discuss the issue.

    The Commerce Department and Temu officials didn’t respond by publication time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 22:10

  • Oakland Neighbors "Take Matters Into Their Own Hands" To Fight Reckless Driving Sideshows
    Oakland Neighbors “Take Matters Into Their Own Hands” To Fight Reckless Driving Sideshows

    Neighbors in Oakland have had enough with reckless driving and, since their years of complaints are going unnoticed, they’re banding together and doing something about it.

    Frustrated by years of reckless driving, Oakland homeowners took action by placing dirt- and rock-filled tires on busy streets.

    On Tuesday, city crews faced hecklers while removing the tires from East 21st Street, according to Fox KTVU.

    Odelson Souza said his 2 year old son was almost hit by a speeding car on the sidewalk, telling Fox: “Look, please help us. Who else we gonna call? Superman?”

    Three months ago, neighbors created makeshift roundabouts with reflective tape on 18th Avenue. On Tuesday, they illegally parked two cars to prevent city crews from dismantling one.

    Neighbor Lauren Blanchard said: “Well, we are protesting this. It feels crushing. We want the city to pay attention to our neighborhood.”

    One neighbor said: “They almost killed someone. There’s a school up there. Kids have been hit on this street. There are people whose cars have been crashed into and totaled.”

    He continued: “Enough of the performative, you know, making everyone feel better, renaming streets after dead rap artists. Do your [expletive] job.”

    “So disappointed with the city’s inability or unwillingness to respond to clear and present danger,” another neighbor, Wendy Jung, said.

    Sean Maher, Oakland’s Citywide Communications and Engagement Director responded: “We all want safer streets, but increasing the risk to the public by installing hazards is not the solution. The city will be promptly removing these unauthorized, dangerous installations.”

    The report says neighbors have committed to installing more barriers until the city acts.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 21:35

  • CIA Awards Qatari Intel Chief Top Medal For Cooperation With US
    CIA Awards Qatari Intel Chief Top Medal For Cooperation With US

    Via The Cradle

    In a ceremony earlier this week, CIA Director William Burns awarded the head of the Qatari State Security Agency the George Tenet medal for his work on strengthening intelligence cooperation between the US and Qatar, Axios reported Thursday. The two intelligence agencies especially during the decade-long proxy war to oust Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.

    Both Burns and Al-Khulaifi have played important roles in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a potential ceasefire in Gaza and prisoner exchange.

    Image montage: The Cradle

    One reason for the award is Qatari efforts to release the remaining 111 Israeli captives held by Hamas in Gaza, one source with knowledge of the issue told Axios.

    Israel is holding thousands of Palestinians in its prisons and detention camps, where recent reports suggest that torture and rape is common.

    Another source said Burns gave the award to his Qatari counterpart in “appreciation of his role in maintaining national and regional security, and the exceptional support he provided to the CIA in preserving the interests and security of the US and Qatar.”

    Another important reason for the award was the cooperation between the CIA and Qatari intelligence in counterterrorism and the ability of the Qatari State Security Agency to prevent and foil threats and attacks in West Asia, the source told Axios.

    Abdullah bin Mohammed al-Khulaifi was awarded the CIA’s George Tenet medal this week, via AJ Arabic

    Both the US and Qatar have long been known for their support of terrorist groups in the region.

    Starting in 2011, the US and Qatar worked closely with other regional states to support Al-Qaeda in Syria.

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    The Syrian branch of the terror group, the Nusra Front, led a jihadist insurgency against the Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad under the cover of US-sponsored anti-government protests.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 21:00

  • Kevin Plank's Race Farm Listed For $22 Million Amid Under Armour Troubles
    Kevin Plank’s Race Farm Listed For $22 Million Amid Under Armour Troubles

    Baltimore-based Under Amour has been undergoing a broad multi-year restructuring plan. Earlier this year, founder Kevin Plank returned to the helm, hoping to reverse the sales slump and boost profits.

    Given that UA shares have been a trainwreck since the company was accused of defrauding shareholders about revenue growth in a bid to beat Wall Street’s forecasts in 2017, Plank, the third largest shareholder, has seen his paper wealth evaporate. 

    In June, UA agreed to pay $434 million to settle the lawsuit that accused Plank of intentionally deceiving investors about the company’s financial health between Sept. 16, 2015, and Nov. 1, 2019. UA will use cash and a revolving credit facility to pay the settlement. 

    With UA in the dumps, about 21 miles north of the company’s headquarters in Baltimore City, situated in some of the best steeplechase country in the US, Plank’s 530-acre horse farm, called “Sagamore Farm,” was “briefly listed for $22 million,” according to local media Baltimore Banner. 

    Here’s more from the local media outlet: 

    The listing by the real estate firm Compass was publicly available online on Monday morning. Denie Dulin, the listing agent, said the Glyndon estate might be sold privately and declined to comment further.

    “It’s not publicly being marketed yet,” Dulin said.

    Plank bought Sagamore Farm from a developer in 2007 through an LLC. It’s unclear how much he paid. Property records do not disclose a sale price.

    In 2010, several years after Plank bought the race farm, he told the Baltimore Sun paper that he planned to win a ‘Triple Crown.’ 

    The real estate agent did not explain why Plank decided to sell the race farm. Plank has been locked in a zoning dispute with local conservation groups after he proposed building a whiskey distillery on the historic farm. The timing of the sale also comes amid UA restructuring efforts.

    Meanwhile, Plank, who previously supported former President Trump, hosted a closed-door fundraiser for far-left Democrats at Sagamore’s main house in mid-May.

    See Gov. Wes Moore clapping on the right side of the image. And no, this is not a deep fake. 

    The nearly two-decade partying at the Plank family’s ‘frat house’ at Sagamore is coming to an end—better start focusing on turning around the sinking UA ship.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 20:25

  • California Officials Ask Schools To Construct Housing For Teachers, Students
    California Officials Ask Schools To Construct Housing For Teachers, Students

    Authored by Savannah Hulsey Pointer via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    California officials are pushing for school districts to convert available property into housing for teachers, school staff, and, in some cases, students.

    State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a summit on Aug. 14 featuring state leaders to address what his office called the “critical need for affordable housing and workforce housing, and exploring strategies for accelerating access to homeownership for working and middle-class Californians,” according to a news release.

    The California Department of Education in Sacramento, Calif., on April 18, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

    Thurmond’s housing initiative, announced on July 30, was officially launched at the summit. The initiative’s objective is to use 75,000 acres of surplus land owned by school districts throughout the state to construct 2.3 million housing units.

    “California is facing a housing crisis—and it doesn’t have to be. … This initiative [is] all about: activating the resources and expertise that we all have within our great state, so we can make sure that our community members from all walks of life have access to the California Dream.”

    The superintendent previously announced financial incentives for districts that take necessary steps to build staff housing, and the California Department of Education has sponsored a workshop for education officials to learn about real estate development.

    Thurmond’s program is in accordance with the Teacher Housing Act of 2016, which permits school districts to seek out housing project funding sources, such as federal and state tax credits. Additional legislation, such as a 2022 law that became effective in January, provide added benefits.

    Schools could also use the $10 billion school facilities bond, known as Proposition 2, to construct teacher housing and fix classrooms and other buildings if it succeeds this fall.

    Some districts have already started working on housing for school employees. Among the properties owned by Los Angeles Unified are a 26-unit building set aside for low-income families and a 90-unit complex that just opened in April.

    A 135-unit building is set to debut this fall by San Francisco Unified. A 70-unit development has been held by Santa Clara Unified for almost 20 years.

    The San Mateo County Office of Education is working with a nonprofit dedicated to public-private housing to purchase an existing apartment complex for local teachers. The Marin County Office of Education collaborated with the state and the county to construct housing for educators on property held by the state, close to San Quentin Prison.

    The Epoch Times has reached out to the California Teachers Association for comment.

    This is just one of the changes taking place in California schools. The state introduced a number of new laws governing safety, health, and inclusivity for the upcoming school year.

    Among those laws is a recess requirement, which requires public schools to provide at least 30 minutes of recess on regular days and 15 minutes on shortened days to allow students time for physical activity.

    Another law prohibits school staff from disclosing a student’s gender identity, sexual orientation, or gender expression to parents without the student’s consent. Additionally, climate change education is now required in science curricula for grades 1–12.

    K–12 schools must integrate media literacy into their curricula, helping students critically evaluate media content to help them combat misinformation. Schools serving grades 7–12 must also educate students on the dangers of opioids, including fentanyl, and include this information in their safety plans.

    Another change affects suspension policies: Schools can no longer suspend students in grades K–12 for disruptions or defiance. Instead, school administrators must provide in-school interventions or support. Meanwhile, students are now allowed a full day per semester to attend religious events, up from the previous four-hour limit.

    The Associated Press and Sophie Li contributed to this report.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 19:50

  • Rogan And Quaid Ask: Who's Really Running The Country?
    Rogan And Quaid Ask: Who’s Really Running The Country?

    Joe Rogan and actor Dennis Quaid recently sat down for an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, where among other things – they questioned who’s actually running the country.

    “They’re emboldened by the fact they’re essentially running the country without a president for the last three years,” said Rogan, adding “Because he [Biden] is not there. And since he’s decided that he’s not going to run again, he’s gone. He’s vanished.”

    To which Quaid replied: “It makes [you wonder]. Who’s running it now?“

    Watch Via The Burning Platform,

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    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 19:15

  • Many Countries Turning To A "Stateless Currency"… Gold
    Many Countries Turning To A “Stateless Currency”… Gold

    Authored by Mike Maharrey via Money Metals,

    Many central banks are opting for a “stateless currency” – gold.

    That’s how a recent article published by Nikkei Asia put it, noting that “central banks are diversifying away from the dollar and yuan.”

    The article notes that the proportion of greenbacks in foreign reserves has dropped significantly from over 70 percent in the early 2000s to a historic low of around 58 percent today.

    Meanwhile, central banks are loading up on gold. Central banks globally added a net 483 tons of gold through the first six months of this year, 5 percent above the record of 460 tons in H1 2023.

    Last year, central bank gold buying fell a mere 45 tons short of 2022’s multi-decade record.

    Last year, central banks’ net gold purchases totaled 1,037 tons. It was the second straight year central banks added more than 1,000 tons to their total reserves.

    Central bank gold buying in 2023 built on the prior record year. Total central bank gold buying in 2022 came in at 1,136 tons. It was the highest level of net purchases on record dating back to 1950, including since the suspension of dollar convertibility into gold in 1971.

    A Stateless Currency 

    Why are so many countries turning to gold? 

    Because it is a stateless currency. In other words, gold isn’t controlled by any government. That means countries holding gold maintain a higher level of independence than those holding dollars or other government fiat currencies. 

    The U.S. has hastened de-dollarization by aggressively using the greenback as a foreign policy tool.

    The United States projects power around the world with its mighty military, but that’s not America’s only source of strength. It also uses the dollar to achieve foreign policy goals.

    The U.S. government utilizes a “carrot-stick” approach. It showers billions of dollars of foreign aid on its friends. But enemies can have access to their dollars cut off, as Russia recently learned.

    As the Nikkei Asia article pointed out, the U.S. and other Western countries aggressively sanctioned Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine. America and her allies locked Russia out of the SWIFT financial system and froze around $300 billion in Russian central bank assets. The U.S. even threatened to sell frozen Russian assets and give the money to Ukraine.

    Other countries were paying attention. Nikkei Asia said U.S. policy persuaded emerging economies to “accumulate gold, and “the shift from currency holdings reflects global fragmentation.”

    This is a classic example of people responding to incentives.

    Think about it; if you recognize something makes you vulnerable, what do you do?

    You take steps to eliminate or at least minimize the vulnerability.

    So, if you’re worried that the U.S. and its allies might cut off your access to dollars, what would you do?

    Minimize your dependence on dollars.

    In other words, if you are concerned that the U.S. could pull the “dollar rug” out from under you, why not pull out from the dollar system first?

    As a stateless currency, gold is the perfect reserve asset. Its value is recognized around the world, it’s liquid, and most importantly, it exposes the owner to very little counterparty risk.

    What exactly is counterparty risk?

    In simple terms, it is the possibility that the party on the other side of a transaction might not fulfill its obligation or will change the terms of the deal.

    For instance, if I loan you $200, there is always a chance that you won’t pay me back. That possibility represents the counterparty risk that I’m taking on.

    When you own physical gold and store it safely at home, there isn’t another party involved. Nobody can default on gold. Its value will never go to zero. It remains liquid under virtually any market conditions. And gold will likely increase in value if there is a significant economic collapse because it is real money.

    This is precisely why so many countries are turning to this stateless currency and bringing their gold home.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 18:40

  • Zelensky Says Ukraine 'Strengthening' Positions Kursk, Boasts Of Many POWs Captured
    Zelensky Says Ukraine ‘Strengthening’ Positions Kursk, Boasts Of Many POWs Captured

    On Saturday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that his forces are “strengthening” their positions in Russia’s Kursk region. The invasion into Russian territory shocked the world and has left Kremlin officials shocked, with some expressing frustration that the border was apparently so poorly guarded.

    “As of this morning, we have replenished the exchange fund for our country,” Zelensky said, after his army reportedly captured hundreds of POWs since the Aug.6 invasion of the southern Russian oblast.

    Captured Russian troops, reportedly in Kursk. Source: SBU via Tsaplienko Telegram

    “I thank all the soldiers and commanders who are taking Russian soldiers prisoner and thus bringing the release of our soldiers and civilians held by Russia closer,” he added, according to official government social media channels.

    Zelensky acknowledged that the Russian side is responding with a fierce fight: “(There were) dozens of Russian assaults on our positions over the last day. But our soldiers and units are doing everything to destroy the occupier and repel the attacks,” he continued.

    Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrsky simultaneously “reported on the strengthening of the positions of our forces in the Kursk region and the expansion of stabilized territory” in a public statement.

    Kiev is also presenting that its forces are in better shape along the eastern front in the Donbass, after in prior days asserting that Russia was forced to remove some its front line fighting forces in order to defend Kursk and Belgorod. 

    In Ukraine’s Sumy, there are Saturday reports of a large blaze after a fresh Russian missile attack:

    A Russian missile sparked a blaze in the city of Sumy that injured two people and also damaged cars and nearby buildings, said Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. It said that the hit had involved an Iskander-K cruise missile and an aerial bomb.

    Ukraine’s air force also said it had shot down 14 Russian drones overnight, including over the Kyiv region.

    Likely Russia’s aerial assaults on other major cities, including the capital of Kiev, will only increase as a way of retaliation. 

    Harrowing videos of the fighting in Kursk reveal that the Ukrainians have already established trenches and physical defenses in the region, planning for an attempt to indefinitely occupy Russian territory…

    As for Zelensky’s claim of having captured large masses of Russian troops during the Kursk incursion, the AP observed, “On Friday, the AP visited a detention center in Ukraine, the location of which cannot be disclosed due to security restrictions. Dozens of POWs were seen, some of them walking with their hands tied behind their backs while a guard led them down a corridor. Some had rations of a thin soup with cabbage and onions.”

    Regardless of all the current pro-Kiev optimism, many analysts warn there are real limits and the likelihood Ukraine forces will soon be in worse shape than before due to this ultra-risky cross-border operation…

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    The Zelensky government has been touting that it plans to hold onto a “buffer zone” in Kursk, to prevent Russia from launching cross-border mortar and missile strike on Ukraine. The Kremlin’s retaliation is expected to grow big at some point soon.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 18:05

  • As US Coal Plants Shutter, A Renewed Focus On Nuclear Emerges
    As US Coal Plants Shutter, A Renewed Focus On Nuclear Emerges

    Authored by By Kevin Stocklin & Andrew Moran via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    As the United States continues its rush to shutter the nation’s remaining coal plants, energy analysts are debating what should fill the gap to meet the growing need for electricity. Increasingly, many are pointing to nuclear energy as the solution.

    According to the Department of Energy (DOE), nearly one-third of existing U.S. coal plants are scheduled to be shut down by 2035.

    This is happening as demand from data centers, electric vehicles, electric home heating, and other products are pushing ever more consumption onto the grid.

    A regulatory agency charged with assessing grid reliability stated that its key measures of electricity peak demand “are rising faster than at any time in the past five or more years.”

    The agency, North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), cited “clear evidence of growing resource adequacy concerns over the next 10 years” in its December 2023 Long-Term Reliability Assessment.

    The rapid retirement of functional coal plants, which generated more than 16 percent of U.S. electricity production in 2023, is projected to leave large gaps in the country’s ability to meet projected demand for electricity, leaving most regions of North America at high or elevated risk of shortages and blackouts, according to the NERC .

    How can the U.S. electricity industry fill this ever-widening hole? The options on the table are wind, solar, natural gas, and nuclear energy—each with its advantages and shortcomings.

    Many who consider climate change to be an existential threat have pushed wind and solar energy as the best alternatives, arguing that they are the cheapest, cleanest option.

    The Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicted in January that “wind and solar energy will lead growth in U.S. power generation for the next two years.”

    Critics say adding ever more wind and solar capacity could be paying more for less, as additional weather-dependent capacity falls short of producing electricity when consumers need it.

    “We built a heck of a lot of wind capacity in 2023 in the United States, but the actual amount of wind electricity produced went down, simply because you have wind droughts,” energy economist Dan Kish, senior vice president of policy at the Institute for Energy Research (IER), told The Epoch Times.

    “The windiest spots have been hit pretty hard with wind turbines, so now they’re going to places that are less prolific in terms of wind, and the result is you’re getting less wind per installed megawatt of wind power than you did before.”

    According to the EIA, while overall “renewable” energy production grew by 2 percent in 2023, largely because of increases in biofuels and solar energy, consumption of wind energy declined for the first time in 25 years.

    “Our entire grid has been built with the goal of moving power to people when they need it,” Kish said, but noted that, increasingly, this is shifting to providing electricity “whenever the wind blows or the sun shines.”

    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Commissioner David Wright observes the process of dismantling reactor components, during a tour of the Unit 2 containment at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, in this file photo. (Southern California Edison/CC BY 2.0)

    Natural Gas Steps Up, Falls Down

    Wind and solar require expensive backup power generation, typically gas or batteries, to fill the gaps when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing, driving up costs to consumers.

    Coal plants, while emitting more carbon dioxide (CO2), have provided an affordable, reliable, and flexible supply of “dispatchable” electricity, which can be ramped up or down to meet demand.

    To date, while installed wind and solar capacity have increased, natural gas has been the prime beneficiary of the transition away from coal—both as a supplier of base-load power and as a backup to wind and solar when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

    U.S. natural gas consumption reached a record 89.1 billion cubic feet per day in 2023 and has increased by an average of 4 percent per year since 2018, according to an April report by the EIA.

    The EIA reported that natural gas consumption set new records every month between March 2023 and November 2023, as coal-fired electric-generating capacity declined.

    “The combination of [artificial intelligence] and increased reliance on intermittent renewables means more natural gas—both because solar and wind can’t easily provide electricity with low harmonic distortions that delicate data center kit needs—but also because unreliable power sources infiltrate the grid, assuring 24×7 supply relies ever more on dispatchable, traditional energy, which is gas,” Simon Lack, founder and managing partner of SL Advisors LLC, told The Epoch Times.

    Unlike coal, however, gas is not stored onsite at power plants but rather delivered just in time via pipelines. During winter storm Uri in Texas, for example, freezing temperatures and electricity outages disrupted gas deliveries, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reported, exacerbating the crisis that ended with widespread blackouts and the deaths of an estimated 246 people.

    While natural gas is abundant, affordable, and burns cleaner than coal, it doesn’t satisfy net-zero goals of “decarbonizing” energy and reducing global emissions by at least 43 percent by 2030, 60 percent by 2035, and reaching net-zero by 2050.

    Given that, nuclear energy is increasingly being touted as the ideal solution.

    Natural gas is flared off at a plant outside of the town of Cuero, Texas, on March 26, 2015. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that natural gas consumption set new records every month between March and November 2023. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

    A Nuclear Renaissance?

    The 54 U.S. nuclear plants and 93 U.S. nuclear reactors, located across 28 states, currently generate about 19 percent of the nation’s electricity, according to the EIA.

    A nuclear plant’s capacity factor, which measures the amount of usable energy it produces as a percentage of the maximum it could potentially produce, is the highest of all power sources, averaging more than 92 percent, according to the DOE.

    By comparison, the capacity factors for wind and solar are the lowest of all major U.S. energy sources, at 35 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

    Nuclear power plants are designed to run 24 hours per day, seven days per week, making them ideal for reliable, base-load electricity.

    Energy economist Ryan Yonk, a director at the American Institute for Economic Research, said the safety of nuclear plants has improved with time, and although risk has not been completely eliminated, this leaves nuclear as the “no-carbon energy” of the future, provided that the industry can build plants that address risk concerns and regulatory concerns.

    “If you really care deeply about CO2 and view it as a substantial problem, we have an established technology that doesn’t produce CO2, that produces large amounts of low-cost energy at relatively low risk,” he said.

    The Biden administration appears to have also come around to that point of view, and the Inflation Reduction Act enacted by the administration offers a 30 percent federal investment tax credit for new nuclear projects.

    The White House announced in March that it was “signing on to last year’s multi-country declaration at COP28 to triple nuclear energy capacity globally by 2050; developing new reactor designs; extending the service lives of existing nuclear reactors; and growing the momentum behind new deployments.”

    Among the government initiatives was $6 billion in new loans, grants, and tax credits for nuclear facilities to keep aging plants up and running and restart some that had been shut down. This included $1.5 billion in loan guarantees to Holtec Palisades, LLC, to bring the shuttered 800 MW Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert Township, Michigan, back online through 2050.

    “Alongside renewable power sources like wind and solar, a new generation of nuclear reactors is now capturing the attention of a wide range of stakeholders for nuclear energy’s ability to produce clean, reliable energy and meet the needs of a fast-growing economy,” a White House fact sheet reads.

    This comes on top of new legislation to streamline the approval process for nuclear plants, specifically the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act (ADVANCE Act) of 2023.

    The bill includes more staffing for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which would theoretically speed the licensing process, reduce fees for plant applicants, and update the NRC’s mission statement, stipulating that it will not “unnecessarily limit” the production of nuclear energy.

    The Turkey Point Nuclear Reactor Plant in Homestead, Fla., on May 18, 2017. Nuclear power plants are designed to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images)

    Partnering With Nuclear Industry

    The DOE is also working to ease the conversion of existing coal plants to nuclear.

    According to the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, “we’ll need an additional 200 gigawatts of nuclear capacity to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and some of that could take place at or near retiring coal plants.”

    The agency stated that more than 300 existing and retired coal plants could be converted to nuclear energy, and this would increase the U.S. nuclear capacity by more than 250 gigawatts, nearly tripling its current capacity of 95 gigawatts.

    Borrowing land, plant, transmission connections and roads from existing coal plants could save up to 35 percent of construction costs for new nuclear plants, the DOE predicted.

    States that are considering replacing coal plants with nuclear include Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

    The DOE is also collaborating with private industry through an initiative called the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN), which provides government support to commercialize nuclear energy technologies and to “educate those new to nuclear on its benefits, applications and role in our clean future energy transition,” the organization’s website states.

    “By 2030, the U.S. nuclear industry will be equipped to lead the world in the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies to supply urgently needed abundant clean energy both domestically and globally,” GAIN reads.

    Some analysts say it amounts to one government agency spending money to try to get another government agency out of the way.

    “We’ve got the NRC that can’t seem to issue a permit or give a thumbs up to a project, and to compensate for that, we’ve got the Department of Energy pouring hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money into helping them get a permit,” Kish said.

    The U.S. fleet of nuclear plants is approaching retirement age, raising questions about how much longer existing plants can continue to operate. The average life of a nuclear power plant is about 40 years, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

    As of April, the average age of U.S. commercial nuclear reactors was 42 years old. The oldest operating reactor is Nine Mile Point Unit 1 in New York state, which started operating in 1969.

    The U.S. nuclear construction industry, having been shunned for decades, appears now to be showing new signs of life.

    Based on its annual assessment at the end of 2023, the IAEA stated that, worldwide, it “now sees a quarter more nuclear energy capacity installed by 2050 than it did as recently as 2020, underscoring how a growing number of countries are looking to this clean and reliable energy source to address the challenges of energy security, climate change and economic development.”

    Read more here…

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 17:30

  • X 'Immediately' Shuts Brazil Office After 'Darth Vader' Threatens Lawyer With 'Secret' Censorship Orders
    X ‘Immediately’ Shuts Brazil Office After ‘Darth Vader’ Threatens Lawyer With ‘Secret’ Censorship Orders

    Elon Musk on Saturday announced that effective immediately, X will be shuttering operations in Brazil due to what it called “censorship orders” from Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes (aka ‘Darth Vader’).

    According to the company, Moraes secretly threatened an X layer if he did not comply with legal orders to remove content from the platform.

    “Last night, Alexandre de Moraes threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders. He did so in a secret order, which we share here to expose his actions,” reads a Saturday post from X’s Global Government Affairs account. “Despite our numerous appeals to the Supreme Court not being heard, the Brazilian public not being informed about these orders and our Brazilian staff having no responsibility or control over whether content is blocked on our platform, Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process.”

    “As a result, to protect the safety of our staff, we have made the decision to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately.”

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    Musk replied to the post, saying “Due to demands by “Justice” @Alexandre in Brazil that would require us to break (in secret) Brazilian, Argentinian, American and international law, 𝕏 has no choice but to close our local operations in Brazil.

    “He is an utter disgrace to Justice,” Musk continued.

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    According to Musk, X remains available to the people of Brazil.

    Earlier this year, Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts while he investigated so-called “digital militias” accused of spreading fake news. Moraes also opened an inquiry into Musk after he said he would reactivate X accounts that the judge had ordered blocked.

    Musk has called Moraes’ orders “unconstitutional,” and called Moraes himself “Brazil’s Darth Vader.”

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    In an April post to X, Musk said that Moraes had “brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil,” and should “resign or be impeached.”

    De Moraes said that as part of his decision to open an inquiry, that “X shall refrain from disobeying any court order already issued, including performing any profile reactivation that has been blocked by this Supreme Court,” Reuters reported at the time.

    The justice said that Musk would face a fine that equates to approximately $20,000 each time an account is reactivated on X.

    For an overview:

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    The TWITTER FILES BRAZIL, reported by investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger, and colleagues David Ágape and Eli Vieira, reveal that “Brazil is engaged in a sweeping crackdown on free speech led by a Supreme Court justice.”

    Sitting members of Brazil’s Congress and journalists were among those named by Brazil’s highest court for censoring, Mr. Shellenberger said of his findings, which he has shared on X.

    He named lower house members Carla Zambelli of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party and Marcel van Hattem of the NOVO party as targets of orders targeting posts the court deemed misinformation.

    According to the internal files Mr. Shellenberger shared, Twitter in Brazil was threatened with a $30,000 fine. The company had one hour to remove the Congress members’ posts or pay the court for noncompliance.

    The article reports that the justice had even been jailing individuals without trial for things posted on social media.

    According to Mr. Shellenberger, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes allegedly made demands to Twitter to allow access to its internal data, in violation of Twitter’s own policies on the handling of user data. –Epoch Times

    The “Twitter Files” also show that the justice “sought to weaponize Twitter’s content moderation policies against supporters of then-president @jairbolsonaro,” Mr. Shellenberger said—a similar trend to what the “Twitter files” revealed was happening to former President Donald Trump and conservative voices in the United States.

    The origin of the order to censor Brazilians’ posts was also revealed in the internal Twitter files, Mr. Shellenberger said.

    Brazilian Attorney General Jorge Messias backed de Moraes, saying in a post on X: “We cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law, failing to comply with court orders and threatening our authorities.”

    As Shellenberger notes in response to today’s action:

    Global elites have made clear that they believe that freedom of speech on a single social media platform, and one that is far smaller than Facebook or Google, is intolerable. This desire for total control is the central characteristic of the totalitarianism that is presently emerging from elites at the corporate and political levels around the world.

    In addition to pushing censorship, these leaders and global elites are seeking to overturn liberal democracies and impose a radically different system of iliberal rule in the Western world. Rather than meritocracy and equal justice for all, elites are seeking to impose a Woke racialist hierarchy that gives preferential treatment to some groups and prejudicial treatment to other groups supposedly based on historic oppression.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 16:55

  • Secret Service Agent Abandoned Her Post To Breastfeed
    Secret Service Agent Abandoned Her Post To Breastfeed

    Authored by Robert Arvay via American Thinker,

    According to a news report, a Secret Service agent, assigned to protect President Trump, abandoned her post to breastfeed her infant.  

    Okay, enough with the jokes.  

    This is some kind of anti-feminist fabrication, or some falsehood designed to impugn DIE.

    What next?  Women are unreliable when they are menstruating?  Was it a “take your child to work” day?  Here, my baby, let us shield the president with our bodies.  It’s Mommy’s job.

    Oh, wait.  It’s not a joke.  

    The report is real.  Women in law enforcement, apparently, are allowed to take their infants into potential gunfights.

    The Secret Service will, no doubt, claim that the woman acted against regulations.  But at what point?  When she showed up at the Trump rally in North Caroline with her baby?  When she accepted the assignment?  When she holstered her pistol, hopefully on the first attempt?  Heck, she might even get a medal for dereliction of dedication to duty.

    What about the Service itself?  Is it normal policy to assign mothers of newborns to potentially violent, even deadly situations?  Did it not occur to the supervisors when she returned from maternity leave that, hey, she now has a baby?  What accommodations should be made?  Should we take her pistol?  Rifle?  Should she be at a desk job?  And above all, keep her away from gently sloping rooftops.

    Or should we revisit the entire idea that women in certain jobs can be hired and assigned without any reference to their sex?

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 16:20

  • The Beginning Of The End? Germany To Ban All New Ukraine Military Aid
    The Beginning Of The End? Germany To Ban All New Ukraine Military Aid

    Three days ago, in the aftermath of the WSJ report seeking to radically shift the narrative over the Nordstream sabotage, where instead of the CIA being blamed for the explosion of the critical gas pipeline from Russia to Europe, unnamed “intelligence” sources forged on with a hilarious script according to which a top Ukraine general (operating initially under the instructions of Zelensky but then going rogue wen Z got “cold feet”) was responsible for coordinating the sabotage using a handful of rank amateurs who somehow managed to sneak to the bottom of the Baltic sea and conduct an unprecedented military operation, we said that – no matter the laughable veracity of the report – relations between Germany and Ukraine are “about to turn ugly”, and we asked why this story is coming out just now?

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    We didn’t have long to wait to get the answer: as German media reports, this U-turn in the narrative (which according to some meant that NATO should now unleash its full military power against…. Ukraine, which had single-handedly attacked German assets by blowing up the Nordstream) was meant to soften the blow from Germany’s decision to finally cut off Ukraine’s – and Zelensky’s – unprecedented grift.

    According to a Saturday report in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), the German government will stop new military aid to Ukraine as part of the ruling coalition’s plan to reduce spending. The report, which cited non-public documents and emails as well as discussions with unnamed sources, goes on to note that the moratorium on new assistance – which is already in effect – will affect new requests for funding, not previously approved aid,

    In a letter sent to the German defense ministry on Aug. 5, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said that future funding would no longer come from Germany’s federal budget but from proceeds from frozen Russian assets, according to the German newspaper. And since we already know that recent attempts to liquidate Russian assets crashed and burned over fears of escalating Russian retaliation, this effectively means no more aid for Ukraine.

    Berlin, which is Europe’s main supplier of military aid to Kyiv, had previously signaled a change in course on Ukraine last month, when the governing coalition of the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Liberals adopted a preliminary deal on a draft budget for 2025. The compromise detailed plans to slash future assistance to Ukraine by half to €4 billion to fulfill other spending priorities. And, it now appears, that even this token amount is about to be cut to zero.

    As we reported in June, the G7’s decision to extend a USD 50 billion loan to Ukraine, backed by immobilized Russian assets, was this summit’s most significant step forward. This loan structure reflects a typical compromise between the US and Europe. While the straightforward solution would involve seizing all of Russia’s frozen assets (estimated at USD 280 billion) to directly fund Ukraine’s war efforts, European countries – particularly France, Germany, and Belgium – aggressively shied away from this, viewing it as too aggressive and fearing Russian reciprocation. Instead, they opted for using the interest on matured assets, which amounts to only a few billion dollars per year. The first option would be a game changer, we said, “whereas the second option falls embarrassingly short.”

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    And now Ukraine will have to be satisfied with receiving whatever meager interest seized Russian funds generate.

    Meanwhile, the primary source of funding for Ukraine – the Biden family and various deep state operatives – is about to dry out, after Biden finally leaves the White House and quit politics forever in three months.

    Speaking after the Cabinet approved the draft budget in mid-July, Germany FinMin Lindner said Ukraine would have to rely more on funds from “European sources” as well as the frozen Russian assets. But it’s still unclear if, and when, that money will flow.

    According to Politico, contentions over Ukraine aid reportedly deepened the rifts in the ruling coalition in Berlin, already tattered by weeks of internal fights over a series of issues from the budget to welfare. Green leader and Economy Minister Robert Habeck said this week he plans to run for chancellor as the Greens’ candidate in the 2025 federal election, casting doubt on the survival of the governing alliance of which he is a member.

    “It’s quite obvious that this coalition has major problems finding common ground,” Habeck said regarding the recent disputes.

    “The ideas are falling apart.”

    Which is also why Zelensky will have no choice but to resort to ever-more-desperate and shocking provocations and diversions to keep the money flowing, as the alternative is complete devastation for Ukraine and its Western backers.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 15:45

  • Kamalanomics Blowback Begins As Food Prices Hit Record Highs
    Kamalanomics Blowback Begins As Food Prices Hit Record Highs

    “KamalaCosts” and “Kamalanomics” are trending on X on Friday afternoon as Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled her strategy to address the crushing economic environment faced by the working poor and middle class during her tenure as vice president in the Biden administration. 

    Recall that VP Harris was the biggest ‘Bidenomics’ cheerleader. 

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    It makes very little sense why VP Harris has recently admitted at campaign rallies there’s an ongoing inflation storm and affordability crisis, yet it appears she is throwing President Biden under the bus. However, she is second in command and trying to deflect accountability for nation-killing, out-of-control government spending that stoked the inflation storm.

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    Americans are beyond frustrated with inflation that the Biden-Harris administration has fueled over the past 3.5 years while VP Kamala Harris travels across the country, avoiding ‘unscripted’ press conferences and trying to convince voters at highly scripted campaign rallies that she’s not responsible.  

    After stealing former President Trump’s proposed ‘no tax on tips‘ plan, the geniuses behind VP Harris’ campaign thought it would be brilliant to introduce communist-style government price controls on grocery stores and food companies as their first major economic policy. The move was a complete disaster, and even the leftists at the Washington Post pointed out that it was a poor policy choice… 

    “If your opponent claims you’re a “communist,” maybe don’t start with an economic agenda that can (accurately) be labeled as federal price controls.” 

    Investment analyst Lyn Alden pointed out on X that grocery stores like Kroger have “razor-thin profit margins.” So the whole ‘corporate price gouging’ narrative by Harris’ team is just ‘malarkey.’

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    Producers of food products have similar margins in the low double-digit range. 

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    House Republicans reminded folks on X today about the sour subject of Biden-Harris’ food price inflation crisis:

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    Others pointed out that ‘Kamalanomics’ is just an extension of ‘Bidenomics’ and focused on the massive food price surges.

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    Meanwhile, the latest data shows burger prices at the supermarket are at record highs. 

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    Urner Barry wholesale data shows egg prices are erupting again. 

    VP Harris had 3.5 years to save the middle class – yet she focused on wokeism and failed at her ‘Border Czar’ job. 

    Food prices have yet to come back down to Earth. 

    The latest US CPI Food Prices At-Home index is up 21% since Biden-Harris entered office, while wages for the working poor and middle class are only up 19.8%. 

    Food prices at home rose 6.5% during Trump’s term (+1.6% p.a.). During Biden’s term, food prices at home were up over 21% (+5.5% p.a.).

    “Inflation is experienced at the grocery store, but always manufactured by the government. It’s the same story every time. The politicians who create it by printing money, villainize and blame companies that have nothing to do with it — to distract from their reckless spending,” Cameron Winklevoss wrote on X. 

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    The angle the Trump campaign appears to be taking is to hammer VP Harris and Democrats for their mismanaging of the economy that has financially decimated the working poor and middle class.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 15:40

  • "I Mean It": Biden Endorses Violence, Tells Dems To "Beat The Hell Out Of" Republicans
    “I Mean It”: Biden Endorses Violence, Tells Dems To “Beat The Hell Out Of” Republicans

    Authored by Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov via HeadlineUSA.com,

    Joe Biden urged supporters on Aug. 15, 2024, to “beat the h*ll out of” Republicans in the 2024 election.

    The Daily Wire reported that the violent rhetoric came during Biden’s first public appearance with Kamala Harris since he dropped out of the 2024 race. Harris became the Democratic Party’s nominee to face off against Donald Trump.

    “Let me tell you what our Project 2025 is: beat the h*ll out of them,” Biden told the crowd during an event in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

    After the far-left audience cheered for violence, Biden doubled down by saying, “I mean it!”

    Conservatives on social media quickly criticized Biden and leftists who supported him.

    “Disgusting!” the Trump War Room account wrote in a post while also noting that Biden’s remark came just a month after the attempted assassination against Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa.

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    “Is this a call to violence?” asked the Libs of TikTok account on Twitter, which is operated by Chaya Raichik and has over 3.3 million followers.

    Collin Rugg, who has an X account with 1.4 million followers, also responded to the violent rhetoric.

    “If Trump said this, it would be wall-to-wall coverage on MSNBC for the next three weeks,” he wrote, adding that the Washington Post “would be putting the ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness’ banner up.”

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    In June, Trump faced Biden in a debate hosted by CNN, and just weeks after the disastrous Biden performance, the leftist establishment removed him as a presidential candidate and replaced him with Harris.

    Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton are expected to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week. Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., are expected to accept their nominations and deliver remarks.

    Biden’s violent rhetoric was just another example of Democrats’ evil nature. It was also recently revealed that Nancy Pelosi issued death threats to pro-Trump Republicans as well.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 15:10

  • Ten Killed In Southern Lebanon In One Of The Deadliest Israeli Strikes Since Oct 7
    Ten Killed In Southern Lebanon In One Of The Deadliest Israeli Strikes Since Oct 7

    An overnight airstrike on southern Lebanon by Israel is being called one of the single deadliest attacks since the daily tit-for-tat exchange of fire began last October. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health announced the devastating attack killed at least ten people including “a woman and her two children” – and that five others were wounded, two critically. Some of the deceased were Syrian refugees.

    While Lebanon says that a residential building was hit, Israel’s military maintains that its air force struck a weapons warehouse run by Hezbollah about seven miles from the Israeli border, in Nabatiyeh.

    Structures destroyed by Israeli airstrike in Nabatiyeh, via AP.

    Al Jazeera says that some kind of factory building was struck in the attack, but that there was a residential floor with families and employees living there.

    “We are a well-known family in the area. We have no political affiliation and are not aligned to any political party. We are concerned only with our business and livelihood,” Hussein Tahmaz, the factory owner, told Al Jazeera. He rejected that Hezbollah used it for weapons storage.

    Hezbollah appeared to quickly retaliate, with Israel’s military conforming “approximately 55 projectiles” being fired into northern Israel on Saturday, resulting in no injuries.

    However, a separate attack resulted in a soldier being severely injured and another lightly wounded after a projectile from Lebanon struck 

    Meanwhile, international diplomats have been scrambling, talking to both sides in an effort to avoid all-out war, which still looms. For at least a month now, there has been a greater urgency of countries to get their foreign nationals out: 

    Many foreign nationals are gone, heeding the advice of their governments. Plenty of Lebanese have fled too. Others cannot tear themselves away – like the 30-year-old chef of a hip café (Beirut has too many of these to count). She is tattooed and candid but prefers not to be named.

    “Living in Beirut is like being in a toxic relationship you can’t escape,” she tells me.

    “I am emotionally attached. I have family abroad, and I could leave, but I don’t want to. We live day to day. And we joke about the situation.”

    In the next breath she admits business has suffered, and she has post-traumatic stress disorder. “It’s like a cold war for us,” she says. She is expecting a hotter one but hopes it will be short.

    Lebanon’s economy had already for the last couple years been in free-fall, with a severe banking crisis and runaway inflation, and with common Lebanese blocked from accessing their own savings by local banks.

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    Israel has warned that if all-out war breaks out it will send not just Hezbollah but all of Lebanon back to the “stone age”. Many Western carriers have for weeks suspended service to both Beirut and Tel Aviv, citing safety concerns.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 14:35

  • New Video Appears To Show DC Police Units Planting J6 Pipe Bomb
    New Video Appears To Show DC Police Units Planting J6 Pipe Bomb

    Via the Conservative Treehouse,

    One of the great mysteries about the January 6, 2021, events is the lack of curiosity by the FBI about who planted the pipe bombs at the DNC and RNC headquarters. Amid all of the available CCTV video and surveillance technology exploited by the justice department, their transparent unwillingness to identify the pipe bomber has always been a dog that did not bark.

    The Occam’s Razor explanation for why DC and federal law enforcement have been incurious, points to law enforcement actually planting the bombs.  New CCTV video seems to show exactly that.

    Shortly after 12:51pm a DC police SUV appears next to the park bench where the pipe bomb was discovered. [Video Below] A man with a bag exits the SUV, points to the bench, pulls up his right coat collar to obscure his face from the camera located across the street, then walks to the bench with the bag.  The “pipe bomb” device allegedly was found at 1:05 p.m. by a plainclothes officer from the Capitol Police.

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    Darren Beattie Reporting HERE – Julie Kelly Reporting HERE

    I am not going to repeat the reporting above, the timelines therein, or the granular details painstakingly outlined.  The research is solid, informative and accurate.  Instead, my focus is about “why” the pipe bombs were planted.

    Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy (House) along with Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell and Mike Pence (Senate) did not want the January 6th certification of electors challenged. If you suspect the 85 million votes for Joe Biden might have been manufactured (mail-in ballots), then you understand the DC motive to avoid any electoral challenge that might have resulted in state level legislative inquiry and/or vote counting review.

    To avoid the challenge to the electoral certification process, a lengthy and very formal process where the Senate must separate from the House as each state is formally questioned/challenged and a debate/vote on each state’s set of electors takes place (minimum 2 hours each state), an EMERGENCY process triggered by the House Speaker (Pelosi) was needed. That’s where the pipe bombs come into play.

    We have previously detailed the motives HERE.

    The J6 pipe bombs were the insurance policy, in the event the feds (Ray Epps et al) couldn’t get the crowd to comply with the FBI provocations.

    In essence, if no one stormed the Capitol, the finding of the two pipe bombs would have then been the emergency needed to stop the electoral process, evacuate congress and trigger the emergency session.  Which explains why the FBI had/has no interest in the DC pipe bomb suspects.

    As it turned out, the DC crew (Pelosi et al) didn’t need the “pipe bomb emergency” because the manufactured riot (opening the doors to the Capitol building etc.) worked. The J6 emergency need was fulfilled by the “riot” within the Capitol building; the bomb narrative was not needed.

    Julie Kelly – […] Just as the first wave of protesters breached the building shortly after 2 p.m., congressional Republicans were poised to present evidence of rampant voting fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Ten incumbent and four newly-elected Republican senators planned to work with their House colleagues to demand the formation of an audit commission to investigate election “irregularities” in the 2020 election. Absent an audit, the group of senators, including Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) pledged to reject the Electoral College results from the disputed states.

    The Hail Mary effort was doomed to fail; yet the American people would have heard hours of debate related to provable election fraud over the course of the day.

    And no one opposed the effort more than ex-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). 

    During a conference call on December 31, 2020, McConnell urged his Republican Senate colleagues to abandon plans to object to the certification, insisting his vote to certify the 2020 election results would be “the most consequential I have ever cast” in his 36-year Senate career.

    From the Senate floor on the afternoon of January 6, McConnell gave a dramatic speech warning of the dire consequences to the country should Republicans succeed in delaying the vote. He downplayed examples of voting fraud and even mocked the fact that Trump-appointed judges rejected election lawsuits. 

    “The voters, the courts, and the States have all spoken,” McConnell insisted. “If we overrule them, it would damage our Republic forever. If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral.”

    Roughly six hours later, McConnell got his way. Cowed by the crowd of largely peaceful Americans allowed into the building by Capitol police, most Republican senators backed off the audit proposal. McConnell, echoing hyperbolic talking points about an “insurrection” seeded earlier in the day by Democratic lawmakers and the news media, gloated. “They tried to disrupt our democracy,” he declared on the Senate floor after Congress reconvened around 8 p.m. “This failed attempt to obstruct Congress, this failed insurrection, only underscores how crucial the task before us is for our Republic.”

    Congress officially certified the Electoral College results early the next day. (read more)

    That’s how the whole process happened.

    Everything around the J6 events was set up by a small group of Marxists within government who are intensely ideological and supported by systems of Law and Order they created, purposefully to control the outcomes of their manipulation.

    The group then used the J6 Committee to further the false narrative, manufacture additional false claims, control the information flow and present themselves as victims within an insurrection effort they manufactured out of whole cloth.

    The J6 Committee was to the J6 story, as Robert Mueller was to the Trump/Russia collusion story.   The system controls the outcomes, hides the activity, and engineers false narratives (lies).

    ~ Support CTH Here ~

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 14:00

  • Vance's Plane Makes Emergency Landing In Second Trump Campaign Incident
    Vance’s Plane Makes Emergency Landing In Second Trump Campaign Incident

    A charter plane carrying Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) made an emergency landing at a Wisconsin airport on Friday – the second mechanical issue to hit  a Trump campaign plane in a week.

    Vance’s plane, dubbed “Trump Force Two,” reported a mechanical issue and made an emergency landing in Milwaukee, according to Vance spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk.

    “The pilot advised there was a malfunction with the door seal,” Van Kirk told several media outlets. “After declaring an emergency, Trump Force Two returned to Milwaukee. As soon as the issue was resolved, the plane returned to its originally planned flight path back to Cincinnati.”

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    Trump Force Two’s door seal issue was quickly resolved, and the plane continued on its intended path to Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airporet, according to a Van Kirk.

    Vance was traveling with his wife, Usha, US Secret Service agents, journalists, and his dog Atlas.

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    The incident comes after Donald Trump’s plane was forced to make an emergency landing Aug. 9 in Billings, Montana – roughly 150 miles from its intended destination of Bozeman.

    As the Epoch Times notes further, Trump traveled to Montana for a rally in Bozeman on Aug. 9, where he sought to rally support for Republican candidate Tim Sheehy, who is seeking to unseat longtime Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

    Vance was in Wisconsin on Aug. 16 to give a speech at the Milwaukee Police Association’s headquarters, focusing on crime and law enforcement.

    Vance emphasized the need for supportive law enforcement policies and criticized the current leadership’s policies, in particular around border security while advocating for stronger border control measures.

    “The border policies that we have at the southern border, they make our communities less safe even as far north as Wisconsin,” Vance said. “It means Mexican drug cartels operating in our communities. It means people dying of fentanyl.”

    Fentanyl deaths regularly make up around 70 percent of all drug overdose deaths in the United States. According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 75,000 Americans died from overdosing on synthetic opioids, mostly fentanyl, in 2023.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/17/2024 – 13:25

Digest powered by RSS Digest

Aug 17

Today’s News 17th August 2024

  • Stabbings To Show-Trials: 9 Simple Steps To Criminalize Free Speech
    Stabbings To Show-Trials: 9 Simple Steps To Criminalize Free Speech

    Authored by Kit Knightly via Off-Guardian.org,

    In the wake of the Southport attack and ensuing riots, we wrote that the agenda had become clear – it was about attacking free speech.

    Little did we suspect how quickly they would move, and how brazenly authoritarian they would become, culminating in quite literal show trials for facebook posts:

    All while the so-called “liberals” are applauding and spouting phrases they don’t realise they’ve been hypnotised into believing through endless repetition.

    “Tolerating intolerance just leads to more intolerance in the end.”

    “Free speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences”

    “It was never an absolute right”

    If it wasn’t obvious from the outset, it’s quite clear now that this entire situation has been a contrivance.

    As it turns out it was a masterfully played hand that has perfectly set up the template for other governments who may want to crackdown on free expression in the future.

    1. Violent Incident – A terrorist attack, bomb threat, violent murder or some such hits the headlines. The incident can be real or staged, it makes no difference.

    2. Push “Misinformation” – Publish an intentionally  falsifiable narrative of the above via anonymous accounts or non-mainstream sources, and use bots and shills to spread this “fake news”.

    3. Foment violence – Again using sock puppets and your bought-and-paid-for “alternative voices”, encourage disorder. Use undercover agents on the ground to direct and gradually inflame this situation until it becomes violent.

    4. Debunk “Misinformation” – Release the “real story” of the inciting incident, contradicting the initial “misinformation” you deliberately seeded (see #2).

    5. Blame Social Media – Through your controlled media, broadcast  the idea that social media “amplified” the original  “misinformation” (that you planted) and it is therefore to blame for the violence.

    6. Arrests – Begin arresting people for online comments (again, these can be real or fake, it makes no difference), but ensure the comments are unpleasant or stupid enough most people won’t defend them.

    7. Show trials and sentencing – Sentence people to prison for posting jokes and opinions on social media. Whether this is performed or actual, the desired effect will be the same.

    8. Legislation – Push through new legislation on hate speech etc. (or, in the UK’s case prepare to “revisit” legislation passed last year).

    9. Enjoy your precedent – Bathe in the adoration of people who should know better, enjoy your precedent and be ready to re-use it whenever you want.

    That’s the base plan.

    You can tweak it to add specifics to suit your agenda, for example, today in the UK they are trying rehabilitate the reputation of the police, attempting to rebrand them as “those brave boys who faced down the far-right”, rather then “those tools of the state who locked us down for no reason”.

    But the great thing about this template is it can be adapted for any situation, all you need to do is plan the attack and riots accordingly.

    Right now the UK has a new “Labour” government, eager to prove its “leftist” bona fides, so the stoked unrest was anti-immigration protests, allowing for a clamp down on the “far-right”.

    Next time, in the US, maybe a cop allegedly shoots a black suspect who is reportedly unarmed, sparking BLM riots – but oh no, it turns out the cop was black too and the suspect WAS armed, “leaked” CCTV proves it.

    Cue arrests of “far-left” BLM supporters calling for attacks on police or tweeting “All Cops Are Bastards” or anyone who spread the “misinformation” that the suspect was unarmed.

    …you get the idea.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 23:25

  • Ukraine Destroys Key Bridge In Kursk Region Using US-Supplied HIMARS
    Ukraine Destroys Key Bridge In Kursk Region Using US-Supplied HIMARS

    The Ukrainian government is still proclaiming that its forces are making progress into the southern Russian oblast of Kursk, while the Kremlin has at the same time said its troops destroyed an entire reconnaissance and sabotage group in western Kursk on Friday.

    Regardless of which side’s narrative of events are more accurate amid the fog of war, the biggest end of week development has involved the destruction of a key Russian bridge on Friday.

    The pro-opposition Amsterdam-based Moscow Times has identified that “The bridge, which spanned the Seym River near the town of Glushkovo, was partially damaged earlier in the day in an attack that killed two volunteer workers from the All-Russia People’s Front, pro-war bloggers said.”

    “Later on Friday, the bridge collapsed after being struck by a U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket, the Kremlin-aligned Mash Telegram news channel reported, publishing images of the destroyed structure,” the report continued. This is a reference to the US Army’s M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System which can be outfitted with either mid-range or long-range missiles.

    Aerial images and videos have been circulating throughout the day, and Acting Kursk region governor Alexei Smirnov has since confirmed that the bridge collapsed.

    The bridge was nearly seven miles north of the Ukrainian border, and was used as a key supply and logistics route for Russian forces fighting off the cross-border incursion.

    The Seym River bridge, via Mash

    The specific targeting of the bridge may be a move by Ukraine to solidify control of the Glushkovsky district, which leaves the protection of the Seym River a significant geographical barrier for Russian troops.

    If it is indeed true that a U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket struck and destroyed the bridge, this would mark a huge turning point of the conflict, where Ukraine troops are on Russian soil using American heavy rocket systems to take out major infrastructure.

    Ukraine’s air force boasted that it took out the bridge…

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    RIA additionally reported a Russian security official as saying additionally on Friday, “Samples of small arms manufactured by the United States and Sweden have been seized at the liquidation site of a Ukrainian sabotage group near the village of Kremyanoe in the Kursk region.”

    So it is very clear by now that at least on some level, Western-supplied arms are having a central role in Ukrainian invasion of Russia’s southern oblasts.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 23:00

  • The Crown Jewel Of American Socialism
    The Crown Jewel Of American Socialism

    Authored by Jacob Hornberger via The Future of Freedom Foundation,

    This week, the Wall Street Journal published some good news for proponents of Social Security, the socialist program that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law in 1935. The Journal reported that the Millennial generation — those whose age range is between 27 and 44 — have experienced a “dramatic turnaround” in finances. The Journal states:

    The median household net worth of older millennials, born in the 1980s, rose to $130,000 in 2022 from $60,000 in 2019…. Median wealth more than quadrupled to $41,000 for Americans born in the 1990s, which includes the generation’s youngest members, born in 1996. In early 2024, millennials and older members of Gen Z had, on average and adjusting for inflation, about 25% more wealth than Gen Xers and baby boomers did at a similar age, according to a St. Louis Fed analysis.”

    Why is that good news for proponents of Social Security? It assures them that there is more wealth that the IRS can confiscate to support and maybe even expand the program.

    The biggest myth in America today is that Social Security is a program in which people are “getting their money back.”

    One often hears the refrain, “For 40 years, I’ve paid into the system. I have a right to get my money back.”

    President Roosevelt signs the Social Security Bill on August 14, 1935.

    But it really is just a myth. There is no truth in it at all. No one “pays into the system.” No one is “getting his money back.”

    Social Security is nothing more than another welfare-state program, one based on the socialist principle of using the government to take money by force from one group of people and give it to another group of people. It’s no different from any other welfare program, such as food stamps.

    The IRS taxes people to get the money to fund the welfare-warfare state.

    It does not deposit any portion of that money into a Social Security lock box or a food-stamp lockbox that has each person’s name on it. The money also does not go into a Social Security retirement fund or a food-stamp emergency fund that earns interest.

    Instead, tax revenues are spent on receipt. When people paid payroll taxes 20 years ago, the money went to fund welfare-state programs, including Social Security and Medicare at that time, and also warfare-state programs like the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. In other words, the tax money that people today feel they “paid into the system” was spent a long time ago. The money that is being used to fund Social Security today is being seized by the IRS from their children and grandchildren and their peers.

    Proponents of Social Security claim that their support of this socialist program demonstrates their care and compassion. That’s silly. Where is the care and compassion of a program that depends on the forcible collection and redistribution of money by the IRS, one of the most tyrannical agencies in U.S. history? Genuine care and compassion comes from the willing heart of the individual — e.g., children and grandchildren helping parents and grandparents on a purely voluntary basis — along with church groups, charitable foundations, and the like.

    Among the worst aspects of socialism is the mindset of dependency that it inculcates in people. As a masterful politician, FDR knew what he was doing in enacting his socialist program. He knew that once he got people hooked on it, they’d never be able to get off it. Today, so many people are convinced that if Social Security were repealed today, there would be people dying in the streets tomorrow. Pure nonsense. Unlike socialism, freedom works. It not only produces wealth, it also brings out the best in mankind.

    Perhaps most important, any society that lives under socialism cannot under any stretch of the imagination be considered to be a genuinely free society. Oh sure, people can convince themselves that they are free under socialism but that’s simply self-delusion. Socialism and freedom are opposites. Our American ancestors clearly understood that, which is why America lived without Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, education grants, subsidies, and other welfare-state programs for more than 125 years. For those who want to experience what it’s like to live in a genuinely free society before they die, a choice must be made: Continue socialism and give up on freedom, or repeal socialism and experience freedom.

    Among the greatest gifts that today’s seniors could give to their children and grandchildren and to America before they die — and before America is bankrupted — is the repeal of Social Security and Medicare and the entire welfare-state way of life that FDR foisted upon America.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 22:35

  • Visualizing The Cost Of Insulin In The US (2004-2024)
    Visualizing The Cost Of Insulin In The US (2004-2024)

    Over the past few decades, the cost of insulin in the United States skyrocketed, affecting millions of people with diabetes relying on it every day.

    Insulin is produced by three major manufacturers in the U.S.—Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi.

    This infographic by Visual Capitalist’s Pernia Jamshed and Shabeeb Hammad focuses on the drastic price rise of Eli Lilly’s rapid-acting insulin, Humalog, using data sourced from Pharmaceutical Technology, NBC News, and Eli Lilly.

    Cost of Insulin from 2004 to 2024

    Humalog is one of the most well-known insulin brands globally. It is a fast-acting insulin that controls blood sugar levels in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

    In 1996, when it was first introduced, a 10 mL vial of Humalog cost $21.23. A decade later, this price shot up by over 200% to $70 USD.

    Over the 10 years from 2006 to 2016, the cost of insulin in the U.S. climbed to $255 for 10 mL Humalog, a 264% increase. By 2017 it reached $275 before increasing public scrutiny and legislation to cap prices in certain states stopped the climb.

    The cost to produce insulin, meanwhile, remained relatively constant. In 2023, an associate professor of medicine at Yale said that production costs of 10 mL Humalog were estimated to be between $2‒4.

    So what drove the cost of insulin? The complex answer involved pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), third-party organizations who negotiate drug prices on behalf of insurance companies, employers, and government programs. They negotiate discounts and rebates with the drug manufacturers (paying a reduced price), but in most cases the patients are charged the list price.

    This enticement of rebates, and a lack of competition, caused prices to climb unchecked. Whether the extra cost paid by patients went to PBMs, insurance companies, or drug manufacturers depended on the specific drug system and contract, part of the call for greater transparency in the market.

    Did Insulin Prices Come Down?

    In March 2023, Eli Lilly announced that it would reduce prices of insulin by 70% towards the end of 2023.

    This brought the price of 10 mL of Humalog to $66.40. In addition, it also announced that it planned to cap out-of-pocket costs for patients at $35 per month, irrespective of the cost of vials.

    But the exact implementation of the measure, and whether costs will rise in other places, has been unclear for patients.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 22:10

  • Judge Green-Lights Lawsuit Accusing PepsiCo Of Deceptively Advertising Protein Bars
    Judge Green-Lights Lawsuit Accusing PepsiCo Of Deceptively Advertising Protein Bars

    Authored by Katabella Roberts via The Epoch Times,

    A lawsuit against food and beverage giant PepsiCo alleging it made false claims about how healthy its Gatorade protein bars are can proceed, a federal judge ruled on Aug. 15.

    In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Casey Pitts in San Jose, California, said the three consumer plaintiffs in the legal challenge against PepsiCo had plausibly alleged that the company’s marketing and labeling was deceptive.

    As a result, the judge said the lawsuit can move forward.

    The ruling stems from a class-action lawsuit filed against PepsiCo in 2023 by three self-described fitness enthusiasts alleging the company “deceptively advertises that its Gatorade Protein Bars promote consumers’ fitness, health, athleticism, and well-being when they in fact contain high levels of total and added sugars that render such claims misleading.”

    In their lawsuit, the consumers argued that a single serving of PepsiCo’s Gatorade protein bar exceeds the daily, health-based limits for added sugars recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) for women and youth. It also approaches the daily limit for men, they said.

    The AHA recommends no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day for women and 36 grams for men.

    According to the lawsuit, PepsiCo’s Gatorade protein bars contain 29 grams of sugar, including 28 grams of added sugar and just 20 grams of protein.

    “Plaintiffs would not have purchased, purchased as many of, or paid as much for Gatorade Protein Bars had the product been marketed transparently—that is, as an excessively high added sugar candy or junk food the consumption of which health authorities recommend eliminating and/or limiting because of associated health risks,” the lawsuit stated.

    The consumers, in their lawsuit, also highlighted health advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noting that excessive consumption of added sugars correlates with obesity, diabetes, and other related medical conditions including cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

    They claimed PepsiCo violated multiple federal and state laws, including the California Unfair Competition Law, the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, California’s False Advertising Law, and the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act among others.

    PepsiCo Says Claims Are ‘Implausible’

    The three plaintiffs are seeking an unspecified amount in compensatory and punitive damages.

    PepsiCo had sought to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the claims were “implausible” because it did not market the bars as healthy or low in sugar, particularly for flavors like Chocolate Chip and Cookies and Cream.

    The company said in court documents that “truthful statements about protein, athletic recovery, and rebuilding muscles do not mean healthy or low in sugar,” and that the label does in fact disclose the sugar content of the bars.

    PepsiCo further argued that it is preempted under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and that the plaintiffs’ claims “would impose requirements for labeling sugar content that differ from the requirements of federal law.”

    In his ruling, Judge Pitts said plaintiffs in the lawsuit have plausibly pleaded that they were otherwise “reasonable consumers, were not knowledgeable enough to properly interpret the sugar content listed on the label, and were deceived given PepsiCo’s marketing campaign and self-proclaimed science-backed claims.”

    The judge noted that PepsiCo is correct that plaintiffs’ claims are preempted “to the extent they challenge health or protein-content claims that are consistent with federal regulations.”

    However, he found that many of the statements plaintiffs claim constitute deceptive or misleading advertising cannot reasonably be construed as health or nutrient-content claims, and therefore are not preempted.

    The judge also agreed that PepsiCo can make health- and protein-content claims consistent with federal regulations, noting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not consider sugar a “disqualifying ingredient” when making health claims.

    The Epoch Times has contacted PepsiCo for comment.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 21:45

  • Israel Stuns By Saying US, UK, France Will Assist In Offensive Strikes On Iran
    Israel Stuns By Saying US, UK, France Will Assist In Offensive Strikes On Iran

    Israel just upped the ante in its showdown with Iran amid ongoing concerns that an attack from the Islamic Republic could still be imminent in retaliation for the July 31st assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

    Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Friday that he expects not only the US but also its allies Britain and France to assist in offensive operations against Iran if it attacks. Katz conveyed the comments while meeting British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, in a bit of a risky diplomatic preemptive move given neither of these countries have openly proclaimed they are ready to launch direct attacks on Iran.

    UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Israel Katz, via GPO

    The Israeli FM was invoking the example of the United States, and said “that Israel expects France and Britain to publicly clarify to Iran that it is unacceptable for it to attack Israel and that if Iran attacks, the US-led coalition will join Israel not only in defense but also in an attack against significant targets in Iran.”

    It’s as yet unclear whether even Washington has signed onto this, though it has moved significant Pentagon assets including an aircraft carrier strike group and submarine into regional waters.

    When on April 13 Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones on Israel, US fighter jets helped intercept many of the inbound projectiles. American warships also engaged inbound missiles. But US involvement was only defensive, and ultimately there was no direct counterstrike on targets inside Iran. France and the UK also took part in this purely defensive operation.

    “Israel cannot not respond strongly to attacks on it,” Katz continued. His assumption is that clearly the US will partner Israel in any potential retaliation.

    And yet, Israeli media later said of the perhaps presumptuous remarks that they were softened in the later official readout produced by the Israeli foreign ministry:

    An English-language statement from the meeting, which was held in English, sent out by the Foreign Ministry softened Katz’s message and omitted the sentence about needing to retaliate…

    “I thanked them for their support of Israel and made it clear that the right way to deter Iran and prevent war is by announcing that if Iran attacks, they will stand with Israel not only in defense but also in striking targets in Iran.”

    However the US and Western allies have so far engaged in offensive strikes only on Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, amid the ongoing Red Sea shipping crisis. 

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    Katz’s words appeared intent on testing the waters and seeing just how far Israel’s Western partners might be willing to go. Certainly, Israel’s goading the US into direct attacks on Iran will be met with displeasure at least behind close doors at the White House, State Dept, and Pentagon.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 21:20

  • Appeals Court Rejects Challenge To California's Vote-By-Mail System
    Appeals Court Rejects Challenge To California’s Vote-By-Mail System

    Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    A U.S. appeals court on Aug. 15 turned away a challenge to California’s vote-by-mail laws.

    An election worker holds ballots in Pomona, Calif., in a file photograph. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

    Even though some invalid ballots may be counted in California under the state’s system, that does not meet the burden to show in-person votes were diluted, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said.

    The ruling addressed a case filed by the Election Integrity Project California (EIPCa) and other plaintiffs who appealed a ruling from a district court.

    “Assuming that California officials have inadvertently counted some invalid [vote-by-mail] ballots in the past, the effect that counting such ballots had on the relative voting power of all votes was the same, regardless of voting method or geography,” U.S. Circuit Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw wrote in the unanimous decision.

    “A vote dilution claim requires a showing of disproportionate voting power for some voters over others, and EIPCa has not made—and cannot make—that showing based on the facts alleged,” she wrote.

    Under U.S. Supreme Court precedent, vote dilution refers to votes carrying equal weight. Some voting systems, such as a Georgia county’s system that took tallied votes and selected officials using a majority of “county unit votes,” have been struck down by the courts.

    “The crux of a vote dilution claim is inequality of voting power—not diminishment of voting power per se. After all, dilution of voting power, in an absolute sense, occurs any time the total number of votes increases in an election. Vote dilution in the legal sense occurs only when disproportionate weight is given to some votes over others within the same electoral unit,” the appeals court ruling stated.

    While plaintiffs could have emerged victorious if they showed that a disproportionate number of invalid ballots were counted in favor of a particular candidate or party, the plaintiffs did not do that, the judges said.

    U.S. Circuit Judges Michelle Friedland and Jennifer Sung joined Wardlaw in the decision.

    All voters in California receive a ballot by mail. They can then choose to vote with the ballot or vote in person.

    The plaintiffs said the laws governing the mail ballot system have led to an unconstitutional dilution of votes cast by people in-person, according to the lawsuit first filed in January 2021.

    “Practices that promote the casting of illegal or unreliable ballots or fail to contain basic minimum guarantees against such conduct can violate the Fourteenth Amendment by leading to the diminution in value of validly cast ballots,” the latest version of the complaint stated. “Defendants have violated the Due Process Clause by implementing laws, regulations, and procedures that diminish the value of in-person voters, including EIPCa’s observers and plaintiffs in their respective counties.”

    The original complaint requested decertification of the 2020 election. The latest version asked for an audit of all vote-by-mail ballots from that contest.

    U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte Jr. dismissed the case in 2023, finding in part that even if invalid vote-by-mail ballots were counted, they amounted to “garden variety problems,” not significant issues as required by court precedent.

    The appeals court judges agreed.

    To show a violation of due process rights outlined in the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment, one needs to show massive disenfranchisement or complete lack of integrity, the Ninth Circuit’s ruling said, citing previous rulings.

    “Although EIPCa alleges that it has thousands of incident reports documenting ‘a vast number’ of election irregularities, it offers limited factual content, and none of the incidents EIPCa does describe ’transcend … garden variety problems,’” Wardlaw wrote.

    EIPCa did not respond to a request for comment. Inquiries to the offices of the California secretary of state and California attorney general were not returned.

    The challengers could ask the full appeals court to consider the case. Another option is requesting a review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 20:55

  • China Coal Production Hits New All Time High For July
    China Coal Production Hits New All Time High For July

    Another year, another record in CO2 emissions courtesy of the world’s biggest polluter.

    China’s coal output rose 2.8% in July from a year earlier as mines ramped up production to ensure steady supply amid record-breaking heat, China’s statistics bureau data showed, even though thermal power output fell while hydropower generation surged.

    As Reuters reports, the world’s biggest polluter and largest coal producer mined 390.37 million metric tons of the fuel last month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics data on Thursday, which while down from June’s 405.38 million tons, which was the highest level since December 2023, was the highest ever for the month of July, surpassing the previous record set in 2023 at 378 million tons.

    Average daily coal output in July stood at 12.59 million tons, down from 13.5 million tons a day in June but up from 12.18 million daily tons a year earlier.

    China’s national energy regulator said late in July it was coordinating power plant coal inventories to keep them at a minimum of 200 million tons because of continuing hot weather.

    Thermal power output disappointed the coal industry in July, however, falling for a third straight month as more electricity was generated by hydropower because of heavy rains in July. China’s thermal power generation fell 4.9% to 574.9 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) even as total power generation rose 2.5% to 883.1 billion kWh, the statistics showed.

    Production was lower particularly in China’s coking coal hub of Shanxi province, which produced 29% of China’s coal last year. Output was limited there after the local government told miners to curb excess production and announced stepped-up safety checks over the March-May period.

    But other provinces were more than happy to pick up the slack. Most of the extra output came from the country’s second-largest producing region Inner Mongolia, a record 104 million tonnes up from 97 million a year ago…

    … and fourth-largest producer Xinjiang, which added a record 41 million tonnes up from 33 million:

    Hydropower generation for the month rose 36.2% on the year to 166.4 billion kWh.

    China’s growing coal-to-chemicals industry is offsetting some of the slowing demand for coal-fired power, with coal consumption in the chemicals industry growing 21% in the first half of the year, wrote Lauri Myllyvirta, senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

    “China’s energy security drive and falling coal prices relative to oil prices have driven a boom in this industry,” Myllyvirta said.
    Analysts have said they expect China’s coal output to keep increasing through the third quarter on the hotter weather and as production recovers from a slump earlier in the year due to safety inspections.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 20:30

  • 21 Years After Bush Overthrew Saddam, Bill In Iraqi Parliament Could Legitimize Child Marriage
    21 Years After Bush Overthrew Saddam, Bill In Iraqi Parliament Could Legitimize Child Marriage

    Via Middle East Eye

    Women and children’s rights campaigners in Iraq have pushed back at proposals that could enshrine sectarianism in family relationships, hand more power in family matters to clerics and open the door for marriage to be legalized for children as young as nine years old.

    The amendments to Law No. 188, the Personal Status Law of 1959 have been heavily promoted by the Coordination Framework, a coalition of conservative Shia Islamist parties that form the largest bloc in parliament.

    Activists demonstrate against female child marriages in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, via AFP

    The first reading took place on Sunday, following a failed attempt on July 24 that was shelved after some parties objected. It is only the latest attempt to bring forward amendments to the law, with previous ones being shelved after political outcry.

    According to the draft bill, when concluding a marriage contract, a Muslim couple are required to choose either the Sunni or Shia sect. They can then choose that sect to represent them in “all matters of personal status” rather than the civil judiciary.

    “When a dispute occurs between the spouses regarding the doctrine according to whose provisions the marriage contract was concluded, the contract is deemed to have been concluded in accordance with the husband’s doctrine unless evidence exists to the contrary,” reads the draft, which was circulated by a number of Iraqi politicians on social media.

    It would also allow figures from “the offices of the Shiite and Sunni endowments” to finalize marriages rather than the courts. The draft requires Shia and Sunni endowments to submit a “code of legal rulings” to the parliament six months after ratifying the amendments, stipulating the Shia code would be based on “Jaafari jurisprudence”.

    Although the question of child marriage is not directly addressed in the amendments, previous versions of the bill have been more explicit and legal experts have warned that it could be allowed based on Jaafari jurisprudence. Many Iraqi marriages are unregistered and conducted by religious figures, making them illegal under the current Iraqi Personal Status Law.

    The proposed amendments could see those marriages – 22 percent of which, according to the UN, involve girls under 14 – legitimized by the state.

    However, last week the Coordination Framework insisted the amendments would come before the parliament, saying they were constitutional and did “not contradict the constants of Sharia and the foundations of democracy”.

    Ra’ad al-Maliki, the MP who proposed the bill, has also hit back at claims the bill would lower the age minimum for marriage, calling them “lies fabricated by some out of hatred for applying the provisions of God’s law to those who want them”.

    ‘No to the marriage of minors’

    Women’s rights organizations have publicly demonstrated against the bill. On July 28, a group of activists – including campaigners from the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) – gathered in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square in opposition to the bill.

    They held placards reading “the era of female slaves is over” and “No to the marriage of minors”. Yanar Mohammed, president of OWFI, told Middle East Eye that the Coordination Framework were trying to push the “archaic” laws as a means of distracting from their own failings, including “huge corruption”.

    “Their most efficient tool for this distraction is to terrorize Iraqi women and civil society with a legislation that strips away all the rights that Iraqi women gained in modern times, and force archaic Islamic sharia on them that regards women as bodies for pleasure and breeding, and not as human being[s] with human rights,” she said.

    She added that OWFI and others were building a “coalition” to try and prevent the bill from passing through the parliament and defend the current law.

    A number of Iraqi female lawmakers, including members from different factions, have meanwhile formed a coalition in opposition to the amendments of the Personal Status Law.

    “The group wants to make it clear to everyone that the rejection is not based on emotions or external motives, but on legal, religious, professional, and social considerations and people who are concerned about protecting the order of the Iraqi family,” Iraqi MP Noor Nafea al-Julihawi was quoted as saying by the Kurdistan24 news site.

    ‘Profoundly negative impact’

    The 1959 law was passed under the government of Abdul-Karim Qasim, a leftist nationalist who brought in a number of progressive reforms, including increased rights for women. Since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, however, rightwing [hardline Islamic] political parties in the country have attempted to roll back these rights.

    Statue of Saddam Hussein with an American flag before toppling the statue in downtown Bagdhad on Wednesday, April 9, 2003. via AP

    Previous versions of the bill have included rules preventing Muslim men from marrying non-Muslims, the legalization of marital rape, and banning women from leaving the house without their husband’s permission.

    The latest version is considerably less explicit, but campaigners fear its passage will allow religious authorities to introduce the rules through their establishment of the Personal Status code. “These proposed changes to the Personal Status law would have a profoundly negative impact on the rights and wellbeing of women and children in Iraq,” said Tamara Amir, CEO of the Iraqi Women’s Rights Platform.

    She told MEE that unlike previous attempts at passing the reforms, she believed that the current government – led by Coordination Framework member Mohammed Shia al-Sudani – would manage to get it passed, despite Iraqi society being “divided” on the issue.

    “They would further entrench gender inequality and put vulnerable individuals at greater risk,” she said. “We urge policymakers to reject these proposals and instead focus on strengthening protections for women and children.”

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 20:05

  • Kamalanomics Blowback Begins As Food Prices Hit Record Highs
    Kamalanomics Blowback Begins As Food Prices Hit Record Highs

    “KamalaCosts” and “Kamalanomics” are trending on X on Friday afternoon as Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled her strategy to address the crushing economic environment faced by the working poor and middle class during her tenure as vice president in the Biden administration. 

    Recall that VP Harris was the biggest ‘Bidenomics’ cheerleader. 

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    It makes very little sense why VP Harris has recently admitted at campaign rallies there’s an ongoing inflation storm and affordability crisis, yet it appears she is throwing President Biden under the bus. However, she is second in command and trying to deflect accountability for nation-killing, out-of-control government spending that stoked the inflation storm.

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    Americans are beyond frustrated with inflation that the Biden-Harris administration has fueled over the past 3.5 years while VP Kamala Harris travels across the country, avoiding ‘unscripted’ press conferences and trying to convince voters at highly scripted campaign rallies that she’s not responsible.  

    After stealing former President Trump’s proposed ‘no tax on tips‘ plan, the geniuses behind VP Harris’ campaign thought it would be brilliant to introduce communist-style government price controls on grocery stores and food companies as their first major economic policy. The move was a complete disaster, and even the leftists at the Washington Post pointed out that it was a poor policy choice… 

    “If your opponent claims you’re a “communist,” maybe don’t start with an economic agenda that can (accurately) be labeled as federal price controls.” 

    Investment analyst Lyn Alden pointed out on X that grocery stores like Kroger have “razor-thin profit margins.” So the whole ‘corporate price gouging’ narrative by Harris’ team is just ‘malarkey.’

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    Producers of food products have similar margins in the low double-digit range. 

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    House Republicans reminded folks on X today about the sour subject of Biden-Harris’ food price inflation crisis:

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    Others pointed out that ‘Kamalanomics’ is just an extension of ‘Bidenomics’ and focused on the massive food price surges.

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    Meanwhile, the latest data shows burger prices at the supermarket are at record highs. 

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    Urner Barry wholesale data shows egg prices are erupting again. 

    VP Harris had 3.5 years to save the middle class – yet she focused on wokeism and failed at her ‘Border Czar’ job. 

    Food prices have yet to come back down to Earth. 

    The latest US CPI Food Prices At-Home index is up 21% since Biden-Harris entered office, while wages for the working poor and middle class are only up 19.8%. 

    Food prices at home rose 6.5% during Trump’s term (+1.6% p.a.). During Biden’s term, food prices at home were up over 21% (+5.5% p.a.).

    “Inflation is experienced at the grocery store, but always manufactured by the government. It’s the same story every time. The politicians who create it by printing money, villainize and blame companies that have nothing to do with it — to distract from their reckless spending,” Cameron Winklevoss wrote on X. 

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    The angle the Trump campaign appears to be taking is to hammer VP Harris and Democrats for their mismanaging of the economy that has financially decimated the working poor and middle class.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 19:40

  • Aging Is Not A Gradual Process, But Accelerates At 2 Main Stages
    Aging Is Not A Gradual Process, But Accelerates At 2 Main Stages

    Authored by Cara Michelle Miller via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Aging has traditionally been viewed synonymously with a steady decline in health, but recent research unveils a more complex picture.

    Aging is not gradual but surges at key stages of life, particularly during our 40s and 60s, due to dramatic shifts in our molecules and microorganisms, according to researchers at Stanford Medicine, who published a study on Wednesday in Nature Aging.

    (PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock)

    The researchers analyzed how biomarkers—molecules such as RNA and proteins that reflect biological changes—shift across distinct five-year intervals in people aged 25 to 75 and beyond.

    Unlike standard medical evaluations, which might involve only 15 to 20 measurements, the researchers made “tens of thousands of measurements.” They found that biomarkers change most dramatically during two key periods in our lives: the mid-40s and the early 60s.

    The researchers found it interesting to find observable changes related to cardiovascular disease and other health issues. This is important because acknowledging such changes can lead to actionable steps for improvement, Michael Snyder, who holds a doctorate in biology and is the chair of genetics and the study’s senior author, told The Epoch Times.

    He added that understanding these specific periods of change could help in developing interventions.

    2 Key Periods of Change

    The researchers followed thousands of molecules and microbes in their investigation. About 81 percent of the molecules exhibited significant nonlinear changes, meaning they changed more at certain ages than others. Only around 7 percent changed at a constant rate as study participants aged.

    The study tracked participants over periods ranging from two to seven years. Previous findings from this same group of volunteers showed that people’s kidneys, livers, metabolisms, and immune systems aged at different rates.

    The researchers analyzed 5,405 samples from 108 participants, encompassing more than 135,000 biological features, including gene activity, proteins, metabolites, and microbiomes. This culminated in a total of nearly 250 billion distinct data points.

    When the researchers analyzed clusters of molecules showing the most significant changes, they identified two critical periods: the mid-40s and early 60s, during which these transformations were most pronounced.

    Around age 40, the following was observed:

    • Changes in molecules indicated a reduced efficiency in alcohol, caffeine, and fat metabolism.
    • The risk of cardiovascular diseases increased as platelets and proteins involved in blood clotting became impaired.
    • Skin cells and proteins became dysregulated, potentially impairing skin structure and elasticity.

    The following occurred around age 60:

    • Molecular changes indicated further reduced efficiency in metabolizing caffeine and essential fatty acids. Unsaturated fat production also decreased.
    • Glucose metabolism was affected, suggesting elevated insulin resistance.
    • Kidney function declined, as indicated by higher blood urea nitrogen levels, which show the kidneys are becoming less effective at filtering waste from the body.
    • Cardiac issues increased due to a rise in plasma levels of phenylalanine, an essential amino acid associated with heart problems.
    • Higher levels of cytokines, proteins that regulate the immune system, showed that the immune system weakens.

    For those in their 60s, monitoring kidney function and increasing water intake could be beneficial, Snyder suggested.

    Similarly, individuals in their 40s should heed changes in lipid metabolism and consider cutting back on fatty meals. Snyder pointed out that these insights underline the importance of recognizing and addressing biological changes to manage health effectively as we age.

    Overall, people in both age groups should consider exercising more to support heart health and preserve muscle mass. In one’s 40s, it’s also a good idea to drink less alcohol since the body doesn’t metabolize it as well anymore, added Snyder.

    The major changes seen in people’s mid-40s surprised Snyder and his team.

    “I don’t know that I would have necessarily known that there’d be such a big period of change [in] people at their mid-40s,” said Snyder.

    The researchers first thought that menopause or perimenopause might be causing these changes in women and affecting the overall results. However, when they looked at the data separately for men and women, they found that men in their mid-40s experienced similar changes. “[In women, people might think] maybe it’s all due to women hitting menopause,” Synder said. “But it turns out the same thing’s there, whether it’s male or female.”

    “This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to the changes observed in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more significant factors influencing these changes in both men and women,” study first author Xiaotao Shen, who has a doctorate in metabolomics and bioinformatics and is a former Stanford Medicine postdoctoral scholar, said in a press release. “Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research.”

    Personalized Medicine: Informing Lifestyle Choices

    The research team plans to explore the drivers of these clusters of change. Such changes point to the need for people to pay attention to their health, especially in their 40s and 60s, the researchers said.

    Snyder, who is also the author of the book “Genomics and Personalized Medicine: What Everyone Needs to Know,” said that the study is a step toward moving beyond generic advice like “exercise more” or “eat better” and creating personalized aging profiles that pinpoint exact health risks.

