Today’s News 1st January 2025

• Civic Education: The Phoenix Arises
  Civic Education: The Phoenix Arises

  Authored by Jack Miller & Michael Poliakoff via RealClearEducation,

  The study of American history and government is undergoing an unprecedented renewal, akin to the phoenix – a mythical bird that is reborn by rising from the ashes of its predecessor.

  Major universities have recently launched independent institutes, sometimes called “schools of civic thought,” dedicated to the in-depth exploration of an American political tradition that goes beyond partisan politics. These institutes have independent hiring authority and significant state funding.

  

  So far about a dozen civic institutes have sprung up, from Arizona, Texas, and Florida to Tennessee, North Carolina, and Ohio – and others will be founded soon. They not only serve college students, but many also help K-12 teachers learn how to teach American history and government more effectively. Their mission is broad, with wide public programming.

  In America, we have the privilege of living in a democratic republic, arguably the greatest the world has known. Citizens can engage in politics, persuade their fellow citizens, and effect real change. Our history offers many such examples.

  It is all the more tragic and dangerous, then, that many students know so little about our history and institutions. They feel powerless and disaffected.

  Too often, instead of engaging with America’s founding principles and history, students hear about the supposed oppressiveness of Western civilization and the American “slavocracy,” with dogmatic teaching of oppressor-oppressed ideas. Our students are frequently taught to believe the worst of our nation and its people.

  By contrast, these new institutes endeavor to tell the complete American story – its warts but also its promise to give freedom and opportunity to all. They highlight our long and torturous journey to get ever closer to achieving the vision in our Declaration of Independence – that all men are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

  This phoenix-like story has been long in preparation at the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America’s Founding Principles and History (JMC). Over 1,200 professors working in the academy today have been a part of the JMC network, writing and teaching about the American political tradition. This network has transformed a struggling subfield into a strong, competitive discipline and created a talent pool of faculty to support this movement’s rapid growth.

  The pipeline for a new generation of classroom leaders was started 20 years ago when JMC began its program of summer institutes for young postdocs and professors. Now these professors operate at institutions of all types. Seven of the eight Ivy League schools have partnered with JMC, as have 18 state universities, along with many liberal arts and religious colleges.

  Over 300 JMC-supported programs enrich the academic lives of students, providing guest speakers, fellowships, courses, and a chance to interact with dedicated faculty who are outside of the stale, progressive academic mainstream.

  The Center for American Studies at Christopher Newport University is an example of this transformational work. Begun in 2007 with JMC’s assistance, it has grown to be a major force on campus. Co-directed by Professors Elizabeth and Nathan Busch, it has a full-time faculty of six who mentor many undergraduate students. The Center has brought to campus distinguished scholars and public officials, including the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Jonathan Turley, John Yoo, and William J. Perry, for presentations to the university community.

  The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) works alongside JMC to promote the formation of new independent institutes. ACTA has redoubled its efforts to ensure that all undergraduates pass a required course that covers core American founding principles.

  For 30 years, ACTA has warned of the cost of higher education’s malfeasance. In 2000, its extensive survey of students at the 50 most elite colleges and universities revealed a shocking level of historical and civic ignorance. ACTA’s survey report, “Losing America’s Memory,” led to a joint, unanimous resolution passed by Congress that called for improving the civic knowledge of college students.

  ACTA’s 2024 survey that polled 3,000 college students shows that we must redouble our efforts.

  Our work so far has helped South Carolina adopt the REACH Act. Since 2021, all of the state’s public universities require a course in which students study the key documents and moments in our nation’s story.

  The new institutes of civic education, which began at Arizona State University in 2017, have now expanded into eight states on 13 campuses. Most recently, Ohio passed legislation that has already led to new institutes being set up at its five public universities. The goal is to expand civic education programs into many more states.

  ACTA’s National Commission on American History and Civic Education is convening 24 of America’s most distinguished scholars, thought leaders, and educators to produce a white paper on the urgency of restoring the undergraduate requirement in American history and government at every college and university in the nation. The white paper will provide guidance on the scope of that course and how trustees and legislators can make America’s civic rebirth a reality. An anthology of essays, “American History and Government: What Every College Student Should Know,” will enhance the national conversation.

  The new civic institutes will re-engage students with America’s story of freedom and opportunity for all. The joint contribution of JMC and ACTA, made alongside other civic-minded organizations, private and public, will renew students’ understanding of our nation as the land of the free. This is how Americans can mend our flaws and face the challenges of the future together.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 23:15

• Champagne Champions: US Tops UK As World's Biggest Bubbly Buyer
  Champagne Champions: US Tops UK As World’s Biggest Bubbly Buyer

  Amid Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, many people stocked up on their favorite drinks.

  And what better way to toast on a special occasion than opening a bottle of champagne, one of France’s proudest exports.

  As Statista’s Felix Richter shows in the chart below, the United States and the UK are particularly fond of the exclusive sparkling wine from the Champagne region, having imported 26.9 and 25.5 million bottles in 2023, respectively.

  

  You will find more infographics at Statista

  As our chart, based on data by the trade association Comité Champagne, shows, five of the eight largest international markets for champagne are located in Europe.

  This is not to say that other countries don’t enjoy sparkling wine, but the numbers given here only refer to the higher-priced, regionally-produced drink from the French region of Champagne.

  The area was officially designated in 1927 and is home to winemakers like Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon and Krug.

  While champagne makes up less than 10 percent of global sparkling wine consumption, it accounts for 35 percent of the market value, generated with only 0.5 percent of the world’s total vineyard area.

  Overall, champagne exports from France amounted to roughly $4.4 billion in 2023, with the U.S. alone importing almost $1 billion worth of the prestigious bubbly.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 22:30

• Engineering Reality: A Century Of Cultural Control, Part III – The Algorithmic Age
  Engineering Reality: A Century Of Cultural Control, Part III – The Algorithmic Age

  Authored by Joshua Stylman via substack,

  A Century of Cultural Control From Edison’s Monopolies to Algorithmic Manipulation

  Author’s Note: For years, I understood advertising was designed to manipulate behavior. As someone who studied the mechanics of marketing, I considered myself an educated consumer who could navigate rational market choices. What I didn’t grasp was how this same psychological architecture shaped every aspect of our cultural landscape. This investigation began as curiosity about the music industry’s ties to intelligence agencies. It evolved into a comprehensive examination of how power structures systematically mold public consciousness.

  What I discovered showed me that even my most cynical assumptions about manufactured culture barely scratched the surface. This revelation has fundamentally altered not just my worldview, but my relationships with those who either cannot or choose not to examine these mechanisms of control. This piece aims to make visible what many sense but cannot fully articulate – to help others see these hidden systems of influence. Because recognizing manipulation is the first step toward resisting it.

  This investigation unfolds in three parts: In Part One, we examined the foundational systems of control established in the early 20th century. In Part Two, we explored how these methods evolved through popular culture and counterculture movements. Finally, in Part Three below, we’ll see how these techniques have been automated and perfected through digital systems.

  

  The Algorithmic Age

  Having explored the physical and psychological mechanisms of control in Part One, and their deployment through cultural engineering in Part Two, we now turn to their ultimate evolution: the automation of consciousness control through digital systems.

  In my research on the tech-industrial complex, I’ve documented how today’s digital giants weren’t simply co-opted by power structures – many were potentially designed from their inception as tools for mass surveillance and social control. From Google’s origins in a DARPA-funded CIA project to Amazon’s founder’s familial ties to ARPA, these weren’t just successful startups that later aligned with government interests

  What Tavistock discovered through years of careful study—emotional resonance trumps facts, peer influence outweighs authority, and indirect manipulation succeeds where direct propaganda fails—now forms the foundational logic of social media algorithms. Facebook’s emotion manipulation study and Netflix’s A/B testing of thumbnails (explored in detail later) exemplify the digital automation of these century-old insights, as AI systems perform billions of real-time experiments, continuously refining the art of influence at an unprecedented scale.

  Just as Laurel Canyon served as a physical space for steering culture, today’s digital platforms function as virtual laboratories for consciousness control—reaching further and operating with far greater precision. Social media platforms have scaled these principles through ‘influencer’ amplification and engagement metrics. The discovery that indirect influence outperforms direct propaganda now shapes how platforms subtly adjust content visibility. What once required years of meticulous psychological study can now be tested and optimized in real time, with algorithms leveraging billions of interactions to perfect their methods of influence.

  The manipulation of music reflects a broader evolution in cultural control: what began with localized programming, like Laurel Canyon’s experiments in counterculture, has now transitioned into global, algorithmically-driven systems. These digital tools automate the same mechanisms, shaping consciousness on an unprecedented scale

  Netflix’s approach parallels Bernays’ manipulation principles in digital form – perhaps unsurprisingly, as co-founder Marc Bernays Randolph was Edward Bernays’ great-nephew and Sigmund Freud’s great-grand-nephew. Where Bernays used focus groups to test messaging, Netflix conducts massive A/B testing of thumbnails and titles, showing different images to different users based on their psychological profiles. Their recommendation algorithm doesn’t just suggest content – it shapes viewing patterns by controlling visibility and context, and context, similar to how Bernays orchestrated comprehensive promotional campaigns that shaped public perception through multiple channels. Just as Bernays understood how to create the perfect environment to sell products – like promoting music rooms in homes to sell pianos – Netflix crafts personalized interfaces that guide viewers toward specific content choices. Their approach to original content production similarly relies on analyzing mass psychological data to craft narratives for specific demographic segments.

  More insidiously, Netflix’s content strategy actively shapes social consciousness through selective promotion and burial of content. While films supporting establishment narratives receive prominent placement, documentaries questioning official accounts often find themselves buried in the platform’s least-visible categories or excluded from recommendation algorithms entirely. Even successful films like What Is a Woman? faced systematic suppression across multiple platforms, demonstrating how digital gatekeepers can effectively erase challenging perspectives while maintaining the illusion of open access.

  I experienced this censorship firsthand. I was fortunate enough to serve as a producer for Anecdotals, directed by Jennifer Sharp, a film documenting COVID-19 vaccine injuries, including her own. YouTube removed it on day one, claiming individuals couldn’t discuss their own vaccine experiences. Only after Senator Ron Johnson’s intervention was the film reinstated—a telling example of how platform censorship silences personal narratives that challenge official accounts.

  This gatekeeping extends across the digital landscape. By controlling which documentaries appear prominently, which foreign films reach American audiences, and which perspectives get highlighted in their original programming, platforms like Netflix act as cultural gatekeepers – just as Bernays managed public perception for his corporate clients. Where earlier systems relied on human gatekeepers to shape culture, streaming platforms use data analytics and recommendation algorithms to automate the steering of consciousness. The platform’s content strategy and promotion systems represent Bernays’ principles of psychological manipulation operating at unprecedented scale.

  Reality TV: Engineering the Self

  Before social media turned billions into their own content creators, Reality TV perfected the template for self-commodification. The Kardashians exemplified this transition: transforming from reality TV stars into digital-age influencers, they showed how to convert personal authenticity into a marketable brand. Their show didn’t just reshape societal norms around wealth and consumption – it provided a masterclass in abandoning genuine human experience for carefully curated performance. Audiences learned that being oneself was less valuable than becoming a brand, that authentic moments mattered less than engineered content, that real relationships were secondary to networked influence.

  This transformation from person to persona would reach its apex with social media, where billions now willingly participate in their own behavioral modification. Users learn to suppress authentic expression in favor of algorithmic rewards, to filter genuine experience through the lens of potential content, to value themselves not by internal measures but through metrics of likes and shares. What Reality TV pioneered – the voluntary surrender of privacy, the replacement of authentic self with marketable image, the transformation of life into content – social media would democratize at global scale. Now anyone could become their own reality show, trading authenticity for engagement.

  Instagram epitomizes this transformation, training users to view their lives as content to be curated, their experiences as photo opportunities, their memories as stories to be shared with the public. The platform’s ‘influencer’ economy turns authentic moments into marketing opportunities, teaching users to modify their actual behavior – where they go, what they eat, how they dress – to create content that algorithms will reward. This isn’t just sharing life online – it’s reshaping life itself to serve the digital marketplace.

  Even as these systems grow more pervasive, their limits are becoming increasingly visible. The same tools that enable manipulating cultural currents also reveal its fragility, as audiences begin to challenge manipulative narratives.

  Cracks in the System

  Despite its sophistication, the system of control is beginning to show cracks. Increasingly, the public is pushing back against blatant attempts at cultural engineering, as evidenced by current consumer and electoral rejections.

  Recent attempts at obvious cultural exploitation, such as corporate marketing campaigns and celebrity-driven narratives, have begun to fail, signaling a turning point in public tolerance for manipulation. When Bud Light and Target – companies with their own deep establishment connections – faced massive consumer backlash in 2023 over their social messaging campaigns, the speed and scale of the rejection marked a significant shift in consumer behavior. Major investment firms like BlackRock faced unprecedented pushback against ESG initiatives, seeing significant outflows which forced them to recalibrate their approach. Even celebrity influence lost its power to shape public opinion – when dozens of A-list celebrities united behind one candidate in the 2024 election, their coordinated endorsements not only failed to sway voters but may have backfired, suggesting a growing public fatigue with manufactured consensus.

  The public is increasingly recognizing these manipulation patterns. When viral videos expose dozens of news anchors reading identical scripts about ‘threats to our democracy,’ the facade of independent journalism crumbles, revealing the continued operation of systematic narrative control. Legacy media’s authority is crumbling, with frequent exposures of staged narratives and misrepresented sources revealing the persistence of centralized messaging systems.

  Even the fact-checking industry, designed to bolster official narratives, faces growing skepticism as people discover these ‘independent’ arbiters of truth are often funded by the very power structures they claim to monitor. The supposed guardians of truth serve instead as enforcers of acceptable thought, their funding trails leading directly to the organizations they’re meant to oversee.

  The public awakening extends beyond corporate messaging to a broader realization that supposedly organic social changes are often engineered. For example, while most people only became aware of the Tavistock Institute through recent controversies about gender-affirming care, their reaction hints at a deeper realization: that cultural shifts long accepted as natural evolution might instead have institutional authors. Though few still understand Tavistock’s historic role in shaping culture since our grandparents’ time, a growing number of people are questioning whether seemingly spontaneous social transformations may have been, in fact, deliberately orchestrated.

  This growing recognition signals a fundamental shift: as audiences become more conscious of manipulation methods, the effectiveness of these control systems begins to diminish. Yet the system is designed to provoke intense emotional responses – the more outrageous the better – precisely to prevent critical analysis. By keeping the public in a constant state of reactionary outrage, whether defending or attacking figures like Trump or Musk, it successfully distracts from examining the underlying power structures these figures operate within. The heightened emotional state serves as a perfect shield against rational inquiry.

  Before examining today’s digital control mechanisms in detail, the evolution from Edison’s hardware monopolies to Tavistock’s psychological operations to today’s algorithmic control systems reveals more than a natural historical progression – it shows how each stage intentionally built upon the last to achieve the same goal. Physical control of media distribution evolved into psychological manipulation of content, which has now been automated through digital systems. As AI systems become more sophisticated, they don’t just automate these control mechanisms – they perfect them, learning and adapting in real-time across billions of interactions. We can visualize how distinct domains of power – finance, media, intelligence, and culture – have converged into an integrated grid of social control. While these systems initially operated independently, they now function as a unified network, each reinforcing and amplifying the others. This framework, refined over a century, reaches its ultimate expression in the digital age, where algorithms automate what once required elaborate coordination between human authorities.

  

  The Digital Endgame

  Today’s digital platforms represent the culmination of control methods developed over the past century. Where their researchers once had to manually study group dynamics and psychological responses, AI systems now perform billions of real-time experiments, continuously refining their influence techniques through massive data analysis and behavioral tracking. What Thomas Edison achieved through physical control of films, modern tech companies now accomplish through algorithms and automated content moderation.

  The convergence of surveillance, algorithms, and financial systems represents not just an evolution in technique but an escalation in scope. This convergence appears by design. Consider that Facebook launched the same day DARPA shut down ‘LifeLog,‘ their project to track a person’s ‘entire existence’ online. Or that major tech platforms now employ numerous former intelligence operatives in their ‘Trust & Safety’ teams, determining what content gets amplified or suppressed.

  Social media platforms capture detailed behavioral data, which algorithms analyze to predict and shape user actions. This data increasingly feeds into financial systems through credit scoring, targeted advertising, and emerging Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Together, these create a closed loop where surveillance refines targeting, shapes economic incentives, and enforces compliance with dominant order norms at the most granular level.

  This evolution manifests in concrete ways:

  • Edison’s infrastructure monopoly became platform ownership

  • Tavistock’s psychology studies became social media algorithms

  • Operation Mockingbird’s media infiltration became automated content moderation

  • The Hays Code’s moral controls became ‘community guidelines

  More specifically, Edison’s original blueprint for control evolved into digital form:

  • His control of production equipment became platform ownership and cloud infrastructure

  • Theater distribution control became algorithmic visibility

  • Patent enforcement became Terms of Service

  • Financial blacklisting became demonetization

  • His definition of ‘authorized’ content became ‘community standards'”

  Edison’s patent monopoly allowed him to dictate which films could be shown and where – just as today’s tech platforms use Terms of Service, IP rights, and algorithmic visibility to determine what content reaches audiences. Where Edison could simply deny theaters access to films, modern platforms can quietly reduce visibility through “shadow banning” or demonetization.

  This evolution from manual to algorithmic control reflects a century of refinement. Where the Hays Code explicitly banned content, AI systems now subtly deprioritize it. Where Operation Mockingbird required human editors, recommendation algorithms now automatically shape information flow. The mechanisms haven’t disappeared—they’ve become invisible, automated, and far more effective.

  

  The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how thoroughly and quickly modern control systems could manufacture consensus and enforce compliance. Within weeks, established scientific principles about natural immunity, outdoor transmission, and focused protection were replaced by a new orthodoxy. Social media algorithms were programmed to amplify fear-based content while suppressing alternative viewpoints, while news outlets coordinated messaging to maintain narrative control, and financial pressures ensured institutional compliance. Just as Rockefeller’s early capture of medical institutions shaped the boundaries of acceptable knowledge a century ago, the pandemic response demonstrated how thoroughly this system could activate in a crisis. The same mechanisms that once defined ‘scientific’ versus ‘alternative’ medicine now determined which public health approaches could be discussed and which would be systematically suppressed.

  The Great Barrington Declaration scientists found themselves erased not just through typical censorship, but through the invisible hand of algorithmic suppression – their views buried in search results, their discussions flagged as misinformation, their professional reputations questioned by coordinated media campaigns. This trifecta of suppression rendered dissenting perspectives effectively invisible, demonstrating how modern platforms can converge with state power to erase opposition while maintaining the illusion of independent oversight. Most users never realize what they’re not seeing – the most effective censorship is invisible to its targets.

  Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter offered a crack of light, exposing previously hidden practices like shadow banning and algorithmic content suppression through the release of the Twitter Files. These revelations demonstrated how thoroughly platforms had integrated government influence into their moderation policies – whether through direct pressure or voluntary compliance – erasing dissent under the guise of maintaining community standards.’ Yet even Musk acknowledged the limits of free expression within this framework, stating that ‘freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom of reach.’ This admission underscores the enduring reality: even under new leadership, platforms remain bound by the algorithms and incentives that shape visibility, influence, and economic viability.

  Perhaps the ultimate expression of this evolution is the proposed introduction of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), which transform social control mechanisms into financial infrastructure. The merger of ESG metrics with digital currency creates unprecedented granular control – every purchase, every transaction, every economic choice becomes subject to automated social compliance scoring. This fusion of financial surveillance with behavioral control represents the ultimate expression of the control systems that began with Edison’s physical monopolies. By embedding surveillance into currency itself, governments and corporations gain the ability to monitor, restrict, and manipulate transactions based on compliance with official criteria – from carbon usage limits to diversity metrics to social credit scores. These systems could render dissent not just punishable, but economically impossible—restricting access to basic necessities like food, housing, and transportation for those who fail to comply with approved behaviors.

  What began with Tavistock’s careful study of mass psychology, tested through Facebook’s crude emotion experiments, and perfected through modern algorithmic systems, represents more than a century of evolving social control. Each stage built upon the last: from physical monopolies to psychological manipulation to digital automation. Today’s social media platforms don’t just study human behavior – they shape it algorithmically, automating mass psychological manipulation through billions of daily interactions.

  Unplugging from the Matrix: A Path Back to Reality

  Understanding these systems is the first step toward liberation. As the machinery of control reaches its peak, so too does the opportunity for resistance. The endgame for centralized power presents a paradox: the same systems designed to limit freedom also expose their own vulnerabilities.

  While the evolution from Edison’s physical monopolies to today’s invisible algorithmic controls may feel overwhelming, it reveals a crucial truth: these mechanisms are constructed—and what is constructed can be dismantled or circumvented.

  We can already see glimmers of resistance. As I’ve observed in my investigation of Big Tech’s origins, people are increasingly demanding transparency and authenticity – and once they see these control systems, they don’t unsee them. Public backlash against obvious ideological sculpting—from corporate virtue-signaling campaigns to platform censorship—suggests an awakening to these methods of control. The public rejection of corporate news networks in favor of independent journalism, the mass exodus from manipulative social media platforms to decentralized alternatives, and the growing movement toward local community building all demonstrate how awareness leads to action. The rise of platforms committed to free speech, even within centralized systems, shows that alternatives to algorithmic manipulation are possible. By championing transparency, reducing reliance on automated content moderation, and supporting the open exchange of ideas, these platforms challenge the status quo and push back against the dominance of centralized narratives. Building on these principles, truly decentralized networks represent our best hope for resistance: by eliminating gatekeepers entirely, they offer the greatest potential to counter hierarchical control and empower authentic expression.

  The battle for freedom of consciousness is now our most fundamental struggle. Without it, we are not autonomous actors but non-player characters (NPCs) in someone else’s game, making seemingly free choices within carefully constructed parameters. Each time we question an algorithmic recommendation or seek out independent voices, we crack the control matrix. When we build in person local communities and support decentralized platforms, we create spaces beyond algorithmic manipulation. These aren’t just acts of resistance – they’re steps toward reclaiming our autonomy as conscious human actors rather than programmed NPCs.

  The choice between authentic consciousness and programmed behavior requires daily discernment. We can passively consume curated content or actively seek diverse perspectives. We can accept algorithmic suggestions or consciously choose our information sources. We can isolate ourselves in digital bubbles or build real-world communities of resistance.

  Our liberation begins with recognition: these systems of control, though powerful, are not inevitable. They were constructed, and they can be dismantled. By embracing creativity, fostering authentic connection, and restoring our sovereignty, we don’t just resist the control matrix – we reclaim our fundamental right to author our own destiny. The future belongs to those aware enough to see the system, brave enough to reject it, and creative enough to build something better.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 21:45

• Pentagon Launches Fresh Assault On Houthis In Yemen Ahead Of 2025
  Pentagon Launches Fresh Assault On Houthis In Yemen Ahead Of 2025

  The war in Yemen and the Red Sea continues to intensify, following several ballistic missiles launched on Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis last week and this month. The pattern is that for whatever the Western coalition throws at the Houthis in terms of bombing raids, the militant group only intensifies its assaults.

  The Pentagon announced Tuesday that forces under US Central Command (CENTCOM) have launched fresh attacks on Yemen after the Houthi militants targeted American warships and commercial ships earlier the same day.

  

  US Navy ships and aircraft conduced the new attacks, striking Houthi-controlled coastal regions of Yemen, according to the CENTCOM statement.

  American warplanes had destroyed “seven cruise missiles and one-way attack UAVs over the Red Sea,” the statement continued. “There were no injuries or damage to U.S. personnel or equipment in either incident,” it said.

  Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam denounced the strikes as “an American aggression” and “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of an independent state and a blatant support for Israel.”

  CENTCOM has justified the new action as necessary “to degrade Iran-backed Houthi efforts to threaten regional partners and military and merchant vessels in the region.”

  Earlier on Tuesday the Houthis had also launched two more missiles at Israel. These direct attacks on Israel out of Yemen are coming almost daily at this point, and Israeli forces have also stepped up aerial attacks on Yemen in coordination with the Western coalition in the Red Sea.

  Just days ago, on Thursday, Israel conducted some of the largest attacks on Yemen to date, hitting the international airport in Sanaa and other facilities. 