    ”By understanding these patterns … you can take action on it,” he added.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 19:15

  • Watch: Hezbollah Reveals Massive Underground Missile Base
    Watch: Hezbollah Reveals Massive Underground Missile Base

    The massive tunnel network underneath the Gaza Strip used by Hamas has long been known about, as has Iran’s deep underground missile silos which defend the Islamic Republic’s most sensitive military equipment from potential airstrikes, but much lesser known is Hezbollah’s network of tunnels under southern Lebanon.

    For the first time, Hezbollah on Friday published new video featuring a highly secretive underground facility from which its tens of thousands of missiles can be launched and stored. The location appears to be a mountainous area, given that the video is titled according to a translation, “Our mountains are our storage sites.”

    Hezbollah is calling the secret site “Imad-4” – after a commander who was killed by Israel in 2008, and it has passage ways that appear in some areas to be at least two stories high, or big enough to drive large military trucks through.

    Lengthy tunnels and corridors are showcased in the video, through which trucks with missile launch pads are seen moving, as well as smaller combat vehicles like motorcycles or armored carriers.

    Mobile rocket launch vehicles can apparently fire from out of the bunker when a tunnel entrance opens up. The video and messaging is intended to spook Israel as the potential for a broader war looms.

    Lebanese newspaper Al Mayadeen suggested that it is not the only underground site, but that others exist. The publication wrote that Hezbollah “is not afraid to go to war, and is prepared for it if [Israel] decides to go too far in escalation and aggression.”

    “The capabilities of the Islamic Resistance, especially missiles, are fully prepared to defend Lebanon … the secrecy of the site allows Hezbollah’s missile capabilities to be immune from any preemptive Israeli strikes,” Al Mayadeen continued.

    Given that Iran has long had its own underground ‘missile cities’ which it showcases from time to time, it is likely that Iranian advisers led the way in helping to construct Hezbollah’s tunnels.

    Watch Hezbollah’s nearly 5-minute long video below:

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    In the Gaza Strip, it has been precisely Hamas’ use of literally hundreds of miles of underground tunnels which has allowed it to survive the Israeli onslaught. Small guerilla teams can strike Israeli convoys and then rapidly retreat back to the tunnels. Israel says it has thus far killed at least 17,000 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, but there are believed to still be many thousands more.

    Given that most war analysts consider Hezbollah’s capabilities to be superior to Hamas’, Israel would likely have an even tougher up-hill battle if it eventually invades southern Lebanon in an effort to destroy or degrade the Shia paramilitary force.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 18:50

  • US Living Standards In Grave Danger
    US Living Standards In Grave Danger

    Authored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Epoch Times,

    “Inflation cooled, lower than expected,” read the financial press on the release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for July. One only needs to look carefully: when month-to-month changes are down, those alone get the headline. When they are up, as they are in July, the headline focuses on the 12-month trend. Every time.

    Based on the data release we have, the “cooling” is actually up from June to July, if you can believe it.

    (Data: Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), St. Louis Fed; Chart: Jeffrey A. Tucker)

    Most of the change is driven by housing but the CPI is far from capturing the whole. By using a black-box statistic called Owners Equivalent Rent, the CPI is able to completely bypass and not report data we actually have on housing prices. And that’s just the start of the problems we’ve discussed many times. Even so, the CPI still reveals something. Even then, we keep being told life is better than ever.

    We know it is not true. Everyone to whom you speak knows the financial and economic strains of our time. They are grave and growing, and most data points are now underscoring the point. The jobs market even in hourly employment is freezing up, while inflation continues to take its toll. It is well known, finally, that we have lost far more than 20 percent of our purchasing power over four years. How much is still largely a guess based on spending patterns.

    The distance between the official data—which still shows rising real output—and the consumer surveys is striking to behold. In some ways, the official economic data of our times is another iteration of the growing sense that we are not being told the whole truth in many sectors of life.

    However, there are still times when the truth seeps out. CNN commissioned a well-constructed poll of about 2,000 random people to find out where they stand on personal finances. The headline number: nearly 40 percent of Americans are struggling to pay their bills. That is up from 28 percent from only three years ago, and a higher number than back in 2008–09, the period known as the Great Recession.

    Two-thirds of people say that the number one issue they face is the cost of living and paying their bills. The typical American is spending nearly $1,000 more per month compared with three years ago just to pay living expenses. That is according to Moody’s, but it also fits with the intuition we all have. It suggests a dramatic decline in real household income, despite what the Bureau of Labor Statistics claims.

    The survey further reports that a third of Americans say that they have to take an additional job to make ends meet. This has disproportionately affected Latinos and black Americans and those under the age of 45.

    Nearly 70 percent report that they have cut back spending on entertainment, changed their grocery buying, and otherwise stopped with the extras like vacations and trips. Three in five say they have cut back on driving. Two-thirds are putting bills on revolving credit cards charging more than 20 percent. These trends show no change despite the seeming taming of inflation.

    Inflation has been raging for years, but it is easy to slip into denial or believe that the price increases are going to reverse themselves. This was certainly the case from mid-2021 and following, as people were told that the price trend was transitory, a word that sounds a bit like temporary. Many people believed it and tried their best not to change their spending and lifestyle habits.

    Three years in and the hard realities of accounting are hitting nearly everyone. The effect of this is cascading through every sector as spending on extras is culled across the board.

    I was speaking to a journalist for a New England local paper that had always been supported by advertisers, including arts venues. But following lockdowns, arts institutions never really came back. Traffic at major museums is half what it was, and philanthropy is down as well. That leaves less in the budget for advertising.

    As a result, this newspaper has experienced a growing financial crisis, and everyone is now aware of how it ends. The paper will go out of business, eliminating many dozens of paid positions. These people will face a very hard job market with ever fewer numbers of open positions.

    (Data: Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), St. Louis Fed; Chart: Jeffrey A. Tucker)

    Many large companies are posting dreary sales outlooks, including Starbucks, Home Depot, and McDonald’s, as consumers are increasingly tapped out. There is a great deal of fear and uncertainty extant among consumers and producers alike. It’s been a rude awakening.

    Consumer sentiment has never recovered its January 2020 highs, and instead has fallen by a third.

    (Data: Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), St. Louis Fed; Chart: Jeffrey A. Tucker)

    For the better part of 45 years in this country, we’ve mostly experienced what we can call good and prosperous times with some bumps along the way. The trouble traces to the way government policy has handled these bumps. They have been addressed by adding ever more liquidity to the system, rescuing the macroeconomic environment from too much damage by virtue of credit expansion.

    Gone were the days of 1982 when recessions were tolerated as a means of cleansing the system and preparing for a robust recovery. Instead, monetary magic would be deployed to abolish the business cycle forever.

    Prior to 2020’s inflationary bonanza, this was never more aggressive than in 2008 when the Federal Reserve decided to enter the markets and buy up failing mortgage securities, keeping them in the vaults of the Fed, while recapitalizing the banks. The Fed then slammed interest rates to zero while paying more than the free market for interest to hold bank deposits.

    This seemed like a solution, but the decision caused the underlying conditions to worsen, extending the housing bubble to become a corporate and financial bubble too. This is the whole in which an entire generation came of age. Payrolls ballooned and so did salaries as cheap money seemed to be everywhere without a limit. Year after year went by with the underlying decay in capital structures taking place but without much public awareness.

    The Federal Reserve’s balance sheet now looks completely preposterous, and this is added to the broadest measure of money called the monetary base. This is not hot money on the street, but rather the valuation of all monetary instruments. It needs to be unraveled but no one knows how.

    (Data: Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), St. Louis Fed; Chart: Jeffrey A. Tucker)

    The Fed’s options to deal with a cascading crisis are severely limited. Oddly, the United States finds itself in a position similar to Japan about a decade ago. Japan could not raise its rates for fear of unraveling the world’s most popular “carry trade” that encouraged borrowing low and earning high, but note that this was a source of the global financial instability in the first week of August. That problem was plugged once again with an assurance of more liquidity.

    We just cannot continue to “solve” problems this way, as the inflation of the last three years has shown. It does seem relatively tame for now but the future could involve yet another wave as central banks once again come to the rescue of economies falling into recession.

    At some point, we will need to recapture the old wisdom that economic downturns serve a function. They cleanse capital markets. They encourage consumers to cut back on debt and save more if possible. Unviable and bloated corporate projects are winnowed down to size. The entire nation and globe experience what used to be called austerity.

    That is our future one way or another. People have long awaited a big crisis but we might be looking for the wrong thing. The real crisis will be slow and grinding, and unreported until it is too late.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 18:25

  • Defense Firm Unveils Cybertruck For Special Forces, Able To Survive "IEDs" 
    Defense Firm Unveils Cybertruck For Special Forces, Able To Survive “IEDs” 

    It was only a matter of time before a defense company introduced a complete armor package for the Tesla Cybertruck, given that Elon Musk promoted its stainless steel exoskeleton as bulletproof against 9mm rounds and buckshot blasts. The billionaire said in late 2023, “The apocalypse could come along at any moment, and here at Tesla we have the finest in apocalypse technology.”

    On Friday, Archimedes Defense and Unplugged Performance’s UP.FIT unveiled a new bolt-on ‘ultimate defense upgrade’ for the Tesla Cybetruck to protect against “14.5mm heavy machine gun rounds” and “IED/mine protection” for military and defense operations. 

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    “Archimedes Defense and Unplugged Performance have joined forces to bring you STING—a groundbreaking series of up-armored, genset-equipped Tesla Cybertruck packages designed for those who demand the highest levels of Performance, protection, and energy independence. Engineered for both government and civilian use, STING is built to thrive in the harshest environments, offering unmatched capability for anyone who needs to be ready for anything,” UP.FIT wrote on its website. 

    There are three distinct variants of the STING, with STING APC being the most extreme for war zones. 

    ‘This level of protection is critical for military and defense operations where threats are not only present but imminent and severe. Additionally, the optional genset enables long-endurance missions, ensuring that your vehicle remains operational for extended periods without the need for external power sources,” UP.FIT explained. 

    Hmm.

     Unplugged Performance wrote on X that the Cybertruck STING packages are primarily for government buyers. 

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    The question becomes how many Tier 1 operators will request an armored Cybetruck with a built-in 125kW generator for constant recharging on the modern battlefield. An upgrade from the Toyota Hilux?

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 18:00

  • Trump To Be Surrounded By Bulletproof Glass At Outdoor Events
    Trump To Be Surrounded By Bulletproof Glass At Outdoor Events

    Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

    The Secret Service is to implement a raft of new security measures for upcoming outdoor rallies featuring President Trump, including surrounding him with bulletproof glass, according to a source.

    The Washington Post reports that the USSS has begun storing the glass in locations around the country in order to prepare for Trump campaign events.

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    The source stated “Former presidents and candidates don’t normally get bulletproof glass or support from DoD [Department of Defense],” adding “This glass needs to be brought in on trucks and vans.”

    The report further notes that acting USSS head Ronald Rowe has overseen the plans after convening with Trump’s team.

    The report claims that Trump aides said he wants to do more outdoor rallies again, including a return to Butler PA where he was almost assassinated. However, he stated that he did not want to go on a stage outside again without the protective glass.

    Previous presidents, including Trump himself have utilised the glass before.

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    Trump spoke about the assassination attempt again during a press conference at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club on Thursday afternoon.

    A reporter asked him “You’ve spoken about God saving your life and I’m wondering, have you put much thought into why God saved your life? As in for what purpose has he been shielding and protecting you?”

    “That was a miracle,” Trump responded, adding “It’s a miracle and God had something to do with it and maybe it’s – we want to save the world.”

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    Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 17:40

  • "Margin Calls, Death, Divorce & Bankruptcy": Art Lending Market Booms As Rich Americans Scour For Liquidity 
    “Margin Calls, Death, Divorce & Bankruptcy”: Art Lending Market Booms As Rich Americans Scour For Liquidity 

    “If you’re an owner and need liquidity now, you pause on selling and instead borrow against your art, waiting for better market conditions,” Adriano Picinati di Torcello, global art and finance coordinator for Deloitte, told Bloomberg, adding that’s sparked growth across the art-lending market. 

    A rising number of affluent Americans with fine art collections have called their wealth advisors, asking about creative ways to unlock liquidity while keeping the multi-million-dollar Andy Warhol painting on the living room wall – for family and friends to appreciate over a glass of wine. 

    With art sales slowing and valuations sliding after decades of outperformance, wealth advisors are telling clients to reevaluate their options instead of sending the art to the Sotheby’s auction block. 

    New data from Bloomberg shows the global art market has cooled significantly in a high-interest-rate environment. From its peak in mid-2021, the Fine Arts Index has slid 32%. In fact, the index has been levitating at a ceiling since 2011, following the run-up after the Dot Com bust.

    Wealth advisors tell clients that art lending provides a significant advantage over borrowing against stocks and bonds: the valuation is updated just once a year, compared to the daily stock fluctuations that result in unexpected margin calls. 

    “We’re not asking what the value of your Andy Warhol is every day,” said Katy Lingle, US head of lending solutions at JPMorgan.

    Bloomberg sheds more color on the expanding art-lending market for high net-worth Americans that’s become a booming business for Wall Street banks: 

    As the market expands, Wall Street’s biggest firms are growing their efforts by adding staff and marketing the service to new and existing clients. While the precise size of the market isn’t certain, Deloitte estimates outstanding loans against art could surpass $36 billion in 2024, up from $29 billion to $34 billion last year. That also compares with $20.3 billion to $23.6 billion of such loans outstanding five years ago, according to Deloitte.

    The largest US banks are looking to broaden their reach into the art market as a way to bring on and retain some of the world’s wealthiest individuals and families. Catering to the affluent often means competing with rivals to offer more diverse products, fighting the constant threat that clients can move their money elsewhere.

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    Bank of America has seen new credit lines backed by art rise more than 14% compared to a year ago, according to Drew Watson, head of art services. Its book of art loans recently hit its highest on record. Within JPMorgan’s asset and wealth management business, art lending is up 1% year-over-year, in-line with other loans in that business, according to a spokesperson.

    Chadwick Chilcot, a high-net-worth wealth advisor at Wilmington Trust, explained that art lending among clients is certainly growing… 

    It’s a steadily growing line of business for many of private banks that cater to high-net worth individuals. I tell my clients it’s another tool in the toolbox that can help optimize their balance sheet and unlock some liquidity. Sometimes the art is just sitting on the wall but is a large part of the value of their balance sheet. Especially when you consider how much art has appreciated over the last 20 years. I tell them you might as well make it work for you just like any other asset.

    If they have an “investment grade collection” with a qualified appraisal and that is properly insured we can easily lend off those assets. The last thing as a bank we want to do is come in and take those painting off the wall. Usually give them a line of credit with some sort of LTV. The assets are reappraised every 1-2 years and the line of credit goes up or down based on the appraisal. It’s a very straightforward process.

    Philip Hoffman, the founder of art advisory firm The Fine Art Group, explained, “There are margin calls, death, divorce and bankruptcy, so we have endless interest for lending.” 

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 17:20

  • US Reaches Deal To Cut Prices On 10 Medications
    US Reaches Deal To Cut Prices On 10 Medications

    Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that it has successfully negotiated lower prices for 10 of the most expensive and widely used drugs covered under Medicare.

    “For the first time ever, Medicare negotiated directly with drug companies and the American people are better off for it,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in an Aug. 15 statement, adding that the new prices, set to take effect in 2026, are expected to save the Medicare program $6 billion in the first year and reduce out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries by $1.5 billion.

    President Joe Biden speaks to participants of the White House Creator Economy Conference in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, on Aug. 14, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

    The selected drugs, which include blood thinners including Eliquis and Xarelto, diabetes medications such as Jardiance and Januvia, and treatments for heart failure and autoimmune diseases, accounted for $56.2 billion in Medicare spending in 2023 alone, per a CMS fact sheet.

    Nearly 9 million of the 54 million people with Medicare Part D coverage were dispensed the 10 drugs that are the subject of the price reductions.

    The negotiation process, led by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), involved discussions with pharmaceutical companies over several months.

    “These negotiations will not only lower the prices of critically important medications for cancer, diabetes, heart failure, and more, but will also save billions of dollars,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a statement.

    Before the drug prices were finalized, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that drug price negotiations could save the federal government $25 billion by 2031.

    CMS said that, next year, it can select another batch of drugs for price negotiations.

    “Our team is actively working on the next cycle of negotiations where we will combine what we have learned from this first cycle and apply it in negotiating prices for the next round of up to 15 selected drugs,” Meena Seshamani, CMS deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicare, said in a statement.

    After selecting 15 drugs covered by Medicare Part D for price negotiation for 2027, CMS will choose another 15 drugs for 2028, with plans to select up to 20 drugs each year after that.

    The 10 selected drugs that will be cheaper in 2026, along with their Medicare costs from May 2022 to June 2023 and the percentage discount of the negotiated price from the 2023 list price, are as follows:

    • Eliquis: A blood thinner used to reduce the risk of stroke, costing Medicare $16.5 billion, to be 56 percent cheaper.
    • Jardiance: A diabetes and heart failure medication, costing $7 billion, to be 66 percent cheaper.
    • Xarelto: Another blood thinner, costing $6 billion, to be 62 percent cheaper.
    • Januvia: A diabetes drug, costing $4.1 billion, to be 79 percent cheaper.
    • Farxiga: Used for diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, costing $3.3 billion, to be 68 percent cheaper.
    • Entresto: A heart failure drug, costing $2.9 billion, to be 53 percent cheaper.
    • Enbrel: Treats autoimmune conditions, costing $2.8 billion, to be 67 percent cheaper.
    • Imbruvica: A leukemia treatment, costing $2.7 billion, to be 38 percent cheaper.
    • Stelara: Treats autoimmune diseases, costing $2.6 billion, to be 66 percent cheaper.
    • NovoLog, Fiasp (insulin aspart): Insulin products, costing $2.6 billion, to be 76 percent cheaper.

    The White House said in an Aug. 15 statement that the negotiations were made possible thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which gave Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical companies.

    “For years, millions of Americans were forced to choose between paying for medications or putting food on the table, while Big Pharma blocked Medicare from being able to negotiate prices on behalf of seniors and people with disabilities,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “But we fought back–and won.”

    Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to join Biden at an event on Aug. 15 to announce the drug prices, which will mark their first joint speaking appearance since she replaced him at the top of the Democratic ticket.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 17:00

  • Money-Market Fund Assets Hit Record Highs, Banks See Large Deposit Outflows As Stocks Crashed
    Money-Market Fund Assets Hit Record Highs, Banks See Large Deposit Outflows As Stocks Crashed

    As stocks continued to crash last week, money-market funds saw a second week of significant inflows (+$28.4BN) which together with the prior week’s $52.7BN, pushed total MM assets under management to a new record high of $6.216 TN…

    Source: Bloomberg

    And while bank deposits also saw (huge) inflows the prior week, the week-ending 8/7 saw seasonally-adjusted (SA) US bank deposits plunge $77BN – the biggest weekly drop since Tax Day in April…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Non-seasonally-adjusted (NSA) deposits also tumbled (by $74BN)…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Excluding foreign deposits, US bank domestic deposits (SA and NSA) plunged as stocks tumbled (-$70BN and -$78BN respectively)…

    Source: Bloomberg

    On an SA basis, large banks saw $73.5BN of deposit outflows (the biggest since march 2023 – SVB!) and small banks $3.5BN on inflows. On an NSA basis, large banks suffered an $82BN deposits drawdown while small banks saw $4BN in inflows…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Fiittingly, on the other side of the ledger, bank loan volumes plunged last week (driven by a $17.6BN drop in loans at large banks offset very modestly by a $0.8BN increase in loan volumes at small banks)…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Finally, we note that US equity market cap rose this week while bank deposits at The Fed remained flat…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Will this historically-strong relationship ever re-couple?

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 16:40

  • Welcome To The 'Take No Prisoners', 'End Of The Road' Election
    Welcome To The ‘Take No Prisoners’, ‘End Of The Road’ Election

    Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com,

    “It’s all projection of their own bad desires, bad actions, personal afflictions to the point where the best way to tell what they plan to do is to see what they accuse others of.”

    – El Gato Malo on Democrats

    It’s fun to muse on the torrent of panicked, deranged texting between Democratic Convention delegates as a runaway train of malignant fates, bad choices, insane policies, delusional ideas, and feral emotion drives them to nominate a moron for president. The confusion and self-doubt must be epic. Are we really gonna do this? Is this really happening? You must imagine this is the same state of mind as, say, a car-full of drunken bridesmaids fishtailing down the highway at 70mph toward a telephone pole.

    The mis-plays and subterfuges that brought them to this pass cannot be undone: the insult of letting “Joe Biden” front for a criminal blob government, the many hoaxes and the exorbitant lawfare lawlessness, the gross mismanagement of public affairs, wreckage of institutions, ruined economy, devalued dollar, destruction of households and communities, sexual lunacy and programmed mental illness — this is the party’s legacy. Are none among them even a little bit ashamed of the damage they’ve done to this nation? And maybe wondering about it between one another? Perhaps even anxious to make it stop?

    And so, the delegates head to Chicago, a city in civic freefall, to either pretend to celebrate the capricious selection of utterly dubious leaders imposed on them by unseen hands, or, just maybe, to revolt against the evil cabal affecting to “defend our democracy” by squashing it. Of course that’s inside the convention. Lord knows what hijinks are being concocted for outside the United Center arena by the various tribes that run on hot yellow bile these dog days of summer — the Hamas mob, the sex freaks, Antifas, BLMs, assorted Bolsheviks, anarchists, utopians, climate change sob-sisters, Gramscian culture stompers, Spartacists, Trotskyites, Jacobins, Fabians, and plain old riffraff out for fun and loot. The gigantic parking wasteland surrounding the United Center on West Madison Street has the look of a perfect battlefield.

    All that commences on Monday.

    In the meantime, much misdirection zings around the Trumpian opposition and the outlier Robert F Kennedy, Jr., as the intel blob that runs mainstream media attempts to seed dissension and confusion amongst them. It includes rumors that Mr. Trump made “a deal” with the blob to go all flabby in exchange for getting let off the hook on his many blob-contrived lawfare problems. The chance of that being true must be zero, even though New York Judge Juan Merchan has an opportunity to send the former president to jail on September 18. I would like to see him try that. It will surely prompt the most momentous and memorable tableau of symbolic resistance in US history since John Paul Jones yelled to the British ship Serapis requesting his surrender, “I have not yet begun to fight.”

    As for RFK, Jr., stories circulate that Mr. Trump tried (and failed) to make a deal that would have got Bobby on-board as veep, or some other juicy assignment, if he would drop out of the race. But it’s hard to see exactly how that discredits either of them, since just about everybody expects Mr. Trump, if elected, to employ Bobby for, at least, cleaning up the public health and pharma sectors of the blob — an epic task he’s ideally suited for.

    Then, there was malicious chatter late this week that Bobby had approached Kamala Harris with a proffered endorsement in exchange for a key position in her government — assuming that massive ballot fraud ensures her victory November fifth. Mr. Kennedy denied the rumor and went on to denounce the current incarnation of the Democratic Party as utterly inimical to everything it used to represent when his father and his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, were in office, especially on matters of free speech and censorship.

    As that quarrel rolled out, Judge Christina Ryba kicked Bobby off the New York ballot for supposedly mis-stating that he was a New York resident on his own voter registration. He intends to appeal. New York has become a judicial sewer under Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul.

    So, stand by now to see whether Kamala Harris and Tim Walz come out of next week’s convention Mixmaster the same way they went in: as bona fide candidates. At some point Ms. Harris will have to demonstrate some fitness for high office besides being a go-go dancer and a laugh riot. Tim Walz acts so unhinged in front of every audience that I expect the campaign to stuff him in a broom closet when the convention is over — should he actually still be on the ticket when all is said and done.

    It seems at this point that the brooding Matron of Chappaqua will never get her “turn” in the White House after all. It must gall Hillary to see history change her out for an equity hire with half a brain. Politics is a cruel business. You’ll see just how cruel the next time they try to whack Mr. Trump in this No Prisoners, End of the Road election campaign. It will almost certainly get crazier from here.

    *  *  *

    Support his blog by visiting Jim’s Patreon Page or Substack

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 16:20

Digest powered by RSS Digest

Aug 16

Today’s News 16th August 2024

  • France: Political Chaos
    France: Political Chaos

    Authored by Guy Millière via The Gatestone Institute,

    Paris. June 9. 8pm. The results of the European Parliament elections were made public.

    In France, the party of President Emmanuel Macron garnered 14.6% of the vote, 8 points less than in 2019; the French population had turned away from Macron. The Socialist Party came out with 13.8% of the vote and Rebellious France, a far-left party, 9.89% of the vote. The moderate right party, The Republicans, received only 7.25% of the vote and continued to slide towards insignificance. The right wing National Rally received 31.3% of the vote, 10 points more than in 2019, an extremely high result for a long-marginalized party.

    Macron’s policies were clearly rejected by the French electorate. A recent poll showed that only 31% of French people said they were satisfied with his management of the country. He could have decided to wait. He was re-elected in 2022 and can remain president until 2027. His party did not have an absolute majority in the National Assembly (France’s parliament) but was the leading party, which could also remain in place until 2027.

    Macron could not ignore that the result obtained by the Rebellious France party was worrying: Rebellious France is not only a far-left party, it is also a party tinged with anti-Semitism and counts supporters of Islamism and terrorist groups such as Hamas in its ranks. Macron also did not ignore that the National Rally’s growing support has come from all those who rejected his management of the country and were apparently extremely worried about what France is becoming.

    Macron could see, according to polls, that if legislative elections were organized immediately, his Together party would lose; Rebellious France would gain even more political weight, and the National Rally could win an absolute majority.

    He was also aware that the Olympic Games were about take place in Paris, and that since 2017, when he came to power, demonstrations and riots in France have been frequent; any decision on his part could create massive disorder at an extremely bad time.

    He nevertheless decided to dissolve the National Assembly and hold legislative elections on very short notice.

    He did not warn anyone.

    Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, whom he appointed just six months earlier, learned of the decision while speaking on television. He was not shy about showing his anger. Other members of the government learned of the decision at the same time as Attal.

    On June 30, the first round of elections led to the expected results. Together (Macron’s party) received a slightly larger share of votes than in the European Parliament elections, but a far smaller than in France’s 2022 parliamentary elections, and was heading towards a scathing defeat. Rebellious France managed quickly to form a left-wing coalition (the New Popular Front), which it dominated and on which it imposed an extremely radical program. It promised large tax increases, disarming the police and immediate regularization of all illegal immigrants in the country.

    The left-wing coalition has clearly been gaining ground. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of Rebellious France, to emphasize that he accepts anti-Semitism and supports Hamas and Islamism, gave a speech on June 30 about his party’s results in the first round, while standing on stage next to an Islamist pro-Hamas activist, newly-elected Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan. Hassan wore a keffiyeh and displayed on her clothes a small Palestinian flag.

    The National Rally won an even better result than it had in the European elections: a third of voters gave it their support. The National Rally was well ahead in all electoral districts in the country, except in big cities. It clearly looked able to win a majority in the second round.

    Macron then decided to wage total war against the National Rally. He described it in extreme terms and used vocabulary as radical as that used by the leaders of Rebellious France. He could see that the National Rally has a conservative program that is perfectly respectful of institutions, but nevertheless falsely described it as a party belonging to a “fascist” extreme right and a “threat to democracy“. He warned that if the National Rally came to power, the survival of the French republic would be at stake, and added that all parties, including Rebellious France, must unite against the National Rally to defeat it.

    An unprecedented situation in France took shape: all the candidates from other parties were asked to withdraw from the election and support the candidate of another party better placed to defeat the National Rally candidate, even if the better-placed candidate belonged to a party that they totally rejected.

    Some candidates from Together asked people to vote for Rebellious France candidates, and some Rebellious France candidates asked people to vote for Together candidates. The Republicans also participated in the mayhem. Former President François Hollande, running for a seat in the National Assembly, supported Rebellious France.

    The French mainstream media contributed to the operation and fueled fear of “fascism”. They accepted the propaganda. Rappers, who are widely listened to in Islamic no-go zones, released a song that calls for the murder of Jordan Bardella, the president of the National Rally, the rape of party leader Marine Le Pen, and the elimination of “Zionist Jews”. The song was described by some journalists as a courageous “song of resistance” and was broadcast over the radio. One of the lines from the song goes: “From the Jordan to the Seine, Palestine will be free” – a call not just for the destruction of Israel, but for the submission of France to Sharia law and Islam.

    On the evening of the second, run-off, round, which was held July 7, it became clear that scaring the public had worked.

    The National Rally won only 142 seats out of 577.

    Macron’s party, Together, lost a third of its seats and sank from 245 to 166 seats.

    Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s anger is apparently still intact. The other members of the government are also less than euphoric. They knew that Attal could resign soon (he resigned on July 16 and remains in caretaker role), and that it will be the end of the government of which they are part. Any support that Macron still had on June 9 has almost completely evaporated. Macron is alone, discredited.

    The “left”, with 184 seats, became the largest group in the National Assembly; Rebellious France, its most powerful component. The party’s leaders present themselves as the spearhead of the “anti-fascist struggle”; claim that they must govern the country, and that to remove them would be to make “concessions to fascism”. They do not bother to hide their anti-Semitism and their support for Hamas and Islam. One of them, Raphael Arnault, a leader of the Antifa movement in France, is on the list established by the French police of people dangerous for the security of the country. This is the first time that a leader of a movement that is officially dangerous for the security of the country has become a member of the National Assembly.

    France has become almost ungovernable. No political party has a majority. No party can form a government coalition without having to renounce the most essential part of its program.

    The power acquired by Rebellious France means that a government which does not have its approval cannot claim to govern. In addition, no new parliamentary elections can be organized for a year.

    France seems to be condemned to political instability and disorder.

    National Rally leaders emphasize that their party received the largest number of votes and that Macron’s maneuverings stole the election from them.

    Polls have shown for months that a majority of French people would like a firm fight against crime, a stop to illegal immigration, and an end to the Islamization of the country. All these points were on the program of the National Rally.

    By having strengthened Rebellious France, Macron created a situation where there will undoubtedly be less fight against crime, more illegal immigration, an increase of Islamization.

    Economic data shows that France is currently in a recession. The country’s debt is growing. The debt has increased by 30% in seven years. Year after year, the government budget is in a deficit that is increasing. By the endo of 2024, France’s budget deficit will be 5.1%.

    Every year, on average, 500,000 new immigrants, mainly from the Muslim world, settle in France. Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants reside in the country. Few are expelled. Islamic no-go zones are growing.

    On the evening of July 7, Rebellious France organized a large rally in Paris’s Place de la République. Palestinian flags were everywhere; French flags almost nowhere. Speakers presented hateful slogans against the National Rally, Israel, Jewish journalists, and the police. Demonstrators burned cars and trash cans, and destroyed stores.

    Many French Jews are aghast. Before the elections, Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld and the former president Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, Dr. Richard Prasquier, said that, faced with the rise of Islamic left-wing anti-Semitism, they had decided to vote for the National Rally. In fact, the National Rally throughout this period was the only party to explicitly denounce Islamic left-wing anti-Semitism.

    Commenting on the results of the election, the Rabbi Moshe Sebbag, of the Grand Synagogue of Paris, said, “there is no future for Jews in France”. He recommended that Jews who could, should leave France.

    The Olympic Games, which ended on August, featured in the opening ceremony a decapitated Queen Marie Antoinette, carrying her severed head in her arms, and a blasphemous reenactment of the Last Supper by drag queens, with a nearly-naked man, painted blue, served on a platter. The author Éric Zemmour responded on X

    “The great architects of this spectacle (Macron, Boucheron, Hidalgo, etc.) have taken the beauty of Paris, the most beautiful setting in the world, hostage. But these people are not us. They don’t represent us. They are foreign to what we are. Enemies of what we were. They want to impose on us a vision of Man that is not ours.”

    At the end of the ceremony, Macron, to loud boos from the crowd, declared the Paris Olympic Games open.

    The columnist Ivan Rioufol, in a book published seven years ago, analyzing the first decisions taken by Macron at the start of his presidency, noted that Macron had acted impulsively; had sought to destroy the political parties that had governed France for decades; seemed to have no defined guideline, and seemed to despise the French population. Rioufol added: “His reign will end in a nightmare”.

    Are we about to find that out?

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/16/2024 – 02:00

  • 10 Things To Know About Afghanistan On The Third Anniversary Of The Taliban's Return To Power
    10 Things To Know About Afghanistan On The Third Anniversary Of The Taliban’s Return To Power

    Authored by Andrew Korybko via substack,

    The Taliban returned to power three years ago on 15 August 2021 after capturing Kabul amidst the panicked Western withdrawal from Afghanistan.

    Most of the world has since forgotten about that country due to the Ukrainian Conflict, however, which is why it’s worthwhile updating everyone about what’s happening there.

    What follows are the ten things that folks should know about Afghanistan.

    1. American Sanctions Remain A Major Impediment To Socio-Economic Recovery

    The US continues to sanction Afghanistan and freeze those of its assets that that the former government placed within its jurisdiction. This has impeded the country’s socio-economic recovery, though that was precisely the point. The US hopes that the difficult living conditions that it contributed to creating might one day give rise to a rebellion that could threaten the Taliban’s control of the country.

    2. The Taliban Has Yet To Form An Ethno-Politically Inclusive Government

    The Taliban previously pledged to form an inclusive government, which observers interpreted as a commitment to elevate the roles of ethnic minorities and the opposition, but that has yet to come to pass. They’ve also imposed restrictions on woman since returning to power. These policies have served as the pretext for the international community’s refusal to recognize their government’s legitimacy.

    3. Afghanistan’s Astronomically Large Rare Earth Deposits Are Still Untapped

    The lack of formal recognition has complicated the Taliban’s plans to profit from the estimated $1 trillion worth of rare earth minerals under Afghanistan’s soil, which could make it integral to global supply chains one day. Its economy could also be revolutionized if production facilities are established inside the country and these serve as anchors for more diverse foreign investments.

    4. Opium Production Is Practically Non-Existent After The Taliban Banned It

    The Talban banned opium cultivation eight months after returning to power, which led to a whopping 95% reduction in production. Afghanistan is now no longer the world’s opium capital, but it’s struggled to replace this crop with other ones, thus leaving some farmers out of work. They might in turn become more susceptible to joining terrorist groups in order to replace their lost income.

    5. ISIS-K Hasn’t Been Wiped Out Despite The Taliban’s Best Efforts

    ISIS-K is the only force inside of Afghanistan capable of toppling the Taliban, but they haven’t been wiped out despite the latter’s best efforts over the past three years. They continue to recruit new members over social media, train some of them, and plan attacks from their sanctuaries there. The Taliban requires more intelligence and better arms in order to quash this global threat once and for all.

    6. The Taliban’s Ties With Former Patron Pakistan Have Deteriorated

    The expectation that some had of Pakistan restoring its influence over Afghanistan upon the Taliban’s return to power were shattered after the group turned against its patron by hosting “Pakistani Taliban” (TTP) militants that Islamabad considers to be terrorists. Tensions between these two have pushed them to the brink of war, but cooler heads have prevailed thus far, though they might not prevail forever.

    7. A Planned Canal Has Worsened Relations With The Central Asian Republics

    Afghanistan’s ties with Pakistan aren’t the only ones to deteriorate over the past three years since the Taliban’s planned Qosh Tepa Canal has worsened relations with the Central Asian Republics. Ties with secular Tajikistan were already troubled since it objects to the fundamentalist Taliban’s alleged mistreatment of its co-ethnics but this brings Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan on its bad side too.

    8. India And The Taliban Surprisingly Patched Up Their Prior Problems

    Taliban-Pakistani tensions aided the group’s rapprochement with India, against whom it used to train Kashmiri militants, but integration into its North-South Transport Corridor has yet to be completed due to the aforesaid problems with the Central Asian Republics and Iran. Even so, this might have influenced their decision to recognize Kashmir as separate from Pakistan, which aligns with India’s interests.

    9. Russia Might Become The First Country To Recognize The Taliban’s Government

    Economic and security interests are responsible for Russia officially considering lifting the Taliban’s terrorist designation and subsequently recognizing its government. The Kremlin wants to tap into Afghanistan’s astronomically large mineral deposits that the Soviets first discovered, utilize the country’s transregional connectivity potential, and facilitate the Taliban’s anti-terrorist operations against ISIS-K.

    10. Afghanistan Can Play A Pivotal Role In Eurasia’s Multipolar Integration

    Last but not least, the restoration of Afghanistan’s independence after two decades of Western occupation enables it to play a pivotal role in Eurasia’s multipolar integration, though ties with its neighbors must improve before that happens. In that event, it can facilitate North-South trade between Russia/Central Asia and Pakistan/India and East-West trade between Iran and Central Asia/China.

    As can be seen, while Afghanistan no longer functions as a US airbase in the Eurasian Heartland, it’s now a source of unconventional threats to the region after the Taliban returned to power via its hosting of the TTP, its controversial canal plans, and failure to defeat ISIS-K.

    Nevertheless, Afghanistan has more geostrategic potential than ever before, but it must resolve these issues in order to capitalize upon this.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 23:25

  • Two Illegal Aliens Steal $1 Million Patek At Gunpoint In Beverly Hills Hotel In Broad Daylight
    Two Illegal Aliens Steal $1 Million Patek At Gunpoint In Beverly Hills Hotel In Broad Daylight

    Up until now illegal aliens mostly raped and/or killed country bumpkins from the flyover states, so the Hollywood propaganda machine wasn’t too worried: after all none of their important Democrat buddies were in danger. But things are changing, and in a dramatic example of just how brazen “migrant” criminals in the US are becoming in the confines of such Democrat bastions as Tinsel Town, one week ago two illegal aliens stole a  $1 million Patek Philippe wristwatch at gunpoint from a man who was sitting with his wife and daughter at the patio restaurant of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. During the crime, which took place in broad daylight on August 7, one suspect pointed a gun at the man while the other removed the watch — a rather gaudy looking 5711/113p-001 Emerald Nautilus — from his wrist before fleeing in a getaway car, according to documents filed Tuesday in federal court in Los Angeles.

    Patek Philippe 5711/113P-001 | Nautilus Platinum Emerald

    Yet what the criminal duo, which according to authorities was part of a “crime tourism” ring, exuded in confidence they lacked in brains, and three days later, authorities said the police captured the suspects – Jamer Mauricio Sepulveda Salazar, 21, of Colombia, and Jesus Eduardo Padron Rojas, 19, of Venezuela – driving a different vehicle that had been linked to a previous armed robbery in Beverly Hills when a $30,000 Rolex was stolen.

    Source

    An affidavit attached to the criminal complaint indicated that the suspects belong to a South American Theft Group, designated transnational criminal organizations of citizens from countries such as Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. According to federal authorities, “these groups commonly exploit the US immigration system and make fraudulent claims to enter the country.” Translated into English: these are illegal aliens who abuse the already lax laws, and slide in and out of the US as they desire, with the sole purpose of robbing rich Americans blinds.

    A spate of watch thefts has also plagued New York City in recent months. Some of those incidents have involved unidentified individuals placing men in chokeholds until they lose consciousness and then grabbing the victims’ watches. In the latest theft, on Aug. 9, the victim was attacked at a subway station, according to the New York City Police Department.

    Last month, the city’s police reported six other heists going as far back as March, some of them at upscale restaurants in Manhattan and in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

    In June, a victim was held up at gunpoint outside Carbone, a trendy Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village. Two men robbed his $100,000 watch and then fled the scene on a motorcycle. Another robbery targeted three men sitting at an outdoor restaurant in SoHo where one of two assailants flashed a silver firearm and took their watches worth $40,000, $35,000 and $8,500.

    Police are looking for multiple suspects in these incidents, although they may have to look all the way in Venezuela or Colombia where these “political refugees” promptly return to, to avoid getting caught on US soil.

    In the Los Angeles case, Bloomberg reports that the criminals surveilled the Patek Philippe for two weeks before making their move. The victim and his family are UK citizens who reside in the United Arab Emirates, according to court documents.

    If convicted on all counts, Sepulveda faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison, while Padron faces as many as 20 years. In reality, they will most likely be released immediately because the judge is some liberal idiot.

    Authorities described the heist as a form of “crime tourism,” involving people who live “nomadic lives” in Airbnbs and motels to avoid arrest after entering the US. Which, of course, is better than calling yet another brand of criminals “illegal aliens.” They use counterfeit identification and aliases to disguise their identity and criminal history, according to the court documents. But while they may use counterfeit identification as a disguise, fear not: they – along with 300,000 other “migrants” every month – would never lie about why they are entitled to “political asylum” in the US. And since they promise to vote for Harris, nobody in the admin’s immigration services will both to check their lies.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 23:00

  • States Need To Make It Easier To Evict Squatters, Report Says
    States Need To Make It Easier To Evict Squatters, Report Says

    Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times,

    States that have permissive policies on squatting—a growing phenomenon in the United States—need to make the practice a criminal offense, the writers of a new report from Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) say.

    Squatting is occupying an unoccupied or abandoned area of land or a building without having legal permission to use it. Although squatters don’t pay rent and sometimes damage the properties they take over, evicting them can be difficult and costly.

    Most states are reluctant to allow criminal prosecution of squatters as trespassers and prefer treating incidents as landlord and tenant disputes. Police who wish to avoid potentially violent confrontations often don’t want to take direct action and instead advise property owners to seek eviction orders from judges.

    Kyle Sweetland, strategic research manager at PLF, is a co-author of the report, “Locking Squatters Out: How States Can Protect Property Owners.”

    Sweetland acknowledged that there are some thinkers who say squatting is a legitimate means of redistributing wealth.

    On the other hand, “legal scholars argue that states’ treatment of squatting as a civil rather than criminal offense amounts to a government-approved taking of private property without just compensation, a violation of property owners’ Fifth Amendment rights,” he said in an Aug. 13 interview.

    States are “letting somebody live rent-free at your home while you have to wait for this much longer process” to unfold to regain possession of it, he said.

    Model Legislation

    PLF, a national, nonprofit public interest law firm, has developed model legislation called the Stop Squatters Act that state legislatures can use to level the legal playing field, he said.

    The legislation declares that “the right to exclude others from entering, and the right to direct others to immediately vacate, residential and commercial real property are fundamental property rights.” It also provides civil and criminal penalties for squatters.

    PLF senior attorney Mark Miller said, “It is long overdue that we start treating squatters like what they actually are—trespassers.”

    “Squatters illegally take property that doesn’t belong to them, and some sell the owner’s belongings, trash the property, or use it for illicit activities,” Miller said in a statement.

    “They shouldn’t be given special legal protections.”

    The White House has acknowledged that squatting is a problem but has been wary of promoting federal policies to deal with it amid calls for national anti-squatting legislation.

    On April 8, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “This is a local issue” and that it was “critical that communities take action to address this issue in a way that works best for them.”

    “It is important that we protect the rights of both property owners and also renters. But I also want to be clear here: Anyone found guilty of a crime should be held accountable,” she said.

    Statistics Show Squatting on the Rise

    Quantifying the problem is difficult because the FBI’s national crime database doesn’t track squatting.

    The PLF report says national statistics on squatting incidents are unavailable, but in 2023, the National Rental Home Council surveyed its members and reported that Atlanta (1,200), Dallas (475), and Orlando (125) experienced the greatest numbers of homes subjected to squatting at some point, although the figures weren’t broken down by year.

    But case counts for litigation against squatters that were obtained from civil court records in Georgia and New York showed an upward trend that began in 2019.

    The case count in Georgia rose from three in 2017 to 50 in 2021 and 198 in 2023. In New York, there were nine cases each in 2020 and 2021, and 62 in 2022. The figure for 2023 fell to 37.

    But these figures likely understate the true number of cases filed because the records examined for Georgia covered courts in only 25 of the state’s 159 counties, and the records for New York exclude local civil courts in towns and villages, the report says.

    Meanwhile, public concern over squatting has caused eight state legislatures to pass new laws to criminalize the practice and make it easier for property owners to remove squatters, according to the report.

    Although most states treat squatting as a civil matter to be resolved in court, as of May 2024, Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Tennessee, Washington, and West Virginia have laws on the books that make squatting a crime.

    Legislation has been introduced in North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania that would bolster property owners’ rights against squatters.

    Some states, such as Colorado, have created an expedited legal process for removing squatters. Since April, Georgia has had a law in place that cuts the time for repossession of a property to 10 days from eight months, the report says.

    Since July, Florida law has allowed property owners to ask law enforcement to immediately remove squatters. The local sheriff can remove an unauthorized person if ownership of the property can be verified. To guard against abuse, a person wrongfully removed can sue for damages equal to triple the fair market rent.

    Sweetland said that the attention now being paid to squatting has helped some legal reforms happen and that this is giving homeowners “a much better process of getting repossession of their homes.”

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 22:35

  • Coming To San Fran? Viral Video Shows 'Sub-Lethal' Remote Gun Protecting Commercial Building
    Coming To San Fran? Viral Video Shows ‘Sub-Lethal’ Remote Gun Protecting Commercial Building

    South Africa ranks third in Africa on the Global Organized Crime Index. Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban are among the most dangerous cities in the country, suffering from high levels of violent crime, carjackings, robberies, and murders.

    Given the South African government’s inability to protect individuals and businesses from the chaos, one South African company has developed a non-lethal remote control gun mounted on light poles that shoots intruders. 

    Johannesburg-based Sublethal developed the non-lethal remote-control gun that fires standard .68 caliber paintballs with solid nylon bullets or pepper balls. 

    “This weapon is frequently used in security in South Africa and internationally where non-lethal force should be used,” Sublethal wrote on its website. 

    A video of the weapon in use in South Africa has gone viral on X in the past day, garnering more than 5 million views. 

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    Here’s the full video:

    Sublethal noted, “The remote gun will not autonomously shoot anyone. The gun is controlled either from a control center or from the user’s cellphone. Either way, there is a human who decides when to shoot.” 

    It’s only a matter of time before this non-lethal remote-control gun, mounted on light poles, finds its way into commercial yards across the US, given the Democrats’ inability to uphold common sense law and order. 

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 22:10

  • The Overclass Exposed
    The Overclass Exposed

    Authored by Robert Gore via StraightLineLogic.com,

    “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”

    -Upton Sinclair

    The overclass has produced far less than it has taken and has destroyed far more than it has created.

    The overclass is the cohort in both government and ostensibly private enterprise who derive their sustenance directly or indirectly from government in exchange for goods or services. It consists of the relatively small group who rule, and the much larger group, numbering in the millions, whose defining characteristic is that government is the source of their compensation. For analytic clarity, this group does not include people who receive money from government (e.g. Social Security, AFDC) that is not salaries.

    The overclass includes the massive administrative state, the military, intelligence, government contractors, much of public and private academia, many nongovernmental organizations and foundations, parts of the mainstream media, much of the scientific and medical establishments, and state and local governments. A substantial chunk of the $11 plus trillion that all levels of government will spend this year, an estimated 38.12 percent of the GDP, will flow into these pockets (figures from usdebtclock.org).

    The underclass consists of that group who work in non-government-related private enterprise. Their output must satisfy a market test—someone has to be willing to pay more for it than the cost of the inputs used to generate it. This is a crucial distinction between the underclass and overclass, who are not subject to this market test.

    While some members receive high incomes and are wealthy, the underclass is the underclass because legally it is subjugated to the overclass; its production supports the overclass. Statistically, underclass average compensation and benefits are now less than those of the overclass (it used to be the opposite).

    The overclass produces less than it consumes and has grown relative to the underclass. The mounting national debt confirms both assertions. Ironically, that debt provides handsome incomes to the overclass sector that markets and trades it.

    While billionaire oligarchs, prominent politicians, celebrities, journalists, academics, and woke warrior leaders arouse the most ire and dismay among their opposition, it is the overclass layer just below that top strata that has a vice grip on American governance and is the biggest obstacle to any meaningful change. They will never let go because they must hold on; current arrangements provide their livelihoods, prestige, and power. What makes this group so invidious is that its role is rarely acknowledged or even recognized.

    It is a common observation that transfer payments from the welfare state essentially buy votes and keep recipients docile. However, who has more political influence―those recipients, or the bureaucrats who administer transfer programs; professors who spend their careers chasing government grants; Department of Agriculture officials who dispense crop support payments or oversee the department’s myriad programs and the agricultural interests who are their beneficiaries; the executives and employees of defense contractors; the TSA goons who harass you at the airport; the IRS goons who harass you at tax time; the DHS America lasters who champion open borders; scientists and administrators at national laboratories; researchers who cook up government-mandated vaccines; spooks who cook up regime changes; teachers who dumb down and indoctrinate our kids; government censors; central banker functionaries who debase the currency; and so on and so on and so on. Transfer payments are huge and unsustainable, but their recipients’ political clout is dwarfed by that of the overclass. Transfer payees can’t pay Hillary Clinton $600,000 for a speech; Goldman Sachs can and did.

    The second tier of the overclass almost completely escapes moral scrutiny. They are not remote figures like the rulers and string-pullers. They are relatives, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, and they go to the same stores, cocktail parties, backyard barbecues, sporting events, school plays, churches, and synagogues as the underclass. Overclass incomes make them a large percentage of what’s left of the shrinking middle class, although affluence puts many of them above middle class.

    Rarely will productive members of the underclass that supports the overclass think about their relationships with the overclass in such terms. It’s not: “Bill works at the Department of Energy and wastes my tax dollars working on green energy scams”; it’s: “Bill works at the Department of Energy and we get together with our wives for dinner every so often.” If an underclass son or daughter is admitted to an Ivy League school, graduates, and secures a high-status, high-paying job in government, most underclass parents are delighted.

    The moral posture of the overclass rests on social conditioning that politely overlooks two facts. Overclass compensation is stolen from the productive underclass, and the market value of overclass output is exceeded by the market value of the inputs used to produce it. The national debt grows as the real income of the underclass shrinks. The overclass’s face-saving justification is that the value of their output is measured in non-market metrics—the common good, public interest, or some other airy intangible.

    What shreds that justification is the overclass’s massive destruction of value measured by either market or non-market metrics. America’s wars since World War II have cost tens of trillions of dollars and millions of lives. As the empire crumbles, can anyone cite a single intangible value they’ve advanced? They’ve had nothing to do with the defense of America proper, and everything to do with protecting various “interests” that are generally not specified because they are usually overclass rackets.

    The trillions that government has thrown at health, education, and welfare have not produced equal or greater trillions’ worth of health, education, and welfare. They have produced all manner of social pathologies, including falling life expectancies; dumbed down, indoctrinated kids; greater than 50 percent out-of-wedlock birth rate; and crime-infested cities. The overclass has produced far less than it has taken and has destroyed far more than it has created. By any standard of value, it has failed.

    Repeated failure is not a recipe for self-esteem. Overclass insecurity is often hidden by arrogance and maintained by fig-leaf justifications that among themselves they refuse to question. However, outside of their insular psychological garrison, those justifications are under increasingly strident attack, and they see an existential threat.

    Their support structure is collapsing. The unbalanced arithmetic that allowed for an expanding overclass, whose real compensation steadily grew, has reached its limit. The productive underclass can be squeezed no more, and interest rates ratcheting up indicate credit market queasiness at the exponentially mounting debt. The stock market and the statistics are signaling imminent recession or worse. They toll the bell for the unaffordable overclass and their unaffordable privileges and pretensions.

    Inside their insular garrison, the unmentionable is still unmentioned; but try as they might, they can’t ignore the barbarians at the gate. The barbarians don’t realize the benefits of their own subjugation, notwithstanding reams of “correct information” plied directly from government and through approved media. Instead, they’ve swallowed “dis-”, “mis-”, and “malinformation” through uncontrolled media that is devilishly difficult to control or censor. Whack one mole and two more pop up.

    The symbol of all this gauche unruliness is Trump, at whom they direct their vitriol. He rips away flimsy pretenses and must be stopped by means fair or foul. He’s a symbol, but what he symbolizes is quite real: underclass recognition and resentment of overclass exploitation.

    Unfortunately for the underclass, the chances of meaningful change via the ballot box are remote. For one thing, the overclass cheats; but even if Trump wins, it will be as difficult to make his rhetoric reality in the second term as it was in the first.

    It’s a pleasant fantasy to think of Trump taking a chainsaw to the federal government à la Javier Milei. However, “institutional constraints” are a polite way of saying the overclass has a death grip on government; their livelihoods, status, and power depend on neither letting go nor having their hands pried away from it. They will delay, countermand, and sabotage everything he tries to do, and time will be on their side. The system is not going to change itself from within, no matter who’s on top.

    Also in the pleasant fantasy category is the notion of a substantial portion of the underclass walking away from their critical jobs and letting things collapse; a shrug à la Ayn Rand. Unfortunately, they can’t abscond to a hidden gulch where no government, laissez faire capitalism, and gold—real money— are the order of the day.

    They would be walking away from their jobs and sustenance, and most of them don’t have the resources for an extended “strike.” Not to mention the kind of retribution they might face from their employers or the government, like that the Canadian government levied against the truckers and their supporters. January 6 paints a clear picture of how the American government treats anyone it labels an “insurrectionist.”

    One thing the underclass does have going for it is the unsustainability of current arrangements; what can’t last won’t. Long bear markets in bonds and stocks, exploding deficits, and a shrinking economy will force choices, cutbacks, and changes in policy. The overclass will never lose its taste for empire and domestic skims and scams, but economic and financial collapse will limit what can be stolen or borrowed.

    What remains to be seen is where the breaking point is on underclass toleration of its own subjugation. The overclass and its globalist overseers are ratcheting up the totalitarianism, doing their best to make peaceful revolution impossible, and thereby making—as John F. Kennedy warned—violent revolution inevitable.

    When the choices and cutbacks come, unproductive beneficiaries of government largess and unemployed members of the overclass with limited or no marketable skills can be expected to react violently, but it will be random and mindless. The productive underclass, on the other hand, could be far more problematic for what remains of the overclass, especially if does not wait until it has nothing—resources or freedom—left to lose.

    The largest, stupidest, and most inflexible government (only China’s rivals it) since the fall of the Soviet Union has almost infinite vulnerabilities and attack points. The underclass has the knowledge, imagination, skills, and experience to exploit them. What emerges from a Great Asymmetric Insurrection could be anything from splintering and secession to the complete defeat of the government and a reconstituted confederation of states.

    Regardless, the outcome will be a vale of tears for the overclass. They’re the embodiments of centralization of power and resources that serves no useful purpose (if it ever did) and contributes nothing but obstacles to humanity’s progress. Only their victims’ acquiescence has allowed them to survive and thrive, but that’s ending. The overclass will be the victims of the unstoppable forces of decentralization and their own arrogance, corruption, and tyranny. Its fall seems unimaginable now, but most of the twenty-first century has been unimaginable until it happened.

    The outcomes of dramatic change and chaos are unpredictable, but one prediction can be hazarded. The future will belong to those enlightened polities where there is no underclass, only people who are free to peaceably live their lives as they see fit and have the first and only claim on what they produce.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 21:45

  • Wealthy Chinese National Engineered "Bogus Raid" To Strongarm Business Partner Out Of $37 Million
    Wealthy Chinese National Engineered “Bogus Raid” To Strongarm Business Partner Out Of $37 Million

    Four former law enforcement and military officers are being accused of conducting a raid in 2019 that they used to extort a businessman out of $37 million.

    The four accused individuals were paid by the victim’s business partner, a wealthy Chinese national, to engage in the “bogus raid”, according to NBC News.

    They then made the businessman sign over his multimillion-dollar interest in Jiangsu Sinorgchem, a Chinese rubber chemical manufacturer. He had previously been in a dispute regarding the company for years.

    According to the DOJ, the four men involved were:

    • Steven Arthur Lankford, 68, of Canyon Country, a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy who stopped working for LASD in 2020 and owns a Santa Clarita-based process service company;
    • Glen Louis Cozart, 63, of Upland, a former LASD deputy who owns and operates a San Bernardino County-based private investigation and security services company;
    • Max Samuel Bennett Turbett, 39, of Australia, a United Kingdom citizen and former member of the British military who owns an Australia-based private investigation and asset recovery business; and
    • Matthew Phillip Hart, 41, of Australia, an Australian citizen and former member of the Australian military who owns an Australia-based risk management services business.

    The NBC report says that during the raid, the man’s wife and two children were present. The victim and his business partner, referred to only as “unindicted co-conspirator 1,” a wealthy Chinese national, were not named, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

    In December 2018, the unindicted co-conspirator asked Turbett to help resolve her business dispute, expressing frustration with costly litigation and seeking an alternative solution, prosecutors said. She promised Turbett they could both retire if he succeeded.

    Turbett and the co-conspirator then created fake settlement agreements, requiring victim 1 to transfer nearly $37 million in cash and shares in Jiangsu Sinorgchem to her. This set off a chain of events leading to the staged raid on June 17, 2019, according to the report. 

    Before the raid, Turbett hired Cozart, who then recruited Lankford, a sheriff’s deputy, to locate victim 1 using a law enforcement database, which was against policy, prosecutors said. 

    Turbett and Hart flew from Australia to Los Angeles to meet with Cozart and Lankford to plan the sham raid. During the raid, the defendants detained the victim and his family, confiscated their phones, and subjected the businessman to physical threats until he signed the agreements, prosecutors said. 

    Although warned not to contact police, the victim reported the incident after the defendants left. Lankford later lied to police, claiming the raid was legitimate and that no force was used.

    By November 2019, all defendants had been paid for their roles in coercing the businessman, with the co-conspirator paying Turbett’s company around $419,813 and thanking him for a “very good job,” according to prosecutors.

    United States Attorney Martin Estrada commented: “It is critical that we hold public officials, including law enforcement officers, to the same standards as the rest of us. It is unacceptable and a serious civil rights violation for a sworn police officer to take the law into his own hands and abuse the authority of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.”

    “The defendants in this case allegedly believed they could carry out vigilante justice by using official police powers to enter the home of vulnerable victims and extorting them out of millions of dollars,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

    The full DOJ press release can be read here. 

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 21:20

  • 10 Things To Know About Tim Walz And His Ties To Communist China
    10 Things To Know About Tim Walz And His Ties To Communist China

    Authored by Sasha Gong and Bradley Thayer via American Greatness,

    Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice presidential candidate seems to be a case of ideological birds of a feather flocking together.

    In the wake of the selection, Walz has received considerable criticism for his deception and dissembling regarding his military service.

    He merits equally great criticism for his ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Here are ten things that you did not know about Tim Walz and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

    First, Walz claimed that he was in the PRC during the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen Square Massacre. One of the authors interviewed him in 2014 when he made this statement, and he later repeated the same falsehood to the media. In reality, Walz did not enter China until September 1989, several months after the massacre. He entered China from Hong Kong as part of the WorldTeach program, which was sponsored by the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID). HIID was known for being very pro-PRC and had trained many high-ranking Chinese officials. Later, HIID received many millions of dollars from the PRC.

    Second, Walz claimed that he went to the PRC in 1989 because it was a rising country. However, China was not rising at that time. In fact, it was still extremely impoverished. The PRC’s rise occurred in the mid-1990s and especially after 2001 when it joined the World Trade Organization. After the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the Chinese government was desperate to recruit foreigners to come to the country. A few did to show support for the communist regime.

    Third, the Chinese gave Walz the name “Tian Hua.” Walz misrepresented its meaning by saying it reflected his kindness. In reality, there is no such implication in Chinese. “Tian” means “field,” and “Hua” means “China.” The accurate translation of “Tian Hua” is “the fields of China.”

    Fourth, in 2014, Walz explained why he went to the PRC during that critical time: “I felt it was more important than ever to go, to make sure that story was told, and to let the Chinese people know we were standing there, we were with them.” This was clearly a lie. After the massacre, the CCP launched a political crackdown that permeated the PRC and it remains a taboo issue. Hundreds of thousands of people were imprisoned, and no one could even mention the bloody event without risking arrest. Walz would not have been able to say a word to his students unless he wanted to get himself and them into serious trouble. In fact, according to Tim Walz himself, he fell in love with that China, that is, with the CCP’s form of tyrannical and illegitimate rule over the Chinese people.

    Fifth, it is well known that after the Tiananmen Square Massacre, Chinese authorities—including the Ministry for State Security, the United Front, and other spy agencies—made concerted efforts to woo every foreigner in the PRC—especially Americans—by showering them with gifts and praise with the promise of more to come. Walz mentioned that he received so many gifts that he could not bring them all back to the U.S. At that time, China was a very poor country, with the average income of a Chinese worker being less than $20 per month. Moreover, it was somewhat dangerous for ordinary Chinese citizens to get too close to foreigners, particularly Americans. The Chinese government did not fully resume its open-door policy until 1992, long after Walz had left.

    Sixth, Walz chose June 4 as his wedding day in 1994, which is extremely unusual. Even ordinary Chinese people would avoid selecting that bloody day for celebrations, as it is considered bad luck. The only reason someone might choose that day would be to show submission to the Chinese government by celebrating the crackdown. In Chinese symbolic tradition, this could be seen as a pledge of loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

    Seventh, before his honeymoon, Walz launched a company called Educational Travel Adventures, which specialized in bringing American students to China. An article in the local Chinese media reported that he and his bride brought 50 students from America. The company continued to send students to China until 2003. It is important to note that operating a business in China requires all kinds of permits—both official and unofficial—from Chinese authorities at the local, provincial, and central levels. These permits were typically obtained either by paying bribes or by securing endorsements, whether tacit or open, from government officials. For foreigners, the MSS would certainly have been involved. That is as certain as the sun rising in the east.

    Eighth, education is one of the most closely monitored activities in the PRC. To operate a business like his, Walz would have needed at least one local partner, if not several, and those partners would have been sanctioned by State Security. There is no way around it. However, Walz has never mentioned any such partnership. After carefully searching Chinese websites, we were not able to find any records, which is very unusual. Typically, local Chinese media would boast about large groups of foreign students visiting and about Americans who loved China. An educated guess would be that such records were completely wiped after Walz entered politics.

    Ninth, it is likely that possible partners of Walz’s company in the United States would be local Confucius Institutes and CTG Travel, which is PRC-owned. In the PRC, they would be local or central offices of the United Front Department, the Department of Education, the Communist Youth League, and universities and colleges. These partners underscore strong ties to the CCP.

    Tenth, there likely are many more shoes to drop when it comes to Walz’s relationship with the PRC and CCP. It was a longstanding relationship. It is a certainty that the CCP expects something in return for their investment in Walz. The American people deserve to know the who, what, where, why, and when of Walz’s relationship with the PRC. Walz would not be the first politician bought by the CCP, President Biden, his family, and associates have received many scores of millions of dollars from PRC entities. But Walz should be the last. His close ties to the CCP alone should disqualify him from office.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 20:55

  • CIA Sees Kursk Raid As Having 'Punctured The Hubris' Of Putin
    CIA Sees Kursk Raid As Having ‘Punctured The Hubris’ Of Putin

    President Joe Biden said this week that he was in “constant contact” with the Ukrainians related to the ongoing invasion of Kursk oblast. “I’ve spoken with my staff on a regular basis probably every four or five hours for the last six or eight days,” Biden told reporters about the fighting in Kursk, which is now at a week-and-a-half.

    “And it’s — it’s creating a real dilemma for Putin.  And we’ve been in direct contact — constant contact with — with the Ukrainians,” he added. “That’s all I’m going to say about it while it’s active.”

    From the start, US officials have acted like they were in the dark the whole time as to Ukraine’s plans, likely for the purpose of plausible deniability and so Kiev isn’t seen by Moscow as having been directly backed by NATO in the brazen cross-border operation.

    Ukrainian armored vehicle inside Russia, via social media

    National Security Council spokesman John Kirby had initially said on Friday, “We’re in touch with our Ukrainian counterparts, and we are working to gain a better understanding of what they’re doing, what their goals are, what their strategy is, and I’m going to leave a little bit of space for us to have those conversations before I try to characterize what’s going on.”

    But on Thursday there are the following interesting lines from the NY Times pointing out that top US officials have been quick to boast about how the operation has dealt a blow to the “hubris” of Putin: 

    The operation itself will not drive Russia to the bargaining table, according to U.S. officials. Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, has pledged not to negotiate while Ukraine occupies Russia, and American officials said he should be taken at his word.

    But in public speeches, the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, has spoken about the need to puncture the hubris of Mr. Putin. Russia will not make any concessions, he has said, until Mr. Putin’s overconfidence is challenged and Ukraine shows strength on the battlefield.

    The Times also proclaims that this operation has embarrassed Putin and exposed weaknesses. And US officials further say that the fight is about to get a lot dirtier and more risky, in expectation of future sabotage and cross-border campaigns. 

    “American officials say Ukraine will have to build on the operation, with other daring operations that can push back against Russia’s sense that its victory is inevitable,” writes NY Times. “Whether that will include more cross-border incursions, secret sabotage missions or other yet-to-be-planned operations remains to be seen.”

    These future operations might involve use of US-supplied equipment, just like with the current Kurks mission: “The lack of warning to Kyiv’s foremost Western ally took on even greater meaning when it became clear that Ukraine was using American-supplied vehicles, arms and munitions to help carry out the bold ground operation into Russia,” the report continues.

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    Politico is meanwhile separately reporting that the Biden administration is now “open” to providing Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles, which would be “a move that would give Kyiv’s F-16s greater combat punch as it seeks to gain further momentum in its fight against Russia,” according to the publication.

    Ukrainian operations and heavy fighting have also reportedly spread to the Belgorod region. Kiev continues to tout ‘victories’ – including the capture of another 100 Russian soldiers on Thursday. Dramatic accounts like the following continue to come out in Western publications: 

    A Ukrainian soldier who participated in the first forays of last week’s Kursk incursion said his unit caught Russian troops completely by surprise as the latter were having coffee. His account, published by The Financial Times, adds to a chorus of assessments that Russia had been unprepared and blindsided by Ukraine’s rare cross-border attack on August 6.

    The FT wrote that the soldier, identified as Volodymyr, was part of a unit operating a US-provided Stryker armored fighting vehicle.

    Volodymyr told the outlet that his unit entered Kursk in the late morning of August 6, and soon found a group of Russian troops “sitting in the forest, drinking coffee at a table.”

    “Then our Stryker drives right into their table,” he said, per the FT. “We killed many of them on the first day. Because they were unarmed and didn’t expect us,” he added.

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    And now Zelensky has opened a new administrative center in Ukraine. “Ukraine solidified its control over the parts of Russia’s Kursk region it has taken in a 10-day offensive, announcing Thursday the appointment of a military commander to manage the area as well as new battlefield successes,” The Washington Post writes.

    The cross-border assault has unfolded over the past ten days, with Ukrainian officials recently floating a plan to hold territory inside Russia as a “buffer zone”. However, Russia has been sending heavy manpower to the region, as well as aerial power.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 20:30

  • Fake Images Are Everywhere Now—Here's How To Spot Them
    Fake Images Are Everywhere Now—Here’s How To Spot Them

    Authored by Andria Pressel via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to develop, it’s getting harder and harder to tell the difference between real photographs and AI-generated images.

    AI can create everything from stunning landscapes to lifelike portraits in a matter of moments—and at first glance, they may appear perfectly legitimate.

    In this age of misinformation, how can you discern if the images you’re seeing are real or fabricated?

    Fortunately, there are subtle clues that can help us tell the difference, including inconsistencies in texture, anomalies in human features, and garbled writing. By understanding these telltale signs, you can better navigate digital information and assess the authenticity of the images you encounter.

    1. Unnatural Hands and Limbs

    (AI-generated with Freepik)

    Hands and limbs are surprisingly complex structures, and AI often struggles to accurately replicate them. Look for extra, oddly shaped, or misaligned fingers. They may also be positioned in an unusual way or have improper dimensions.

    In the above image, the children’s hands and feet look unnatural, with misshapen fingers and toes as well as misaligned sandal straps.

    (AI-generated with Freepik)

    2. Discrepancies in Details

    (AI-generated with Flux Pro)

    AI has difficulty rendering small details, so you might also see objects and elements being subtly merged together in unnatural ways. These imperfections occur because AI relies on pattern recognition, which can fail when handling intricate or nuanced details.

    So if you’re uncertain if a crowd photo is legitimate, take a look at the details. For example, background faces are often blurred or have soft, poorly defined characteristics.

    In this AI-generated image, the man in the water has a blurry face and fingerless hands, while the young man on shore has a transparent leg that appears to merge into the background.

    (AI-generated with Flux Pro)

    3. Overly Perfect Skin

    (AI-generated with Freepik)

    Having an overly smooth face with very little texture is a sign of an AI-generated photo. Its lack of genuine texture and flaws can almost make the individual look comical.

    In the above images, the girl on the left has extremely smooth skin and hair that blends in with her collar. The boy to the right also has skin that is too smooth.

    4. Misalignments

    (AI-generated with Freepik)

    AI can struggle with alignments, resulting in a disjointed or incoherent appearance because elements don’t align properly.

    Objects may overlap in unnatural ways that defy spatial coherence.

    Zoom in to spot inconsistencies, such as in the above image, where the lines of the wicker cut through the picnic items. The texture lines on the woven picnic basket and tray are misaligned.

    (AI-generated with Freepik)

    5. Inconsistencies and Asymmetries in Small Details

    Inconsistencies in minor things, such as glasses with mismatched lenses or frames, should be easy to notice.

    Though they appear genuine at first glance, the following AI-generated photos from ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com have flaws that may be seen with closer examination.

    The woman in the left image is wearing two completely different earrings.

    The center image is betrayed as AI-generated by the left corner, where the man’s shirt blends with the background.

    In the image on the far right, the endpieces of the glasses are mismatched.

    6. Garbled Writing

    (AI-generated with Flux Pro)

    AI-generated images often produce garbled or nonsensical text, with letters and words jumbled.

    Take a close look at any writing or logos in the image to see if they are difficult to read or completely incoherent.

    This image, produced by AI, depicts traffic on a crowded street. Upon closer inspection, you can see that the text on the roadside billboard is illegible.

    7. Illogical Context

    (AI-generated with Flux Pro)

    Read more here…

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 20:05

  • Watch: Russian Strategic Bomber Crashes In Siberia
    Watch: Russian Strategic Bomber Crashes In Siberia

    Things in general haven’t been going well for Russia’s military in the month of August, especially given the still unfolding cross-border incursion in Kursk, which has also recently seen reports of fresh fighting inside Russia’s Belgorod.

    Thursday marked another rarity in the conflict. A Russian long-range strategic bomber has crashed over the Siberian region of Irkutsk in what was described as a routine flight.

    Russian state media was the first to report and confirm the crash, citing military officials. “The crew ejected. Their lives are not in danger,” the defense ministry said. All four crew members managed to deploy their parachutes ejecting from the plane.

    “The plane crashed in an uninhabited area. There is no damage on the ground,” the military said, as cited in RIA Novosti news agency.

    Identified as a nuclear-capable Tu-22M3 bomber, military officials say that the crash was due to technical malfunction. 

    Widely circulating videos reveal that the plane caught fire while in mid-air during either a nighttime or early dark morning hours flight…

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    Videos also showed the jet burning on the ground after it crashed:

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    According to background of the Tupolev Tu-22M supersonic aircraft:

    The Tu-22M3, which has the NATO codename “Backfire,” is a “long-range supersonic missile carrier bomber,” according to its manufacturer Tupolev’s website.

    The Soviet-era plane, made from alloys of aluminum, titanium, and magnesium, as well as “high-strength and heat-resistant steels,” made its maiden flight in 1977, with the most up-to-date version entering service in 2018.

    It is designed to take out sea- and ground-based targets using guided missiles and aerial bombs.

    More footage shows a plummeting plane which is on fire in Russia’s far east…

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    This incident is not the first time Russia has lost a Tu-22m bomber in the course of the Ukraine war. Back in April, Ukraine claimed to have shot one down.

    While Ukraine had said at the time its anti-missile units succeeded for the first time in shooting one down, the Kremlin countered that it had actually crashed as it returned to base, also citing a technical malfunction. 

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 19:40

  • Columbia University President Minouche Shafik Resigns
    Columbia University President Minouche Shafik Resigns

    Authored by Stephen Katte via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Columbia University President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik has resigned from her post effective immediately following months of criticism over her handling of on-campus protests against the war in Gaza.

    (L–R) President of Columbia University Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, David Schizer, Dean Emeritus, and Harvey R. Miller Professor of Law & Economics, and Columbia Law School, Co-Chair of Board of Trustees at Columbia University Claire Shipman testify before the House Committee on Education & the Workforce at Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on April 17, 2024. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

    Students set up a pro-Palestinian encampment protesting the war and calling for the school to divest from corporations supporting Israel on April 17.

    What followed was a month of chaos and violence between police and protesters, as one encampment was taken down, and a second one popped up. All protest encampments were disbanded by June 2, but critics argued Shafik hadn’t done enough to curb anti-Semitism and broader disruption to the university during that time.

    In an Aug. 14 statement, Shafik said her decision to step down had come amid “a period of turmoil,” which she said has taken its toll on her loved ones.

    “This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community,” she said.

    “Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead.”

    The university’s website lists Katrina Armstrong as interim president going forward. Armstrong is the university’s executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences. She has led the Columbia University Irving Medical Center since 2022.

    It has not been announced when a new president might be appointed or who might be in the running to replace the outgoing Shafik.

    New President for Next Term 

    Shafik only assumed the role of president in July of last year. According to her statement, she will be moving on to a new job with the UK’s foreign secretary.

    “In terms of next steps, I am honored to have been asked by the UK’s Foreign Secretary to chair a review of the government’s approach to international development and how to improve capability,” she said.

    “I am very pleased and appreciative that this will afford me the opportunity to return to work on fighting global poverty and promoting sustainable development, areas of lifelong interest to me.”

    She previously led the London School of Economics and held roles at the World Bank, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, and the Bank of England.

    A new term is due to start on Sept. 3, and Shafik said the timing of her announcement will ensure a new leader could be put in place before students return. 

    “I have informed the Board of Trustees, and I would like to express my immense appreciation to them for their support,” she said in the statement.

    “I am committed to working with the Interim President to ensure an orderly transition.”

    Pressure Mounts on University Leadership 

    Congress has called in several university leaders over the last year to answer questions about concerns of anti-Semitism on campus. Earlier this year, Claudine Gay from Harvard and Liz Magill from the University of Pennsylvania resigned due to pressures involving Gaza war protests.

    Three deans at Columbia University also resigned on Aug. 8 after exchanging texts disparaging Jews during an event exploring anti-Semitism. University officials said in July the administrators in question were going on leave pending an investigation. 

    Protests swept across college campuses in the United States and around the world since the Hamas terrorist group launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, massacring 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking hostage 250 more. Israel responded with a military campaign to neutralize Hamas’s military capabilities in Gaza that were responsible for the attack.

    According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, about 40,000 Gazans have been killed since the fighting began. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and noncombatants in its death counts.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 19:15

  • California Democrat Revives Bill To Release Longtime Convicts Who Have 2 Murder Convictions
    California Democrat Revives Bill To Release Longtime Convicts Who Have 2 Murder Convictions

    How many murders is too many to get out of prison?

    Apparently three, according to a California Democrat who has recently revived a bill that would grant early release to prisoners serving life sentences without the possibility of parole – a sentence which is typically reserved for those who have committed the most violent and egregious crimes – murderers, rapists, and repeat offenders whose actions were beyond the pale.

    However, under SB 94, spearheaded by State Senator David Cortese (D), the doors could soon be open for some of these offenders return to society. The bill primarily targets those sentenced before June 5, 1990, when voters passed Proposition 115 which expanded the state’s ability to impose life without parole for particularly heinous crimes. Those who have served 25 years or more could petition for early release, with eligibility based on a range of factors including “childhood trauma,” military service, cognitive impairments, and even age-related conditions that supposedly reduce the risk of future violence.

    The list of those exempt from early release has raised eyebrows – which includes only those who committed first-degree murder of a police officer, killed three or more people, or engaged in sexual violence, such as a rape-homicide, any of which would make an inmate ineligible for release. This means that someone convicted of two murders could still appeal – as long as one victim wasn’t a police officer and neither crime involved sexual acts.

    Cortese argues that many of these prisoners, who have languished behind bars for decades, are now classified as low-risk according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s own assessments. He contends that the bill simply introduces a judicial review process for cases that have not been reconsidered in years.

    However, as The Center Square reports, the San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association has voiced strong opposition, urging lawmakers to consider the potential risks to public safety. The association pointed out that California voters, through Proposition 115, clearly expressed a desire to keep the most dangerous criminals behind bars for life. They argue that SB 94 undermines this mandate by creating presumptions favoring the release of individuals convicted of serious crimes.

    “By enacting Proposition 115, the voters of this state have told us they want to keep the worst of the worst in prison where they belong,” wrote SDDDAA ion opposition. “By creating presumptions favoring the release of these murderers, SB 94 will create unjustifiable risks to public safety.”

    California State Sen. Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) added that “SB 94 could literally let hundreds of the most heinous murderers out of prison early, even if they were sentenced to life without parole. This harsh punishment is reserved for the worst of the worst criminals.”

    Amazing…

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 18:50

  • Palm Beach Officials Mull Closing Mar-a-Lago Amid Heightened Security
    Palm Beach Officials Mull Closing Mar-a-Lago Amid Heightened Security

    Authored by Samantha Flom via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Heightened security protocols at and around former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club have Palm Beach, Florida, officials contemplating its closure.

    A police officer stands guard at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 14, 2024. (Giorgio Viera/ AFP via Getty Images)

    The U.S. Secret Service ramped up its protection of the former president’s estate, along with his other properties, after the July 13 attempt on his life.

    One change was the closure of a portion of South Ocean Boulevard, which borders the club.

    The closure, which began on July 20, is expected to last through to Election Day on Nov. 5 at the earliest, but officials are already receiving complaints.

    “Our residents don’t feel safe right now,” Palm Beach Town Council member Julie Araskog said at the council’s Aug. 13 meeting.

    “It’s hard to get a fire truck through, it’s hard to get out of their homes, it’s hard to get a caregiver in. I had a problem the other night, and you can’t get a nurse in.”

    Despite the road closure, the Mar-a-Lago Club is expected to reopen for the start of the Palm Beach social season in the fall.

    But Mayor Danielle Moore said: “If the road is closed, the Mar-a-Lago Club is closed.”

    “There’s no way in God’s green earth that they can bring 350 people into that club,” Moore said. “It’s completely illogical that you’ve got a road closed and then you’re going to let 350 strangers into your club.”

    While the mayor agreed with the need to secure Trump’s primary residence, she said: “You can’t have it both ways, boys and girls. Either the club’s open or not.”

    Other council members voiced their agreement, directing staff to research the town’s legal options.

    During Trump’s presidential term, the Secret Service closed the road by Mar-a-Lago when he was present in Palm Beach.

    The latest closure is effective indefinitely, at all hours of the day, even in his absence.

    The new protocol is just one of the measures the Secret Service has taken to increase protection for those in its charge in the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump, including maximizing personnel, increasing the use of drones, and faster approval of personnel requests.

    Meanwhile, Palm Beach attorney Joanne O’Connor is still waiting for a response from the agency outlining the authority under which it is keeping South Ocean Boulevard closed.

    While residents can access the road with proper identification, O’Connor noted in a July 22 letter to Secret Service Chief Counsel Thomas Huse that the closure “effectively cuts the town in two.”

    Palm Beach Police Chief Nicholas Caristo said that the Secret Service and local police were working together to direct traffic in the area and improve signage to ease the congestion.

    Caristo also advised that limiting bridge openings to only once per hour could help speed up traffic.

    However, for that to happen, the Secret Service would need to reactivate the maritime security zone that was in place around Mar-a-Lago during Trump’s presidency.

    Trump began operating Mar-a-Lago as a social club in 1993 under a declaration-of-use agreement with Palm Beach. A breach of that agreement could allow the town to revoke the club’s occupational license.

    The Epoch Times has contacted both the Trump Organization and the Trump campaign for comment.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 18:25

  • Couple That Earns $250,000 A Year Says They Can't Find A House In Their Budget
    Couple That Earns $250,000 A Year Says They Can’t Find A House In Their Budget

    Entitled millennials or out of control inflation in the housing market? You be the judge.

    Samuel and Laura Graves both earn six figure sums, but say the housing market has left them with no choice but to raise their two kids in an apartment, according to Yahoo Finance and Business Insider.

    The couple is in their mid 30’s and lives in Portland, Oregon. They’ve been looking for a house for three years.

    Laura told Business Insider: “We refuse to become ‘house-poor’ and, like many others, are choosing to sit it out until the housing market is reasonable again.”

    With a combined income of $250,000, they aim to keep their mortgage payment between $3,000 and $3,500—about 30% of their $11,000 monthly income, the report says.

    However, rising home prices and mortgage rates have pushed most homes they like to a $5,000 monthly mortgage, nearly half their income. Instead of exceeding their budget, they’ve opted to wait, paying $2,700 a month for a two-bedroom apartment and storage, hoping the market improves.

    The report says rising home prices and high mortgage rates have made homeownership increasingly unaffordable. And, although the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates, this could drive more buyers into the market, potentially raising prices further and keeping housing supply tight.

    The couple, living in Wilsonville, a suburb of Portland, faces steep home prices—$642,000 on average. One home they liked was listed at $635,000, with an estimated $5,000 monthly mortgage payment, consuming 43% of their income. Though aware that other parts of the U.S. offer cheaper housing, they are hesitant to move again, according to the report. 

    Previously, they lived in Spokane, Washington, where they paid $2,200 a month for their home. But after six years, they missed their jobs in Portland. In 2021, Laura’s old boss offered to double her salary, prompting them to sell their Spokane home and return to Portland.

    “We actually tried uprooting the kids to a more affordable town and found ourselves less happy in the end,” Laura concluded.