  But the Houthis have clearly remained undeterred. Short of a full-scale ground invasion, these Western coalition aerial attacks are unlikely to do anything but prolong the war, which the Houthis say is a response to the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip.

  CENTCOM Forces Strike Multiple Houthi Targets in Yemen

  U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted multiple precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Sana’a and coastal locations within Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, Dec. 30 and 31.

  On Dec. 30 and 31,… pic.twitter.com/XUKtsZM1U7

  — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 31, 2024

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  But Prime Minister Netanyahu has also said he won’t relent. “We will continue to crush the forces of evil with strength and ingenuity, even if it takes time,” he said this past weekend after a Saturday Houthi attack incident had wounded 16 Israelis.

  “We are determined to cut off this terror arm of the Iranian axis of evil. We will persist in this until we complete the job,” the Israeli leader said, strongly suggesting a series of more attacks on Yemen to come.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 21:00

• What's Ahead For The Health Care Industry In 2025?
  What’s Ahead For The Health Care Industry In 2025?

  Authored by Panos Mourdoukoutas via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  The health care industry will be at the crossroads of several trends in 2025: demographics, proposed Medicare changes, staffing constraints, AI innovations, and deregulation.

  

  Demographics will determine the demand for health care services, while Medicare changes, staffing constraints, and technology will determine the supply of these services. Together, these trends will determine the quantity and quality of industry growth in the new year.

  Ben Johnston, chief operating officer of Kapitus, sees favorable demographics and innovative treatments driving health care industry growth in the new year.

  “We continue to be bullish on the health care industry as the macro forces of an aging U.S. population and new treatment innovations make health care an attractive industry in 2025 and beyond,” Johnston told The Epoch Times.

  However, he sees proposed changes to Medicare that would give the states more control of the program and proposed work requirements in exchange for coverage limiting the total number of insured, thus constraining demand for health care services.

  In addition, Johnston believes staffing shortages across the industry are exacerbated by limits on immigration, constraining the supply of health care services.

  “Reducing future legal immigration could pose a significant challenge to the industry and drive both prices and wait times higher,” he said.

  Thomas Kluz, the managing director of Venture Lab, is also concerned about staffing constraints in 2025 for different reasons.

  “The pandemic, system inefficiencies, and wage cuts continued to be a present burden on health care workers on top of their drained physical and mental health,” Kluz told The Epoch Times.

  He thinks AI technology could help ease the situation.

  “AI and automation will be key to taking some of this pressure off by reducing administrative burdens,” he said.

  For Dr. Ofer Sharon, CEO at OncoHost, the use of AI in health care and life sciences, such as machine learning and advanced image processing, will significantly drive the health care industry’s growth in the new year.

  “For instance, in drug discovery, 2025 may see the first AI-discovered or AI-designed therapeutic targets progressing to first-in-human clinical trials,” he told The Epoch Times via email.

  “At the same time, AI-powered diagnostic tools are expected to gain wider adoption in clinical settings, contributing to improved diagnostic accuracy and more personalized patient care.”

  Pradeep Kumar Jain, senior director of health care at Tredence Inc., sees care shifting to telehealth, home care, and ambulatory care, making it more accessible and focused on patients.

  “These models ensure people get timely and convenient care while improving coordination across different settings,” he told The Epoch Times via email. “Value-based care focuses on prevention rather than treatment, addressing health issues earlier.”

  Dr. Stacey Lee, a professor of health care and business law at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and Bloomberg School of Public Health, sees the prospect of changing rules and choices in the health care industry to improve access to services and rein in costs.

  “The projected 8 percent rise in health care costs next year will force providers and patients to rethink how care is delivered and paid for,” he told The Epoch Times.

  “My work with health care organizations shows that direct primary care isn’t just another payment model—it fundamentally changes how doctors and patients work together. When we strip away layers of billing complexity, we often find that quality and efficiency improve.”

  Lee believes that the soaring health care costs will reshape the demand for and supply of health care services, with price transparency becoming a critical factor for the functioning of health care markets.

  “My research in health care negotiations shows that when patients can compare prices, it doesn’t just help them make better choices,” he said. “It changes how health care organizations compete and set their prices. The incoming administration’s emphasis on transparency could accelerate these changes.”

  If that turns out to be the case, transparency will test how well health care markets balance efficiency with patient protection.

  “In my work studying health care law, I’ve seen that successful deregulation requires understanding which rules truly protect patients and which ones just add cost without benefit,” Lee said.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 20:15

• Carlos Slim Invested $1BN In American Oil And Gas Companies In 2024
  Carlos Slim Invested $1BN In American Oil And Gas Companies In 2024

  By Alex Kimani of OilPrice.com

  Carlos Slim, Latin America’s richest man, boosted his stakes in American energy companies in the current year as the world’s leading tycoons continue betting on fossil fuels.

  Slim invested $602 million in Parsippany, New Jersey-based refiner PBF Energy, boosting his stake to 25%, and also bought $326 million worth of shares in Houston-based oil producer Talos Energy.

  

  Last year, the Mexican billionaire’s Grupo Carso SAB agreed to acquire PetroBal SAPI’s stake in two oil fields in Campeche in southern Mexico for $530 million, expanding its bet on energy production. 

  Under the deal, Grupo Carso will take a 50% stake in the Ichalkil and Pokoch oil field. According to the company, the fields produce about 16,350 barrels of crude oil equivalent per day. Carso shares jumped to record highs after the deal was announced. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador welcomed the deal despite earlier being critical of energy reforms that opened exploration to private investment,

  “Why do I celebrate this? Because it stays in the hands of Mexicans and I’m sure that they’re going to invest to extract crude. I consider that to be good news,” the president said at his daily news conference. 

  Obradors’ nationalist policies have seen the Mexican government become increasingly hostile to foreign companies.

  Last year, giant oil and commodities trading firm, Trafigura, was forced to scale back its oil trading business in Mexico thanks to shrinking margins.

  Trafigura has recorded margin compression due to fuel subsidies by the Mexican government.

  Meanwhile, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has continued growing its oil and gas stakes. Two weeks ago, Berkshire Hathaway bought another 8.9 million shares of Occidental Petroleum with the company now owning 260 million shares of OXY. Berkshire Hathaway’s OXY stake is currently worth $12 billion, making it the company’s sixth largest holding.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 19:30

• The Year Of Lying Dangerously
  The Year Of Lying Dangerously

  Authored by Thomas Buckley via The Point,

  Farcical falsehoods have underpinned the Biden administration from the beginning, but it all came crashing down in a TV studio in an Atlanta in late June of this year.

  

  The wings melted – Icarus hit the water

  The entire point of the existence of everyone around Joe had been to deny, defray, obfuscate, while simultaneously promising him personally that everything was all right.

  The staff was Daedalus to his Icarus, building him wings of wax that they knew would be kept airborne by the press…until they weren’t and he plummeted to earth.

  For it to remain in power, the Biden administration, since even before his 2021 inauguration, has required that the nation engage in a mass suspension of disbelief.

  As the viewer of a sci-fi movie must, in order for the movie to make sense, simply accept that things like warp drive and transporters exist, that suspension of disbelief gives the viewer the ability to follow the plot, to care about the characters – as long as the events and tech in the movie make internal sense, the movie can be watched, tolerated, or even enjoyed.

  But relying on the nation to keep up that suspension of disbelief forever was, obviously, doomed from the start. The administration spun more and more lies to keep up the pretense, developing into the political equivalent – both literally and figuratively – of “Battlefield Earth.”

  It was akin the “floating world” of Tokugawa Japan, a concept so beautifully summed up by poet Matsuo Bashō in this haiku:

  “Year’s end, all
  corners of this
  floating world, swept.”

  Of course, before the June debate, Biden’s minions had spun lie after lie after lie. In 2020, he didn’t campaign publicly because of covid, nothing else, and the obvious falsehoods kept on from there.

  He claimed Russiagate was real, that Donald Trump called neo-Nazis “very fine people,” he said he knew nothing of Hunter’s “business” dealings, the “vaccines” were fine, as was the crushing of personal liberty, the withdrawal from Afghanistan went off as planned despite the videos showing desperate Afghanis falling from planes, and on and on.

  Despite their protestations along the lines of “the sky is not blue,” the Biden team knew there were problems, and that, even while flightless, Joe’s wings were melting before their very eyes.

  To create one last possible glimmer of hope – and, concurrently, to give them enough time to dump him – his team scheduled the June debate as a test run of his competence; the Democrats put Biden out there just to see if he would make it.

  He didn’t and in came – over the frustrations of the people that drove Joe out – Kamala; it was supposed to be an actual astronaut, someone who had soared higher than nearly anyone else, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, but a bitter Joe (Jill) put the kibosh on that ASAMFP after his resignation tweet.

  He was dotty, he was un-electable, but PelosObama forgot he was still the president, and a cranky one at that and he would/could/should/did lash out at being couped aside.

  From that point on, it has been a year of lying dangerously for the administration, spinning patently absurd tales that endangered the entire the world.

  Madison Square Garden rally = nazis.

  Biden is totally backing Harris.

  An internal coup did not take place – it was just the appropriate discretion of a dozen or so people doing what they could to help the nation.

  Yes, Hunter got pardoned but that was Trump’s fault.

  There was no censorship program.

  Joe’s sharp as a tack.

  No, he didn’t have a tendency to wander away – that’s on you.

  Choco rations went up ten grams last year.

  What drones?

  Politicians have been lying since they were invented, but very few have built their entire time in office around them. Before he was elected president, Biden was a typical DC tax and spend liberal looking for a little sumthin’sumthin’ on the side. He had no core beliefs and went pretty much were the wind and the donors took him (even they wouldn’t take him to the White House, though.)

  He campaigned on normalcy, but instead brought about massive cultural upheaval and the obliteration of public trust all in the service of wildly woke ideas and proposals and policies he had never even cared about, let alone supported, before.

  Again, the entire administration was built on a series of lies from its beginning.

  But the shift to Kamala made continuing that impossible. While she essentially ran a cut-and-paste campaign (word search everything and replace “Biden” with “Harris”) when she did venture further afield – “joy,” um, finally talking to the press – on her own she spawned a new series of lies.

  The public saw Harris and thought “well, at least Joe has an excuse – he’s senile.”

  The lies got faster, more disposable, less credible, even sillier, even more insulting, and were screeched even louder by the media.

  The lying became more desperate, more dangerous and then – poof!

  The election is over and the truth the world knew all along is now starting to be admitted.

  To make sense of the past four years, Biden supporters had to suspend their disbelief, to put aside honest critical thinking in order to go for the ride – that attachment was one of the reasons why the entrenchment was so deep, so personal. Turning on the lights at last call in a bar reveals the truth, the reality of the evening and saying anything they did not want hear to progressives was like turning on the lights in the middle of a movie. Jarring, infuriating, guaranteed to end the suspension of belief.

  Well, that movie is now done, belief no longer needs to be suspended, and the year of lying dangerously is now over.

  Good riddance.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 18:45

• Geomagnetic Storm Could Bring New Year's Eve Aurora To Parts Of US
  Geomagnetic Storm Could Bring New Year’s Eve Aurora To Parts Of US

  Authored by Melanie Sun via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  With solar storms causing a geomagnetic storm on Earth, the northern lights or aurora borealis could extend beyond the Arctic Circle down into the northernmost U.S. states this New Year’s Eve, according to a Dec. 31 forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

  

  The moderate-strong G2-G3 geomagnetic storm, with a Kp index of 6-7, forecasted for Dec. 31 by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, means the aurora could be visible in New York and Idaho, and potentially as far south as Illinois and Oregon.

  The Kp-index measures geomagnetic activity in the Earth’s atmosphere. “For Kp in the range 6 to 7, the aurora will move even further from the poles and will become quite bright and active,” according to NOAA.

  A minor G1-level geomagnetic storm warning is also active from New Year’s Eve into Jan. 1. These storms typically produce auroras visible only from higher latitudes, in locations such as northern Michigan and Maine.

  Multiple solar flares—two X-class solar flares and 17 M-class flares—erupted on the Sun within 24 hours on Dec. 29.

  Two of the M-class flares released solar storms, or streams of electrically charged particles and plasma called coronal mass ejections (CMEs), toward Earth.

  This prompted the Space Weather Prediction Center to issue two geomagnetic storm warnings ahead of the CMEs’ arrival.

  Traveling 93 million miles, the CMEs are expected to reach Earth early in the mornings of Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

  This is when the chance of seeing a turbo-charged aurora will be best.