    “Our children have begun talking about how they want a house so badly and their own rooms. We’ll never get these years back. By the time we buy, we won’t even need room for a play set.”

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 18:00

  • VDH: The Weird, Creepy, Surreal (And Dangerous) 2024 Campaign
    VDH: The Weird, Creepy, Surreal (And Dangerous) 2024 Campaign

    Authored by Victor Davis Hanson via American Greatness,

    The already-long 2024 presidential campaign has become the strangest in modern history.

    Here are ten unanswered questions that illustrate how and why we’ve entered this bizarro world:

    1. How can Kamala Harris merely promise us fixes to come in 2025 for inflation and an open border when she is still vice president for another six months? Why can’t she enact her proposed solutions to these problems (which she helped create) right now?

    2. Would the media prefer to help her win but lose further credibility themselves by failing to ask why she has disowned her last three decades of leftist agendas, or to reclaim some of their reputations and thereby risk her losing?

    3. Does the left appreciate the new campaign and election protocols it has now established?

    That is to say:

    Cancel by fiat their virtual nominee four months before the election when he sinks in the polls?

    Nullify the outcome of a year of primaries and the will of 14 million voters?

    Threaten a sitting president with removal by the 25th Amendment process unless he steps aside as his party nominee?

    Anoint a replacement nominee before the convention and without a single primary—and then prevent any rival candidates from challenging her?

    4. After the precedents of 2020 and 2024, is the future orthodox protocol for any Democratic nominee now to avoid all interviews and ex tempore speaking, and stick to teleprompted speeches and scripted responses only?

    Is the fear that a transparent progressive messenger with an overt and honest left-wing message will double down on it and thus guarantee defeat?

    5. For the next 80 days, has the chameleon-like Kamala Harris now become a temporary MAGA candidate, as she expropriates Trump’s positions from border security to no taxes on tips? Does the media care to ask the new 80-day MAGA Harris why she has renounced many of her once emphatic beliefs?

    6. If Democratic presidential reelection candidate Joe Biden was pronounced fit as a fiddle before June 27, but after July 21 was abruptly forced off the ticket as too debilitated to continue as his party’s nominee, what exactly is his status now?

    (Half-cognizant and thus able enough to continue his not-so-important task as America’s president, but also half-enfeebled and thus utterly unable to continue as the far more important Democratic nominee, it appears.)

    7. Does the new anti-Semitic Democratic Party prefer to risk losing with the radical nonentity WASP Tim Walz as vice presidential candidate rather than likely win with a popular, successful, and moderate Jewish Josh Shapiro?

    8. If one vice presidential candidate went to a war zone to serve with his deployed unit, while his counterpart preferred to retire from the military to avoid doing the same and lies about his abdication, how can the media credibly assert that the former’s tour was militarily suspect and yet pronounce the latter’s absence as heroic?

    9. If the current president canceled his reelection bid because he was too debilitated and unpopular, and is now rarely seen or heard, and if the vice president is out of Washington running a campaign in his place, but avoiding all press conferences, interviews, and unscripted addresses, who exactly, if anyone, is running the United States for the next six months of the lame duck Biden-Harris administration?

    10. If Donald Trump all summer has been compared by his enemies to Hitler and his murderous Third Reich, and if a 20-year-old would-be assassin and murderer with ease took up a sniper’s position to kill Trump—without a notified Secret Service or other law enforcement attempting to abort the shooter’s attempted assassination—what signal does that send to other would-be assassins for the next 80 days of the 2024 campaign?

    Is the message that if a 20-year-old amateur sniper can brazenly and visibly for nearly an hour breach all Secret Service security perimeters to shoot eight times at the president, hit him in the ear, kill one innocent bystander, and wound two others, then almost any future, more-experienced serious shooter could match or exceed the ability of that disturbed amateur to get close enough to Trump to fire more than eight shots at his head?

    And that shooting Donald Trump in many leftist quarters would subsequently earn the unhinged killer eternal fame, applause, and immortality?

    And that if there are such anticipated rewards and perceived opportunities, then we may well see more attempts on candidate Trump’s life?

    In sum, presidential campaigns traditionally kick off after Labor Day and mostly follow accepted protocols. But this warped 2024 version violates every prior precedent and is not just creepy but dangerous—even before the campaign was supposed to formally begin.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 17:40

  • US Government Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Student Loan Relief Plan
    US Government Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Student Loan Relief Plan

    Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times,

    The federal government urged the Supreme Court on Aug. 13 to reinstate a $475 billion student loan relief plan after an appeals court ruling blocked key parts.

    The new emergency application filed by Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar came after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on Aug. 9 temporarily paused parts of the SAVE plan while the litigation over it continues. The case is Biden v. Missouri.

    Justice Brett Kavanaugh directed Missouri, which is challenging the plan, to respond by 4 p.m. on Aug. 19.

    The SAVE plan that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona first proposed in August 2022 would lower monthly payments for millions of eligible borrowers and accelerate loan forgiveness for some borrowers. SAVE is an acronym that stands for Saving on a Valuable Education. A reported 8 million borrowers have signed up for the program.

    The SAVE plan was not yet finalized in June 2023 when the Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden’s previous $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan in Biden v. Nebraska.

    Days ago, the Eighth Circuit found that Missouri and six other states challenging the plan would likely be able to prove the plan violates the major questions doctrine.

    The doctrine requires courts to presume Congress does not delegate important policy questions to government agencies.

    The injunction temporarily prevents the federal government from forgiving principal or interest on outstanding student loans, blocks a provision stopping interest from accruing on loans, and pauses a provision allowing borrowers to make very low or zero monthly payments geared to income.

    District Judge John Ross in Missouri previously blocked the SAVE plan on June 24.

    In the new application, Prelogar argues the plan is “a straightforward exercise” of the Department of Education’s authority under federal law.

    “The Eighth Circuit’s injunction has severely harmed millions of borrowers and the Department by blocking long-planned changes and creating widespread confusion and uncertainty,” she said.

    The injunction is so broad that it interferes with the department’s other programs that forgive student loan debt but are not in dispute.

    “That extraordinary injunction has scrambled the Department’s administration of loans for millions of borrowers,” she said.

    Prelogar said if the Supreme Court decides not to reverse the Eighth Circuit’s injunction, it should consider holding oral arguments in the case this fall “to avoid prolonging the harm the Eighth Circuit’s injunction is inflicting on millions of Americans.”

    The new application came after Texas Solicitor General Aaron Nielson told the Supreme Court on Aug. 10 that Texas wanted to press on with its own previously filed application to halt the SAVE plan. That case is Alaska v. Department of Education.

    Although the Eighth Circuit’s injunction halting aspects of the SAVE plan gave the state much of what it wanted, the ruling left some questions unanswered, such as whether the department violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act by giving the public an unusually short period to comment on the plan before it was finalized.

    The Eighth Circuit’s injunction conflicts with the Tenth Circuit’s June 30 order pausing a ruling by District Judge Daniel Crabtree of Kansas who blocked parts of the plan. The Tenth Circuit’s ruling allows geared-to-income repayments by borrowers to begin.

    The Epoch Times reached out to Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey for comment on the federal government’s new application but did not receive a reply by publication time.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 17:00

  • Over 100,000 LA Residents Could Be Homeless By 2028 Olympics
    Over 100,000 LA Residents Could Be Homeless By 2028 Olympics

    With the Paris 2024 Olympics having come to a close, the countdown has started once more for the next Summer Games, set to take place in Los Angeles, the United States in four years time. Despite this year’s Olympiad having been heavily criticized for the “social cleansing” that took place in the run up to the event, with thousands of people relocated from the city’s encampments and squats, Statista’s Anna Fleck reports that there are already questions over how LA will respond to its homelessness crisis.

    A 2023 report by McKinsey & Company reveals that LA’s number of people experiencing homelessness is the highest of any city in the United States.

    According to the source, approximately one in every 150 LA inhabitants, or 69,000 people, are experiencing homelessness, and figures are still growing.

    As Fleck shows in the following chart, based on estimates from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, where 84,000 people are estimated to experience homelessness in 2024, the figure could rise above the 100,000 mark by 2028. This data is based on the calculation that for every 207 individuals who exit homelessness daily, 227 more enter it.

    Infographic: Over 100,000 LA Residents Could be Homeless by 2028 Olympics | Statista

    You will find more infographics at Statista

    Such crises affect all people in a society. For those experiencing homelessness directly, the impacts are of course the most severe, as according to the report, women who experience chronic homelessness can expect to see their lives cut short by an average of 35 years, while it is 28 years for men. For people living in the wider society, ripple effects are felt too as populations experiencing chronic homelessness have “historically required more spending on support services than the rest of the population”.

    Increasing the stock of affordable housing is one part of the solution put forward by the McKinsey & Company analysts to at least slow the growth in homelessness, placing fewer people at risk of entering the situation in the first place. Just some of the barriers to this so far have been the complexity of the approval process as well as the high costs of construction.

    The report states that a multi-pronged solution is needed to respond to this crisis of inequality, however, explaining: “building more housing is not enough on its own. Given the scale and complexity of the crisis, any solution may need tailored, large-scale coordination, the likes of which are typically seen in national-scale emergencies.”

    This includes recognising that different groups have different specific needs, for example, whether that’s providing support for survivors of domestic violence, or for those battling with substance use disorders or for the formerly incarcerated.

    These figures are estimates and vary depending on the source. For example, NBC reports the figure could be closer to 30,000 people.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 16:40

  • Kamala: The NPC Candidate
    Kamala: The NPC Candidate

    Authored by John Wilder.

    “This isn’t a video game.  There are no extra lives.”

    -Edge of Tomorrow

    Kamala Harris has invented a new type of presidential candidacy – one based on being absolutely nothing.  Seriously.  She has stated exactly one position publicly:  “No tax on tips” which is precisely the position staked out by Donald Trump two months ago.  I guess we should give Kamala this one, since she’s no stranger to a variety of tips.

    Kamala posted a commercial to YouTube®, I tried to reply, but just like Kamala the comments were disabled.  (Memes and content mostly “as found”)

    Oh, sure, Mr. Trump’s trademark is being “short on details” so that he can leverage a win, but based on 2016, what really outraged the GloboLeft is that Trump actually tried to follow through on many of his positions.  One thing that Trump won’t be to voters is a surprise, but I think Kamala is so unknown as to be a surprise, and not a good one.

    Kamala’s first interview question:  “Describe yourself in one word.”  Kamala:  “Vague.”  Interviewer:  “Can you elaborate?”  Kamala:  “Possibly.”

    Why?

    She’s pulling what I’ll call an “Ultra-Clinton” approach to her candidacy.  Back when Hillary first ran for senate in 2000, I was expecting that, finally, she’d have to address the public.  There wasn’t any way, I naively thought, that she could duck the people for an entire election.  I mean, without killing them.

    Whoops.  While Hillary did do carefully staged and vetted “listening tour” events, what she didn’t do was meet with anyone but fawning press.  She successfully avoided all genuine interaction with people so she wouldn’t have to kill time.  Of course, Hillary was well known to be a GloboLeft accomplice, so it wasn’t any surprise when the New York machine churned out a senate seat for her to launch an eventual presidential campaign.

    Kamala Harris, though, is another matter.  She is the ultimate in vapor.  What, exactly, does she stand for?  Apparently, no taxes on tips.  But beyond that, she is a ghost.

    Is she Indian or black?  Yes, though my guess is that more of her ancestors owned slaves than were slaves.

    I guess if she doesn’t owe reparations, nobody does.

    Is she for or against illegals scurrying across the border in unending streams?

    Yes.  She wants to be seen as “tough on immigration” at the same time she promises to “let every illegal sitting in detention out on day one”.

    Is she against inflation?  You bet she is, and on day one of her administration she’ll do something (the something is not mentioned) to stop it.  Why the Biden/Harris administration can’t stop it right here and now isn’t discussed and no one asks here that question, since that would be mean or something.  As usual, the Bee nails it:

    If honesty is the best policy, I guess Kamala’s normally uses the second-best policy.

    Interviews?  Trump sits down to a multi-hour open and candid conversation with Elon Musk, and sits for interview after interview.  Kamala?  She might sit for an interview sometime by the end of the month.  Maybe.  If they can keep her off the gin for that long.

    And Trump’s request for three debates?

    Well, there’s just one on the schedule, and that’s enough for Kamala, at least in August.  Heck, in September I’m not so certain that Paperwork American Judge Juan Merchan won’t slap Trump in irons and send him to prison.  Oh, sure, he’ll get out on an appeal shortly thereafter, but don’t count that possibility out.  This election is a circus, and we’re far short of the finale.

    They did a study of how often Kamala was drunk.  The results were staggering.

    But what is known is that Kamala is really attempting to appeal to a select group of voters:  those who aren’t paying attention and who will vote for a candidate based on what they feel.

    Kamala has no need to preen for the hard-core GloboLeftists that want to hang Trump because they don’t like his face.  They’re going to show up for her even if she changes her tune to being pro-life and wants to start distributing AR-15s to every citizen.  They’d vote for her, because what they believe in is based only on what the latest talking points are from the DNC.  These people are Non-Player Characters (NPC) because they’re programmed by the mainstream news or by whatever the talking head night joke men tell them to believe.

    What, really, is an NPC?

    Since humans are social creature, there is an inherent tendency in many people to follow.  In the past, this made sense.  The number of people, say, a French peasant would have seen in their life was small, and they derived their beliefs by what was presented to them other people, rather than any other source.

    This variety of NPC is popular in the UK, and in the United States too!  Talk about diversity!

    Women, especially, were subject to this effect.  An example proving that was the number of war brides that American troops returned home with from Germany.  I don’t have the total from Germany, but over 300,000 war brides came from Europe, many speaking little English, to the United States.  These women immediately married men of the armed forces that had bombed and terrorized them for years because everyone said they were in charge now.

    See?  NPC.

    But as family groups become fractured due to no-fault divorce and a system that gives women cash and prizes for divorcing men, and as people become uprooted chasing economic success in areas far from where they grew up, they became reliant on a different tribe:  mass media.

    No one is entirely immune, but some are entirely dependent on mass media for their opinions.  A close-knit family, longstanding friends, family stories and novels and other idea intrusions (like this blog) serve as counter-programming to the NPC soup that many live in.  The more you’re divorced from Infocancer like The View, the greater your immune system, and the less of an NPC you are.

    This phrase must have tested highly with the NPC species Karenus Manageriusspeakum.

    Kamala is not for you.  Kamala is for the NPC.

    Kamala has to appeal (or pretend to appeal) to the middle.  These are the people who aren’t on the GloboLeft, and aren’t on the TradRight.  They just want to grill and enjoy the sunset and consume mass media.  Be aware, this how they were built – to follow.  Immersive multi-media that’s fed from a screen and doesn’t require any critical thought is what they desire.

    For the NPC the TV or TikTok™ is their tribal sense of purpose.  Along with a lot of drugs.

    How the NPC class copes.

    The difficulty for Kamala is that for many of these people the last four years have been hell.  Their businesses have been closed (if they own a business) and their paychecks have dwindled in the face of ever-present inflation.  They’ve seen awful riots, they’ve seen this weird transgender explosion that they don’t much like, and now they notice huge numbers of people who moved into their neighborhood and don’t speak any English staring at them when they fill their gas tank.  They know they’re supposed to like them, but also have a tingling sense that these aren’t refugees or immigrants.  They’re becoming worried that this is an invader class.

    Huh.  Wrongly think.  Get on board, citizen!

    Kamala has to appeal to those people to win.  She can’t do it on record, so the best option is to run against anything she has ever stood for, or at least pretend to run against that.  She can say anything in front of any group, and will wait for the networks and search engines to run interference for her so that she can fulfill her strategy to win the White House.

    How?  Kamala intends to be the first NPC candidate, standing for nothing, with no real substance except a desire for power with the media as her staunchest friend and defender.  Let’s get this woman some more gin!

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 16:20

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Aug 15

Today’s News 15th August 2024

  • "An Intricate Fabric Of Bad Actors Working Hand-In-Hand" – So Is War Inevitable?
    “An Intricate Fabric Of Bad Actors Working Hand-In-Hand” – So Is War Inevitable?

    Submitted by Alastair Crooke,

    Walter Kirn, an American novelist and cultural critic, in his 2009 memoir, Lost in the Meritocracy, described how, after a sojourn at Oxford, he came to be a member of ‘the class that runs things’ – the one that “writes the headlines, and the stories under them”. It was the account of a middle-class kid from Minnesota trying desperately to fit into the élite world, and then to his surprise, realising that he didn’t want to fit in at all.

    Now 61, Kirn has a newsletter on Substack and co-hosts a lively podcast devoted in large part to critiquing ‘establishment liberalism’. His contrarian drift has made him more vocal about his distrust of élite institutions – as he wrote in 2022:

    “For years now, the answer, in every situation—‘Russiagate,’ COVID, Ukraine—has been more censorship, more silencing, more division, more scapegoating. It’s almost as if these are goals in themselves – and the cascade of emergencies mere excuses for them. Hate is always the way,”

    Kirn’s politics, a friend of his suggested, was “old-school liberal,” underscoring that it was the other ‘so-called liberals’ who had changed: “I’ve been told repeatedly in the last year that free speech is a right-wing issue; I wouldn’t call [Kirn] Conservative. I would just say he’s a free-thinker, nonconformist, iconoclastic”, the friend said.

    To understand Kirn’s contrarian turn – and to make sense of today’s form of American politics – it is necessary to understand one key term. It is not found in standard textbooks, but is central to the new playbook of power: the “whole of society”.

    “The term was popularised roughly a decade ago by the Obama administration, which liked that its bland, technocratic appearance could be used as cover to erect a mechanism for a governance ‘whole-of-society’ approach” – one that asserts that as actors – media, NGOs,corporations and philanthropist institutions – interact with public officials to play a critical role not just in setting the public agenda, but in enforcing public decisions.

    Jacob Siegel has explained the historical development of the ‘whole of society’ approach during the Obama administration’s attempt to pivot in the ‘war on terror’ to what it called ‘CVE’ – countering violent extremism. The idea was to surveil the American people’s online behaviour in order to identify those who may, at some unspecified time in the future, ‘commit a crime’.

    Inherent to the concept of the potential ‘violent extremist’ who has, as yet, committed no crime, is a weaponised vagueness: “A cloud of suspicion that hangs over anyone who challenges the prevailing ideological narratives”.

    “What the various iterations of this whole-of-society approach have in common is their disregard for democratic process and the right to free association – their embrace of social media surveillance, and their repeated failure to deliver results …”.

    Aaron Kheriaty writes:

    “More recently, the whole of society political machinery facilitated the overnight flip from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris, with news media and party supporters turning on a dime when instructed to do so—democratic primary voters ‘be damned’. This happened not because of the personalities of the candidates involved, but on the orders of party leadership. The actual nominees are fungible, and entirely replaceable, functionaries, serving the interests of the ruling party … The party was delivered to her because she was selected by its leaders to act as its figurehead. That real achievement belongs not to Harris, but to the party-state”.

    What has this to do with Geo-politics – and whether there will be war between Iran and Israel?

    Well, quite a lot.

    It is not just western domestic politics that has been shaped by the Obama CVE totalising mechanics.

    The “party-state” machinery (Kheriaty’s term) for geo-politics has also been co-opted:

    “To avoid the appearance of totalitarian overreach in such efforts”, Kheriaty argues,“the party requires an endless supply of causes … that party officers use as pretexts to demand ideological alignment across public and private sector institutions. These causes come in roughly two forms: the urgent existential crisis (examples include COVID and the much-hyped threat of Russian disinformation) – and victim groups supposedly in need of the party’s protection”.

    “It’s almost as if these are goals in themselves – and the cascade of emergencies mere excuses for them. Hate is always the way”, Kirn underlines.

    Just to be clear, the implication is that all geo-strategic critics of the party-state’s ideological alignment must be jointly and collectively treated as potentially dangerous extremists. Russia, China, Iran and North Korea therefore are bound together as presenting a single obnoxious extremism that stands in opposition to ‘Our Democracy’; versus ‘Our Free Speech’ and versus ‘Our Expert Consensus’.

    So, if the move to war against one extremist (i.e. versus Iran) is ‘acclaimed’ by 58 standing ovations in the joint session of Congress last month, then further debate is unnecessary – any more than Kamala Harris’ nomination as Presidential candidate needs to be endorsed through primary voting:

    Candidate Harris told hecklers on Wednesday, chanting about genocide in Gaza, ‘to pipe down’ – unless they “want Trump to win”. Tribal norms must not be challenged (even for genocide).

    Sandra Parker, Chairwoman of the political advocacy arm for the three thousand members of Christians United for Israel (CUFI) was advising on correct talking points, the Times of Israel reports:

    “The rise of Republican far right-wingers who spurn decades of (bi-partisan) pro-Israel orthodoxies, favouring isolationism and resurrecting anti-Jewish tropes is alarming pro-Israel evangelicals and their Jewish allies… The break with decades of assertive foreign policy was evident last year when Sen. Josh Hawley derided the “liberal empire” that he dismissively characterised as bipartisan “Neoconservatives on the right, and liberal globalists on the left: Together they make up what you might call the uniparty, the DC establishment that transcends all changing administrations””.

    At the CUFI talking points conference, the fear of increased isolation on the Right was the issue:

    “You’re going to see that adversaries will see the U.S. as in retreat” – should isolationists get the upper hand: Activists were advised to push back: Should lawmakers claim that NATO expansion is what triggered Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: “Should anybody begin to make the argument that the reason the Russians have moved in on Ukraine – is because of NATO enlargement – can I just say that this is the age-old ‘blame America trope,’” the Chair advised the assembled delegates.

    “They have the strain of isolationism that’s – ‘Let’s just do China and forget about Iran, forget about Russia, let’s just do one thing’ – but it doesn’t work that way,” said Boris Zilberman, director of policy and strategy for the CUFI Action Fund. Instead, he described “an intricate fabric of bad actors working hand in hand”.

    So, to get to the bottom of this western mind-management in which appearance and reality are cut from the same cloth of hostile extremism: Iran, Russia and China are ‘cut from it’ likewise.

    Plainly put, the import of this “behavioural-engineering enterprise (it no longer having much to do with the truth, no longer having much to do with your right to desire what you wish – or not desire what you don’t wish)” – is, as Kirn says: “everyone is in on the game”. “The corporate and state interests don’t believe you are wanting the right things—you might want Donald Trump— or, that you aren’t wanting the things you should want more” (such as seeing Putin removed).

    If this ‘whole of society’ machinery is understood correctly in the wider world, then the likes of Iran or Hizbullah are forced to take note that war in the Middle East inevitably may bleed across into wider war against Russia – and have adverse ramifications for China, too.

    That is not because it makes sense. It doesn’t. But it is because the ideological needs of ‘whole of society’ foreign-policy hinge on simplistic ‘moral’ narratives: Ones that express emotional attitudes, rather than argued propositions.

    Netanyahu went to Washington to lay out the case for all-out war on Iran – a moral war of civilisation versus the Barbarians, he said. He was applauded for his stance. He returned to Israel and immediately provoked Hizbullah, Iran and Hamas in a way that dishonoured and humiliated both – knowing well that it would draw a riposte that would most likely lead to wider war.

    Clearly Netanyahu, backed by a plurality of Israelis, wants an Armageddon (with full U.S. support, of course). He has the U.S., he thinks, exactly where he wants it. Netanyahu has only to escalate in one way or another – and Washington, he calculates (rightly or wrongly), will be compelled to follow.

    Is this why Iran is taking its time? The calculus on an initial riposte to Israel is ‘one thing’, but how then might Netanyahu retaliate in Iran and Lebanon? That can be altogether an ‘other thing’. There have been hints of nuclear weapons being deployed (in both instances). There is however nothing solid, to this latter rumour.

    Further, how might Israel respond towards Russia in Syria, or might the U.S. react through escalation in Ukraine? After all, Moscow has assisted Iran with its air defences (just as the West is assisting Ukraine against Russia).

    Many imponderables.

    Yet, one thing is clear (as former Russian President Medvedev noted recently): “the knot is tightening” in the Middle East. Escalation is across all the fronts. War, Medvedev suggested, may be ‘the only way this knot will be cut’.

    Iran must think that appeasing western pleas in the wake of the Israeli assassination of Iranian officials at their Damascus Consulate was a mistake. Netanyahu did not appreciate Iran’s moderation. He doubled-down on war, making it inevitable, sooner or later.

    Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 08/15/2024 – 02:00

  • Who Owns America? Oligarchs Have Bought Up the American Dream
    Who Owns America? Oligarchs Have Bought Up the American Dream

    Authored by John & Nisha Whitehead via The Rutherford Institute,

    “The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the state houses, the city halls. They got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies, so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear… They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying. Lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else… It’s called the American Dream, ’cause you have to be asleep to believe it.”

    – George Carlin

    Who owns America?

    Is it the government? The politicians? The corporations? The foreign investors? The American people?

    While the Deep State keeps the nation divided and distracted by a presidential election whose outcome is foregone (the police state’s stranglehold on power will ensure the continuation of endless wars and out-of-control spending, while disregarding the citizenry’s fundamental rights and the rule of law), America is literally being bought and sold right out from under us.

    Consider the facts.

    We’re losing more and more of our land every year to corporations and foreign interests. Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land has increased by 66% since 2010. In 2021, it was reported that foreign investors owned approximately 40 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, which is more than the entire state of Iowa. By 2022 that number had grown to 43.4 million acres. The rate at which U.S. farmland is being bought up by foreign interests grew by 2.2 million acres per year from 2015 to 2021. The number of U.S. farm acres owned by foreign entities grew more than 8% (3.4 million acres) in 2022.

    We’re losing more and more of our businesses every year to foreign corporations and interests. Although China owns a small fraction of foreign-owned U.S. land at 380,000 acres (less than the state of Rhode Island), Chinese companies and investors are also buying up major food companies, commercial and residential real estate, and other businesses. As RetailWire explains, “Currently, many brands started by early American pioneers now wave international flags. This revolution is a direct result of globalization.” The growing list of once-notable American brands that have been sold to foreign corporations includes: U.S. Steel (now Japanese-owned); General Electric (Chinese-owned); Budweiser (Belgium); Burger King (Canada); 7-Eleven (Japan); Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge (Netherlands); and IBM (China).

    We’re digging ourselves deeper and deeper into debt, both as a nation and as a populace. Basically, the U.S. government is funding its existence with a credit card, spending money it doesn’t have on programs it can’t afford. The bulk of that debt has been amassed over the past two decades, thanks in large part to the fiscal shenanigans of four presidents, 10 sessions of Congress and two wars. The national debt (the amount the federal government has borrowed over the years and must pay back) is more than $34 trillion and will grow another $19 trillion by 2033. Foreign ownership makes up 29% of the U.S. debt held by the public. Of that amount, reports the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, “52 percent was held by private foreign investors while foreign governments held the remaining 48 percent.”

    The Fourth Estate has been taken over by media conglomerates that prioritize profit over principle. Independent news agencies, which were supposed to act as bulwarks against government propaganda, have been subsumed by a global corporate takeover of newspapers, television and radio. Consequently, a handful of corporations now control most of the media industry and, thus, the information dished out to the public. Likewise, with Facebook and Google having appointed themselves the arbiters of disinformation, we now find ourselves grappling with new levels of corporate censorship by entities with a history of colluding with the government to keep the citizenry mindless, muzzled and in the dark.

    Most critically of all, however, the U.S. government, long ago sold to the highest bidders, has become little more than a shell company, a front for corporate interests. Nowhere is this state of affairs more evident than in the manufactured spectacle that is the presidential election. As for members of Congress, long before they’re elected, they are trained to dance to the tune of their wealthy benefactors, so much so that they spend two-thirds of their time in office raising money. As Reuters reports, “It also means that lawmakers often spend more time listening to the concerns of the wealthy than anyone else.”

    In the oligarchy that is the American police state, it clearly doesn’t matter who wins the White House, because they all work for the same boss: a Corporate State that has gone global.

    So much for living the American dream.

    “We the people” have become the new, permanent underclass in America.

    We’re being forced to shell out money for endless wars that are bleeding us dry; money for surveillance systems to track our movements; money to further militarize our already militarized police; money to allow the government to raid our homes and bank accounts; money to fund schools where our kids learn nothing about freedom and everything about how to comply; and on and on.

    This is no way of life.

    It’s tempting to say that there’s little we can do about it, except that’s not quite accurate.

    There are a few things we can do (demand transparency, reject cronyism and graft, insist on fair pricing and honest accounting methods, call a halt to incentive-driven government programs that prioritize profits over people), but it will require that “we the people” stop playing politics and stand united against the politicians and corporate interests who have turned our government and economy into a pay-to-play exercise in fascism.

    Unfortunately, we’ve become so invested in identity politics that label us based on our political leanings that we’ve lost sight of the one label that unites us: we’re all Americans.

    The powers-that-be want us to adopt an “us versus them” mindset that keeps us powerless and divided. Yet as I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, the only “us versus them” that matters is “we the people” against the Deep State.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 23:25

  • These Are The World's Youngest Countries
    These Are The World’s Youngest Countries

    The youngest countries in the world are located in Africa.

    As Statista’s Katharina Buchholz details below, the youngest of them all is Niger at a median age of just 15 years – meaning that an equal amount of people in the country are older and younger than 15.

    In the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific regions, the youngest countries and territories have median ages of around 20 to 22 years, while the youngest in Europe are much older. They are Kosovo at a median age of 32 years, Albania at 36 years and Iceland at 38 years.

    Infographic: The World's Youngest Countries | Statista

    You will find more infographics at Statista

    The oldest countries in the world, among them Japan, Italy, Spain and Germany, have median ages between 47 and 50 years and are grappling with the demographic issue of a shrinking working-age population and its threat to economic growth.

    Meanwhile, very young countries in Africa have the opposite problem, as their economies, institutions and education facilities are not able to provide for the a big number of children and young people they produce.

    In the Central African nation of Niger, poverty and child marriage continue to pose problems and the World Bank observes that high fertility in poor countries will worsen health outcomes, reduce investments in human capital and lessen economic growth. The country is working to reduce child marriage and fertility, which is traditionally been associated with the chance at a wealthier life in the country and the region.

    The 21 youngest countries are in Africa, also including Uganda, Angola and Mali with median ages of just 16 years.

    The youngest territory outside of Africa is Palestine, with an median age of 19.5 in Gaza and 21.9 in the West Bank. This is followed by Afghanistan at 20 years, Timor-Leste at 20.6 years and Papua New Guinea at 21.7 years.

    While the economic and development outlook in many African nations still being poor and with large families remaining the norm as a result, very young countries outside of Africa often had their developmental outlook startled by prolonged conflict or war, also including Yemen, Iraq and Haiti.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 23:00

  • California Sheriff Blasts Harris For Using His Image In "Misleading" Campaign Ad, Says He Supports Trump
    California Sheriff Blasts Harris For Using His Image In “Misleading” Campaign Ad, Says He Supports Trump

    Authored by Debra Heine via American Greatness,

    A California sheriff is slamming Kamala Harris over her ‘misleading’ political ad that fraudulently touted her border security record while using his image without permission.

    The video features Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux and other local and state law enforcement officers flanking then Attorney General Harris during her visit to the Central Valley in 2014.

    “In light of a recent political ad put out by Kamala Harris featuring Sheriff Boudreaux, as well as other local law enforcement, the Sheriff wants to make it abundantly clear that his image is being used without his permission, and he does NOT endorse Harris for President or any other political office,” the sheriff said in a statement issued to Fox News Digital.

    Boudreaux has spent 37 years in the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and is currently president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association.

    “As a matter of fact, I would like to point out the misleading information projected in that same political ad. In the ad, Harris claims to have spent decades fighting violent crime as a ‘border state prosecutor,’” Boudreaux stated.

    The ad claims:

    “As a border state prosecutor, she took on drug cartels and jailed gang members for smuggling weapons and drugs across the border.”  Harris’ campaign ad also dubiously states that she will “hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking.”

    Boudreaux and other law enforcement officials in Southern California were outraged that Harris would take credit for fighting crime at the border when she allegedly only “undercut” their efforts.

    “How can you go in and promote that you were this tight border person when all the troops are coming across the border, and you literally are eliminating all these task forces? I mean, that completely made us mad,” Boudreaux told Fox News.

    “When you see that advertisement, if you do a little research, you’ll find that what she’s (Harris) touting goes completely against what was happening at the time, so when she put that picture out there with me in it, I got really upset, that ad is all smoke and mirrors,” Boudreaux said. “I do not support her.”

    Harris reportedly came to the Valley in 2014 to take credit for “a years-long investigation into a multi-national drug operation, with ties to Mexican drug cartels and prison gangs,” that was done by local law enforcement.

    According to the sheriff,  11 people were arrested, including suspected “kingpin” Jose Magana of Dinuba in that case.

    “The truth is, Harris never cared about the cartels and did nothing to stop people from illegally crossing the border,” Boudreaux said.

    The sheriff made note of Harris’ haughty attitude during the 2014 visit.

    “We were in the green room. She never came in and said hello to any of us. She walked up front, gave her presser, literally walked out, never said hi to any of us,” Boudreaux said. “I’m disgusted because, you know, she didn’t shake hands. She didn’t say hello. And she’s taken credit for all this work that the locals did.”

    Boudreaux’s political action committee, Golden State Justice, also issued a scathing statement blasting Harris’ new campaign ad.

    “As Attorney General, Kamala Harris undercut efforts by California law enforcement officials to stop criminals from flooding our state with guns and drugs across the border,” the statement read.

    “She repeatedly defunded and shuttered task forces designed to protect our residents, leaving the Valley and our state vulnerable,” the statement continued. “Kamala’s sad attempt to paint herself as tough on the border by implying my support – and the support of neighboring law enforcement leaders—is pathetic.”

    The statement concluded by saying “a politician crowding the podium at a press conference clearly hasn’t solved our border crisis. Neither has Kamala Harris.”

    Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward, who is also featured in the ad, was also enraged by the video.

    “The hypocrisy knows no bounds. It’s disingenuous and her campaign ad, somehow now, touting her reputation as a prosecutor as a positive thing, she was attorney general under three of the worst tragedies that had befallen the citizens of the state of California,” Ward told Fox News.

    Ward concurred with Boudreaux about using their images in a campaign ad without permission, saying that it should have been a “professional courtesy” to let them know about it.

    “We’re not hard people to find or to contact. Simple professional courtesy would have been warning us that it was going to be used. And I think that we are well within our rights to clarify the records,” Ward said.

    “Just as Sheriff Boudreaux said, I do not in any way want the use of that photo to be construed as support of her (Harris) either in her candidacy, current candidacy, or even in her tenure as attorney general of the State of California.”

    In an interview Tuesday with Fox News, Boudreaux said Harris showed up in 2014 “for a sound bite, didn’t shake anyone’s hands and she quickly left the briefing room.”

    He said law enforcement officials in Southern California are “very familiar” with Harris’ record and her campaign ad was “deceptive to say the least.”

    The sheriff added, “I just wanted to come out and say that for me as the sheriff or Tulare County looking out for victims, looking for someone who’s going to support criminal justice and law enforcement, that is best represented by Donald Trump, not Kamala Harris.”

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 22:35

  • Reclaiming Strength and Rebuilding Lost Muscle
    Reclaiming Strength and Rebuilding Lost Muscle

    Authored by Sheramy Tsai via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Muscle atrophy, the wasting or loss of muscle tissue, can occur astonishingly quickly, posing serious challenges for individuals recovering from prolonged illness or extended periods of inactivity.

    A study in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle revealed that just three days of simulated bed rest resulted in a more than 10 percent loss of muscle tissue and increased fatty infiltration of the muscle.

    “Believe it or not, you can start losing significant muscle mass in just five days of inactivity,” fitness and nutrition expert JJ Virgin told The Epoch Times. She noted that athletes can see the effects of reduced activity within about three weeks if they don’t maintain their workout routines.

    Everson A. Nunes, a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University, noted the variability in muscle loss during inactivity. In an email to The Epoch Times, he said that healthy young individuals can lose about 0.8 percent of muscle per day during a week of leg immobilization.

    Nunes said that the primary cause of atrophy is the lack of mechanical stimulus.

    “Muscles, tendons, and bones need mechanical stress to maintain size, function, and proper turnover rates,” he wrote. The key to healthy muscles, tendons, and bones is continuous breakdown and rebuilding.

    Muscle loss can happen during extended periods of bed rest because of illness or injury, leading to disuse-induced atrophy.

    “Disuse-induced atrophy will likely affect every person in his or her lifetime, and can be debilitating, especially in the elderly,” Sue Bodine, who holds a doctorate in neuromuscular physiology, wrote.

    “If you’re sidelined due to an injury or stuck in bed, your muscles aren’t getting the workout they need to stay strong,” Virgin said. Without movement, muscles begin to degrade, resulting in a noticeable loss of strength and function.

    Aging and Atrophy

    Aging is a significant contributor to muscle atrophy. Our bodies naturally lose muscle mass and strength as we age, a process known as sarcopenia. This decline begins as early as age 30, with muscle mass decreasing by 3 percent to 8 percent per decade, and the rate of loss doubling at about age 60, making it even more challenging to maintain muscle health, according to Virgin.

    Even more troubling is the loss of strength and power, occurring twice and three times the rate of muscle mass loss, respectively, according to Virgin. These changes can significantly impact daily activities and overall quality of life.

    “The maintenance of muscle mass is dependent on the balance of two processes: the rate of protein synthesis and protein degradation. Under atrophy conditions, there is a shift in the balance of these two processes such that there is a net loss of muscle proteins,” Bodine wrote.

    A 2021 review in Nature Communications supports this by highlighting the numerous factors affecting muscle health. The authors note that changes in muscle mass can significantly impact metabolism, movement, and even breathing. Their research shows that muscle function adapts to environmental and nutritional cues, emphasizing the importance of balancing protein synthesis and degradation.

    The Role of Inflammation in Muscle Atrophy

    Inflammation is a key factor in muscle loss, particularly for individuals with chronic illnesses or persistent low-grade inflammation. Nunes notes that chronic diseases and high body fat can cause anabolic resistance, meaning muscles do not respond well to muscle-building signals from protein intake or exercise.

    In cases of severe injury, trauma, or systemic diseases, inflammation plays a critical role in helping the body heal. High levels of inflammatory mediators are released in response to these conditions, but this can also lead to increased muscle breakdown. This inflammatory response, while essential for healing and defense, can complicate muscle recovery by exacerbating muscle atrophy.

    “With major injury or trauma or systemic diseases, inflammation scales up and causes massive behavior and metabolic changes contributing to muscle loss,” Nunes wrote.

    “It has been difficult to find a sweet spot that is able to prevent unwanted effects but still having an effective healing/defense response,” Nunes wrote. This challenge is particularly evident when using anti-inflammatory drugs, which can inhibit both harmful and beneficial inflammatory processes.

    For those with chronic inflammation, strategies to combat muscle loss include a combination of drugs and lifestyle changes. These may involve anti-inflammatory medications, anabolic agents, and therapies aimed at maintaining appetite and muscle function. It’s important that people exercise regularly and eat well, but these can be difficult habits to maintain.

    Rebuilding Strength at Any Age

    Many believe that muscle atrophy is irreversible, particularly as people age, based on the misconception that older adults can’t build muscle.

    “This simply isn’t true,” Virgin said. “Muscle plasticity, the ability of muscles to regenerate and grow, persists throughout life. With the right training and nutrition, you can rebuild muscle at any age.”

    Recovery for older adults often requires more time and a more focused approach than it does for younger people. In young, healthy adults, muscle mass recovery following disuse atrophy is usually complete, but in older people, it is often delayed and sometimes incomplete.

    “As we age, our bodies naturally experience a decrease in muscle regenerative capacity and hormonal changes that can slow down the recovery process,” Virgin said.

    Older adults must pay closer attention to their diet, particularly protein, to support muscle repair and recovery. With age, our bodies experience anabolic resistance, which means that eating protein or amino acids doesn’t stimulate muscle building as much as when we were younger. Consequently, seniors may require more protein than younger people to achieve similar muscle repair and growth.

    “Staying active is the most important thing we all should do on a population level to prevent anabolic resistance and help with recovery,” Nunes wrote. He noted that physically active older adults do not exhibit signs of anabolic resistance.

    Rebuilding muscular strength begins with movement, but it is crucial to address the underlying causes of inactivity, whether that be a specific ailment, lack of time, or something else.

    “Treating the cause is the most important step, in parallel with physiotherapy or supervised exercises. These are the most effective strategies targeting the inactivity aspect,” Nunes wrote.

    Practical Exercises for Rebuilding Muscle After Inactivity

    After a prolonged period of inactivity or illness, rebuilding muscle should be approached gradually and safely.

    “Ideally, you want to get up and moving as quickly as possible,” Virgin said.

    Virgin advises starting with simple isometric exercises involving holding a contraction without movement, such as planks. These exercises are beneficial for those with limited mobility, as they help rebuild strength with minimal injury risk and require no equipment. This approach allows muscles to engage even if walking is not possible.

    As recovery progresses, incorporating resistance training becomes essential. Virgin recommends exercises that mimic daily activities, such as squats, bent-over rows, and dips. Starting with body weight or light resistance bands helps focus on proper technique before gradually increasing the resistance. Using a full range of motion and engaging the core are crucial for effective muscle rebuilding.

    For individuals unable to handle significant resistance due to injury, blood flow restriction training (BFRT) offers an effective alternative. This involves exercising while wearing bands or other devices that restrict blood flow. For example, while lifting a weight with the arm, a person may have a band tied around the arm similar to the tourniquet applied when giving a blood sample.

    According to a study in the Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, BFRT can “prove to be a boon in many conditions such as muscle weakness and degeneration.” It can be an essential treatment in preventing disuse atrophy during the initial days of bed rest in post-surgical patients.

    Maintaining consistent activity is key to recovery. Virgin suggests tracking daily steps and gradually increasing them. Adding a weighted vest, known as a rucking vest, can enhance strength and endurance.

    Once a basic fitness level is established, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be introduced. HIIT involves short bursts of intense activity followed by rest periods or lower-intensity exercise. This method aids muscle building and growth hormone release, while improving cardiovascular health and boosting metabolism.

    “Recovery strategies should also include adequate rest and stress management, as elevated stress hormones like cortisol can further impair muscle recovery and overall health,” Virgin said.

    Nutrition’s Role in Muscle Recovery

    Nutrition plays a pivotal role in muscle recovery and overall health during and after injury or illness. A 2020 review in Nutrients emphasizes that periods of disuse combined with poor dietary intake can accelerate muscle loss and weaken strength, especially in older adults.

    “Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth,” Virgin said. Ensuring an optimal protein intake is critical, with a minimum of 100 grams per day, and ideally 1 gram or more per pound of ideal body weight.

    However, Nunes noted that merely increasing protein intake does not prevent muscle loss. “Muscles need to be put to work in order to decrease the level of loss during inactivity or disease,” he wrote.

    Virgin also recommends incorporating 15 grams of essential amino acids with one to two meals a day to provide the necessary nutrients for healing and preventing muscle breakdown. Additionally, extra collagen, either as a supplement or through bone broth or bone broth protein powder, can be beneficial at an intake of 15 grams to 30 grams daily.

    Virgin highlighted creatine’s benefits for enhancing performance and recovery, making it a valuable addition to any recovery regimen.

    The Mental Grit Behind Physical Recovery

    Nunes noted that the mental factor directly affects nutrition, sleep, and overall activity levels.

    “Mental resilience is absolutely crucial in physical recovery,” Virgin said. It greatly affects the speed and completeness of recovery from illness, injury, or prolonged inactivity.

    When physical strength is weakened, mental grit is essential for maintaining focus, discipline, and positivity, enabling adherence to recovery protocols and coping with the often slow and frustrating healing process.

    “It’s like armor for your psyche, protecting and propelling you forward even when the going gets tough,” Virgin said, underscoring the importance of a strong mindset.

    Cultivating mental resilience during recovery involves several key strategies, she said.

    • Embrace a positive outlook. It’s not just about thinking happy thoughts but strategically viewing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning.
    • Visualize. Picture yourself healed, strong, and thriving, which can help steer your subconscious toward those outcomes.
    • Practice resilience-building techniques. Gratitude journaling and mindfulness meditation are beneficial. These practices reduce stress and improve overall mental well-being.
    • Build Your Community. Being surrounded by people who uplift and encourage provides emotional comfort and practical help, motivating adherence to recovery goals.

    Setting Realistic Goals and Measuring Progress in Muscle Recovery

    Tracking progress is essential for those aiming to regain muscle strength after inactivity, according to Virgin. One effective starting point is a DEXA scan, which estimates skeletal muscle mass and assesses balance between limbs. This scan offers a detailed baseline, enabling precise progress monitoring.

    Alongside DEXA scans, regular fitness tests can assess improvements in strength, power, endurance, flexibility, and balance. At-home tests include hand dynamometer grip strength, push-ups, flexed arm hang or pull-ups, vertical jump, sit and reach for flexibility, and standing balance.

    For ongoing tracking, affordable bioimpedance scales can align with DEXA results, providing a convenient way to monitor changes at home. Virgin advises reassessing fitness tests every one to three months and repeating the DEXA scan every six months to track long-term progress.

    Tracking progress offers tangible evidence of improvements and boosts motivation. Fitness trackers, apps, or workout journals can help monitor routines by recording exercise types, weights, and repetitions. This documentation aids in adjusting goals and ensuring continued progress.

    “Always start out doing less than you think you can and progress carefully. Listen to your body,” Virgin said. If you experience joint pain or soreness, reduce your activity and consult an expert to check your form.

    “Be sure to celebrate milestones, no matter how small, as they

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 21:45

  • Taliban Flexes US Weapons In Military Parade, Left Behind By Biden-Harris' Botched Afghan Exit
    Taliban Flexes US Weapons In Military Parade, Left Behind By Biden-Harris’ Botched Afghan Exit

    The Biden-Harris administration’s poor planning and execution in Afghanistan resulted in the botched withdrawal that killed 13 US service members, left Americans stranded, and allowed billions of dollars in US military equipment to flow into the hands of the Taliban terror group.

    Since the Afghan government’s collapse in August 2021 under Biden-Harris, the war-torn nation (thank you, Bush/Cheney), landlocked in the Middle East, has once again become a safe haven for terrorism. The chaotic withdrawal allowed Taliban fighters to commandeer Black Hawk helicopters, A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft, armored Humvees, and 600,000 weapons, including grenade launchers, machine guns, and rifles.

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    There has been zero accountability from President Biden or Vice President Kalama Harris over these colossal failures. Even to the extent that Biden made the stunning claim during the presidential debate in June that he was “the only president this century” and “this decade” that did not have any troops “dying anywhere in the world.”

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    Meanwhile, Americans might get fired up after learning that Taliban fighters have showcased all of Biden-Harris’ gifts from the botched exit in a massive military parade, marking the third anniversary of the takeover of Afghanistan. 

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    What were those gifts? 

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    Here’s what X users are saying:

    • “If this doesn’t raise your BP and your temperature, then you don’t realize what the Biden/Harris Administration did: they have made the Taliban a 21st century kinetic warfare force,” one X user said. 

    • Another person said, “The Democrat’s presidential nominee made it possible for this Taliban parade to happen. Yes, those are our vehicles and weapons, left behind by Biden/Harris.” 

    Harris’ presidential campaign has been running far from her 3.5-year toxic track record as VP, with elderly Biden guiding rudderless foreign policy that has led the world to the brink of war. 

    The Biden-Harris duo has little to show for their time in office. Even White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre could not name one of Harris’ accomplishments. 

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    All Harris needs to do – is continue to avoid all press conferences and hide under the cloak of far-left corporate media that has launched a massive info war to convince the American people the person who pushed terrible economic, domestic, and foreign policy is the best choice in November. 

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 21:20

  • Human Rights Lawyer: Olympic Boxer's "Cyberbullies" Lawsuit A Threat To Free Speech
    Human Rights Lawyer: Olympic Boxer’s “Cyberbullies” Lawsuit A Threat To Free Speech

    Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

    A human rights lawyer has warned that a lawsuit brought by Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif against the likes of Elon Musk and JK Rowling could set a significant precedent against free speech.

    Khelif, who competed and won a gold medal in the women’s welterweight division, despite having XY chromosomes, is charging that prominent personalities and bodies engaged in “acts of aggravated cyber harassment.”

    Questions were raised by both the World Boxing Organisation and the International Boxing Association regarding Khelif’s eligibility to compete as a woman following two previous  ‘failed’ gender tests.

    Speaking to GB News, human rights lawyer David Haigh warned that the lawsuit could lead to “policing of social media” across borders.

    Haigh outlined “If they proceed with this, the Paris prosecutors have the reach jurisdiction to come to other countries. And if that is the case, that then is a very concerning development.”

    “You can have countries around the world basically policing social media in other countries. It could be a very, very significant case in free speech, the use of social media,” Haigh added.

    He continued, “are we now going to see France trying to extradite or issuing arrest warrants for JK Rowling? It’s a very slippery slope and it could become a very significant case.”

    The lawyer also noted that the case could also set a legal precedent in terms of gender ideology.

    “If it proceeds, and that’s a big if, it could have significant ramifications. Whether or not there has been harassment, you will have a debate on what is and isn’t a man or a woman in the court,” he noted.

    “If part of whether or not there has been harassment and abuse comes down to whether or not that boxer is a man or a woman, obviously evidence will need to be put forward on both sides of that,” Haigh further explained.

    *  *  *

    Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 20:55

  • FTC Says Google Antitrust Ruling Goes Beyond Epic Games, Hints Tech 'Monopolist' Should Be Broken Up
    FTC Says Google Antitrust Ruling Goes Beyond Epic Games, Hints Tech ‘Monopolist’ Should Be Broken Up

    The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an amicus brief in the Epic Games antitrust lawsuit against Google’s monopolistic behavior, suggesting that the court impose stringent actions against such practices.

    The lawsuit was filed in 2020 by developer Epic Games against Google. Epic claimed that Google violated antitrust regulations by monopolizing two markets: the market for distribution of mobile apps for Android users and the market for processing payments. In addition, Google benefits from gaining access to user data.

    “Google has thus installed itself as an unavoidable middleman for app developers who wish to reach Android users and vice versa,” Epic said.

    In December 2023, a district court jury in California ruled in favor of Epic, finding that the game developer proved that Google was in violation of antitrust laws. District Judge James Donato has yet to decide on what relief Epic should be provided.

    Naveen Athrappully reports for The Epoch Times that on Aug. 12, the FTC filed an amicus brief in the case, suggesting how the court could consider remedies.

    Ensuring antitrust laws are strictly enforced “is essential for protecting and preserving economic freedom and the free-enterprise system,” the agency pointed out.

    “When a company engages in business practices that are found to violate the antitrust laws, courts are empowered to remedy those violations by ordering all relief necessary to restore competition in the affected markets,” it stated.

    This includes “identifying and requiring actions that the defendant must affirmatively take toward that end.”

    If companies violating antitrust laws reap the advantages secured through such actions, it will end up incentivizing other firms to engage in similar behavior, the agency warned.

    As such, the district court should ensure that the violating firm does not continue securing the benefits obtained via breaching antitrust rules, it stated.

    Though it should be said that at no point does the FTC outright say that Google should be broken up, Duncan Riley reports via SiliconAngle.com, that any lay reader with a knowledge of U.S. antitrust law and English can reasonably come to that conclusion. And there’s more.

    “Looking forward in cases like Epic v. Google often requires the consideration of network effects, data feedback loops, and other key features of digital markets,” the FTC writes. “This could help ensure that potential competitors can overcome the advantages established digital platforms often gain, which include network effects and data incumbency.”

    But the real kicker comes towards the end. “Google’s monopolistic behavior has significantly harmed millions of users in the United States,” the FTC adds. “Allowing monopolists to reap the rewards of illegal monopolization while avoiding the costs of restoring the competition that they unlawfully eliminated would undermine deterrence.”

    There is a strong possibility that the FTC is hinting at a possible breakup of Google as a negotiating tactic; nonetheless, it should be taken seriously.

    Kent Walker, president of Google global affairs, said the decision “recognizes that Google offers the best search engine“ but concludes that Google ”shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available,” according to a statement emailed to The Epoch Times.

    “Given this, and that people are increasingly looking for information in more and more ways, we plan to appeal,” Walker stated.

    “As this process continues, we will remain focused on making products that people find helpful and easy to use.”

    Earlier this year, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called for stronger antitrust enforcement to break up big tech firms.

    “To restore competition in existing digital markets and to foster emerging markets like AI, Amazon’s e-commerce platform should be separated from its product lines. Google should be broken into its search business and its browsing services,” she said.

    “Each of the major cloud services—Google, Microsoft, and Amazon—should not be allowed to use their enormous size to dominate a whole new field, and that means blocking them from operating large language models. Each of these moves would create valuable competition.”

    According to Bloomberg, less severe options than a breakup of Google include forcing Google to share more data with competitors and measures to prevent it from gaining an unfair advantage in AI products.

    Should a breakup occur, first up would be forcing Google to divest both its Android operating system and its Chrome web browser.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 20:30

  • Vote Integrity's Nitty-Gritty: The Battle Lines Of '24's Epic Struggle
    Vote Integrity’s Nitty-Gritty: The Battle Lines Of ’24’s Epic Struggle

    Authored by Ben Weingarten via RealClearInvestigations,

    More than a dozen jurisdictions run by Democrats – including Washington D.C., and several adjacent Maryland municipalities – allow noncitizens to vote in some local elections. San Francisco not only permits noncitizens to vote but appointed one to serve on its Elections Commission.

    Such developments, against a backdrop of millions of illegal migrants streaming into the United States under the Biden-Harris administration, bring new urgency to debates over election integrity. Many Republicans fear that a widespread effort is afoot to give noncitizens the full benefits of citizenship, including the right to vote in all elections, on top of benefits already available to illegal aliens in some places, notably drivers licenses, food stamps, government health care, and work visas.

    Although Democrats note that noncitizens may not participate in federal elections and claim there is little evidence noncitizens are voting unlawfully, critics are unmollified.

    A RealClearInvestigations analysis of proposed and enacted state and federal laws, along with other reporting and research, suggests that the fight over noncitizen voting is only likely to intensify this year – both in the immediate wake of an expected closely-contested presidential election and in its aftermath.

    States across the country report that thousands of noncitizens have been discovered on voter rolls in the past decade, with unknown numbers already having voted: 

    • Pennsylvania found 11,000 registrants suspected of being noncitizens after becoming aware of a decades-old “glitch” in the state’s “motor voter” registration system in 2017. It removed 2,500 individuals from the rolls, and it could not verify the citizenship status of the other 8,700 registrants.
    • Virginia has removed over 11,000 registrants from its rolls between 2014-2023 – and more than 6,300 from January 2022 to July 2024 alone – upon learning that they had declared themselves noncitizens in other interactions with government, typically in transactions with the state’s department of motor vehicles. House Republicans cited a study showing that of nearly 1,500 noncitizens the Commonwealth removed from rolls from May 2023 to February 2024, 23% had cast ballots since February 2019.
    • New Jersey had some 616 self-reported noncitizens in 11 counties “engaged on some level with the statewide registration system,” 9% of whom cast ballots, according to a 2017 survey conducted by the Public Interest Legal Foundation.
    • Boston, Massachusetts, officials revealed this year that the city had removed 70 noncitizens from the rolls, some 22 of whom had voted, the removals coming in response to disclosure requests from the Public Interest Legal Foundation.
    • Ohio recently ordered the removal of 499 noncitizens from its voter rolls after removing some 137 other registrants back in May.
    • North Carolina identified more than 1,400 registrants on state voter rolls who did not appear to be naturalized, in an audit conducted prior to the 2014 midterm election. Eighty-nine flagged individuals appeared at the polls to vote, and 24 had their registration challenged; 11 challenges were sustained or justified.
    • Arizona classifies some 42,000 people on its rolls as “federal-only” registrants as of July 1, 2024 – after they had failed to provide the proof of citizenship necessary to vote in state and local races. The state’s bifurcated voter rolls are the result of a 2013 Supreme Court ruling in which a 7-2 majority led by the late Justice Antonin Scalia ruled that federal voter registration requirements – of which documentary proof of citizenship is not one – preempted the state’s standards. 

    Other evidence of noncitizen voting has been found in states from California to Illinois. 

    Republicans argue that such examples expose weaknesses in the voter registration and administration process – including that registrants need not provide proof of citizenship to get on the voter rolls. These and other loopholes in state-run systems make elections vulnerable to ineligible noncitizen voters today.

    Each side has its own research to support its claims. Democrats cite a study by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, finding that local election officials overseeing the tabulation of 23.5 million ballots during the 2016 presidential election identified only 30 potential incidents of noncitizen voting.

    Republicans highlight a recent study estimating that 10% to 27% of noncitizens are illegally registered to vote, and 5% to 13% will illegally vote in 2024 – a potentially massive number given the illegal alien portion of the noncitizen population alone numbers well over 10 million. Election integrity advocates argue that states have not found many incidents of noncitizen voting for the simple reason that authorities, including the Department of Justice, do not look for it.

    “DOJ investigations of illegal voting are all but nonexistent,” Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, said in a recent floor debate concerning the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act, a bill Lee and House colleague Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced to combat noncitizen voting. After the House passed the measure in July, Democrats blocked the legislation in the upper chamber, where it remains stalled.

    “[T]oo many prosecutors refuse to enforce the law even when such illegal behavior is discovered by election officials or others,” Hans von Spakovsky, a former Department of Justice official who now works at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told Congress in May.

    Should election officials fail to prevent noncitizens from casting ballots on the front end, J. Christian Adams, a fellow former DOJ official and president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, told RCI, there is “almost nothing” the public or political parties can do on the back end to identify, challenge, and invalidate noncitizen votes prior to election certification.

    Adams’ group has documented myriad electoral races decided by one vote or tied over the last two decades – something he and others argue indicates just how critical it is to combat illegal voting, given the potential impact to tight races up and down ballots.

    States generally seem unfazed by the prospect of noncitizen voting. For this article, RealClearInvestigations contacted authorities in the seven states comprising RealClearPolitics’ top battlegrounds: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Two states, Michigan and Pennsylvania, did not respond to RCI’s inquiries. Election authorities in the five responsive states maintained that current law is a sufficient deterrent to noncitizen voting, emphasizing that casting a ballot as a foreigner would constitute a criminal offense with grave penalties.

    “Someone would have to knowingly and intentionally commit a class 6 Felony if they did vote as a noncitizen, and it would result in the revocation of their legal status in the USA, and they would likely face deportation,” a spokesman for Arizona’s Democrat Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said in a statement. The spokesman said he hoped his statement, which pointed to the state’s voter challenge process and noted other procedures pertaining to citizenship, would “compel” RealClearInvestigations to “clear up [RCI’s] notions and erroneous assumptions.”

    Georgia touted its 2022 citizenship audit in correspondence with RCI, the first such review of the voter rolls for citizenship in state history, in which it found that 1,634 people who attempted to register to vote were not verified by the SAVE program. All were in “pending citizenship” status within Georgia’s internal systems, and thus none had been allowed to vote. “Due to the effective processes Georgia has in place to verify U.S citizenship at the time of registration … we are confident noncitizens are not voting in Georgia, and if one ever does, they will be punished to the full extent of the law,” Mike Hassinger, a spokesman for Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, told RCI.

    North Carolina election board public information director Patrick Gannon told RCI: “We have little evidence of noncitizens voting in elections, and get very few complaints alleging voting by noncitizens.”

    He pointed to a 2016 state audit report and the handful of cases alleging noncitizen voting that the bipartisan State Board of Elections has referred to prosecutors since 2017.

    Similarly, Wisconsin election commission public information officer Riley Vetterkind told RCI, “There is not evidence to support the idea that noncitizens are voting in Wisconsin in significant numbers.” The spokesperson for the state’s bipartisan commission cited the few instances of suspected election fraud, irregularities, or violations referred to district attorneys by municipal clerks that the state’s election commission “has been made aware of.”

    These messages of reassurance, however, at times come with notes of caution that underpin election integrity advocates’ concerns.

    States each have their own independent processes to maintain voter lists. Those processes vary widely in vigor, tempo, and transparency. They are often based on different degrees of access to sources of citizenship status with which to identify ineligible voters. “No state or federal law requires the WEC [Wisconsin Elections Commission] or clerks to verify a voter’s citizenship status beyond requiring the voter to certify that they are a U.S. citizen as a qualification for voter eligibility,” said Vetterkind.

    Pennsylvania has asserted that “The Commonwealth has no systematic program to identify and remove noncitizens from the voter rolls.” 

    The Public Interest Legal Foundation has litigated against the Keystone State and other jurisdictions just to get a peek into their registration list maintenance processes. As for how states identify potential noncitizens, Gannon said of North Carolina’s audit that “relying on state databases was wildly inaccurate for determining citizenship status.” 

    The state passed a law in 2023 requiring that the election board regularly reconcile its registration list with lists provided by state courts of those excused from jury duty due to lack of citizenship – an ad hoc approach commonly used by other states.

    Georgia emphasized its use of the Department of Homeland Security’s more robust SAVE tool, which provides “point in time immigration status” for those who have been issued a unique immigration identifier. (This Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements tool is distinct from the GOP-sponsored legislation with the same acronym.)

    Most state officials who responded to RCI’s query emphasized that there are laws on the books permitting third-party challenges to voter eligibility. But this is a measure requiring time, money, and effort. The two former Justice Department officials – Spakovsky and Adams – recently took issue with the view that state audits and scrubs of voter rolls ought to inspire confidence, writing in the Daily Signal:

    Because almost no state even attempts to verify that individuals registering to vote are U.S. citizens – and because the federal government, including both the courts and the executive branch, have put up significant barriers to such verification – we don’t really know how many aliens, whether here legally or illegally, are registering and voting.

    Rougher Weather Ahead

    Whatever the extent of noncitizen registration and voting today, Election Integrity Network leader Cleta Mitchell says conditions are building for a “perfect storm.” Two factors are about to produce it: “the invasion of our country by millions of illegals” and a series of largely Democratic Party-driven efforts to ease voter registration and participation.

    Mitchell and others, including the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, have suggested that significant numbers of noncitizens could wind up on the voting roles under Biden administration Executive Order 14019, which directs every federal agency to register and mobilize voters. 

    Officials in Alabama and Mississippi say that under the executive order, which RCI has previously examined, authorities are already attempting to register noncitizens to vote. The Biden administration initiative calls on federal agencies to coordinate with third-party groups in pursuit of its objectives as well. Adams, testifying alongside Spakovsky for the Republican majority before the House Administration Committee in May, said that “most often noncitizens are getting on the rolls through the motor voter registration process or third-party registration drives.” 

    Regarding motor-voter registration, the Only Citizens Vote Coalition warns that “many states are now automatically registering people to vote at the time of coming into contact with the DMV unless the person ‘opts out’ of registration.” 

    Advocates are also concerned that practices like same-day voter registration and allowing the use of student IDs to vote – IDs that can be issued to foreigners – could lead to noncitizens ending up on voter rolls and potentially voting. 

    These issues likely only exacerbate concerns election integrity advocates already have around practices like mail-in voting and ballot harvesting that have become widespread since the 2020 election. A more robust “level of citizenship tracking and verification would almost certainly require legislative change to accomplish,” Wisconsin’s Riley Vetterkind told RCI.

    Congressional Republicans have sought to do just that with the SAVE Act, which passed the House on July 10 in a largely party-line vote. Under the existing registration system, applicants attest to their citizenship simply by checking a box, under penalty of perjury. House Speaker Mike Johnson calls this nothing more than an “honor system” that leaves “people who have already proven they have no regard or respect for our laws” undeterred. 

    The SAVE Act would close this loophole by requiring that applicants provide proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote in federal elections. Adams has argued that under the less stringent status quo, noncitizens often end up on the voter rolls through no fault of their own – subjecting aliens who often can’t speak English to severe legal liability.

    Critics of the SAVE Act, echoing some states, believe those liabilities – including the threat of deportation, jail time, and other punishments – sufficiently curb noncitizen registration and voting.

    New York University Brennan Center for Justice President Michael Waldman emphasized in the May congressional hearing, as the Democrat minority’s witness opposite Adams and Spakovsky, that “under current law, noncitizen voting in federal elections is illegal four times over: it is both a state and federal crime to register to vote, and it is both a state and federal crime to vote in federal elections.” 

    The liberal think-tank did not respond to RCI’s inquiries in connection with this story. Democratic party leaders from President Biden on down also dismiss evidence of noncitizen voting, claiming it is virtually non-existent.

    “Even the conservative CATO Institute has said that ‘noncitizens don’t illegally vote in detectable numbers,’” California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla noted in a floor speech in response to Mike Lee, referencing a 2020 blog post from the libertarian think tank. 

    Democrats also claim the bill’s documentary proof of citizenship requirements disenfranchise potential voters. They point to past evidence indicating that similar state laws in places like Kansas ended up preventing eligible registrants from voting. They also highlight surveys showing millions of Americans lack commonly used documents to prove citizenship, like a passport or birth certificate – two of a number of forms one could present to satisfy the SAVE Act’s requirements.

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries branded the SAVE Act an “extreme MAGA Republican voter suppression bill.”

    DHS’s ‘Slow-Walking’

    Registration requirements and Voter ID laws, which vary by state, do not necessarily prevent ineligible individuals from voting since noncitizens – and, in some cases, illegal aliens – can obtain relevant forms of identification. As Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin highlighted in a recent executive order, only three states – his included – require even a full social security number to register to vote.

    Thus, the SAVE Act would also mandate that states bolster their registration list maintenance practices explicitly to identify and remove noncitizens from voter rolls – including through cross-referencing their lists with more comprehensive data sources.

    Only five states currently have access to one resource referenced in the bill, the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE tool. A House Administration Committee report indicates that DHS is not granting the same level of access to all states and may be “slow-walking” requests to use it. 

    ‘Significant Inaccuracies’ in the Federal Database

    When asked about this allegation, a spokesperson for the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service told RCI, “There is an established process agencies must undergo and eligibility criteria agencies must meet to complete SAVE registration.”

    “USCIS is committed to working with agencies seeking access to SAVE and processing registration requests as efficiently as possible,” the spokesperson added while referring a reporter to several resources on its website.

    Still, these databases are not seen by all as a panacea. “Even using the federal SAVE database, which can only be used to determine current citizenship status for one person at a time, and only when that person has been involved in the federal immigration system, our agency found significant inaccuracies in the data we received,” North Carolina’s Patrick Gannon told RCI in an email. “There is no comprehensive, accurate, or up-to-date database of U.S. citizens that election administrators could use for verification purposes.”

    Democrats argue that the more robust voter registration list maintenance demanded by Republicans could leave eligible voters purged. Calling the SAVE Act “nothing other than a solution in search of a problem,” Sen. Padilla blocked the bill in the upper chamber.

    With a September spending fight looming in Congress, the House Freedom Caucus is seeking to force the issue by calling on leadership to attaching the SAVE Act to any stopgap spending solution – a plan Sen. Lee has also endorsed.

    Meanwhile, election integrity advocates like the Only Citizens Vote Coalition are calling for state-level model legislation to combat noncitizen voting. The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project has been working to identify vulnerabilities in extant voter registration systems and potential legal violations, publicize them, and press lawmakers to enforce relevant laws to combat noncitizen voting.

    The conservative public interest law organization America First Legal recently sent letters to all 50 states instructing them that under existing law, states can and should send requests to the DHS soliciting the citizenship status of registered voters.

    America First Legal has also sent demand letters to all 15 Arizona County Recorders compelling them to verify the citizenship of all “federal-only” voters, including through making citizenship requests of DHS – or face legal action.

    On Aug. 5, America First Legal filed suit against the Maricopa County Recorder for his alleged failure to act in response to the group’s demand letter. Three days later, the Republican National Committee filed an emergency application at the Supreme Court in a bid to compel Arizona to enforce its proof of citizenship requirements for the 2024 presidential election.

    Warning: Extended Lawfare Ahead

    These forces on the right are likely to find themselves locked in battle with the left for years to come. 

    House Democrats, today in the slim minority, have voted to continue apportioning congressional seats based on total population rather than total citizens in a given jurisdiction; to protect noncitizen voting rights in Washington, D.C.; and, in legislation aimed at providing certain aliens with a path to permanent resident status, to permit authorities to waive unlawful voting as grounds for deeming noncitizens inadmissible. Liberal witnesses were unable or unwilling to affirm that only citizens should be permitted to vote in federal elections during a March Senate Judiciary Committee hearing concerning elections.

    As a presidential candidate in 2020, Vice President Kamala Harris signaled her support for providing government healthcare to illegal aliens. Her presumed running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, signed legislation providing benefits for illegal aliens, including state-funded healthcare, driver’s licenses, and free college tuition.

    Those on the left see voting rights, like the expansion of other benefits to noncitizens, as a matter of fairness.

    “Immigrants pay taxes, they use city services, their kids go to our public schools. They are part of our community. And they deserve a say in local government,” New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said in defending a bill that has been ruled unconstitutional that would have allowed an estimated 800,000 noncitizens to vote in local elections.

    The Trump-Vance campaign, by contrast, has called for mass deportation of the illegal alien population to which Democrats increasingly wish to extend rights and benefits, among other immigration measures the Republicans say aim to protect and support Americans. In contrast to the growing coterie of blue-state jurisdictions embracing noncitizen voting, red states are increasingly passing amendments prohibiting local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote, with Louisiana and Ohio most approving such constitutional changes in 2022. Eight more states have citizenship-related ballot measures in the 2024 election.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 20:05

  • Don't Let Washington Do To Airlines What It Did To Amtrak
    Don’t Let Washington Do To Airlines What It Did To Amtrak

    Submitted by Merrill Matthews, a resident scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation in Dallas, Texas. Follow him on X @MerrillMatthews.

    A record number of travelers are taking to the skies this year. In an era of expensive groceries, gas, food and rent, the last thing anyone wants is a massive increase in airfares.

    But that’s precisely what travelers could experience if lawmakers push through new restrictions on prices, routes and even seat sizes.

    More airline regulation might sound appealing. But red tape always comes with a cost, often in higher prices but also in reduced access and convenience.

    Air travel used to be heavily regulated. Until the late 1970s, government officials set fares, routes and schedules for all interstate air travel. Prices were sky high, the industry operated inefficiently and relatively few people flew.

    Lawmakers decided they had to do something. Congress passed the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978. The law allowed airlines to determine their own routes and prices.

    The change unleashed competition and allowed low-cost operators to enter the market. Choices skyrocketed and prices fell. On an inflation-adjusted basis, the cost of flying is half of what it was before Congress deregulated the industry.

    Deregulation led to more options. The number of cities connected via nonstop service, and the number of carriers providing that service, increased markedly.

    More affordable tickets and an explosion of routes made flying accessible to millions of Americans. In 1977, a quarter of Americans reported flying in the past year. Today, it’s close to half. Nearly 90 percent of Americans have flown in their lifetime.

    Considering these outcomes, why do policymakers seem intent on bringing back onerous airline regulations? Especially considering the government has a less-than-stellar public-transportation “track record” — that is, Amtrak.

    Amtrak is a government-subsidized public train system that receives billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies. Government created the system because passenger trains were losing money. The Washington Times notes, “Even with all that money, there are still widespread complaints about the train service. Signal problems, mechanical snafus and computer breakdowns are seen across the country.”

    In Congress, members have proposed legislation that would pave the way for more federal control of airline baggage policies, fees, and seat sizes. A recent Department of Transportation rule imposes complex restrictions on airline refund policies that even the seasoned traveler may be hard-pressed to understand.

    Together, the changes amount to an oversized regulatory regime that would be expensive and time consuming to comply with. Some airlines could be forced to raise prices or cut unprofitable routes altogether.

    Proposals to re-regulate the airlines have nothing to do with passenger safety. It’s been 15 years since the last fatal U.S. commercial airline crash.

    To be sure, there’s room to improve America’s air travel system. Shortages among air traffic controllers contribute to frustrating flight delays and cancellations. Outdated facilities and infrastructure pose challenges in many parts of the country. But remember, these broken parts of the system are largely under government control already.

    Subjecting airlines to burdensome regulations wouldn’t make air travel better. It’d lead to higher costs, fewer routes, and less-satisfied travelers. Don’t let Washington do to the airline industry what it did to train travel.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 19:40

  • China Port Explosion Snarls Trans-Pacific Container Trade
    China Port Explosion Snarls Trans-Pacific Container Trade

    The closure of Ningbo Beilun’s Phase III Terminal is expected to have cascading effects on the main trans-Pacific trade lanes out of Asia, and the supply chain at large, in the midst of the peak shipping season.

    As Stuart Chris reports for FreightWaves, container traffic has been halted at Ningbo following a shipboard explosion involving hazardous materials at one of the world’s busiest intermodal hubs.

    The explosion aboard the Yang Ming vessel YM Mobility on Friday reportedly involved organic peroxide materials.

    There were no injuries in the blast, but the terminal has been closed until further notice.

    Ningbo is the world’s third-busiest container port, with volume of 33.35 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2023.

    The shutdown couldn’t come at a worse time as record peak volumes for  North American imports are forecast for August, after an “early peak” in June as shippers rushed to get holiday merchandise ahead of expected supply chain disruptions in the fall.

    “With this closure, Ningbo Port is no longer operational, compounding existing supply chain disruptions exacerbated by Typhoon Gaemi in July,” said Christian Roeloffs, co-founder and chief executive of Container xChange, an online container marketplace based in Hamburg, Germany, in a customer advisory.

    “For container trading companies and those involved in container leasing, this incident presents some straightforward challenges worth accounting for. The disruption at the Ningbo Port, combined with pre-existing congestion at major Asian ports, will lead to a deterioration of ocean schedules and further delays in container availability,” Roeloffs said.

    “Companies must brace for increased dwell times, potential re-routing of shipments, and a tightening of available container supplies, especially for hazardous and dangerous goods.”

    The exchange advised shippers to evaluate alternative routes through other ports but to expect increased congestion at neighboring hubs.

    Shippers should also plan for extended delays amid longer dwell times at major ports, and adjust inventory levels and delivery schedules accordingly.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 19:15

  • "Would It Kill You Guys?" CNN Gets Confrontational With Harris SPOX For Avoiding Interviews, Press Conferences
    “Would It Kill You Guys?” CNN Gets Confrontational With Harris SPOX For Avoiding Interviews, Press Conferences

    The Harris campaign’s ‘hide Kamala’ strategy may be working from a polling perspective – but it’s gone on so long that even CNN is getting annoyed.

    “Would it kill you guys to have a press conference?” asked the network’s Jim Acosta (of ‘shouting at Trump’ fame) during an interview with Harris communications director Michael Tyler.

    “I’m sure this is not going to be the first time you’ve heard this question, but the Trump campaign is also going after the vice president for not doing enough interviews, for not holding a press conference. Would it kill you guys to have a press conference? Why hasn’t she had a press conference?“

    To which Tyler laughed sheepishly and pivoted to robotic talking points about Harris and running mate Tim Walz being “busy” traveling around the country to multiple (teleprompter) campaign rallies.

    “Michael, you know a campaign really isn’t really a press conference,” Acosta pushed back. “Why hasn’t she had a press conference? She’s the vice president, she can handle the questions, why not do it?”

    Tyler said Harris will sit down for a one-on-one interview before the end of the month, which Acosta said was “not a lot,” adding “can you commit to a press conference by the end of the month?”

    Tyler once again deflected – saying “We will commit to directly engage with the voters who are actually going to decide this election, and that is going to be complete with rallies, with sit-down interviews, with press conferences, with all the digital assets that we have at our disposal.”

    Watch:

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    CNN‘s John Berman also pressed a Harris campaign spox over the VP’s lack of media presence.

    “The reason I was asking you about today is because it seems like she has time if she wanted to do an interview with a member of the media or do a news conference, correct? There does appear to be that time, if she wanted,” said Berman – to which Harris campaign spokeswoman Adrienne Elrod repeated Tyler’s talking point that Harris and Walz are bringing their message directly to voters.

    “She hit a number of battleground states. I think we had 15,000 people in Detroit last week, 12 to 13,000 in Nevada. She’s been taking her message to the voters and drawing large crowds. So she’s actually having those direct conversations,” said Elrod – before Berman cut her off.

    “But not today — all I’m saying is not today. She could do an interview today, I would think, you know, because she’s not out there today,” said the CNN host.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Meanwhile, Trump did a lengthy press conference at Mar-a-Lago last week and had a 2 hour conversation with Elon Musk – something Harris clearly couldn’t pull off because her biggest liability, like Biden, is her brain.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 18:50

  • 45% Of Bitcoin Supply Has Not Moved In 6 Months
    45% Of Bitcoin Supply Has Not Moved In 6 Months

    By William Suberg of CoinTelegraph

    Nearly half the available Bitcoin supply has not moved in the past six months, onchain data confirms. In the latest edition of its weekly newsletter, “The Week Onchain,” analytics firm Glassnode shows investors did not “sell the top” on BTC.

    Bitcoin hodlers double down on reaccumulation

    Bitcoin may have put in a new all-time high some five months ago, but a large section of the BTC investor base continues to double down on its holdings.

    Analyzing the realized cap HODL waves indicator, Glassnode reveals that just over 45% of all bitcoins have remained dormant in their wallets for at least the past half a year.

    Despite the record highs and subsequent volatility, a considerable swath of market participants prefer to do nothing.

    Bitcoin realized cap HODL waves chart (screenshot). Source: Glassnode

    Long-term holders (LTHs) — entities hodling coins for at least 155 days — distributed to the market both leading up to the all-time high and later on.

    “We can also assess the 7-day change in LTH supply as a tool to assess rates of change in their aggregate balance. We can see substantial LTH distribution, typical of macro topping formations, into the March ATH,” Glassnode explains.

    “Fewer than 1.7% of trading days have ever recording a larger distribution pressure. More recently, this metric has returned to positive territory, indicating that the LTH cohort are expressing a preference for holding onto their coins.”

    Bitcoin long-term/short-term holder supply ratio chart (screenshot). Source: Glassnode

    That theme speaks to what “The Week Onchain” describes as “a notable slow-down in the distribution pressure by LTHs.”

    “This has led to the percentage of network wealth held by this cohort to firstly stabilize, and then recommence growing,” it continues.

    “Despite the substantial sell-side pressure by LTHs into the market ATH, wealth held by longer-term investors remains historically elevated when compared to previous all time high breakouts.”

    BTC sell-off angst pervades market mood

    As Cointelegraph continues to report, sell-side pressure is never far from traders’ minds this month.

    After the mass sell-off at the start of August, concerns of a retest of six-month lows have combined with analysis showing “older” coins moving onchain.

    Recent fluctuations in the Crypto Fear & Greed Index underscore the uncertainty currently running through crypto as a whole.

    Countering this is optimism over global liquidity, with some perspectives seeing crypto benefiting from a move toward financial policy easing.

    “Global money supply is exploding up. Plus we just broke out of a massive 4 year consolidation,” Charles Charles Edwards, the founder of quantitative Bitcoin and digital asset fund Capriole Investments, wrote on X this week.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 18:25

  • WHO Declares Monkeypox "Global Health Emergency" – Again
    WHO Declares Monkeypox “Global Health Emergency” – Again

    Just when we thought we had the monkeypox menace whipped, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared an African outbreak of mpox (renamed so as not to offend monkeys, apparently), a new public health emergency.

    The UN agency’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced the declaration in Geneva after accepting a recommendation from WHO’s emergency committee.

    As the Epoch Times notes further, Tedros said there have already been more than 14,000 reported cases and 524 reported deaths in Africa this year, a jump from last year. He also pointed to the emergence of a new mpox strain, or clade, which he described as worrying.

    “In addition to other outbreaks of other clades of mpox in other parts of Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” Tedros said at a briefing.

    Mpox is a virus that occurs in animals and humans. Mpox can spread between people and causes an illness that typically manifests with a rash and resolves in a few weeks. But some cases can lead to death.

    Mpox has predominately affected men who have sex with other men.

    A public health emergency of international concern, or global health emergency, is the highest level of alarm the WHO can convey.

    It’s declared for extraordinary events deemed to constitute a public health risk to countries through the international spread of disease.

    COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency of international concern in 2020.

    That declaration ended in 2023 after the number of cases dropped considerably.

    And as Off-Guardian opines, this is the second time in two years the WHO has declared monkeypox a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC). It was originally labelled such in the summer of 2022…before quietly having that status rescinded in 2023.

    In truth, it was a narrative that flapped its little wings as hard as it could but never got off the ground.

    They tried to label it as “the same level as leprosy and the plague”, they did the trick with the PCR tests, and they changed websites to make it seem scarier.

    They followed the Covid playbook step-by-step…none of it worked.

    In the end it just sort of fizzled away.

    But now it’s back. This time with a new name.

    There’s some talk of clades and variants and whatnot, but we’re all too familiar with this dance now to let a costume change distract from the same old routine.

    We know what’s going on.

    The only questions worth asking are “why now?” and “what next?”

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 18:00

  • Let The American People Have Autonomy Over Their Automobiles
    Let The American People Have Autonomy Over Their Automobiles

    Authored by Ashley Klingensmith via RealClearPennsylvania,

    President Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed complete disregard for our freedom of choice earlier this year, by forcing the automotive industry to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) rather than allowing Americans to choose the cars they want to buy and drive. Our government shouldn’t be dictating who wins or loses, but rather should allow Americans to make the choice for themselves.   

    The EPA finalized a rule that functions as a de facto gas car ban on light and medium duty vehicles, requiring 56% of vehicle sales in the U.S. to be electric by 2032. If people feel moved to buy EVs and do their part in quelling climate change, that’s up to them. But forcing a rushed mandate goes too far.   

    The remnants of a once bustling automotive manufacturing hub can be found along Pittsburgh’s Baum Boulevard, where people could buy themselves a brand-new Ford or Chrysler. A mandate of this severity would be the nail in the coffin for gas powered vehicles. With something so personal to each individual or family – and so vital to the economy – the government should be embracing freedom and not issuing a rule that takes away our autonomy.  

    At Americans for Prosperity, we advocate for sustainable legislation that increases economic prosperity for all. The “tailpipe rule” issued by the EPA is the antithesis to the mission we’ve worked to uphold. By phasing out affordable, more reliable options like gas powered vehicles, Pennsylvanians will have to make calculated decisions about where they spend their money in order to adapt to this market shift. By denying Americans choice, the federal government is ignoring the same people they committed to serve.   

    Despite the EPA’s efforts, Americans aren’t running to car lots to purchase expensive EVs. In fact, Tesla continues to lay off thousands of employees after experiencing a less than thrilling start to 2024. In short, people aren’t buying EVs like some industry leaders had hoped.   

    EV sales in Q1 2024 fell 15.2% in comparison to Q4 2023, demonstrating a shift in Americans’ purchasing power. The government shouldn’t force the American people to purchase vehicles they don’t want – or likely can’t afford – just to sustain Biden’s climate agenda. During a time where Americans are forced to be more money conscious due to inflation, it’s confusing why the government is issuing mandates that will only further inflict financial strain on the American people.   

    Even when people do choose to purchase an EV for themselves and/or their family, national EV infrastructure lags far behind, creating challenges for EV drivers. The government is investing millions to build more comprehensive charging infrastructure, but the roll out is happening at a snail-like speed. In Pennsylvania, a majority of new charging stations are built and concentrated in major cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, leaving much of the state without reliable access to public charging stations. The pace at which critical charging stations is an ill omen, at least for Biden’s EPA; EV’s are too expensive, and the technology is not yet ready for universal adoption – let alone a government mandate. 

    In Pennsylvania, as of July 2023, just over 47K residents own registered EVs. This is out of a whopping 11,800,712 registered vehicles. Just as I expressed in 2021, when discussing Biden’s massive spending package that included electric vehicle rebates for households making up to $500K a year: who does this benefit? It’s whoever you see driving a Tesla on your block.  

    Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has echoed similar sentiments. This past March, Fetterman called for further conversation surrounding Biden’s EPA tailpipe mandate. Fetterman stated, “we need to respond to what seems to be the American consumer sentiment, what seems to be a diminished kind of enthusiasm, for EVs.”   

    Pennsylvania has a rich history of manufacturing, specifically in the automotive industry. It’s ingrained in our culture in ways many other states can’t understand. Through this blatant display of government overreach the EPA is choosing which sectors to uplift and which ones to take out at the knees.    

    To disregard the voice of the people and our nation’s functioning free market system by implementing a rushed, ill-advised plan is not the American way. 

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 17:40

  • Russia Ready To Execute Nuclear Attacks On NATO Targets, According To Leaked Documents
    Russia Ready To Execute Nuclear Attacks On NATO Targets, According To Leaked Documents

    Via ReMix News,

    Western sources have reportedly leaked Russian plans drawn up between 2008 and 2014 for “a series of overwhelming strikes across Western Europe,” the Financial Times reported.

    Citing documents from Western security sources, Putin allegedly sought to enable the Russian navy to execute nuclear strikes within NATO territory were a conflict with the alliance to emerge.

    Targets would not be solely military. According to William Alberque, a former NATO official:

    “There could be hundreds, if not thousands, of targets mapped across Europe, including military and infrastructure targets.”

    Russia is also evidently still capable of transporting nuclear weapons on surface ships, which experts say carries a significant risk of escalation or accident. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), signed by the U.S. and Russia in 1991, was supposed to have eliminated this possibility, although many have often questioned Moscow’s adherence to it.

    Possible targets presented by the FT included the west coast of France, military installations in Norway, Germany, and Estonia, as well as the British port town of Barrow-in-Furness, known for its production of nuclear submarines.

    “They see (tactical nuclear warheads) as potentially war-winning weapons,” says Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey and an arms control expert.

    “They’re going to want to use them, and they’re going to want to use them pretty quickly.”

    Anton Bendarzsevszkij, director of the Oeconomus Economic Research Foundation, has said that “there is a global arms race that resembles the Cold War of the 1950s and 60s,” according to Mandiner.

    Russia is said to have north of 5,500 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, while the United States has just over 5,000, meaning the two countries control some 90 percent of such weapons today.

    Continue reading at ReMix news.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 17:00

  • Pentagon Belatedly Reveals 8 US Troops Were Wounded In Syria Attack Last Week
    Pentagon Belatedly Reveals 8 US Troops Were Wounded In Syria Attack Last Week

    Since last fall US forces have recorded over 100 rocket and drone attacks on their positions in Iraq and Syria by Iran-aligned militias or Syrian national militias, depending on the side of the border. While most of the time these incidents pass without casualties, some observers have long suspected the Pentagon attempts to keep the number of wounded or injured US personnel from these attacks under wraps.

    The Pentagon belatedly revealed Tuesday that a total of eight US troops were wounded in a drone attack that struck a US base in northeast Syria last Friday. Spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said that all eight were treated for traumatic brain injuries – the common term for potential head injuries when a person is too near a blast – as well as smoke inhalation.

    Via Associated Press

    “Three of those service members have returned to duty while the others remain under observation,” told a press breifing. “According to CENTCOM (US Central Command), none of the injuries are life-threatening.”

    It happened at Rumalyn Landing Zone, which is in Hasaka in northeast Syria – for years subject of the US military occupation. While over the weekend the Pentagon acknowledged the attack, saying their were minor injuries, it had withheld details as well as to the number of troops injured.

    These attacks have been on the rise of late, as ABC News details:

    Since Oct. 18, there have been close to 170 attacks taking place on a nearly daily basis as Iranian-backed militia groups target U.S bases in Iraq and Syria, supposedly in retaliation for the Israel-Hamas war.

    Those attacks largely stopped after Feb. 4 following large-scale U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria and a drone strike that killed a top-level leader of the Kataib Hezbollah militia group that the U.S. held responsible for the attacks.

    Since the July 31st Israeli killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, the region has been on edge in expectation of a major Iranian retaliation on Israel. This has put American troops occupying easter Syria in harm’s way, leading many to question what the Pentagon is still doing there.

    The Pentagon and mainstream media have meanwhile dusted off the ole ‘counter ISIS’ mission rationale…

    “In a little-publicized campaign, American aircraft conduct airstrikes and provide live aerial surveillance to SDF ground forces who conduct raids on suspected Islamic State cells,” WSJ wrote this week. “While they usually stay a safe distance from the fighting, elite U.S. troops sometimes conduct missions on their own to kill or capture senior Islamic State leaders.”

    This is a recipe for seeking to keep US troops there as part of yet another post-911 era ‘forever war’ which has no specific and definable aims.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    WSJ wrote further that “Islamic State’s latest comeback effort represents a different challenge than the one it posed in its heyday, when hundreds of militants would charge through isolated villages and crowded cities in tanks and pickup trucks mounted with machine guns. Now the group operates in smaller cells armed with rifles and booby traps.”

    Of course, no one ever asks anymore how the Islamic State got to Syria in the first place, in the context of the Western allies and Gulf axis drive to overthrow Assad.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 16:40

  • The Shiny New Kamala Harris That Propaganda Built
    The Shiny New Kamala Harris That Propaganda Built

    Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,

    Remember just over a month ago when Kamala Harris was the lowest-polling vice president in history?

    Remember how she utterly failed as “border czar?”

    Remember how many terrible gaffes she made, speaking in word salads and nodding her encouragement to pretend we all understood what the heck she was talking about?

    Don’t worry. Now we have a shiny NEW Kamala Harris who’s prepared to be the leader of the free world.

    Going back even further, who remembers her alleged inappropriate relationship with her boss that helped her to rapidly (allegedly) climb the political ladder in California? And what about her keeping black men incarcerated in California past their release dates just so they could be used as slave labor? What about her throwing the book at 2,000 people for possessing marijuana while currently laughing/cackling about how “nobody should go to jail for smoking some weed?”

    But that was the OLD Kamala Harris.

    You’re encouraged to forget all that. Not just encouraged, but you’re gaslit and brainwashed into forgetting it. The Shiny New Kamala Harris (SNKH) is a whole different human being.

    SNKH is teleprompted and scripted. She doesn’t say anything that wasn’t already approved for her to say because the propaganda machine knows about those confusing word salads she rambles. In fact, SNKH hasn’t done a single interview since she was shoved into place for a floundering Joe Biden.

    SNKH has had her entire background “disappeared” into some internet black hole. You know and I know that she was the “border czar” but all the “fact checkers” are acting like this never happened. Everything that is happening at the border and with illegal migrants now will continue to happen and even worsen if she is elected. She has a proven track record of doing… absolutely nothing about this issue. But I challenge you to find any mention of her shortcomings on the MSM.

    SNKH is lauded as “Mommala” to the Gen Z-ers. But in fact, she has no children and she’s certainly not maternal when it comes to things like protecting kids from violent criminal migrant gangs. And if her step-daughter, Ella Emhoff, a radical pro-Palestinian “model,” reflects SNKH’s values, I want none of that. In fact, Ella’s dad is Jewish, and Ella has “pointedly insisted she does not consider herself Jewish,” according to an article from the NY Post.

    Emhoff has also raised cash for “urgent relief for Gaza’s children” — which critics said would find its way into terrorist hands. The presumptive first stepdaughter remains “an active presence in pro-Palestinian circles,” according to the New Republic.

    And that isn’t all – the candidate who everyone thought would be her Vice Presidential pick, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, was looked over for Tim Walz, a dude who turned Minnesota into a “sanctuary state” for illegals and LBGTQ kids whose parents won’t allow them to undergo “gender-affirming care.” Oh, and also, he’s lied about his military service. Repeatedly. We’re talking stolen valor level lies.

    But the MSM is beating a totally different drum.

    In the span of the three weeks since President Joe Biden dropped out of the election on Twitter and someone tried to assassinate former President Trump, SNKH has undergone a total transformation, courtesy of the Mainstream Media Propaganda Machine. The media appears to be colluding with the Democrats or Harris’s campaign or someone to make her a totally different and socially acceptable choice for president.

    Not only have they memory-holed all mentions of “border czar-ing,” but they’ve also gotten rid of many of her former faux pas.  They have created a new Kamala Harris to present to the world in the span of just 23 days. They have created a total illusion of SNKH’s greatness and somehow completely turned the polls around.

    Or have they?

    I remember when we all thought Hillary Clinton was going to win back in 2016 and were shocked when Trump was announced as the 45th president. The polls then showed a strong lead for HRC, but in the end, even allegedly cheating, she lost.

    Are the polls now any different? Are all these positive polls for real that show this ultra-confused woman trouncing President Trump? The same President Trump who got shot and got up pumping his fist in the air telling us to “fight!?” The same President Trump who was soundly defeating President Biden? Has it turned around that quickly or are they just telling us that it has?

    I honestly think it’s the second. I have great difficulty imagining who could believe this ridiculous scheme to paint SNKH as a totally different person. Of course, I also can’t understand why people thought Joe Biden was A-OK and non-demented until his fateful debate with Trump. So perhaps I’m wrong.

    The Harris Campaign is feeding the Shiny New Kamala Harris creation, too

    Of course, the Harris Campaign is right up there, priming the pump for all the wonderful things SNKH has accomplished and will soon accomplish. But they don’t seem to believe the MSM is doing enough.

    According to Axios, they are making up headlines and attributing them to MSM networks in their ad campaigns.

    Image Courtesy of Axios

    No, those aren’t real. Those are ads that will pop up when you search Google for something related to the topic of SNKH and her wannabe VP, Tim Walz. Those misleading ads are fake headlines, wild dreams, and crazy wishes that are made to look absolutely real to those who are searching for information.

    Here’s more from the Axios article about this:

    … Since August 3rd, nearly a dozen news companies have been used in these types of search ads from the Harris campaign, Axios found.

    • Examples include The Independent UK, NPR, AP, The Guardian, USA Today, PBS, CNN, CBS News, Time and others, including local outlets like North Dakota radio station WDAY Radio.
    • The ads include links to real articles from the news outlets, but the headlines and supporting text have been altered to read as though the articles support the Harris campaign’s objectives.
    • For example, an ad that ran alongside an article from The Guardian shows a headline that reads “VP Harris Fights Abortion Bans – Harris Defends Repro Freedom” and then includes supporting text underneath the headline that reads, “VP Harris is a champion for reproductive freedom and will stop Trump’s abortion bans.”

     

    • An ad featuring a link to an NPR story reads, “Harris Will Lower Health Costs,” with supporting text that says, “Kamala Harris will lower the cost of high-quality affordable health care.”

    It’s not illegal but it’s kinda crazy how all those “disinformation” websites aren’t all over this. They red-flagged me for posting links to studies with opposing results.

    What it all adds up to

    In my humble opinion, here’s what we could expect from a Harris presidency:

    • More crime and devolution from our leaky southern border

    • More difficulty for the average REAL American to get social assistance because we’re spending billions on illegal immigrants

    • Unsafe cities because of liberal ideas of “criminal justice”

    • Even more inflation than we’re already facing at the grocery store

    • A full-on stock market collapse as the world loses faith in America and our dollar

    • More surveillance and control

    • A war in the Middle East that will spill over into the rest of the world

    • A globe that has no respect for Americans

    • More DEI-related incompetence

    • More Marxist B(aloney) S(andwiches) shoved down our throats at every opportunity

    • A quick trip to communism when people can no longer survive in the inhospitable economic climate of the future

    Remember, you know what you know about her. Don’t let this tomfoolery and gaslighting make you forget how inept this person is and how unsuited she is for the highest office in the United States of America.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 16:20

  • Bullion, Bitcoin, & Black Gold Battered But Sanguine CPI Slams Leaves Stocks & Bonds Confused
    Bullion, Bitcoin, & Black Gold Battered But Sanguine CPI Slams Leaves Stocks & Bonds Confused

    Inflation ‘surprise’ data continues to drift back lower (at February lows after this morning’s CPI) but more problematically macro growth ‘surprise’ data is hovering near COVID lockdown lows…

    Source: Bloomberg

    …and it is that potential growth scare that is dominating traders’ minds as they reduce rate-cut expectations…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Markets are confused…

    … Small Caps up, Dow down; Short-end of yield curve higher in yield, long-end lower; dollar flat as rate expectations slide; growthy Mag7 stocks rally while growthy commodities tumble…

    Source: Bloomberg

    …and gold and crypto slammed with dollar unch (though gold seemed to see this coming way early)…

    Source: Bloomberg

    …and distracted…

    …as Kamala’s prediction market odds are now 12 pts above Trump’s…

    Source: Bloomberg

    By the end of the day, The Dow was up, Small Caps down, Nasdaq unch… until a late-day panic-bid put some lipstick on the pig ahead of tomorrow’s retail sales data…

    VIX was clubbed like a baby seal back to a 16 handle…

    Treasuries were mixed with the short-end lagging (2Y +3bps, 30Y -4bps), but all yields are down on the week…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Today’s price action was a little wild in bond land with the CPI print sending 2Y up to 4.00% where it was firmly rejected…

    Source: Bloomberg

    The dollar was dumped overnight and through CPI, only to retrace those losses to end unchanged on the day…

    Source: Bloomberg

    While the dollar was unchanged, gold prices tumbled, erasing much of Monday’s gains…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Oil prices followed a similar trajectory, with WTI dropping to a $76 handle intrday (after an unexpected crude build)…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Bitcoin was battered back down to $59k after CPI and reports that Kamala’s administration is dumping more Silk Road seizures…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Finally, market-driven financial conditions have eased dramatically in the last few months…

    Source: Goldman Sachs

    …clearly the market is demanding 200bps of cuts this year…or else, Kamala loses!.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 16:00

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Aug 14

Today’s News 14th August 2024

  • What's Behind Belarus' Military Buildup Along The Ukrainian Border?
    What’s Behind Belarus’ Military Buildup Along The Ukrainian Border?

    Authored by Andrew Korybko via substack,

    Belarus announced late last week that it shot down several Ukrainian drones over its airspace, which it later discovered were full of NATO electronics, and subsequently decided to strengthen defenses along its southern border.

    It’s also considering shutting down the Ukrainian Embassy in Minsk too. This follows their border crisis from a little more than a month ago after Ukraine’s military buildup back then and comes amidst Ukraine’s sneak attack against Russia’s Kursk Region, both of which were analyzed below:

    * 30 June: “Keep An Eye On Ukraine’s Military Buildup Along The Belarusian Border”

    * 8 August: “Five Lessons For Russia To Learn From Ukraine’s Sneak Attack Against Kursk Region”

    * 10 August: “Last Year’s Pentagon Leaks Proved That Zelensky Was Plotting To Invade Russia Since January 2023”

    In brief, the first crisis de-escalated after Kiev reportedly removed its troops first and then Minsk naively assumed that its neighbor thus had no aggressive intentions so it followed suit, while the second is the natural culmination of those aforesaid attacks. It should also be said that Belarus’ decision to de-escalate border tensions with Ukraine inadvertently freed up more of the latter’s forces for invading Russia even though that’s of course not what Lukashenko intended to have happen.

    The fog of war makes it difficult to accurately assess the situation in Kursk Region, but most reports indicate that Ukraine’s offensive has halted and that it might be digging in for the long run. This adds context to its drone incursions over Belarus by suggesting that its General Staff could be probing for weaknesses all along the Union State’s border. The swiftness with which Ukraine broke through the Russian border might embolden it to try replicating this against Belarus as a diversionary tactic.

    It’s premature to jump to conclusions, but that could further stretch Russia’s forces and help advance Ukraine’s goal of coercing its foe to transfer some of them from the Donbass front if it happens, which is widely thought to be the primary objective behind its sneak attack against Kursk Region. Likewise, Ukraine’s reported probing into Belgorod Region and its latest attack against the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) complement these efforts, all of which aim to keep Russian on edge and guessing.

    The military-strategic situation is curiously similar to the days before Ukraine’s ultimately failed counteroffensive last summer when “The Union State Expected That The NATO-Russian Proxy War Will Expand” to possibility include Belarus, Moldova, and/or Russia’s pre-2014 territory. That didn’t happen as is now known, perhaps due to urgently improved border defenses at the time that might have since been scaled back due to complacency, but Ukraine certainly seems to be seriously considering it now.

    As for the Moldovan option, it’s always been a wildcard that Kiev has thus far held off on playing despite prior Russian concerns, though that doesn’t mean that it should be forgotten about. One argument against expanding the conflict to that front is that it could inadvertently stretch Ukraine’s own forces even further and thus facilitate a possible Russian breakthrough in Donbass, which is precisely what Ukraine is trying to prevent or delay as long as possible through various means.

    The same goes for attacking Belarus or launching another sneak attack against a different region within Russia’s pre-2014 territory, let alone all at the same time, whereas more attacks against the ZNPP wouldn’t entail the same military risks even though the environmental ones are much greater. At the same time, however, the Belarusian option might be more enticing for Ukraine to contemplate than any other when recalling what Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper reported earlier in the spring.

    They claimed that Belarus’ direct involvement in the conflict would trigger the tripwire for a conventional NATO intervention, which could relieve pressure on Kiev while provoking a Cuban-like brinksmanship crisis that might see Russia freeze its advance in Donbass. Of course, neither can be taken for granted: NATO might decline to conventionally intervene if Ukraine provokes Belarus to respond, and Russia might not freeze its offensive in Donbass as part of some mutual de-escalation deal with NATO.

    Nevertheless, Kiev might still gamble that it can get NATO to directly intervene on its side by provoking Belarus to respond, including through a potentially forthcoming conventional attack. The conflict’s military-strategic dynamics continue to favor Russia even in spite of what’s happening in Kursk Region so Ukraine might soon become desperate enough to implement its own “Samson Option” of trying to expand the conflict in every direction possible if its leadership comes to believe that defeat is inevitable.

    In that scenario, it might also finally play the Moldovan wildcard and attempt Kursk-like sneak attacks against other Russian border regions, though even then it couldn’t be taken for granted that NATO would conventionally intervene or that their intervention would result in preventing Ukraine’s defeat. Moreover, the US might calculate that frantically trying to expand the conflict in every direction possible isn’t in its interests, in which case it could try to dissuade Ukraine of this or covertly stop it if it still does.

    In connection with that, it’s relevant to reference Bloomberg’s hit piece from earlier this month against Zelensky’s hawkish chief of staff Andrey Yermak, which this analysis here argues could be the beginning of an American campaign for weakening that grey cardinal’s influence. This radical ideologue is a major obstacle to the resumption of peace talks and he might even be the one who put Zelensky up to invading Russia. So long as he retains the president’s ear, then Ukraine’s “Samson Option” can’t ever be ruled out.

    It therefore follows that the US might want to drive a wedge between them in order to reduce the chances that Yermak convinces Zelensky to go all out if he believes that defeat is inevitable, and thus risk provoking a NATO-Russian hot war, instead of resuming peace talks in that event. After all, Ukraine might have wanted to expand the conflict into Belarus, Moldova, and/or Russia’s pre-2014 territory as part of its counteroffensive, but the US could have advised against it out of an abundance of caution.

    Last year would have been a much better time to do that than now when Ukraine still had tens of thousands more troops, hundreds of more Western vehicles, and much higher morale. Going this route one year later after so many losses doesn’t make military-strategic sense except if Ukraine is seriously flirting with the “Samson Option”, which the US might either begrudgingly agree to go along with or might soon intervene behind the scenes to stop in some way if it’s against that happening.

    This insight enables observers to better understand Belarus’ military buildup along the border, which is a reaction to Ukraine’s latest drone incursions. Ukraine carried them out in order to prompt this response from Belarus as Yermak-advised Zelensky considers whether it’s worth expanding the conflict in the hopes that NATO would then conventionally intervene in his support should that happen. Whatever he decides to do will have an outsized influence on events as everything rapidly approaches the end game.

    Tyler Durden
    Wed, 08/14/2024 – 02:00

  • Britain Is Proof: Globalists Plan To Use Migrants As A Mercenary Army Against The West
    Britain Is Proof: Globalists Plan To Use Migrants As A Mercenary Army Against The West

    Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us,

    Why do western officials insist on gaslighting the public on illegal border crossings?

    Why do they attempt to destroy anyone that publicly opposes mass immigration from the third world?

    The laws on the books support the public’s majority position on immigration – Come here legally or don’t come here at all.

    In Europe, the UK and the US polls show a majority of citizens want reductions in immigration and better border security.

    Yet, government officials, who often claim to be “protecting democracy,” brazenly ignore these majority concerns. Why?

    For many years now I have offered a specific theory on the true agenda behind open border policies in western countries and I believe this theory answers most of questions surrounding illegal immigration.

    The common claim within the Liberty Movement is that this is all part of the “Cloward-Piven Strategy”: A social engineering method which uses large scale relocation of migrants into a society in order to destabilize that nation. The goal is to import people with a incompatible or hostile ideology and, eventually, the target culture will break down and be forced to accept a new system of governance (i.e. from free markets and liberty to communism and slavery).

    If western populations are unified in opposing the globalist ideology then the task of deconstruction becomes impossible for them. So, they simply destroy the west from within by introducing millions of people that will NEVER assimilate or unify.

    My theory goes beyond the Cloward-Piven explanation, though.

    I think there is a deeper and even more sinister purpose to the introduction of third world migrants to the US and Europe.

    I summarized my position in my article ‘Cultural Replacement: Why The Immigration Crisis Is Being Deliberately Engineered’ published in January. I noted:

    “I have mentioned this in previous articles and I continue to believe that one of the main purposes for the establishment to leave borders open and entice illegals to enter is to create a migrant army; a situation in which millions of illegals will be offered easy citizenship in exchange for service. I also believe that this migrant army will be used against the American public (the real citizenry) to impose martial law measures in the wake of a national disaster…”

    In other words, my argument was that migrants from the third-world are not merely being used as unwitting tools for cultural saturation of the west. They’re not being shipped in by the millions to simply live off the fruits of our labor and our ancestors’ labors. I believe they are being brought into the US, the UK and Europe as enforcers for the establishment.

    Think about it – They are essentially bought and paid for. They are mercenaries recruited with offers of easy citizenship, government handouts and the opportunity to brutalize the very western (and generally white) populations they despise. And, they are allowed to do this while hiding behind government law enforcement agencies for protection.

    With a two tier policing system in place, the migrants can do whatever they want without much fear of repercussions. In Europe there is the added problem of expanding Islamic immigration which is directed by religious doctrine to conquer non-believers. From the Quran:

    Quran [9:29] Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture – [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.

    Third world migrants are hired muscle for the political elites. They can terrorize the populace, and if the native population takes action to defend itself the government can step in, call them hateful racists and declare martial law. It’s a win-win. The migrants then help with the enforcement of that martial law as the government doubles down on two-tier policing.

    There are those that insist the anti-immigration position is a “false paradigm.” The notion of “false paradigms” has become a plague among liberty movement thinkers that needs to be abandoned. The reality is that we are not just fighting the globalists, we also have to fight the people that wittingly or unwittingly aid the globalists. The elites help instigate conflicts, but many of these divisions already exist without their influence.

    For example, third-world cultures are intrinsically violent and authoritarian. The top 20 most violent nations and most oppressive nations in the world are also the same nations sending caravans of migrants our way. Progressives will claim that’s a good thing and that we need to help these people. It’s not a good thing and most of them can’t be helped because they aren’t coming here to be free, they are coming here to take whatever they can take.

    The majority of people from these regions will never be able to coexist peacefully within western communities. They don’t understand freedom, they don’t understand diplomacy, they don’t understand compromise. For them, tolerance is not a virtue, it’s a weakness that can be exploited to their advantage. This is a fact proven time and time again as mass migrations accelerates and I think my theory has recently been vindicated by events in the UK.

    British citizens have been victimized for over a decade by migrant attacks and organized crime. The two-tier policing system in the UK continues to protect these migrants from retribution while the government hides statistics that show how much violence is being committed by non-citizens.

    The British riots last week were a rare moment when patriots finally spoke out on open borders and took to the streets, only to be declared “Nazis” and “racists”. The use of riot police to quell property damage and fighting would be understandable to a point, except that aggressive migrant protests had been ongoing for months with very little police interference. Again, the two-tier policing is obvious.

    Then, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a statement admonishing patriot protests and defending migrants. No referendum on immigration has been offered. He has not once acknowledged the problem of rising migrant crime and has essentially declared war on patriots.

    In July the Labour Party was reportedly in the process of creating of a new “Muslim leadership group” intended to become the primary point of engagement between Keir Starmer’s government and Muslim communities in the UK. A draft document setting out plans for the network describes its core objectives, including “to influence public policy in a way that safeguards and promotes the rights of British Muslims”, and “to influence the media debate around Muslims in Britain”. In other words, propaganda to silence native dissent.

    Muslim migrant gangs, calling themselves the “Muslim Defense League” (MDL) saw Starmer’s speech as an invitation to stalk the streets of British towns armed with knives and machetes; moving from street to street attacking white Brits at random.

    The migrants made it clear that their purpose was to “assert dominance” over Brits and frighten them into submission. So far UK officials deny that the Muslim gangs exist. The media has refused to cover most of the activities of migrant gangs and has placed all blame on native patriots. One of the only places you can see any video evidence exposing migrant gangs is on Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). Musk as also been attacked by UK officials for “fomenting unrest”, simply because he doesn’t censor the footage.

    Meanwhile, Keir Starmer and other government officials have been meeting with Muslim groups to reassure them that the government is on their side. The migrants are now emboldened to do as they please while the Brits face the reality that if they fight back, the government will put them in prison. The migrants are now, in the most basic sense, a mercenary wing of the UK government.

    This dynamic is even more undeniable when we look at the move by the UK government to remove Christian-related events from the British military while encouraging Muslim recruiting. Keep in mind, last week the UK government threatened the possibility of the military being used on the British people.  Corrupt empires throughout history have preferred using foreign mercenaries to suppress their own citizens.  It’s no coincidence that such a large percentage of the people coming from the third-world (around 80%) are military age men.

    The post-war British populace has long lived without a relationship to true violence. Sure, they have football riots and brawls, but I’m talking about cold, calculated ethnic warfare designed to subjugate. Alien migrants coming from Africa and the Middle East are intimately familiar with such violence. They know it well and have embraced it totally as a part of their culture.

    Not very many Brits are capable of comprehending a knife attack on a children’s dance recital, or the mass stabbing of toddlers playing in a park, or the operation of organized rape gangs that kidnap teens. When you first experience this kind of demonic will, it can be petrifying. I fear the British people are facing something so far outside of their wheelhouse that they may not know how to deal with it. The combination of organized migrant crime and government oppression might browbeat Brits into devastating apathy.

    I suspect that the situation in the UK is just a precursor to what we will soon see in the US. Starmer is a die-hard advocate of the World Economic Forum and he is following their program to the letter.  The conditions in the UK are what the Davos crowd wants everywhere. 

    Regardless of the outcome of the US elections in November the illegal immigration crisis will be central to everything we do in the next couple years. If leftists remain in political power then it is likely that we will see a similar attempt at a crackdown on patriots from an arrogant Harris Administration.

    I believe Harris will most definitely offer citizenship to every illegal already in the country (many of them in exchange for military service), buying a mercenary force and a progressive voting block at the same time, ending any chance of conservatives ever participating in government again.

    In the case of a second Trump Administration the situation changes. The removal of illegal migrants will be the top issue and leftists in the US will try to prevent it. They view the migrants as the key to their kingdom; the way to “destroy capitalism” and bring in woke socialism. Removal of illegals would set them back decades. Leftists will riot rather than lose. It’s a certainty.

    The difference is, US patriots are armed (50 million strong with over 400 million guns and hundreds of billions of rounds of ammunition). I’m now receiving a lot of emails these days from UK and European readers who say they are desperate for the same firearms rights we have in the US. They all tell me, “never give up your guns.” Don’t worry, we won’t. We know what’s coming thanks to the events in the UK.

    *  *  *

    If you would like to support the work that Alt-Market does while also receiving content on advanced tactics for defeating the globalist agenda, subscribe to our exclusive newsletter The Wild Bunch Dispatch.  Learn more about it HERE.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 23:25

  • SpaceX Plans "First Human Spaceflight To Explore Earth From Polar Orbit" 
    SpaceX Plans “First Human Spaceflight To Explore Earth From Polar Orbit” 

    With Boeing’s Starliner stuck at the International Space Station, SpaceX is forging ahead, announcing that the “first human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from a polar orbit” will launch later this year. 

    “As early as this year, Falcon 9 will launch Dragon’s sixth commercial astronaut mission, Fram2, which will be the first human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over the Earth’s polar regions for the first time,” SpaceX wrote in a press release. 

    SpaceX said the Fram2 mission will be commanded by Chun Wang, an entrepreneur and adventurer from Malta.

    Joining Wang will be Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway, who will serve as vehicle commander; Eric Philips of Australia, the vehicle pilot; and Germany’s Rabea Rogge, mission specialist. Musk’s space company said, “This will be the first spaceflight for each of the crewmembers.”

    “Throughout the 3-to-5-day mission, the crew plans to observe Earth’s polar regions through Dragon’s cupola at an altitude of 425-450 km [249 to 264 miles], leveraging insight from space physicists and citizen scientists to study unusual light emissions resembling auroras,” SpaceX noted. 

    The company added, “The crew will study green fragments and mauve ribbons of continuous emissions comparable to the phenomenon known as STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), which has been measured at an altitude of approximately 400-500 km [249 to 311 miles] above Earth’s atmosphere.” 

    Fram2 crew will also study how spaceflight affects the human body; this study includes capturing the first-ever X-ray image of a human in space. 

    Returning to Boeing’s stranded Starliner, NASA could soon decide to have SpaceX rescue the two-person crew on the ISS. 

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 23:00

  • Is 'Mean Girls' A Winning Script For Kamala?
    Is ‘Mean Girls’ A Winning Script For Kamala?

    Commentary by Richard Porter via RealClearPolitics,

    With stunning swiftness, Donald J. Trump knocked President Biden out of the presidential campaign with the one, two, three of a dominating debate, a near-death experience, and a compelling convention.

    Then, also with stunning swiftness, the entire Democrat media/cultural complex coalesced around Joe Biden’s famously vacuous veep, best known for her meaningless word salads, inappropriate giggles, and utter ineffectiveness at dealing with the chaos at the border.

    Yet in August, Democrats are coronating June’s misfit as their new queen bee, forcing Trump to win the election by beating Kamala Harris, who’s trying a different strategy and who offers different challenges and opportunities.

    Harris’ strategy is to win by being cool, not by being competent. Democrats aren’t even trying to prove that she has the brains, judgment, and gravitas to be the leader of the free world. Instead, they’re embracing her skin-deep nature, highlighting her energy and appearance, and building her campaign on a foundation of social memes, social standing – and social ridicule, too.

    For example, when British pop star Charlie XCX said that “Kamala is brat” – cool-girl slang for someone who’s disorganized and says dumb things, but powers through it and gets what she wants anyway  – Kamala’s campaign immediately embraced the meme.

    Call it Kamala’s “Mean Girls” strategy: Turn the 2024 presidential campaign into an election for prom queen. (“Mean Girls” is Tina Fey’s brilliant political allegory about a high school girl named Regina George who leverages her looks, gossip, and adolescent insecurities and cravings to rule over the student body – until the uncool kids topple her to restore their freedom.)

    The Harris campaign isn’t even subtle about its strategy. Campaigns choose rally music to reinforce campaign themes. So, who did the campaign ask to headline its Atlanta rally? Megan Thee Stallion, who calls herself the “Black Regina George” and mimics the movie in her “Not My Fault” video.

    It’s crazy to think that the leader of the free world could be elected with tactics high school bullies use to dominate a student body, but her skin-deep strategy closed the Biden chasm by co-opting other cool people and controlling the gossip, turning this back into a close contest.

    Kamala wasn’t cool in June before the Hollywood/media/cultural clique unified around their newly anointed leader. But her social standing soared when glamorous Hollywood stars showered her with money and love, and beautiful anchors and hip commentators on all mainstream media outlets gushed over her in unison while burying any talk of previous policies and statements.

    Her first anti-Trump riposte is right out of the movie, too, as she and her parroting cool clique seek to make Trump and J.D. Vance as socially toxic as high school Mathletes. “They’re weird!” the Queen and her acolytes say in unison (and everyone knows it’s social suicide to like people who are weird)!

    So, how should the Trump team bring Kamala George down? The 2004 movie and the 2016 campaign (when Clinton’s “deplorables” social cut backfired) offer suggestions.

    First, undermine the Democrats’ standing by ridiculing their nominee’s skin-deep strategy. Team Trump has always been adept at labeling and defining opponents, and they are already hard at work. Social media memes are flying on the right, almost all of which highlight the many vapid things Harris has said or done; keep updating these to mock her strategy now.

    Second, remind voters why they didn’t take Kamala seriously as recently as June: She has no common sense, and her policies help her rich friends at our expense. J.D. Vance is already laser-focused on highlighting all the ways in which Harris’ policies make us worse off today than we were four years ago.

    Third, force the vice president onto a stage where she can be questioned about how the current administration’s policies have affected real lives; people will want to know what she’s got going on up there, to paraphrase Kamala’s spirit animal Charli XCX. This will work as well for Kamala as it did for Regina George.

    Finally, remember that Democrats live in a make-believe world. Donald Trump can climb into that world and ridicule it, but the real world always intervenes, and when it does, Republicans should contrast Trump’s toughness with Kamala’s fluff.

    As the movie ends, the “Mean Girls” queen is hit by a bus because she literally lacks street sense. Trump needs to reassure America that he has the common sense to manage our very real problems and the courage to fight for us – and that no bus will take America down when he’s president again.

    Richard Porter is a lawyer in Chicago and National Committeeman to the RNC from Illinois.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 22:35

  • Colbert's Own Audience Laughs At Him Seriously Stating CNN Is "Objective"
    Colbert’s Own Audience Laughs At Him Seriously Stating CNN Is “Objective”

    Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Modernity.news,

    There was an awkward but amusing moment when Stephen Colbert seriously stated that CNN was “objective” and “just reports the news as it is,” prompting his own audience to laugh hysterically at the notion when they weren’t supposed to.

    The incident occurred during Colbert’s interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who has repeatedly betrayed her anti-Trump bias, including infamously during a town hall event she hosted with Trump last year.

    Collins claimed Trump was on the back foot because he didn’t know how to “go after” Kamala Harris due to her being a non-white woman.

    “It’s kind of been this moment where he has not been able to coalesce behind a single attack line,” asserted Collins.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Colbert responded: “I know you guys are objective over there, that you just report the news as it is,” to which his audience reacted by laughing.

    A surprised Collins responded, “Was that supposed to be a laugh line?”

    “It wasn’t supposed to be but ah, I guess it is,” said Colbert.

    Whoops.

    How revealing that Colbert’s own virulently NPC audience even knows instinctively that claiming CNN is “objective” is utterly hilarious.

    “Lmaooo, the public knows,” commented Elon Musk.

    *  *  *

    Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 21:45

  • Taiwan To Launch Live-Fire Exercises Off East Coast Using US-Supplied Missiles
    Taiwan To Launch Live-Fire Exercises Off East Coast Using US-Supplied Missiles

    After a series of recent threatening Chinese PLA military drills near Taiwan and in the Taiwan Strait over the last several months, the self-ruled island backed by the United States is about to embark on own muscle-flexing with provocative drills along its east coast aimed at defending against China.

    It will launch a series of missile drills later this month, starting August 27-29. More exercises will then follow in the first week of September, involving air-to-air firing drills, specifically involving American advanced missile systems.

    AIM-9X Sidewinder, via Navair 

    The South China Morning Post (SCMP) detailed that “A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the drills would test the precision of all three types of Taiwan’s main combat aircraft: its Indigenous Defence Fighters, French Mirage 2000s, and upgraded F-16Vs.”

    “Similar to last year, the IDF, Mirage, and upgraded F-16V jets will be equipped with AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles, Mica multi-target missiles, and Tien Chien-2 (Sky Sword II) beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, respectively,” the source told the publication.

    These missiles were only recently received by Taiwan, and China isn’t going to look too kindly on the island flexing its new hardware given by Washington and its Western partners. 

    According to more from the regional SCMP:

    The F-16V fleet at Chiayi Air Base has already been equipped with AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles, which feature an advanced imaging infrared seeker capable of hitting targets behind the launching aircraft, offering aircrew first-shot, first-kill opportunities. Taiwan has bought 100 of these missiles from the United States, with some already delivered. Full delivery is expected by 2030.

    The upcoming drills will further involve Taiwan’s navy deploying warships outfitted with medium-range Hsiung Feng-2 and 3 supersonic missiles as part of live-fire exercises to test combat readiness against potential Chinese attacks.

    “The growing presence of PLA warplanes, ships, and drones near eastern Taiwan has necessitated strengthening military readiness in this region,” a source told the publication.

    As for PLA drills, they have stepped up going back to the spring inauguration of Taiwan’s recently elected new president, Lai Ching-te. Within days after the swearing in, PLA navy ships and aircraft were “surrounding the island of Taiwan.“

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Lai had underscored in his 30-minutes inaugural speech, “I have always believed that if the leader of a country puts people’s welfare above all, then peace in the Taiwan Strait, mutual benefits, and prosperous coexistence would be common goals,” and that “I hope that China will face the reality of the Republic of China’s existence.”

    While China regularly sends jets to buzz Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, the start of those prior May drills had marked an escalation akin to when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei in 2022.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 21:20

  • Why Corporate America's Retreat From Social Activism Is Good For Everyone
    Why Corporate America’s Retreat From Social Activism Is Good For Everyone

    Authored by Jon Miltimore via The American Institute for Economic Research,

    In January, Axios reported a developing trend in corporate America: corporations across the United States were backing away from DEI, which had become a “minefield” for companies.

    Following a multi-year boom in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion space following the 2020 death of George Floyd, corporations were pulling back on DEI initiatives.

    The risks were too great — especially in what was expected to be a politically charged election season amid growing attacks from conservatives targeting “woke” corporations.

    “It’s hard to imagine with the amped up rhetoric of an election year that people really want to stick out their neck more,” Kevin Delaney, co-founder of media and insights company Charter, told markets correspondent Emily Peck.

    Axios wasn’t wrong about the trend, which has only picked up steam this summer.

    In July, John Deere announced that it was stepping away from DEI efforts and would cease sponsoring “social or cultural awareness” events. The announcement came a week after Business Insider reported that Microsoft had laid off its entire DEI team. Microsoft’s action, in turn, had come just weeks after Tractor Supply, a Brentwood, Tennessee-based company, decided to pull the plug on its social activism efforts in the face of a social media campaign targeting the company.

    The backlash against DEI has been so intense that the term itself appears to be going the way of the dodo. The Society for Human Resource Management recently announced it was ditching the word equity from its acronym.

    Preaching to Consumers

    DEI is just one form of corporate social activism, which comes in various forms and includes its cousin Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). Both ideas fall under, to some degree, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the idea that corporations have a duty to take social and environmental actions into consideration in their business models.

    If you’re wondering why Burger King has commercials on climate change and cow farts, and why Bud Light’s commercials went from featuring Rodney Dangerfield and Bob Uecker to trans activist Dylan Mulvaney, it’s because of CSR.

    The idea that corporations should fight for social causes has skyrocketed in recent years to such an extent that activism is inhibiting companies in their primary mission: generating profits by serving customers.

    “Firms leveraging situations and social issues is not new, but showcasing their moral authority despite a disinterested consumer base is,” Kimberlee Josephson, an Associate Professor of Business at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, has observed.

    Bud Light’s decision to feature Mulvaney cost them an estimated $1.4 billion in sales, and it revealed the danger of corporations leaning into social activism, particularly campaigns and policies that alienate their own consumer bases.

    Not very long ago, companies like Chick-fil-A faced backlash from progressive activists for supporting traditional marriage. Culture war advocates on the right have responded in similar fashion.

    Conservative influencers have made a point of raising awareness around “woke” corporate initiatives — white privilege campaigns, climate change goals, LGBTQ events, etc. The most successful ones, such as Robby Starbuck who pioneered the campaign against Tractor Supply and John Deere, made a point of targeting corporations with conservative consumer bases.

    “If I started a boycott against Starbucks right now, I know that it wouldn’t get anywhere near the same result,” Starbuck recently told the Wall Street Journal.

    One can support Robby Starbuck’s tactics or oppose them. What’s clear is that corporations increasingly face risks for participating in social activism campaigns, and the threats now come from both sides of the political aisle.

    Social Responsibility and ‘Social Justice’

    The idea that businesses have responsibilities that go beyond their shareholders, workers, and consumers stretches back at least to Howard Bowen’s 1953 book Social Responsibilities of the Businessman. Bowen, an economist who served as president of Grinnell College and the University of Iowa, is widely considered to be the godfather of corporate social responsibility.

    “CSR can help business reach the goals of social justice and economic prosperity by creating welfare for a broad range of social groups, beyond the corporations and their shareholders,” he wrote.

    This is a version of “stakeholder capitalism,” an idea that says corporations must look beyond serving customers to generate profits for shareholders. Various other “stakeholders” must be considered.

    Over time, other incantations of stakeholder capitalism emerged, including ESG, which stemmed directly from a 2004 report — “Who Cares Wins” — spearheaded by the United Nations, asset management groups, and banks. Its purpose was “to develop guidelines and recommendations on how to better integrate environmental, social and corporate governance issues in asset management, securities brokerage services and associated research functions.”

    These “guidelines and recommendations” eventually morphed into a global ESG framework which graded publicly traded companies on “social responsibility.” Though ESG scoring is notoriously opaque, what’s clear is that a small number of rating firms were allowed to determine what values corporations should have, and penalized them if they deviated. A bad score could see a company cut from a trillion-dollar index fund.

    This no doubt explains why companies like Tractor Supply, known for selling farming equipment and animal feed to farmers, had carved out ambitious plans to cut emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve a “net zero” carbon footprint by 2040 (in addition to various other social objectives).

    Those plans are now scrapped, and media outlets are aghast, pointing out that not very long ago Tractor Supply argued that these initiatives made “great business sense for Tractor Supply.”

    But this analysis misses the reality that social activism now carries greater potential risks and rewards, particularly in light of the collapse of the ESG movement, which earlier this year saw an exodus of $14 trillion, as asset managers like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs fled for cover.

    The Problem with Taking Sides

    Many Americans likely feel that corporations should have social responsibilities. They just tend to have different views on what those values should be.

    I was in church recently, and a pastor spoke of an entrepreneurial friend who was excited to realize how he could use profits from his business to spread the gospel. I suspect that many people who support CSR would be appalled at corporations using their business to spread religion, just like many religious Americans are appalled at corporations embracing what they see as “woke” agendas.

    While corporations are free to inject values into the workplace and support social and religious programs, they have no societal responsibility to do so. In fact, there are compelling reasons they should not be doing so.

    The Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman wrote what is perhaps the most famous rebuttal to CSR. In a 1970 New York Times article titled “A Friedman Doctrine — The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits,” Friedman accused champions of CSR of “preaching pure and unadulterated socialism” and being “puppets of the intellectual forces that have been undermining the basis of a free society.”

    Friedman understood that corporations don’t have a social responsibility (or a religious one) beyond serving their consumers and generating profits. This is their raison d’être, and how they best serve society. They don’t have a responsibility to spread religion or to champion diversity or to stop climate change or to promote equity. These values might be good, but it’s not the responsibility of corporations to promote them.

    “[T]here is one and only one social responsibility of business — to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits,” Friedman wrote, “so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.”

    This is the most famous element of the Friedman Doctrine, but I don’t think it’s the most important one. The most important line is Friedman’s warning on the dangers of straying from this model, which he makes at the beginning of the same paragraph:

    [T]he doctrine of ‘social responsibility’ taken seriously would extend the scope of the political mechanism to every human activity. It does not differ in philosophy from the most explicitly collectivist doctrine. It differs only by professing to believe that collectivist ends can be attained without collectivist means.

    This is the true danger of CSR, stakeholder capitalism, or any of the alphabet soup acronyms that seek to replace capitalism with collectivist systems that seek to undermine the rights of property owners: it risks extending politics into our private lives beyond its proper scope.

    One of the hallmarks of a totalitarian society is that public and private levers of power are utilized to enforce adherence to state dogmas, and Friedman wasn’t the first to recognize the potential dangers of corporate social activism.

    Writing in Harvard Business Review in 1958, the German-born American economist Theodore Levitt warned of replacing the profit motive with corporate do-goodism in an article titled “The Dangers of Social Responsibility”:

    The trouble with our society today is not that government is becoming a player rather than an umpire, or that it is a huge welfare colossus dipping into every nook and cranny of our lives. The trouble is, all major functional groups — business, labor, agriculture, and government — are each trying so piously to outdo the other in intruding themselves into what should be our private lives. Each is seeking to extend its own narrow tyranny over the widest possible range of our institutions, people, ideas, values, and beliefs, and all for the purest motive — to do what it honestly believes is best for society.

    This is precisely what stakeholder capitalism has done, and it’s a primary reason why culture today is saturated with politics and political messaging. Corporations, by embracing Bowen’s idea that corporations have a duty to pursue “social justice,” have helped blur the line between private and public life.

    Though many Americans are alarmed by corporate America’s retreat from social activism, it’s actually a sign that nature is healing.

    The move likely will not only help the bottom lines of companies like John Deere and Tractor Supply, but it will allow them to serve their customers more effectively. Keeping politics and “social responsibilities” out of corporate boardrooms, charters, and messaging is likely to result in a more harmonious society.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 20:55

  • Putin Appoints Ex-Bodyguard & Aide To Oversee Defense Of Kursk As Zelensky Boasts Of 74 Towns Captured
    Putin Appoints Ex-Bodyguard & Aide To Oversee Defense Of Kursk As Zelensky Boasts Of 74 Towns Captured

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said his military has seized dozens of Russian settlements and towns spanning hundreds of kilometers in Russia’s Kursk oblast.

    The surprise offensive is now one week in, and Zelensky boasted in an X post: “Ukraine controls 74 communities.” This is a significantly higher figure than the Kremlin has publicized, and there remain deeply contrasting accounts of what is going on in the war-ravaged border region, or whether Russian forces have yet repelled the invasion.

    “Despite the difficult and intense battles, our forces continue to advance in the Kursk region,” Zelensky added, saying that many Russian border troops have been captured and can be used to eventually get Ukrainian POWs back.

    Kiev says that the ultimate purpose of the high-risk operation is to protect its populace from Russian strikes, many of which happen from across the border. Currently, it is unclear the amount of territory the Ukraine invading force actually holds. By all accounts, Russian border posts were poorly manned and armed at the time of the attack which started Tuesday morning a week ago.

    “Ukraine is not interested in taking the territory of the Kursk region, but we want to protect the lives of our people,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi has stated.

    Things are still desperate on the Russian side amid a state of emergency in southern oblasts along the border. Well over 100,000 citizens have been evacuated.

    “There is no light, no connection, no water. There is nothing. It’s as if everyone has flown to another planet, and you are left alone. And the birds stopped singing,” an elderly man identified as Mikhail told Russian state television on Tuesday. “Helicopters and planes fly over the yard and shells were flying. What could we do? We left everything behind.”

    Acting Kursk Region Governor Aleksey Smirnov has announced that at least 12 Russian civilians have been killed and another 121 injured, including ten children, amid the ongoing Ukraine military incursion.

    President Putin has meanwhile reportedly appointed a special official to take charge of efforts to restore order to Kursk and the border regions. He’s been identified in regional press as the president’s personal aide and former bodyguard Alexei Dyumin.

    Alexander Dyumin, via Kremlin.ru

    One report details: 

    “Indeed, Alexei Gennadyevich Dyumin was summoned yesterday and tasked with supervising the counterterrorist operation,” State Duma lawmaker Nikolai Ivanov, whose district is in the Kursk region, told the RTVI broadcaster.

    Dyumin was the only non-cabinet member not connected with the military or security services who was present at a televised meeting with Putin on Monday. During that meeting, which was focused on the fighting in the Kursk region, the Kremlin leader ordered the military to “dislodge” Ukraine’s forces from Russian territory.

    Later, an anonymous Telegram channel claiming insider knowledge claimed that Putin directed Dyumin to “coordinate all agencies currently operating in the Kursk region.”

    However, the Kremlin has not officially verified whether Dyumin has indeed been put in charge of Kursk operations.

    At this moment a United Nations agency is trying to gain access to the region. The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued formal request for Moscow to grant access to the Kursk Region to investigate Russian allegations of abuses and war crimes committed by invading Ukrainian troops.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    “We are trying to gather information about the situation in Kursk Region, but without access it is very difficult,” OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in a fresh statement. “We have requested access to Russia to be able to obtain additional information.”

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 20:30

  • Pushing Back Against Viewpoint-Based Discrimination By Banks
    Pushing Back Against Viewpoint-Based Discrimination By Banks

    Authored by Michael Ross via RealClearMarkets,

    On paper, Zulfat Suara and Steve Happ don’t have much in common.

    One, a Muslim woman, immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria in the 1990s and now serves on the Nashville City Council. The other, a Christian man, is a Memphis native with a background in software who began a ministry partnering with Ugandan non-profit charities that care for orphaned and at-risk children in 2015.

    But they do have at least one thing in common: Both were canceled by large national banks with little warning and virtually no explanation.

    Suara, who like Happ, is also involved in non-profit work, received a vaguely worded notice of cancelation from Regions Bank earlier this year, giving her 30 days to find a new bank. Happ’s cancelation by Bank of America came in 2023 shortly before he made a trip overseas—forcing him to scramble for solutions and delay hard-earned paychecks to Ugandans.

    Happ’s notice said he was operating in the wrong “business type.” As we reported in this year’s report for our Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index, which measures corporate respect for free speech and religious liberty, these problematic policies are present in at least 69% of the country’s largest financial institutions.

    Incidents like these are a small sample of a larger trend of viewpoint-based discrimination in financial services—known as “de-banking”— which has also affected firearms and fossil fuels because of radical net zero emissions commitments and government initiatives like Operation Choke Point. It has also garnered the attention of both sides of the political aisle.

    These incidents propelled Tennessee lawmakers to adopt a landmark legislative solution aimed at curbing this dangerous weaponization of the financial system. Like a similar law that recently went into effect in Florida, the legislation is a first-of-its-kind consumer protection bill that prohibits big banks from canceling customer accounts based on their constitutionally protected speech and religious exercise.

    The Tennessee law applies to banks with at least $100 billion in assets—which includes both Regions and Bank of America—the latter of which has also been exposed by U.S. House oversight as working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Department of Treasury to profile as domestic terrorist threats my organization, Alliance Defending Freedom, and everyday Americans who committed the sin of shopping at Bass Pro Shops or buying “religious texts.” It should come as no surprise that this same government entity has now spoken out in opposition to these state-level attempts to protect the God-given freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment.

    In a recent letter lauded in these pages by Hispanic Leadership Fund president Mario H. Lopez, the Treasury makes a series of false assertions about Tennessee and Florida’s laws. Chief among these specious claims is that the laws prevent Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) from dealing with money launderers and terrorist threats.

    There’s no need to provide a nuanced answer to this accusation. It’s simply untrue. Twenty state attorneys general recently responded to this letter and rightly observed that the standards the Treasury is attacking in the state laws are the exact same standards the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency proposed—and the Treasury did not object to—only a few years ago.

    Likewise, Lopez’s reactionary appeal to free market principles fails. Banks don’t operate in a free market. ESG is avowedly anti-free market. And the market is not free if access depends on your political and religious views.

    First, banks are highly regulated. But in exchange for those regulations, they benefit from a wide spectrum of government subsidies. Those include bailouts, tax credits, property tax abatements, and grants at the state and federal levels. Since 1998, for example, JPMorgan Chase has received over $1.7 trillion from American taxpayers in the form of subsidies.

    Second, ESG activists, and even government regulators, are introducing non-financial and subjective factors into decision-making by classifying groups like mine as domestic terrorist threats and denying service to ministries that support orphans and widows for being the wrong “business type.” Someone should explain how these groups, or those of Christian broadcaster Lance Wallnau or U.S. Ambassador Sam Brownback, present national security threats. Of course, one of the features of the state laws is that customers like Wallnau and Ambassador Brownback can demand a written explanation from the banks.

    Third, the market is not free if it does not support a free society. There are numerous antidiscrimination laws that apply specifically to financial services, from the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to state fair lending laws—because every American deserves equal access to financial services. If we allow financial services to become politicized, we undermine the democratic process and deny businesses the ability to focus on what they do best, create excellent goods and services for their customers.

    The Treasury cannot profile half of America as domestic terrorists, institute Orwellian financial surveillance, and then hide behind the fig leaf of national security when the states push back.

    Banks, insurance providers, and others in the financial sector need to make tangible changes to their policies to protect their customers from discrimination. States like Tennessee and Florida have a critical role to play—not only in adopting laws to ensure their citizens’ freedoms are protected but also in enforcing these laws so that no one else has to fear financial discrimination because of their religious or political beliefs.

    Michael Ross is legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom (@ADFLegal). 

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 20:05

  • Tesla's 1950s-Style Drive-In Supercharger In Hollywood Takes Shape 
    Tesla’s 1950s-Style Drive-In Supercharger In Hollywood Takes Shape 

    The next generation of Tesla Supercharger stations could feature a restaurant, drive-in movie theater, and dozens of charging bays. Tesla seems eager to spice up the currently dull charging experience and possibly open up new revenue streams for the company. 

    Auto blog Drive Tesla Canada has been tracking the progress of Tesla’s Hollywood Diner and Supercharger project, located at 7001 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. 

    Source: JoshWest247

    “Plans reveal the company is building unique destination for Tesla owners, including a two-story restaurant with seating for over 200 diners and a separate theater area that accommodates up to 77 guests,” Drive Tesla Canada said, adding, “Those guests, and Tesla owners plugged in at one of the Supercharger posts, will be able to watch movies on two towering 45-foot LED screens located in the parking lot.” 

    Construction began about one year ago, and as the project draws closer to completion, Tesla recently published its first job opening for the diner.

    A video published days ago by YouTuber JoshWest247 shows the 1950s-esque drive-in Supercharging station has taken shape. 

    This new deluxe Tesla charging station prototype could eventually be rolled out across major metro areas, enhancing the charging experience for drivers and creating a new revenue stream for the company.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 19:40

  • Geopolitical Tensions Are Transforming The Rare Earth Market
    Geopolitical Tensions Are Transforming The Rare Earth Market

    Authored by Rystad Energy via Oilprice.com,

    • China’s dominance in the rare earth market is gradually declining as other countries ramp up production.

    • Western governments are incentivizing domestic rare earth production to reduce reliance on China and mitigate supply chain risks.

    • Despite recent price volatility and oversupply, rare earth demand is expected to remain strong due to their essential role in high-tech and green technologies.

    The rare earth market is undergoing a shift in geographical supply chain concentration, spurred by Western efforts to reduce reliance on China off the back of growing demand, focus on national security, and the strategic importance of the materials. Over the last decade, annual rare earth supply has tripled, setting global production records almost every year – from 142,000 tonnes in 2013 to 359,000 tonnes of rare earth oxide equivalents mined last year.

    The rare earths market is in a state of flux, finding itself at the crossroads of technological innovation and geopolitical tension. China’s long-standing dominance remains strong but is gradually waning with its share of global production declining from 98% in 2010 to 78% in 2015 and down to 67% last year as producers in Australia and the US, backed by substantial government support, ramp up activity.

    China is still dominant, although its market share is declining

    Despite a decline in China’s market share in the upstream mining sector, its absolute supply output is still rising. More importantly, its control across the complex midstream to downstream processing and manufacturing stages is proving harder to shake. Although relatively geologically abundant, rare earths are deemed rare because extracting and separating the ores into individual oxides needed for use in manufacturing is difficult. This makes economically viable deposits rare. The consolidated state-controlled Chinese market is at the forefront of industrial and technologically demanding operations related to rare earths processing. Last December, China imposed export control of technologies for rare earth extraction, separation, refining and magnet production, potentially slowing down new development outside of the country. Continued financial backing will be required from Western governments to loosen China’s mature grip and increase its market share across the rare earth processing value chain.

    Regional policies to boost domestic rare earths supply

    The US is promoting the development of its domestic rare earths value chain through research funding and project financing via the Inflation Reduction Act. Australia has long supported rare earths projects through tax incentives, meanwhile, Europe aims to build out supply through domestic targets for supply quotas through its Critical Raw Materials Act. In May this year, both the US and Australia announced policies to combat competition from China. Australia announced the extension of incentives in the 2024-2025 budget plan through a 10% production tax credit and pre-feasibility project funding for all critical minerals, including rare earths. At the same time, the Biden administration in the US imposed a 25% import tariff on rare earth magnets from China, effective from 2026.

    There are several countries with abundant rare earth ore reserves, and with global reserves measuring around 115 million tonnes, the world has enough to last over 300 years, based on last year’s production volumes. With more reserves likely to be discovered, a shortage of resources is not a realistic concern.

    Although small in volume compared to the over 3 billion tonnes of metals mined annually, rare earth elements are crucial to society, and their unique properties have proven extremely difficult to substitute. Demand for the 17 lustrous silvery-white metals has risen recently due to their essential role in buoyant energy transition-related sectors, as well as in high-tech equipment within defense, artificial intelligence and consumer electronics. Permanent magnets, required for any device related to electric motion such as wind turbines and electric vehicle (EV) motors, is the largest application for rare earths, making the magnetic rare earths neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and samarium among the most in-demand and highly valued rare earths. We expect the magnetic rare earths to remain principal, propelled by technological advancements and the electrification of society.

    The race between China and the West will continue

    A dramatic rise in supply has outpaced demand over the last few years, resulting in an oversupply of rare earth products. This has created an erratic low-price environment where many producers are operating at a loss. Rare earth prices are notoriously volatile and difficult to predict, partly due to their high susceptibility to geopolitical risk and ongoing global trade disputes. A volatile price environment is challenging early-stage initiatives launched by an expanding supplier landscape aiming to capitalize on the emerging globalized supply chain.

    Rare earths have become a key battleground in the ongoing technological and economic rivalry between China and the West as the race continues for control to ensure its reliable supply.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 19:15

  • GM Cutting Jobs Amidst "Larger Structural Overhaul" In China
    GM Cutting Jobs Amidst “Larger Structural Overhaul” In China

    General Motors has been cutting staff in China and eventually will meet with its local partner SAIC to explore a “larger structural overhaul” of the business oversees.

    The shift indicates that GM likely won’t eclipse its peak sales in the country it set in 2017, according to Bloomberg.

    GM is reducing staff in its China-focused departments, including research and development. In coming weeks, GM and its partner SAIC will discuss potential capacity cuts as part of a strategic shift for American brands in China.

    Bloomberg writes that this marks a significant change for GM, which once made billions in the Chinese market. The automaker is scaling back as foreign brands struggle with intense competition and overcapacity in the world’s largest car market.

    GM is shifting its focus to producing electric vehicles, particularly upscale models, and importing premium vehicles. The company is considering reducing factory capacity and further job cuts, though these plans haven’t been publicly disclosed yet.

    Despite these changes, GM will still produce affordable vehicles and EVs locally in partnership with SAIC Motor and Wuling Motors, with some of these models being exported from China, according to the report. 

    GM’s 30-year contract with state-owned SAIC expires in 2027, and the company aims to restore profitability before then. The goal is to strengthen the SAIC-GM partnership, which produces Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet vehicles, so it can self-fund operations and development.

    A second partnership, SAIC-GM-Wuling, which makes small, affordable vehicles, has fared better, particularly with the Hongguang Mini EV. However, GM lost $104 million in its Chinese operations in the most recent quarter, contributing to a $210 million loss for the first half of the year.

    In the latest quarter, GM’s China sales dropped 29% to 373,000 vehicles, with steep declines across its U.S. brands like Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet. In contrast, sales from the SAIC-GM-Wuling partnership fell only 12%, as it produces compact EVs that remain in high demand in China, which GM views as a stronger growth opportunity.

    Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson commented earlier this month: “We’ve got to remain competitive and that means that we’ve got to take a look at the business with our partner to ensure that we can restore it to profitability and that we can restore it to self-sustaining cash flow going forward. China can be a good asset for us and remains a good asset for us.”

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 18:50

  • The DNC Is Coming To Chicago, The Nation's Homicide Capital 13 Years Running
    The DNC Is Coming To Chicago, The Nation’s Homicide Capital 13 Years Running

    By Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner of Wirepoints

    When the DNC delegates come to Chicago, they’ll be visiting the city that for more than a decade has experienced the most murders in the country. Chicago suffered 617 total homicides in 2023, marking the 12th year in a row it has led the country. 

    And it will be 13 years in a row if Chicago’s 2024’s homicide numbers continue at their current pace. The below chart shows how the top five cities nationally for total homicides may change from year to year, but what always remains true is Chicago’s position at the very top – often the extreme outlier.

    That’s just one of the findings from Wirepoints’ analysis of publicly-available 2023 homicide data from the nation’s 75 largest U.S. cities.

    St. Louis was the nation’s other murder capital in 2023 when based on homicides per capita. The Gateway City suffered 60 homicides per 100,000 residents, taking the top spot away from 2022’s capital, New Orleans.* The city was struggling even before George Floyd, with a homicide rate of 64.5 in 2019.

    Looking at homicides on a per capita basis is the most logical way to measure the weight crime imposes on a given community. It also allows for an apples-to-apples comparison across cities. However, ranking cities by the number of homicides is also important due to the sheer number of murders that occur in big cities. St. Louis may have a homicide rate that’s much higher than Chicago, but it suffered less than a third of the murders Chicago did. They both deserve to be crowned murder capitals.

    Below we list the nation’s top 20 cities by total homicides and per capita homicides and in Appendix A and B we list out all 75 cities. 

    Homicides have continued their year-on-year decline in most cities across the nation. That lessening bloodshed is good news, but it doesn’t change the fact that homicide rates remain far above their 2019 pre-covid, pre-George-Floyd levels.

    The report below includes the following sections:

    • A look at total homicides in 2023
    • A look at homicides rates in 2023
    • A comparison of 2023 homicides to their 2019 levels
    • A comparison of 2024 homicides to 2023 YTD 
    • The DNC and the reality of Chicago crime

    Chicago, New York, led the nation in number of homicides

    Chicago led the nation in criminal homicides 617 murders in 2023. That was by far the most among the nation’s top 75 cities. Not even New York, which is three times bigger than Chicago, or Philadelphia came close, with those two cities suffering 391 and 389 murders, respectively. 

    Rounding out the top ten were Memphis (367), Houston (351), Los Angeles (327), Washington D.C. (274), Dallas (268), Baltimore (263), and Detroit (252). See Appendix A for the complete 75-city ranking.

    The good news in 2023 vs. 2022 was the 10% drop in homicides across the surveyed cities. Since the massive jump in 2021 after George-Floyd, homicides have fallen the last two years (see Appendix C for full data).

    Notable in 2023 was Philadelphia’s 24% decrease in homicides – a fall of 121 murders – which allowed the City of Brotherly Love to drop from the number 2 position in total homicides to number 3. New York City, which dropped 11% in homicides, went up to the second position. 

    Other key cities which had been battered by violence in 2020 and 2021 also saw drops. For example, New Orleans, Baltimore, St. Louis and Milwaukee all dropped by 20% to 24%.

    Two cities were particularly notable for moving in the wrong direction in 2023. Memphis and Washington D.C. had increases in homicides of 37% and 35% respectively. Memphis’ increase of 100 murders pushed the city into 4th-place nationally.

    St. Louis, Memphis led the nation in homicide rates

    St. Louis’ 20% drop in homicides in 2023 wasn’t enough to help the “Gateway to the West” avoid suffering the nation’s worst homicide rate – 60.0 homicides per every 100,000 in population. As mentioned above, Memphis finished second with a rate of 59.3. New Orleans, last year’s top city for homicides per capita, came in third with 52.7 murders per 100,000. 

    Rounding out the top ten were Baltimore (46.5), Cleveland (42.5), Washington D.C. (40.4), Detroit (39.8), Kansas City (35.6), Milwaukee (30.6), and Oakland (28.9). Those homicide rates are all multiples higher than the 2020 national average of 6.5 per 100,000, the most recent reliable national calculation available.

    The list of the cities with the top homicide ratios among America’s 75 largest cities includes those with relatively smaller populations, like Greensboro, New Orleans and Cleveland. It’s worth looking at, then, how their homicide ratios performed in 2023 vs 2022.

    Greensboro, NC suffered the worst increase, with its homicide rate jumping 75% to 24.5 per 100,000 – a consequence of the city of 300,000 people experiencing 74 murders in 2023. Memphis also suffered a dramatic jump of nearly 40%.

    A majority of America’s most murder-prone cities saw their homicide rates fall. Some declines were modest, such as Cincinnati’s rate falling 9% over the year or Las Vegas’ 12% decline. But a number of other cities experienced far larger drops. Cities like Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Baltimore all had their homicide rates drop by nearly 20% or more. New Orleans experienced the biggest drop of 24%, though its 2023 rate was still a sky-high 52.7 per 100,000.

    It’s also important to compare homicide rates across the big cities because that’s where most of the nation’s murders occur. Among the nation’s 20 biggest cities, Philadelphia suffered the highest homicide rate of 25.1 per 100,000 residents in 2023. Chicago was second with a rate of 23.2, followed by Dallas at 20.6, Indianapolis at 19.4 and Columbus at 16.2.

    Notable is just how low the homicide rate is in many big cities, including Los Angeles, Austin and New York City.

    While homicides continue to fall, many city rates are still above 2019 levels

    Despite the drop in homicides in most major cities in 2023, homicide rates still remained above those in 2019. Chicago, for example, saw murders drop by nearly 200 compared to its 2021 spike. Nevertheless, its homicide rate remained 25% above that in 2019 (23.2 vs. 18.5). Ditto for New York City’s homicide rate, up 23% over 2019. And Houston’s rate remained 27% higher.

    Of the top 15 cities with the highest 2023 homicide rates, 12 were higher than they were in 2019. And eight of those cities had homicide rates that were 60% higher or more compared to 2019. For example, Milwaukee’s 2023 homicide rate of 30.6 was 87% higher than its 2019 rate. And Memphis’ homicide rate of 59.3 was 103% higher.

    Looking at the nation’s other murder capital, St. Louis’ homicide rate was 7% lower than in 2019. But that was of little comfort to residents of St. Louis. The rate was dramatically high back then, with the recent drop making little difference. 

    The continued decline of homicides in 2024

    Year-to-date data for 2024 show that homicides are continuing their downward trend this year, with many of the nation’s biggest cities experiencing a drop in total murders of about 30% or more.

    Philadelphia has endured far less bloodshed so far in 2024, with homicides dropping 41% compared to the same period in 2023. Jacksonville homicides are down 38%. San Antonio has recorded 61 murders as of the end of July. That’s 29% fewer than the same time last year. Dallas homicides have fallen by 21% YTD. 

    Chicago officials can also point to a decline in homicides in 2024, but the decrease is one of the smallest among cities with populations over 1 million. Windy City homicides are down just 10% compared to last year – the 2nd-lowest reduction behind only Los Angeles’ 2% decline and just behind New York City’s own 10% reduction. 

    It’s important to note, however, that while Los Angeles and New York have small declines like Chicago, both those cities experience a far lower number of homicides to begin with.

    The DNC in Chicago

    Count on Chicago’s leadership to tout the city’s recent decline in homicides as an achievement of the city’s commitment to equity and social justice. Chicago experienced a 12% decline in homicides in 2022, another 13% drop in 2023 and a further 10% reduction so far in 2024.

    But that drop in homicides must be taken within the context of the massive surge in murders Chicago experienced post George Floyd. In 2021, they jumped to 804 from just 500 two years earlier, a 62% spike.

    And even with the recent declines in homicides, Chicago is still on track in 2024 to exceed its 2019 murder levels, considering that YTD homicides are running 23% higher than they were in the same period in 2019.

    Chicago’s murder record must also be compared to that of its two big-city peers: New York and Los Angeles. Chicago is the extreme outlier among the three, especially when viewed on a per capita basis over time.

    All three cities had nearly identical homicide rates in the late 1980s before experiencing a decline in homicides during the 1990’s. New York and Los Angeles’ declines were far deeper and more sustained, however, leading to the disparity in homicide rates seen today: Chicago’s 2023 homicide rate, at 23.3 per 100,000, is 5 times higher than New York’s (4.7 per 100,000) and 2.7 times higher than LA’s (8.6 per 100,000).

    Even worse, Chicago’s soft-on-crime policies continue to encourage more crime. 

    Banned police foot and car chases have emboldened criminals to go on robbery sprees. An increased felony-theft threshold has incentivized shoplifting and other crimes. The elimination of cash bail has resulted in a drop in the number of offenders held behind Cook County bars to the lowest level in 40 years. And the overall failure to prosecute crimes of all types has led to an ever-faster revolving door. Criminals are not deterred from committing crimes.

    It’s no surprise then, that violent crimes have hit a six-year high in 2024 despite the 10% drop in murders this year, and that the number of victims of violent crime is at a 13-year high.

    While the DNC will do its level best to promote Chicago as a triumph of city management and progressive policy, the constant bloodshed is a reminder of the city’s many failures – and an example of criminal justice policies that other cities would do well to ignore.

    Download a PDF copy of the report

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 18:25

  • EU Disavows "Attention-Seeking Politician" Thierry Breton Over 'Electoral Interference' Letter Threatening Musk
    EU Disavows “Attention-Seeking Politician” Thierry Breton Over ‘Electoral Interference’ Letter Threatening Musk

    With Monday night’s unfiltered discussion between Donald Trump and Elon Musk generating a reported billion views, it’s no wonder the left collectively freaked out.

    Not only did the Washington Post ask the White House if there was anything they could do to stop the conversation from taking place…

    …The EU’s Thierry Breton, the current Commissioner for Internal Market of the EU, sent a letter to Musk threatening X with punishment if they didn’t crack down on “content that promotes hatred, disorder, incitement to violence, or certain instances of disinformation.”

    It seems that Breton’s warning to Musk has surprised many within the Commission. | Sebastien Salom-Gomis/AFP via Getty Images

    Musk responded appropriately:

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    For the uninitiated:

    Theory Fucks His Own Face After All…

    In a harsh rebuke, Brussels has accused Breton of going rogue with the letter to Musk – saying he never sought approval from European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to send the letter.

    “The timing and the wording of the letter were neither co-ordinated or agreed with the president nor with the [commissioners],” the Commission said in a Tuesday statement reported by the Financial Times.

    “Thierry has his own mind and way of working and thinking,” said one EU official who asked not to be named.

    As the Times notes (lol), “Musk responded to the letter from Breton with a meme from the 2008 film Tropic Thunder, that showed one character yelling: “Take a big step back and literally fuck your own face.”“

    Politico Europe reports that four separate EU officials said that Breton’s threat to Musk caught many off guard within the Commission.

    “The EU is not in the business of electoral interference,” said one of those officials. “DSA implementation is too important to be misused by an attention-seeking politician in search of his next big job.”

    Meanwhile, a Trump campaign spokesperson responded by saying “The European Union should mind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the US presidential election,” while Musk later posted that he would be “happy to host” Kamala Harris for a similar discussion.

    In response to Breton’s letter, X CEO Linda Yaccarino said it was an “unprecedented attempt to stretch a law intended to apply in Europe to political activities in the US,” while Trump campaign official Chris LaCivita said that the “European Union is attempting to meddle in the US Election,” adding “They can go to hell.”

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jshttps://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Never go full Thierry…

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 18:00

  • The Federal Reserve Does Not Own Gold
    The Federal Reserve Does Not Own Gold

    Authored by Ryan McMaken via The Mises Institute,

    Historically – as during the days of the classical gold standard – central banks maintained stocks of gold to facilitate the conversion of gold-backed national currencies. Those days are long gone, but in modern times, many central banks continue to own gold, and many central banks buy gold as part of their open-market operations. For example, in his article last week—”Central banks purchase gold to offset their own money destruction“—Daniel Lacalle writes: 

    The rising purchases of gold by central banks are an essential factor justifying the recent increase in demand for the precious metal. Central banks, especially in China and India, are trying to reduce their dependence on the dollar or the euro to diversify their reserves. 

    The US’s central bank, the Federal Reserve, is not among these banks buying gold. Obviously, the Fed has no interest in buying up gold as a means of “de-dollarization.” Moreover, the Fed is presently concerned with purchasing more dollar-denominated government debt to keep interest rates low on the Federal government’s huge deficits.  

    But we must also note that another reason the Fed isn’t buying gold is that the Fed hasn’t been in the gold-owning business for a very long time. 

    That is, the Fed has owned no gold since 1934, when the Fed handed over all its gold in exchange for gold certificates. This is how the Fed’s Board of Governors summarizes the situation:

    The Federal Reserve does not own gold.

    The Gold Reserve Act of 1934 required the Federal Reserve System to transfer ownership of all of its gold to the Department of the Treasury. In exchange, the Secretary of the Treasury issued gold certificates to the Federal Reserve for the amount of gold transferred at the then-applicable statutory price for gold held by the Treasury.

    Gold certificates are denominated in U.S. dollars. Their value is based on the statutory price for gold at the time the certificates are issued. Gold certificates do not give the Federal Reserve any right to redeem the certificates for gold.

    The statutory price of gold is set by law. It does not fluctuate with the market price of gold and has been constant at $42 2/9, or $42.2222, per fine troy ounce since 1973. The book value of the gold held by the Treasury is determined using the statutory price.

    Although the Federal Reserve does not own any gold, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York acts as the custodian of gold owned by account holders such as the U.S. government, foreign governments, other central banks, and official international organizations. No individuals or private sector entities are permitted to store gold in the vault of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or at any Federal Reserve Bank.

    A small portion of the gold held by the U.S. Treasury (roughly $600 million in book value)–about five percent–is held in custody for the Treasury by the Federal Reserve Banks, as fiscal agents of the United States. The vast majority of this gold is located in the vault at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and a very small portion is on display in several Federal Reserve Banks. The remaining 95 percent of U.S. Treasury gold ($10.4 billion in book value) is held in custody for the Treasury by the U.S. Mint.

    It is possible to imagine that the Fed could start buying gold, but it’s hard to see why the Fed would be motivated to do so. 

    Moreover, given that the Fed’s gold certificates have essentially no connection to the actual market price of gold, changes in the price of gold have virtually no effect on the value of the Fed’s assets. 

    The only way gold prices would become relevant to the Fed’s portfolio would be for the Congress to change the statutory price of gold from $42.2222. If the Fed wanted to actually take possession of that gold, the Congress would also have to authorize the Fed to redeem its certificates in gold.

    This is all very unlikely barring a very big change in the ideology of the ruling regime.

    Indeed, barring said ideological change, I suspect that in a true crisis, the Fed’s extremely tenuous claim to owning its pre-1934 gold stockpile would be null and void altogether.

    If the Treasury finds itself truly strapped for cash, the Congress would only have to declare the Fed’s gold certificates permanently unredeemable.

    Or, the Treasury could simply buy back the gold certificates at the ridiculously low statutory price. Then there would be no doubt about who owns that gold.

    The Treasury could then simply sell off all the gold to Wall Street banks in exchange for dollars that would go to luxury hotels for illegal immigrants or more bombs for the State of Israel. 

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 17:40

  • UAW Files Charges Against Trump, Musk For 'Strike' Comments During X Conversation
    UAW Files Charges Against Trump, Musk For ‘Strike’ Comments During X Conversation

    The United Auto Workers union – which has endorsed Kamala Harris’ 2024 bid – said on Tuesday that it took umbrage with comments regarding worker strikes made by former President Trump and Elon Musk during Monday night’s conversation on X, and have filed federal labor charges against the pair.

    In a Tuesday statement, the UAW said that Trump and Musk engaged in “illegal attempts to threaten and intimidate workers who stand up for themselves by engaging in protected concerted activity, such as strikes” – pointing specifically to a comment in which Trump said “You walk in, you say, You want to quit? They go on strike, I won’t mention the name of the company, but they go on strike and you say, That’s OK, you’re all gone. You’re all gone. So, every one of you is gone.”

    Trump was apparently referencing the 2022 gutting of Twitter staff afteR Musk took over the company and renamed it X.

    Musk’s crime was apparently laughing at Trump’s comment.

    It is illegal to threaten to fire workers for going on strike, or to actually do so, according to the union.

    “Both Trump and Musk want working class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly,” said UAW president Shawn Fain in a statement. “It’s disgusting, illegal, and totally predictable from these two clowns.”

    “When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is what we mean,” Fain continued. “When we say Trump stands against everything our union stands for, this is what we mean.”

    Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes called it a “frivolous lawsuit” and “shameless political stunt intended to erode President Trump’s overwhelming support among America’s workers.”

    As Axios notes, When labor charges are filed, the National Labor Relations Board decides whether to investigate the allegations. If it concludes there were violations, it could impose penalties.

    As CNBC notes further:

    Trump’s praise of union busting is notable because the Republican presidential nominee is currently fighting to win support from organized labor in a tight race against Vice President Kamala Harris.

    The UAW, which represents more than 400,000 autoworkers, has already endorsed Harris. But another major U.S. labor union, the Teamsters, has yet to make an endorsement.

    A spokesman for the Teamsters did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Trump’s support for union busting.

    In July, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention.

    He said his attendance was intended to underscore that the union’s powerful political endorsement was still available to whichever candidate pledges to champion workers’ interests.

    “Companies fire workers who try to join unions, and hide behind toothless laws that are meant to protect working people but are manipulated to benefit corporations,” O’Brien said at the RNC in Milwaukee.

    “This is economic terrorism at its best,” said O’Brien.

    Musk, meanwhile, is no stranger to labor battles – with Tesla having clashed with unions for years – and the NLRB finding in 2021 that the company violated labor laws when it fired a union activist. 

    SpaceX has also been accused of labor violations for firing eight employees for what they said was an internal open letter criticizing Musk and his public conduct.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 17:20

  • Improper Social Security Payments Reach $1.1 Billion, Agency Backlog Hits All-Time High
    Improper Social Security Payments Reach $1.1 Billion, Agency Backlog Hits All-Time High

    Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    The backlog of payment actions at the Social Security Administration (SSA) is now at a “record-breaking” level, causing the agency to make more than a billion dollars in improper payments to beneficiaries, according to the SSA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).

    A Social Security card sits alongside checks from the U.S. Treasury in Washington on Oct. 14, 2021. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

    The SSA’s backlog of pending actions hit an “all-time high” of 5.2 million as of February, the OIG said in an Aug. 8 statement, citing an analysis published in June. Pending actions at the agency’s claims processing centers that remain unresolved for a long period of time have resulted in “larger improper payments, including growing underpayments or increasing overpayments to beneficiaries.”

    Overpayments put social security beneficiaries under a great burden since the agency will ask them to pay back the overpaid amount at any time. Some recipients may not be in a financial position to repay.

    Meanwhile, underpayments mean beneficiaries do not receive their correct monthly payment, which is financially challenging for many recipients.

    The delay in resolving pending actions caused the SSA to make $1.1 billion worth of improper payments by February, the OIG stated.

    “Customer satisfaction has been an ongoing concern for SSA,” Michelle Anderson, acting inspector general for SSA, said. “This report continues to highlight the urgency for SSA to reach its pending actions performance goal and to ensure beneficiaries receive their proper payments as promptly as possible.”