  The aurora, known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), occurs when charged particles released by the Sun during flares arrive at Earth. These particles are directed by Earth’s protective magnetosphere toward the poles, where they collide with gases in the atmosphere. This interaction releases excess energy as colorful glows of light, visible as the aurora.

  The stronger the solar flare, the more energy arrives at Earth, and the brighter and more widespread the aurora.

  When, Where to See the Aurora

  Clear, night skies are best for being able to see the aurora.

  The geomagnetic storm early New Year’s Eve morning and night (Eastern Time) may bring the colorful aurora to places above 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude, such as Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.

  If the geomagnetic storm is strong enough, parts of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Iowa, and New York may also get a glimpse of the lights early Dec. 31 Eastern Time before the sun rises.

  

  The CME from the first solar flare is forecast to arrive at Earth by midday UTC (7 a.m. ET) on Dec. 31, and the second flare near midday UTC (7 a.m. ET) on Jan. 1.

  Those in the upper latitudes in the Eastern Hemisphere will have a chance of seeing a brighter-than-usual aurora on New Year’s Eve.

  Updates to the forecast are available on NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center website.

  Uptick in Solar Activity

  The recent uptick in strong geomagnetic storms, seen as strong auroras, marks a period of increased solar activity on the Sun.

  The Sun’s activity has been observed to move through an 11-year solar cycle and has reached its solar maximum period.

  In May, the Earth was hit by the strongest geomagnetic storm in 20 years—a G5-level storm associated with an X8.7 solar flare—that saw reports of the aurora being visible as far south as Florida.

  

  October saw an X1.8 solar flare and a resulting G3-level storm. X-class flares are the strongest category of solar flare and are 10 times the intensity of the preceding category, the M-class solar flare. They increase the risk of disturbances to satellite communications, power grids, and navigation systems.

  The current solar maxima, which started in 2020, is expected to last at least into 2026.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 18:00

• 24 Moments That Helped Define 2024
  24 Moments That Helped Define 2024

  Authored by Lawrence Wilson via The Epoch Times,

  President Ronald Reagan once said: “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Marines don’t have that problem.”

  The same might be said of 2024, which saw a number of firsts that left a lasting impression on the world.

  

  Here are the defining moments of the year, presented in chronological order.

  Harvard President Resigns

  Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned on Jan. 2, about two months after she and other university administrators were questioned about anti-Semitism on their campuses.

  Under questioning from Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), a Harvard alumna, Gay said that students calling for the genocide of Jews did not necessarily violate Harvard’s code of conduct.

  Gay later apologized for the remarks.

  The U.S. Department of Education announced an investigation in late November 2023 into Harvard in light of anti-Semitism on its campus.

  Nearly 27 percent of Harvard students are Jewish.

  The resignation was the third among Ivy League presidents who faced pressure from donors and lawmakers over their handling of campus protests regarding the Israel–Hamas war.

  

  Claudine Gay (L), president of Harvard University, and other university administrators testify at a hearing to investigate anti-Semitism on college campuses, at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 5, 2023. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

  McConnell Steps Down

  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced on Feb. 28 that he would step down at the end of the year but remain in the Senate.

  McConnell, 82, is the longest-serving party leader in Senate history. He faced persistent opposition from some Republican senators who disagreed with his efforts to continue funding Ukraine in its war with Russia.

  McConnell will be succeeded by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) on Jan. 3, 2025.

  

  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) walks toward his office in Washington on Feb. 28, 2024. McConnell announced on this day that he will step down as Republican leader in November. Nathan Howard/Getty Images

  Terrorist Attack in Russia Kills 145

  A terrorist attack on a concert hall near Moscow killed at least 145 people and injured 180 on March 22.

  The ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility, but Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged in a televised address that the perpetrators had attempted to flee to Ukraine.

  On June 23, terrorists attacked two cities in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, striking two synagogues, two churches, and a police post. At least 21 people were killed and 46 were injured.

  

  Mourners stand in a queue to lay flowers at a makeshift memorial after a massacre that killed 145 people, in front of the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Russia, on March 24, 2024. Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images

  Ship Topples Key Bridge in Baltimore

  A cargo ship collided with a supporting pillar of the 47-year-old Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, hurling steel, concrete, and people into the water. Six people died. Two were rescued.

  The incident closed Baltimore Harbor for 11 weeks, causing a major disruption to U.S. shipping.

  The bridge, which was part of Interstate 695, remains closed, causing some 31,000 vehicles per day to travel alternate routes.

  

  The cargo ship, Dali, sits in the water after colliding into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

  Israel, Iran Trade Strikes

  Iran launched more than 300 cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones in its first direct attack on Israel on April 13.

  Israel said that it intercepted 99 percent of the weapons with cooperation from the United States and other allied forces.

  A few missiles got through the defenses and caused minor damage to an Israeli military installation.

  The attack appeared to be in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on the Iranian Embassy in Syria that killed two Iranian generals.

  After an apparent Israeli airstrike on an Iranian air base on April 19, both sides downplayed the incident, temporarily easing tensions between the two nations.

  

  People gather around the remains of one of the ballistic missiles fired by Iran earlier in the month and intercepted by Israel, that landed in an open area of the Negev desert near the city of Arad, Romania, on April 30, 2024. Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images

  Pro-Palestinian Protesters Occupy Campuses

  Protesters demanding an end to the war in the Gaza Strip and divestment from Israel staged demonstrations on more than 80 campuses in at least 30 states in April and May.

  Some demonstrators occupied buildings, skirmished with counterprotesters, and created encampments in public spaces, resulting in hundreds of arrests.

  The protests were the largest display of campus unrest since the anti-apartheid demonstrations of the 1980s.

  

  Pro-Palestinian protesters gather outside of New York University during an ongoing demonstration against their school’s investments and the administration’s views on Israel, in New York City on May 3, 2024. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

  Trump Convicted

  Former President Donald Trump on May 30 became the first former president convicted of a crime.

  A New York state jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, a crime normally prosecuted as a misdemeanor.

  Trump maintained that this case, along with others against him, was politically motivated.

  Shortly after the conviction was announced, he told reporters: “The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people. And they know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here.”

  Trump was a defendant in three other criminal cases in 2024.

  A federal case in Washington related to alleged election interference was dropped after Trump won reelection.

  The prosecutor in a federal case in Florida related to Trump’s retention of classified documents withdrew his appeal of an earlier decision by the judge to toss the case.

  A state case in Georgia alleging a scheme related to the 2020 election remains in jeopardy after an appeals court ruled in December that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office were disqualified from prosecuting the case against Trump. A judge had earlier ordered the special prosecutor removed from the case for conduct that created an appearance of impropriety.

  The president-elect will be immune from prosecution during his term in office, which begins on Jan. 20.

  

  Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York City on May 30, 2024. The former president on this day was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

  Trump Survives 2 Assassination Attempts

  Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.

  A 20-year-old gunman gained access to a roof approximately 400 feet from Trump at an outdoor rally and fired four shots, one striking Trump in the right ear.

  One bystander was killed and two others were wounded.

  The gunman was killed by the Secret Service.

  Trump dropped to the ground but soon rose, surrounded by Secret Service agents.

  His ear bloodied and his fist raised, Trump shouted, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

  The moment provided one of the most vivid images in presidential history and sparked bipartisan criticism of Kimberly Cheatle, Secret Service director, who resigned 10 days later.

  On Sept. 16, another gunman was apprehended in Florida after allegedly lying in wait for the former president with a rifle at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach.

  On Nov. 19, the FBI announced that it had foiled an assassination plot against Trump by the government of Iran.

  

  Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump raises his fist after being shot, while Secret Service agents surround him, at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024. Evan Vucci/AP Photo

  Nvidia Becomes Largest US Company

  Nvidia surpassed Apple on June 18 to become the world’s most valuable company.

  Demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) chips fueled the surge in its stock price.

  Lawmakers noted the company’s rise along with investors.

  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called for an antitrust investigation of Nvidia, which she said controls about 90 percent of the high-end AI chip market and 98 percent of the graphics processing unit market.

  

  The Nvidia headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2024. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

  Biden Withdraws From Presidential Race

  President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential campaign on July 21 and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

  Biden made the decision barely three weeks after a poor debate performance with Trump, where he appeared to have difficulty remembering facts and completing sentences.

  Following the debate, several prominent Democrats called for Biden to step aside.

  The announcement upended what many observers called the most consequential presidential race in recent history just weeks before the election.

  Harris was formally declared the replacement nominee on Aug. 2 after a virtual roll call of Democrat delegates. She introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Aug. 6.

  No other presidential candidate has withdrawn from a reelection campaign that far into the race.

  Lyndon Johnson ended his campaign on March 31, 1968.

  Harry Truman withdrew from his reelection bid on March 29, 1952.

  

  President Joe Biden delivers remarks as Vice President Kamala Harris looks on, at the White House on July 14, 2024. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

  Israel Kills Top Leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah

  Israel claimed responsibility on Aug. 1 for a July airstrike in the Gaza Strip that killed Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif.

  The announcement was made a day after the apparent Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, and not long after Israel’s killing of a Hezbollah commander in Beirut, Lebanon.

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “[We] will exact a heavy price from any aggression against us on any front.”

  

  A woman walks near a billboard displaying portraits of Hamas leader Mohammed Deif (R) and Ismail Haniyeh with the slogan “assassinated” written in Hebrew, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Aug. 2, 2024. Oren Ziv/AFP via Getty Images

  Prisoner Exchange Frees Americans in Russia

  Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage, was freed on Aug. 1 along with three others in a multinational prisoner exchange with Russia.

  The U.S. government said Gershkovich’s trial was politically motivated.

  Also freed were U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and Russian British journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza.

  

  Americans Evan Gershkovich (L), Alsu Kurmasheva (R), Paul Whelan (2nd R), and others aboard a plane following their release from Russian captivity, on Aug. 1, 2024. White House via AP

  Ukraine Invades Russia

  Two and a half years after Russia invaded Ukraine, Ukrainian armed forces invaded the Kursk Oblast Region of Russia.

  The Aug. 6 surprise attack marked a change of momentum in the war, which had become a grinding conflict that produced small territorial gains but significant numbers of casualties.

  Ukrainian forces intended to use the attack to draw Russian troops out of the occupied Ukrainian territory of Donetsk. Ukraine claimed to control about 444 square miles of Kursk by Aug. 15.

  The offensive raised morale in Ukraine, although Russia counterattacked weeks later and regained much of the territory.

  

  Ukrainian servicemen operate a Soviet-made T-72 tank in the Sumy region, near the border with Russia, on Aug. 12, 2024. Ukraine launched a surprise attack in the Russian border region of Kursk on Aug. 6, 2024. Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images

  CCP Agent Arrested in New York State

  The FBI arrested a former deputy chief of staff to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sept. 3 for spying on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

  Linda Sun and her husband, Christopher Hu, were both charged with multiple crimes.

  On Dec. 10, federal agents arrested a Chinese national suspected of flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and taking photos of the SpaceX rocket pads on the day a contractor launched a national reconnaissance payload.

  The arrests are the latest in a string of arrests of people suspected of espionage on behalf of the CCP.

  Also in 2024, two Chinese nationals and two U.S. citizens pleaded guilty to federal charges related to spying for the CCP in three separate cases.

  

  Linda Sun (R), a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and her husband, Chris Hu, exit the federal court in Brooklyn after Sun was charged with acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, in New York City on Sept. 3, 2024. Kent J. Edwards/Reuters

  Exploding Pagers Kill, Injure Hezbollah Members

  Pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in a series of incidents on Sept. 17 and 18, killing dozens and wounding thousands across Lebanon.

  Hezbollah leaders said through an intermediary that members of various Hezbollah-aligned military units and political institutions were injured in the blasts.

  Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Sept. 22 that his country was not involved in the attacks.

  However, two men who identified themselves as retired Israeli intelligence agents said in a “60 Minutes” interview on Dec. 22 that Israel had undertaken the operation, which was some 10 years in the making.

  

  Smoke billows from a house after a reported explosion of a radio device, in Baalbek, Lebanon, on Sept. 18, 2024. -/AFP via Getty Images

  Hurricane Helene Batters Southeast

  Hurricane Helene made landfall on Sept. 26 to become the deadliest hurricane in the continental United States since Katrina in 2005.