    SSA blamed the “record-breaking” backlog on increased workload, staff reductions, and lower-than-expected funding for overtime. Overtime funding could be used to pay workers to resolve more pending actions, thus reducing the backlog, the agency said.

    The SSA had reviewed the draft version of the OIG report and sent a response to the watchdog in June. The agency agreed on the need to cut down the processing centers’ pending actions backlog and processing delays. However, this would require “additional resources,” it said in its response.

    The SSA pointed out that the agency has “over 650 fewer employees working on processing centers’ workloads now than we did eight years ago, while our beneficiary count has risen from roughly 64 million people to nearly 72 million in that same time period.”

    Moreover, the SSA is experiencing staffing challenges with high separation rates in key roles. Without adequate funding, the agency is “left to prioritize growing workloads with our current resources in mind.”

    Improper Payment Issue

    The OIG pointed out in its report that the SSA failed to reduce its processing center pending actions over the past six years, causing the backlog to rise from 3.2 million in fiscal year 2018 to 4.6 million last year.

    As the backlog kept growing, pending actions remained unresolved for longer periods, the report stated. Of 139 actions by processing centers (PCs) analyzed by the OIG, almost three-fourths were pending for 300 days or more, with 43 percent unresolved for 500 days or longer.

    “Once processed, PC pending actions can result in improper payments,” the report reads.

    “The longer it takes SSA to process PC pending actions, the longer beneficiaries wait for underpayments due or they receive larger overpayments to pay back.”

    In one instance, the SSA initially identified an overpaid beneficiary in June 2021 when the person had received $9,000 in excess money from the agency. However, the SSA only took action to collect overpayments about two years later, in May 2023. During this time, the overpayments continued, with the overpaid amount totaling $62,000.

    Even though the beneficiary sought a waiver arguing that the agency was at fault and that the individual could not afford to pay back the money, the person had to agree to make partial payments to resolve the case, the report stated.

    For improper payments, the SSA has taken certain actions. In March, the agency announced a new rule easing burdens on overpayment recipients.

    Earlier, the SSA would have withheld 100 percent of a beneficiary’s monthly benefits until the overpaid amount was collected.

    However, the new rule dismissed this practice. Instead, the agency now collects 10 percent or $10, whichever is greater, of the overpaid amount from the monthly benefits to recover overpayments.

    “Social Security is taking a critically important step towards our goal of ensuring our overpayment policies are fair, equitable, and do not unduly harm anyone,” Martin O’Malley, commissioner of Social Security, said at the time.

    In February, the SSA proposed a rule for using information from payroll data providers in its calculations. The proposed Payroll Information Exchange is expected to reduce manual reporting errors, which could then reduce improper payments, the agency stated.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 17:00

  • Harris Campaign Busted Spoofing News Outlets In Headline-Altering Ad Scheme
    Harris Campaign Busted Spoofing News Outlets In Headline-Altering Ad Scheme

    Despite corporate media’s unabashed u-turn to support Kamala Harris, her campaign has been busted creating made-up headlines next to the names of real news outlets to trick people into thinking they’ve stumbled upon the real thing, Axios reports.

    Upon hearing the news, The Guardian lost their shit, telling Axios: “While we understand why an organization might wish to align itself with the Guardian’s trusted brand, we need to ensure it is being used appropriately and with our permission. We’ll be reaching out to Google for more information about this practice.”

    The ads include links to real articles from the outlets, however the headlines and supporting text were altered.

    Spokespeople for other spoofed outlets such as CNN, USA Today and NPR, said they had no idea their brand was being featured this way.

    Examples include The Independent UK, NPR, AP, The Guardian, USA Today, PBS, CNN, CBS News, Time and others, including local outlets like North Dakota radio station WDAY Radio.

    • For example, an ad that ran alongside an article from The Guardian shows a headline that reads “VP Harris Fights Abortion Bans – Harris Defends Repro Freedom” and then includes supporting text underneath the headline that reads, “VP Harris is a champion for reproductive freedom and will stop Trump’s abortion bans.”
    • An ad featuring a link to an NPR story reads, “Harris Will Lower Health Costs,” with supporting text that says, “Kamala Harris will lower the cost of high-quality affordable health care.”

    For example:

    Meanwhile, according to Google’s ad transparency center, the Trump campaign isn’t running these types of ads – and says that because ads on Search are prominently labeled as “Sponsored,” they’re “easily distinguishable from Search results.” A Google spokesperson added “we’ve provided additional levels of transparency for election ads specifically.”

    Nevermind that news outlets pay to promote their own articles all the time.

    And nevermind that there was a “glitch” which hid the ad disclosure.

    A source familiar with the Harris campaign’s ads team said the campaign buys search ads with news links to give voters searching for information about Vice President Harris more context.

    • The campaign has complied with all of Google’s rules, although a technical glitch in Google’s Ad Library made it appear as though some ads lacked the necessary disclosures Google requires when they ran. (A Google spokesperson confirmed the glitch and said it’s investigating what happened.)
    • “Election advertisers are required to complete an identity verification process and we prominently display in-ad disclosures that clearly show people who paid for the ad,” the spokesperson said. -Axios

    That said, according to Google the ads don’t violate its rules – however other platforms have taken action against such deception. Facebook, for example, banned advertisers from editing text from Instant Article news links in their ads in 2017, citing its “continuing efforts to stop the spread of misinformation and false news.” 

    A candidate so good they have to deceive voters…

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 16:40

  • 4 Ways To Inoculate Your Children Against Marxism
    4 Ways To Inoculate Your Children Against Marxism

    Authored by Jeff Minick via The Epoch Times,

    In 2007, President George W. Bush dedicated a memorial in Washington DC to the 100 million people murdered by communism over the past century. Here is a portion of what he offered in remembrance of those victims:

    “They include innocent Ukrainians starved to death in Stalin’s Great Famine or Russians killed in Stalin’s purges; Lithuanians and Latvians and Estonians loaded onto cattle cars and deported to Arctic death camps of Soviet communism. They include Chinese killed in the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution; Cambodians slain in Pol Pot’s Killing Fields; East Germans shot attempting to scale the Berlin Wall in order to make it to freedom; Poles massacred in the Katyn Forest and Ethiopians slaughtered in the ‘Red Terror’; Miskito Indians murdered by Nicaragua’s Sandinista dictatorship; and Cuban balseros who drowned escaping tyranny.”

    This horrific record doesn’t include the countless millions who were imprisoned, tortured, or saw their dreams and potentialities ruined by Marxism. Yet not only do countries like China and North Korea remain communist, but here in the West, where we should know better by now, we have professors, teachers, corporate personnel, politicians, and ordinary citizens who salute the Red Star. They may not answer to the name of Marxist, but they go along with the movement.

    This being the case, it’s up to parents, grandparents, and mentors to inoculate the young against falling prey to this ideology. Below are some vaccines we can give our young people to help prevent infection from this virus.

    Read the Right Books

    George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” is appropriate for middle schoolers. His classic “1984” should be on every high schooler’s reading list. Ayn Rand’s “We the Living,” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s “A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich,” Ruta Sepetys’s “I Must Betray You,” and other novels will give readers a look into life under communism. For a truly chilling look at how Marxism works in schools, read James Clavell’s overlooked short story “The Children’s Story,” now available online for free. YouTube also has a video drama of this story.

    Teach them the truth about totalitarianism and communism through books such as these.

    Listen to Real-Life Stories

    If you know someone who grew up in a former communist country or who has escaped from a country like China or Cuba, invite them to speak to your children. These first-hand accounts can provide a powerful witness.

    If you don’t have access to such people, you can find interviews with freedom fighters and survivors online at the Victims of Communism Memorial Witness Project. Here men and women from around the world share the stories of their ordeal and the miseries of life under Marxist governments.

    Kitchen Table Learning

    Discuss the daily news with your teens, both events abroad and here at home. Turn on the evening news and critique it. Point out that words like “privileged,” “marginalized communities,” “the oppressed,” “gender identity,” and more are all terms associated with the left.

    Within the United States are far-left groups that either declare themselves Marxist or follow Marxist precedents. Others conceal themselves under innocuous titles. The Party for Socialism and Liberation, for instance, takes an “old-fashioned” approach to Marxism with its radical support of Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong. Other far-left groups fly under a variety of banners, often seeking these days to forward radical agendas of race and gender. Make your children aware that these groups are rarely concerned about liberty or human rights for all people.

    This election year provides the perfect opportunity to compare the platforms and candidates of our political parties. Make the most of this opportunity to teach your children about the issues debated and how they reflect on such concepts as freedom, collectivism, and tradition.

    The Best Antidote of All

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

    Teach those words from our Declaration of Independence to your children. Explain that no government can grant or take away their unalienable rights, that they are a core part of what it means to be human.

    Teach your children about the men and women who built this country, who fought against injustice where they found it and who loved freedom. Teach them early on the stories of American explorers, scientists, soldiers, poets, and all the others whose work and sacrifices gave us the privileges we enjoy today.

    Teach them that liberty and its many benefits demand responsibility. Do not let them confuse, as so many do today, liberty with license. Liberty means having the freedom to do the right thing, not simply to do as we wish. Responsibility implies duty, the obligation to be accountable for our actions, and to step up when necessary and defend our rights as a free people.

    Do these things with love, and the torch of American liberty will never be extinguished.

    Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 16:20

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Aug 13

Today’s News 13th August 2024

  • UK Schools To Teach About "Misinformation" Amid Race Riots
    UK Schools To Teach About “Misinformation” Amid Race Riots

    Authored by Eric Lundrum via American Greatness,

    Schools in the United Kingdom will begin teaching students about so-called “misinformation” and “extremist content” as the nation faces widespread race riots by Islamic immigrants.

    According to Fox News, the new initiative will attempt to instruct students on how to discern real information from fake news, by “embedding” critical thinking into pre-existing curriculum, including English and math classes.

    “It’s more important than ever that we give young people the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge what they see online,” said Bridget Phillipson, the secretary of state for education and minister for women and equalities.

    “That’s why our curriculum review will develop plans to embed critical skills in lessons to arm our children against the disinformation, fake news and putrid conspiracy theories awash on social media.”

    Phillipson explained that each major subject would incorporate this new “misinformation” curriculum in some way.

    English classes will focus on the language used by “real” articles and “fake” stories, while computer classes will separate websites that are considered legitimate from websites that are considered “biased.”

    Math classes will incorporate statistics in order to compare and contrast the numbers of right-wing protests and the numbers of left-wing protests.

    This effort is in response to widespread riots across the country following a mass stabbing at a dance party in Southport on July 29th, where three children were killed and 10 more were injured. The suspect is an 18-year-old male whose parents are Rwandan immigrants.

    As it was the latest and most egregious example yet of violence as a result of mass migration to the U.K., a number of right-wing citizens began protesting in the streets, particularly outside of mosques and hotels housing migrants. Although the right-wing protests remained peaceful, Islamic migrants began forming their own counter-protests, which quickly descended into widespread violence and led to multiple instances of non-White migrants viciously attacking random White civilians in the streets.

    The government, now led by the left-wing Labour Party and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has already ordered U.K. citizens to stop sharing videos and images of the Islamic riots, under threat of prosecution.

    “Content that incites violence or hatred isn’t just harmful – it can be illegal,” the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service declared on X on Wednesday.

    Tyler Durden
    Tue, 08/13/2024 – 02:00

  • Sen. Grassley Questions Immigration Parole For New Alleged Trump Assassination Plotter
    Sen. Grassley Questions Immigration Parole For New Alleged Trump Assassination Plotter

    Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) posed a series of questions to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeking clarity on the recent arrest of a Pakistani national regarding his attempts to assassinate high-ranking U.S. government officials, allegedly including former President Donald Trump, in light of the fact that he was flagged on a federal watchlist and recently granted immigration parole.

    Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) during a Senate Judiciary hearing about sanctuary jurisdictions, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 22, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

    The alleged Pakistani plotter, Asif Raza Merchant, 46, was apprehended on July 12, 2024, when he attempted to leave the United States. Currently in federal custody in New York, Merchant’s plot was foiled when he allegedly conspired with undercover agents, who posed as assassins, to attempt to murder high-ranking U.S. citizens.

    The alleged scheme was conducted as part of a larger Iranian ploy to retaliate against the killing of General Qasem Soleimani, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said, according to an Aug. 6 Justice Department (DOJ) statement that revealed the incident. Soleimani was taken down in 2020 during the Trump administration for aiming to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

    On Aug. 9, Grassley wrote a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asking him for more information regarding Merchant’s immigration parole status. Citing media reports, Grassley said that Merchant was interviewed by the Joint Terrorism Task Force upon his arrival in the United States on April 13 because he was flagged in the federal database as a “Lookout Qualified Person of Interest.”

    Despite this, Merchant was granted Significant Public Benefit Parole on April 13 by the DHS, which he overstayed after it expired on May 11, Grassley said. He asked the DHS to provide answers to the following:

    1. Did the DHS grant Merchant Significant Public Benefit Parole before or after his placement on the terrorist watchlist and being listed as a “Lookout Qualified Person of Interest”?
    2. On what basis was Merchant granted Significant Public Benefit Parole?
    3. Provide the entire Alien Registration File (A-File) for Asif Raza Merchant.
    4. How many individuals on the Terrorist Screening Database have DHS granted parole and allowed entry into the United States?

    Following Merchant’s arrest, Garland said, “The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against American citizens and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America’s national security.”

    FBI Director Christopher Wray said of the incident: “This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s complaint allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook.

    “A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any U.S. citizen, is a threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI.”

    Assassination Attempts on Trump

    The Pakistani national’s plan to assassinate Trump has not been confirmed by federal agencies. The Epoch Times reached out to the DHS and the DOJ for comment regarding the issue. The FBI declined to comment.

    According to court documents, Merchant’s plot involved “three different criminal schemes: (1) stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; (2) planning a protest; and (3) killing a politician or government official.”

    Merchant told the confidential source, an undercover agent, that “trusted” people would be needed to conduct the killing and perform protests after the incident as a distraction, and that they would need “a woman to do ‘reconnaissance.’”

    Merchant paid the agent an advance sum of $5,000 to hire hitmen and told him that the final plans would be revealed after Merchant left the country.

    He was subsequently arrested on July 12, a day before Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

    “The failure of the Secret Service in Butler, Pennsylvania, is even more outrageous in light of suspected Iranian-backed assassins targeting former Trump Administration officials, including President Trump himself. That day, the threat of sniper attacks was even higher than normal,” House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said in a statement after the DOJ unsealed its charges against Merchant.

    “I was previously briefed concerning the Iranian threat and the circumstances of Mr. Merchant’s arrest and questioned then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on whether she had reviewed the intelligence concerning the Iranian threat. She confirmed to me that she read the intelligence and was aware of this Iranian murder-for-hire plot.”

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 23:25

  • Popular Sweetener Linked To Increased Risk of Blood Clots, Heart Attack, And Stroke
    Popular Sweetener Linked To Increased Risk of Blood Clots, Heart Attack, And Stroke

    Authored by Cara Michelle Miller via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Erythritol is a popular choice for those looking to cut down on sugar without losing flavor, but its health effects are often debated. New Cleveland Clinic research reveals a concerning finding: Erythritol makes platelets—blood cells involved in clotting—more active, leading them to react more strongly and increasing the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke.

    Breaking down the study linking erythritol and cardiovascular risk, March 29, 2023 (Kabachki.photo via shutterstock)

    Cleveland Clinic researchers say this discovery, part of a series exploring the physiological effects of common sugar substitutes, may prompt a reassessment of how we use this sweetener.

    The new findings build on the research team’s prior erythritol study. The previous study was limited because some of the participants had poor health, with over 70 percent having cardiovascular issues. The new study addresses these limitations by recruiting healthy adults.

    “This research adds to increasing evidence that erythritol raises cardiovascular risk. In a small group of healthy volunteers, we show ingesting erythritol made platelets more hyper-responsive … which can raise the risk of blood clots,” senior and corresponding author Dr. Stanley Hazen, chair of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences in Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute and co-section head of Preventive Cardiology, told The Epoch Times in an email.

    Unlike Sugar, Erythritol Can Promote Excess Blood Clotting

    Erythritol is a popular sugar substitute used in many “low-carb” and “keto” foods. It is about 70 percent as sweet as sugar and is produced by fermenting corn or wheat starch. Health and weight-loss professionals often recommend it as a safer alternative to sugar for individuals with high cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome.

    Although erythritol is classified as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority and is naturally found in fruits and vegetables, recent studies by Hazen’s group indicate that consuming typical amounts of erythritol may pose an increased cardiovascular risk.

    “This paper builds on our earlier studies with erythritol [published in 2023 in Nature Medicine],” said Hazen, in which large-scale clinical observation studies in the United States and Europe showed that cardiac patients with higher levels of erythritol in their blood were twice as likely to suffer a major cardiac event—such as heart attack, stroke, or death—within the next three years compared to those with lower levels. The study also showed that adding erythritol to blood or platelets increased clot formation. Preclinical studies confirmed these findings.

    The previous study had some limitations. Dr. Jayne Morgan, a cardiologist and clinical director of the COVID-19 Task Force at Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta, told The Epoch Times that it was a clinical observation study, which means it could show correlations but not establish causation. Additionally, the study’s participants were in poor health; they were overweight, had high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking habits, and existing cardiovascular issues. So it was unknown if their elevated risks were due to their poor health or due to erythritol consumption.

    The new human intervention study, published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, was designed to closely monitor how erythritol ingestion affects platelets at a dose typically contained “in commercial products,” such as an erythritol-sweetened soda or muffin, explained Hazen.

    In 20 healthy volunteers—nonsmokers with no cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes—blood samples were taken after an overnight fast. Participants then consumed a solution with either 30 grams of glucose or erythritol. Blood samples taken 30 minutes later showed that erythritol levels increased over 1,000 times in those who ingested erythritol.

    Results also “revealed participants showed a significant increase in the susceptibility for blood clot formation after consuming erythritol,” according to Hazen. “In stark contrast, no change was observed in participants after consuming a comparable amount of glucose. A significant new finding in these studies was the direct comparison of results with sugar (glucose), which did not have this effect.”

    Hazen explained that erythritol makes platelets more responsive, meaning they become more reactive and prone to forming clots. Consequently, even a minor trigger can cause a more robust activation of platelets, increasing the likelihood of blood clots. This heightened responsiveness can lead to excessive clotting.

    “This was seen [in the previous paper] in whole blood, with platelet rich plasma, with isolated platelets, in animal models of disease,” he added. “The results of these mechanistic studies are all aligned with the prior large scale clinical observation data showing higher erythritol levels track with higher risk of major adverse cardiac events.”

    1 Serving of Erythritol May Trigger Clot Formation

    “This research raises some concerns that a standard serving of an erythritol-sweetened food or beverage may acutely stimulate a direct clot-forming effect,” study co-author Dr. W. H. Wilson Tang, research director for Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, said in a press release. “Erythritol and other sugar alcohols that are commonly used as sugar substitutes should be evaluated for potential long-term health effects especially when such effects are not seen with glucose itself.”

    He added that these findings are particularly significant because they follow a recent study by the same research group, which found that xylitol, another common sweetener, also increased blood levels and affected how blood cells clump together in healthy volunteers.

    Like erythritol, Hazen noted in the email, “the investigations with xylitol also included large-scale clinical observation studies showing that elevation in plasma xylitol levels is associated with increased risk for heart attack, stroke or death over three years of follow-up.”

    These findings underscore the importance of further long-term clinical studies to reassess the safety of erythritol and other sugar substitutes, according to both researchers.

    The Rise of Erythritol: A ‘Natural’ Alternative to Synthetic Sweeteners

    Concerns about the long-term effects of synthetic sweeteners have led many to seek “natural” alternatives like erythritol, a widely used substitute for artificial sweeteners like sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet’N Low), and aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet).

    While these artificial sweeteners were once favored for their calorie-free sweetness, they now face increasing scrutiny. For instance, aspartame has been linked to potential cancer risks, while saccharin has been associated with obesity and diabetes in animal studies.

    In May 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised against using nonsugar sweeteners, citing evidence that they do not support long-term weight loss and come with other health risks. The recommendations apply to everyone except those with preexisting diabetes.

    Erythritol, on the other hand, is often recommended for diabetics because it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels and reduces dental plaque and tooth decay.

    Reconsidering Erythritol: What the Latest Research Means for Your Diet

    Based on the evidence, Hazen said, “Choosing sugar-sweetened treats occasionally and in small amounts would be preferable to consuming drinks and foods sweetened with these sugar alcohols, especially for people at elevated risk of thrombosis such as those with heart disease, diabetes or metabolic syndrome.”

    He added that future research will “explore how broadly the pro-thrombotic effect is in alternative sugar substitutes. Including both alternative sugar alcohols and common artificial sweeteners.”

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 22:35

  • Senator Graham Hails Ukraine's Incursion Into Russia as 'Bold', 'Beautiful'
    Senator Graham Hails Ukraine’s Incursion Into Russia as ‘Bold’, ‘Beautiful’

    Of course he showed up in Kiev at this most dangerous moment of the Ukraine war, when uncontrollable escalation is looking more and more inevitable as Putin will now be ‘forced’ to respond to the shock cross-border invasion into Kursk…

    Republican Senator Lindsey Graham was in the Ukrainian capital on Monday where he praised Ukraine’s move into Russian territory as “brilliant” and “bold”. He also urged the White House to pour more weapons into the fight, and to give Zelensky whatever is needed. Graham provocatively spoke of ‘kicking Putin’s ass’.

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    The Republican lawmaker made the trip with fellow anti-Russia hawk, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. “What do I think about Kursk? Bold, brilliant, beautiful. Keep it up,” Graham told reporters.

    “Bottom line is to the administration. …Give them weapons they need to win the war they can’t afford to lose,” he continued.

    Graham has certainly been no stranger to issuing fiery and ultra-provocative statements which seem aimed at goading Putin and the Kremlin. During a 2023 visit to Ukraine he told Zelensky that “the Russians are dying” and “that’s the best money we’ve ever spent.”

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    Soon after the meeting with the US Senate delegation on Monday, President Zelensky thanked them for strong American support and said on X, “We discussed what exactly is needed to bring this war to a just end, including our need to use long-range weapons.”

    What comes next is possibly Ukraine hitting places like Moscow with long-range missiles, something which would likely trigger escalation to WW3. The Europeans will also likely soon feel more blowback from all of these latest provocations as Moscow readies a response.

    Satellite photos have shown that gas measuring station in Sudzha, which helps supply Europe, has been badly damaged after Ukraine captured it during the now week-long Kursk offensive…

    Ukraine is now claiming that its forces hold 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory, a Monday statement from its defense ministry said. According to more from Bloomberg, Russian officials have admitted that a sizeable chunk of Russian territory is in a state of emergency:

    More than 120,000 people have left their homes and about 60,000 more are waiting to be evacuated, Alexey Smirnov told Putin and Russia’s top security officials during a televised meeting on Monday. Ukrainian forces have penetrated at least 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) into Russia and control a border area at least 40 kilometers wide, though there’s “no clear understanding” of where their troops are, he said.

    President Putin has issued his first detailed public statements since the incursion began. One thing he stressed in the Monday remarks is that now there will be no peace talks or settlement with Kiev after this extreme provocation.

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 22:10

  • Tip Tax Toe
    Tip Tax Toe

    Submitted by QTR’s Fringe Finance

    The genesis of Donald Trump’s “no tax on tips” policy idea, which started gaining ground earlier this year, came after the former president had a discussion with a server in Las Vegas who complained about her taxes.

    “We want to pay our fair share, but we also don’t want to be taken advantage of. I say it’s like the mob: They take what they want from us. We are pissed off about this,” Eileen Scott, a cocktail waitress on the floor of Harrah’s Las Vegas, told The New York Times, who commended Trump’s improvisational policy idea less than a month ago, on July 18th.

    The idea has gained so much steam, that the Harris campaign and Democratic party are now trying to adopt this policy as their own:

    Harris copying the Trump campaign on the idea sets off two alarm bells for me.

    First, it says their campaign is obviously incapable of coming up with their own novel and well-liked policy ideas, so they are stealing Trump’s.

    The second is that Harris’ out-of-the-blue stance against taxation stands in stark contrast to her record, and her party, which has focused excruciatingly on obsessing over tax revenue from the American public.

    In fact, in February 2023, barely a year ago, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s IRS introduced the “Service Industry Tip Compliance Agreement (SITCA)”, which was specifically introduced to use electronic point of sale machines to “improve tip reporting compliance” — i.e. monitor employee tips and report them to the IRS.

    In exchange for “protection from liability under the rules that define tips as part of an employee’s pay”, the program asked employers to submit annual reports, compiled by their point of sale systems, on tip data.

    The same New York Times piece from July reported same:

    The I.R.S. has in recent years taken steps to try to collect more taxes owed on tipped income. The tax agency said that Americans appeared to underreport earnings in cash tips, and it started a new voluntary compliance program last year for employers. Americans reported roughly $38 billion in tipped income in 2018, according to I.R.S. data.

    Those that listen to me and read me frequently know I have often taken exception to the fruitlessness of obsessing over taxes such as these on middle America. It isn’t because I have some beef with paying taxes — I don’t — it’s because common sense would indicate to anybody with a brain that that spending is far more of a problem than missing miniscule amounts from revenue collection in the country right now.

    For example, last month — around the time the New York Times was complimenting Trump’s “no tax on tips” idea, Elizabeth Warren was celebrating collecting $1 billion more in taxes from the American people.

    But the “boosted” funding she is referring to cost American taxpayers $80 billion.

    Then, I step back from this and look at the tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid we are sending out the door — $66 billion in disbursements in 2023, $50 billion requested in 2024 — and and can’t help but think that if we just calm our spending addiction in the slightest, we could make far more progress than tightening the vice grip of taxation around American citizens. It’s a grip that had gotten so tight, they were coming after tipped employees last year.

    On top of going after tipped employees, the Biden administration had floated the extraordinarily asinine idea of taxing unrealized gains, which is the ideological love child of authoritarianism, overreach and a socialist state planned economy that’s guaranteed to brutalize our quality of life, all in one. I wrote about how that would all but destroy our country’s economy earlier this year: Taxing Unrealized Gains Would Obliterate The U.S. Economy.

    It’s an incredible morphing act that we are witnessing with Kamala Harris.

    We have watched a woman who was about as popular as shingles within the Democratic Party, who won zero primaries and zero delegates in 2020 and 2024, somehow fall ass-backward into the Democratic nomination spot. And now we’re bearing witness to watching her entire platform undergo an all-expenses-paid facelift courtesy of the incessant spin job that the mainstream media is happy to perform.

    Here’s the cover spot Time gave Harris this week without even interviewing her, saying she “pulled off the swiftest vibe shift in modern political history”. That’s a lot of words for “political coup”.

    Time magazine unveils new front cover: 'The reintroduction of Kamala Harris' | The Independent

    Look, it’s as simple as this: as of this writing, Kamala Harris has been vice president for 1,299 days. This should give pause to anybody who hears her say she’s going to change current policies “day one” in office.

    Have we forgotten that she has been in office for nearly 27,000 hours already?

    🔥 50% OFF FOR LIFE: Using the coupon entitles you to 50% off an annual subscription to Fringe Finance for as long as you wish to subscribe: Get 50% off forever

    Is it not obvious to people that her call for changes is a tacit admission that the policies she helped institute over the last three years have already been failures?

    The problem for Harris is that the policies on the right side of the aisle, with the exception of abortion, mostly fall in line with what the American people truly want: low taxes, privacy in their social lives, secure borders, price stability, energy independence, law and order, a strong military, and peace through strength. In order to try and secure the centrist vote in between both parties, the Democrats have to try to make their radical socialist agenda look as though it touches these bases, when it clearly does not.

    This means they’re going to say one thing and do another once they get into office. Hence, we a “no tax on tips” policy from a woman who cast the deciding vote on $80 billion in new IRS funding months before they introduced a program to bring in more taxes from tips. Could it be any clearer?

    Don’t let the Harris administration fool you into thinking they are on the side of everyday Americans — the record they’ve posted over the last three years starkly speaks otherwise.

    Now read:

    QTR’s Disclaimer: Please read my full legal disclaimer on my About page here. This post represents my opinions only. In addition, please understand I am an idiot and often get things wrong and lose money. I may own or transact in any names mentioned in this piece at any time without warning. Contributor posts and aggregated posts have been hand selected by me, have not been fact checked and are the opinions of their authors. They are either submitted to QTR by their author, reprinted under a Creative Commons license with my best effort to uphold what the license asks, or with the permission of the author. This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stocks or securities, just my opinions. I often lose money on positions I trade/invest in. I may add any name mentioned in this article and sell any name mentioned in this piece at any time, without further warning. None of this is a solicitation to buy or sell securities. I may or may not own names I write about and are watching. Sometimes I’m bullish without owning things, sometimes I’m bearish and do own things. Just assume my positions could be exactly the opposite of what you think they are just in case. All positions can change immediately as soon as I publish this, with or without notice and at any point I can be long, short or neutral on any position. You are on your own. Do not make decisions based on my blog. I exist on the fringe. The publisher does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this page. These are not the opinions of any of my employers, partners, or associates. I did my best to be honest about my disclosures but can’t guarantee I am right; I write these posts after a couple beers sometimes. I edit after my posts are published because I’m impatient and lazy, so if you see a typo, check back in a half hour. Also, I just straight up get shit wrong a lot. I mention it twice because it’s that important.

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 21:45

  • ICE Updates On Illegal Alien Crimes Will "Make Your Head Spin" 
    ICE Updates On Illegal Alien Crimes Will “Make Your Head Spin” 

    President Biden’s appointed “border czar,” Kamala Harris, has single-handedly failed the American people. She owes citizens a straightforward explanation of why this administration facilitated the greatest illegal alien invasion this nation has ever seen. Some of these migrants are on FBI terror watchlists. 

    “In less than four years, the Biden-Harris Administration has released into the United States more than 5.4 million illegal aliens, with another 1.9 million illegal alien ‘gotaways’ escaping into the country during the same time,” GOP House Judiciary Committee wrote in a report last week. The report also revealed about 100 illegal aliens that crossed the border were on the terrorist “watch list.” 

    Biden officially tasked VP Harris on March 24, 2021, “to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle…in stemming the movement of…migration to our southern border.”

    The illegal alien invasion began shortly after VP Harris became border czar. 

    And the insanity followed:

    Tasking VP Harris as the border czar was doomed to fail from the very beginning. As a senator, she compared US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the KKK during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in 2018. 

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    “We have to critically re-examine ICE and it’s role … and we probably have to start thinking about starting from scratch,” Harris also said as a senator in an interview with MSNBC. 

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    And her running mate, Tim Walz, marched in an “Abolish ICE” protest in 2018. 

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    Harris and Walz share the same anti-ICE view. It’s worth reminding readers that ICE’s mission is to protect the US from illegal alien criminals and cross-border crimes. The call to abolish ICE seems like a recipe for disaster, especially after allowing millions of unvetted illegals into the country.

    Meanwhile, NYPost reported today, “NYC migrants allegedly raped woman at knifepoint in Coney Island: police sources.” 

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    Fox News’ Bill Melugin told X users earlier today, “Strongly recommend looking at the press releases page for ICE each day. Nonstop arrests of egregious foreign criminals the agency has to track down after they are caught & released at the border under the Biden/Harris admin.” 

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    Here are some of those headlines:

    • ERO Boston arrests Dominican national charged with fentanyl trafficking in Rhode Island

    • ERO New York City arrests Honduran national charged with carjacking and convicted of assault

    • ERO Boston arrests Guatemalan national charged with sex crime against Rhode Island minor

    • ERO Boston arrests Ecuadorian national charged locally with kidnapping, rape, assault

    • Mexican noncitizen sex offender convicted of unlawful re-entry into US following ERO Boston arrest

    • ERO Baltimore arrests Colombian gang leader wanted for homicide, arms trafficking, aggravated theft

    Melugin added, “It’ll make your head spin.”

    Democrats really want voters to forget about Harris’ role in triggering the border crisis. 

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 21:20

  • TikTok Algorithms Actively Suppress Criticism of Chinese Regime, Study Finds
    TikTok Algorithms Actively Suppress Criticism of Chinese Regime, Study Finds

    Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times,

    China-owned video-sharing app TikTok is using its algorithms to suppress content exposing China’s human rights violations, in order to shape the views of its targeted users, according to a new study.

    Researchers from Rutgers University and the school’s Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) found that TikTok’s algorithms “actively suppress content critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) while simultaneously boosting pro-China propaganda and promoting distracting, irrelevant content,” according to their study.

    “Through the use of travel influencers, frontier lifestyle accounts, and other CCP-linked content creators, the platform systematically shouts down sensitive discussions about issues like ethnic genocide and human rights abuses.”

    In recent years, TikTok has been facing scrutiny and accusations of being a threat to national security, as it exploits the minds of American teens and its China-based parent company, Bytedance, could be forced by the CCP to hand over data on U.S. users. The U.S. National Security Agency has previously called the app the CCP’s “trojan horse” that threatens America’s long-term security due to the CCP’s anti-U.S. views, while some lawmakers have likened the app to a form of “digital fentanyl” that makes addicts of its users.

    In April, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill into law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or be banned from U.S. mobile app stores and web-hosting services. ByteDance and TiKTok have filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law.

    The report also found that TikTok had carried out “successful indoctrination” of its users, particularly heavy users, given the changes in their attitudes towards China, based on the results of a psychological survey.

    “These users, through targeting or information environments engineered to sublimate free speech, appear to absorb these biased narratives unwittingly, leading to a distorted understanding of critical global issues,” the researchers wrote.

    A TikTok spokesperson responded to the findings, telling The Epoch Times by email that the study was a “non-peer reviewed, flawed experiment … clearly engineered to reach a false, predetermined conclusion.”

    “Previous research by NCRI has been debunked by outside analysts and this latest paper is equally flawed,” the spokesperson added.

    Study

    To conduct the study, researchers created 24 accounts across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, mimicking 16-year-old users in the United States. The accounts were used to test the three social media platforms’ algorithms when inputting four different search keywords often mentioned along with the CCP’s human rights abuses—“Uyghur,” “Xinjiang,” “Tibet,” and “Tiananmen.”

    The Trump and the Biden administrations have characterized the CCP’s suppression of Uyghurs in its far-western regions of Xinjiang as “genocide” and “crimes against humanity.” In Tibet, the Chinese regime has turned the region into a surveillance state and installed labor camps.

    On June 4, 1989, the Chinese regime ordered its troops to open fire on student protesters and unarmed civilians at Tiananmen Square in China’s capital. The Chinese regime denies having initiated the violent crackdown despite the thousands of witnesses, and any discussion about the protest movement is considered taboo in China and Hong Kong.

    Researchers collected over 3,400 videos from their search results using the four keywords and classified each video as either “pro-China,” “pro-China,” “neutral” or “irrelevant.”

    In terms of Xinjiang, a “pro-China” video could include showing minorities’ folk customs or idyllic portrayals of rural life, and an “anti-China” video could show the Uyghurs’s plight in China or calls for boycotting products made in Xinjiang, according to the report.

    Only 2.3 percent of search results for “Xinjiang” on TikTok were considered “anti-China,” in comparison to 21.7 percent on YouTube and 17.3 percent on Instagram, according to the report.

    Meanwhile, more than 26 percent of search results for “Tiananmen” on TikTok were considered “pro-China,” while only 7.7 percent of research results on YouTube were “pro-China,” and 16.3 percent on Instagram, according to the report.

    According to the report, a “pro-China” video on Tiananmen could be “denials of the massacre and revisionist historical takes,” or “scenic pictures of the square that bear no mention of the massacre.”

    In terms of search results using the word “Tibet,” TikTok contained the least amount of anti-China content (5 percent) and the largest amount of pro-China content (30.1 percent) across the three platforms, according to the report.

    The report explained that a “pro-China” video on Tibet could “echo the CCP narratives that Tibet has been liberated,” while an “anti-China” video could be about footage of Tibetan protests or “details of Tibetan cultural erasure by the CCP.”

    “It appears that TikTok’s algorithm uniquely favors pro-China content in terms of views per like, irrespective of the overall engagement levels. Moreover, this finding is significantly more pronounced on TikTok than YouTube, suggesting a TikTok-specific bias,” the report reads.

    Survey

    Researchers also surveyed 1,214 American TikTok users, seeking to understand their perception of China based on the time they spent on the app.

    Heavy users of TikTok—those using the app for more than three hours a day—showed a 49 percent increase in positivity towards the CCP’s human rights records relative to non-users. For those using the app for 15 minutes to 3 hours, the percent increase was 36 percent.

    “By contrast, use of YouTube and Instagram showed no significant relationship on users’ perception of China’s human rights record,” the report reads.

    “This suggests that TikTok’s content may contribute to psychological manipulation of users, aligning with the CCP’s strategic objective of shaping favorable perceptions among young audiences,” it added.

    Heavy TikTok users also showed a 48 percent increase in the perception that “Tiananmen Square is mostly known as a tourist site.”

    Researchers recommended to creation of a Civic Trust funded by social media platforms and the public to help identify platforms that are manipulating user perceptions.

    “If social media algorithms are found to be subverting the very democracies that provide them the freedom to operate, they are both unjust and dangerous,” the report reads. “There must be accountability and corrective measures to ensure that platforms are not exploited by state actors to erode democratic institutions and values.”

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 20:55

  • Watch: Trump & Musk 'Break The Internet' As EU Censorship Czar Issues Explicit Threat
    Watch: Trump & Musk ‘Break The Internet’ As EU Censorship Czar Issues Explicit Threat

    Watch/Listen live:

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    *  *  *

    Update (0843ET): The X space is now live. 

    *  *  *

    Update (0830ET): After twenty minutes and countless refresh attempts, we’re all facing the same issue: the Trump-Musk X Spaces is unavailable.

    If that’s because X is overloaded or, as Musk posted on X, “appears to be a massive DDOS attack on 𝕏,” the billionaire’s conversation with Trump appears to be delayed. 

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    Hmm. 

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    Musk noted, “We will proceed with the smaller number of concurrent listeners at 8:30 ET and then post the unedited audio immediately thereafter.” 

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    *  *  *

    Musk explains why he calls it a ‘conversation’…

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    But, just hours before the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, and former president Donald Trump are set to ‘break the internet’ with a live-stream on X Spaces, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton has thrown a temper tantrum, seemingly mad at Musk’s unwillingness to bend the knee at his censorious demands by daring to allow ‘orange-man-bad-literally-hitler’ speak on the only uncensored platform that remains.

    Specifically, Breton wrote “I am compelled to remind you of the due diligence obligations set out in the Digital Services Act (DSA),” adding that:

    “This notably means ensuring… that all proportionate and effective mitigation measures are put in place regarding the amplification of harmful content in connection with relevant events, including live streaming, which, if unaddressed, might increase the risk profile of X and generate detrimental effects on civic discourse and public security.”

    The DSA is a NATO censorship law that is designed to stop the spread of populist parties in the West, according to cyber security expert Mike Benz.

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    Breton went on to threaten to use the full “toolbox” of measures to protect EU citizens from “serious harm.”

    “My services and I will be extremely vigilant to any evidence that points to breaches of the DSA and will not hesitate to use the full use of our toolbox, including by adopting interim measures, if it be warranted to protect EU citizens from serious harm,” he said.

    “With great audience comes greater responsibility,” Breton wrote on X, Monday.

    “As there is a risk of amplification of potentially harmful content in [the EU] in connection with events with major audience around the world, I sent this letter to Elon Musk,” Breton added.

    In response to Breton’s letter, Musk simply posted “Bonjour!”

    In a subsequent post, he added:

    “To be honest, I really wanted to respond with this Tropic Thunder meme, but I would NEVER do something so rude & irresponsible!”

    And so with that, it seems Musk is refusing to follow Breton’s orders and daring to amplify the voice of one of the two candidates for the US presidential election in November. Notably, the letters US do not equal EU…

     “As the relevant content is accessible to EU users and being amplified also in our jurisdiction, we cannot exclude potential spillovers in the EU,” Breton wrote.

    “Therefore, we are monitoring the potential risks in the EU associated with the dissemination of content that may incite violence, hate and racism in conjunction with major political – or societal – events around the world, including debates and interviews in the context of elections.”

    The EU accused X in July of violating the DSA, stating that Musk’s verification policy on the platform can be used to deceive other users, CBS News reported. Musk removed verification badges, otherwise known as the blue check, from all verified accounts of people deemed noteworthy and currently charges $8 for anyone to receive a blue check.

    “This is an unprecedented attempt to stretch a law intended to apply in Europe to political activities in the U.S.,” X CEO Linda Yaccarino said in response to the letter on the platform.

    “It also patronizes European citizens, suggesting they are incapable of listening to a conversation and drawing their own conclusions.”

    Breton thus created a round of media coverage suggesting that the prestigious European Union has identified Trump as a purveyor of hate speech and disinformation. And yet the interview has not yet occurred, Breton presents no evidence that Trump will be a source of disinformation or hate speech, and there is no evidence of any link whatsoever between Trump and the recent riots in Britain.

    As such, Public’s Michael Shellenberger point out Breton’s letter could constitute a form of foreign interference in the upcoming US presidential elections.

    Breton is, without justification, using the recent riots in Britain to demand censorship in the U.S.

    In a normal time, the White House should issue a formal protest to the EU over Breton’s threats, and the Department of Justice should open an investigation. However, given that the Biden Administration is unlikely to do that, Congress should consider its own investigation.

    Oh, and there’s this fucking douchenozzle from WaPo…

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    As LibertyNation’s Sarah Cowgill concludes, a potential 193 million folks – a mix of elite media and curiosity seekers – could tune in to the X platform to watch the titans make a plan for America, talk smack about Harris and Walz, or compare golf scores – or whatever it is they end up talking about. It could be eye-opening and meaningful, or maybe this interview will be a nothing burger. Either way, the billionaires playing America-Monopoly with real money will at least be entertaining.

    Watch/Listen live:

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    As a potential crib sheet for the discussion, a number of conservative X users posted the following list:

    President Trump’s 20 Core Promises To Make America Great Again

    1. SEAL THE BORDER AND STOP THE MIGRANT INVASION

    2. CARRY OUT THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY

    3. END INFLATION, AND MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AGAIN

    4. MAKE AMERICA THE DOMINANT ENERGY PRODUCER IN THE WORLD, BY FAR!

    5. STOP OUTSOURCING, AND TURN THE UNITED STATES INTO MANUFACTURING SUPERPOWER

    6. LARGE TAX CUTS FOR WORKERS, AND NO TAX ON TIPS!

    7. DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION, OUR BILL OF RIGHTS, AND OUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, INCLUDING FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF RELIGION, AND THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS

    8. PREVENT WORLD WAR THREE, RESTORE PEACE IN EUROPE AND IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND BUILD A GREAT IRON DOME MISSILE DEFENSE SHIELD OVER OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY – ALL MADE IN AMERICA

    9. END THE WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

    10. STOP THE MIGRANT CRIME EPIDEMIC, DEMOLISH THE FOREIGN DRUG CARTELS, CRUSH GANG VIOLENCE, AND LOCK UP VIOLENT OFFENDERS

    11. REBUILD OUR CITIES, INCLUDING WASHINGTON DC, MAKING THEM SAFE, CLEAN, AND BEAUTIFUL AGAIN

    12. STRENGTHEN AND MODERNIZE OUR MILITARY, MAKING IT, WITHOUT QUESTION, THE STRONGEST AND MOST POWERFUL IN THE WORLD

    13. KEEP THE U.S. DOLLAR AS THE WORLD’S RESERVE CURRENCY

    14. FIGHT FOR AND PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE WITH NO CUTS, INCLUDING NO CHANGES TO THE RETIREMENT AGE

    15. CANCEL THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE AND CUT COSTLY AND BURDENSOME REGULATIONS

    16. CUT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ANY SCHOOL PUSHING CRITICAL RACE THEORY, RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY, AND OTHER INAPPROPRIATE RACIAL, SEXUAL, OR POLITICAL CONTENT ON OUR CHILDREN

    17. KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS

    18. DEPORT PRO-HAMAS RADICALS AND MAKE OUR COLLEGE CAMPUSES SAFE AND PATRIOTIC AGAIN

    19. SECURE OUR ELECTIONS, INCLUDING SAME DAY VOTING, VOTER IDENTIFICATION, PAPER BALLOTS, AND PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP

    20. UNITE OUR COUNTRY BY BRINGING IT TO NEW AND RECORD LEVELS OF SUCCESS

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    *  *  *

    As we detailed earlier, former President Donald Trump is preparing for tonight’s highly anticipated interview on the X platform with Elon Musk, which is expected to be an ‘internet-breaking’ event. 

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    The interview on X is set to begin live-streaming at 8 pm EST. Musk wrote on X, “This is unscripted with no limits on subject matter, so should be highly entertaining!” 

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    The world’s richest man noted, “If you have specific questions & comments, post them under the chat.”

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    On Sunday evening, Musk launched multiple stream tests, garnering millions of views to ensure X’s backend systems are ready for scaling ahead of tonight’s conversation. 

    Test preparations followed the May 2023 streaming event on X between Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, which suffered multiple technical difficulties. 

    Despite Trump’s posting to only Truth Social, the former president has finally returned to X around 1120 ET. Trump’s last post on X dates back to August 2023. 

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    And another.

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    In the days following the attempted assassination of Trump at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally in mid-July, Musk endorsed Trump. With that came Trump’s U-turn on electric vehicles as well, declaring: “I’m for electric cars; I have to be because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So, I have no choice.”

    Musk and his entourage of tech VCs have for decades supported Democrats, if that’s Obama, Clinton, and Biden. But in recent years, especially for Musk, he has declared war on the ‘woke mind virus‘ and Marxism pushed by Democrats. Furthermore, Musk believes in secured borders and law and order in cities – something the Trump ticket supports at the very core level. Yet, VP Harris supports a radical far-left agenda (an extension of Biden’s) of open borders (hence her failed position as ‘Border Czar’), and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her running mate, has had a horrendous response record during BLM riots. 

    The Washington Post said VP Harris has no public events scheduled on Monday. She and her team will likely be tuning in to the event, as keyboard warriors on both sides of the political aisle will engage in a meme war on X during the interview. 

    VP Harris has yet to give a press interview since she was catapulted to the top of the Democratic ticket. The reason likely stems from her poor debating skills, hence why she cannot go off script of the real VP Harris will be revealed. She must have a teleprompter nearby to speak coherently. 

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    The interview with Musk and Trump, unscripted, is yet another sign legacy ‘far left’ corporate media is dying as the next-gen media rises from the ashes this election cycle. It’s only a matter of time before presidential debates will be held on X. 

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 20:43

  • Labor Talks At Major US East Coast & Gulf Coast Ports "Very Far Apart" As Potential Paralyzing Strike Looms 
    Labor Talks At Major US East Coast & Gulf Coast Ports “Very Far Apart” As Potential Paralyzing Strike Looms 

    The US may be headed for a supply chain crisis this fall as a labor contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) approaches expiration on Sept. 30. This could ignite strikes as soon as Oct. 1 across major ports along the US East Coast and Gulf Coast, instantly paralyzing complex supply chains ahead of the Christmas shopping season. 

    The ILA represents more than 45,000 dockworkers across the US at major ports. On Sunday, Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett addressed members in a Facebook post, indicating talks between the union and USMX are still far apart. 

    Here is Daggett’s memo to union members: 

    Attention ILA Members,

    I want to address the recent communication from USMX and make it clear—do not be fooled by this letter. We are indeed continuing to bargain in good faith to settle all local contracts, but the reality on the ground is far different from the picture they are trying to paint.

    Employers like APM Mobile have been dragging their feet on resolving critical issues. One such issue is their use of Autogate in TIR Lanes, which we consider a clear violation of our Master Agreement. This isn’t just happening in one location; many other ports are facing similar challenges in getting local management to agree on terms and conditions for local supplemental agreements.

    On top of that, when it comes to the Master Contract negotiations, let me be frank—we are very far apart, particularly on the economic issues. In fact, we are at an impasse. The propaganda coming from USMX is just that—propaganda, likely the work of a PR firm trying to spin the situation in their favor.

    Remember, unless you hear it directly from us, it’s not the truth. Stay strong, stay united, and know that we are fighting every day for the fair contract that you deserve.

    In Solidarity,

    Harold and Dennis Daggett

    ILA workers “operate multimillion-dollar pieces of equipment with precision, maintain them with the expertise of highly skilled technicians, and clerks who manage complex operating systems for gates, vessels, and yards,” the union head said in a separate Facebook post from several days ago. 

    Daggett continued, “What I find particularly appalling is that while CEOs like those from CMA-CGM are taking home bonuses in the billions, ocean carriers continue to rake in skyrocketing profits by raising rates on their customers due to global conflicts or natural disruptions.” 

    Bloomberg noted, “Daggett has repeatedly warned of a strike if no deal is reached by the deadline and last weekend set a meeting in early September for union delegates to discuss wage demands and strike strategies.” 

    USMX released a statement late last week: “We are very far apart, particularly on the economic issues. In fact, we are at an impasse.”

    Major importers are paying close attention because any strikes at major ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast ports will instantly spark significant delays in the delivery of goods and the return of the inflation monster that still haunts Fed head, Jerome Powell. 

    Logistics news site More Than Shipping outlined the widespread economic fallout that could occur if a strike materializes in the coming months:

    1. Supply Chain Disruptions: A strike would cause significant delays in the delivery of goods, severely disrupting supply chains. This would particularly affect industries that rely on just-in-time inventory systems, such as retail and manufacturing​.

    2. Economic Losses: The East Coast ports handle a large portion of the nation’s imports and exports. A strike could result in economic losses running into billions of dollars, impacting businesses that depend on these ports for importing raw materials and exporting finished products. 

    3. Retail and Consumer Goods: There could be delays and shortages in consumer goods, ranging from electronics to clothing and food items. Retailers might face empty shelves, leading to increased prices and reduced availability of products for consumers​.

    4. Automotive Industry: The automotive sector, which heavily relies on parts imported through these ports, could face production halts and delays in vehicle availability, affecting both manufacturers and consumers​.

    5. Agriculture: The export of agricultural products, including grains and produce, could be delayed, affecting farmers and exporters who rely on timely shipments to maintain market access and pricing.

    6. Economic Ripple Effect: The strike’s impact would ripple through the economy, affecting jobs not just at the ports but also in transportation, warehousing, and other related industries​.

    7. International Trade Relations: Supply chain disruptions could strain trade relationships with other countries, potentially leading to long-term consequences for US trade policy and agreements.

    8. Shipping and Logistics: Shipping companies might need to reroute vessels to other ports, increasing transportation costs and times. This could lead to congestion at other ports and further complicate the logistics network.

    Let’s not forget that President Biden pledged to be “the most pro-union president in American history.” Does the president still remember what he said a couple years ago?

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 20:30

  • Netanyahu Blasts Own Defense Minister For 'Anti-Israel' Comments
    Netanyahu Blasts Own Defense Minister For ‘Anti-Israel’ Comments

    Via The Cradle

    The Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated the call for “absolute victory” against Hamas following critical remarks regarding such a strategy by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Times of Israel reported Monday.

    Defense Minister Gallant took a jab at Prime Minister Netanyahu during a Knesset committee discussion about Israel’s response to the ongoing fighting against Hezbollah along the northern border with Lebanon. “I hear all the heroes with the war drums, the ‘absolute victory’ and this gibberish,” he said during a meeting of Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, via Flash90

    Gallant made the statement after he was asked why Israel has not initiated a full-scale war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, adding, “The conditions today for war in Lebanon are unlike those at the beginning of the war [last October].”

    A short time later, the Prime Minister’s Office released a statement titled: “Gallant is bound by ‘absolute victory,’ too.”

    “When Gallant adopts an anti-Israel narrative, he hurts the chances of reaching a hostage deal,” the statement said.

    “He should have attacked [Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar], who refuses to send a delegation to negotiations and who was and remains the only obstacle to the hostage deal.”

    Netanyahu has stated that Israel must achieve “absolute victory” by eliminating Hamas’s military and governance capabilities and winning the release of the remaining 111 Israeli captives held by the Hamas since its ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ on 7 October.

    “This is the clear directive of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the cabinet, and it is binding on everyone – including Gallant,” the statement concludes.

    In contrast, top Israeli officials, negotiators, and families of the captive Israelis have alleged that Netanyahu seeks to sabotage a ceasefire deal with Hamas.

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    The ministers in Netanyahu’s government, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have stated they want to continue the war. They say they wish to destroy Gaza, ethnically cleanse the strip of its 2.3 million indigenous Palestinian inhabitants, and settle Israeli Jews in their place. 

    Former US army Colonel Douglas McGregor has asserted that Netanyahu’s objective is to “systematically destroy or kill the population of Gaza.”

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 20:05

  • Sex, Suicide, And Terrible OpSec: Trump's Secret Service Detail Is A Mess
    Sex, Suicide, And Terrible OpSec: Trump’s Secret Service Detail Is A Mess

    Authored by Susan Crabtree via RealClearPolitics (emphasis ours),

    Rancor, recriminations, and serious formal misconduct complaints have plagued all levels of the Secret Service detail assigned to protect former President Donald Trump over the last year, distracting the team from its core mission of securing Trump from physical harm and preventing an assassination.

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    Trump’s regular detail team, a force of 60 employees – special agents and support staff – has been beset by internal division, long workdays and weeks, and constant stress. Last year, the team lost one of its members to suicide.

    Among the allegations are accusations of improper sexual relationships or fraternization within the team, debilitating mental health issues, non-merit-based promotions, conflict of interest issues, unfair retaliation and the creation of inappropriate memes and social media posts.

    On May 15, the top two leaders of Trump’s detail sternly dressed down the entire 60-member staff in a virtual meeting, announcing formal investigations into what they argued were serious misconduct violations, several sources in the Secret Service with direct knowledge of the online meeting tell RealClearPolitics.

    Sean Curran, the detail leader and top boss of Trump’s regular 60-member protective team, and his deputy, Matthew Piant, complained of “rumors, innuendo and toxicity” among the detail, as well as “selfishness and immaturity.”

    They reminded all employees that they had worked to mentor and train them, and, up to this point, had refrained from referring agents and support employees for discipline even though there had been violations that they could have reported to agency headquarters for investigation.

    Curran and Piant complained that they were not getting the same treatment in response from the team. Over the last year, the two leaders have been the target of formal complaints, and some members on the team viewed the all-hands lecture as an effort to turn the tables and retaliate on those complaining about their leadership.

    Piant spoke first, accusing someone on the detail of stealing from another. But he quickly shifted to harshly condemning an incident in which a teammate took cellphone photos of two members of the support staff sleeping in a command post while guarding Mar-a-Lago and circulated those to others on the detail.

    The No. 2 on the detail deemed the prank a betrayal of the team for the purpose of “humor and gossip,” according to detailed accounts. Those encountering the sleeping individuals should have simply held the team members accountable by waking them up with a nudge, he said.

    Piant also argued that taking the photos of individuals who fell asleep and circulating them among the other staff made those team members less safe and endangered the mission. He told the entire team that the pranks and the divisiveness showed a “lack of basic human decency” that had drawn the attention of headquarters “at the highest levels,” according to the sources familiar with the meeting. He then announced an inspection investigation for potential policy violations and promised consequences for those exercising “bad judgment.”

    Yet, some rank-and-file members of the detail team familiar with the sleeping incident said the real outrage was that the individuals who fell asleep while guarding Mar-a-Lago were, to their knowledge, were never disciplined. They noted that at least one was the daughter of a retired former Secret Service leader who remained influential among the agency’s top brass.

    Sleeping on the job at Mar-a-Lago this spring, the critics said, was especially egregious because of a series of recent security breaches across the Secret Service, including one in which a drunken intruder entered Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan’s home in the middle of the night. That incident occurred in April 2023 even though Sullivan has 24/7 Secret Service protective detail because of the high-profile and highly sensitive nature of his job.

    Curran spoke after Piant, expressing deep disappointment in the team, echoing the contention that the pranksters had put their teammates’ safety in jeopardy just for a laugh.

    Toward the end of the virtual meeting, Curran said he was issuing a final warning to the entire team. Though he didn’t want to alert headquarters to the violations of a handful of people, he said he might have to do so if everyone didn’t start supporting one another.

    The detail leader also acknowledged that the team, which has been solely dedicated to protecting Trump from the beginning of his reelection campaign, likely carries more stress than any other division in the Secret Service, and he admonished the pranksters for adding to the tension.

    During his remarks, Piant obliquely referred to the team member’s suicide last year, arguing that all members of the team should be especially attuned to mental health problems and risks involved with ridiculing people.

    Over the last two weeks, the Secret Service inspections department, which investigates employee misconduct, is homing in on allegations against an agent on the Trump detail who played a key role during the Butler rally and is partially responsible for developing the security plan, which contained egregious mistakes that left an opening for shooter Thomas Crooks.

    An official briefed on the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly told RCP that the Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility also investigated the allegations of sexual impropriety and fraternization within the Trump detail and found the allegations to be “unfounded.”

    The allegations against the site agent are a separate matter.  The agent is now under the microscope not only for her role in devising the security plan for the rally. She’s also facing internal scrutiny for posting videos and photos from her protective assignments to social media. The Secret Service discourages the practice, especially while standing watch on protective duty because it can pinpoint to would-be assailants exactly where the Secret Service positions its assets, risking the protectee and fellow law enforcement agents and officers, according to several sources within the Secret Service community.

    The agent in question served as the official site agent for the July 13 Butler event that ended in an assassination attempt wounding Donald Trump in the ear and killing rally-goer Corey Comperatore in front of his family. RealClearPolitics is not naming the agent out of concern for her personal safety.

    As a member of Trump’s 60-member regular detail, the agent was responsible for helping formulate the security plan for the event, although she was mostly focused on the inner perimeter. She also joined forces with the event’s lead agent, a woman from the Secret Service’s Pittsburgh Field Office, in conducting a walk-through of the security with supervisors. The lead agent typically oversees security at the entire event from airport arrival to event to hotel stay to airport departure.

    An RCP analysis of the Butler rally site agent’s Facebook account noted a photo that appears to be taken from Mar-a-Lago looking across the intercoastal waterway.

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    “A sunset to be grateful for …” the post states, including a heart and sunset emojis and the hashtags “#nofilter #southflorida #thankful #workmode …”

    Sources familiar with the videos said most appeared on the agent’s Instagram account, which is marked private.

    Sources within the Secret Service say the site agent was inexperienced for such a critical security role but noted that the position is rotated throughout the Trump detail, not routinely assigned based on merit or experience.

    There is now concern within the agency that the site agent for the Butler rally will take the fall for the event’s egregious layers of security failures – that Rowe will fire her over her social media posts, but not for any security failures at the July 13 event.

    In contrast, the lead agent had decades of experience within the Secret Service but did not have experience on a protective detail, the innermost ring of security for presidents, first ladies, former presidents, and their families, according to sources in the Secret Service community familiar with her background.

    While the months of rancor and recriminations leading up to the assassination attempt against Trump undoubtedly distracted the Trump detail from its ultimate mission, the Butler rally served as a wake -up call and a reset, according to sources close to Curran.

    “Some agents have referred to it as their 9/11 moment where people are opting back onto the detail,” remarked a source in the Secret Service community. “Morale is high, people are motivated. These agents [protecting Trump] are stiff-jawed with steel in their spine.”

    Rowe also plans to address the entire workforce on the 14th and to be present in Chicago for the Democratic National Committee next week.

    While many agents are approaching their protective mission with new vigor, lawmakers are demanding the firing of those responsible for the security failures at Butler. After a month, they say, we still don’t know exactly who was at fault for failing to man the rooftop where Crooks opened fire.

    Sources within the Secret Service, however, argue there was plenty of blame to go around that day.

    It was the first time counter snipers were assigned to a Trump reelection event, apparently because of an elevated Iranian threat. But Secret Service leaders at headquarters didn’t provide a sniper team for the rooftop where would-be assassin Thomas Crooks fired off his shots. Nor did they allocate a counter-surveillance unit, roaming agents who work to find and intercept suspicious people or fortify vulnerable areas during a rally.

    In addition, supervisors from the Pittsburgh Field Office and the Trump detail were ultimately responsible for evaluating and signing off on the security plan and were thereby integral to ensuring that the plans are sound and all vulnerable areas were covered.

    During Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe’s July 30 Senate testimony, Sen. Josh Hawley demanded to know the identity of the lead agent for the rally, implying that the person was responsible for the decision to leave the American Glass Research, or AGR, building up to local law enforcement to protect. Hawley, however, erred slightly in his questioning, combining the jobs of site agent and lead agent, two separate roles.

    Rowe responded that he couldn’t give Hawley that agent’s name because the person was still “operational, still doing investigations, still doing protective visits.” Hawley then demanded to know why Rowe hadn’t fired the person. Rowe explained that the agent is cooperating with the FBI investigation and with the Secret Service’s Office of Professional Responsibility.

    “We will let the acts of the mission assurance and any other investigations play out,” Rowe said. He also objected to Hawley’s efforts to “zero in on a particular agent” instead of the “entire decision process” involving multiple individuals responsible for formulating and executing the Secret Service security plan and allocating assets for the rally.

    “I want to remain neutral and make sure we get to the bottom of it and interview everybody to determine whether there was more than one person who perhaps exercised bad judgement,” Rowe said.

    Both lead agents and site agents are typically involved in walk-throughs with supervisors. The lead agent oversees a whole team of site agents for the airport, the overnight accommodations, and the rally. The lead, considered the point person for the entire trip of a protectee, typically requests the number of post-standers, counter snipers, and other security assets needed for every stop during a visit to a region, including the main event – in this case, the Butler rally.

    An additional member of the Pittsburgh team was responsible for working with local law enforcement entities for the plan in the outer-most perimeter and likely determined whether local law enforcement needed to be posted on top of or inside the AGR building, from where Crooks fired at Trump and the crowd.

    But these same sources argue that the system which simply rotated the site agent role and didn’t require protective experience for the lead agent set both up for failure. The top supervisors who had to sign off on the security plan for the Butler rally are Tim Burke, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Pittsburgh Field Office, and Nick Menster, assistant special agent in charge of the Trump detail.

    Burke is a friend of Rowe’s from the time they both served on a counter-assault team together early in their careers. Some critics within the Secret Service community question whether their close ties are impacting Rowe’s decision not to fire Burke or anyone else in the Pittsburgh Field Office.

    Curran was one of the agents who quickly used their bodies as human shields to protect Trump in the iconic photo of the assassination attempt showing the former president raising his fist, bloody and defiant, against the backdrop of an American flag.

    Trump has repeatedly praised the members in that inner security ring, including Curran and a female agent who also appeared in the photo, placing her body across the president’s torso. The woman has been ridiculed on social media by Elon Musk and many others for being too short to fully shield Trump from additional bullets.

    “There was great bravery displayed … Every one of them. There wasn’t one that was slow,” Trump told the crowd at a rally in late July. “There was a woman to my right shielding me. A beautiful person. She was shielding me with everything she could.”

    Despite the clear bravery of several Secret Service agents and the professionalism of the counter sniper who killed Crooks, a month after the assassination attempt critical questions remain unanswered, including why no one was occupying the AGR rooftop when Crooks opened fire.

    Rowe, during Senate testimony July 30, said he could not defend the decision not to have anyone posted on that rooftop but wouldn’t say who made the decision. Instead, he blamed local law enforcement.

    “Why was the assailant not covered when we were told that building was going to be covered?” Rowe angrily demanded during his testimony. “That there had been a face-to-face that afternoon – that our team leads met.”

    Aside from the Butler rally, there has been a string of security lapses or improper activity across the Secret Service as a whole. The latest, which came to light late last week, involved a bizarre July 27 intrusion or break-in of a Pittsfield, Massachusetts salon, allegedly by the Secret Service covering Vice President Harris’ first fundraiser. It’s still unclear whether the Secret Service or local law enforcement is responsible for picking the salon door lock to allow emergency medical services agents and local law enforcement officers, and possibly others, to use the salon’s bathroom.

    A woman in what appeared to be Secret Service special agent attire covered the salon’s front-door Ring camera with duct tape, in what knowledgeable sources tell RCP is a common practice at event sites to guard against any camera possibly capturing Harris or other protectees in private moments.

    The salon owner has said she was left with a messy bathroom and felt violated by the incident. The head of the Boston-based field office called her to apologize for any role the agency played in entering the salon without the owner’s permission.

    Several other instances of bizarre behavior and serious security lapses have occurred over the last year and a half.

    In late April, Michelle Herczeg, a special agent assigned to Harris’ detail had an apparent mental breakdown at Joint Base Andrews, home to Air Force One and Air Force Two. RCP has since learned that Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who chaired the Rowley Training Center when Herczeg was training there, passed her even though Herczeg failed to meet some critical standards and some fellow workers expressed concern about her mental fitness, according to four sources within the Secret Service community.  

    Cheatle, who resigned amid bipartisan furor after her July testimony about the Butler rally security lapses, was reportedly “livid” over the Sullivan security failure in May 2023. The agency chocked up the security lapse to “human failure” or inattention among agents guarding Sullivan’s home. Luckily for Sullivan, the intruder appeared to be an intoxicated neighbor who simply entered the wrong home. There were no signs of forced entry into Sullivan’s home, but the agents stationed outside also did not detect the intruder, with whom Sullivan had a brief physical encounter. 

    Over the last year, there have been at least two other previously undisclosed intrusions, some that have been reported but two that have not. One involved a breach at President Obama’s Hawaii residence, and another involved a strange intruder stay at the Miami Field Office this spring.

    In the Obamas’ residence intrusion, the Secret Service managed to locate the intruders. Two sources described those who managed to breach the waterfront compound’s cutting-edge security as young people trying to get photos of the residence and its impressive grounds to post on social media. The property previously served as the set for the popular law enforcement drama television series Magnum P.I. in the 1980s and in a recent remake.

    The former president and first lady were not home during the time, but sources said their two daughters were on the premises.

    (The Obamas’ friend Marty Nesbitt, a wealthy Chicago businessman, purchased the three-acre property on O’ahu, paying $8.7 million in 2015. As of at least the spring of 2018, the property was held in an LLC registered to Nesbitt, who serves as chairman of the Barack Obama Foundation. That same year, the owners tore down the dated 9,000 square-foot residence, known on the television series as “Robin’s Nest,” according to Honolulu Magazine. In its place, Nesbitt, with the Obama’s input, built three custom structures on the compound, including a state-of-the-art security system and two swimming pools.)

    In late May of this year, an erratic man was able to infiltrate and spend at least one night in the Miami Field Office, according to four sources familiar with the incident.

    Some agents working out in the gym violated office policy by propping open the door to help ventilate the room. A man in shorts and a t-shirt entered through that partially opened door, and no one noticed. The man, identified as Ashtyn Domenech by one knowledgeable source, apparently found the “bunk room,” took a shower, and fell asleep in a bed overnight, sources said.

    Domenech accessed computers on an open internet line and downloaded and watched porn, according to two sources familiar with the trespassing incident.

    The next morning, Domenech asked administration staff where he “could get a cup of coffee around here,” and the employees responded by fulfilling his request for coffee without realizing he didn’t belong there, the sources said. He then ventured into a class on defensive tactics that a supervisor was teaching. The supervisor confronted him about his identity and apprehended him.

    The Secret Service didn’t arrest Domenech on federal charges, but instead turned him over to the local Miami Beach Police Department, which charged him with burglary, petty theft, and unlawful use of a police badge. Domenech had been arrested earlier that month for indecent exposure, according to Miami court records.

    Susan Crabtree is RealClearPolitics’ national political correspondent.

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 19:40

  • Federal Fiscal Burden Consumes 93% Of America's Wealth
    Federal Fiscal Burden Consumes 93% Of America’s Wealth

    Authored by James D. Agresti via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Based on data from a U.S. Treasury report, the federal government has amassed $142 trillion in debts, liabilities, and unfunded obligations. This staggering figure equals 93 percent of all the wealth Americans have accumulated since the nation’s founding, estimated by the Federal Reserve to be $152 trillion.

    The U.S. Capitol building is seen at sunrise in Washington on July 31, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

    Unlike other measures of federal red ink that cover an arbitrary period, extend into the infinite future, or ignore government resources, the figure of $142 trillion applies strictly to Americans who are alive right now and includes the government’s commercial assets. Thus, it quantifies the financial burden that today’s Americans are leaving to their children and future generations.

    Complete Versus Incomplete Accounting

    Federal law requires the U.S. Treasury to publish an annual report that details the government’s “overall financial position.” In addition to the national debt, the “Financial Report of the United States Government” also includes the government’s explicit and implicit financial commitments, such as:

    • federal employee pensions and other retirement benefits like healthcare.

    • environmental liabilities like contaminated nuclear sites.

    • unfunded obligations for social insurance programs like Medicare.

    Such “fiscal exposures,” as explained by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), “represent significant commitments that ultimately have to be addressed.” Thus, GAO stresses that ignoring them can “make it difficult for policymakers and the public to adequately understand the government’s overall performance and true financial condition.”

    Yet, that is precisely what the media does. Although the Treasury published the report in February, Google News indicates that no major media outlet has mentioned it. Meanwhile, the same outlets have frequently reported on the national debt and federal budget, which are incomplete measures of the federal government’s fiscal situation.

    The commonly cited national debt and federal budget are mainly based on cash accounting, which is the simplistic process of counting money as it flows in or out. Thus, liabilities like pension benefits for federal workers aren’t measured until they are actually paid, which is often decades after they are promised.

    In contrast, the Treasury report mainly uses accrual accounting, which measures financial commitments as they are made. This is how the federal government requires large corporations to report their finances. In the words of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, which is tasked by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to create private-sector accounting rules, accrual accounting is the “most relevant and reliable” way to measure the financial health of pension plans.

    The same applies to other retirement benefits like healthcare. The accounting rule that governs such benefits explains that “a failure to accrue” implies “that no obligation exists prior to the payment of benefits.” Since an obligation does exist, failing to account for it “impairs the usefulness and integrity” of financial statements.

    The Grand Total

    A methodical tally of accrual accounting data in the Treasury report shows that the federal government has amassed $142 trillion in debts, liabilities, and unfunded obligations beyond the value of its commercial assets. This reflects the government’s finances at the close of its 2023 fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2023.

    The primary components of this burden, which are unpacked below, include:

    • $26.3 trillion in publicly held national debt.

    • $16.6 trillion in liabilities that are not accounted for in the publicly held debt.

    • $104.2 trillion in unfunded social insurance obligations.

    These figures tally to $147.1 trillion in debts, liabilities, and unfunded obligations. Offsetting this is $5.4 trillion in commercial assets owned by the federal government, leaving a grand total shortfall of $141.7 trillion.

    Numbers in the trillions are hard to conceive, so it’s revealing to place them in context. The figure of $142 trillion amounts to 93 percent of the net wealth Americans have accumulated since the nation’s founding, estimated by the Federal Reserve to be $152 trillion. This includes all of their assets in savings, real estate, corporate stocks, private businesses, and consumer durable goods like automobiles and furniture.

    The government’s $142 trillion shortfall also amounts to:

    • $430,252 for every person living in the United States.

    • $1,098,087 for every household in the United States.

    • 2 times annual U.S. economic output (GDP).

    • 30 times annual federal revenues.

    Publicly Held Debt

    The simplest major item quantified by the Treasury report is the publicly held debt, which is $26.3 trillion. This is the money the federal government owes to non-federal entities like individuals, corporations, state governments, and foreign governments.

    Publicly held debt is a partial measure of the national debt that excludes $6.9 trillion the federal government owes to federal programs like Social Security and Medicare. The Treasury report also details these intergovernmental debts and consolidates them with the items below.

    Liabilities

    Pension and other retirement benefits are a large part of compensation packages for government employees. With these generous benefits included, civilian non-postal federal employees receive an average of 17 percent more total compensation than private-sector workers with comparable education and work experience. Postal workers receive even greater premiums ranging from 25 percent to 43 percent.

    In 2022, federal, state, and local governments spent $2.3 trillion on employee compensation, costing each household in the nation an average of $17,299.

    The Treasury report shows that the federal government currently owes $14.3 trillion in pensions and other benefits to federal employees and veterans that are not accounted for in the publicly held national debt. To pay the present value of these benefits will require an average of $109,005 from every household in the United States.

    The Treasury reports other liabilities of the federal government, such as:

    • $124 billion in accounts payable.

    • $645 billion in environmental and disposal liabilities.

    • $99 billion in insurance and guarantee program liabilities.

    Altogether, the Treasury records $16.6 trillion in liabilities that are not accounted for in the publicly held debt.

    Social Security & Medicare

    A similar but far more expensive situation exists with social insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare. This is because—contrary to popular belief—these programs don’t save workers’ taxes for their retirements. Instead, they immediately spend the vast majority of those taxes to pay benefits to current recipients. Thus, they are called “pay-as-you-go” programs.

    In stark contrast, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis explains that “federal law requires private pension plans to operate as funded plans, not as pay-as-you-go plans.” The reasons for this, as explained by the American Academy of Actuaries, are to increase “benefit security” and ensure “intergenerational equity.”

    Social Security and Medicare, on the other hand, have levied dramatically increased tax burdens on succeeding generations of Americans, thus creating severe generational inequality. And unless retirement ages are raised or benefits are reduced in some other way, taxes will need to be increased again to keep the programs solvent.

    Federal actuaries measure the unfunded obligations of Social Security and Medicare in several different ways, but only one of them approximates accrual accounting. This is called the “closed-group” unfunded obligation, which is the money needed to cover the shortfalls for all current taxpayers and beneficiaries in these programs.

    In the words of Harvard Law School professor and federal budget specialist Howell E. Jackson, the closed-group measure “reflects the financial burden or liability being passed on to future generations.” These burdens are $49.8 trillion for Social Security and $53.9 trillion for Medicare. Placing these figures in context:

    • Social Security’s unfunded obligations amount to an additional $272,237 from every person who currently pays Social Security payroll taxes.

    • Medicare’s unfunded obligations amount to an additional $201,932 from every U.S. resident aged 16 or older.

    Those shortfalls are what remain after the federal government has paid back with interest all of the money it has borrowed from Social Security and Medicare.

    Social Security and Medicare differ from true pensions because taxpayers don’t have a contractual right to receive these benefits. Nevertheless, paying these benefits is an implied commitment of the federal government, and federal law requires that these programs be included in the Treasury report.

    The Treasury report estimates that the combined closed group unfunded obligations of Social Security, Medicare, and some smaller social insurance programs are $104.2 trillion. This figure doesn’t include intergovernmental debt, which is consolidated with other data in the report.

    Federal Assets

    The Treasury also records the federal government’s commercial assets, such as:

    • $922 billion in cash and other monetary assets.

    • $1.2 trillion in property, plants, and equipment.

    • $1.7 trillion in receivable loans, mainly comprised of student loans.

    However, the report doesn’t account for federal stewardship land and heritage assets, such as national parks and the original copy of the Declaration of Independence. While these items have tangible value, the report explains that they “are intended to be preserved as national treasures,” not sold to the highest bidder to cover debts.

    In total, the government owned $5.4 trillion in commercial assets at the close of its 2023 fiscal year.

    Adding up the federal government’s debts, liabilities, and unfunded obligations and then subtracting the value of its commercial assets yields a fiscal shortfall of $142 trillion.

    Root Causes

    The first critical step in solving a problem is to understand its root causes. However, scientific surveys show that many voters are misinformed about the root causes of government debt.

    A scientific, nationally representative survey commissioned in 2020 by Just Facts found that 25 percent of voters believe the main driver of the rising national debt is military spending. This accords with the reporting of media outlets that frequently blame the debt on military spending.

    In reality, military spending has plummeted from 53 percent of all federal expenses in 1960 to 17 percent in 2022:

    The same survey found that another 25 percent of voters believe tax cuts were the main driver of debt, in accord with news stories that blame the debt on tax cuts.

    In reality, federal revenues have stayed at a roughly level portion of the U.S. economy for the past 80 years:

    As shown in the charts above, the primary driver of the national debt is increased spending, particularly on social programs. These programs—which provide healthcare, income security, education, nutrition, housing, and cultural services—have grown from 21 percent of all federal spending in 1960 to 64 percent in 2022.

    Yet, only 39 percent of voters correctly identify social spending as the primary cause of rising debt.

    Moreover, the vast bulk of the government’s unfunded obligations are due to Social Security and Medicare. Thus, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the main drivers of future debt will be Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Obamacare, and interest on the national debt. Under the weight of these, the publicly held debt is due to soar to unprecedented levels over coming decades.

    Harmful Effects

    A broad range of academic publications explain that excessive government debt can cause far-reaching negative outcomes, such as lower wages, increased inflation, weak economic growth, higher taxes, reduced government benefits, or combinations of such results.

    Likewise, GAO warns that “the costs of federal borrowing will be borne by tomorrow’s workers and taxpayers,” which “may reduce or slow the growth of the living standards of future generations.”

    Such effects may have already begun. Although association does not prove causation, the national debt has skyrocketed over recent decades, and with this, the United States has experienced episodes of historically poor growth in gross domestic product (GDP), productivity, and household income. Along with this, rapid inflation has set in, another common consequence of excessive government debt.

    While some believe the U.S. government can spend and borrow with abandon because it can print money, one of the most established laws of economics is that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The prolific economist William A. McEachern explains why this is so:

    “There is no free lunch because all goods and services involve a cost to someone. The lunch may seem free to you, but it draws scarce resources away from the production of other goods and services, and whoever provides a free lunch often expects something in return. A Russian proverb makes a similar point but with a bit more bite: ‘The only place you find free cheese is in a mousetrap.’”

    From Just Facts Daily

    Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 19:15

  • Biden, European Leaders Tell Iran to 'Stand Down' Amid Frenzied Speculation
    Biden, European Leaders Tell Iran to ‘Stand Down’ Amid Frenzied Speculation

    Is tonight the night? In a familiar refrain of the past several days, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Monday the military is on “peak alert” for an attack from Iran or Hezbollah.

    The White House too believes an attack is imminent or at least within “days” away. At the same time a senior Israeli official told Axios: “The Iranians openly signal (on the ground) their determination to carry out a significant attack in addition to their public statements that the attack will exceed the one they carried out in April.”

    The official additionally observed that “Iranian public statements do not reflect any retreat.” Warnings from the West urging Tehran to not retaliate have been on repeat for a week-and-a-half following the July 31st Israeli killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

    The US has been joined by European countries in calling on Iran to “stand down” amid reports of significant Iranian and Hezbollah weapons movement and positioning.

    US President Joe Biden alongside the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy issued a fresh joint statement Monday: “We called on Iran to stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel and discussed the serious consequences for regional security should such an attack take place,” a joint statement said after their presidents and prime ministers spoke by phone.

    As for the IDF, its latest statement also described that the Israeli Air Force has increased its patrols over Lebanon “to detect and intercept threats.”

    “We view the statements of our enemies seriously, and are therefore prepared at the highest level of readiness for defense and attack,” it continued.

    Even the Vatican has tried to intervene toward preventing a broader regional war:

    Following Haniyeh’s assassination, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Haniyeh’s death would “not pass in vain,” and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that “blood vengeance” for the killing is “certain.”

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian furthered those threats on Monday, telling a Vatican official in a phone call that the assassination warrants Iran’s right to “self defense” and to “respond to an aggressor,” Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.

    Meanwhile amid fears of the wider Israeli confrontation with the ‘Iran axis’, the IDF has kept up its operations and strikes inside Gaza.

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    “Palestinian medics said Israeli military strikes on several areas of Khan Younis on Monday killed at least 16 people and wounded several,” reports Reuters. “Meanwhile more families and displaced persons streamed out of areas threatened by new evacuation orders telling people to clear the area.”

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 18:50

  • US Marshals Arrest Over 230 Fugitives, Including Rapists And Murderers, In Maryland Operation
    US Marshals Arrest Over 230 Fugitives, Including Rapists And Murderers, In Maryland Operation

    Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    The U.S. Marshals Service has announced the conclusion of “Operation Silver Shield,” a 90-day interagency operation that resulted in the arrest of 232 fugitives across Maryland, including individuals wanted for serious crimes such as rape and murder.

    Members of the U.S. Marshals Service monitor an area in New York City on April 2, 2015. (Victor J. Blue/Getty Images)

    The large-scale, public safety initiative, which ran from May through August 2024, targeted non-compliant sex offenders and fugitives associated with violent crimes, the U.S. Marshals said in an Aug. 9 press release. Among the arrested were 36 individuals wanted for sex offender registration violations, 17 for rape, and 14 for homicide.

    “The arrest of these fugitives represents a step in the right direction to keep Maryland safe,” Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said in a statement.

    As part of the operation, law enforcement also seized seven firearms and successfully recovered four critically missing children.

    Dozens of federal, state, and local agencies participated in the operation, with deputies from the District of Maryland prioritizing the arrest of non-compliant sex offenders, while members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, a unit of the U.S. Marshals, focused on catching violent fugitives.

    “Throughout this operation, we worked hand-in-hand with local communities to take dangerous offenders off the streets,“ Mathew Silverman, chief deputy U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland, said in a statement, adding that the results of the operation reflect ”the true power of our public safety partnership.”

    The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, which has apprehended over 78,000 fugitives since its inception in 2004, has partnership agreements with over 133 federal, state, and local agencies operating in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

    Besides the U.S. Marshals Service, some of the law enforcement agencies involved in Operation Silver Shield include the Baltimore Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the FBI.

    Operation Silver Shield was launched on May 3, 2024, aiming to protect the community by prioritizing the recovery of critically missing children and arresting offenders who pose the biggest risk to public safety.