  Helene, a Category 4 hurricane, caused more than 150 direct fatalities, mostly in North Carolina and South Carolina. Helene also created storm surges and flooding in the Florida Gulf Coast and western North Carolina.

  The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season brought an above-average number of named storms at 18.

  Named storms are organized cyclones with sustained winds of 39 mph or more.

  Of the 18 storms, 11 were hurricanes, having sustained winds of at least 73 mph, and five were classified as major hurricanes, having sustained winds of at least 111 mph.

  The average number of named storms per season is 14, including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

  

  Damaged buildings in the aftermath of flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, in Bat Cave, N.C., on Oct. 8, 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images

  Settlement Allows College Athletes to Be Paid

  A federal judge approved a preliminary legal settlement on Oct. 7 that will allow schools to pay college athletes.

  The move is likely to transform college athletics by funneling millions of dollars to elite players.

  If finalized in April 2025, the settlement will establish a pool of $21.5 million to be distributed among college athletes in the first year of the arrangement.

  NCAA rules were changed in 2021 to allow college athletes to profit from licensing rights to their name, image, and likeness, although restrictions vary among states and universities.

  

  Soccer players of the Dutch national team train in preparation for the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, at the KNVB Campus in Zeist, the Netherlands, on June 2, 2024. Vincent Jannink/ANP/AFP via Getty Images

  SpaceX Catches Rocket

  SpaceX caught a giant booster rocket, part of its Starship system, with a pair of mechanical arms as it arrived back at the launchpad in Boca Chica, Texas, after propelling a craft toward space on Oct. 13.

  The first-ever such landing was a milestone in the campaign to create a fully reusable rocket.

  Starship, when fully tested, is intended for use in landing astronauts on the moon’s south pole, according to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, who sent congratulations.

  The most recent American lunar landing was 52 years ago.

  

  Starship’s Super Heavy Booster is grappled at the launch pad in Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas, on Oct.13, 2024. SpaceX successfully “caught” the first-stage booster of its Starship megarocket as it returned to the launch pad after a test flight, a world first in the company’s quest for rapid reusability. Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty Images

  Trump Defeats Harris, GOP Captures Senate, Keeps House

  Trump defeated Harris in the Nov. 5 presidential election, becoming just the second president to serve a nonconsecutive term.

  The victory capped a historic political comeback by Trump after his loss in the 2020 election.

  Republicans also gained control of the Senate and maintained a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

  The outcome offers Trump a second chance at implementing his “America First” agenda, which focuses on border security, stimulating the economy by increasing domestic energy production, and increasing U.S. manufacturing through a system of tax incentives for domestic manufacturers and tariffs on imported goods.

  

  President-elect Donald Trump and incoming First Lady Melania Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 6, 2024. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

  CCP Hacks US Telecom

  Chinese regime-sponsored hackers breached several U.S. telecommunication providers and stole customer call records and private communications from people involved in government or political activity, federal officials announced on Nov. 13.

  The joint statement by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency appeared to suggest that the breach may have targeted programs covered by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

  The full extent of the breach is not yet known.

  One of the hacker groups is believed to have breached AT&T, CenturyLink, Verizon, and other telecom providers and to have targeted Trump and Harris.

  The cyberattack has been in progress since at least 2021 and is ongoing.

  

  A contract crew for Verizon conducts update work on a cell tower in Orem, Utah, on Dec. 10, 2019. A Beijing-sponsored hacker group is believed to have breached U.S. telecom providers. George Frey/AFP via Getty Images

  Biden Pardons His Son

  President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter on Dec. 1, sparing him jail time for tax evasion and firearms charges to which he had pleaded guilty.

  The blanket pardon also covers any federal offenses Hunter Biden may have committed from Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 1, 2024.

  Before Hunter Biden’s conviction, President Biden said he would not grant his son a pardon.

  Some Republicans and Democrats criticized Biden for abuse of the pardon power. Yet two other presidents have pardoned relatives or their extended family members.

  In 2001 Bill Clinton pardoned his brother, Roger Clinton, for 1985 convictions on drug charges.

  Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, in 2020.

  The elder Kushner was convicted on charges of fraud and retaliation against a witness in 2005.

  On Dec. 23, Biden commuted the sentences of all but three federal convicts awaiting execution on death row.

  

  Hunter Biden departs the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Del., on June 3, 2024. President Joe Biden pardoned his son on Dec. 1, 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

  Health Insurance CEO Gunned Down

  The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was gunned down on a sidewalk in New York City on Dec. 4.

  The killer lay in wait for Brian Thompson, 50, and apparently intended to use the killing to draw attention to perceived abuses in the health insurance industry.

  Luigi Mangione, 26, has been arrested and charged with multiple state and federal offenses in connection with the crime.

  The murder elicited both outrage over the brazen act of violence and a rash of caustic social media posts expressing contempt for health insurance companies over their perceived unfair treatment of customers.

  

  Police respond as CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was shot as he prepared to enter the New York Hilton in New York City on Dec. 4, 2024. Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images

  Notre Dame Cathedral Reopens

  Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, nearly destroyed by fire in 2019, reopened on Dec. 7.

  Trump was one of some 50 foreign leaders invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the ceremonies.

  Trump and Macron were both in office when Notre Dame burned.

  As the symbol of Paris reopened, Trump was poised to complete one of the most remarkable political comebacks in American history as his French counterpart struggled to retain power.

  Trump met with Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris just before the reopening ceremonies.

  

  The choir, clergy, and guests stand during a ceremony to mark the reopening of Notre-Dame of Paris Cathedral in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. After five years of restoration after a 2019 fire, the cathedral reopens its doors to the world in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and around 50 heads of state. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Notre-Dame de Paris

  Assad Regime Falls

  The Arab Spring, which began with popular protests across the Arab world in the early 2010s, bore fruit on Dec. 7 as Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad fled the country, with rebel groups closing in on Damascus.

  Assad’s exit brought his 24 years in power to an end, although various rebel groups now occupy portions of the country.

  

  Thousands gather in the streets after the fall of the Assad regime, in Damascus, Syria. on Dec. 13, 2024. Sami Boudra/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

  Trump said on Jan. 20 that Turkey, a NATO country, will hold the “key to Syria,” as most of the rebel groups controlling territory in Syria are “controlled by Turkey.”

  French judges issued an international arrest warrant for Assad and other Syrian officials in November 2023 for the use of chemical weapons against civilians in the Syrian civil war.

  Assad has been given sanctuary in Moscow.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 17:30

• Astrophysicist's Chilling Prediction: Galactic War Awaits As Billions Of Humans Will Colonize Space
  Astrophysicist’s Chilling Prediction: Galactic War Awaits As Billions Of Humans Will Colonize Space

  Astrophysicist Adam Frank shared a bold vision of humanity’s future in space during his recent conversation with Lex Fridman, predicting that millions—possibly billions—of humans will one day inhabit the galaxy. This rapid expansion, he warns, will inevitably spark interplanetary conflict across the solar system.

  LEX FRIDMAN: Do you think if humans colonize Mars, the dynamic between the civilization on Earth and Mars will be fundamentally different than the dynamic between individual nations on Earth right now? Like, that’s a thing to load into the simulation we’re talking about.

  ADAM FRANK: If we settle Mars, it will very quickly want to become its own nation.

  LEX FRIDMAN: Well, no, there’s already going to be nations on Mars—that’s guaranteed. Once you have a million people, there’s going to be two tribes and then they’re going to start fighting. Right? And the question is interplanetary fighting—how quickly does that happen and does it have a different nature to it because of the distances?

  ADAM FRANK: Are you a fan of The Expanse? Have you watched The Expanse? Great show. Because it’s all about the—I highly recommend it to everybody. It’s based on a series of books that are excellent. It’s on Prime, six seasons, and it’s basically about the settled solar system. It takes place about 300 years from now, and the entire solar system is settled. And it is the best show about interplanetary politics. The first season, actually, Foreign Affairs said the best show on TV about politics that takes place is interplanetary.

  I think human beings being human beings, yes, there will be warfare and there will be conflict. And I don’t think it’ll be necessarily all that different, you know, because really I think within a few hundred years we will have lots of people in the solar system, and it doesn’t even have to be on Mars. We did a paper where we looked—based on CU, I wanted to know about whether an idea in The Expanse was really possible. In The Expanse, the asteroid belt, what they’ve done is they’ve colonized the asteroid belt by hollowing out the asteroids and spinning them up and living on the inside because they have the Coriolis force.

  And I thought, like, wow, what a cool idea, and when I ran the blog for NPR, I actually talked to the guys and said, ‘Did you guys calculate this, see whether it’s possible?’ Sadly, it’s not possible. The rock is just not strong enough. If you tried to spin it up to the speeds you need to get one-third gravity, which is, I think, the minimum you need for human beings, the rock would just fall apart, it would break.

  But we came up with another idea, which was that if you take small asteroids, put a giant bag around them, a nanofiber bag, and spin those up, it would inflate the bag, and then even a small, couple-of-kilometer-wide asteroid would expand out to—you could get like a Manhattan’s worth of material inside. So forget about even colonizing Mars—space stations, right? Or space habitats with millions of people in them. So anyway, the point is that I think, you know, within a few hundred years, it is not unimaginable that there will be millions, if not billions, of people living in the solar system.

  LEX FRIDMAN: And you think most of them will be in space habitats versus on Mars and on the planetary surface?

  ADAM FRANK: It’s a lot easier on some, on some level, right? It depends on how, like, with nanofabrication and such. But, you know, getting down a gravity well is hard, right? So, you know, there’s a certain way in which it’s a lot easier to build real estate out of the asteroids. But we’ll probably do both. I mean, I think what’ll happen is, you know, the next—should we make it through climate change and nuclear war and all the other things, and AI—the next thousand years of human history is the solar system, right?

   I think we’ll settle every nook and cranny we possibly can, and it’s, you know, it’s a beautiful—what I love about what’s hopeful about it is this idea you’re going to have all of these pockets, and, you know, I’m sure there’s going to be a Mormon space habitat. Like, you know, there’s going to be whatever you want, a Libertarian space habitat. Everybody’s going to be able to kind of create their—there’ll be lots of experiments in human flourishing, and those kinds of experiments will be really useful for us to sort of figure out better ways for us to interact and have maximum flourishing, maximum wellness, maximum democracy, maximum freedom.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 17:00

• The Future's Uncertain & The End Is Always Near
  The Future’s Uncertain & The End Is Always Near

  Authored by Jim Quinn via The Burning Platform blog,

  “The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.” – Frank Zappa

  

  “Government is the Entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.” ― Frank Zappa

  Are you not entertained by the never-ending bullshit, propaganda, false flags, threats, and revelations produced by those running the show and regurgitated by their captured media mouthpiece whores? The absolute tsunami of misinformation and political theatrics spewing over the airwaves is surely designed to distract the public from something more sinister, diabolical, and self-serving to the Deep State renegades who still wield the real power in this world. Nothing is as it seems. If ever there was a time to keep your hands upon the wheel and eyes upon the road, it is now. They have turned up the volume of misinformation and fear mongering to eleven.

  

  Anyone who says they know how the next four years will play out is lying. The level of gaslighting and misleading the public about the true nature of our circumstances has reached historic levels. Half the country thinks everything done to Americans over the last four years in the name of a dementia ridden, child sniffing husk occupying the White House, was done in good faith, with their best interests at heart. The other half are ecstatic their savior will do what he said he’d do, even though he didn’t do what he said he would do the first time. Is it really possible to make America great again at this stage of our empire collapse?

  The show will go on until the directors decide it is time to take down the scenery, pull back the curtains, and reveal the prison like walls they have constructed while you were being entertained by their theatrical production of America the Free. There has been no true freedom for Americans since at least the early 20th Century, before the Fed, the income tax, and women voting. And truthfully, probably very limited freedom since Lincoln’s expansion of Federal power during the Civil War.

  The Uni-Party is pulling out all the stops to keep the ignorant masses on each side equally ignorant, keeping them: hopeful, fearful, angry, joyful, retribution seeking, denying culpability, utilizing lawfare, and distracted by whatever new plotline is dreamed up by the producers of this dystopian show of shows. Besides the daily venomous attacks on Trump’s cabinet nominees by the Deep State controlled media, the U.S. government now supports the terrorists running Syria and continues to condone the Greater Israel agenda of the murderous head of the Israeli state.