    A similar operation in 2023, dubbed “Operation We Will Find You,” led to the recovery of 225 missing or endangered children.

    At the time, the U.S. Marshals noted that cases involving missing or endangered children are some of the most challenging due to the presence of “high-risk factors,” such as involvement in child sex trafficking, child exploitation, sexual and physical abuse, and serious medical and mental health conditions.

    The passage of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act in 2015 strengthened law enforcement’s ability to recover missing children. The legislation enhanced the U.S. Marshals’ authority, enabling them to better address cases involving endangered children, even when a fugitive or sex offender wasn’t directly involved.

    Since the law’s enactment, the U.S. Marshals, in collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, have successfully recovered over 3,100 missing children.

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 18:25

  • Amnesty On The Table: Biden Officials Want Maduro To Regime Change Himself
    Amnesty On The Table: Biden Officials Want Maduro To Regime Change Himself

    A fresh Wall Street Journal report reveals just how desperate Washington officials are to see Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro swiftly exit power, after the US has accused him and his officials of stealing the vote, keeping former diplomat Edmundo González from power while reportedly locking up thousands of opposition supporters.

    “The U.S. is pursuing a long-shot bid to push Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to give up power in exchange for amnesty as overwhelming evidence emerges that the strongman lost last month’s election, people familiar with the matter said,” WSJ writes. 

    “The U.S. has discussed pardons for Maduro and top lieutenants of his who face Justice Department indictments, said three people familiar with the Biden administration deliberation. One of the sources said that the Biden administration is putting “everything on the table” in order to peaceably persuade Maduro to step down before his term is up in January. To translate, Biden officials are asking nicely: please Mr. Maduro, won’t you cancel yourself?

    US DOJ “wanted” chart 

    But Maduro and his government have hailed him as the legitimate victor of the July 28th national election. He’s set to enter a third 6-year term. He has many times over the last several years accused Washington of plotting coup and regime change against his rule, and there is ample evidence that there is more truth than falsehood to these accusations.

    Rather than present the US as in a position of power vis-a-vis Caracas, the whole WSJ report and its claims—largely the product of the usual ‘anon security and defense officials’—is a testament to just how pathetic, weak, and desperate US policy toward the ‘rogue’ state remains.

    Maduro will supposedly turn himself in on cocaine charges in return for an ‘amnesty’ based on what he sees as total fictions of a fraudulent and ‘imperialist’ American system? The following could arguably be some of the dumbest and most fantastical lines ever cooked up by the gaggle of career national security pencil pushers in charge of Latin America policy:

    Another person familiar with the talks said the U.S. would be open to providing guarantees not to pursue those regime figures for extradition. The U.S. in 2020 placed a $15 million bounty for information leading to Maduro’s arrest on charges of conspiring with his allies to flood the U.S. with cocaine. 

    The talks represent a flicker of hope for a Venezuelan political opposition that meticulously collected voter tallies showing its candidate, little-known former diplomat Edmundo González, defeated Maduro in a landslide in the July 28 election. Over the past two weeks, Maduro has jailed thousands of dissidents, maintained the military’s loyalty and tasked the Supreme Court, stacked with his handpicked allies, with resolving the election impasse, buying him time.  

    Flooding US streets with cocaine? …The CIA might have some past expertise on that.

    As recently as Friday, Maduro put it very simply in a televised news conference: “Don’t mess with Venezuela’s internal affairs, that’s all I ask for,” Maduro said.

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    Where does US policy go from here? Biden’s gambit to ease sanctions on Venezuelan crude, bring Maduro ‘in from the cold’, and tap cheap energy at a crucial moment of wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East appears at a standstill.

    Now with a crack-brained plan to offer “amnesty” to Maduro having been floated (surely an object of laughter and mockery among Venezuelan officials), perhaps Washington is ready to try the whole Guaidó-style thing with González, who has even less name recognitions internationally, and declare him ‘Interim President’.

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 18:00

  • Smith & Wesson Asks US Supreme Court To Expedite Its Appeal Of Mexico Lawsuit
    Smith & Wesson Asks US Supreme Court To Expedite Its Appeal Of Mexico Lawsuit

    Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    U.S. gun maker Smith & Wesson asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Aug. 8 for “immediate review” of its appeal in Mexico’s ongoing $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. firearms companies.

    A Smith & Wesson .357 magnum revolver is displayed at the Los Angeles Gun Club in Los Angeles, California on December 7, 2012. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

    The request was made after a lower court on Aug. 7 threw out the case against six out of eight gun companies in the lawsuit, which is pending in federal district court in Massachusetts. The decision left gun maker Smith & Wesson and gun wholesaler Interstate Arms remaining as defendants.

    In the suit, Mexico is seeking $10 billion from U.S. gun companies for allegedly flooding that country with firearms. Mexico blames the companies for a violent crime wave, saying their actions benefited criminal cartels.

    Although some gun control activists welcome Mexico’s lawsuit, gun rights advocates say it constitutes foreign interference in U.S. affairs and is aimed at crippling the U.S. firearms industry and weakening the Second Amendment protections enjoyed by Americans.

    The gun companies say the suit is barred by the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) of 2005, which was enacted to protect the industry from frivolous lawsuits.

    The Supreme Court already is scheduled to consider on Sept. 30 whether to hear the appeal of the eight gun companies called Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos.

    The appeal concerns the Jan. 22 decision of a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit that allowed the lawsuit to proceed.

    Circuit Judge William Kayatta wrote that even though the PLCAA limits lawsuits that foreign governments may bring in U.S. courts for harm experienced outside the United States, Mexico could move forward because it made a plausible argument that the companies committed “knowing violations of statutes regulating the sale or marketing of firearms.”

    Mexico claims that illegal gun trafficking into that country is driven largely by Mexican drug cartels’ demands for military-style weapons.

    Kayatta wrote that a spike in gun violence in Mexico in recent years “correlates” with the boost in gun production in the United States that started when the U.S. assault weapon ban lapsed in 2004.

    The First Circuit returned the case to U.S. District Judge Dennis Saylor of Massachusetts, who had previously dismissed the lawsuit against all eight corporate defendants on Sept. 30, 2022.

    Saylor found in 2022 that the PLCAA “unequivocally bars lawsuits seeking to hold gun manufacturers responsible for the acts of individuals using guns for their intended purpose.”

    When Saylor revisited the case on Aug. 7, he ruled that Mexico had failed to present enough evidence to show that six of the companies were connected to gun crime in Mexico.

    The six defendants Saylor dismissed from the suit are Sturm, Ruger & Co.; Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Inc.; Glock Inc.; Colt’s Manufacturing Co. LLC; Century International Arms Inc.; and Beretta U.S.A. Corp.

    Mexico indicated it may appeal the dismissal decision.

    In the meantime, this means that Smith & Wesson and Witmer Public Safety Group, which does business as Interstate Arms, are still named as defendants in the suit pending in Saylor’s court.

    In the Aug. 8 filing, Smith & Wesson attorney Noel Francisco of Jones Day in Washington told the Supreme Court that “immediate review … is still needed” because Smith & Wesson and Interstate Arms are “unaffected by” the Aug. 7 decision.

    “As a result, Mexico is still pursuing ‘joint and several’ liability—to the tune of billions of dollars, plus far-reaching injunctive relief—against those two defendants,” Francisco wrote.

    With joint and several liability, a plaintiff who secures a judgment against the defendants collectively may collect the full value of the judgment from any of the defendants.

    “So just as before, leading members of the American firearms industry are facing years of litigation costs and the specter of business-crushing liability,” Francisco wrote.

    “And just as before, this Court’s review is warranted now, because Congress made clear in PLCAA that this sort of lawfare against any law-abiding member of the firearms industry has no business in American courts, and must be promptly dismissed.”

    Lawfare is the strategic use of legal proceedings to undermine or frustrate the efforts of an opponent.

    Mexico argued in a brief that it filed with the Supreme Court on July 3 that the First Circuit’s decision was correct.

    The lawsuit should be allowed to proceed because the companies “deliberately chose to engage in unlawful … conduct to profit off the criminal market for their products.”

    According to the brief, the gun companies were wrong to argue that the prospect of them being held “liable for negligence and public nuisance” presents “an existential threat to the gun industry.”

    Mexico’s attorney, Cate Stetson of Hogan Lovells in Washington, didn’t respond by publication time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

    Stephen Katte contributed to this report.

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 17:40

  • US Records 2nd Biggest July Deficit In History As 25% Of Tax Revenue Go To Pay Interest
    US Records 2nd Biggest July Deficit In History As 25% Of Tax Revenue Go To Pay Interest

    While there was much more talk about the soaring US budget deficit earlier this year, when debt seemed to rise by $1 trillion every other month, lately it appears that the topic has become almost taboo perhaps because neither presidential candidate has any plan or clue how to normalize the trend which assures fiscal collapse for the US and the loss of dollar reserve status.

    But while others may have conflicts of interest in reporting on this most important topic, we don’t, and we are sad to inform our readers that July was another catastrophic month for US fiscal viability: that’s because US tax revenue of $330.4BN (down sharply from the $466.3BN in June, if higher than the $276.2BN a year ago), was far below the $573.1BN in government outlays (which was materially above the $537.2BN in June and also the $496.9BN last July)…

    …. resulting in a monthly deficit of $243.7BN, the second largest July budget deficit on record, surpassed only by the record post-covid print in July 2021.

    With two months left in the fiscal year, the US budget deficit for fiscal 2024 has hite $1.517 trillion, tracking last year’s blowout expansion almost dollar for dollar (one year ago the cumulative deficit was $1.613 trillion), and the 4th highest on record despite there being no raging emergency and no war demanding such a massive deficit spend.

    Unfortunately, that’s as good as it gets, because when one takes a step back and ignores the monthly calendar effects, the picture remains the same: the US is spending far more than it is generating in tax revenues.

    In fact, at $581BN, the 6-month moving average (to smooth out month-to-month changes) in US government spending has risen to the highest level since August 2021, when the US was still reeling from the covid shock.

    So how is this possible? How can the US, which is now $35 trillion in the hole justify this kind of irresponsible, profligate spending? The only possible answer for why this level of explosive deficit (and debt) growth continues, is the admin’s ongoing attempts to buy as many votes as possible, as well as the relentless increase in interest on the US debt.

    And it only goes downhill from there, because as we have noted previously, the biggest risk factor is not so much spending on such discretionary items as social security, health and national defense (“how dare you say these are discretionary! these are mandatory, untouchable outlays” some will scream, but if and when the taxes dry up and the dollar loses its reserve status you will see just how discretionary they are), but on interest, and here recall what we said back in April: “interest on US debt – currently the second biggest government outlay at $1.2 trillion – will surpass social security and become the single biggest US expense before the end of 2024 at $1.6 trillion.”…

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    … and hit $1.7 trillion by April 2025, at which point it will be by far the single biggest outlay of the US government.

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    So where are we now? Well, according to the latest Treasury Monthly Statement, in July the US spent a gross $88.6 billion on debt interest, bringing the YTD total to $956 billion and is on pace to hit $1.157 trillion for the full year.

    And putting it in context, the $87 billion in gross interest spending (which follows June’s record $140 billion) was 25% of all US receipts (mostly taxes) in June…

    … a staggering number fast approaching the threshold where everyone will be forced to admit the US has crossed into a Minsky moment.

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 17:20

  • FOIA Files: How Feds, Press, and Academia "Coordinate" On Speech
    FOIA Files: How Feds, Press, and Academia “Coordinate” On Speech

    Authored by James Rushmore via Racket News,

    In March 2023, the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public (CIP) put out an article asserting that the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) — comprised of the CIP, the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO), Graphika, and the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) — was not a “government cut-out” controlled by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

    Racket has sent out numerous Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests about the Election Integrity Partnership. Recently, we received several new batches of results from the University of Washington that cast doubt on their earlier assertions. These disclosures, which have been added to the Racket FOIA Library, hint at a dynamic perhaps more intimate than reported. This is the first of a series of disclosures we’ll be publishing this week.

    On March 4, 2021, Shira Ovide of The New York Times emailed the EIP to ask what government officials and social media platforms did to “stop disinformation from having a material effect on the [2020] election.”

    The response came from Matthew Masterson, at the time a non-resident policy fellow at the Stanford Internet Observatory. Masterson then only just finished working as a senior cybersecurity advisor at CISA, a position he held from March 2018 to December 2020. He stayed at CISA through the 2020 election, then moved to Stanford just in time to receive Ovide’s inquiry as a private citizen. His response is humorous in its frankness (emphasis ours):

    Happy to talk regarding the work we (the feds) did in coordination with social media companies to anticipate and respond to efforts to undermine the election.

    Masterson’s choice of verb is interesting. For years, “anti-disinformation” activists have insisted that state actors merely contacted social media companies with helpful tips regarding troublesome accounts. Masterson’s response suggests CISA was in close contact with platforms like Twitter throughout the 2020 election cycle, though Ovide wasn’t told how close. (See the accompanying article by Matt Taibbi to learn more.) He’s explicit in his characterization of the EIP-CISA dynamic as a coordinated effort.

    When reached for comment, Ovide directed Racket to an article she published shortly after her conversation with Masterson. The former DHS official told Ovide that “coordination was the biggest change that helped shore up digital defenses in [2020] election management systems.” At the time, Masterson said, “This is as good [sic] as the federal government has worked on any issue in my experience.” The piece doesn’t mention the EIP, but it still captures the degree to which federal law enforcement agencies like CISA were in contact with 2020 election officials.

    You’ll find more evidence of the tight-knit relationship between CISA and the EIP in their communications the following year. On March 14, 2022, Nicky Vogt, the senior advisor for public affairs at CISA, reached out to the EIP in order to coordinate their messaging efforts on MisinfoDay. (MisinfoDay, for those unfamiliar, is an annual celebration intended to help students, educators, and librarians “learn how to navigate complex information environments and make informed decisions about what to believe online.”)

    In an email marked with the subject line “Social Amplification on MisInfo Day?”, Vogt asked Julia Carter Scanlan, the CIP’s director for strategy and operations, if the EIP could “amplify” CISA’s MisinfoDay-themed graphics on its social media accounts. Vogt offered to return the favor by promoting the EIP’s MisinfoDay content on CISA’s accounts. Also worth noting is the “as our team may have mentioned” at the start of Vogt’s email. CISA and the EIP seemed to be on very friendly terms!

    Carter Scanlan’s response was enthusiastic (emphasis ours):

    I’m so glad we can coordinate on this to help get the word out on both fronts. I’m looping in here my colleague Michael Grass, the CIP’s Assistant Director for Communications. He’s managing all of the social and other media for MisinfoDay and will be point on this.

    The word of the day is “coordination.”

    A few hours later, Vogt made contact with Grass, who promised to share the EIP’s MisinfoDay content on the CIP’s Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. Grass also indicated that other schools would be participating in the day’s festivities through the #MisinfoDay2022 hashtag.

    Here’s the tweet CISA asked Grass to promote.

    These emails illustrate the synergies between the “anti-disinformation” industry and the national security state. In theory, the two factions are supposed to be separate entities, but in practice, they represent the same interests. It’s not often that a single disclosure offers evidence of the alacrity with which outfits like the EIP did the bidding of federal law enforcement agencies. We should be grateful for their candor.

    Below are a few more excerpts from this latest batch of FOIA disclosures, which you can access in full at the Racket FOIA Library.

    • In July 2020, shortly before the EIP officially launched, the key players debated what they wanted to call their partnership. Emerson Brooking of the Atlantic Council recommended against going with the “Election Disinformation Partnership,” arguing that it could “very easily be made to sound like [they] are spreading disinformation,” and suggested the “2020 Partnership.” His suggestion was co-signed by the SIO’s Alex Stamos (“[S]ounds a bit like an Olympics thing.”) and Graphika’s Camille François (“It will fit on a shirt”). The group ultimately settled on the “Election Integrity Partnership,” a name that Stamos described as generic and unlikely to be misinterpreted. (See page 109.)

    • On November 17, 2021, Ashley Quarcoo, a senior director at the Partnership for American Democracy, reached out to the EIP to discuss how they could take steps to prepare for “election misinformation” in the 2022 cycle. (See pages 47 and 48.)

    • On October 31, 2022, Mark Scott of Politico emailed the SIO’s Renée DiResta with some examples of Telegram channels that were spreading “election-related falsehoods” in swing states during the runup to the midterm elections. Scott asked DiResta if she could account for the spread of such theories “from fringe networks like Telegram to more mainstream networks.” (See page 17.)

    Click here to access Racket’s library of University of Washington FOIA productions.

    Subscribe to Racket News here…

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 17:00

  • West Threatens Iran Over Plan To Supply Russia With Ballistic Missiles
    West Threatens Iran Over Plan To Supply Russia With Ballistic Missiles

    NATO countries have been warning of swift and severe consequences in the wake of widespread reports that Iran is considering transferring sophisticated ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war.

    A weekend Reuters story authored by multiple national security veteran reporters alleged that Russian personnel are already being trained to operate the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system. Several European intelligence sources were cited as the basis of the report, which Iranian leaders subsequently denied.

    Via Tasnim news agency

    Biden’s national security council has said this would mark a “dramatic escalation” in military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow, which has so far seen thousands of small Iranian drones transferred and utilized over Ukraine’s skies.

    Reuters details the following: 

    Citing multiple confidential intelligence sources, the officials said that Russian personnel have visited Iran to learn how to operate the Fath-360 defence system, which launches missiles with a maximum range of 120 km (75 miles) and a warhead of 150 kg. One of the sources said that that “the only next possible” step after training would be actual delivery of the missiles to Russia.

    Moscow possesses an array of its own ballistic missiles, but the supply of Fath-360s could allow Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets beyond the front line, while employing Iranian warheads for closer-range targets, a military expert said.

    An expected delivery date wasn’t disclosed in the report, but it would be consistent with the trend of much closer cooperation on defense between the two ‘pariah’ nations which are highly sanctioned by the West. 

    At his point there’s not much left to sanction, and so increasingly both Russian and Iranian leaders have demonstrated a “nothing to lose” attitude in terms of flaunting their defiance of Western warnings.

    We also recently highlighted that Russia has appeared to step up supplies of air defense equipment to the Islamic Republic, at a moment Tehran is threatening massive retaliation attacks on Israel for the July 31 killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The expectation in such a scenario is that Israel’s counter-response would be bigger.

    Allegations further say Russia has already received many Iranian ballistic missiles…

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    The Iranians are reportedly also pressuring Moscow to fulfill delivery of Su-35S fighter jet fighters which were previously pledged in a defense deal, given the regional temperature is heating up fast.

    Moscow likely feels obliged given the significant Iranian drone transfers it has received throughout the course of the Ukraine war. Iran has heavily aided Russian forces, and now Russia is quickly coming to Iran’s assistance.

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 16:40

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Aug 12

Today’s News 12th August 2024

  • 'Eating Ze Bugs Is Vegan' – What The Rise Of "Ento-Veganism" Really Means
    ‘Eating Ze Bugs Is Vegan’ – What The Rise Of “Ento-Veganism” Really Means

    Via Off-Guardian.org,

    The latest “Dude, eating insects is so hip and cool” article dropped this week, this time from The Guardian, and with a little twist thrown in.

    It’s pushing the idea of “ento-veganism”, that is to say “vegans” who won’t eat animals…except insects.

    Or, what we used to call non-vegans.

    It’s just another step in the redefining of language as needs must, yet another front in the war on words.

    They are shifting the meaning of veganism from saving animals to being “sustainable”. The philosophy of “ento-veganism” is apparently to “do the least harm possible”.

    …except to crickets, I guess.

    The greater point here is that, while the mainstream has been promoting veganism for years, that’s much more about stopping people from eating meat and dairy than it is about getting people to eat vegetables.

    After all, a vegan could hypothetically be living on a small holding in the middle of nowhere and surviving entirely on their home-grown vegetables…and that’s the last thing the WEF-types want.

    They’re not going to all the trouble of resetting society so we can eat organic cauliflower.

    They want everyone eating GMO soy cubes dusted in cricket flour.

    They want processed. They want artificial. Most importantly, they want to make it so no one can ever be self-sufficient.

    And while that means promoting veganism for now, it also means slowly redefining what “veganism” actually means.

    Last year, eating lab-grown meat became “vegan”…

    Which, technically, you can argue from an ethical point of view.

    But then this year, eating crickets is “vegan” too.

    Who knows what “vegan” will mean next year?

    Tyler Durden
    Mon, 08/12/2024 – 02:00

  • Big Question: How Are Ukraine Stakeholders, CIA, & The US Intel Community Going To Stop Donald Trump?
    Big Question: How Are Ukraine Stakeholders, CIA, & The US Intel Community Going To Stop Donald Trump?

    Authored by ‘sundance’ via TheConservativeTreehouse.com,

    This is the simple albeit massive question that even President Trump himself doesn’t spend time thinking about. 

    Melania does.

    • To stop him in 2016, the FBI and DOJ ran a comprehensive surveillance operation against his campaign.  The same people manufactured a completely fabricated case of Trump colluding with Russia. Have you forgotten?

    • To stop him in 2017, the DOJ and Congress ran a comprehensive Special Counsel operation against his presidency.  The justification of the SC operation was to prove a completely fabricated case of Trump colluding with Russia.  The real reason for the SC operation was to cover up the FBI and DOJ completely fabricating the case of Trump colluding with Russia. Have you forgotten?

    • To stop him in 2019, congress and the intelligence apparatus (Mary McCord and Michael Atkinson) manufactured an impeachment hoax using Ukraine, a fabricated DoD plant on the National Security Council (Vindman), the CIA (Ciaramella) and the Intelligence Community Inspector General (Attkinson).  Have you forgotten?

    • To stop him in 2020, the U.S. Intelligence Community, working through the U.S. CDC, seeded a global pandemic and quickly manufactured an election result using mail-in ballots to manufacture 81 million votes for a completely controlled candidate with dementia.  Have you forgotten?

    • To stop him in 2022, Joe Biden (through AG Garland) appointed a special prosecutor (smith) to investigate, indict and convict him.  Have you forgotten?

    • To stop him in 2023, the FBI and DOJ raided his home. Indicted him under claims of “national security,” then began to use Lawfare in the court system against him.  Have you forgotten?

    • To stop him in 2024, the U.S. Secret Service permitted a 20-year-old with a backpack, range finder, drone and long rifle, to walk into a Trump rally, set up position on a rooftop next to the USSS operating team, and fire eight shots at less than 150 yards at President Trump’s head, wounding his ear.  Have you forgotten?

    So, my question remains:

    What will the Ukraine stakeholders, in congress, within NATO, within the State Dept, within the CIA and Intelligence Community and within the multinational banking and investment companies (Blackrock), do over the next few months to stop President Donald Trump from winning in November?

    …She Knows!

    With the 2024 election rapidly coming, it is worth revisiting the actual tariff outcome to American consumers in order to dispel the popular myths about tariffs raising prices here at home.

    CPA – […] Since the Section 301 tariffs were imposed, the share of imports from China has steadily declined from 21.6% in 2017 the year prior to the tariffs to 16.5%, a decline of 5.1%. No other country has lost as much share of total U.S. import penetration over the past five years.

    In terms of total import value, Mexico gained the most from the tariffs, adding $110.8 billion. Vietnam gained the second most in import value by $78.4 billion and by far gained the most of total share of U.S. imports. In 2017, Vietnam accounted for about 2% of U.S. imports at $46.5 billion. In 2022, the U.S. imported $127.5 billion in goods from Vietnam, and the share of the total nearly doubled to 3.9%. Other countries in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia all saw significant increases in their value of imports by the U.S. (read more)

    This might be the cited data you want to bookmark for later reference.

    It was the Fourth Quarter of 2019…..

    Right before the pandemic would hit a few months later, despite two years of doomsayer predictions from Wall Street’s professional punditry, all of them said Trump’s 2017 steel and aluminum tariffs on China, Canada and the EU would create massive inflation – it just wasn’t happening!

    Overall, year-over-year inflation was hovering around 1.7 percent [Table-A BLS]; yup, that was our inflation rate.  The rate in the latter half of 2019 was firmed up with less month-over-month fluctuation, and the rate basically remained consistent.   [See Below]  The U.S. economy was on a smooth glide path, strong, stable, and Main Street was growing with MAGAnomics at work.

    A couple of important points. 

    First, unleashing the energy sector to drive down overall costs to consumers, and industry outputs was a key part of President Trump’s America First MAGAnomic initiative.  Lower energy prices help the worker economy, middle class and average American more than any other sector.

    Which brings us to the second important point.  Notice how food prices had very low year-over-year inflation – 0.5 percent.  That is a combination of two key issues: low energy costs, and the fracturing of Big Ag’s hold on the farm production and the export dynamic:

    (BLS) […] The index for food at home declined for the third month in a row, falling 0.2 percent. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs decreased 0.7 percent in August as the index for eggs fell 2.6 percent. The index for fruits and vegetables, which rose in July, fell 0.5 percent in August; the index for fresh fruits declined 1.4 percent, but the index for fresh vegetables rose 0.4 percent. The index for cereals and bakery products fell 0.3 percent in August after rising 0.3 percent in July. (link)

    For the previous twenty years, food prices had been increasingly controlled by Big Ag, and not by normal supply and demand.   The commodity market became a ‘controlled market’. U.S. food outputs (farm production) was controlled and exported to keep the U.S. consumer paying optimal prices.

    President Trump’s trade reset was disrupting this process.  As farm products were less exported, the cost of the food in our supermarket became reconnected to a ‘more normal’ supply and demand cycle.  Food prices dropped, and our pantry costs were lowered.

    The Commerce Dept. then announced that retail sales climbed by 0.4 percent in August 2019, twice as high as the 0.2 percent analysts had predicted. The result highlighted retail sales strength of more than 4 percent year-over-year.   These excellent results came on the heels of blowout data in July, when households boosted purchases of cars and clothing.

    The better-than-expected number stemmed largely from a 1.8 percent jump in spending vehicles. Online sales, meanwhile, also continued to climb, rising 1.6 percent. That’s similar to July 2019, when Amazon held its two-day blowout Prime Day sale. (link)

    Despite the efforts to remove and impeach President Trump, it did not look like middle class America was overly concerned about the noise coming from the pundits.   Likely that’s because blue collar wages were higher, Main Street inflation was lower, and overall consumer confidence was strong.  Yes, MAGAnomics was working.

    Additionally, remember all those MSM hours and newspaper column inches where the professional financial pundits were claiming Trump’s tariffs were going to cause massive increases in prices of consumer goods?

    Well, exactly the opposite happened.

    [BLS report] Import prices were continuing to drop:

    [Table 1 – BLS report link]

    This was a really interesting dynamic that no one in the professional punditry would dare explain.

    Donald Trump’s tariffs were targeted to specific sectors of imported products.  [Steel, Aluminum, and a host of smaller sectors etc.]  However, when the EU and China responded by devaluing their currency, that approach hit all products imported, not just the tariff goods.

    Because the EU and China were driving up the value of the dollar, everything we were importing became cheaper.   Not just imports from Europe and China, but actually imports from everywhere.   All imports were entering the U.S. at substantially lower prices.

    This meant when we imported products, we were also importing deflation.

    This price result is exactly the opposite of what the economic experts and Wall Street pundits predicted back in 2017 and 2018 when they were pushing the rapid price increase narrative.

    Because all the export dependent economies were reacting with such urgency to retain their access to the U.S. market, aggregate import prices were actually lower than they were when the Trump tariffs began:

    […]  Prices for imports from China edged down 0.1 percent in August following decreases of 0.2 percent in both July and June. Import prices from China have not advanced on a monthly basis since ticking up 0.1 percent in May 2018. The price index for imports from China fell 1.6 percent for the year ended in August.

    […]  Import prices from the European Union fell 0.2 percent in August and 0.3 percent over the past 12 months.

    [Page #4 – BLS Report, pdf] – BLS press release.

    So yes, we know President Trump can save Social Security and Medicare by expanding the economy with his America First economic policy.  We do not need to guess if it is possible or listen to pundits theorize about his approach being some random ‘catch phrase’ disconnected from reality.  Yes folks, we have the receipts.

    This was MAGAnomics at work, and this is entirely what created the middle class MAGA coalition.  No other Republican candidate has this economic policy in their outlook, because all other candidates are purchased by the Wall Street multinationals.

    America First MAGAnomics is unique to President Trump, because he is the only one independent enough to implement them.

    That’s just the reality of the situation.  

    They hate him for it… 

    *  *  *

    [Support CTH Research Here…

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 23:20

  • Ohio Prosecutor Fired After Biting Man's Finger Off In Bizarre Road Rage Incident
    Ohio Prosecutor Fired After Biting Man’s Finger Off In Bizarre Road Rage Incident

    Here’s something to think about the next time you want to give someone ‘the finger’ in traffic.

    An assistant Ohio prosecutor was fired from his job for allegedly biting off a man’s finger in a road rage incident last month, according to a report from the New York Post.

    The man who lost a finger reportedly honked at the prosecutor, Christopher Murray, at a green light. 

    The Riverside Police Department responded to reports of a fight on the US Route 35 overpass, about 210 miles from Cleveland, where one caller mentioned severe bloodshed and a bitten-off finger, according to the arrest report.

    The Post report states that when law enforcement arrived, they found a 43-year-old man covered in blood standing outside his vehicle. Medical personnel confirmed that part of his middle finger had been bitten off. 

    The victim’s finger was severed at the tip of the knuckle, and police later found it under his vehicle. He claimed he honked at the car in front of him when it didn’t move after the light turned green.

    He “laid on his horn”, according to the Post. 

    Police identified the driver as Murray, who allegedly approached the victim’s car, declared his intent to fight, and pulled open the driver’s door.

    The two ended up on the ground, where the victim claimed Murray bit his finger. Murray then fled but dropped his phone, which police used to identify him. The victim was taken to the hospital for further treatment, and Murray now faces felonious assault charges.

    Greene County Prosecuting Attorney David D. Hayes said he had been fired from his job as a result: “As Greene County Prosecuting Attorney, I became aware on July 8, 2024, of an ongoing criminal investigation in Montgomery County regarding my employee Christopher Murray.”

    “After due consideration, I terminated Christopher Murray’s employment with the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office.”

    Here is the report from WDTN:

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 22:45

  • Audit Finds NYC Overpaid Upstate Hotels By Millions For Sheltering Illegal Immigrants
    Audit Finds NYC Overpaid Upstate Hotels By Millions For Sheltering Illegal Immigrants

    Authored by Cara Ding via The Epoch Times,

    A new audit by the New York City Comptroller’s Office found the city overpaid upstate hotels and other subcontractors by millions to shelter illegal immigrants last spring.

    The audit also finds sizable undue commission payments to DocGo, a main city contractor responsible for running temporary shelters in the metro area at an annual cost of $432 million.

    DocGo was one of a few city contractors tasked with developing upstate hotels-turned-shelters last May, a novel city practice that auditors deem “unusual,” and has met with strong opposition from several upstate counties, including Rockland and Orange.

    Although the city’s DocGo contract has been running for over a year, the audit only looks at city payments for services rendered in the beginning months of May and June last year.

    The audit covers more than 30 temporary hotels-turned-shelters managed by DocGo both inside and outside the city, including two in the town of Newburgh in Orange County.

    It finds that as high as 80 percent of payments for that two-month period—at $11 million—either lack proof of services rendered or are unauthorized per the contract.

    Of the questionable payments, $2.5 million were for unauthorized security, medical, and social services, $1.7 million for vacant rooms, and $230,000 for inflated food bills, according to the audit.

    For example, a Newburgh hotel billed a total of $57,000 for hundreds of unoccupied rooms in early May, for which DocGo got an additional $40,000 in commissions.

    At the same hotel, billed hours of security services for May 12 exceeded the contract limit by eight times—it was claimed over 20 guards were on different shifts that day to aid the hotel’s own force—and were paid without the city’s written approval.

    The same Newburgh hotel also stood out as having the highest number of meals delivered during the two-month period. For example, it billed 1,288 meals for May 26, whereas only 388 meals and snacks would be needed that day based on the stated occupancy.

    Hundreds of illegal immigrants or asylum seekers lined up outside of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York City on June 6, 2023. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

    All payments were made by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), which has direct oversight of DocGo and its subcontractors.

    In response to auditors, HPD said it had given undocumented verbal permission to payments beyond the scope of the contract, that it paid for vacant hotel rooms in preparation for a likely sudden influx, and that excess food was sometimes purchased and stored for future use.

    The Epoch Times reached out to Mayor Eric Adams and DocGo for comment.

    Upstate Hotel Visits

    Auditors visited around two dozen hotels in the New York City metro area last December and found 530 rooms at eight upstate hotels housed illegal immigrants from the city.

    These hotels were in the counties of Albany, Westchester, Dutchess, and Orange, where two Newburgh hotels had 122 rooms used as city shelters.

    Orange County has had an effective court-ordered temporary ban against the city’s upstate hotel shelter practice since last May. Prior to the ban, the city had sent 186 illegal immigrants to the two Newburgh hotels, according to a court filing at the state supreme court.

    County attorney Richard Golden told The Epoch Times in an Aug. 9 statement that he has no knowledge of new arrivals from the city to any county hotels after the ban.

    The county also has an executive order in place barring New York City from establishing unlawful shelters inside the county, which withheld a legal challenge last month.

    The largest portion—nearly half—of surveyed illegal immigrants during the hotel visits are from Venezuela, followed by Ecuador, Colombia, and Mauritania.

    Most entered the country illegally via the southern border in Texas, with a relatively small number arriving via the states of California, Arizona, and New York, according to the audit.

    During their visits to these hotels, auditors found deficiencies—such as missing microwaves and refrigerators, mold, and water damage—in 80 percent of the inspected rooms.

    DocGo will manage upstate hotels for the city until December, although its shelter services inside NYC ended in May, according to the audit.

    New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is challenging Adams in the Democratic primary for the mayoral race in the fall of 2025.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 22:10

  • Combatting "False Narratives": D.C. Circuit Refuses To Block Judge Limiting The Speech Of Jan. 6th Defendant
    Combatting “False Narratives”: D.C. Circuit Refuses To Block Judge Limiting The Speech Of Jan. 6th Defendant

    Authored by Jonathan Turley,

    We have previously discussed controversial sentences handed down in cases involving rioters on January 6th, including sentencing orders that, in my view, violate First Amendment rights. That included the case of Daniel Goodwyn, who pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of entering and remaining in a restricted building. That crime would ordinarily not involve any jail time for a first offender.

    However, Judge Reggie B. Walton  of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia decided that he would use the case to regulate what Goodwyn was reading and communicating with a chilling probation order. After the case was sent back by the D.C. Circuit, Walton doubled down on his extraordinary order. Now the D.C. Circuit has refused to hear an emergency appeal.

    Judge Walton has attracted controversy and criticism over his public comments about former President Donald Trump and the other issues. He caused a stir in Washington after doing an interview with CNN in which he rebuked former President Donald Trump for his criticism of judges and their family members. Walton previously called Trump a “charlatan,”  and said that “I don’t think he cares about democracy, only power.”

    Critics charged that Walton’s public statements ran afoul of Canon 3A(6) of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, which states:

    “A judge should not make public comment on the merits of a matter pending or impending in any court.”

    Walton then triggered criticism over his handling of the Goodwin case.

    The case involved Daniel Goodwyn, 35, of Corinth, Texas, who pleaded guilty on Jan. 31, 2023, to one misdemeanor count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. That is a relatively minor offense, but Walton imposed a 60-day jail sentence in June 2023 with these ongoing conditions on his online reading and speech.

    Walton reportedly noted that Goodwyn spread “disinformation” during a broadcast of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on March 14, 2023 and ordered that Mr. Goodwyn’s computer be subject to “monitoring and inspection” by a probation agent to check if he spread Jan. 6 disinformation during the term of his supervised release.

    After accepting the plea to a single misdemeanor, Walton expressed scorn for Goodwyn appearing “gleeful” on Jan. 6 and his “egging on” other rioters.

    He asked his defense counsel “why I should feel that he doesn’t pose a risk to our democracy?”

    As a condition for supervised release, DOJ pushed the monitoring conditions and found a judge who seemed eager to impose it.

    The order reflects the utter impunity shown by the Justice Department in its pursuit of January 6th defendants.  Justice Department official Michael Sherwin  proudly declared in a television interview that “our office wanted to ensure that there was shock and awe … it worked because we saw through media posts that people were afraid to come back to D.C. because they’re, like, ‘If we go there, we’re gonna get charged.’ … We wanted to take out those individuals that essentially were thumbing their noses at the public for what they did.”

    Sherwin was celebrated for his pledge to use such draconian means to send a message to others in the country. (Sherwin has left the Justice Department and is now a partner at Kobre & Kim).

    Walton was rebuked by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia for a surveillance order of Goodwin to detect any spreading of “disinformation” or “misinformation.”

    In my new book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” I discussed concerns over the cases like Goodwyn’s and their implications for free speech. I participated in the coverage on January 6th and criticized President Trump’s speech while he was giving it. I disagreed with the legal claims made to oppose certification. However, the “shock and awe” campaign of the Justice Department, in my view, has trampled on free speech rights in cases that range from Goodwyn to the prosecutions of Trump himself.

    Many of us were relieved when appellate judges (Gregory Katsas, Neomi Rao, and Bradley Garcia) rebuked Walton and held that “[t]he district court plainly erred in imposing the computer-monitoring condition without considering whether it was ‘reasonably related’ to the relevant sentencing factors and involved ‘no greater deprivation of liberty than is reasonably necessary’ to achieve the purposes behind the sentencing.”

    They sent the case back but, to the surprise of few, Judge Walton proceeded to double down on the monitoring while implausibly declaring “I don’t want to chill anyone’s First Amendment rights.”

    For some reason, Walton believes that barring an individual from reviewing and engaging in political speech does not “chill” his First Amendment rights.

    Most of us were appalled by the riot and the underlying views of figures like Goodwyn, who is a self-proclaimed member of the Proud Boys. He was rightfully arrested and should be punished for his conduct. The question is not the legitimacy of punishment, but the scope of that punishment.

    Prosecutor Brian Brady detailed how the Justice Department has in place a new system using artificial intelligence to monitor the reading and statements of citizens like Goodwyn. The Justice Department brushed aside the free speech concerns since Goodwyn remains under court supervision, even though he pleaded guilty to only a single misdemeanor.

    Brady described a virtual AI driven thought program. The justification was that Goodwyn refused to abandon his extreme political views:

    “Throughout the pendency of Goodwyn’s case, he has made untruthful statements regarding his conduct and the events of the day, he has used websites and social media to place targets on police officers who defended the Capitol, and he has used these platforms to publish and view extremist media. Imposing the requested [monitoring] conditions would protect the public from further dissemination of misinformation… [and] provide specific deterrence from him committing similar crimes.”

    So now federal courts can use a single misdemeanor for unlawful entry in a federal building for less than 40 seconds to “protect the public from … dissemination of misinformation” on the government.

    That was all Walton needed to hear. Relying on a record supplied by the Justice Department, Walton said in the hearing that Goodwyn is still engaging “in the same type of rhetoric” that fomented the Jan. 6 violence. He added that he was concerned about Goodwyn spreading “false narratives” when we are “on the heels of another election.”

    Walton merely added the DOJ record to his renewed sentencing conditions.

    Defense counsel then returned to the D.C. Circuit to seek an emergency stay but Judges Florence Pan and Bradley Garcia denied the motion, holding that “Appellant has not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending appeal” to prevent further “false narratives.”

    That drew a pointed dissent from Judge Gregory Katsas who stated:

    Daniel Goodwyn pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(1). Goodwyn entered the Capitol and remained inside for a total of 36 seconds. He did not use force to enter, did not assault police officers, and neither took nor damaged any government property. When police instructed Goodwyn to leave the building, he did so.

    …

    On appeal, this Court vacated the condition … We further instructed the district court, if it wished to impose a new computer- monitoring condition on remand, to “explain its reasoning,” to “develop the record in support of its decision,” and to ensure that the condition complies with section 3583(d) and with the Constitution.

    The district court reimposed the same condition on remand. In an oral hearing, the court said that Goodwyn had made statements on social media that “can be, it seems to me, construed as” urging a repeat of January 6, particularly “on the heels of another election.”  In its written order, the court elaborated on what it called Goodwyn’s “concerning online activity.”  This included posting exhortations to “#StopTheSteal!” and “#FightForTrump,” soliciting donations to fund his travel to Washington, posing for a livestream while inside the Capitol, confirming his presence there by text, and tweeting opinions such as: “They WANT a revolution. They’re proving our point. They don’t represent us. They hate us.” Id. at 3–4. In addressing what the court described as Goodwyn pushing “false narratives” about January 6 after-the-fact, the court, quoting from the government’s brief, led with the fact Goodwyn “sat for an interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News Channel.” Id. at 4. Finally, in concluding that computer monitoring was reasonably related to Goodwyn’s offense, the court reasoned that monitoring would prevent Goodwyn from raising funds to support potential future crimes and would separate him “from extremist media, rehabilitating him.”

    Judge Katsas stated that Goodwyn was likely to prevail on the merits and that his colleagues allowed the denial of First Amendment rights to continue in the interim.

    The Walton order reflects the erosion of support for the First Amendment, even on our courts. It is reminiscent of our previous discussion of how courts have criminalized “toxic ideologies” as part of the crackdown on free speech in the United Kingdom.

    Here is the D.C. Circuit order: United States v. Goodwyn

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 21:00

  • Russian Military Ship Spotted 30 Miles Off Alaska By Coast Guard
    Russian Military Ship Spotted 30 Miles Off Alaska By Coast Guard

    A U.S. Coast Guard cutter on routine patrol around Alaska’s Aleutian Islands came across a Russian military ship in international waters but within the U.S. exclusive economic zone, the AP reported citing US military officials.

    The crew on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley on Monday detected the vessel about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of the Amukta Pass, the Coast Guard said in a Friday statement. A helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak also spotted the vessel.

    The vessel was “transiting in international waters but still inside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone,” which extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the U.S. shoreline, according to the statement.

    The Coast Guard vessel did not communicate with the Russian ship but followed it as it moved east, the statement said.

    “We met presence with presence to ensure there were no disruptions to U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska” Cmdr. Steven Baldovsky, commanding officer of the Alex Haley, said in the statement.

    In July, the Coast Guard while on patrol spotted four Chinese military ships north of the Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands in international waters but also within the U.S. exclusive economic zone, officials said.

    Russian and Chinese bombers later that month flew together for the first time in international airspace off the coast of Alaska, in a new show of expanding military cooperation that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the time raises concerns.

    The flights weren’t seen as a threat, and the bombers were tracked and intercepted by U.S. and Canadian fighter jets. But it was the first time that Chinese bomber aircraft flew within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. And it was the first time Chinese and Russian aircraft took off from the same base in northeast Russia.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 20:25

  • Former RBC CFO Sues For $36 Million After Being Terminated For Alleged Affair With Co-Worker
    Former RBC CFO Sues For $36 Million After Being Terminated For Alleged Affair With Co-Worker

    RBC’s former CFO is suing the bank that terminated her, alleging they made a a “devastating” error in firing her.

    Nadine Ahn was terminated for a relationship with a co-worker, according to BNN Bloomberg, and is now suing in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice denying that she ever had a romantic relationship. 

    She claims in her suit she suffered “palpable reputational harm” and “public humiliation” and is suing for $36 million in pay and damages, the report says. 

    RBC had previously said she was involved in an “undisclosed close personal relationship with another employee which led to preferential treatment of the employee including promotion and compensation increases.” 

    Ahn’s lawsuit details how CEO Dave McKay texted her on April 4, requesting a meeting the next morning.

    When she arrived, McKay was absent, and instead, she faced unexpected questions from a lawyer about her relationship with Ken Mason from the bank’s treasury group. Her laptop and cell phones were also seized, according to the court filing.

    “RBC’s investigator accused Ms. Ahn of providing Mr. Mason with preferential treatment and insinuated that they were having an affair. Ms. Ahn pleads that RBC’s allegations are patently false.” her statement says. 

    BNN reported that Ahn and Mason had been friends since 2013, well before she became CFO, and she argues RBC’s code didn’t require disclosing their friendship, which wasn’t hidden. Mason, who was also fired, has sued the bank, claiming he was “ambushed” by a biased and unfair workplace investigation.

    “RBC opted to make an example of Ken and Ahn by wrongly publicly shaming them in order to project moral righteousness, appearing to swiftly investigate and punish perceived corruption,” Ahn’s filing says. 

    “The clear insinuation of the RBC Statement was that Ken and Ahn had had an extramarital affair and that Ken received career advancement and financial benefits as a result. This insinuation was false and defamatory.”

    A spokesperson for RBC said: “These claims are without merit, and we will vigorously defend against them in court. We conducted a thorough review with an investigation by outside legal counsel and the facts are very clear that there was a significant breach of our Code of Conduct based on the irrefutable evidence collected during the investigation.”

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 19:15

  • The Ardent Pipe-Dreams Of American Voters
    The Ardent Pipe-Dreams Of American Voters

    Authored by Edward Curtin via Off-Guardioan.org,

    To hell with the truth! As the history of the world proves, the truth has no bearing on anything. It’s irrelevant and immaterial, as the lawyers say. The lie of a pipe dream is what gives life to the whole misbegotten mad lot of us, drunk or sober.”

    – Eugene O’Neill, The Iceman Cometh

    Voters in the USA live in fantasy and probably always will.  No matter how obvious it is that the U.S. is an oligarchy, not a democracy, the ardent pipe dreams of a new face in the White House go to their heads every four years.

    It can only be explained by a combination of intellectual ignorance, the acceptance of propaganda, and the embrace of illusions.

    An analogy is apropos. In the small town and vicinity where I live, there are about 10 pot shops where pipe dreams are dispensed. As The Platters sang long ago, “when your heart’s on fire, you must realize smoke gets in your eyes.”  But few realize it.

    Smoke?  What smoke?

    Quadrennially, this love affair with the presidential candidates burns hot and heavy despite their records, as if they were heart throbs of stage and screen, straight from Broadway or Hollywood deeply concerned for the public’s welfare.

    Americans love actors, and the presidential candidates are of course actors, following the directions of the fat cats who produce their shows.  As the grand opening of election day approaches, the supine public is aroused to a fanatical frenzy of excitement from its years’-long sleep by a mass media that spews out drivel to deceive.  It could be said that what the media propagandists digest, the public eats.

    Smoke and mirrors never fail as the electorate’s favorite billionaire-backed candidates – at this point in 2024 Trump and Kamala Harris (but don’t count on it) – spew lie after lie and the mass media faithfully promote the show as if it were an actual contest between good and evil, a grand movie.  The acting is terrible, but the audience is so inflamed they can’t tell.

    “There are unconscious actors among them and involuntary actors; the genuine are always rare, especially genuine actors,” Friedrich Nietzsche told us long ago, alluding to far more than this crude political masquerade – to life itself – urging us to take a deep look at the games we play and love in our politicians because they confirm our illusions.

    In the 2020 election between Joseph Biden and Donald Trump, more than 158 million ballots were cast, a record number that was two-thirds of estimated eligible voters.  That was about seven percentage points higher than in 2016 when Trump and Hillary Clinton faced off.  Each election was supposed to be the most important in “your lifetime.”

    And as everyone knows, the country has gotten more prosperous, healthier and happier, and the world more peaceful, in those eight years of Republican and Democratic rule.

    One can expect more of the same smoke this year as the excitement, titillation, and political lies build to a November 4th crescendo.  Illusions die hard, or to be more accurate – they do not die.

    The Spectacle rolls on.

    Although it might sound uppity, unless people read books that explain how the political and economic system is constructed and how it operates, they have no hope of understanding why the presidential elections are musical chairs played to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy.  Podcasts and talks can be instructive when true, but they don’t stick like words on a page in a book that you have noted and can refer back to.

    But the vast majority of people will not read such books because many can’t read or are too lazy or distracted to take the time to switch off digital media and the mainstream corporate press.  It is only through slow meditative reading and study of the great analytic books about social structure, propaganda, history, capitalism, and political economy that a person can truly grasp the nature of the power elite’s domination of the US government, the mass media, and the White House.

    A soupçon of differences between contestants for the presidency – superficial makeup – is enough to have those caught in the spectacle get worked up into a hot lather of excitement for candidates chosen by the billionaires.  It is an aspect of the mania for celebrity culture.

    One cannot simply imbibe the daily mass media, listen to talking heads, or read books recommended and promoted by The New York Times or some prize committee such as the Booker or Pulitzer prizes. (see the NYT’s Best Sellers here – as if #5 could be as “best” as #1).

    It is no secret that the reading public has been shrinking for years as literacy has waned dramatically.  This is not an accident as the internet, cell phones, and the online life have been pushed by the authorities at every level, including throughout the school system.  (I am not arguing that the voters saw through the electoral charade in the past because the level of cultural literacy was higher.)

    Today, a walk into any local library throughout the country will confirm the sad state of what even those who read books are reading.  The new fiction shelves are filled with books with candy-colored sensationalized covers that evoke bodice-ripping books of old now updated to sound more serious by telling stories of orphans on European trains during WW II, mysterious murders, separated twins, equally evil Nazis and Russians on the prowl, childhood trauma, unfaithful men, etc.  All seemingly NY Times bestsellers, together with the “non-fiction” books within which you would search a long time on the shelves to find a radical critique of the American political system and its propaganda arms.

    This issue of voting and literacy is connected to another key matter.  The American public as a whole does not much care to follow foreign policy and military issues.  That is an understatement.  Once the military draft was ended in January 1973, the public lost interest in who was being killed in America’s wars.  Let foreigners be damned was the unspoken assumption.  It was a stroke of genius by the military-industrial-political complex, for politics has always been about what’s in it for us, and when the military is voluntary and Americans are dying in smaller numbers, people are indifferent to the killing.

    When it comes to politics, the public’s focus is primarily on domestic issues, the economy, health care, taxes, etc., despite the fact that the entire economy is dependent on war and preparations for war and the U.S. has been at war continually for decades.  The U.S spends nearly $900 billion dollars annually on “defense” spending; this is more than China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, the U.K., Germany, France, South Korea, and Japan combined.

    As everyone knows:

    The U.S. is defending itself in Syria where its troops illegally occupy the oilfields in the northeast.

    It is defending itself helping Israel slaughter Palestinians and supporting an expanded Middle Eastern war.

    It is defending itself by attacking Russia via Ukraine and leading the world to nuclear war.

    It is defending itself by provoking China in the South China Sea.

    It is defending itself all over the world with special forces and military bases everywhere because everyone is out to get us.

    It is defending itself always far, far away from its own shores.

    Everyone knows that’s how it goes.

    But facetiousness aside, the voting public either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that the U.S.A. is a warfare state; it’s as simple as that.  Without waging wars, the U.S. economy, as presently constituted, would collapse.  It is an economy based on fantasy and fake money with a national debt over 35 trillion dollars that will never be repaid.  That’s another illusion.  But I am speaking of pipe dreams, am I not?    And whether they choose to be aware of it or not, the vast majority of Americans support this killing machine by their indifference and ignorance of its ramifications throughout the society and more importantly, its effects in death and destruction on the rest of the world.  But that’s how it goes as their focus is on the masked faces that face each other on the stage of the masquerade ball every four years.

    This charade is comical but accepted by so many, and as the Halloween season in a presidential election year in the USA approaches, it becomes most clear.  It’s always a trick until four years elapses and the next poisoned candy treat is offered.

    Get to the polls.  Your life depends on it!

    But there is a big price to be paid – a lesson always too late for the learning – for going to the masquerade ball.  Yet when smoke gets in your eyes…ah, such an exciting time it is!

    “Do you not know there comes a midnight hour when everyone has to throw off his mask?” warned Søren Kierkegaard.

    “Do you believe that life will always let itself be mocked?

    Do you think you can slip away a little before midnight in order to avoid this?

    Or are you not terrified by it?”

     

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 18:40

  • Appeals Court Rules Against ATF's Pistol Brace Ban
    Appeals Court Rules Against ATF’s Pistol Brace Ban

    Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,

    A federal appeals court in North Dakota has found that a rule issued by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that restricts ownership of pistol attachments known as stabilizing braces is “arbitrary and capricious,” ordering a lower court to re-consider a motion that would block enforcement of the brace ban.

    In a 2–1 decision issued on Aug. 9 by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, the majority found that a coalition of 25 Republican attorneys are likely to succeed in their legal challenge against the ATF rule that treats pistols fitted with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles and subjects them to various restrictions.

    “The Final Rule, as a whole, is arbitrary and capricious because it allows the ATF to arrive at whatever conclusion it wishes without ‘adequately explain[ing] the standard on which its decision is based,’” the majority opinion states. “Thus, we conclude the Coalition is likely to succeed on the merits of its challenge.”

    The states and other plaintiffs sued the ATF in February 2023, with U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland in North Dakota declining to grant their motion for a preliminary injunction and block the rule. Arguing that they were unlikely to succeed on the merits, Hovland found that ATF had adequately explained its rulemaking process.

    The majority on the 8th Circuit disagreed, and in their Aug. 9 decision ordered Hovland to reconsider the plaintiffs’ motion for a injunction that would block the ATF rule’s enforcement.

    “We reverse the order denying a preliminary injunction and remand with instructions to reconsider the motion consistent with this opinion,” the judges wrote in the majority opinion.

    Circuit Judge Bobby Shepherd dissented, saying that the panel should have affirmed Hovland’s order because there was no need for a preliminary injunction after the rule was vacated in June by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Texas.

    O’Connor argued in his 12-page decision that the ATF’s rule that treated roughly 99 percent of pistols fitted with the braces as short-barreled rifles violated the Administrative Procedures Act’s procedural requirements because it was not a “logical outgrowth” of the proposed version of the rule.

    “The Court finds that the adaptation of the Final Rule was arbitrary and capricious for two reasons,” O’Connor wrote. “First, the Defendants did not provide a detailed justification for their reversal of the agency’s longstanding position. And second, the Final Rule’s standards are impermissibly vague.”

    The judge granted the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment and ordered the rule vacated.

    The ATF told The Epoch Times that it had no comment on the 8th Circuit ruling.

    Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who were among the 25 attorneys general who challenged the ATF rule, praised the 8th Circuit ruling.

    “This victory upholds Americans’ constitutional rights and stops the Biden-Harris ATF’s illegal attempt to make millions of law-abiding citizens felons overnight,” Bird said in a statement.

    Bailey issued a statement saying: “The Constitution was meant to be a floor, not a ceiling, for our God-given rights. We will continue to do everything in our power to safeguard Missourians’ right to keep and bear arms against encroachment by unelected federal bureaucrats.”

    Stabilizing Braces

    The pistol stabilizing brace, introduced over a decade ago, was designed to aid disabled individuals and others who require assistance when shooting large-format pistols, such as those built on AR-15 platforms. This accessory attaches to the rear of the pistol and the shooter’s forearm, providing a steadier aim for one-handed shooting.

    Restrictions on stabilizing braces have been the subject of intense debate after the ATF proposed them in 2020. Initially, the ATF said in open letters that it did not consider the braces as converting pistols into short-barreled rifles but in the final rule, the agency cited changes in the braces’ design in saying they convert pistols into restricted short-barreled rifles.

    In January 2023, the DOJ announced that it had submitted the final rule to the Federal Register, formalizing the regulation that President Joe Biden advocated for in April 2020 after it was found that a man killed 10 people at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, using a gun with a stabilizing brace.

    The rule went into effect immediately upon publication. Any firearms with stabilizing braces or similar attachments that qualified them under the new rule as short-barreled rifles had to be registered no later than within 120 days, or modified by removing the brace and restored into a regular pistol, or turned into a local ATF office, or destroyed.

    Short-barreled rifles are subject to more strict regulations under the National Firearms Act (NFA), with those found in possession of unregistered NFA firearms can face fines of up to $10,000, 10 years in prison, and a felony conviction that disqualifies them from future firearm ownership.

    The rule faced pushback from Republicans and gun-rights groups like the National Rifle Association, which pointed out they were originally designed for disabled veterans.

    The rule faced several legal challenges. In one of the lawsuits, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals determined in August 2023 that the rule was finalized without giving the public a meaningful chance to comment on it, in violation of the federal Administrative Procedure Act, which sent the case to O’Connor in Texas, who in June this year vacated the rule, setting up a possible U.S. Supreme Court appeal.

    The number of Americans impacted by the ATF’s brace rule is difficult to determine. The ATF estimates that 3 million pistol braces have been sold. Second Amendment advocates say the number is closer to 40 million.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 17:30

  • A Question Of Timing
    A Question Of Timing

    Authored by Jeff Thomas via InternationalMan.com,

    France, 1788.    Russia, 1916.    Germany, 1937.

    These dates have something in common.

    In France in 1788, political conditions had been getting questionable, but there was no apparent need to panic. That came the following year, with the sudden outbreak of the French Revolution. From that point on, it was dangerous even to go out in the streets of Paris. So many people had become enraged, that even if you were not a member of the aristocracy, you could easily become collateral damage.

    And so, it would have been wise if, in 1788, you had decided to pack your bags and remove yourself from the epicentre of what was developing.

    Similarly, in 1916, Russia was at war with the Germans, and the populace was becoming increasingly vocal about the state of the economy. Yet, even the czar believed that the people simply had to accept the situation and muddle through.

    A year later, soldiers were deserting, a host of political wannabes were vying for power and anyone who simply wanted to be left alone to run his own life was now afraid to go out on the streets.

    And of course, in Germany, prior to Kristallnacht in November of 1938, all the warnings were there that the country was beginning to unravel, but virtually everyone assumed that, somehow, things would be all right.

    A year later, Germany was at war with five nations and had invaded three others. People were being rounded up, imprisoned and/or shot. Those who sought to get out of Germany found that they were no longer allowed to do so.

    And history is full of similar cases. In hindsight, the warning signs have always been there: an increasingly autocratic government, increasingly volatile and irrational political struggles, mounting debt, increased taxation, a declining economy and the removal of basic freedoms “for the greater good.”

    In 1929, if you lived in the US, you might have just paid $2,735 for a new Packard Custom 8 Roadster – a means of showing off your recent gains in the stock market. A year later, you might well have offered it for sale for only $100, as, for all your previous price offers, there were no takers. And you, like they, had been wiped out in the crash, and $100 meant the difference between eating and not eating.

    In 1958, you might have been enjoying a daiquiri at El Floridita in Havana and joking to friends about ‘las barbudas’ – the tiny rebel force hiding in the Sierra Madre. A year later, the joking had ended and private businesses like El Floridita had been nationalized by the new government.

    For millennia, the playbook has been the same. Countries that had been wonderful to live in, began to deteriorate from within, and the great majority of residents had failed to read the tea leaves – the warning signs that, in the future, conditions were not going to get better; they were going to get worse.

    But why should this be so?

    Well, in 1787, in the midst of the Scottish Enlightenment that gave rise to Adam Smith, economist and historian Alexander Tytler is credited as having said:

    A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.

    He further noted that the latter stages of any such decline are marked, first, by complacency, then by apathy. The final stage is invariably one of bondage.

    In some cases of collapse, the country is taken over by an outside force, but invariably, as stated above, the rot always starts from within. It’s simply human nature for the majority of any population, when passing through challenging times, to fall prey to promises that, somehow, a change in the form of government can and will result in the elimination of problematic conditions.

    But how do those who make such claims sell their ideas? Do they suggest that everyone should work harder and practice a greater level of abnegation?

    Well, no. Although such people may exist and may even become outspoken, they are, historically, never the individuals whom the majority of the population follow. Invariably, the majority (having become complacent and pathetic), choose those who promise to take from one group and share the spoils amongst those who are less productive.

    As illogical as this promise is, most people, even if they doubt the reality of the claim, tend to think, “Well, it couldn’t be any worse. I might get something, so let’s give it a try.”

    A very simple case in point is the Bahamas election of 1967, in which Bahamians elected their first ‘man of the people’ as their premier. Under his rhetoric of ‘Bahamas for Bahamians,’ he promised the large underclass of Bahamians that he would take the top jobs away from the British bankers and other business leaders and that the spoils would go to the average Bahamian.

    Of particular interest were the luxury vehicles driven by successful businessmen. Bahamians in their thousands imagined that the senior staff in banks would be fired, that they themselves would be given the jobs… and the fancy Jaguar Saloons.

    And that did happen to some extent. Those who were loyal to Prime Minister Lynden Pindling did move up to management positions overnight – positions for which they were not qualified. Not surprisingly, they were unable to learn decades of knowledge overnight. They subsequently either lost their new jobs, or the banks lost business on a massive scale.

    And the Jaguars? Well, it turned out that there were thousands of Bahamians for every Jaguar that existed, and for 99.9%, there would be no previously imagined spoils.

    Instead, their lives soon headed south in the coming months and years, as wealth flowed away from the Bahamas, most of it never to return.

    In other countries the details have often been quite a bit more complex, but the scenario and the outcome have been the same.

    Once the warning signs begin to appear, it’s important to remember that, historically, the process never reverses itself. An apathetic population is not one that will suddenly decide to roll up its sleeves and get the country, once again, on a productive footing.

    Invariably, the population jumps on the toboggan of empty promises and rides it downhill until it reaches the economic bottom.

    And so, circumventing such a situation becomes a question of timing. When it becomes clear that the telltale signs are reappearing once again, those who are wise will acknowledge that the sands are running out and it’s time to move on.

    The signs tend to be the same in any locale, in any era. They’re quite easy to see. The difficult part is choosing to make an exit whilst it’s still easy to do so.

    *  *  *

    Unfortunately, there’s little any individual can practically do to change the trajectory of broke governments in need of more cash. There are still steps you can take to ensure you survive the turmoil with your money intact. That’s precisely why bestselling author Doug Casey and his colleagues just released an urgent new PDF report that explains what could come next and what you can do about it. Click here to download it now.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 16:55

  • Zelensky Blames Russia, Goads Western Allies, After Fire Breaks Out At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant
    Zelensky Blames Russia, Goads Western Allies, After Fire Breaks Out At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant

    Just hours before futures in the US open, troubling news has surfaced on X that Ukraine’s Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant’s cooling tower has caught fire. 

    At first, several X users that identified as “OSINT”—or open-source intelligence—pointed out the fire developing at the largest nuclear power plant in Europe (able to generate 6,000 megawatts for four million homes). 

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    About 15 minutes later, around 1500 ET, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on X that “Russian occupiers have started a fire on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.”

    Zelensky continued:

    Currently, radiation levels are within norm. However, as long as the Russian terrorists maintain control over the nuclear plant, the situation is not and cannot be normal.

    Since the first day of its seizure, Russia has been using the Zaporizhzhia NPP only to blackmail Ukraine, all of Europe, and the world.

    We are waiting for the world to react, waiting for the IAEA to react. Russia must be held accountable for this. Only Ukrainian control over the Zaporizhzhia NPP can guarantee a return to normalcy and complete safety.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Zaporizhzhia NPP has come under shelling and drone attacks in the past. The United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has issued numerous warnings about the plant dangerously close to suffering an accident or attack. 

    According to Russian state-controlled Russia Today, the fire at Zaporizhzhia NPP’s cooling systems facility was the direct “result of Ukrainian shelling of Energodar city – local authorities.” At this moment, it really depends on the source for who is responsible for the fire. Welcome to the ‘fog of war’. 

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    AFP News cited Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed governor of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, who said the fire at the cooling system was a result of shelling of the town of Energodar by the Ukrainian armed forces.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Data from the Joint Research Centre of Radioactivity Environment Monitoring (view here) shows radiation levels are still normal despite the ongoing incident. 

    In April, Goldman’s Borislav Vladimirov told clients, “Sabotage or failure at the NPP Zaporizhzhia. Situated on the front line of the war in Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest of its type in Europe, poses ongoing risks not only due to the threat of Russian sabotage, but also to the gradual deterioration of the facility due to poor maintenance and extreme (war-zone) operating conditions.”

    The fire at the Zaporizhzhia NPP coincides with the recent deployment of Ukrainian fourth-generation F-16 fighter jets in the air along the frontline in the southern Kherson region, according to Newsweek. Additionally, Ukrainian forces have seized the “Sudzha” gas metering station, one of the last remaining Russian pipelines still delivering NatGas to Europe through Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine has been intensifying suicide drone missions targeting Russian energy infrastructure. 

    In markets, well, crypto at the moment, since futures are closed, the first response by algos has been to dump Bitcoin and Ethereum.

    *This story is developing…  Please check back for updates. 

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 16:20

  • Secret Service Apologizes For Picking Lock, Breaking Into Local Salon After Covering-Up Security Cam
    Secret Service Apologizes For Picking Lock, Breaking Into Local Salon After Covering-Up Security Cam

    The Secret Service has apologized to a Massachusetts salon owner after her security camera showed individuals breaking into her business to use the bathroom while on assignment for a nearby VP Kamala Harris fundraiser.

    Berkshires salon owner Alicia Powers says someone picked her lock and broke into her store to use the bathroom after a Secret Service officer covered a camera with tape.

    Those using the bathroom included a pair in emergency medical uniforms, while a person in a camouflage law enforcement uniform and another in a dark suit with a white shirt could be seen guarding the door.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsAccording to the NY Post:

    A Secret Service rep was adamant that agents would not break into buildings like that — but did not deny that an officer covered her camera with tape, an act that was captured by surveillance footage, and appeared to cop some sort of mea culpa in a statement.

    “The Secret Service has since communicated with the affected business owner. We hold these relationships in the highest regard and our personnel would not enter, or instruct our partners to enter, a business without the owner’s permission,” said spox Melissa McKenzie.

    According to Business Insider, the head of the Secret Service’s Boston-based field office called the salon owner to apologize.

    “He said to me everything that was done was done very wrong,” said Powers. “They were not supposed to tape my camera without permission. They were not supposed to enter the building without permission.”

    According to Powers, the incident took place on July 27, prior to Harris’ first major in-person fundraiser since President Biden announced he was dropping out of the race. The salon is held behind the Colonial Theatre, where Harris’ event was held. She added that her salon was closed before the fundraiser due to the chaotic security presence.

    “They had a bunch of people in and out of here doing a couple of bomb sweeps again — totally understand what they have to do, due to the nature of the situation,” she told Insider. “And at that point, my team felt like it was a little bit chaotic, and we just made the decision to close for Saturday.”

    After the tape was placed on the camera, her interior cameras detected four other people over a 90 minute span.

    “There were several people in and out for about an hour and a half — just using my bathroom, the alarms going off, using my counter, with no permission,” she told the outlet. “And then when they were done using the bathroom for two hours, they left and left my building completely unlocked and did not take the tape off the camera.

    “Whoever was visiting, whether it was a celebrity or not, I probably would’ve opened the door and made them coffee and brought in donuts to make it a great afternoon for them,” she said. “But they didn’t even have the audacity to ask for permission. They just helped themselves.”

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 15:45

  • Bitcoin Is Change Management
    Bitcoin Is Change Management

    Authored by Kane KcGukin via The Mesh Point,

    For the past few years, after every Bitcoin Conference, I take time to reflect on my learnings and observations. What did I see, and what does it mean for Bitcoin’s future and the broader financial system?

    Unfortunately, this year, Bitcoin’s main event was hijacked by politicians.

    Their presence was so pervasive it degraded the ability to float freely, meet people, and learn from the vast set of stages talking about all things Bitcoin. On the one hand, it’s not exactly a surprise that political interests are laser focused on Bitcoin. On the other hand, it’s difficult to witness Bitcoin being used as a pandering tool.

    As with any setback, we must ask ourselves. What is the opportunity? Where is the signal amongst the noise?

    Bitcoin Is Much More Than “Number Go Up”

    In all honesty, the “number go up” narrative is one of the most fiat-brained ideas in Bitcoin. That doesn’t mean the show can’t go on. The conference this year proved Bitcoin will outlast longer any naysaying from TradFi skeptics.

    Bill Mill IV summed them up nicely: “Most people work for somebody else… even if you believe in Bitcoin and you buy on behalf of somebody else, or one of your bosses doesn’t like it. You’re done. You’re head’s chopped off. Whereas, if it goes right, and somebody that you work for didn’t like it; you get a begrudging pat on the back. So, everything comes down to incentives.”

    So, why is there such confidence in Bitcoin? Because of three things:

    1. The Nakamoto Stage opening presentation.

    2. The focus on Bitcoin as a solution to our energy infrastructure problem.

    3. Edward Snowden, 4th Turnings, and the power of paradigm shifts

    Mastering Strategic Thinking

    To kick off the conference, on the Nakamoto main stage, was Sophie von Laer’s talk: Mastering Strategic Thinking & Leading Bitcoin Companies Effectively.

    What stood out most was it felt like a subtle psychological prep for what is to come and what types of individuals will be recruited to lead the charge. The talk felt like a high-level intelligence briefing, with its nuanced linguistic framing and psychological messaging. While I can’t say for certain if this was intentional, the theme became increasingly apparent over the next few hours and days.

    There was a heavy government influence throughout Bitcoin 2024. Whether it be Trump, one of the numerous politicians, or Edward Snowden it was made clear that Bitcoin’s network would be a pivotal tool for decades to come.

    Sophie’s descriptions of a Strategic Maverick, the strategic mindset, new paradigms, and the necessity of disconnection to achieve connection, felt very foretelling of what will be required for the chaos we’re living through (see 4th Turning).

    Her thoughts on how we program and condition leaders seemed to outline an expectation for Bitcoiners who will inevitably partner with political forces as they bare down.

    The framing around “thinking about not just your own needs but the needs of those around you” sounded much more moral, principled, and unifying than the divisiveness of our current DEI handbook.

    • Strategic Plan = continuous improvement and evolution

    • Strategic Alliance = it takes a village, a tribe

      • “Knowing the intersection of the things going on around you.”

    • Adaptive Resilience = manage change effectively

      • “Culture that fosters the change that is going on.”

    • Positive Psychology = focus on the things you do well in life.

      • A culture that thinks together becomes more coherent. We’ve got a lot of work to do based on where we stand today.

    Strategic Maverick’s understand Adaptive Resilience: “The period of rest after change allows you to become the thing you want. Someone truly becomes adaptive in this time.” A framing, or warning? It seemed fitting for Bitcoin and Bitcoiners alike, amid this paradigm shift.

    Bitcoin: an Energy Infrastructure Solution

    Beyond politics, Bitcoin’s role in revamping the US energy infrastructure was a major focus of the conference. The recurring theme was that we are still early in this new paradigm.

    Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty made a great point in his talk when he highlighted that post-WWII was about expanding people, goods, and energy use in the US. To continue to support all that growth, we need more energy efficiency. And, caught in the middle of all the economic growth and the increasing energy demand is our money.

    Bitcoin miners provide solutions to both monetary and energy challenges. They help balance energy use and, more importantly, generate revenue for utility companies by purchasing excess energy that would otherwise be wasted. As Harry Sudock succinctly put it, “Revenue cures everything.”

    What better way to solve an energy issue than with machines that can switch on and off, easily balancing our stressed grid?

    These machines provide revenue during periods that would otherwise be unprofitable. Additionally, they offer the flexibility to shut down during peak energy consumption, preventing the drain on scarce power.

    Our modern economy relies heavily on advanced technologies. As we move forward, we’ll require significant updates and optimizations to our energy infrastructure, networks, and server farms. Each of these technologies has an exponential energy component. Bitcoin is the only solution that computes both money and energy in exponential form.

    Edward Snowden: “Cast a Vote, Don’t Join a Cult”

    Snowden’s greatest point was dousing cold water on the political parade. He attempted to bring us back down to earth a bit by offering several reminders that neither political party is as much your friend, as they are just out to get Bitcoiners to love them. Citing past behaviors, he urged us to remain caustious with this quote:

    “for in every country of the world, I believe, the avarice and injustice of princes and sovereign states, abusing the confidence of their subjects, have by degrees diminished the real quantity of metal, which had been originally contained in their coins.” -Adam Smith

    Edward reminded us that technologies have historically been designed to benefit “them”, organizations and politicians. This perspective makes it easier to envision a future where privacy diminishes as quickly as we can now connect, considering the six degrees of separation.

    He touched briefly on the moral dilemma we face. Reminding us that our internal system feels broken, because of our broken money. With political interference, we may have started a new version of the same game, but with new rules. In this game, we should all be prepared to make difficult decisions.

    Among many enlightening quotes Snowden made, I thought these two are worth remembering:

    “We are competing constantly and cooperating rarely. We need to change that.”

    “The internet is broken because the institution is competing against the individual, and the individual against another individual.”

    Peter Theil made reference to the idea behind the first quote in his book Zero to One, and the second quote offered powerful insights to the situation we’re watching unfold.

    Tying it All Together

    The message was clear throughout Bitcoin 2024 we are headed for a paradigm shift on the other side of this 4th turning, and the Bitcoin tribe is believed to have the leaders that will shape the culture of our future.

    Bitcoin is now mainstream. It’s still early in the adoption phase, but the Bitcoin network will be a crucial tool for our future.

    How that future is shaped, and Bitcoin’s role in our financial system, will depend on which side of the aisle gains control and how they choose to use it. Will it be an asset and means to rebuild our aging energy infrastructure or is it just another monitoring device? Only time will tell.

    *  *  *

    Get on the Bombthrower mailing list here and receive a free copy of The Crypto Capitalist Manifesto and The CBDC Survival Guide when it drops.   Subscribe to Kane McGukin’s Substack here.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 15:10

  • ATF Dispatched After McMansion Explodes Near Baltimore
    ATF Dispatched After McMansion Explodes Near Baltimore

    A McMansion in Harford County, Maryland, exploded on Sunday morning, resulting in one fatality at the 2300 block of Arthur Woods Drive in Bel Air.

    Harford County Fire and EMS Association spokesman Jeffrey Sexton told WBAL TV that emergency dispatchers received a call early this morning reporting a natural gas leak at the house. Shortly after, their hotlines were flooded with reports of an explosion. 

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    Local utility company Baltimore Gas and Electric was aware of the NatGas leak, and contractors were on-site at the time of the explosion that obliterated the house and damaged surrounding structures in the neighborhood.

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    “This is one of the largest explosions I’ve seen, especially in Harford County,” Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire told WBAL.

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    Emergency officials said one of the workers and a neighbor were injured. The deceased victim’s identity has not been released. 

    The home was for sale at the time. Investigators are still trying to determine whether the homeowner was inside during the incident. 

    Alkire added that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is en route to the scene. 

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 14:35

  • Imagine There's No Carry, It's Easy If You Try
    Imagine There’s No Carry, It’s Easy If You Try

    By Peter Tchir of Academy Securities

    What were we thinking about markets last weekend?

    In some ways, that seems like an obvious question, since the S&P 500 finished the week unchanged!

    On the other hand, it might seem like a crazy question, since you heard more about the yen carry trade than you ever wanted to hear, and saw stocks decline sharply on Monday (with lots of “crash” chatter), only to be followed later in the week with the best day for the S&P 500 since 2022.

    Despite last week’s volatility, it seems easiest to start with where we were last weekend.

    The Plodding Fed. We focused largely on how the Fed seems to be basing policy on some data of dubious quality (birth/death model on jobs, and OER on inflation). We stuck to our theme that very little de-risking had occurred and more pain was to come (we also paid some attention, though clearly not enough, to the yen carry trade). It is worth pointing out that on Wednesday of the prior week, the S&P 500 was up over 2% after the FOMC, so, yes, this week’s rally was impressive, but we had a similar one before and it didn’t prevent the “excitement” of this week.

    We think that last weekend’s report is relevant, and worth reading if you didn’t get to it before the “fun” began on Sunday night.

    Sunday night saw the yen gap stronger, and stocks, stock futures, and crypto drop significantly. By Monday morning, the weekend T-Report had to be supplanted with Margin Call Monday. We did our best to analyze what was going on in markets. Without a doubt, we finally had some serious de-risking.

    Turnaround Tuesday fizzled, as did another bounce on Wednesday, but Thursday had no such problem as apparently, at least in part, a small (probably statistically insignificant) drop in new unemployment claims combined with some strong earnings sent stocks soaring. As we wrote on Thursday, that rally was unlikely to fade, as even my mother knew that every rally faded, and that is usually a good contrarian signal.

    But that leads me to the question, and the main reason for today’s title, how much did market positioning change?

    Imagine There’s No Carry Trade, It’s Easy if You Try

    One thing that I think we can safely argue is that there is very little positioning left in the yen carry trade. Anyone who didn’t get stopped out by now is unlikely to close out trades unless we get another monster move. It seems difficult to believe that much money was put to work creating new yen carry trades even at the now “attractive” levels and with a “pledge” from the BOJ not to raise rates while markets are volatile.

    So, one difference is this yen carry trade has largely been removed from the system and has not been replaced. That is good for risk and for calming markets.

    How Much De-Risking Occurred in the “Panic”

    That is really the biggest question of all. Bulls seem to be of the opinion that we had “panic,” and the market is all set for clear sailing from here.

    We concede that the yen carry trade should no longer be an issue. On the other hand, I would argue that there was very little panic as a whole. We focused on the alleged panic in Did the VIX Hit 65?

    We argue quite vehemently (and hopefully convincingly) that there was no panic in the volatility markets. Fear, yes. Some new hedges added, yes. But panic, no. We focus on the VIX futures market, since it actually trades, and people actually risk money in the VIX futures market, unlike the VIX calculation, which is just that, a calculation (a complex and sometimes, like Monday morning, weird calculation heavily influenced by wide bid/offers on “lottery” ticket types of options).

    I highly encourage you to read that particular T-Report, partly because it is contentious, but it also forms the crux of our argument that we had no panic, just some fear.

    The working premise is:

    • Some de-risking occurred Monday, as stops were triggered, vol sellers got scared away, etc.
    • While de-risking occurred, there was no panic.
    • That by the end of the week, away from the yen carry trade, much of the de-risking had turned to re-risking.

    On a scale of 1 to 10 on how at risk markets were going into last week, with 10 being the most risky, we were probably sitting at a 7 or 8. By Monday lunchtime, it had dropped to a 5 or so, as prices had dropped too quickly, and the move was too closely tied to a trade that once unwound, wouldn’t act like a catalyst again.

    By Tuesday, we were back to a 6 or 7 as we saw clear evidence, not only of no panic, but also of investors re-risking. By Thursday’s close, we were back to an 8 on risk, as people piled into risk as the belief that the worst was behind us became consensus.

    Why We Are As Bearish This Weekend as We Were Last Weekend

    The bearish case boils down to this:

    • The narrative that there was panic is overblown. There was some fear, but it was nowhere near the level of panic, and if anything, we’ve pivoted back to complacency.
    • We learned very little about the economy last week, and we fully expect to see weak economic data once again hammering home recession fears (with a Fed that will be reluctant to act, due to what we believe are overblown inflation concerns).
    • We need to get through a few more important earnings calls, which no longer seem to create an almost obligatory bounce in the important stocks and major averages.
    • The 10-year Treasury yield is back to 3.94% (thankfully) and has the potential to rise more as the campaigns move on to discuss policies, and it was quite clear from the lack of demand at the Treasury auctions that the move to much lower yields had been technical.
    • Nothing about the geopolitical landscape has improved and many of the risks of escalation and expansion remain out there.

    It is possible that no catalyst occurs to drive stocks lower, but we see plenty of potential catalysts, ready to spark another wave of selling. Positioning is once again too bullish and susceptible to a rapid pullback. Finally, liquidity is abysmal – in BOTH directions, which is dangerous and why we are comfortable not giving too much credence to Thursday’s rally.

    Bottom Line

    What a wild week, but little was resolved, and we are back to bearish stocks, a bit worried about credit, and largely comfortable with bond yields (though we’d like to see 10s back above 4.1%, but that is unlikely if we get the weak economic data that we are looking for).

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 14:00

  • "It Didn't Sound Like Joe Biden": Pelosi Questions Dropout Letter As Biden Fingers Her In Ouster
    “It Didn’t Sound Like Joe Biden”: Pelosi Questions Dropout Letter As Biden Fingers Her In Ouster

    In his first interview since he was very clearly ousted from the 2024 race, President Biden specifically mentioned former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) – telling CBS News Sunday Morning that Democrats in the House and Senate thought he would drag down the entire party’s chances of reelection.

    “A number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races. And I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic — you’d be interviewing me about why did Nancy Pelosi say [something] … and I thought it’d be a real distraction,” said Biden.

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    “When I ran the first time, I thought of myself as being a transition president. I can’t even say how old I am — it’s hard for me to get out of my mouth,” he continued, adding that it was a combination of those factors, along with the priority of “maintaining this democracy,” that steered ‘his’ decision, the NY Post reports.

    Pelosi, meanwhile, is acting very strange about the whole thing – suggesting that Biden’s letter announcing his withdrawal from the race wasn’t written by him. (duh)

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    As modernity.news reported last week, it was widely reported that Pelosi told Biden that he could either step down “the easy way” or be removed “the hard way.” Biden is apparently furious with her, as mentioned by interviewer Lesley Stahl in this clip.

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    She didn’t need to call anyone.

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    It’s fairly obvious what happened – and now Pelosi is overcompensating with absurd suggestions, like adding Biden to Mount Rushmore. 

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    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 13:25

  • ActBlue Tightens Donation Security Requirements Amid Investigations
    ActBlue Tightens Donation Security Requirements Amid Investigations

    Authored by Darlene McCormick Sanchez via The Epoch Times,

    ActBlue agreed to tighten its donation security requirements, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who, along with other Republican-controlled states and a congressional committee, is investigating the Democratic fundraising platform.

    Paxton said in an Aug. 8 statement that ActBlue has cooperated with the Texas investigation and will now require CVV codes for credit card contributions.