  Biden’s controllers are sending tens of billions more to Zelensky, while allowing Americans to freeze in tents in NC and Georgia. In Biden’s waning days, pretending to be president, his controllers are attempting to maximize global chaos and implement traitorous domestic machinations to hurt Trump and the American people as much as humanly possible. He’s the Oprah of pardons and commutations for murderers, rapists, and pedophiles. You get a pardon; you get a pardon.

  

  For two weeks, the latest fear invoking storyline was the mysterious drones swarming the northeastern U.S., while the federal government denied knowing anything, and at the same time leaked rumors about radioactivity being detected in ports on the east coast. Throw in further rumors they were Chinese or Iranian drones or UFOs, and you’ve got an excellent psy-op designed to distract the public from what is really happening. Now they are once again rolling out the discredited murderous plandemic “science experts” (Fauci, Birx, Wen) to hyperventilate about the dreaded bird flu that will kill us all, unless we begin mass testing and vaccinations. Oh, the horror!!!

  This production of fear is designed to distract from the real issues. The true economic condition of the country is frighteningly unsustainable and propelling the nation towards a disastrous rendezvous with destiny. The lunatics in control of Biden, along with the supposed GOP fiscal conservatives in the House somehow managed to add $2.3 trillion to the national debt in the last fiscal year. They will add another $400 billion by the time Trump is inaugurated. The national debt stands at $36.1 trillion, up $8.4 trillion (30%) during Biden’s reign of error.

  

  Interest on the existing debt will exceed $1 trillion this year, as interest rates continue to rise, even though the Fed has cut short-term rates by 1%, with inflation remaining above 3% and the economy supposedly growing strongly. None of this makes logical sense because all reported government figures are fake, manipulated, or massaged to achieve a happy ending. The government is siphoning more than enough in taxes from you and me. It is the insane level of government spending marking the death knell of this empire of debt.

  This bloated pig of a government clearly was able to function while spending between $3 trillion and $4 trillion per year until the covid plandemic was rolled out in 2020. “Emergency” spending of $7 trillion to $8 trillion has never been reduced, because the real emergency started in September 2019 when the repo market revealed the gears of the financial system were seizing up, massive doses of new debt were necessary, and magically a global pandemic appeared out of thin air “requiring” an additional $4 trillion of spending and debt creation per year. The Fed is trapped, as the bond markets are ignoring their fruitless efforts at controlling interest rate markets and focusing on the disaster ahead.

  

  The average American, whose retirement savings in 401ks and IRAs are allocated to S&P 500 index funds because stocks “always” rise in the long run, is oblivious to the enormous risk they are currently taking. No one on CNBC or in the financial industry will provide the truth regarding the markets. The top 10 stocks by market value now account for 40% of the S&P 500. These stocks (Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Tesla, Berkshire, Broadcom) have been manipulated by computer programs utilized by the Wall Street cabal to provide the appearance of a strong stock market, and by association, a strong economy.

  It’s all a farce. The other 490 stocks in the S&P 500 aren’t doing so hot. Without $7 trillion of government spending, the economy would be in a deep recession. Anyone denying we are in the midst of the largest bubble of all-time is just denying reality because they are bought off or just plain ignorant of history. The 40% market value of the top 10 stocks is a full 50% higher than the Dotcom bubble in 2001 and 75% higher than the 2008 housing bubble top. Even a minor reversion to the mean would cause a stock market crash.

  

  By every historic metric, the stock market is epically overvalued. The current PE ratio of the S&P 500 is 28, only 65% above the long-term median of 17. Robert Shiller’s CAPE (Cyclically Adjusted PE Ratio) sits at 38, only 135% above the long-term median of 16, and only exceeded once in history during the Dotcom bubble. These measures do not predict what the market will do tomorrow, but they are highly predictive of how the markets will perform over the next several years.

  Any financial “advisor”, newsletter publisher, or Wall Street bank telling their customers, stocks will keep rising are lying, in their greedy self-interest to keep fee income rolling in. There is no rational argument for stocks, bitcoin and real estate to keep rising from their all-time highs, achieved through market manipulation and false narratives sold to the masses. The coming financial collapse can be initiated by a trigger event (tariffs, war, political event, terrorist event, another fake pandemic) or just by the weight of overvaluation and the herd coming to their senses one by one.

  “Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.” – Charles Mackay

  I believe Trump’s Deep State enemies would like nothing more than a financial and stock market collapse during his reign, in an effort to undermine his presidency. This outcome is highly likely, even if it is not purposely engineered by the Deep State. The other potential trigger is the housing market. Again, the narrative sold to the public is this is the best time to buy, because real estate prices always rise. That was the narrative from 2000 until 2006, then home prices fell for six straight years, until the Federal government colluded with Wall Street hedge funds and the Federal Reserve to produce the current property bubble, with existing home sales prices reaching an all-time high of $427,000 in June 2024, up $197,000 from the 2006 bubble high of $230,000 – an 85% increase engineered by the financial interests benefiting from this bubble.

  The reality is 2024 existing home sales are the lowest in 29 years (have you heard that fact on any regime media outlet?), as 30-year mortgage rates have soared from 2.75% in 2021 to over 7% today. Sales are lower than during the 2006 – 2012 crash, but prices are near all-time highs. Something has to give, and this foundation, built on sand, is crumbling.

  Prices are down 10% in the last six months. Rental vacancy rates bottomed out at an all-time low below 4% in 2022 and have soared to 6.8% today – and rising. Supply and demand are always balanced through prices. Once the avalanche of price decreases begins, with an undeniable recession and rising unemployment, more and more people will be underwater on their mortgages and unable to service their debt.

  Reversion to the mean will devastate the delusions of debt propping up this failing empire. Extending and pretending is not a strategy; it is a desperate last-ditch measure to delay the banquet of consequences which must be faced. The popping of this everything bubble will be written about in history books, like the South Sea Bubble, Tulip Mania Bubble, The Mississippi Bubble, 1920s Stock Market Bubble, and Dotcom Bubble.

  

  While the controllers continue to pump the stock and crypto markets, luring more suckers in at all-time highs, in the real-world average Americans are in deep trouble, as the fake pandemic savings have evaporated and trying to sustain themselves, amidst Biden’s 20% to 40% inflation, on credit cards has run its course, with default rates now at fourteen-year highs. Does that happen in a strong economy?

  Auto loan delinquencies are now back to pandemic levels and rising. Shocking when the average auto price now exceeding $48,000, average non-prime auto loan rates of 10% to 15%, and six-year loans putting the average car “owner” underwater when they drive off the lot. Mortgage delinquency rates have been steadily rising for three years, tripling from 0.6% to 1.8% during a supposedly strong economy. All indicators point to increased stress on households just trying to survive from month to month.

  

  As self-serving pundits and regime media whores bloviate about our glorious future and Trump making America great again in 2025, the reality of our situation worsens by the day. Adding $5 to $6 billion of debt per day doesn’t just sound unsustainable – it is unsustainable. The bond market sending 10-year rates up 1%, while the Fed cut short term rates by 1%, is a sure sign the smart money is exiting stage left, while pumping up stocks, and leaving the ignorant masses holding the bag when it all implodes.

  I do not think 2025 is going to be very enjoyable for anyone, no matter which branch of the Uniparty you support. Of course, my annual prediction for economic disaster has been wrong for the last fourteen years, so don’t go jumping off a bridge just yet.

  I like a number of Trump cabinet nominees (RFK Jr., Tulsi, Hegseth, Patel and Ratcliff) and I agree with his positions on the border, war, and government waste. It will be easy for the DOGE boys to come up with a list of $2 trillion in government expenditure cuts, but none of the Trump fanboys will admit cutting that amount of spending and firing hundreds of thousands of government drones will instantaneously produce the recession that has been delayed by the $3 trillion of annual excess government spending over the last four years. Doing the right thing will create the recession/depression which has been delayed for a decade by QE and doubling the national debt.

  

  So, Trump will either balk at actually reducing the size of government, and our debt death spiral will accelerate, or he will prove to have tougher skin than during his first term and accept a deep recession as necessary to try and steer the nation back towards sustainability. The recession would be a trigger for the stock market and housing market collapse. There is nothing Trump and his minions can do to avoid the ultimate failure of financial system created by decades of bad choices, massive corruption, and capture by corporate special interests in the military, pharmaceutical, and banking industries.

  At this point, there are no good choices. We will either experience a deflationary depression or a hyperinflationary depression. The powers that be would prefer hyperinflation, where they position themselves to benefit, while allowing the masses to beg the government to save them. You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to decipher the goals of the ruling oligarchs. They want more power, control and wealth, using any means necessary to achieve their diabolical ends.

  

  Their methods are: engineered crisis, invoking fear in the masses, and using their control over media outlets to propagate whatever narrative maximizes their profits. A financial and economic collapse, leaving the masses in dire straits, would be their perfect opportunity to roll out their CBDCs as a means to gain control over every aspect of our lives. Their Great Taking scheme of siphoning the wealth of the masses directly from their bank accounts and 401ks as an “emergency measure” (already done by FDR in 1933 and Cyprus in 2012) to “save” the financial system is already written into legal documents unknown to depositors.

  The upcoming confirmation hearings for Trump’s cabinet selections will reveal the true strength of his Deep State enemies and the entrenched DC blob. Will his agenda be de-fanged before it has a chance to take a bite out of this bloated pig of a crumbling empire. We shall see. The road ahead will be rocky, dangerous, and potentially lethal. I don’t pretend to know what portends in 2025 and beyond, but examining the facts and reality of our current situation leaves me uncertain about the future, knowing the end is always near. Good luck to all as this Fourth Turning accelerates towards an unknown climax and resolution.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 16:30

• Is Taurine The Elixir Of Life? Considerations For Supplementation
  Is Taurine The Elixir Of Life? Considerations For Supplementation

  Authored by Jingduan Yang, M.D. via The Epoch Times,

  Throughout history, humans—from commoners to emperors—have sought the secret to slowing aging. In modern society, scientists continue researching nutrients that effectively combat aging. We will delve into one such nutrient that may help fight aging: taurine.

  

  Taurine, an amino acid derived from the breakdown of proteins, is primarily found in animal-based foods, such as beef, seafood, and dairy products. It is also a common additive in energy drinks.

  Taurine can also be naturally synthesized in the human body. It plays a role in energy production, assists in the processing of bile acids, and balances fluids, salt, and minerals.

  Animal and Human Studies on Taurine

  As we age, our bodies find it increasingly difficult to repair damage to cells, tissues, and organs, leading to a decline in our ability to combat diseases. At the same time, taurine levels in our bodies decrease with age. Scientists have thus wondered whether increasing taurine levels in the body could slow aging.

  To test the potential of taurine, scientists first conducted research on animals. In a study published in the journal Science in 2023, researchers administered taurine to monkeys that were about 15 years old (equivalent to 45 to 50 human years) for six months. The results showed that compared with the control group, monkeys receiving taurine experienced increased bone density in the lumbar spine and legs, a 19 percent decrease in fasting blood sugar levels, and reductions in body weight and fat percentage. Additionally, taurine supplementation led to approximately 36 percent and 20 percent decreases in the serum concentrations of the liver damage markers aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, respectively.

  These results indicate that taurine benefits various health parameters in nonhuman primates, including body weight, bone density, blood sugar, and liver health. However, because of the relatively short observation period, the effect of taurine on the lifespan of monkeys was not analyzed, prompting scientists to conduct further research.

  The researchers then fed taurine to middle-aged mice at 14 months old (equivalent to 45 human years) until their deaths. The results showed that compared with the control group, mice receiving taurine lived longer, with a 10 percent to 12 percent increase in median lifespan. These results indicate that taurine deficiency is a driving factor in mouse aging and that taurine supplementation can extend lifespan.

  Moreover, significant improvement was observed in other health indicators compared with the control group. Specifically, taurine enhanced muscle strength, coordination, and bone density in mice while also improving memory, reducing anxiety, and rejuvenating their immune systems.

  Does the efficacy of taurine in animals also apply to humans? One study published in Nutrition in 2022 highlighted the antioxidant effects of taurine on women aged 55 to 70. The decline in our bodies’ ability to cope with oxidative stress is a key factor that hinders our ability to repair body damage and prevent aging.

  The study found that taurine supplementation can prevent the decrease of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase, thereby reducing oxidative stress during the aging process. This finding provides substantial evidence supporting taurine as an anti-aging supplement.

  We know, we know – where can you get some Taurine? Right here…

  

  Safe Supplementation Dosage for Taurine

  Taurine is not considered an essential amino acid as it can be synthesized in the human body. However, taurine synthesis requires essential amino acids as precursors, making it a conditionally essential amino acid.

  Numerous studies have demonstrated that supplementing with a regular dose of taurine is safe. However, what exactly constitutes a regular dose? In a human study, participants were instructed to take 1,500 milligrams of taurine daily for 16 weeks, and the results showed that this dosage was safe.

  However, there is no universal standard for the appropriate dosage of taurine. Generally speaking, a healthy individual can safely supplement with 30 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, meaning a person weighing 60 kilograms (132.28 pounds) can supplement with 1,800 milligrams of taurine. Nonetheless, following medical advice or the recommended dosage indicated on the product label when taking taurine supplements is advisable.

  Considerations for Taurine Use

  Certain groups of people should not take taurine, including women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people with heart failure, and those allergic to taurine.

  For most people, taking a regular dose of taurine is safe. However, it is always a good idea to consult your doctor before adding any new nutritional supplement.

  Taurine absorption and metabolism vary among individuals. Excessive taurine supplementation may lead to certain side effects, such as palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, muscle stiffness, and fever. Visual problems such as blurred vision, narrowed vision, and eye pain may also occur.

  For individuals taking other medications, rest assured that taurine has no known severe or moderate interactions with them. However, taurine may have mild interactions with some drugs. If you are concerned about these interactions, discuss them with your doctor.

  Additionally, many foods and beverages may contain added taurine. Therefore, when taking taurine supplements, be aware of its presence in other foods.

  Last but not least, it is crucial to pay attention to the source and quality of taurine products.

  Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 15:59

• Biden Donor Calls Trump A "F**king Genius" For Beating Dems
  Biden Donor Calls Trump A “F**king Genius” For Beating Dems

  Authored by Julianna Frieman via Headline USA,

  John Morgan, who donated to Democrats for years, called President-elect Donald Trump a “f**king genius” for defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

  

  The Florida-based fundraiser for President Joe Biden told Politico in an interview published Sunday that although he is not sure if Trump is “stable,” he was impressed by the Republican’s populist appeal and reformation of the party.

  BREAKING: President-elect Donald Trump is a ‘f*cking genius,’ says Biden campaign donor John Morgan. pic.twitter.com/pmcHldta40

  — Leading Report (@LeadingReport) December 30, 2024

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  “I don’t know if Trump is a stable genius, but he’s a f**king genius,” Morgan told the outlet. “He tapped into something Republicans never saw, which was anger and populism on that side.”

  Trump did not only win the Electoral College; for the first time, the president-elect won the popular vote along with all seven battleground states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

  Morgan previously stopped identifying himself with the Democratic Party but still supported Democrat candidates since distancing himself from the party label.

  The attorney dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into Democrat campaign, including the Harris campaign, through his law firm Morgan & Morgan, according to Open Secrets.

  In November, Morgan said Harris should be “disqualified forever” for running for office after her campaign mismanaged roughly $1.5 billion and suffered a historic loss—both electorally and financially.

  “Remember the movie Mad Max when the everybody just doing whatever they wanted, end of the world?” Morgan told NewsNation his Chris Cuomo. “That’s what happened here. All of a sudden, everybody’s got the keys to the candy store, ad buyers, talent, consultants. There’s 100 days to do it, and the money started pouring in, pouring in.”

  The Biden donor added, “Remember this, Chris, it wasn’t pouring in for Harris. It was pouring in against Trump. Everybody that was voting and supporting Harris was really voting against Trump.”

  Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and The American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 15:20

• Worst Homelessness Crisis Ever!
  Worst Homelessness Crisis Ever!

  Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

  All over America, our core urban areas are teeming with tent cities, hordes of homeless drug addicts, and vast throngs of newly arrived migrants that don’t have anywhere to go.  When I wrote about this topic one year ago, homelessness in the U.S. was at an all-time record high, and it was increasing at the fastest pace ever recorded.  It was going to be hard to top that, but somehow we did.  Fast forward to today, and homelessness in the U.S. has reached another all-time record high, and it is increasing at an even faster pace.  We are literally in the midst of the worst homelessness crisis that our federal government has ever measured, and there is no end in sight.

  

  When the rest of us discuss the economic pain that we are experiencing, many on the high end of the economic spectrum wonder what all the fuss is about because things still seem pretty good to them.

  But for many of those on the low end of the economic spectrum, it feels like a full-blown economic collapse has already begun.

  On Friday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development revealed that the homeless population in the U.S. jumped 18 percent in just one year…

  Homelessness in the United States soared to the highest level on record, according to government data released Friday.

  More than 770,000 people experienced homelessness in 2024, an 18% increase from 2023, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development reported. It was the largest annual increase since HUD began collecting the data in 2007 (excluding the jump from 2021 to 2022, when the agency didn’t conduct a full count due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

  If homelessness is at the highest level ever and it is rising at the fastest rate ever, your economy is not okay.

  Let’s just be real for a moment.

  I am so sick and tired of the Biden administration and the mainstream media telling us that everything is just fine.

  More than three-quarters of a million Americans are homeless, and that is just the ones that they are able to find and count.

  The true number is certainly far higher.

  We are being told that the spike in homelessness is happening because we don’t have enough affordable housing and because we are not able to absorb all of the migrants that have been pouring over our borders.

  In fact, in 13 communities that have been heavily impacted by migration, “family homelessness more than doubled”…

  Migration had a particularly notable impact on family homelessness, which rose 39% from 2023 to 2024, according to the report. In the 13 communities that reported being affected by migration, family homelessness more than doubled.

  When we think of the homeless, we tend to think of older men with addiction problems.

  But the truth is that approximately 150,000 children are living in the streets at this point…

  Massively concerning is that 150,000 children experienced homelessness, a 33% jump in 2024 when compared to the prior year.

  What is wrong with us?

  Why can’t we get this crisis under control?

  Our politicians like to give speeches about affordable housing, but housing just continues to become more unaffordable…

  Rents have continued climbing since briefly dipping lower during the pandemic, as well. As of 2023, nearly half of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing, qualifying them as cost-burdened, according to the US Census Bureau.

  Every day, more precious people on the low end of the economic spectrum are being evicted from their homes.

  Every day, the homeless population in this country just gets even bigger.

  And now we have entered a time when finding a decent job is going to be quite a bit more difficult…

  US private sector full-time jobs have DROPPED by nearly 2 MILLION over the past year.

  Such a drop has never happened outside of recessions.

  The only gain in full-time jobs has been in the government sector.

  We aren’t buying the propaganda any longer.

  They keep trying to convince us that everything is just fine, but that clearly isn’t the truth.

  When Don Lemon tried to convince a random man that he was interviewing that the economy “is actually better under Biden”, the man responded with a “hearty laugh”…

  “Four years ago it was a lot better. I made a lot more money than I do now,” the man said.

  Incredibly, rather than try to understand the man’s perspective, Lemon argued with him.

  “I know you feel that way, but that’s not actually what the record shows,” Lemon said. “The economy is actually better under Biden.”

  That prompted a hearty laugh from the interviewee.

  We can see the tent cities that are popping up like mushrooms all over our major cities.

  We can see the hordes of people that are sleeping in their vehicles in retail parking lots at night.

  And we can see that prices at the grocery store are far, far higher than they used to be.

  According to a national survey that was just released, approximately 70 percent of U.S. adults believe that the U.S. economy is in poor condition right now…

  About 7 in 10 U.S. adults rate the country’s economic state as very or somewhat poor, up slightly from about 6 in 10 in October. Self-identified Democrats are primarily driving the recent negativity. About 6 in 10 Democrats described the U.S. economy as “good” in October. With Republicans on the verge of controlling the executive and legislative branches, only about half of Democrats say that now.

  That same survey also discovered that about a third of all U.S. adults are either “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to “afford groceries over the next few months”…

  The new AP-NORC poll shows about one-third of Americans say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about their ability to afford groceries over the next few months. About 3 in 10 are highly worried about being able to afford holiday gifts, gas or electricity.

  There are tens of millions of Americans that are barely holding on from month to month.

  Next month, more of them will lose their grip.

  We really are in the midst of a slow-motion economic collapse, and poverty and hunger really are growing all around us.

  But for now, those on the high end of the economic spectrum are still living the high life, but it is just a matter of time before they experience severe economic pain too.

  *  *  *

  Michael’s new book entitled “Why” 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
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 15:00

• American Ports Need A Private-Sector Life-Raft
  American Ports Need A Private-Sector Life-Raft

  Via SchiffGold.com,

  The world has watched for decades as U.S. ports have lagged behind their international counterparts. As they have become increasingly plagued by congestion, delays, and rising costs, it becomes increasingly clear that the publicly-owned port authorities are failing to meet the demands of modern global trade. The solution lies in privatization, a much-needed approach that could revitalize our failing ports.

  

  The importance of ports to the U.S. cannot be overstated, as demonstrated by the sheer volume of trade passing through American ports. In 2023, over $2.1 trillion worth of goods, more than 40% of all goods entering or leaving the United States, passed through a port.

  However, despite the importance, American ports continue to lack efficiency. This inefficiency manifests in longer vessel turnaround times, lower crane productivity, poor infrastructure management, and limited use of automation. These issues result in supply chain disruptions and thus increased costs for businesses and consumers.

  The inefficiency of U.S. ports is illustrated by their poor performance in global rankings. According to the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), which measures global port efficiency based on various factors, U.S. ports consistently lag behind other developed countries. This inefficiency is particularly evident when examining specific port rankings. For instance, the Port of Houston, which handled over 293 million tons of cargo in 2022, ranked a dismal 327th in the 2023 CPPI. The Port of Los Angeles, one of the busiest ports in the country, ranked 378th, while the Port of Savannah came in at 398th.

  These low rankings translate into inefficiencies that impact the entire supply chain. U.S. ports experience longer vessel turnaround times and lower crane productivity compared to global competitors, particularly those in East Asia. This inefficiency is further exacerbated by the limited use of automation in U.S. ports. While automation has been widely adopted in ports around the world, U.S. ports have been slow to embrace this technology, resulting in increased costs.

  This inefficiency is due to the inherent flaws of the publicly-owned port authority model. Under the government’s port authority, political considerations often override commercial criteria, leading to poor investment decisions. Insufficient or misplaced investments result in underutilization of existing port assets. Limited competition among ports reduces incentives for efficiency improvements.

  Privatizing port operations can introduce much-needed efficiency and competitiveness. Private operators have stronger incentives to streamline processes. They are more likely to make timely and appropriate investments in port infrastructure and technology. Competition among private companies can lead to more competitive pricing and reduced costs for port users, addressing a key factor in U.S. port inefficiency.

  The benefits of privatization are not merely theoretical. Evidence from successful port privatizations around the world demonstrates the potential for significant improvements. For instance, the privatization of the Port of Brisbane in Australia, completed in 2010 for 2.1 billion AUD, successfully achieved the Queensland Government’s objectives and overcame challenges associated with transitioning a government-owned monopolistic asset to the private sector.

  A study published in the NBER Digest found that when private equity funds acquire airports from governments, key performance metrics improve significantly. While airports and seaports are different, this study suggests that private ownership can lead to improved infrastructure management and operational efficiency in transportation hubs.

  Privatization does not necessarily mean a complete absence of government oversight. Various models of privatization, such as public-private partnerships, can maintain a degree of public involvement while harnessing the efficiency of private sector management.

  In conclusion, the inefficiency of U.S. ports under public ownership is a significant drag on the nation’s economy and competitiveness. By embracing privatization, we can unlock the potential of our ports, bringing them in line with global standards of efficiency and productivity. Simply by creating a more competitive port system that benefits businesses and consumers, we can provide a boost to American economic growth, reduce supply chain bottlenecks, and strengthen our position in the global market.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 14:20

• University Of Iowa To Cut Social Justice Classes As Student Interest Declines
  University Of Iowa To Cut Social Justice Classes As Student Interest Declines

  One day in the near future people will look back on this era as the moment that America snatched common sense back from the jaws of unmitigated insanity.  Get Woke, Go Broke is becoming a cleansing wind as thousands of companies across the US abandon DEI and social justice programs in an effort to avoid total financial collapse.  That said, the last organizations you probably expected to see dumping their woke initiatives are colleges and universities.  After all, these “institutions of higher learning” have been ground zero for the woke mind virus for decades.