    One primary focus of the Texas probe launched in December 2023 involved ActBlue’s failure to require donors to provide CVV codes, which are numerical codes printed on credit cards commonly used to combat credit card fraud.

    “ActBlue has been the subject of numerous allegations of illicit activity, including that its platform may enable fraud,” the statement said.

    Paxton said his office issued a supplemental civil investigative demand in his ongoing probe to obtain additional information relevant to allegations of wrongdoing regarding ActBlue.

    Enforcing the law surrounding elections and campaign contributions is critical, he said.

    “Certain features of campaign finance law may incentivize bad actors to use platforms like ActBlue to covertly move money to political campaigns to evade legal requirements,” Paxton said.

    State attorneys general from Virginia, Wyoming, and Missouri have launched similar investigations into ActBlue.

    ActBlue has denied wrongdoing.

    “This investigation is nothing more than a partisan political attack and scare tactic to undermine the power of Democratic and progressive small-dollar donors,” the organization said in a statement on Aug. 2 as Virginia announced its investigation.

    Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) speaks at a hearing with the House Administration subcommittee on Elections in Washington on June 24, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

    Republicans have resorted to “political attacks and spreading false accusations” because they can’t accept that millions of Democrats are donating, according to the group’s statement.

    ActBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

    On the federal level, Rep. Bryan Steil, (R-Wis.) chairman of the House Administration Committee, initiated a probe into ActBlue last fall amid allegations it facilitated illegal contributions to political committees nationwide.

    In an Aug. 5 news release, Steil asked the FEC to require political campaigns to verify online donors’ CVV codes and stop taking donations via prepaid credit cards and gift cards.

    In March 2023, O’Keefe Media Group reported that senior citizens in Maryland and elsewhere denied making all the donations attributed to them in Federal Election Commission records.

    Donors contacted by O’Keefe Media Group said they made political contributions to ActBlue but had no knowledge of making what amounted to thousands of donations—with some totaling more than $200,000— in a few years.

    The media group found similar anomalies in data from WinRed, a Republican platform similar to ActBlue. The House Administration Committee does not appear to be investigating the WinRed fundraising organization.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 12:50

  • Plagiarizing Trump, Copycat Kamala Promises No Tax On Tips
    Plagiarizing Trump, Copycat Kamala Promises No Tax On Tips

    At a Saturday rally in Las Vegas just three weeks into her campaign, Kamala Harris “stole” one of Donald Trump’s defining policy stances – promising to abolish federal income taxes on tips if elected. While right-wing social media reacted by vaulting #CopyCatKamala to the top of Twitter’s politics trending list, tax-savvy observers sighed, knowing the policy is riddled with drawbacks.  

    Harris didn’t just steal the idea, she even copied Trump’s choice of where to announce it, as the former president also unveiled the idea in Vegas on June 9th. That makes sense, given the hospitality-heavy city’s high proportion of voters working in tipped jobs. 

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    Trump quickly took to Truth Social to ridicule Harris for parroting his proposal and cast doubt on whether she’s serious about it:

    From a pure retail-politics point of view, Trump’s proposal was brilliant, as it outflanked the Democrats in appealing directly to low-income, working class people. Rather than contest the position, Team Harris decided to simply neutralize its benefit to Trump by removing it as a voting-booth differentiator.

    Yet, as tech entrepreneur and investor David Sacks noted on X: “The entire narrative of the Harris campaign is that she represents something fresh and new. She just shattered that by blatantly copying Trump’s “no tax on tips.” 

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    And with no accomplishments from the Biden-Harris administration to ride on, Harris and her handlers have resorted to plagiarism. At the same time, corporate media is turning a blind eye to the fact that she hasn’t given a single unscripted interview since announcing her run.

    Prior to Harris jumping on the bandwagon, Nevada’s two senators — both Democrats — voiced their own support for the concept. Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz introduced a “No Tax On Tips Act” to make the idea a reality, and Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds offered a companion House bill, while Reps. Thomas Massie and Matt Gaetz offered a “Tax Free Tips Act of 2024” with different specifics.

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    While the concept has a great ring to it, its actual application could have an underwhelming effect on the working class and some unintended consequences for many others. As Tax Foundation senior policy analyst Alex Muresianu wrote in July:

    “The policy would be poorly targeted at low- and middle-income earners, given the relatively small share of the population working in tipped occupations. Worse, the exemption itself, and any safeguards added, would add to the complexity of the tax code overall.”

    Only 2.5% of American workers earn tips, and just 5% of the bottom quartile of earners, Muresianu noted, citing the work of the Yale Budget Lab. Then there’s the fact that many tip-income workers pay little or no federal income taxes as it is, thanks to the standard deduction and credits like the child tax credit and earned income tax credit (EITC).

    For those who do make enough to pay federal income tax, the “no tax on tips” idea is another example of politicians picking winners and losers, with a waitress making $34,000 getting a huge break while a cashier with the same total earnings getting left out. 

    Source: Tax Foundation “Frustrated With Tipping? No Tax On Tips Could Make It Worse”

    That brings us to an important question about policy specifics — just which taxes would tips be exempt from? Under the Cruz-Donalds “No Tax On Tips Act,” tips would be spared from federal income tax, but remain subject to the payroll tax that purportedly funds Social Security and Medicare. The Massie-Gaetz offering would exempt tips from both flavors of government theft.  

    On the knowingly false assumption that tax-free tips wouldn’t alter behavior of labor market participants, the cost of the proposal might be around $107 billion over 10 years. However, making a certain kind of income at least income-tax-free will offer a powerful incentive to shift compensation in that direction, including many occupations where tips are currently nonexistent. 

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    “One could imagine a scenario in which, say, highly compensated lawyers or accountants begin to receive some of their income as voluntary tips,” cautioned Muresianu. Congress could try heading that off by imposing income limits and other restrictions on the exemption, but that would only further complicate an already Byzantine tax code. An increase to the standard deduction would offer a simpler and more even-handed avenue for easing tax pressure on the working class. 

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    If all that isn’t enough to give you pause about “no taxes on tips,” consider how many more places — dentist offices, auto shops, florists, groceries — where you might have a cashier spinning one of those touch-screens around and asking you to choose how much you want to tip.  

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    Good point…

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    Another zinger. 

    Next thing you’ll know…

    What else will Harris plagiarize before the September 10th debate with Trump?

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    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 12:15

  • Appeals Court Blocks Key Parts Of Biden's Student Loan Relief Plan
    Appeals Court Blocks Key Parts Of Biden’s Student Loan Relief Plan

    Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,

    A federal appeals court has issued an order blocking key parts of the federal government’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) student loan forgiveness plan, replacing an earlier temporary administrative stay with an injunction that lays out specific prohibitions that will remain in force until the court issues a final ruling on the matter or until the Supreme Court intervenes.

    The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on Aug. 9 ruled against the Department of Education’s (DOE) student loan forgiveness plan, largely granting an injunction requested by seven GOP-led states of a district court order that they say didn’t go far enough in blocking the program.

    The SAVE plan, which aimed to lower monthly payments for millions of borrowers and speed up loan forgiveness for some, has been a point of contention since its introduction, drawing legal challenges from several states.

    The latest order halts key aspects of the program while the legal battle continues.

    The Eighth Circuit’s partial injunction prohibits the Biden administration from forgiving any principal or interest on loans under the SAVE plan, blocks provisions that would prevent interest from accruing on loans, and disallows borrowers from making very low or $0 monthly payments based on their income.

    The federal government is “enjoined from any further forgiveness of principal or interest, from not charging borrowers accrued interest, and from further implementing SAVE’s payment-threshold provisions,” the judges wrote. The injunction will remain in effect until further order of the Eighth Circuit or the U.S. Supreme Court, the judges stated.

    An initial ruling by a district court in Missouri partially blocked the SAVE plan but allowed other key parts to continue. The Eighth Circuit Court noted in its Aug. 9 order that the government adapted to the district court ruling by creating a hybrid plan that continued loan forgiveness in a different form, effectively undermining the district court’s injunction.

    The hybrid plan meant that the lower court’s injunction only delayed loan forgiveness from 10 to 20 years and that borrowers could still get their loans fully forgiven after 20 years, even if they’ve made zero payments each month.

    The Biden administration appealed the district court injunction, while the coalition of Republican-led states cross-appealed, seeking an expanded injunction. In response, the Eighth Circuit issued a decision on July 18 that granted the states’ emergency motion for an administrative stay, temporarily halting the implementation of the entire SAVE plan.

    The Eighth Circuit then ruled on Aug. 9 to replace the administrative stay with a superseding injunction, siding with the district court’s finding that the plaintiffs have a “fair chance” of winning their argument on the merits because the sheer magnitude of the Biden administration’s debt relief plan.

    Estimated to forgive around $475 billion in student loans, the SAVE plan likely exceeds the scope of congressionally authorized income-driven repayment plans.

    The partial injunction only blocks the more controversial parts of the SAVE plan, such as faster forgiveness and non-accrual of interest, while allowing the federal government to continue offering income-driven repayment options to borrowers, just under stricter terms. The judges recognized that some aspects of the SAVE Plan, which were challenged as overreach, may exceed the government’s authority. However, other elements are within the permissible scope of income-driven repayment programs authorized by Congress.

    Education Secretary Miguel Cardona issued a statement expressing opposition to the appellate court’s decision.

    “I strongly disagree with the Eighth Circuit’s decision blocking our Administration’s SAVE plan,” he said in a post on X, adding that borrowers currently enrolled in the program will be placed in an interest-free forbearance, the details of which would be announced by the DOE in the coming days.

    Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey voiced support for the decision to grant an injunction.

    “This court order is a stark reminder to the Biden–Harris Administration that Congress did not grant them the authority to saddle working Americans with $500 billion in someone else’s Ivy League debt,“ he said in a statement. ”This is a huge win for every American who still believes in paying their own way.”

    Despite the injunction, the federal government can still implement the broader structure of income-driven repayment under the SAVE plan, meaning that borrowers can still make payments that are calculated based on their income and family size.

    Further, the injunction indicates that all borrowers currently impacted by the Eighth Circuit Court’s administrative stay are allowed to remain in administrative forbearance and are thus not required to pay principal or interest on their loans. Also, borrowers who have remained in PAYE and REPAYE plans are not impacted, and the coalition of states that challenged the SAVE plan “cannot turn back the clock on any loans that have already been forgiven.”

    Another federal judge in Kansas had also blocked parts of the SAVE plan. However, a different federal appeals court, the Denver-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, put part of that decision on hold. A group of Republican-led states have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate that injunction.

    In an earlier emailed statement to The Epoch Times, a DOE spokesperson said that Congress gave the department the authority to define the terms of income-driven repayment plans in 1993 and that the SAVE plan is the fourth time the agency has used that authority.

    The spokesperson added that the Biden administration “won’t stop fighting to provide support and relief to borrowers across the country—no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us.”

    The Education Department said recently that it had already granted $5.5 billion to 414,000 borrowers through the SAVE plan.

    The administration has estimated that the program would cost taxpayers around $156 billion over a decade, while Republican attorneys general argued that its true cost will amount to around $475 billion.

    The Eighth Circuit wrote in its Aug. 9 decision that a budget model by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania estimated that the program would cost $475 billion, while siding with the Kansas district court’s finding that the Biden administration’s expansion of the income-driven repayment plans from a program costing roughly $15 billion to $475 billion “expands agency authority to such an extent that it alters it.”

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 08/11/2024 – 11:40

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Aug 11

Today’s News 11th August 2024

  • Russiagate Continues To Survive Like A Sci-Fi Monster Resilient To Bullets
    Russiagate Continues To Survive Like A Sci-Fi Monster Resilient To Bullets

    Authored by Ray McGovern via Consortium News,

    Russiagate continues to survive like a science fiction monster resilient to bullets.   

    The latest effort at rehabilitating it is an interview by Adam Rawnsley in the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine of one Michael van Landingham, an intelligence analyst who is proud of having written the first draft of the cornerstone “analysis” of Russiagate, the so-called Intelligence Community Assessment.

    The ICA blamed the Russians for helping Trump defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016.  It was released two weeks before Trump assumed office. The thoroughly politicized assessment was an embarrassment to the profession of intelligence.

    President-elect Donald Trump on post-election victory tour in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Dec. 16, 2016. Flickr

    Worse, it was consequential in emasculating Trump to prevent him from working for a more decent relationship with Russia.

    In July 2018, Ambassador Jack Matlock (the last U.S. envoy to the Soviet Union), was moved to write his own stinging assessment of the “Assessment” under the title: “Former US Envoy to Moscow Calls Intelligence Report on Alleged Russian Interference ‘Politically Motivated.’” 

    In January 2019, I wrote the following about the ICA: 

    “A glance at the title of the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) (which was not endorsed by the whole community) — ‘Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections’ — would suffice to show that the widely respected and independently-minded State Department intelligence bureau should have been included. State intelligence had demurred on several points made in the Oct. 2002 Estimate on Iraq, and even insisted on including a footnote of dissent.

    James Clapper, then director of national intelligence who put together the ICA, knew that all too well. So he evidently thought it would be better not to involve troublesome dissenters, or even inform them what was afoot.

    Similarly, the Defense Intelligence Agency should have been included, particularly since it has considerable expertise on the G.R.U., the Russian military intelligence agency, which has been blamed for Russian hacking of the DNC emails.

    But DIA, too, has an independent streak and, in fact, is capable of reaching judgments Clapper would reject as anathema. …

    With help from the Times and other mainstream media, Clapper, mostly by his silence, was able to foster the charade that the ICA was actually a bonafide product of the entire intelligence community for as long as he could get away with it. After four months it came time to fess up that the ICA had not been prepared, as Secretary Clinton and the media kept claiming, by ‘all 17 intelligence agencies.’

    In fact, Clapper went one better, proudly asserting — with striking naiveté — that the ICA writers were ‘handpicked analysts’ from only the F.B.I., C.I.A., and NSA. He may have thought that this would enhance the ICA’s credibility. It is a no-brainer, however, that when you want handpicked answers, you better handpick the analysts. And so he did.”

    [See: The January 2017 ‘Assessment’ on Russiagate] 

    Buried in Annex B of the ICA is this curious disclaimer:

    “Assessments are based on collected information, which is often incomplete or fragmentary, as well as logic, argumentation, and precedents. … High confidence in a judgment does not imply that the assessment is a fact or a certainty; such judgments might be wrong.”

    Small wonder, then, that a New York Times report on the day the ICA was released noted:

    “What is missing from the public report is what many Americans most eagerly anticipated: hard evidence to back up the agencies’ claims that the Russian government engineered the election attack. That is a significant omission…”

    Burying Obama’s Role

    Mainstream journalism has successfully buried parts of the Russiagate story, including the role played by former President Barack Obama.

    Was Obama aware of the “Russian hack” chicanery? There’s ample evidence he was “all in.” More than a month before the 2016 election, while the F.B.I. was still waiting for the findings of cyber-firm CrowdStrike, which the Democratic Party had hired in place of the F.B.I. to find out who had breached their servers, Obama told Clapper and Dept. of Homeland Security head Jeh Johnson not to wait.

    FBI Director James Comey briefs President Barack Obama in June 2016. White House/Flickr

    So with the election looming, the two dutifully published a Joint Statement on Oct. 7, 2016:

    “The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations. The recent disclosures of alleged hacked e-mails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts. These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process. … “

    Obama’s role was revealed in 2022 when the F.B.I. was forced to make public F.B.I. emails in connection with the trial of fellow Russiagate plotter, Democratic lawyer Michael Sussmann

    Clapper and the C.I.A., F.B.I., and NSA directors briefed Obama on the ICA on Jan. 5, 2017. That was the day before they gave it personally to President-elect Donald Trump, telling him it showed the Russians helped him win, and that it had just been made public.

    On Jan. 18, 2017, at his final press conference, Obama used lawyerly language in an awkward attempt to cover his derriere:

    “The conclusions of the intelligence community with respect to the Russian hacking were not conclusive as to whether WikiLeaks was witting or not in being the conduit through which we heard about the DNC e-mails that were leaked.”

    So we ended up with “inconclusive conclusions” on that admittedly crucial point… and, for good measure, use of both words — “hacking” and “leaked.” 

    The tale that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee in 2016 was then disproved on Dec. 5, 2017 by the head of CrowdStrike’s sworn testimony to Congress. Shawn Henry told the House Intelligence committee behind closed doors that CrowdStrike found no evidence that anyone had successfully hacked the DNC servers. 

    But it is still widely believed because The New York Times and other Democrat-allied corporate media never reported on that testimony when it was finally made public on May 7, 2020.

    Enter Michael van Landingham

    Rolling Stone’s article on July 28 about van Landingham says he is still proud of his role as one of the “hand-picked analysts” in drafting the discredited ICA.

    The piece is entitled: “He Confirmed Russia Meddled in 2016 to Help Trump. Now, He’s Speaking Out.” It says: “Trump viewed the 2017 intel report as his ‘Achilles heel.’ The analyst who wrote it opens up about Trump, Russia and what really happened in 2016.” 

    Without ever mentioning that the conclusions of the ICA were proven false, by Henry’s testimony and the conclusions of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation that found no evidence of Trump-Russia “collusion,” Rolling Stone says:

    “The 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), dubbed ‘Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections,’ was one of the most consequential documents in modern American history. It helped trigger investigations by the House and Senate intelligence committees and a special counsel investigation, and it fueled an eight-year-long grudge that Trump has nursed against the intelligence community.” 

    Rawnsley writes in Rolling Stone the following as gospel truth, without providing any evidence to back it up. 

    “When WikiLeaks published a tranche of [John] Podesta’s emails in late October, the link between the Russian hackers and the releases became undeniable. The dump contained the original spear phishing message that Russian hackers had used to trick Podesta into coughing up his password. News outlets quickly seized on the email, crediting it for what it was: proof that the Russians were behind the campaign.”

    Because Rawnsley didn’t tell us, it’s not clear how this “spear phishing message” provides “undeniable” proof that Russia was behind it. Consortium News has contacted Rawnsley to provide more detail to back up his assertion. 

    Craig Murray, the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and close friend of Julian Assange,  suggested to Scott Horton on Horton’s radio show in 2016 that the DNC leak and the Podesta leak came from two different sources, neither of them the Russian government.

    “The Podesta emails and the DNC emails are, of course, two separate things and we shouldn’t conclude that they both have the same source,” Murray said. “In both cases we’re talking of a leak, not a hack, in that the person who was responsible for getting that information out had legal access to that information.”

    Reading between the lines of the interview, one could interpret Murray’s comments as suggesting that the DNC leak came from a Democratic source and that the Podesta leak came from someone inside the U.S. intelligence community, which may have been monitoring John Podesta’s emails because the Podesta Group, which he founded with his brother Tony, served as a registered “foreign agent” for Saudi Arabia.

    “John Podesta was a paid lobbyist for the Saudi government,” Murray noted. “If the American security services were not watching the communications of the Saudi government’s paid lobbyist in Washington, then the American security services would not be doing their job. … His communications are going to be of interest to a great number of other security services as well.”

    Leak by Americans

    Horton then asked, “Is it fair to say that you’re saying that the Podesta leak came from inside the intelligence services, NSA [the electronic spying National Security Agency] or another agency?”

    “I think what I said was certainly compatible with that kind of interpretation, yeah,” Murray responded. “In both cases they are leaks by Americans.”

    William Binney, a former U.S. National Security Agency technical director, told Consortium News this regarding Rolling Stone‘s assertion about the Podesta emails:

    “Saying something does not make it so. There is no evidence the phishers or hackers were Russian. In today’s networks, you really have to have the underlying internet protocol (IP nr) or device medium access control (MAC nr) to show the routing to/from [sending and receiving] devices to show exfiltration plus trace route evidence to show if that data went any further.

    [In other words, you would need the unique computer addresses of the hacked and the hacker and anyone they may have relayed it to, if it were a hack.]

    [Rawnsley] gives none of this type of data.  So, until he provides this type of data, I view his statements as an opinion and not worth much at all. 

    The whole world-wide network has to have these numbers to get data from point A to point B in the world. No one (NSA included) has shown this data going to Wikileaks for publication. The 5EYES have Wikileaks under cast iron cover/analysis and would know this and report it.”

    Binney in 2015, via Wikimedia Commons

    “There is one more aspect that’s important to take into account,” Binney added. “It’s the network log. This contains a record of every instruction sent on the network along with addresses for the sender and receiver. It’s held for a period of time according to storage allocated to it.”

    Binney said:

    “So, if there’s a hack, then the instruction to achieve the hack is in the log. Remember, Crowd Strike did the analysis of the DNC server all through this time and never talked about the network log. Now, Podesta’s computer does not have a network log, but the DNC and worldwide network providers do.”

    Binney told CN that he proposed automated analysis of the worldwide log for the NSA in 1992, “but they refused it as it would expose all the money and program corruption in NSA contracts.”

    Binney said he was putting that function into the ThinThread program in 1999/2000 that he was developing for the NSA, but the agency “removed it in 2001 after 9/11.”

    A report by the private cybersecurity firm SecureWorks in June 2016 assessed with “moderate confidence” that a group identified as APT28, nicknamed “Fancy Bear” among other names “operating from the Russian Federation … gathering intelligence on behalf of the Russian government” was behind the Podesta phishing, though as Binney points out, the NSA found no such evidence, when it would have had to, had Russia done it.   

    The name “Fancy Bear” of the alleged hackers from GRU, the Russian defense intelligence agency, incidentally, was coined by Dmitri Alperovich, the anti-Putin Russian co-founder of CrowdStrike. 

    “This whole Russiagate affair was a concoction of the DNC, the Clintons, the F.B.I. etc. and none of them have produced any specific basic evidence to support their assertions,” Binney said. “The idea that the word ‘Bear’ implies Russia is about the level of technical intellect we are dealing with here.”  

    Binney said these are the key technical questions that still need to be answered: 

    1. What are the IP and/or MAC numbers involved? And, what are the allocations of these numbers by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (network number allocation authority)?

    2. What are the trace routes of the hacked packets going across the worldwide network?

    3. What instructions are in the network log indicating data exfiltration of data?

    4. Are there any other specific technical aspects that are relevant to a potential hack? No opinions or guesses, that’s not factual evidence of anything beyond the writers biases.”

    Binney said in email:

    “Even if you assume the Russians did the hack and have the DNC/Podesta emails, you still have to show the transfer of these emails to Wikileaks to know who really did the deed. So far, no one has evidence the emails were sent to Wikileaks.

    Most importantly, Julian Assange publicly said it was not the Russians. Kimdotcom said he helped others (not the Russians) to get data to Wikileaks. Craig Murray talked about physical transfer of data. These statements by people involved in WikiLeaks is clearly consistent with the technical evidence I and others have assembled.”

    Binny said that “until such time as those others produce specific technical evidence for peer review and validation (like we have), they are just pushing sludge up an inclined plane with a narrow squeegee hoping they can get it over the top and accepted by all.”

    Binney noted that the ancient Greek school of sophism called this the fallacy of repetition. “That’s where they keep repeating a falsehood over and over again till it is believed (it helps when they say the same thing from many different directions especially by people in positions of authority),” Binney said.

    So the head of CrowdStrike testifies that there’s no evidence anyone hacked the DNC and according to Binney and Murray, there is no definitive proof that Russia was behind the Podesta phishing expedition either.  WikiLeaks maintains that a state actor was not the source of either. 

    And yet the Russiagate myth persists. It is useful in so many ways for those in the U.S. who still want to ratchet up even more tension with Russia (as though Ukraine isn’t enough) and for a political party to perhaps again explain away an election loss if it happens in November. 

    Thanks to Bill Binney and two other VIPS very senior NSA “alumni”, and the detailed charts and other data revealed by Edward Snowden, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) was able to publish a memorandum on Dec. 12, 2016 that, based on technical evidence, labeled the Russian hacking allegations “baseless.” The following July we issued a similar VIPS  memo, with the title asking the neuralgic question, “Was the ‘Russian Hack’ an Inside Job?” The question lingers.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    I have now posted an item on X to call attention to this latest Russiagate indignity.

    I cannot escape the conclusion that journalism is not like war: In war the victors get to write the history; in today’s journalism, the losers — who get it wrong — get to write it.

    O Tempora, O Mores!

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 23:20

  • These Are The Most (& Least) Popular US Governors
    These Are The Most (& Least) Popular US Governors

    With a net approval rate of 13 percent, Democratic nominee for the vice presidency, Tim Walz, is only the 36th most popular governor in the country. He currently is the first in command in Minnesota.

    However, as Statista’s Katharina Buchholz reports, other governors who were reportedly being considered for Kamala Harris’ running mate in the upcoming 2024 election are much more popular at home, namely Andy Beshear, who has a net approval rate of 40 percent in Kentucky, and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, who places 16th with a net approval of 25 percent. This is according to data collected by Morning Consult.

    Infographic: The Most & Least Popular U.S. Governors | Statista

    You will find more infographics at Statista

    However, according to NBC, Walz and Harris reportedly got along best in person and the Democratic nominee for president felt that he was best suited for a role of supporting the president loyally.

    Walz, who has (admittedly controversial) military experience in the Army National Guard, worked a blue collar job in addition to having been a teacher and is a gun-owning hunter, is hoped to appeal to moderates and voters from non-coastal states and therefore complement Harris’ profile. 

    Voters describe Walz as “normal” and “genuine”, but his policies are progressive despite his regular guy image, which might have also endeared him to Harris and her campaign. However, Walz’s stance has also caused pushback among more conservative voters in Minnesota, resulting in a lowish net approval.

    Additionally, he has been criticized both for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the protest that followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis in 2020.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 22:45

  • Trump Campaign Hacked, Microsoft Says Iran-Backed Group "Mint Sandstorm" Responsible
    Trump Campaign Hacked, Microsoft Says Iran-Backed Group “Mint Sandstorm” Responsible

    Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    Microsoft’s cyber threat assessment unit said on Aug. 9 that a high-ranking official on a U.S. presidential campaign had been hacked by an Iran-backed group, with the Trump campaign later revealing that it had been the target of a cyber attack and linked the breach to “foreign sources hostile to the United States.”

    The report from the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) indicates that an Iranian group called Mint Sandstorm that is connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sent a spear phishing email in June to a high-ranking official on a presidential campaign from the compromised email account belonging to a former senior campaign adviser.

    “Mint Sandstorm similarly targeted a presidential campaign in May and June 2020 five to six months ahead of the last U.S. presidential election,” MTAC said, adding that the same group also tried but failed to breach an account belonging to a former presidential candidate.

    No details were released on the official’s identity, but Microsoft’s threat assessment team said that the Iranian-linked breaches related to increasing attempts to influence the U.S. presidential election in November.

    “This recent cyber-enabled influence activity arises from a combination of actors which are conducting initial cyber reconnaissance and seeding online personas and websites into the information space,” according to the report.

    Following the release of the report, the Trump 2024 presidential campaign confirmed that it had been the target of a cyberattack in which campaign documents were stolen.

    The breach, which Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told Politico on Aug. 10 has been attributed to “foreign sources hostile to the United States,” marks a significant development in the area of foreign interference in U.S. elections as the race for the White House heats up.

    Politico reported that, on July 22, it began receiving emails from an anonymous source using the alias “Robert.” The emails reportedly contained internal documents from the Trump campaign, including a 271-page research dossier on Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who was vetted as a potential vice presidential nominee and later chosen as former President Donald Trump’s running mate.

    Cheung pointed to the Microsoft report and its finding that Iranian hackers had broken into the account of a high-ranking official on the U.S. presidential campaign as evidence of involvement of a foreign hostile power in the Trump campaign breach.

    “These documents were obtained illegally from foreign sources hostile to the United States, intended to interfere with the 2024 election and sow chaos throughout our democratic process,” Cheung told the outlet.

    He also linked the timing of the breach to reports of Iranian plots against Trump, who remains a target of Iranian hostility after ordering the 2020 assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

    Cheung, who did not immediately respond to a request from The Epoch Times for more details of the development, declined to tell Politico whether the Trump campaign had contacted law enforcement in regards to the breach.

    U.S. intelligence officials recently stated that Iran had been hard at work sowing political discord in the United States via the use of clandestine or ghost social media accounts. Iran has denied that such practices are taking place and said that any actions against the United States are purely defensive and do not involve cyber attacks.

    The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a statement in July confirming that Iranian groups had targeted the U.S. political campaign, specifically that of Trump, to influence the upcoming election.

    The U.S. intelligence community “has observed Tehran working to influence the presidential election, probably because Iranian leaders want to avoid an outcome they perceive would increase tensions with the United States,” the statement reads.

    Microsoft’s report said that the hackers’ activity also covered a wider scope, including gaining intelligence on U.S. political campaigns, which allowed Iranian groups to target political swing states in the United States.

    The report also stated that the previous breach involving the county official, which took place in May, was part of a wider “password spray operation.” This type of operation involves the use of common or leaked passwords, which hackers use on multiple accounts until they find a match and break into one.

    The report confirmed that no other accounts were compromised through the breach and that all other targeted officials were notified of the cyber attack.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 22:10

  • Half Of OECD Countries Earn Less Now Than Pre-Pandemic
    Half Of OECD Countries Earn Less Now Than Pre-Pandemic

    According to a recent report, around half of OECD countries are earning less now than they had before the pandemic.

    As Statista’s Katharine Buchholz reports, when considering hourly real wages – wages adjusted for inflation – people in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and many European countries now have less money at their disposal than roughly four years ago. No data was published for Turkey, Chile and Colombia.

    While the pandemic caused issues for some industries, others also started paying workers more as they wound up being in short supply due to the upheavals to employment Covid-19 caused. After the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in early 2022, most workers around the world took a hit to their real wages as inflation was running hot in many countries, causing price increases to effectively outweigh any potential wage growth.

    Infographic: Half of OECD Countries Earn Less Now Than Pre-Pandemic | Statista

    You will find more infographics at Statista

    Finland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Sweden and New Zealand were hardest hit by this phenomenon according to the OECD Employment Outlook 2024, seeing real wages decrease by more than 5%. Sweden saw wages dwindle most, by 7.5%. The country is known for relatively low real wages compared to its pricy standard of living—pay is 11% lower than in neighboring Denmark and 16-20% lower than in Germany, the Netherlands or Norway. Trade unions negotiate a majority contracts in the country that has placed a focus on equality, but like in many European nations, collective bargaining has become more contentious. In this context, observers have even referred to a “lost decade” for Swedish wages.

    The United States fared better than others as real wages were just 0.8% lower in Q1 of 2024 than in Q4 of 2019. Neighbor Canada lost 2.4% of hourly real wages in roughly the same time period, while the loss was even more severe in Australia at 4.8%. The University of Sydney comments that a departure from collective bargaining and a decrease in manufacturing have affected the jobs that used to be peak performers for wage growth in the country.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 21:35

  • Is A Much Deadlier Strain Of Monkeypox Going To Be The Next Great Global Health Scare?
    Is A Much Deadlier Strain Of Monkeypox Going To Be The Next Great Global Health Scare?

    Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

    Should we be alarmed? 

    Many of us have been watching the spread of a deadly new strain of Monkeypox for quite some time, and now it appears that this crisis is about to reach a boiling point.  It is being reported that the World Health Organization is going to hold an “emergency meeting” to determine whether or not to declare a “public health emergency of international concern” due to a rapidly growing outbreak of Monkeypox in central Africa.  For those that are not familiar, a “public health emergency of international concern” is the highest level of alert that the WHO issues.  For example, in January 2020 a “public health emergency of international concern” was declared when COVID started to spread like wildfire inside China. 

    So could we now be on the verge of the next great global health scare?

    Two years ago, an outbreak of Monkeypox quickly spread all over the planet, and it is truly a horrifying disease…

    Mpox is a viral disease that causes painful rashes and flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches and body aches. The virus that causes it comes from the same family as that of smallpox. It spreads from person to person and from animals to people through direct contact.

    In May, scientists reported a new strain of the virus in the DRC that they said was more virulent and might spread more easily.

    Right now, if you somehow got infected with the strain that spread throughout the world in 2022, there is a good chance that you would be in so much pain that you would actually believe that you were about to die.

    But that strain was rarely fatal.

    Unfortunately, this strain is much more deadly.

    According to the head of the World Health Organization, this new strain has already killed more than 500 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo so far this year…

    The outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but has spread recently to at least three other neighboring countries, has involved more than 14,000 reported cases so far this year alone, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, with at least 511 deaths reported.

    Some experts believe that this new strain also spreads more easily.

    Like the strain that spread all over the globe in 2022, this new strain spreads through sexual contact, but apparently it also spreads in other ways as well…

    The CDC said in the alert that outbreaks in some provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been associated with sexual contact.

    In other parts of the country, however, patients have gotten sick through contact with infected animals, household transmission or patient care, the CDC said, adding that a high proportion of cases have been reported in children younger than 15.

    “Most reported cases in known endemic provinces continue to be among children under 15 years of age,” the World Health Organization wrote on its website on June 14. “Infants and children under five years of age are at highest risk of severe disease and death.”

    In 2022, very few children got infected.

    But this time around lots of children are getting infected.

    There had been hope that this outbreak could be confined to the Democratic Republic of Congo, but that didn’t happen.

    At this point, confirmed cases have been detected in four nations that directly border the Democratic Republic of Congo…

    The WHO said the virus has now ‘spread to previously unaffected provinces.’

    In the past month, at least 50 Mpox cases have been reported in four other countries bordering the DRC – countries that have not experienced the virus before.

    They include Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

    The genie is out of the bottle.

    What are they going to do now?

    Well, it appears that the first step will be to declare a “public health emergency of international concern”…

    World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday called an “emergency” meeting of international experts amidst growing worries over the mpox virus.

    With mpox spreading outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tedros said the WHO emergency committee would meet “as soon as possible” to advise him on “whether the outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.”

    When a “public health emergency of international concern” is officially declared, it will get a ton of media attention and that will really ramp up the fear level.

    As I noted earlier, it is the “highest level of alert” that the WHO can issue…

    PHEIC, the emergency classification Ghebreyesus referred to, is the W.H.O.’s highest level of alert. The W.H.O. declared a PHEIC over the novel coronavirus that was first detected in China in late January 2020.

    Thankfully, there have been no confirmed cases outside of Africa yet.

    But last week the CDC instructed doctors in the United States “to be on the lookout” for cases…

    The Centers for Disease Control on Wednesday alerted doctors to be on the lookout for a deadly new strain of mpox spreading through parts of Africa while U.S. officials committed $424 million to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is the epicenter of the outbreak.

    What are they expecting?

    Do they anticipate that there will soon be confirmed cases here in the United States?

    Needless to say, such a development would deeply alarm millions of people.

    Interestingly, the CDC is also instructing Americans to limit contact with animals at county fairs all over the nation due to concerns about the bird flu…

    Your trip to the county fair might look a little different this year all because of avian influenza also known as “bird flu.”

    Organizers across the U.S. are working to ensure their events do not lead to the spread of the virus.

    Children under five, people 65 years and older, pregnant people, people with certain chronic medical conditions, and others are at a higher risk of developing serious flu complications and should limit contact with animals that could carry influenza viruses, if possible, according tothe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Will H5N1 cause more panic during the months ahead, or will it be Monkeypox?

    We will just have to wait and see how all of this plays out.

    In any event, it is just a matter of time before the next major health scare paralyzes the entire globe just like we witnessed a few years ago.

    Even as you read this article, scientists in secret labs all over the planet are playing around with some of the deadliest diseases ever known to humanity, and as we have seen it is way too easy for an “accident” to happen.

    We live at a time when great pestilences will be a constant threat, and fear of those great pestilences will cause chaos all over the world.

    So buckle up and hold on tight, because what we went through before was just a preview of what is ahead.

    *  *  *

    Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 21:00

  • Newsom Hires $200k/Year Celebrity Photographer For Glamor Shots
    Newsom Hires $200k/Year Celebrity Photographer For Glamor Shots

    As 20% of California suffers in poverty amid soaring power bills, soaring homelessness, businesses fleeing the state, and sky-high taxes, one might expect the state’s leadership to focus on solutions. Instead, Governor Gavin Newsom has taken a rather unconventional approach: hiring a celebrity photographer, Charles Ommanney, with a $200,000 annual salary to enhance his public image.

    Yes, you read that right. In a state where many struggle to make ends meet, Newsom has brought on board a photographer known for capturing the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Ommanney’s task? To ensure that the governor is photographed in his most flattering light, whether it’s wearing aviator sunglasses while picking up trash from a homeless encampment or surveying wildfire damage in designer workwear.

    This new role, which was quietly created and filled without the usual fanfare, is particularly egregious amid the backdrop of California’s economic struggles. With Ommanney now a full-time member of the governor’s team, his photos aren’t just about documenting events—they’re about crafting a carefully curated image of Newsom as a hands-on leader, Politico reports.

    And while residents suffer, their governor is ramping up his meticulously polished persona, perhaps with an eye on the national stage. Earlier this year, instead of delivering the traditional State of the State address, Newsom’s office produced a glossy video, complete with dramatic visuals—some of which were shot by Ommanney—highlighting national issues over local crises.

    Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, defended the hire.

    “Charles plays an instrumental role in communicating the work of state government across visual platforms — including social media, helping us meet Californians where they are at.”

    Yet, it’s hard to overlook the absurdity of this situation: a governor who earns $234,101 annually is paying a photographer nearly as much to follow him around the state, capturing photos that are, in essence, taxpayer-funded PR.

    In a time when California’s residents need real solutions and tangible action, the governor’s decision to prioritize a high-priced image consultant raises more than a few eyebrows. For a state in dire need of economic revival, the focus on optics over substance is a bitter pill to swallow.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 20:25

  • "Neither Scholar Nor Journalist": How A NYT 'Influencer' Undermined Groundbreaking Study Debunking Mask Mandates
    “Neither Scholar Nor Journalist”: How A NYT ‘Influencer’ Undermined Groundbreaking Study Debunking Mask Mandates

    Authored by Paul D. Thacker via The Disinformation Chronicle,

    Hey guys, I had a piece last week in UnHerd discussing hundreds of emails I had gone through that found social media influencer Zeynep Tufekci pressured the prestigious medical nonprofit Cochrane to put out a statement attacking their own review that found there is little evidence that masks stop respiratory viruses. One of the people Tufekci interviewed for the piece also told me that she twisted his words, which is obvious from the emails.

    I want to walk you through some of those emails, but if you’d like to read the piece in UnHerd, it’s here: How the NYT undermined mask evidence: Leaked emails reveal how scientists were smeared.

    The emails were sent to me after someone had filed Freedom of Information requests at different universities, and I got others from a person at Cochrane who is upset at what is happening inside the organization. Let’s first set the stage for what happened.

    Mask activist on the attack

    In March 2023, New York Times columnist Zeynep Tufekci wrote an essay arguing that “masks work” while attacking a review on masks by Cochrane, which publishes the gold standard of evidence for medical interventions. When Tufekci’s piece first appeared, I knew it smelled fishy.

    Just a month prior, I had published a long Q&A with Tom Jefferson, the lead author of the Cochrane 2023 mask review. Jefferson loves going into all kinds of details about the hierarchy of evidence, how reviews are done, the contrasts between different types of reviews, and other tiny bits of medical information that only interest people with decades of expertise in clinical trials and medical research.

    In short, very hard to follow.

    My interest in masks was to help readers cut through all the controversy, to understand whether they really help with COVID and if mask mandates make sense in their schools and local community. I had noticed videos and news stories circulating on social media pointing out that several public health officials had done a 180 from the early months of the pandemic, first stating that masks don’t work, before pivoting to advocate for masks.

    I called this the “great mask-science flip flop of 2020” and participants included Canada’s chief health officer, Theresa Tam, as well as the leading public health official in England, Jenny Harries.

    Even Tony Fauci performed a mask-science flip flop, first arguing that masks didn’t work, before pivoting into full-on mask activist.

    As Jefferson kept rambling on with tiny details about how to perform medical reviews that nobody but an expert in medical reviews could really follow, I stopped him.

    “Wait, did you just say that Cochrane has done this mask review several times?” I asked. “This isn’t the first one?”

    “Yes,” he replied.

    So we went down the list. The Cochrane mask review published in February 2023 wasn’t the first time Cochrane scientists had examined the scientific literature to see if there was any evidence masks worked to stop viruses. They had published prior updates finding the same thing in 2020, 2011 2010, 2009, and 2007.

    So the whole thing started 17 years ago.

    Every time Cochrane has put out a review that looked at masks, nobody said anything, because masking wasn’t controversial. Everyone agreed that masks didn’t seem to stop viruses. Physicians had first started using masks over a hundred years ago but that was to stop spreading bacteria during surgery. And bacteria are hundreds of times larger than viruses.

    I then started digging around and found several scientific studies concluding masks don’t do much to stop respiratory viruses, as well as several examples of international medical bodies drawing similar conclusions. For example, the World Health Organizations stated in their 2019 pandemic preparedness plan, “There have been a number of high-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrating that personal protective measures such as hand hygiene and face masks have, at best, a small effect on influenza transmission.”

    So why was I reading a “masks work” essay in the New York Times?

    The only explanation is Zeynep Tufekci. I didn’t really know Tufekci until I read her “masks work” essay last year, and when I looked into her background I found that she was mostly unknown in the scientific world until COVID. Once the pandemic started she made a name for herself writing essays in places like Wired and Scientific American. Intrigued, I looked into her academic publishing record and found that her academic CV was a tad barren, with few peer-reviewed studies but a slew of opinion articles.

    Plus, Tufecki has no training in medicine or public health.

    I then discovered that her profile had exploded in March 2020 when a New York Times media reporter praised Tufekci for a March 1 tweetstorm and March 17 essay in The New York Times that swayed the CDC to alter federal guidance and begin advising people to mask.

    As I read the article praising Tufekci, I started laughing at how crazy it was that national policy could be set by tweets and an essay, not anything published by scientists. It was just so bizarre.

    Tufekci has bounced around to different universities in the past four years, but at the beginning of the pandemic, she was a professor at the University of North Carolina. North Carolina’s big paper is the Raleigh News & Observer, and I found that they profiled Tufekci in 2021, anointing her a COVID hero who had challenged top health officials and got the facts right — but with essays, not science.

    Instead of conducting lab experiments related to Covid-19, she used her platform on Twitter and in the opinion sections of Scientific American, The Atlantic and The New York Times to inform the public with practical advice about what to do and why.

    I read that newspaper article thinking, “Thank God Tufekci didn’t use her platform on Twitter to challenge airline pilots at Raleigh-Durham International that she could fly a 747 to London’s Heathrow.”

    And then I got the emails.

    Opinions mean nothing, emails and documents everything

    One of the first things I noticed was that Tufecki had emailed Michael Brown, a physician at Michigan State University, on February 24, 2023. According to other emails, I learned that Michael Brown had been the sign off editor for the mask review.

    Why, I wondered, had Tufekci contacted Brown at this time?

    Searching the news, I realized that Tufekci’s New York Times colleague, Bret Stephens, had published an essay three days prior, ribbing mask advocates like Tufekci because of Cochrane’s mask review: “The Mask Mandates Did Nothing. Will Any Lessons Be Learned?”

    Tufekci’s rise in prominence is based mostly on her mask advocacy, and the thrust of Stephens’ piece in the New York Times must have cut her open like a surgeon’s scalpel:

    [W]hen it comes to the population-level benefits of masking, the verdict is in: Mask mandates were a bust. Those skeptics who were furiously mocked as cranks and occasionally censored as “misinformers” for opposing mandates were right. The mainstream experts and pundits who supported mandates were wrong. 

    Without much of a scientific publishing record and so much of her credibility tied to her mask advocacy, Stephens’ essay must have felt threatening.

    But when she contacted Brown, Tufekci laid it on thick that she was an academic researcher, claiming expertise in statistics and causal inference, as well as scientific reviews.

    “I use and participate in reviews myself (I’m writing one in my own field soon) and thus am familiar with many of the challenges and issues.”

    You don’t need to have attended university to know that Tufekci is fibbing here. I glanced through Google Scholar to see what Tufeckci has published in the academic literature and didn’t find much except opinion pieces. In all of 2024, Tufecki has not published a single article in the scientific literature, and in 2023, she published one piece: an opinion essay.

    As for the review Tufeckis told Brown in March 2023 that she was writing “in my own field soon”? It has never appeared.

    When I contacted Brown about Tufekci, he told me that he had been a bit naive perhaps in dealing with her, as he hadn’t looked into her background, and didn’t realize that she was a mask activist. But what Tufecki did with the quotes she took from Brown is quite disturbing.

    In her article, Tufekci quoted Brown and followed up in the next paragraph implying that he supported the idea that “the evidence is really straightforward” that masks provide protection from COVID. But Brown told me that’s not what the science concludes.

    Here’s the section of Tufekci’s essay:

    Brown, who led the Cochrane review’s approval process, told me that mask mandates may not be tenable now, but he has a starkly different feeling about their effects in the first year of a pandemic.

    “Mask mandates, social distancing, the other shutdowns we had in terms of even restaurants and things like that — if places like New York City didn’t do that, the number of deaths would have been much higher,” he told me. “I’m very confident of that statement.”

    So the evidence is relatively straightforward: Consistently wearing a mask, preferably a high-quality, well-fitting one, provides protection against the coronavirus.

    This is just sleazy.

    When I contacted Brown, he said that Tufecki spun his words, because the evidence is clear that masks don’t seem to do much. Brown actually stated as much some months after Tufekci interviewed him. Emailing the organizer of a talk he was giving, Brown wrote that masks “likely” provide “some” protection but “do not make a major impact at the community level when promoted as a public health intervention.”

    This is basically the opposite of how Tufekci framed Brown’s quote in her essay.

    Brown also told me that he had told Tufekci to contact the scientists who wrote the Cochrane review, because they are the real experts. Duh! While he was the editor of the review, he hadn’t read each and every published study like the review authors.

    But Tufekci ignored Brown. Instead, Tufekci contacted Karla Soares-Weiser, the woman running Cochrane. Apparently, Tufekci sent a slew of questions, because Soares-Weiser then emailed Lisa Bero, a professor medicine at the University of Colorado who serves as Cochrane ethics advisor.

    “Lisa, I have been back and forth with NYT about the mask review. CAN I GET YOUR VIEWS ON THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS?” emailed Soares-Weiser. She then sent questions to Bero that she had gotten from Tufekci.

    What makes this all comical is that Tufekci obviously knows nothing about reviews, yet Soares-Weiser freaked out because Tufekci writes a column at the New York Times.

    It’s science by essay writer.

    After Bero answered the questions, Soares-Weiser thanked her. “Thank you, Lisa. I’m navigating a difficult situation and of course need to take these points into account. Help appreciated.”  

    For anyone with a passing familiarity with scientific research, one thought should come immediately to mind: why didn’t Soares-Weiser tell Tufekci to send those questions to scientists who had written the review? That’s what Michael Brown did.

    That will become clear in a bit.

    I got a copy of the email Tufekci sent Jefferson for questions and it’s dated March 9, the day before she published her 2000+ word essay. I’ve written for the New York Times. It’s a rather laborious process dealing with editors and fact checkers. It would impossible for Tufekci to contact Jefferson for comment and then slam out a 2000+ word essay, get that essay edited, deal with those edits, and then get it fact checked.

    What those dates tell you is that Tufekci had the essay ready to publish before she contacted Jefferson for comment, suggesting she didn’t even care what he had to say. Jefferson has been publishing scientific research on respiratory virus for several decades, but Tufekci wasn’t interested in what he had to say because she already considered herself the expert.

    The day Tufecki published her essay, Soares-Weiser then rushed out a statement claiming she was working to fix problems in the Cochrane mask review. But Soares-Weiser did this without consulting the scientists who had done the work. This would be like the editor-in-chief of the New York Times publishing an essay complaining about a New York Times investigative series without bothering to consult any of the reporters or editors who had done the work.

    “I will not speak for the others but am deeply distressed by this course of events which have occurred without our knowledge,” replied Jon Conly, a professor and former head of the department of medicine at the University of Calgary.

    Michael Brown responded that he had spoken to Tufekci and told her that “I stood by the conclusions of the review but asked that she reach out to you, the authors, to answer some of her questions directly. She assured me that she would do so.”

    Of course, Tufekci did NOT reach out to the scientific authors, because she wasn’t interested in what they had to say.

    Brown then sent an email to Soares-Weiser and several of the Cochrane editors reminding them that changes were being considered to the mask review language, even though it was the same wording as had been used in the 2020 update.

    Why were changes being considered then? As Brown explained, it had nothing to do with science. “[I]t was only under intense media coverage and criticism that these revisions were suggested.”

    Emails find that Soares-Weiser appeared to be in a bit of panic, monitoring negative commentary about her decision to publish a statement without bothering to consult the scientists. “I had a challenging meeting with the [governing board] yesterday. I am holding on, stressed, but OK,” she emailed Lisa Bero.

    Bero then suggested to Soares-Weiser that Cochrane publish negative comments being submitted by outsiders criticizing the mask review. “That should be published as soon as possible (following screening for libel or profanity),” Bero emailed. “It is important for readers to know that criticism has not just come through the media, but through the formal channels that we have.”

    Shortly after bullying Cochrane’s Soares-Weiser to put out a statement claiming she would make changes to the mask review, Tufekci began tweeting that she had gotten the review “corrected.”

    However, this isn’t true.

    A month back, Soares-Weiser put out a correction to her prior statement, and now says that Cochrane will not make any changes to the mask review.

    The entire saga calls into question Zeynep Tufekci’s ethics and whether Soares-Weiser is still fit to lead Cochrane.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 19:50

  • MSM Absent In Reporting "Dozens Of Night Time Low Temp Records" Across US 
    MSM Absent In Reporting “Dozens Of Night Time Low Temp Records” Across US 

    Climate alarmists and their left-wing corporate media allies, who constantly spread fear and anxiety among an already heavily medicated population, churn out endless streams of climate doom headlines right at the peak of the Northern Hemisphere summer (how convenient). They deliberately ignore the fact that the 2022 Tonga Volcano eruption is contributing to some of the Earth’s warming—and they’ll conveniently leave out this critical piece of climate news:

    “Dozens of night time low temp records have been broken the last 2 mornings. Many folks waking up to temps in the upper 40s and lower 50s this morning,” private weather forecaster BAM Weather wrote on X. 

    BAM Weather explained these low temperatures are “Typical of early October weather for most.” 

    Let’s not forget that climate alarmists usually point to ‘record temperatures’ with data going back several decades, half a century, or a little more. If they were to show the entire picture, well, their agenda and climate grift would evaporate overnight. 

    The lower 48 region is about three weeks post-peak summer.

    Looking ahead, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center still expects the weather phenomenon La Nina to emerge “during Sep-Oct-Nov (66% chance) and persist through the Northern Hemisphere winter 2024-25 (74% chance during Nov-Dec-Jan).” 

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    Here are the weather impacts in a La Nina year across the Lower 48.

    Leftist corporate media usually get it wrong – with zero accountability – because they’re plagued by the ‘climate religion’ and push an agenda to scare folks into believing that more government taxes and banning cow farts and Taylor Swift’s jet will solve the world’s problems.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 19:15

  • Police Audio Corroborates Claims Biden Had A Medical Emergency In Vegas
    Police Audio Corroborates Claims Biden Had A Medical Emergency In Vegas

    Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

    Police audio has been released revealing that law enforcement in Las Vegas were engaged in a snap operation to secure a route for Joe Biden to get to University Medical hospital, a trauma center, corroborating previous reports that there was some sort of medical emergency involving Biden before he stepped down as the Democratic nominee.

    As we highlighted at the time, police sources claimed that US Secret Service informed local law enforcement that there was an emergency situation involving Biden on July 17, and to close necessary streets so that he could be transported immediately to the hospital.

    According to the sources, hundreds of officers and employees heard the broadcast live and set in motion emergency response procedures, with radio dispatchers asking for a “surge” of police resources to secure the area and the emergency room on standby.

    The plan then abruptly changed and Biden was flown back to Delaware at high speed.

    Speculation was that Biden was displaying stroke like symptoms, and that he could have experienced a transient ischaemic attack, also called a “mini stroke”, a serious condition where the blood supply to the brain is temporarily disrupted.

    The new audio is from the Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s protective detail for Biden and was released Friday afternoon by Oversight Project, which obtained the recordings through a Freedom of Information Act request.

    The three recordings, containing police chatter, are not time stamped, but appear to span a few hours.

    In two clips, both of around four-minutes, officers are asked to respond Code 3, which is an emergency response posture.

    In the third longer clip of 43 minutes, someone on the radio states “For everybody on the radio, right now they’re on a hold for something regarding the President.”

    The protective detail was then informed “For everyone on the radio, right now POTUS is 421. He’s being seen, so we’re just kinda waiting to see how this is shaping out. So, for everybody’s knowledge, he’s 421 right now; we’re just trying to figure out what’s going on and we’re gonna go from there.”

    Code 421 means a sick or injured person, according to LVMPD’s code sheet.

    The rest of the audio contains chatter about the protective detail quickly moving their resources to ensure a secure route for “POTUS movement.”

    While it is difficult to determine exact details from the audio, it is clear evidence that something significant happened to Biden. Something that the American people and the world is still not privy to.

    *  *  *

    Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 18:40

  • US Will Lift Ban On Offensive Weapons Sales To Saudi Arabia
    US Will Lift Ban On Offensive Weapons Sales To Saudi Arabia

    Via Middle East Eye

    The Biden administration will lift its ban on the sales of offensive weaponry to Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported on Friday, a move that reverses the three-year US ban amidst ongoing attempts by the administration to broker a Saudi-Israel normalisation deal.

    The move comes against the backdrop of the 10-month-long Israeli war on Gaza and after Middle East Eye’s reporting that Russia has deployed military intelligence officers to assist Yemen’s Houthis with targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

    Saudi army officers walk past F-15 fighter jets at King Salman air base in Riyadh, AFP.

    A congressional aide told Reuters that the administration briefed Congress this week on the decision, and another source said that Biden was moving ahead on Friday afternoon with notifications about a sale. “The Saudis have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours,” a senior Biden administration official told Reuters.

    Middle East Eye reached out to the White House for comment on the report, but didn’t hear back by time of publication.

    The Biden administration first invoked the ban on offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia in February 2022, a move that came after US lawmakers, progressive activists, and antiwar groups were calling on Washington to end its support of the Saudi-led coalition’s war efforts in Yemen.

    War broke out in Yemen in 2014 after the Houthi rebel group seized the capital Sanaa, prompting Saudi Arabia and allied Gulf Arab countries – chiefly the United Arab Emirates – to launch a coalition to fight against the Houthi gains and reinstate the internationally recognised government.

    The Saudi-led coalition launched a brutal bombing campaign that killed thousands of Yemeni civilians. Outrage spread in the US when reports began to emerge that US-supplied bombs were being used by coalition forces in attacks that killed civilians.

    However, the harder line taken by the Biden administration against Saudi Arabia soon began to fade, most notably since last year as the US attempted to broker a historic deal that would see Saudi Arabia and Israel normalise diplomatic relations for the first time in history.

    At the same time, the US and the UK have for months been actively battling Yemen’s Houthis in the Red Sea, launching several air strikes on Houthi military sites as the armed group responded with attacks on American naval vessels and downing multiple armed reaper drones.

    The Houthis, whose fight against the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has been paused due to a UN-brokered ceasefire in April 2022 that has so far held, began to target ships travelling to and from Israel in the Red Sea last year, in what they said was in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

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    The Houthis also claimed responsibility for a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv in July, which prompted Israel to launch air strikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah. “We are regularly conducting airstrikes to degrade Houthi capabilities, an effort that is ongoing and will continue together with a coalition of partners,” a senior Biden official told Reuters.

    “We have designated the Houthis as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, and we will have imposed sanctions and additional costs on the Houthi smuggling networks and military apparatus. This pressure will continue to build over the coming weeks.”

    Middle East Eye’s reporting of the assistance to the Houthis provided by Moscow, a major rival to the US, has added another dimension to the situation.

    The US has been actively providing Ukraine with billions of dollars in military support, including advanced weaponry such as tanks, amid Kyiv’s efforts to fend off a Russian invasion that began in 2022.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 17:30

  • As East Coast Says Goodbye, Debby, A New Tropical Threat Emerges 
    As East Coast Says Goodbye, Debby, A New Tropical Threat Emerges 

    For those on the East Coast, finally – goodbye, Debby. But now, the focus shifts to a new tropical system forming in the Atlantic Basin.

    The National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory note on ‘AL98’ said shower and thunderstorm activity has increased in association with a tropical wave between the Cabo Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles. Tropical development probabilities currently stand at 30% over the next 48 hours and 80% over the next seven days.

    Here’s the full advisory note:

    Near the Lesser and Greater Antilles (AL98): Shower and thunderstorm activity has increased since yesterday in association with a tropical wave located roughly midway between the Cabo Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles. Gradual development of this system is possible during the next couple of days while it moves westward to west-northwestward across the central tropical Atlantic. Afterwards, conditions are expected to become more conducive for development, and a tropical depression is likely to form by the early to middle part of next week while the system approaches and then moves near or over the Lesser Antilles. The system is forecast to continue moving generally west-northwestward and could approach portions of the Greater Antilles by the middle to latter part of next week.

    • Formation chance through 48 hours…low…30 percent
    • Formation chance through 7 days…high…80 percent.

    AL98’s seven-day trajectory model 

    Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel wrote on X, “Invest #98L is gradually get its act together, and as these things go we could easily have a depression or storm close to the Leeward Islands Tuesdayish.”

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    “A hurricane is likely to be near the US East Coast next weekend, but how close?” Ben Noll, a meteorologist with New Zealand’s National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, wrote on X. 

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    If AL98 does become a named storm, it will be called “Ernesto.” Spaghetti models show AL98’s potential track could make a presence on or near the East Coast.

    The hurricane season is beginning to ramp up, as the peak is in mid-September. 

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 16:55

  • The Trillion Dollar Coin: A Dumb Idea That Some Government People Take Seriously
    The Trillion Dollar Coin: A Dumb Idea That Some Government People Take Seriously

    Authored by Mike Maharrey via Money Metals,

    When I was about 7 years old, my friend Tommy and I decided we were going to dig a cave. We envisioned a massive cavern we could stand up in. It would be our secret fort. We went as far as digging a pretty deep hole in Tommy’s backyard. 

    It was a dumb idea.

    But our cave-building scheme wasn’t nearly as dumb as the notion that simply minting a trillion-dollar coin can solve America’s debt problem.

    The idea is pretty simple. The U.S. Treasury could mint a $1 trillion platinum coin, deposit it at the Federal Reserve, and then the federal government could write checks against that asset.

    Voila! Budget problem solved.

    Now, it may sound a little bit like creating money out of thin air.

    That’s because it is. But hey, if it’s legal, why not? 

    I’ll be honest; when people were discussing the trillion-dollar coin during the 2023 debt ceiling fight, I thought it was just an attention-grabbing political gimmick. Even Janet Yellen eventually nixed the idea. Surely nobody seriously considered such a scheme, right? 

    Wrong.

    Documents obtained by Bloomberg investigative journalist Jason Leopold reveal that government officials discussed the feasibility of minting a trillion-dollar coin on at least two occasions in 2013 and 2015. 

    According to a heavily redacted November 2013 memo, Treasury Department officials and Department of Justice lawyers discussed the legality of issuing a “large denomination coin in order to obtain funds for making debt payments and other expenditures if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling.” 

    A second memo dated Oct. 27, 2015, reveals another round of discussions about the legality of such a scheme.

    It seems to me they should probably consider the economic ramifications before fretting over legal minutia, but that’s just me. 

    Yale professor Jack Balkin promoted the $1 trillion coin scheme back in 2011. Here’s how it would work:  

    “Sovereign governments such as the United States can print new money. However, there’s a statutory limit to the amount of paper currency that can be in circulation at any one time.

    “Ironically, there’s no similar limit on the amount of coinage. A little-known statute gives the secretary of the Treasury the authority to issue platinum coins in any denomination. So some commentators have suggested that the Treasury create two $1 trillion coins, deposit them in its account in the Federal Reserve and write checks on the proceeds…

    “The ‘jumbo coin’ [strategy works] because modern central banks don’t have to print bills or float debt to create new money; they just add money to their customers’ checking accounts.”

    In effect, it would be no different than the quantitative easing operations (QE) the Federal Reserve currently runs to expand the money supply.

    In a QE operation, the Federal Reserve buys securities (primarily U.S. Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities). The catch is the money to buy these assets doesn’t exist until the Fed “writes a check” for the purchase. Imagine your bank honoring a check you wrote even though your balance was zero. That’s QE in a nutshell. The central bank creates the money out of thin air and injects it into the economy.

    The trillion-dollar coin scheme would have the same practical effect as QE, but the government would be off the hook from having to pay off bonds on the Fed balance sheet. Instead of having to borrow money by issuing bonds for the Fed to later monetize, the government would just create the money itself bypassing the Fed middleman.

    So, what’s the problem?

    Well, we just saw what happens when the Fed creates money out of thin air. During the pandemic, the central bank created nearly $5 trillion through quantitative easing. After that, prices went through the roof. This was inevitable because money creation is, by definition, inflation. One of the consequences of monetary inflation is price inflation. 

    Minting a trillion-dollar coin would have a similar effect. 

    The coin is just a prop for monetary kabuki theatre to make it all seem legal and above board. They wouldn’t even use 1 trillion dollars in platinum. If they did, it would weigh over 60 million pounds.

    In fact, they don’t even need the coin. As economist Robert Murphy explained, the Treasury could sell a paperclip to the central bank. Just imagine a QE operation using a paperclip instead of Treasury bonds.

    “The Federal Reserve has the power to buy whatever assets it wants at whatever price it wants. In principle, [the Treasury Secretary] could sell a paperclip to the Fed for $2 trillion. The Fed would simply write a check made out to the Treasury, drawn on the Fed itself.

    “When the Treasury deposited this check with its own bank — which just so happens to be the Fed — then its own ‘checking account’ balance would go up by $2 trillion. This money wouldn’t come from anywhere in the sense that some other account would need to be debited $2 trillion. On the contrary, the system’s total reserves (and what is called the ‘monetary base’) would have swelled by $2 trillion. The Treasury would be free to start paying bills by writing checks on the $2 trillion in its account.”

    Nevertheless, some people think this is a great idea. In their minds, it would be “free money.”

    But as the saying goes, there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. You would pay for the $1 trillion coin through the inflation tax – just like you’re still paying for the pandemic-era stimulus every time you go to the grocery.

    Minting a coin or selling a paper clip and pretending it is worth $1 trillion doesn’t change the economic dynamics. When you boil it all down, it’s just a weird scheme to increase the money supply.

    And I can’t emphasize this enough – increasing the money supply is inflation.

    In theory, the government could keep price inflation under control by using the newly created funds judiciously and with restraint. In theory, they could just dribble the new money out slowly as they need it to minimize the inflationary effect. In theory, it could work!

    And in theory, Tommy and I could have dug a cave fort.

    Let’s be honest – judicious and restrained aren’t qualities you find in politicians. They’d blow through that $1 trillion like a spring tornado through Kansas. And when they spent it all, they’d mint another coin. And another. And another.

    There would be no dribble. It would unleash a cascade of spending on top of the tidal wave we already have.

    But this is what you get when you have an entire school of economics that disconnects money from stuff. 

    Sure, the federal government could mint a $1 trillion coin. But it can’t mint stuff. It can’t create stuff out of thin air. It can’t mint cars, food, clothing, houses, and cell phones. It can’t wave a wand a create vital services.

    But don’t you worry! We’re dealing with “smart” people here. They’ll tell you, “Don’t worry! This is different.” And then they’ll start spinning. They’ll offer up seemingly plausible reasons a $1 trillion coin will work. They’ll couch it in academic speak and technical jargon to make it sound even more plausible. They’ll yammer about how the dollar is the global reserve currency and everybody wants more of them. They show you some convincing-looking accounting tautologies. They’ll babble and gesticulate. And suddenly, you’ll be thinking, “Heck yeah! Mint that $1 trillion coin! That’s the ticket!”

    No.

    It’s dumb. 

    Tommy and I quickly realized our cave fort was a dumb idea. But unfortunately, dumb ideas spun out in the hallowed halls of government rarely die so easily.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 16:20

  • Ukraine Says It Hit & Destroyed Russian Offshore Gas Platform In Black Sea
    Ukraine Says It Hit & Destroyed Russian Offshore Gas Platform In Black Sea

    Ukraine says its military has targeted and destroyed an offshore gas platform in the Black Sea which had allegedly been converted to a forward operating sea base by Moscow forces.

    “Ukraine’s navy and military intelligence have attacked and damaged a former offshore gas platform used by Russian forces in the Black Sea,” a Ukraine navy spokesman said Saturday.

    The Ukrainians further released a video purporting to show the strike. The nighttime footage shows a large explosion and fire engulfing an offshore platform. Dozens of people may have been killed in the attack, but it is unconfirmed whether they were military or civilian platform operators.

    A Ukrainian government spokesman, Dmytro Pletenchuk, announced on social media: “The occupiers used this location for GPS spoofing to make civilian navigation dangerous. We cannot allow this to happen.”

    He further claimed there “were no civilians there” and that the “platform was not performing its normal functions” – and thus was a legitimate military target.

    Moscow did not immediately comment on the Ukrainian claims or the video. Starting Friday the Kremlin did acknowledge a sizeable Ukrainian naval attack on its Black Sea fleet and infrastructure, as well as drones sent over Crimea.

    Russian state media said the bulk of these attacks in various locations were thwarted:

    The Russian military has intercepted an attempted landing by Ukrainian marines near Kherson and destroyed a group of sea drones headed for Crimea, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow.

    Overnight, a group of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) was detected on approach to the Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol. Combat camera footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday showed them being destroyed in the water.

    “The on-duty fire systems destroyed seven unmanned boats in the Black Sea,” the ministry said, without elaborating.

    Meanwhile, a group of Ukrainian commandos tried to land at the tip of the Kinburn Peninsula, overlooking the mouth of the Dnieper, early on Friday. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, four boats approached the Kinburn Spit, attempting to land a “sabotage and reconnaissance group.” Under covering fire from two of the boats, about a dozen troops stormed the beach.

    All of this is also taking place against the backdrop of the surprise Ukraine cross-border attack into Russia’s Kursk region, which as of Saturday has entered day five.

    Ukraine has in the past months dramatically stepped up its attacks and sabotage campaign against Russian oil and gas infrastructure. Currently a Ukrainian cross-border force appears to be in control of Gazprom’s Sudzha trans-shipping hub for Russian natural gas to Europe via Ukraine, which is a crucial part of the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod pipeline. Still, supplies appear to be pumping normally, and very little has been confirmed of the current status of fighting in Sudzha amid an information blackout and fog of war.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 15:45

  • Manners Are The Glue That Binds Society
    Manners Are The Glue That Binds Society

    Authored by Rob Smith via RealClearMarkets,

    Convention, customs, manners and civility.

    When my daughter Ella was 16, I met her at a local restaurant for dinner. I was already seated when she arrived and before I could hold the chair out for her, she plopped down in the seat next to me. I was livid. I stood up and told her to get her ass out of the chair and stand up. I told her to always wait until the gentleman held the chair out for her, no matter how long it takes. I followed with “you need to demand respect from men, because if you don’t, you’ll never get it.”

    Manners are important. Indeed, they are the adhesive glue that binds society together and allows it to operate in smooth, orderly and conciliatory fashion. Like all convention, customs and manners developed organically because they served important functions. There was never a top-down Napoleonic Code of Manners that was dictated to the populace by some sort of government edict. I think all would agree that we have seen a degradation of civil society over the past 30 plus years. Our cities are trashed, there’s violence in the streets, and  civil  adult discourse is rare. Politicians and talking heads are totally uninhibited from telling not just “straight up lies,” but lies that are so fantastically and obvious false that a 3rd grader can immediately recognize the deceit. I attended schools with rigid honor systems and grew up in a culture where such blatant dishonesty made one an outcast and an immediate social pariah, cast out from respectable society. I remember a childhood contemporary was kicked out of boarding school for cheating on a test. At the time, this seemed like a punishment worse than death, as he would have to live with the stigma of dishonor the rest of his life. These long-established honor codes reflected the mores of the culture, anyone who violated these standards polluted the student population and had to be immediately drummed off campus. Today dishonesty seems to be rewarded as long as it advances an agenda.

    I have lots of nicknames, Robbie, Jones, Big Rob, Big, B.R., B-aura, Mr. Bread Truck, Professor and a few others, one of which is Mr. Mayor. I don’t know why folks call me Mayor, but I have thought quite a lot of what I would do if I was the mayor of Richmond, or better yet Governor of Virginia. The very first initiative, before any government policy proposals would be to start a campaign to re-establish civility and good manners. And what better place to begin than Richmond, Virginia, which I am quite sure, at one point not terribly long ago was the good manners capital of the world. I want to bring those days back. An initiative like this takes leadership and passion. Oh, how I hate to see what is happening to my city, not to mention the fabric of our national culture. My campaign would be much like Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” program. No government money.

    When Robert E. Lee became president of what would become Washington and Lee University in 1865, he initiated the “Speaking Rule.” Other Virginia schools followed. I don’t remember there being such a rule at the University of Virginia, primarily because the natural, organic culture that already existed was one spoke to everyone he passed and engaged in a pleasantry. It’s demoralizing to walk down the sidewalk in Richmond and watch your oncoming neighbor try NOT to make eye contact to avoid speaking. They know nothing of the “speaking rule,” and it’s sad. In the world of social media where people rage at complete strangers, there is no better salve than to look someone in the eye , smile and say “Good morning.”

    Good manners revolve around respect for others, and of course such respect is the essence of the Golden Rule. Good manners have a transcendental nature in that they create a system that one can’t see and can’t touch, but nonetheless create a benign social order. This evolves into a “custom” which evolves further into an almost universal “convention.” Kindness, gentleness, respect and tolerance are the result. Moreover, when a child is raised in this social order, this invisible ethos of civility instills itself in one’s personality, it is imbued, cooked in the sauce, and the act of being well mannered and thoughtful occurs without any conscience volition or effort to be that way. A few years ago, I visited two older gentleman I knew in the Alzheimer’s ward. There were ladies present, and I’ll never forget, although they couldn’t remember their names, they didn’t forget their manners. They were as we say perfect “southern gentlemen.” It was “baked in.”

    Before the advent of “business casual,” we all wore suits. How well I can remember 100 degree, extremely humid days and the perfumed smell of tobacco resting in downtown Richmond warehouses. Despite the heat and humidity, men did not take off their jackets when wandering outside their offices. If one was in the presence of a lady, the custom was to seek her permission before taking off one’s jacket. Now this might sound archaic to some, but the foundation of this rule, like so many others, is respect for and deference to women. As these exercises in civility have waned, what are we left with? The absolute barbarity of men beating the tar out of women in an Olympic sport.

    Dressing well is important.  By putting forth an effort to look nice, you exhibit respect and appreciation towards everyone you encounter, but the respect works both ways, your dress illustrates that you respect yourself.  Likewise, being punctual illustrates your respect for the other party and the value of his time, but it also illustrates that you respect yourself. 

    Boy, how many lessons did I learn from my father! Always stand when a lady enters a room. Stand when she leaves the dinner table and stand again when she returns. Ladies are always served first. Never, ever begin to eat until the last lady at the table has picked up her fork and put food in her mouth.  I’ll always remember him telling me to always wear a sports jacket and sometimes a tie when traveling on a plane. “Son, wherever you go in this world, you are a representative of the Commonwealth of Virginia and our family.” When I was old enough to drive and before cell phones, the custom was to follow a woman home and make sure she got into her house safely. When I see kids that I coached or taught in Sunday School wearing a hat in restaurant, I yank it off their heads and ask them what the hell is wrong with them. That was Dad’s biggest pet peeve! Offer the black housekeepers walking through the neighborhood to the bus stop a ride. Always be a good sport, and win or lose after any competition, whether athletic or business, shake the other fella’s hand. When using the telephone, introduce yourself and say “may I speak to,” and not “is so and so there.” Never go through a woman’s pocketbook or anyone’s mail. There’s a proper way to shake hands. Oh, he was a stickler for proper English! Using words correctly and phrased pleasantly honors the recipient. And, I will never forget exactly where I was when I heard the biggest rule of all. I was 5 years old. Dad was driving.  I can remember the story Dad told me, the exact bend in the road and the message was the most despicable thing a man could ever do, and was never, ever permissible under and circumstances, was to hit a woman!

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 15:10

  • US Arms-Makers Warily Consider Production In Ukraine At Pentagon's Urging
    US Arms-Makers Warily Consider Production In Ukraine At Pentagon’s Urging

    At the urging of the Pentagon, several American arms-makers are exploring the possibility of producing weapons inside Ukraine, but are grappling with assessing a host of risk factors that include not only Russian bombs but also Ukraine’s infamous corruption. 

    In June, President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bilateral agreement  committing to “defense industrial cooperation, including codevelopment, coproduction, and supply of Ukraine’s defense industrial base requirements.”

    The next month, Northrop Grumman was first to take the plunge, announcing that it had finalized a deal to coproduce medium-caliber ammunition in Ukraine. Crucially, no Northrop employees are to set foot inside the embattled country. “As part of the co-production agreement Northrop Grumman will provide the equipment and training to install an assembly line so that [Ukranian firm Ukroboronservice] can produce and test advanced medium caliber ammunition in Ukraine,” a spokesman told Breaking Defense. 

    This Ukrainian defense-industrial facility in the Kiev suburbs was shattered by Russian bombs in 2022 (Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images and Newsweek) 

    If that first project goes well, Northrop could take on more ambitious ventures. “[Medium-caliber ammo] is our first project that’s paid for with Ukrainian dollars. We are looking to expand that into tank ammo, 155 mm, others as we find innovative processes,” Dave Bartell, the firm’s director of international business for Northrop’s defense systems sector, told Breaking Defense in June.  

    Other companies are still crunching the numbers and weighing risks that are difficult to quantify. An unnamed State Department official says they’re champing at the bit. “I think our industry is really eager, but at the same time, [it] has to make sense from a business case, right? And financing is an issue too, how you can actually pay for this stuff,” the official told Defense One. 

    The official also acknowledged other risks that go beyond the prospect of employees and production lines being vaporized. “Clearly, corruption is a concern,” the official said, before offering the mandatory Western-government claim that Ukraine is making progress on that front.  

    In May, Ukraine’s former deputy head of the presidential administration was charged with “illicit enrichment,” having amassed real estate, vehicles and other riches valued in excess of 10 times his disclosed salary and savings. A few weeks earlier, local media revealed that the wife of the head of the Security Service’s cybersecurity operation bought a $500,000 apartment, which prompted President Zelensky to fire her husband. There are many more examples where that came from.

    A 155mm production line at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Radio Free Europe)

    There’s also the question of whether a heavy investment would be accompanied by long-term opportunity, or whether the breakout of peace — God forbid — would turn a Ukrainian-based project into a money-loser. Given the uncertainty, companies are likely to emphasize less ambitious undertakings. The ability to obtain insurance is another concern. 

    “It has to be a business case for what they’re trying to do, and so looking at maybe starting off with a maintenance, repair, and overhaul type stuff, spare parts production, so kind of starting a crawl-walk-run-type philosophy, before you actually get to the more advanced stuff,” the official added. 

    We suspect that, if things turn south, the Pentagon will find a way to make it up to US weapon manufacturers — and pass the cost on to you. 

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 14:35

  • Polling On Latinos Shows Trouble For Harris
    Polling On Latinos Shows Trouble For Harris

    Authored by Jeffrey Baldwin via RealClearPolitics,

    According to a new survey, Latinos are disillusioned with President Joe Biden and his administration’s policies. 

    The survey, primarily sampling Latinos living in several key states such as Pennsylvania, finds that a majority feel like things are worse than they were four years ago. And a whopping 72% say that the country is headed in the wrong direction. 

    The findings are significant because Biden comfortably won the Latino vote in the 2020 presidential election, and Latinos have traditionally voted for Democrats in previous elections. 

    And following the dramatic shake up atop of the Democratic ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign will need to put together a coalition – which includes Latinos – if she is to win the presidency.

    Unfortunately for Harris, our poll shows that the economy is front and center for most Latino voters.

    According to our findings, consistent with other polls, Latinos are most worried about jobs, the economy, inflation, and the high cost of living. 

    According to our findings, two-thirds of Latinos say the state of the economy is either fair or poor. It’s no surprise, then, that our poll found that though Latinos still continue to believe in the American Dream, nearly 88% believe that it’s harder to achieve than ever before. 

    These findings are consistent with what I am hearing every day from Latinos drawn to our workshops on financial literacy, the role of government, and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Hispanics are drawn to America because of the promise of a better life and want to be active in making this country better and more prosperous. 

    Most immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean are not looking for handouts, but instead are looking for ways to get ahead in a country of abundant opportunity and prosperity. They know that unlike other countries – including the ones they may have fled from – the United States is where people can accomplish extraordinary things through hard work and perseverance. 

    But as our polling makes clear, Latinos are feeling battered after years of runaway spending, crony capitalism, and ever-expanding regulations that make owning a business or raising a family more difficult.  

    The everyday Latinos I talk to, who are working two shifts or struggling to make ends meet, are looking for solutions from our elected officials. They are looking for bold leadership and they are tired of partisan politics.  

    Many of us, having come from countries ruled by dictators with little chance of prosperity, are grateful to take on the responsibilities that come with living in a republican democracy where the elected officials are accountable to the people – not the other way around.  

    We’re not a perfect nation, but the founders of this country knew that to make this a “more perfect union,” this great experiment of democracy needs an educated and vibrant citizenry. Latinos are showing that we are both and will not be seen as a monolithic, one-issue voting bloc for anyone. 

    As one of the youngest and fastest growing demographic, Latinos will have an outsized role in determining the future of our country. This election is just the start in shaping the next chapter of America’s history.  

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 14:00

  • Biologist Richard Dawkins Says Facebook Nuked Account After Posting That Male Boxers Shouldn't Fight Women
    Biologist Richard Dawkins Says Facebook Nuked Account After Posting That Male Boxers Shouldn’t Fight Women

    Facebook has nuked the account of famed evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins after he said that genetically male boxers should not be allowed to fight women in the Olympics.

    On Saturday morning, Dawkins posted on X about the shocking censorship – saying that there was no reason given for the sudden removal of his account.

    “My entire @facebook account has been deleted, seemingly (no reason given) because I tweeted that genetically male boxers such as Imane Khalif (XY undisputed) should not fight women in Olympics. Of course  my opinion is open to civilised argument. But outright censorship?”

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    [Dawkins presumably meant that he posted it on Facebook, not “tweeted.”]

    Social media exploded in controversy following a women’s Olympic boxing match between Italy’s Angela Carini and Imane Khelif of Algeria – in which Carini quit just 46 seconds into the fight after receiving a barrage of powerful punches from Khelif.

    Notably, the International Boxing Association banned Khelif and another boxer, Lin Yu-ting from last year’s World Boxing Championships for having failed gender testing.

    “This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors,” the IBA said in a statement.

    Furthermore, IBA president Umar Kremlev told Russian news agency TASS that DNA tests “proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded from the sports events.”

    As Why Evolution Is True opines;

    There are debates about whether the two boxers in question were of XY chromosome constitution, had high levels of testosterone (they had previously been disqualified in other competitions), or had genetic disorders of sex development (DSDs).

    But regardless, to ban someone’s account for expressing the opinion that genetically male boxers shouldn’t fight against biological women is unconscionable. Richard said that one of the boxers is “XY undisputed,” and since I’ve been out of touch, that may be the case.  And if that is the case, then there is a real debate to be had.

    There’s a general debate to be had about these boxers anyway since, last I heard, people were arguing about every aspect of the two is subject to dispute.

    Facebook botched this one very badly, and should restore Dawkins’s account.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 13:25

  • Tether Mints 1.3BN USDT Since Market Bottom: Can It Push Bitcoin Above $65K?
    Tether Mints 1.3BN USDT Since Market Bottom: Can It Push Bitcoin Above $65K?

    By Zoltan Vardai of CoinTelegraph

    Tether, the issuer of USDT — the world’s largest stablecoin — has minted over $1.3 billion worth of stablecoins since the market bottom, as investors prepare to buy the dip.

    Tether’s treasury has printed over $1.3 billion worth of USDT since the market bottomed on Aug. 5. The $1.3 billion was transferred to some of the most popular centralized cryptocurrency exchanges — including Kraken, Coinbase, OKX and Bullish — according to an Aug. 9 X post by Lookonchain.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Large stablecoin inflows to crypto exchanges could signal incoming buying pressure, as stablecoins are the main on-ramp from the fiat to the crypto world used by investors.

    Is the local crypto market bottom in?

    Following the aggressive $510 billion crypto market sell-off, the local market bottom may be in.

    The 1.3 billion USDT has been minted since Aug. 5, when Bitcoin price bottomed at a five-month low of above $49,500 before starting to recover, according to Bitstamp data.

    Since then, Bitcoin price has staged an over 21% recovery to trade at $60,271 as of 10:44 am UTC. The world’s first cryptocurrency has risen over 5.2% during the past 24 hours.

    Can USDT help push Bitcoin above the key $65,000 mark?

    Bitcoin could still see more downside volatility unless it manages to reclaim the crucial $64,000–$65,000 mark.

    This price level acts as the short-term whale holder realized price for large Bitcoin holding entities, according to an Aug. 9 X post by CryptoQuant.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Inflows from the United States spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have also turned positive, which could contribute to Bitcoin’s price appreciation. The US Bitcoin ETFs amassed a cumulative $194 million worth of net positive inflows on Aug. 8, according to Farside Investors data.

    ETF inflows can significantly contribute to a cryptocurrency’s price appreciation. For Bitcoin, ETFs accounted for about 75% of new investment in the cryptocurrency by Feb. 15 as it surpassed the $50,000 mark.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 12:50

  • Russia Blocks Signal, Curbs YouTube, As Ukraine Troop Incursion Results In 76,000+ Civilians Evacuated
    Russia Blocks Signal, Curbs YouTube, As Ukraine Troop Incursion Results In 76,000+ Civilians Evacuated

    Ukraine forces’ cross-border attack into Russia’s Kursk region has entered a fifth day, with the Russian defense ministry acknowledging it is “continuing to repel” the offensive which has shocked Kremlin leadership and the population.

    But this has apparently led to crackdowns on US-based social media platforms and messaging apps. Friday into Saturday there have been widespread reports that Russia has blocked the Signal messaging app while also throttling YouTube.

    State media regulator Roskomnadzor told the RBC business daily on Friday that Signal has been banned from the country for “violations” of national law.

    It has been restricted “due to violations of the requirements of Russian legislation, compliance with which is necessary to prevent the use of the messenger for terrorist and extremist purposes,” Roskomnadzor stated.

    The statement came Friday within hours after users across Russia complained of widespread outages for the secure messaging app which allows for communication via encrypted text and calls.

    Russian opposition activist and independent journalists who are critical of the Kremlin have complained that this move primarily targets them, as they heavily rely on Signal in their reporting and to talk to sources. Similarly, Russia had banned Telegram’s messaging app in 2018.

    As for YouTube, while it has not been banned, users have noticed loading speeds significantly drop. Some regions of Russia have seen users say that it is inaccessible. This as Russian reserve and national defense convoys have been observed on Russian highways headed south in large numbers.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Al Jazeera interviewed users and wrote this week:

    Russian internet monitoring service Sboi.rf said thousands of glitches had been reported on Thursday with users saying they could only access the platform through virtual private networks (VPNs).

    “YouTube is not working,” one anonymous user said in comments on the site.

    Reuters news agency reporters in Russia were unable to access YouTube. The website remained available on some mobile devices.

    A Russian political scientist named Boris Pastukhov, who maintains a popular YouTube channel, has said, “We’ve seen that particular regions lose Youtube connectivity overall or slow down by 90 percent for a few days, which is not really explainable by servers being old.”

    The fear is that YouTube could be next to be blocked by Kremlin authorities, but this would prove a deeply unpopular move among the Russian population. Reports commonly estimate that more than 50 million Russians use YouTube every day.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    At this point a whopping 76,000+ Russians living near southern border areas have had to evacuate their homes amid the ongoing Ukrainian cross-border offensive. 

    According to a regional summary of Saturday events:

    Moscow on Saturday mounted a “counter-terror operation” in three border regions adjoining Ukraine to halt Kyiv’s advance deeper into Russia and warned that the fighting endangered a nuclear power plant.

    Ukrainian units stormed into Russia’s western Kursk region on Tuesday morning in a shock attack, the largest and most successful cross-border offensive by Kyiv of the two-and-a-half-year conflict.

    Its troops have advanced several kilometers and Russia’s army has rushed in reserves and extra equipment, including convoys of tanks, rocket launchers and aviation units – though neither side has given precise details on the extent of the forces they have committed.

    Russia’s nuclear agency on Saturday warned the Ukrainian attack posed a “direct threat” to the nearby Kursk nuclear power station.

    At least 16,000 civilians have left their homes in Russian border areas, where emergency aid and medical supplies have been ferried in, and extra trains to the capital Moscow have been put on for people fleeing.

    TASS has subsequently put this figure at over 76,000 Russian citizens who have had to be emergency evacuated to safety as fighting encroached on dozens of towns and villages, citing the country’s Emergencies Ministry.

    President Putin has accused Ukrainian troops of “indiscriminately firing various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian facilities, residential buildings, and ambulances.” US-supplied equipment, especially Bradley Fighting Vehicles, have been observed during the assault.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Verifiable information coming from the areas of fighting in Kursk has been scant. Each side is claiming successes and advances, but as we detailed Friday President Putin and top Kremlin leadership were caught off guard by these surprise developments.

    With scenes like the below now widely unfolding in Russia’s southern oblasts, Moscow is likely about to hit Ukraine hard, but it must restore stability and security to Kursk, Belgorod, and Lipetsk first.

    Government of Kursk region of Russia/AP

    With evidence of a large-scale tank deployment on its own territory to repel the Ukrainian invaders, Russia is very likely to accelerate its war in Ukraine. This is indeed a significant turning point, and not helping matters is the fact that the US is appearing to positively back the cross-border move by Kiev.

    Tyler Durden
    Sat, 08/10/2024 – 12:15

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Aug 10

Today’s News 10th August 2024

  • Climate Fear-Mongering Fail: Great Barrier Reef Sees Third Record Year Of Coral Growth
    Climate Fear-Mongering Fail: Great Barrier Reef Sees Third Record Year Of Coral Growth

    Authored by Chris Morrison via DailySceptic.org,

    Massive increases in coral across the Australian Great Barrier Reef (GBR) have been reported for 2023-24 making it the third record year in a row of heavy growth. Across almost all parts of the 1,500 mile long reef, from the warmer northern waters to the cooler conditions in the south, coral is now at its highest level since detailed observations began. The inconvenient news has been ignored in mainstream media which, curiously, have focused on a non-story in Nature that claimed “climate change” poses an “existential threat” to the GBR.

    “The science tells us that the GBR is in danger – and we should be guided by the science,” Professor Helen McGregor from the University of Wollongong told Victoria Gill of BBC News. 

    The existential threat is “now realised” reported the Guardian.

    Travelling back from the reality inhabited by the Guardian, it can be reported that last year’s gains were eye-catchingly large. On the Northern GBR, hard coral cover leapt from 35.8% to 39.5%, in the central area it rose from 30.7% to 34%, while in the south it went from 34% to 39.1%. The report is the result of monitoring of hard coral cover reefs from August 2023 to June 2024 by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). The percentage of hard coral cover is a standard measurement of reef conditions used by scientists and is said to provide a simple and robust measure of reef health. Similar reports have been published by the AIMS over the last 38 years.

    For the first two years of record coral growth, the narrative-driven mainstream media ignored the recovery story. But this year, the suspicious might contend, something had to be done to blunt the sensational news of the stonking rises. Help has come in the form of a paper just published in Nature which uses proxy temperature measurements and climate models to suggest temperatures around the vast reef area are the highest recorded in 400 years. This time period is the blink of an ecological eye-lid given that coral has been around for hundreds of millions of years during periods when temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide have been markedly different. Nevertheless, this is said to pose an existential threat despite it being known that sub-tropical corals thrive between 24°C-32°C, and in fact seem to grow faster in warmer waters.

    Natural bleaching, when the coral expels algae and turns white, can occur with temporary local temperature changes, but evidence from many years of scientific observation suggests the corals often and quickly recover. Long term changes in water temperature – tiny compared to coral’s optimum conditions – pose no threat, but alarmists concentrate on the bleaching events to warn of possible ecological collapse. The Guardian noted a recent fifth mass bleaching in eight years across the reef, driven, it claimed, by “global heating”. So far, its readers are in the dark as to how this squares with the recent record growth.

    A decade of mass bleaching, relentlessly catastrophised in the interests of Net Zero by activists in the media, academia and politics, does not appear to have done much harm to the recent growth in the Northern GBR.

    Or the central area.

    Or even in the south where the water temperatures are slightly cooler.

    To read the latest AIMS report is to read the best possible spin on the story that the reef is heading for disaster. And, of course, it is all down to the unproven changes in climate that are said to be caused by human activity. It is claimed this will cause more frequent and long-lasting marine ‘heatwaves’, a product no doubt of a climate model. It is generally suggested that these heatwaves and mass bleaching were rare prior to the 1990s, although how anyone can know this is a mystery. Detailed GBR observations and temperature recordings barely stretch back a few decades.

    As is often the case with publicly-funded operations, the political message is never far from the surface. Thus we learn that “enabling coral reefs to survive these stressful conditions requires a combination of a reduction in global greenhouse emissions to stabilise temperatures… and the development of interventions to help reefs adapt to and recover from the effects of climate change”. No doubt this last proposal requires large amounts of money from the taxpayer to cover the costs of such worthy work.

    Not everyone goes along with the coral fear-mongering. The distinguished scientist Dr. Peter Ridd has studied the GBR for 40 years and notes that coral numbers have “exploded” in recent years. He says that all 3,000 reefs in the world’s largest system have excellent coral. “Not a single reef or even a single species of reef life has been lost since British settlement,” he reports. The impact of bleaching is “routinely exaggerated by the media and some scientific organisations”. In his view, the public is being deceived about the reef. “How this occurred is a serious issue for the reef-science community which has embraced emotion, ideology and raw self-interest to maintain funding,” he observes.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 23:25

  • What Effect Will Voter ID Laws Have In The 2024 Election?
    What Effect Will Voter ID Laws Have In The 2024 Election?

    Since the last presidential election in the United States, four states have implemented strict photo ID laws at the polls, bringing the count of places with these types of laws to 10. Additionally, three more states have made their ID laws stricter and in one state, such a change was blocked by courts.

    Around 29 million Americans of voting age live in states where voter ID laws were tightened, while the number of those living under strict photo ID requirements rose from fewer than 30 million to more than 50 million. Research by the University of Maryland shows that as of the fall of 2023, almost 50 million Americans or around 20 percent of adults citizens were estimated to not have a valid driver’s license or at least not one with their current name or address on it, among them 23 million Democrats, 15.7 million Republicans and 10.5 million Independents.

    As Statista’s Katharina Buchholz details below, combining these numbers means that around 10 million voting-age adults could be negatively affected by photo ID laws in November 2024. 

    Infographic: What Effect Will Voter ID Laws Have in the 2024 Election? | Statista

    You will find more infographics at Statista

    Other research, however, shows that party mobilization and outreach have successfully compensated for these negative effects on voter turnout in the past.

    Voter ID laws, specifically those strictly requiring photo ID, are a contentious topic. 

    While proponents say that bringing official and easy-to-verify identification on election day should be a no-brainer, the lack of a uniform national ID system in the U.S. means that some people do not have a photo ID. This most often affects poor and otherwise marginalized people as well as people of color, which has led to the topic of voter ID having become a partisan one in the country.

    Most states that currently have strict photo ID law for voting are in the Southern United States or the Midwest. New laws were passed in the last four years in Nebraska, Arkansas, North Carolina and Ohio, while they have existed for longer in Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee, among other. A bigger group of states requests photo ID at the polls, but voters without it can use a workaround, for example signing a sworn affidavit or other document or have their signature matched by a clerk. Even states with strict photo ID laws mostly allow voting a provisional ballot and bringing in ID by a specific deadline as well as some exception in case voters have specific impairments, objections on religious grounds or others.

    In Texas and South Carolina, this line between exception and workaround has been increasingly blurred, showing the tug-of-war that surrounds U.S. voter ID laws. Voters in both states who do not have photo ID can fill out a reasonable impediment declaration. While this sounds like voters will need to prove that they qualify for an exception, the cause can be any “obstacle you find reasonable”, the South Carolina Election Commission informs. In Texas, the situation is similar.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 23:00

  • Fauci's "DNA Of Caring"
    Fauci’s “DNA Of Caring”

    Authored by Randall Block via The Brownstone Institute,

    Dr. Anthony Fauci often claims a “DNA of caring” yet his actions reveal a stark contrast. Avoiding direct patient care, Dr. Fauci focused on populations—effecting a mindset aligned with abstract compassion for humanity that nonetheless neglects individual rights. His so-called ‘DNA of caring’ has most recently doubly stranded those subjected to it: first, by amplifying fear about Covid-19 while burying mitigating data; second, by pushing a vaccine in a draconian, methodical, and threatening manner, taking away liberty and jobs to an extreme never seen before in the history of mankind. 

    Additionally, by fast-tracking and strong-arming an mRNA vaccine-platform technology heretofore devoid of Phase II or III safety studies, Dr. Fauci prioritized hypothetical scientific advancement over actual current health, medical knowledge, and personal liberties—effectively double-crossing both the public’s trust and violating his own integrity: contradicting medically foundational principles he had spent his career enunciating—perhaps influenced by pharmaceutical interests.

    Introduction: From Public Health to Panic: The Motivations Behind Dr. Fauci’s Pandemic Pivot

    In early 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of NIAID, initially approached the coronavirus with standard public health strategies. By late February, Dr. Fauci had become the deciding influencer for the New York Times’ Donald McNeil’s decision to go “up to eleven,” announcing: “To Take On the Coronavirus, Go Medieval on It.” This article heightened panic in New York City, soon to be America’s pandemic landfall—and marked a shift from a century of public health’s more measured responses BACKWARDS to draconian measures. Remember: “lockdowns” emanate literally from 1970s prisons.

    Several theories potentially explain this pivot. One suggests Fauci’s involvement with NIAID grants to the Wuhan lab pushed him to deflect accountability. Another points to political motivations, aiming to undermine an adversary, Donald Trump—by destabilizing the economy, and influencing the election through lockdown-necessitated mail-in ballots.

    A deeper, but not necessarily mutually exclusive motive may lie in Fauci’s support for mRNA vaccine technology. Previously, mRNA treatments had only reached Phase I trials. The pandemic allowed for emergency-use authorization, fast-tracking this experimental platform and breaking regulatory barriers—likely saving a decade by creating a precedent for future mRNA treatments. He did this knowing systemic vaccines may not be appropriate for respiratory illnesses, and having observed close hand China’s failure to create an effective Coronavirus vaccine in the 2000s after SARS.

    And this wasn’t the first time: his persistence in pushing for mRNA technology was evident during the previous decade’s Zika Microcephaly pandemic response. Even as Zika had fizzled to zero (microcephaly-) cases, Fauci persisted in pushing for Zika (DNA-and mRNA-) vaccines. He dangled ~$100 million in front of Brazil in 2018, but it refused—whereupon he pivoted in the 2020s to Johns Hopkins to inject and infect women with Zika to test the vaccine. This is a man who will not let a public health emergency go to waste—even if it involves aggrandizing it.

    Despite his self-assessment as having a “DNA of caring,” Fauci’s actions suggest a focus more on institutional goals and the advancement of mRNA technology than on the people themselves—via corporatism: merging governmental authority with big business interests. Treating populations with a one-size-fits-all approach, stripping away individual rights, and using people as means to societal ends evokes an antidemocratic utilitarianism.

    A Self-Professed “DNA of Caring”

    A Google search for “Dr. Anthony Fauci’s promotion of the mRNA vaccine” performed today (helpfully for the otherwise beleaguered Dr. Fauci) funnels towards his On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service book tour—including this ironic and self-titled fluff piece: ‘I had that DNA of caring for people‘ sweetly afforded by PBS’ uncritical, team player Geoff Bennett. 

    Nearly comically—this June 2024 video, intending to polish his legacy, inadvertently highlights his dictatorial tendencies, tin ear, and inability to learn from mistakes. Despite his mea culpa about failing to listen to stakeholders during the 1980s’ HIV/AIDS crisis and promising to have learned from that experience, merely a few sentences later Fauci lashes out at his contemporary Covid-19 critics. 

    The irony here is stark. Fauci admits that he and his institutions were domineering and unheeding of criticism during the HIV/AIDS crisis—whereupon he retroactively wishes he had given those activists input into the process that had so directly affected them. 

    DR. ANTHONY FAUCI: Understandably, but unacceptably, the scientific community and the regulatory community just said, “We know best for you. We’re the scientists. We’re the ones with the experience.” And they kept saying, “No, no, no. We really want a seat at the table.” When we didn’t listen, then they started becoming theatrical, iconoclastic, disruptive, and confrontative. As John Lewis used to say, ‘there’s trouble and there’s good trouble.’ They were making ‘good trouble’ in the field of health in wanting to have a seat at the table. One of the best things I think I have done in my career was to put aside the theatrics (note: an admission against interest) and listen to what they were saying, because what they were saying made absolutely perfect sense. And I remember saying to myself that, if I were in their shoes, I’d be doing exactly what they were doing.

    GEOFF BENNETT: When you describe that (HIV/AIDS) experience as “enlightening,” how did it inform your approach moving forward to confront other epidemics?

    DR. ANTHONY FAUCI: Yes. Yes, listen to the patients. Listen. And don’t think that everything comes from the top down. Listen to the community. Listen to what they’re experiencing. And you’re going to make a much better and more appropriate response to whatever the disease challenge is. That was a lesson that was very well-learned from the activists.

    Volte-face and thin-skinned (a possible alternate title for his book), he shows no such sympathy for those who opposed his Covid-19 rabbit-out-of-a-hat absurdities, dismissing them outright:

    DR. ANTHONY FAUCI: I think it’s important to say, because it’s the truth, that if ever there was a time when you didn’t want to have a public health crisis was at a time of profound divisiveness within our country, where you were having people making decisions about health based on political ideology. That is the worst possible circumstance.

    It would have been really nice if we had a uniform message: “Masks work. Use them.” “Vaccines are good and save lives.” Let’s do it.

    “No, hydroxychloroquine not only doesn’t work, but, in fact, it could harm you.” (ignoring risk/benefit ratio; “right to try,” FDA-approval, and track record—and that this is true for any treatment, cf. vaccines). 

    This dismissive attitude toward dissenting voices is ironic given Fauci’s complete 180 on his own views. He refuses to engage with anyone who challenges him, yet seems blissfully unaware he’s contradicting his past self. And there is this gem uncovered by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic from Dr. Fauci, Summer 2021—so different from his supposed HIV-lesson-learned to “Listen to the community. Listen to what they’re experiencing”—speaking more like a mob boss:

    “I have to say that I don’t see a big solution, other than some sort of mandatory vaccination. I know federal officials don’t like to use that term. Once (administrators) feel empowered and protected legally, (they’ll) say, ‘you want to come to this college buddy, you’re going to get vaccinated.’ Yeah, big corporations are going to say ‘you want to work for us, you get vaccinated.’ And it’s been proven that when you make it difficult for people in their lives, they lose their ideological bullshit and they get vaccinated.”

    Dr. Fauci’s actual “DNA of caring” is caring about pharmaceutical mRNA.

    Fauci 1.0 Vs. Fauci 2.0

    Somewhere around February 2020, there seems to have been a ‘software update’ of Dr. Fauci’s mindset, and not for the better. Generally speaking, people only turn to questionable behavior when faced with a greater agenda, threat to self, or conversion. Here’s a by-no-means complete table of Fauci Covid-era “flip-flops:”

    This transformation was likely triggered by the realization of his agency NIAID’s and/or his own embarrassingly damaging complicity in the gain-of-function genesis of the “Wuhan flu” SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus threat. He aimed for self-preservation, politically maneuvering against Donald Trump to compromise him, while also greasing the skids for the mRNA vaccine. 

    This necessitated performing life support for the “emergency” in the “Emergency Use Authorization/ EUA” by quashing any interim medications, aggrandizing the threat of SARS-CoV-2—when he knew, from the Diamond Princess data, that it was not that severe (zero deaths, 25 days after exposure)—and backtracking from his comments that respiratory illnesses were not best approached by vaccines; that natural immunity was preferable to vaccine immunity, and that flu shots needed to be timely for the upcoming variant. Despite his previously calling the coronavirus threat “minuscule,” Fauci’s actions followed a pattern of (mis)using the crisis to bequeath a Big Science/Big Pharma (-regulatory-capture cycle untested mRNA treatments. 

    Covid-19 Pandemic: Overreach and Ignoring Early Data

    During the Covid-19 pandemic, Fauci’s approach starkly contradicted the lessons he claimed to have learned from the HIV/AIDS crisis. He enforced top-down measures that often lacked scientific backing. For instance, he admitted in a January 2024 Congressional hearing (belatedly released in June) that he did not know the scientific basis for the six-foot social distancing rule and could not substantiate masking requirements for children. 

    “Collectively, the four pillars of the “Covidian Cult” were lockdowns, masks, social distancing and mRNA vaccines. Dr Fauci was one of the most powerful advocates of all of these things, and he became the public face of each demand. But here we have one of the architects, without too much pushing, admitting that two of those four pillars were never set in any scientific foundation at all. Now what this admission does is utterly destroy the entire Covidian argument. Because the argument was that we should “Follow the Science.” The argument was that technocratic experts had decided the course of action to follow, and that we had no right to question that course because they were the experts and we were simply, “Tracy from Facebook.” Daniel Jupp “Fauci’s Evidence: It just sort of appeared. You know, from nowhere.”

    Fauci’s stance on vaccination mandates was equally inconsistent. In 2004, he advised against flu vaccines for those who had already contracted the flu. Yet during the Covid-19 pandemic, he supported mandatory vaccinations regardless of prior infection, ignoring the virus’ evolving nature. Vaccines were administered for an outdated strain, akin to giving expired flu shots, which are typically removed from circulation once the virus mutates significantly. This inconsistency highlighted his failure to adapt his policies to the realities of the virus’ mutations.

    Fauci 1.0 had said, “You seek and learn…from an experiment“ (2005). The floating coronavirus-incubation/quarantine experiment, a.k.a. Diamond Princess was an incredible serendipity for the world—if not its 3,711 captives. Trying to enlist that number of people for an unknown viral threat would’ve required a pre-payout of ~$10 billion (and could not have included this random selection of individuals)—yet, the world was the beneficiary of this experiment in a timely fashion, February 2020 for “free” (although the passengers and crew might disagree with that term).

    Instead of focusing on the obvious good news results: zero fatalities after three weeks’ exposure; essentially none of the children or young adults feeling much ill or even noticing infection—Fauci 2.0 sided with Chinese propaganda and extreme measures, contributing to widespread panic and economic devastation. Fauci 2.0 ignored the possibility of Chinese guile, either blithely or willfully—but in either case to our nation’s discredit, discomfort, disunion, and disinformation.

    The Gates Foundation’s mRNA Finesse; Zika Emergency

    In 2017, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $100 million to Moderna to develop an mRNA-platform vaccine for Zika. This investment was made despite the fact that Zika, a relatively harmless dengue variant, was not (by that time) persistently linked to the microcephaly cases it was blamed for. The Zika-microcephaly phenomenon just petered out even in the initial “pandemic” panic crisis year of 2016. This rush to develop an mRNA vaccine for a non-crisis reflects a broader trend of aggrandizing potential threats to justify rapid and untested vaccine development.

    My book, Overturning Zika: The Pandemic That Never Was, points out the complete absence of any Zika-related microcephaly increase in any year, including the incipient 2015 year. Once Zika tests were developed and Brazil adopted the WHO standard for statistical microcephaly determination, the link between Zika and microcephaly was never substantiated—and effectively disappeared. “Zika-Microcephaly” had always and only been “science” by press release, political pressure, and professorial self-aggrandizement.

    Dr. Fauci never stopped pushing for Zika vaccines long after it was clear there was no recurrence of Zika-related microcephaly in Latin America. In 2018, he attempted to initiate a human challenge trial (HCT) in Brazil, but the authorities refused, not wanting to introduce the Zika virus into the population through experimentation.

    HCTs had fallen out of favor due to the negative outcomes of the Guatemala and Tuskegee experiments. In 2017, the NIH’s ethics panel determined that Zika did not warrant human challenge trials, but Dr. Fauci pushed for them regardless, ignoring prevailing public health wisdom. 

    Why was he jonesing for a putative Zika vaccine? Fauci was a proponent of synthetic vaccinology and mRNA platforms. Conveniently ignoring Zika-Microcephaly’s fizzle, he continued over-generously funding Moderna (whose very name is a portmanteau of “modified RNA”).

    When Zika’s shoddy underlying science and non-recurrence failed to sustain the necessary “emergency” for mRNA technology, an unrepentant and unpunished Fauci aggrandized Covid-19 to achieve the same goals. Had he been reprimanded for violating the NIH ethics panel’s decision, he might not have been so rash and brash in exaggerating Covid-19. It appears Fauci pursued his “fix” of stealthily introducing mRNA technology to the public and mainstreaming it through vaccines, despite the ethical breaches and potential risks involved.

    mRNA Vaccines: From Never Done to Pandemic Panacea

    The foundation for mRNA-vaccine technology was laid years before the pandemic. Here’s an excellent history (behind paywall) of the endeavor, beginning with Robert F. Malone’s late-1980s conceptualization—although (reminiscent of Breaking Bad’s Gray Matter Technologies: Walter White says, “It was my hard work. My research. And you and Elliott made millions off it.”) all of the financial-windfall beneficiaries currently in the field are happy to orphan whistleblower Malone who said the coronavirus “should never have been politicized.” Legacy media is happy to help discredit him: effectively always, his name is accompanied by the term, “spreading misinformation.”

    The Obama Administration invested heavily in mRNA research through DARPA (via the mysterious network, “JASON”) and BARDA. By the end of the Obama era, mRNA vaccines were being tested in both animals and humans – but never beyond Phase 1. 

    The Covid-19 pandemic fast-tracked the push for mRNA vaccines under Operation Warp Speed, prioritizing them over traditional vaccines like Johnson & Johnson’s adenovirus vector vaccine. Concerns about side effects, such as myocarditis in young males, were brushed aside in the rush to advance mRNA technology. This urgency overshadowed the critical need for proper safety trials, effectively using the public as guinea pigs in a massive, premature experiment.

    Now, with the ice broken, a flood of new mRNA vaccines is in the pipeline for diseases like cytomegalovirus (CMV), influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Researchers are even exploring mRNA vaccines for avian flu, hepatitis C, HIV, and more. This rapid adoption bypasses decades of proven safety from traditional vaccine platforms, raising ethical concerns about using the global population for untested innovations.

    Even if mRNA vaccines prove beneficial in the long run, we deserve better than to be test subjects in this grand experiment—without getting a share of the proceeds. It’s like “My parents went to Vegas and all I got was this lousy T-shirt,” but with much higher stakes.

    Profit over Safety

    The profit motive may be king. Much as the ‘minor issues’ of people’s freedoms and safety (I’m joking) were completely ignored to help speed the development of mRNA vaccines, being politically favored has its benefits. Every accommodation is made for electric vehicles or climate change initiatives. One wonders, given that everyone turned a blind eye to safety and is still doing so regarding Covid’s mRNA vaccine(s), whether these newer possibilities—which are not emergencies per se—will go through proper multiphase studies over the proper length of time to check for long-term side effects. 

    Studies for “long-term effects” ipso facto need a “long-term” study: eight or 10 years may not even be enough. Other vaccines have been out for decades and there are still questions circulating given that they are being given more frequently and with multiple other vaccines in combination throughout the course of tender childhood. 

    Pre-NCVIA (1986 federal liability waiver for vaccine manufacturers), kids got a handful of vaccines, now we are up to 72 separate inoculations recommended through adolescence. With whispers of avian flu and other potential “emergencies,” we have to be careful that these aren’t just efforts to fan the flames and bypass safety studies once again.

    The silver lining, the promise we are given is that mRNA technology may help cancer treatment, food- and environmental- allergies, genetic diseases, heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and neurodevelopmental disorders. While these advancements are promising, it is essential to balance innovation with rigorous safety protocols; to balance self-interested Big Science/Big Pharma claims with the normal skepticism, given the track record.

    Lockdowns: Misguided Anachronism 

    Fauci’s advocacy for lockdowns was another significant departure from standard public health practices. Historically, “lockdown” was a term used exclusively in prison settings. Before Covid-19, general population lockdowns were virtually unheard of, except in extreme cases like a tuberculosis outbreak in a South African prison and limited restrictions during the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. Implementing such measures for Covid-19 ignored the relatively benign nature of the virus for most of the population. The lockdowns caused widespread economic disruption, halted education, and inflicted severe mental health consequences.

    Donald McNeil of the New York Times famously espoused a “go medieval” approach to the virus, but only after the endorsement specifically of Dr. Fauci. McNeil’s article, “To Take On The Coronavirus, Go Medieval on It,” drummed up enormous fear and overreaction. In August 2020, McNeil revealed that his consultation with Dr. Fauci was pivotal in shaping the article.

    Donald McNeil wrote: 

    “There are two ways to fight epidemics: the medieval and the modern. The modern way is to surrender to the power of the pathogens: Acknowledge that they are unstoppable and try to soften the blow with 20th-century inventions, including new vaccines, antibiotics, hospital ventilators and thermal cameras searching for people with fevers. The medieval way, inherited from the era of the Black Death, is brutal: Close the borders, quarantine the ships, pen terrified citizens up inside their poisoned cities.” 

    Mr. McNeil, writer and rhetorician (and decidedly not a scientist) is merely channeling this Fauci 2.0 bureaucrat/autocrat whose decidedly medieval methods fall into stark contrast with (erstwhile) modern public health’s. Fauci 2.0 essentially settled the issue for McNeil, who readily adopted this extreme stance.

    Ironically, those advocating for a more modern public health approach, like the (genuine) experts behind the Great Barrington Declaration, were shut down. Fauci’s supposed “DNA of caring” seems to only extend to himself, his views, and his control over the narrative. His actions during Covid-19 show that he learned nothing from his self-professed enlightenment during the HIV/AIDS crisis.

    He ignored and dismissed any criticism, especially from those on or above his level. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, (economics), for example, is arguably more qualified than Fauci, more of a political than medical ace. This is evident in his absurdly anachronistic “medieval” approach to the pandemic; his inability to tolerate dissent; his failure to listen to those who challenge him—in fact his censoring them, codifying a policy of “Shut Up!” to skeptics of his overreaching policies. 

    Even Fauci 1.0 was not a great medical doctor. In the 1980s, during the HIV/AIDS crisis, Fauci speculated that close household contact, without sexual interaction or needle sharing, could lead to AIDS transmission. This glib and unfounded claim led to widespread fear and misinformation. As a result, AIDS patients (it is posited) were often abandoned by their families due to the fear of casual transmission.

    His stubborn focus on producing a vaccine rather than therapeutics was of particular frustration to activists and other scientists. Ironically, this emphasis on vaccines over therapeutics repeated in 2020 and 2021 with the push for mRNA vaccines, despite the availability of other potential treatments. 

    The government, under Fauci’s influence, went out of its way to insult and ridicule FDA-approved, off-label usage, rational treatment alternatives, such as hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and Nobel-Prize generating ivermectin (which was FALSELY derided as mere horse medication). Many drugs used in humans are also used in animals. This dismissal and ridicule were strategic, aimed at maintaining the narrative that only a vaccine could solve the crisis, thus justifying the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the mRNA vaccines. Absent an emergency, they would not have been able to circumvent the necessary safety measures. This strategy was not only misleading but potentially criminal, as it prioritized the adoption of untested vaccines over exploring all possible treatment avenues.

    Unprecedented Excess Deaths

    The implications of these decisions have been far-reaching and devastating. According to researchers from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, there have been more than three million excess deaths since 2020, with the trend continuing despite (or because of) the rollout of vaccines and containment measures. In BMJ Public Health, the authors stated, 

    “excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This is unprecedented and raises serious concerns. During the pandemic, politicians and the media emphasized daily that every COVID-19 death mattered and every life deserved protection through containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the same morale should apply.”

    This is the tragic outcome of Fauci’s policies. The world was promised salvation, but instead, we have worse economies, more top-down nondemocratic management, halted education, and disrupted lives. Children couldn’t see people’s faces, and the societal impacts have been profound.

    We Were Betrayed by Falsehoods

    Dr. Anthony Fauci’s actions during the Covid-19 pandemic mirrored the very failings he claimed to have learned from the HIV/AIDS crisis. His inability to adapt, combined with a penchant for authoritarian measures, has left a legacy of distrust and division. Fauci’s enforcement of arbitrary measures, disregard for scientific data, and contribution to economic and social disruption have caused untold harm. His tenure stands as a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked authority.

    Fauci’s role in the Covid-19 response has shown a disregard for American values of liberty and openness. His actions have inflicted deep scars on the nation, from economic devastation to the erosion of public trust. The world deserves better from its public health leaders, and Fauci’s tenure stands as a cautionary tale of what happens when power goes unchecked. The suffering caused by his decisions is a legacy not of public health triumph but of public health failure and manipulation.

    As H.L. Mencken famously said, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” Unelected Dr. Fauci’s prison-styled lockdowns and tyrannical, unproven, mRNA-over-vaccinating within an overall disdainful, peremptory medical misgovernance made sure of that.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 22:35

  • Visualizing 45 Years Of Growth In US Real Wages, By Income Group
    Visualizing 45 Years Of Growth In US Real Wages, By Income Group

    Since 1979, the top income earners in America have seen their real wages grow at more than double the rate of every other income group.

    Given this rapid rise, income inequality in the U.S. exceeds nearly every other rich nation, driven by several complex factors. Among these, tax policy, technological change, and economic downturns have widened this gap. Diminishing bargaining power across workers has also contributed to wage disparities.

    This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Dorothy Neufeld, shows the growth in real wages over time across income groups, based on data from the Economic Policy Institute.

    Stark Differences in Real Wages Over Time

    Below, we show the cumulative growth in real wages between 1979 and 2023 by wage group:

    As we can see, the lowest paid workers in America have seen their real wages increase just 17% over the period—averaging a dismal 0.4% annual growth rate.

    If we take out the pandemic-era’s period of strong wage growth for low-wage workers, this figure drops to 0.1% between 1979 and 2019. By contrast, real wages boomed at an annualized rate of 2.9% over the pandemic, outpacing wage growth in the previous 40 years combined.

    A similar trend of slow wage growth can be seen across all other income groups apart from the highest income earners. This has contributed to the middle-class—those falling between the lowest and highest income quintiles—to shrink from 61% of the population in 1971 to 51% in 2023.

    At the same time, the share of lower-income households grew by 27% in 1971 to 30% in 2023, while the share of upper-income households rose from 11% to 19% over the period.

    Wage Growth During the Pandemic

    As we can see in the table below, high labor demand during the pandemic led to significant wage increases, particularly for lower-income groups:

    What is notable about these wage gains is that they outpaced inflation, which totaled nearly 20% over this period.

    Today, a strong labor market is continuing to push real wages above inflation as price pressures have eased, but this growth has slowed considerably since pandemic peaks. In June 2024, year-over-year real wage growth was 0.8% on average, compared to 7.7% in April 2020.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 22:10

  • Overnight Drone Attack Targets US Troops Occupying Syria
    Overnight Drone Attack Targets US Troops Occupying Syria

    Update(2210ET): American troops occupying northeast Syria have come under overnight attack by a drone, which some reports say was sent by ‘pro-Iran’ militants.

    US officials did not indicate that there were any initial casualties, in what is the second such attack on a US base in less than a week. “Initial reports do not indicate any injuries, however medical evaluations are ongoing. We are currently conducting a damage assessment,” a defense official told Reuters.

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    But it’s not just Iran-linked militants who have upped the pressure on the US occupation of late – Arab tribes have been attacking US-backed Kurdish positions in the oil and gas rich eastern region as well.

    The whole region is still on edge awaiting a likely Iranian attack on Israel, which would likely see stepped-up activity from Hezbollah and from militias in Syria and possibly even Iraq.

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    * * *

    With the Middle East on the brink of a possible major war between Iran and Israel, also involving Lebanese Hezbollah, the White House and its regional partners are desperately trying to salvage ceasefire talks.

    The United States, Qatar, and Egypt are calling on Israel and Hamas to step back to the negotiating table. They say it is urgent “to resume urgent discussion” on August 15 in Doha or Cairo “to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay.” Gaps?

    While the statement speaks of “remaining gaps” – a fresh Axios report cites a diplomatic source strongly suggests the situation is a far cry from mere closing gaps…

    A source familiar with the negotiations said the planned summit is a “Hail Mary” attempt by the Biden administration to get a deal and prevent a regional war.

    The White House also needs to present to the American public that it has helped secure a ceasefire, which would be a boost to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and her supposed foreign policy credentials going into the November election.

    Via Reuters

    The statement from the US, Qatar, and Egypt continued: “It is the time to conclude a ceasefire agreement and release hostages and prisoners,” they said.

    “We have worked for months to reach framework agreement and it is now on the table, with only details of implementation missing.”

    But this is the same language that negotiators have presented to the public for several months at this point. They are always and ever “near the goal line,” we are told. Yet Israeli and Hamas officials themselves constantly suggest the opposite. There also doesn’t seem to be much US pressure on Israel, or serious efforts to reign in its adventurism in places like Iran.

    Additionally, Washington policy itself is schizophrenic: President Biden has criticized Israel at times, lamenting the mass civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, while at the same time he continues to arm Israel’s military to the teeth.

    Consider too the rosy picture of negotiations painted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month at the Aspen Security Forum: “I believe we’re inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line in getting an agreement that would produce a cease-fire, get the hostages home and put us on a better track to trying to build lasting peace and stability,” Blinken said July 19.

    Perhaps it’s past time for Blinken and US officials to retire the football metaphors when it comes to Hamas negotiations? 

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 22:09

  • US Ambassador Boycotts Nagasaki A-Bomb Ceremony Because Israel Not Invited
    US Ambassador Boycotts Nagasaki A-Bomb Ceremony Because Israel Not Invited

    Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

    US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel boycotted Friday’s memorial service in Nagasaki commemorating the 79th anniversary of the US dropping a nuclear bomb on the city because Israel was not invited to attend.

    Emanuel said the ceremony had become “politicized” by the decision not to invite Israel, but Russia and Belarus will also be excluded for the third year in a row, a move supported by the US.

    Envoys from the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union sent a letter to Nagasaki last month saying it would “become difficult for us to have high-level participation” if Israel wasn’t invited. The envoys said the decision would equate Israel with Russia and Belarus.

    Lanterns placed in Hypocenter Park in Nagasaki on the eve of the 79th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of the southwestern Japan city. via Kyodo

    Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki stuck to his decision not to invite Israel despite the pressure. He said it was due to concerns that Israeli attendance could lead to demonstrators disrupting the ceremony. “I will continue to persevere and ask for understanding of the decision as often as necessary,” Suzuki said.

    Suzuki said he made the decision “not for political reasons” but to ensure “a smooth ceremony in a peaceful and solemn environment.”

    Israel’s ambassador to Japan was invited to Hiroshima’s ceremony on Tuesday, which was attended by Emanuel and other Western ambassadors. The ambassadors of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the EU are expected to boycott the Nagasaki ceremony along with Emanuel, and the Western nations will send lower-level representatives instead.

    Israeli officials have pointed to the US and allied bombings of Japan and Germany during World War II to justify the mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. President Biden said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed to the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed over 200,000 Japanese civilians, in conversations they had about Gaza.

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    “It was pointed out to me that — by Bibi (Netanyahu) — that ‘Well, you carpet-bombed Germany. You dropped the atom bomb. A lot of civilians died,'” Biden said in December 2023.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 21:45

  • Panama Hits 'VIP' Chinese Migrant-Smuggling Route Through Notorious Darien Gap
    Panama Hits ‘VIP’ Chinese Migrant-Smuggling Route Through Notorious Darien Gap

    In the latest indication that new President Jose Raul Mulino may be serious about his campaign pledge to end the country’s role as a major funnel of masses of illegal immigrants bound for the United States, Panamanian border police on Wednesday arrested 15 people linked to an illicit “VIP” migrant-smuggling operation that caters to Chinese clients, AFP reports. The detainees — who face 15 to 20 years in prison — are all Panamanian, but are accused of working for Colombian gangs. 

    While the Pan-American Highway stretches some 19,000 miles through South, Central and North America, there’s a 66-mile gap that starts just inside Colombia and stretches into Panama. That means migrants have to make a harrowing journey on foot through a mountainous and marshy region called the Darien Gap. They not only have to survive dangerous natural conditions, but also criminal gangs known to rape, murder, kidnap and rob them.

    Not the VIP version: Most migrants traverse the Darien Gap on foot, braving days of heat, rain, mud, dehydration, water crossings, disease, thieves and rapists (John Moore/Getty Images via Council on Foreign Relations)

    The VIP service targeted this week promised a faster, easier and safer passage into Panama — but at a higher price. Migrants pay about $500 for a standard escort through the gap, but fees for this expedited trip range from $2,600 to $8,000, local prosecutor Emeldo Marquez told AFP. Given the price, most customers who can afford the first class experience are Chinese. 

    The VIP trip is shortened in a variety of ways, starting with boat service that bypasses a portion of the jungle trip by departing the Colombian coast from Capurgana or Necocli and dropping migrants in Carreto or Caledonia, Panama. Smugglers then whisk them through the remaining wilderness using canoes, horses and ATVs. That helps cut the average VIP jungle jaunt down to just two days, instead of upwards of eight days or more for everyone else. 

    A detainee is guarded by a Panamanian National Border Service member near Santa Fe in Panama’s Darien province (Abraham Teran via Associated Press)

    About a half-million migrants made the Darien Gap trek in 2023, and about 200,000 so far this year. They come from many countries, but most of the recent migrants are Venezuelan. While still a small percentage, Chinese traffic has soared, with more than 55,000 Chinese crossing the Mexican border since 2023. 

    On the campaign trail, President Jose Raul Mulino emphasized his intent to end Panama’s role as a critical link in a path that funnels northbound migrants into Central America. He reiterated that intention in his inaugural address, saying, “I will not allow Panama to be a path open to thousands of people who illegally enter our country supported by an entire international organization related to drug trafficking and human trafficking.”

    Earlier this summer, Panama started installing concertina-wire fences inside the Darien Gap. “The patrol at the national border service has begun to block the majority of border passages,” said Frank Abrego, Panama’s minister of public security during a June 28 visit to the area.  

    On July 1 — the same day that Mulino was sworn into office, Panama announced it had signed an agreement with the United States with a goal of cutting the flow of migrants through the isthmus. Under the deal, the US government has committed to covering Panama’s expenses for deporting people who enter Panama illegally, and to help with “equipment, transportation and logistics.” 

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 21:20

  • Democratic California State Lawmaker Switches To Republican Party
    Democratic California State Lawmaker Switches To Republican Party

    Authored by Caden Pearson via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    A California state lawmaker announced on Thursday that she’s switching affiliation to the Republican Party in a bid to save the state from heading in the wrong direction under a Democratic supermajority.

    State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil (D-Jackson) at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on July 10, 2023. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)

    State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, who represents the state’s fourth Senate district, said she joined the Senate Republican Caucus and party after deep reflection and to help “in their fight to fix California.”

    “I was elected to serve the public, not a political ideology,” Alvarado-Gil said in a statement. “The status quo under a supermajority Democratic rule in the legislature is simply not working for this state.”

    Democratic state Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire said her decision would be disappointing for voters who elected her in 2022.

    “They trusted her to represent them, and she’s betrayed that trust,” he said in a statement.

    However, Alvarado-Gil, who represents a largely conservative-leaning rural district in northeast Central Valley, said the decision was “right for the constituents that voted me into office” and about putting them first.

    California has a Democrat supermajority in both the Assembly and the Senate. After Alvarado-Gil’s defection, which gives Republicans nine votes in the 40-member Senate, Democrats will retain their veto-proof majority.

    Despite Democrats having more power and ability in the state Legislature, Alvarado-Gil said that since she’s been elected, she’s had a front-row seat to watching the Democratic supermajority push California in what she characterized as a wrong direction.

    Republicans’ nine votes still leaves them well under the majority they need to control the chamber. Democrats hold supermajorities in both the Assembly and Senate at the Capitol.

    Alvarado-Gil is known for working with Republicans and has split from Democrats to vote on issues where she feels politics is being put over public safety.

    State Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones, in a statement welcoming Alvarado-Gil to the GOP, said it takes courage for a lawmaker to stand up to the supermajority the way she has.

    “Her record on tackling crime, protecting communities from sexually violent predators, and prioritizing her constituents speaks for itself,” said Jones, who has recently worked with Alvarado-Gil on a number of key Republican measures.

    Alvarado-Gil, who is in her first term, has broken with Democrats on a number of bills, including gun legislation, caps on oil industry profits, and restrictions on homeless encampments over the last year. She was one of three state Democratic senators to co-author legislation led by Jones to restrict homeless encampments.

    She said on Thursday that she will continue to aggressively advocate for fiscal responsibility, public safety, supporting veterans, tackling the homelessness crisis, and lowering living costs.

    Alvarado-Gil has supported legislation addressing crime, fentanyl, human trafficking, child sex trafficking, sexual assault, and relocating sexually violent predators to rural communities.

    “I look forward to collaborating with my Republican colleagues on their plan to Fix California and continuing to lead with a pragmatic approach on issues affecting my district and this great state,” she said.

    California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said, “Senator Alvarado-Gil has represented her community as an independent, fiscally-conservative voice in Sacramento, and we are honored to have her represent them going forward as a member of the Republican Party.”

    Alvarado-Gil beat out a progressive Democrat by more than five points in the 2022 election. Registered Republican voters in her district have increased since 2022 to nearly 39 percent to Democrats’ 34 percent in 2024.

    It’s uncommon for a member of a majority party to switch affiliation, according to California State Library legislative historian Alex Vassar.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 20:55

  • Breast Or Bottle? China Is The Global Market For Infant Formula
    Breast Or Bottle? China Is The Global Market For Infant Formula

    In a press release published ahead of World Breastfeeding Week (August 1 to 7), the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that:

    “Over the past twelve years the number of infants under 6 months who are exclusively breastfed increased by more than 10 percent globally. Now, almost half (48 percent) of infants worldwide benefit from this excellent start in life”.

    But this progress needs to be put into perspective if we take into account sales of breast milk substitutes, which have more than doubled worldwide over the last twenty years. Additionally, while countless studies have found the benefits of breastfeeding, others have claimed that when you eliminate selection bias, i.e. richer women being more likely to breastfeed, the positive effects almost disappear as larger socioeconomic factors overlay the still substantial benefits that breast milk does have.

    Breastfeeding is sure to provide all the nutrients and energy needed for the growth and development of newborns and provides immune protection and other benefits through bioactive ingredients that formula doesn’t have.

    In developing countries, water safety is another factor that makes breast milk the superior option, while of course, the small chance of formula itself being contaminated also remains a risk.

    However, the product is still marketed aggressively around the world, using with exaggerated claims to its benefits – something that has been criticized widely together with the baby milk industry’s high spending on lobbying.

    The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the age of 6 months and continued breastfeeding (with appropriate complementary feeding) until 2 years or more. However, apart from the response to marketing, not exclusively breastfeeding can have many reasons, including the mother working, personal reference, division of labor considerations and physical issues breastfeeding.

    As Statista’s Katharina Buchholz shows in the chart below, based on UNICEF data, the regions where breastfeeding is most prevalent are South Asia and Eastern and Southern Africa, where around 60 percent of infants aged 0 to 5 months are exclusively breastfed.

    Infographic: World Split on Breast vs. Bottle Feeding | Statista

    You will find more infographics at Statista

    Conversely, breastfeeding rates up to 6 months are lowest in North America (26 percent) and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (36 percent). For Western Europe, this data is not available due to the lack of a standardized collection method and incomplete national data, but breastfeeding rates are generally low across Europe.

    However, despite the high rate of breastfeeding in Asia, China is the biggest market worldwide for baby milk and infant formula.

    In 2024, Statista Market Insights estimates that sales will reach almost $17 billion in the country. The second biggest market, the United States, is far behind at just $6.2 billion. However, per-capita spending was higher in the U.S. and actually lowest in China out of the top 5 biggest markets. Numbers by UNICEF show that the use of formula is more widespread in more developed countries and has also become typical in China’s burgeoning middle class, while it hasn’t caught on everywhere in the nation – explaining the lower per-capita spending.

    Infographic: China Is the Global Market for Infant Formula | Statista

    You will find more infographics at Statista

    Like in other nations, families in China are subject to aggressive baby formula marketing and urban Chinese women were found to have the highest exposure to respective advertising messages in a recent survey.

    Due to its high price, the global market for baby formula is large at almost $54 billion.

    The above survey also names Vietnam as a country saturated with such marketing. It was identified as the fifth biggest formula market by Statista, while another Asian nation, Indonesia, came in rank 3. Out of the top 5, Vietnam exhibited the highest estimated per-capita spending on infant formula given that estimates say only 17 percent of babies there are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their lives.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 20:30

  • Smith Is No Longer In A Hurry: Special Counsel Moves To Slow Down District Court Judge
    Smith Is No Longer In A Hurry: Special Counsel Moves To Slow Down District Court Judge

    Authored by Jonathan Turley,

    For over a year, Special Counsel Jack Smith has made one element the overriding priority in his prosecution of former president Donald Trump: speed. Smith repeatedly moved to curtail Trump’s appellate rights and demand expedited appeals to try to secure a conviction before the election. In that effort, he found an equally motivated judge in U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who virtually turned her court into a rocket docket to try Trump. Now, in a neck-breaking change of direction, Smith is trying to slow down Chutkan who appears again ready to pull out the stops in this case.

    After the mandate in the case was returned to her, Judge Chutkan immediately resumed her high-speed scheduling to look at the pre-trial issues after the Court reversed her earlier rulings on the basis of presidential immunity.

    The past problem with a court making speed the priority is that it does not allow much time to create a record. The remand will now require Judge Chutkan to do so on the question of what charges and evidence may be barred under the ruling in Trump v. United States.

    As it has in the past, the Court adopted a three-tiered approach to presidential powers based on the source of a presidential action. Chief Justice John Roberts cited Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer, in which the court ruled against President Harry Truman’s takeover of steel mills.

    In his famous concurrence to Youngstown, Justice Robert Jackson broke down the balance of executive and legislative authority between three types of actions. In the first, a president acts with express or implied authority from Congress. In the second, he acts where Congress is silent (“the zone of twilight” area). In the third, the president acts in defiance of Congress.

    In this decision, the Court adopted a similar sliding scale. It held that presidents enjoy absolute immunity for actions that fall within their “exclusive sphere of constitutional authority” while they enjoy presumptive immunity for other official acts. They do not enjoy immunity for unofficial or private actions.

    Only hours after receiving the mandate, Judge Chutkin scheduled an Aug. 16 conference to lay out the schedule and issues going forward. The former version of Jack Smith would have been delighted.

    He did not even see the need for the right for an en banc appeal in previously pushing for a pre-election trial.

    Now, however, Smith is telling Judge Chutkin to slow down already.

    Smith told the court that:

    “The Government continues to assess the new precedent set forth last month in the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. United States. Although those consultations are well underway, the Government has not finalized its position on the most appropriate schedule for the parties to brief issues related to the decision.”

    He has asked for a three-week delay to further consider what he wants to do. It is not clear if the press and pundits will now charge Smith with “slow walking” the case.

    The question is whether Smith is considering a drastic move in light of the calendar and the ruling. There is, of course, always the possibility that he either throws in the towel or opts for a post-election trial. That would certainly go against the grain of Smith, who has always pushed both the law and the calendar to the breaking point. However, as some of us have been arguing for months, he may no longer view a trial as a plausible objective.

    There is also the possibility that Smith will do something that some of us have discussed over the last year: pare down his case. Smith has always been undone by his appetite. As shown in his 8-0 reversal in his conviction of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Smith has rarely shown moderation as a prosecutor.

    His overloaded criminal complaints created this disaster for his team.

    In Florida, Smith unwisely loaded up the prosecution with controversial charges on the retention of classified material. It not only triggered difficult challenges but slowed the case to a crawl as the parties dealt with classification laws. Had he proceeded solely on obstruction charges, he might have secured his trial before the election (and before the recent ruling on immunity). Even if the reduced case was heard by the Court on immunity, an obstruction case would have been far stronger for Smith.

    The same is true with the D.C. case. Smith loaded up the case to raise the January 6th speech and other issues. Most were unnecessary, but Smith used his press conference to denounce the January 6th riot.

    A three-week delay will give Smith ample time (in addition to the weeks following the Supreme Court decision) to deliberate. However, it will take roughly a month off the calendar for just internal debate with the election only three months away.

    So, even with a judge who appears chomping at the bit to resume the fast track to trial, Smith now wants more time. Even before this request, it was hard to see how a trial could be held before the election. Now it seems a virtual certainty that any trial will have to await the results of the election. As I wrote in 2023, the odds were against a federal trial before the election, which would convert the voters into the largest jury in history.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 20:05

  • Million Dollar Ba-Boy: Genetic Male Wins Gold In Women's Olympic Boxing
    Million Dollar Ba-Boy: Genetic Male Wins Gold In Women’s Olympic Boxing

    Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, a genetic male, won a gold medal in the Paris Olympics Friday night after beating 13 women to snatch victory in the walterweight final.

    The 25-year-old Khelif – who was disqualified from last year’s IBA World Championships for failing a gender test, beat China’s Yang Liu in front of a packed audience at Roland Garros – capping off a controversial path to first place in which the boxer didn’t lose a single round.

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    After winning, Khelif could be seen with a raised arm in a mock military salute before being carried around the ring.

    As the Daily Mail notes, questions have been raised over whether Khelif should have been permitted to fight in the women’s competition in Paris, where eligibility rules were lax compared to the IBA.

    The IBA was stripped of its right to run the Olympic competition amid a war with Games bosses the IOC. As a result, there are no gender or testosterone exams in Paris and the category is open to those who have ‘female’ in their passport.

    Khelif, who roared ‘I am a woman’ after cruising to quarter-final victory, has been the subject of a wave of online abuse.

    Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting, who was also disqualified from the IBA World Championships, will fight for gold in the featherweight division on Saturday night.

    There has been a massive controversy over whether Khelif was actually born a male or a female – with some claiming ‘she’ has hyperandrogenism, a condition which features higher-than-usual levels of androgens (male hormones), however earlier this year IBA president Umar Kremlev told Russian news agency TASS that DNA tests “proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded from the sports events.”

    The IBA told The Guardian that it had made the decision “following a comprehensive review and was intended to uphold the fairness and integrity of the competition.”

    Last week the IOC and the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit issued a joint statement saying that every athlete competing in the 2024 games had complied with their regulations.

    “All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU).”

    And since there were no gender tests, and all that was required was a passport that says ‘female,’ they complied.

    Meanwhile, IOC President Thomas Bach claims there are ‘zero scientific ways’ to identify a woman.

    The balls on these people…

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    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 19:40

  • RNC Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Arizona's Citizenship Check Voting Laws
    RNC Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Arizona’s Citizenship Check Voting Laws

    Authored by Katabella Roberts via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    The Republican National Committee (RNC) is asking on the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate an Arizona law requiring voters to prove their U.S. citizenship for the upcoming presidential election.

    An elections worker inspects a mail-in ballot in Phoenix on Nov. 6, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

    In an application for emergency relief filed on Aug. 8, the RNC asked Justice Elena Kagan to block a previous lower-court ruling that put the state law on hold.

    The Committee centered much of its filing around how the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals handled the matter.

    The laws at the center of the debate are H.B. 2492 and H.B. 2243—collectively known as the “Voting Laws”—which were passed by the Arizona Legislature in 2022.

    Among other things, they require that people who register to vote in Arizona using a state form provide “satisfactory” proof of citizenship or residency, such as a birth certificate, to be eligible to vote.

    The laws also require individuals to include their state or country of birth and mandate that counties conduct citizenship checks and remove non-citizens from the rolls.

    Although a district judge partially blocked the law in 2023 after ruling that federal laws, not state, take precedence when it comes to proof of citizenship for voters, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit later stayed the injunction.

    In July, another panel of judges granted a request from Republicans to reinstate some but not all parts of the laws.

    However, the same panel turned down the RNC’s bid to require election officials to check records from the Social Security Administration and other databases to ensure individuals who do not provide proof of citizenship are actually citizens.

    In its Aug. 8 filing, the RNC said the Ninth Circuit’s reversal violates what’s known as the Purcell principle, which bars federal courts from enjoining the enforcement of state election laws with an election impending.

    “The principle recognizes the important interests state officials have in protecting their elections and avoiding voter confusion,” the RNC wrote. “But the Ninth Circuit turned this principle against the enforcement of state election-integrity laws.”

    It further argued that the district court’s injunction is an “unprecedented abrogation of the Arizona Legislature’s sovereign authority to determine the qualifications of voters and structure participation in its elections.”

    Voting Rights Group Sue to Block Arizona Laws

    The district court’s judgment will also “irreparably harm” the RNC, while a stay in the matter “would not inflict any countervailing harms on the plaintiffs or the public interest,” the Committee said in its filing.

    Republicans are asking for the court to rule on the issue by Aug. 22.

    While Arizona lawmakers have said the voting laws are needed to prevent voter fraud, voting rights groups—including the Arizona-based Mi Familia Vota and Living United for Change in Arizona—quickly filed lawsuits against both measures.

    In court filings, the groups argued the measures were discriminatory, confusing, and unnecessary, among other things.

    Current Arizona law states that, in order to be qualified to vote in Arizona, a person “must be a United States citizen, a resident of Arizona, and at least eighteen years of age.”

    Section 2. A of the state’s election law specifically says: “No person shall be entitled to vote at any general election, or for any office that now is, or hereafter may be, elective by the people, or upon any question which may be submitted to a vote of the people, unless such person be a citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years or over, and shall have resided in the state for the period of time preceding such election as prescribed by law, provided that qualifications for voters at a general election for the purpose of electing presidential electors shall be as prescribed by law.”

    The law notes that “citizen” is defined as “persons of the male and female sex.”

    In a statement, the RNC called the application for emergency relief a “critical legal step in ensuring Americans decide American elections,” and said it is important that “only citizens vote in our elections, especially by mail.”

    If successful, the move will allow Arizona to “enforce proof of citizenship requirements” in the upcoming presidential election, the RNC said.

    “Requiring proof of citizenship is common sense and fundamental to preserving the integrity of our elections – especially in our country’s most important presidential election,” said RNC Chairman Michael Whatley. “This application in the Supreme Court is pivotal to ensuring that Arizonans’ votes are not canceled by non-citizens. ”

    “Non-citizen voting is illegal and we are taking every possible action to ensure American elections are decided solely by Americans,” Whatley added.

    The Epoch Times has contacted Mi Familia Vota and Living United for Change in Arizona for comment.

    Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 19:15

  • Cartel Drones Fly With Explosives Near Southern Border 
    Cartel Drones Fly With Explosives Near Southern Border 

    Vice President Kamala Harris’ role as President Biden’s “border czar” has sparked the worst border crisis in American history, a fact well known by now. However, a new report highlights a concerning new threat stream: drug cartels on the southern border are increasingly weaponizing drones with explosives, similar to what’s being seen on modern battlefields in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. All of this is happening under VP Harris’ watch. 

    Here’s the report from the New York Post: 

    Cartel drones packed with explosives are flying just south of Arizona’s border with Mexico, The Post has learned, alarming Senate defense hawks who are pushing for legislation to counter novel aerial incursions into the US.

    Members of Los Salazar, a cell of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, are using drones “to drop explosives” on Los Pelones, an independent rival cartel, as part of ongoing conflict in Sonoyta, Mexico, according to an internal bulletin circulated by the US Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector Intelligence Unit on Tuesday.

    The US Border Patrol’s internal bulletin noted the following:

    The Yuma Sector Intelligence Unit recently received information that members of Los Salazar are utilizing drones to drop explosives on members of Los Pelones in an ongoing confrontation south of Sonoyta, MX. Other confrontations between these two organizations have occurred along the border, south of Wellton Stations area of operations, in recent months.

    Souce: NYPost

    Separately, US Northern Command’s top general, Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a hearing in mid-March that more than 1,000 incursions of drones occur along the southern border each month.

    Guillot warned lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the incursions present a “growing” defense threat to the homeland. 

    Since the Biden-Harris Administration assumed office, there have been more than 8 million illegal aliens encountered entering the country through the southwest border and over 1.6 million ‘gotaways.’ 

    Biden-Harris’ border crisis is an absolute mess, which has contributed to murders, sexual assaults, and serious bodily injuries committed against numerous Americans by illegal aliens. 

    Earlier this week, an interim staff report from the House Judiciary Committee and Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, revealed nearly 100 illegal aliens on the FBI terror watchlist were released into the US after being arrested by Border Patrol. 

    Most Americans care about two things before the elections: 1) inflation and 2) the border. 

    For Harris and Obama’s Democrat party, there’s no escaping that disastrous border issue.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 18:50

  • Harris's Big Gift To Trump… If He Uses It
    Harris’s Big Gift To Trump… If He Uses It

    Authored by Victor Davis Hanson via X,

    Harris’s selection of Walz at least reveals the left’s full-bore agenda, something that previously her handlers seemed at pains to hide: an overt doubling down on the Biden neo-socialist record that will require a far more vigorous stealth 90-day campaign to camouflage the hard-left record of both Harris and Walz.

    Minnesota under Walz became merely a smaller version of Gavin Newsom’s California – shameless woke pandering, wars against fossil fuels, fiscal nihilism, thousands fleeing the state, high crime, high taxes, poor services, sanctuary city/pro-illegal alien activism, eroding downtowns of once majestic cities, loud-in-your-face, attack-dog denials of reality, a two-tier state legal system, tolerance of BLM/Antifa/Hamas street violence, and on and on.

    So Walz is a force multiplier of Harris’s vulnerabilities.

    His selection (was Harris terrified of leftwing threats from her base that a Shapiro pick would guarantee her 1968-like riots at her Chicago convention?) did not just reveal the now overt anti-Semitic, anti-Israel nature of the Democratic Party (Shapiro would have likely ensured Pennsylvania’s electoral votes). Her pick also reveals the confidence that the Left has in winning what will be the most flagrant, bait-and-switch 90-day campaign in presidential history.

    So, the real Harris-Walz campaign messaging will be: ‘In 2024 we have to lie and mislead you about who we are and what we did, so that in 2025 we can govern you in ways you will not like.’

    What are the challenges for this weirdest of tickets?

    Harris, in Biden-fashion, cannot finish a coherent thought. So again, like Biden in 2020, she will retreat and outsource her campaign to the media, while counting on outspending Trump 3-1, and radiating feigned moderation.

    She is taking heat for neither yet meeting with a real journalist nor speaking impromptu. But in her defense, to do either might at any opportune moment collapse her stealth campaign, given that to listen to her for 60 seconds off script is to prefer her to remain silent and hidden. And she has confidence in absentia that a bankrupt media will praise her nonexistent elegance, fluency, and articulateness.

    Walz will customarily serve as a designated hit man for Harris. But he is just as much a liability— a shoot-from-the-hip blowhard, while owning an even more embarrassing leftwing record than Harris. And he is even less discreet.

    This week Walz introduced himself to the nation as a VP candidate by smearing J.D. Vance with the brazen “couch” lie. And then while foolishly beaming, he doubled-down on his crude slur (“See what I did there?”). So, he even outdid Harris who had recently called Trump a “predator”—just days before it was disclosed that her married husband earlier had once impregnated his own children’s young nanny and tutor and had never disclosed what followed from his predation.

    Both will either ignore or lie about their joint opposition to fracking and pipelines; their disgraceful pro-BLM/Antifa advocacy during the lethal and destructive 2020 looting and rioting; their support for open borders and illegal immigration; their woke pandering; and their generic leftwing promotion of the usual high taxes, big government, poor services, and ‘who cares if they flee my state’ arrogance.

    The Harris-Walz ticket will also collapse if, horribile dictu, the prior Biden-Harris appeasement of Iran, distancing from Israel, weakening of the military, and loss of deterrence in the next 90 days leads to theater-wide wars on the Ukrainian borderlands or in the Middle East and/or to a recession due to cumulative inflation, high interest, stagnant wages and anemic citizen employment, and unsustainable national debt service.

    In sum, Trump is very much even in the race. He was given a rare gift by the shunning of Josh Shapiro as Harris’s running mate. That leftwing blunder could energize the Trump campaign—if again he sticks to warning the country of who these two are, what they have done, how they are hiding their real agendas, what they will do if elected, and how they differ from his own presidential record and future agenda.

    Nothing else matters.

    And that means Trump should ignore the now inert and evaporating Biden, refrain from attacking any Republican, stop all recriminations about 2020, avoid race and DEI ambushes, and prep hard and in detail for as many debates as he can obtain.

    Trump should appear magnanimous and above the fray by compromising with Harris on the debates: one debate now by her rules on ABC, and one by his rules on Fox before early voting begins.

    Rarely have the Democrats so foolishly gone hard left.

    And when they did in 1972, 1980, and 1988, Republicans used to know how to use those gifts, expose them, and win landslides despite media and institutional bias.

    They can do it again, but only if they are as adroit, united, and disciplined as their predecessors once were.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 18:25

  • Iran's New President Battling IRGC Hardliners Over Tempering Response To Israel: Telegraph
    Iran’s New President Battling IRGC Hardliners Over Tempering Response To Israel: Telegraph

    While Western mainstream media in general has a terrible record of reporting on Iran and its intentions, a fresh report in The Telegraph comes to an interesting conclusion concerning the prospect of major war breaking out with Israel.

    It claims that there is an ongoing severe internal split among Iran’s top decision-makers on how to respond to Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. Well over a week after the July 31st assassination, and the ballistic missiles have still been held back, despite several vows of severe retaliation against Israel being issued from Iranian leadership.

    New Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian is said to be fighting hardliners especially within the military establishment, specifically leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), over the extent of a response. Pezeshkian reportedly wants a toned down and limited response, akin to the April 13th missile and drone attack on Israel – which was something highly telegraphed and thus averted all-out war. The IRGC is ready to launch a much bigger operation, the report says.

    Via APF

    Pezeshkian, widely viewed as a ‘moderate’, wants to strike hidden Mossad spy bases in the region, while IRGC generals have pressed for more aggressive retaliation which is direct in nature, The Telegraph says. According to the publication’s sources within the Iranian government:

    “These recent [military]exercises in the country’s western border are just to intimidate Mr Pezeshkian. Sepah [the IRGC] is very insistent on targeting Israel and they think it is easy,” a second aide to Mr Pezeshkian told The Telegraph.

    “He has suggested targeting somewhere related to Israel in the Republic of Azerbaijan or [Iraqi] Kurdistan and let these countries know before that and get done with the whole drama.”

    The Telegraph report further paints a picture of a somewhat rogue IRGC leadership which has by and large dismissed the newly installed president as too weak.

    The IRGC is directly answerable to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, so if this is accurate it means there is currently some distance between the Ayatollah and Pezeshkian’s office as well.

    The UK-based report says an IRGC official has conveyed: “The number one consideration is still striking Tel Aviv with Hezbollah and others at the same time.” The official is further cited as saying, “There has been discussion within the forces on how to block Mr. Pezeshkian’s efforts. Almost everyone believes what he is insisting on is not in the revolution’s reputation.”

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    But again, whether the report detailing this alleged back-and-forth between moderate and conservative factions within Iran over how to respond to Israel is accurate remains an open question.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 18:00

  • Abbott Orders Texas Hospitals To Report Health Care Costs For Illegal Immigrants
    Abbott Orders Texas Hospitals To Report Health Care Costs For Illegal Immigrants

    Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,

    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Aug. 8 requiring that hospitals collect data on patients living illegally in the United States and report the costs of medical services provided to them.

    In a statement, Abbott said he aims to collect data on illegal immigrants who use public hospitals so that Texas can seek reimbursement from the federal government for their medical expenses.

    “Texas will hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for the consequences of their open border policies, and we will fight to ensure that they pay back Texas for their costly and dangerous policies,” the Republican governor stated.

    Under the executive order, Texas hospitals are required to collect data on inpatient discharges and emergency visits by illegal immigrants, as well as the costs of medical services provided to them, starting on Nov. 1.

    Hospitals will need to report the information to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) by March 1, 2025, and continue reporting data on a quarterly basis.

    The executive order also requires that hospitals inform patients that, under federal law, their responses to questions about their immigrant status will not affect patient care.

    It stated that HHSC will need to report annually to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the House speaker on the preceding year’s costs for medical care provided to illegal immigrants starting Jan. 1, 2026.

    Abbott said that people in Texas should not have to “shoulder the burden” of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants.

    The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House for comment.

    The Texas Hospital Association (THA), representing over 85 percent of the state’s acute-care hospitals and health care systems, said that it is reviewing Abbott’s executive order “as quickly as possible.”

    “Right now, hospitals don’t ask about patient immigration status as a condition of treatment,” THA said in a statement.

    “Hospitals are required by law to provide life-saving treatment to anyone, regardless of ability to pay or status.”

    More than 1,000 illegal immigrants wait in line to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Dec. 18, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images)

    Texas has seen a 74 percent decrease in illegal border crossings since the launch of the state’s border security mission, dubbed Operation Lone Star, in March 2021, the governor’s office stated on June 14.

    As part of the initiative, state authorities have deployed floating border barriers, installed wire fencing, and used the Texas National Guard to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.

    According to the statement, the multi-agency effort has led to over 513,700 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 44,000 criminal arrests, with more than 38,600 felony charges so far.

    The Texas governor criticized President Joe Biden’s recent executive actions, announced by the White House in June, stating that they “will do little to stem the flow of illegal immigration into the country.”

    “As long as the Biden Administration refuses to provide any type of enforcement, any type of blockage, of people crossing illegally, all that this new Biden policy is going to do is to actually attract and invite even more people to cross the border illegally,” Abbott said in the statement.

    According to a White House fact sheet published on June 4, the executive orders will bar illegal immigrants from receiving asylum when border officials deem illegal border crossings are at “high levels.”

    “This ban will remain in place until the number of people trying to enter illegally is reduced to a level that our system can effectively manage,” Biden said at a news conference on June 4.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 1.44 million encounters with people trying to enter the United States nationwide as of June 2024.

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 17:40

  • Putin Said To Be Stunned By Ukraine's Shock Attacks On Kursk & Lipetsk
    Putin Said To Be Stunned By Ukraine’s Shock Attacks On Kursk & Lipetsk

    In addition to the ongoing Ukrainian cross-border offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, Russia has been hit hard by a “massive attack” of drones Thursday and Friday, Lipetsk’s regional governor has said Friday.

    The chief target appears to have been a nearby airfield. “The enemy is hitting civilians in Kursk and Belgorod,” Gov. Igor Artamonov wrote on Telegram. “Today [it] massively attacked our region with drones. We will not be frightened, we will not give in, but we are not going to risk the lives of our people either.”

    The Ukrainian National News agency has claimed that some 700 guided bombs were destroyed in the strike on Lipetsk airfield. Russia’s defense ministry subsequently said it intercepted at least 75 “aircraft-type” drones in the southern region, and others were sent over Crimea and the Black Sea. The Skhemy investigative project of US state-funded Radio Liberty has circulated the following before and after satellite images of the airfield…

    Thousands of civilians were already evacuated in Kursk, which has seen intense battles over the past four days of what appears an outright Ukrainian invasion attempt; and on Friday at least hundreds have been evacuated in western Lipetsk. Several villages have been emptied out amid a state of emergency.

    New reporting by a source which claims to have an insider’s view on the Kremlin’s halls of power says President Putin and his top officials were caught off guard and stunned by these developments:

    Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk and Lipetsk border regions has stunned the Russian military and come as a “slap in the face” to President Vladimir Putin personally, four Russian officials told Politika.Kozlov. 

    The ongoing offensive, which Russia has failed to repel for three days, has exposed Russia’s territorial defense shortcomings and undermined Putin’s propaganda coup as the rescuer of an FSB hitman and failed Russian spies in last week’s prisoner swap with the West. 

    “The chief [Putin] was in a poor mood… He probably hasn’t been seen like this since our [Russian army] was forced to retreat from Kherson in the fall of 2022,” said an official involved in preparing Kremlin events involving Putin.

    The official, along with Politika.Kozlov’s other sources, spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.

    Putin’s appearance and facial expressions during his public appearances on Wednesday and Thursday indicated that he was “dissatisfied” and “annoyed” with the situation, several Russian officials who have known Putin personally for years told Politika.Kozlov.

    This also comes as images and videos widely circulate which point to serious Russian troop losses in these cross-border attacks on Kursk and Lipetsk.

    Russian military surrenders at the Sudzha checkpoint.

    Ukraine forces have also filmed themselves in possession of Gazprom natural gas facility in Sudzha…

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Pro-Russian military bloggers have acknowledged the authenticity of many of these videos, and the troop losses which they reveal:

    A video that surfaced online appears to show bodies on burnt-out Russian military trucks in the country’s southwestern Kursk region, the latest sign that Ukraine’s cross-border assault is probing more deeply and inflicting significant damage on Moscow’s troops.

    In the daytime video – shared by Russian military bloggers and independent outlets, and geolocated by CNN – about a dozen trucks are seen on the side of a road in the village of Oktyabrskoye, about 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of the town of Rylsk, appearing to contain dozens of dead bodies.

    …The video, which a Russian military blogger says shows the aftermath of a Ukrainian strike Thursday night, comes three days after Kyiv shifted tactics with a surprise incursion into Russian territory.

    Despite these attempts of Ukrainian forces to capture territory inside Russia being essentially a suicide mission, Kiev is spiking the proverbial football and is seizing the moment to lobby for even more muscular Western military support.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky, claimed that most of Ukraine’s Western allies “quietly approve” of the cross-border action.

    Podolyak has praised the West’s reaction to the surprise assault as being “absolutely calm, balanced, objective, and based on an understanding of the spirit of international law and the principles of defensive warfare.” He added: “Now, a significant part of the global community considers [Russia] a legitimate target for any operations and types of weapons.”

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 17:20

  • There's Just One Problem: AI Isn't Intelligent, And That's A Systemic Risk
    There’s Just One Problem: AI Isn’t Intelligent, And That’s A Systemic Risk

    Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog,

    Mimicry of intelligence isn’t intelligence, and so while AI mimicry is a powerful tool, it isn’t intelligent.

    The mythology of Technology has a special altar for AI, artificial intelligence, which is reverently worshiped as the source of astonishing cost reductions (as human labor is replaced by AI) and the limitless expansion of consumption and profits. AI is the blissful perfection of technology’s natural advance to ever greater powers.

    The consensus holds that the advance of AI will lead to a utopia of essentially limitless control of Nature and a cornucopia of leisure and abundance.

    If we pull aside the mythology’s curtain, we find that AI mimics human intelligence, and this mimicry is so enthralling that we take it as evidence of actual intelligence. But mimicry of intelligence isn’t intelligence, and so while AI mimicry is a powerful tool, it isn’t intelligent.

    The current iterations of Generative AI–large language models (LLMs) and machine learning–mimic our natural language ability by processing millions of examples of human writing and speech and extracting what algorithms select as the best answers to queries.

    These AI programs have no understanding of the context or the meaning of the subject; they mine human knowledge to distill an answer. This is potentially useful but not intelligence.

    The AI programs have limited capacity to discern truth from falsehood, hence their propensity to hallucinate fictions as facts. They are incapable of discerning the difference between statistical variations and fatal errors, and layering on precautionary measures adds additional complexity that becomes another point of failure.

    As for machine learning, AI can project plausible solutions to computationally demanding problems such as how proteins fold, but this brute-force computational black-box is opaque and therefore of limited value: the program doesn’t actually understand protein folding in the way humans understand it, and we don’t understand how the program arrived at its solution.

    Since AI doesn’t actually understand the context, it is limited to the options embedded in its programming and algorithms. We discern these limits in AI-based apps and bots, which have no awareness of the actual problem. For example, our Internet connection is down due to a corrupted system update, but because this possibility wasn’t included in the app’s universe of problems to solve, the AI app/bot dutifully reports the system is functioning perfectly even though it is broken. (This is an example from real life.)

    In essence, every layer of this mining / mimicry creates additional points of failure: the inability to identify the difference between fact and fiction or between allowable error rates and fatal errors, the added complexity of precautionary measures and the black-box opacity all generate risks of normal accidents cascading into systems failure.

    There is also the systemic risk generated by relying on black-box AI to operate systems to the point that humans lose the capacity to modify or rebuild the systems. This over-reliance on AI programs creates the risk of cascading failure not just of digital systems but the real-world infrastructure that now depends on digital systems.

    There is an even more pernicious result of depending on AI for solutions. Just as the addictive nature of mobile phones, social media and Internet content has disrupted our ability to concentrate, focus and learn difficult material–a devastating decline in learning for children and teens–AI offers up a cornucopia of snackable factoids, snippets of coding, computer-generated TV commercials, articles and entire books that no longer require us to have any deep knowledge of subjects and processes. Lacking this understanding, we’re no longer equipped to pursue skeptical inquiry or create content or coding from scratch.

    Indeed, the arduous process of acquiring this knowledge now seems needless: the AI bot can do it all, quickly, cheaply and accurately. This creates two problems: 1) when black-box AI programs fail, we no longer know enough to diagnose and fix the failure, or do the work ourselves, and 2) we have lost the ability to understand that in many cases, there is no answer or solution that is the last word: the “answer” demands interpretation of facts, events, processes and knowledge bases are that inherently ambiguous.

    We no longer recognize that the AI answer to a query is not a fact per se, it’s an interpretation of reality that’s presented as a fact, and the AI solution is only one of many pathways, each of which has intrinsic tradeoffs that generate unforeseeable costs and consequences down the road.

    To discern the difference between an interpretation and a supposed fact requires a sea of knowledge that is both wide and deep, and in losing the drive and capacity to learn difficult material, we’ve lost the capacity to even recognize what we’ve lost: those with little real knowledge lack the foundation needed to understand AI’s answer in the proper context.

    The net result is we become less capable and less knowledgeable, blind to the risks created by our loss of competency while the AI programs introduce systemic risks we cannot foresee or forestall. AI degrades the quality of every product and system, for mimicry does not generate definitive answers, solutions and insights, it only generates an illusion of definitive answers, solutions and insights which we foolishly confuse with actual intelligence.

    While the neofeudal corporate-state cheers the profits to be reaped by culling human labor on a mass scale, the mining / mimicry of human knowledge has limits. Relying on the AI programs to eliminate all fatal errors is itself a fatal error, and so humans must remain in the decision loop (the OODA loop of observe, orient, decide, act).

    Once AI programs engage in life-safety or healthcare processes, every entity connected to the AI program is exposed to open-ended (joint and several) liability should injurious or fatal errors occur.

    If we boil off the mythology and hyperbole, we’re left with another neofeudal structure: the wealthy will be served by humans, and the rest of us will be stuck with low-quality, error-prone AI service with no recourse.

    The expectation of AI promoters is that Generative AI will reap trillions of dollars in profits from cost savings and new products / services. This story doesn’t map the real world, in which every AI software tool is easily copied / distributed and so it will be impossible to protect any scarcity value, which is the essential dynamic in maintaining the pricing power needed to reap outsized profits.

    There is little value in software tools that everyone possesses unless a monopoly restricts distribution, and little value in the content auto-generated by these tools: the millions of AI-generated songs, films, press releases, essays, research papers, etc. will overwhelm any potential audience, reducing the value of all AI-generated content to zero.

    The promoters claim the mass culling of jobs will magically be offset by entire new industries created by AI, echoing the transition from farm labor to factory jobs. But the AI dragon will eat its own tail, for it creates few jobs or profits that can be taxed to pay people for not working (Universal Basic Income).

    Perhaps the most consequential limit to AI is that it will do nothing to reverse humanity’s most pressing problems. It can’t clean up the Great Pacific Trash Gyre, or limit the 450 million tons of mostly unrecycled plastic spewed every year, or reverse climate change, or clean low-Earth orbits of the thousands of high-velocity bits of dangerous detritus, or remake the highly profitable waste is growth Landfill Economy into a sustainable global system, or eliminate all the sources of what I term Anti-Progress. It will simply add new sources of systemic risk, waste and neofeudal exploitation.

    *  *  *

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    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 17:00

  • Investors Flooded Into Money-Market Funds & Bank Deposits As Markets Crashed
    Investors Flooded Into Money-Market Funds & Bank Deposits As Markets Crashed

    Money-market fund assets rose to a fresh record ($6.19TN) as a global selloff in risk assets earlier in the week sent investors flying into cash. About $52.7BN flowed into US money-market funds in the week through Aug. 7, the largest weekly inflows since the period ended April 3 (Tax-Day prep)…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Also of note this week, demand for a rarely used Federal Reserve facility rose to the highest level in almost a month on Thursday as counterparties tested its accessibility.

    Counterparties tapped the Fed’s Standing Repo Facility, or SRF – where eligible banks can borrow reserves in exchange for Treasury and agency debt – for $101 million on Thursday, the most since July 11.

    There’s been at least one pop in usage every month since February, which suggests banks are testing their systems, though with minuscule amounts for a facility that at its peak attracted $153 billion in March 2020

    Source: Bloomberg

    Reserves are closing in on the $3 trillion level Federal Reserve Board member Christopher Waller has touched upon as the lowest comfortable level of reserves, i.e. the level that funding problems could manifest.

    The RRP represents a sort of buffer on top of the current level of reserves, as (principally) money market funds can draw down it, adding to reserves in the process.

    Source: Bloomberg

    As all of that was happening, and yen carry trades unwound, US bank deposits soared on both a seasonally-adjusted (+$90BN) and non-seasonally-adjusted (+$189BN) basis.

    That surge pushes SA deposits back above pre-SVB levels for the first time…

    Source: Bloomberg

    The NSA rise is the largest since May 2023 and the SA rise in deposits is the largest since the end of April 2024.

    Excluding foreign flows, US domestic deposits spiked dramatically: +$77BN SA (large banks +$75BN, small banks +$2BN)…, +$179BN NSA (large banks +$149BN, small banks +$30BN)…

    Source: Bloomberg

    On the other side of the ledge, loan volumes soared by their most since the start of the year with large bank loan volumes rising $16.8BN and small bank loan volumes up $2.7BN…

    Source: Bloomberg

    Finally, we note that as reserves fade, US equity market capitalization has begun to catch down to that long-tight-correlation…

    Source: Bloomberg

    The question is – how long will The Fed allow this to drop before juicing reserves once again?

    Tyler Durden
    Fri, 08/09/2024 – 16:40

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