  Surprisingly, even universities are now accepting the reality that social justice is a dead ideology walking.  The University of Iowa is following this trend after recently announced that it will be shutting down two social justice related departments and it will eliminate its social justice major as part of an effort to streamline and restructure some humanities offerings.

  

  Under the proposed plan, the college would close the departments of American Studies and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies, as well as the current majors in American Studies and in Social Justice, which have fewer than 60 students combined.  Administrators will centralize their remaining programs into one program, ostensibly due to lack of interest.

  The decision comes as Iowa passes a ban on DEI in public schools.  It is one of six states so far to do so, though it is unclear how much this applies to colleges and social justice related curriculum.  So far, it looks as if the University of Iowa is getting ahead of the coming changes.  Of course, progressive activists and leftist faculty of the school are not happy about this development.

  Numerous colleges have been quickly dropping DEI policies and programs in an effort to avoid public backlash (and lawsuits).  For example, the University of Michigan is rolling back multiple DEI initiatives including the practice of legally precarious “Diversity Statements” for anyone applying for a faculty position. The statements, which require a declaration from potential hires on how they will maintain DEI, are solicited from university employers on a case-by-case basis. (Michigan does not have a university-wide policy, but they do not admonish the practice either.)

  Diversity statements are used when weighing candidates for hiring, promotion or tenure, and represent a declaration of political fealty.  Those who refuse to provide a statement are unlikely to get a job or a promotion.   

  Michigan’s DEI programs have come under scrutiny after a Times investigation found that the university had spent a quarter of a billion dollars since 2016 on DEI efforts, 56% of which went to salaries and benefits for DEI staff. But Black student enrollment, for instance, has hovered near 5% for nearly a decade (it’s currently at 6.1%).

  Michigan’s regents have since publicly stated that they plan to reassess DEI efforts, including budgetary commitment. The eight-person regents board, made up of mostly Democrats, makes decisions on the university’s finances and policies.

  This kind of policy upheaval in academia was thought impossible only a couple years ago.  A landslide of anti-woke sentiment among the wider public has accelerated the shift way from what many consider to be a political refuge for zealots, degenerates and the mentally ill.  Though there is still much work to be done, the woke movement continues to die a well deserved death.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 14:00

• A New Year's Resolution: Let's Get The US Out Of The Censorship Business
  A New Year’s Resolution: Let’s Get The US Out Of The Censorship Business

  Authored by Jonathan Turley,

  On this New Year’s Eve, billions of people will gather with friends to ring in 2025 with the hope of a better year to come.  For the first time in many years, free-speech advocates have a reason to celebrate.

  

  With 2024, we will say goodbye to one of the most reviled offices in the Biden Administration: The Global Engagement Center. I discuss the Center in my recent book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage as one of the most active components in the massive censorship system funded by the Biden Administration.  The demise of the GEC is a good start. However, like weight loss resolutions, it will take much more of a commitment if we are going to restore free speech in the United States.  It is time to make the ultimate resolution to rip out the censorship root and stem from our government.

  This month, the Biden Administration fought to keep the GEC funded, but Republicans refused to include it in the continuing resolution for the budget.  However, even with the closure of this one office, Biden will leave behind the most comprehensive censorship system in the history of the United States.

  Over the last three years, many of us have detailed a comprehensive system of grants to academic and third party organizations to create blacklists or to pressure advertisers to withdraw support for targeted sites. The subjects for censorship ranged from election fraud to social justice to climate change.

  I testified at the first hearing by the special committee investigating the censorship system funded or coordinated by the Biden Administration. It is an unprecedented alliance of corporate, government, and academic groups against free speech in the United States. The Biden Administration established the most anti-free speech record since the Adams Administration.

  House investigations showed the critical role played by government officials in “switchboarding,” or channeling demands for removal or bans in social media.  Officials evaded the limits of the First Amendment by using these groups as surrogates for censorship.

  Even with the elimination of the GEC, other offices remain in various agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in the Department of Homeland Security, which emerged as one of the critical control centers in this system.

  CISA head Jen Easterly declared that her agency’s mandate over critical infrastructure would be extended to include “our cognitive infrastructure.” That includes not just “disinformation” and “misinformation,”
  but combating “malinformation” – described as information “based on fact, but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate.”

  These groups form a censorship consortium where the suppression of speech attracts millions in federal dollars.  Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) was created in association with Stanford University “at the request of DHS/CISA.”

  EIP supplied a “centralized reporting system” to process what were known as “Jira tickets” targeting unacceptable views. It would include not only politicians but commentators and pundits as well as the satirical site The Babylon Bee.

  Stanford’s Virality Project pushed to censor even true facts since “true stories … could fuel hesitancy” over taking the vaccine or other measures. Emails show government officials stressing that they could not be seen as “openly endors[ing]” censorship while other groups sought to minimize public scrutiny of their work.

  For example, one article featured the work of Kate Starbird, director and co-founder of the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public. In one communication, Starbird cautioned against giving examples of disinformation to keep them from being used by critics, adding “since everything is politicized and disinformation inherently political, every example is bait.”

  Likewise, University of Michigan’s James Park is shown pitching that school’s WiseDex First Pitch program, promising that “our misinformation service helps policy makers at platforms who want to . . . push responsibility for difficult judgments to someone outside the company . . . by externalizing the difficult responsibility of censorship.”

  The system has layers of interconnected grants and systems. For example, the EIP worked with the Global Engagement Center that contracted with the Atlantic Council in censorship efforts.

  The censorship system included scoring groups through a grant from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to the British-based Global Disinformation Index (GDI). The index targeted ten conservative and libertarian sites as the most dangerous sources of disinformation, including sites like Reason which publishes conservative legal analysis. Conversely, some of the most liberal sites were ranked as the most trustworthy for advertisers.

  The system is still in place, but on December 23, 2024, the GEC will close its doors. That is something to celebrate but not something to take as great comfort. This is a redundant and overlapping system created precisely to allow for such attrition.

  Year ago, some of us wrote about the creation of the infamous Disinformation Governance Board at Homeland Security under its so-called “Disinformation Nanny,” Nina Jankowicz. When the Biden administration caved to public outcry and disbanded the Board, many celebrated. However, as I previously testified), the Biden Administration never told the public about a far larger censorship effort in other agencies, including an estimated 80 FBI agents secretly targeting citizens and groups for disinformation.

  The system has functioned like a multiheaded hydra where cutting off one head only allows two more to grow back. These censors will not simply walk away and become dentists or bartenders. They have a skill set for censorship and this is now a profitable industry supporting scores of people who now market themselves as “disinformation specialists.”

  Shutting down the GEC will eliminate a $61 million budget and 120 employees. However, these employees will find ample opportunities not just in other agencies but in academia and state agencies. There are also pro-censorship sites like BlueSky, which are becoming safe spaces for liberals who do not want to be “triggered” by opposing views . (Notably, BlueSky hired a former Twitter employee who was fired after Musk cleaned out at what is now X).

  They are not going anywhere unless the Trump Administration and the Congress makes free speech a priority in eliminating each of these funding sources.

  As I wrote in the book, we need to get the United States out of the censorship business by passing a law barring any federal funds for the use of censorship, including grants to academic and NGO groups.

  Rooting out this censorship system will require a comprehensive effort by the new Trump Administration. So here is a resolution that I hope many in the Trump Administration will share: let’s get the United States out of the censorship business in 2025.

  *  *  *

  Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 13:40

• Market Outlook For 2025: Stuck Between An Inflationary Rock And An Economic Hard Place
  Market Outlook For 2025: Stuck Between An Inflationary Rock And An Economic Hard Place

  Submitted by QTR’s Fringe Finance

  It is once again that time of year where I lay out what I believe will be the broader themes in the market for the year to come and identify the names I’ll be watching in particular in the year to come.

  Once again, last year, my stocks to watch finished in the positive on an equal-weighted basis but failed to keep pace with the S&P 500, which is basically now made up of just the Magnificent Seven stocks. My 24 names I was watching for 2024 finished the year up 18.5% on an equal weighed basis versus 25.8% for the S&P 500, as of market close 12/27/2024. You can view these names here. (Disclaimer: I am terrible at math and didn’t double check these numbers at all.)

  The three names I added in August, on an equal weighted basis, outperformed the S&P by 63.3% and were up on average 71% in a few short months.

  The vibe going into 2025 is interesting. For those who have been paying attention, market breadth over the last two weeks has been awful, with decliners outpacing advancers for something like 10 or 11 days in a row. The top 10 S&P 500 names are the only stocks driving the market gains. 

  

  Thanks to our friends at Zero Hedge, we have Morgan Stanley equity strategist Michael Wilson’s take on breadth. He wrote last week:

  One of the key technical factors I’ve used over time to gauge the health of equity markets is the breadth of participation by the underlying stocks.

  Recently, we have fielded many questions from clients about breadth, as many have noted that December has exhibited some of the worst breadth in history while stock indices have remained near all-time highs. This anomaly is unusual, but some have concluded that breadth may not matter as much as in the past as a signal for price.

  In my experience, ignoring breadth is usually a bad idea, and this past week suggests that breadth has anticipated what we learned on Wednesday – i.e., the Fed may not be able to deliver as much accommodation as markets were expecting.

  Ergo, bonds are signaling something is “out of whack” in markets. Zero Hedge again notes that this is “the first time in history when 100bps of rate cuts raised 10Y yields by 100bps” (generally, the two move together directionally, as you can see in the chart).

  

  Meanwhile, in terms of quelling euphoria, fund managers are underweight cash and expectations have never been higher for markets:

  

  To me, this bodes like a rocky year for the market. Heading into 2024, I felt pretty confident about what the geopolitical risks were and what the macro risks were heading into the year. 2025 could surprise some people, in my opinion. I think many people are automatically expecting another 30% upside year for the S&P 500 just because President Trump is in office, and he has guaranteed to deregulate and lower taxes. After all, this is what happened during Trump’s first term as President, up until COVID, so why would anybody expect differently?

  But this year, the Trump tailwind is going to have to face off with several headwinds rooted in reality. The first of those headwinds is that the Fed has not solved the inflation problem—something I laid out and talked about in this article last week. One of my favorite analysts, Charlie Bilello, notes that “US Core CPI has been above 3% for 43 straight month[s], the longest period of elevated inflation in the US since the early 1990s.”

  (Charts from Charlie Bilello on X — a great follow for financial & macro charts).

   

  

  At this point, it still looks like there’s two options: the Fed is going to have to surrender to higher inflation rates or allow an deflationary depression to take place.

  I think a little bit of both will happen. Put simply, I think we’re going to see a significant amount of volatility this year in markets at some point, and then I think Trump will urge the Fed to cut rates rapidly, which they will do, at which point inflation will once again start to move higher, causing the Fed to capitulate to the fact that 2% is no longer going to be the inflation target. This is a series of events I predicted a couple of years ago when the first Fed started hiking during an appearance on Palisades Gold Radio.

  The main risk I see heading into the new year is nothing more than just math. We simply can’t continue to have positive real rates until further notice without there being a larger shock to the financial system at some point. It is true that we have survived this long with rates at high levels when compared to recent rates, but this will not—and cannot—last, in my opinion.

  As you read this heading into 2025, the gears of the economy continue to slow, with unemployment numbers slowly ticking higher, delinquencies in all types of credit still rising, and personal savings getting zapped as Americans continue to borrow to fund discretionary purchases.

   

  

  BLS Unemployment Rate

  There is no doubt in my mind that as long as interest rates stay on this path, we are going to run into a very large iceberg at some point, triggering a change in market psychology that will begin a nationwide deleveraging.

  Sure, there was a lot of talk about a “soft landing” this year, but can it really be considered a soft landing when inflation is still at 2.7%?

  We all thought a soft landing was 2.0% inflation, not 2.7% inflation, with the economy then returning to normal.

  Anything but has happened. The economy is slowing, but inflation is staying persistently high. This is a bona fide prescription to wind up between a monetary policy rock and an economic reality hard place in the upcoming year. Remember, the market is extremely overvalued, in my opinion.

  As I pointed out (for the millionth time) last week, the Buffett Indicator (market cap/GDP) is nearing all time highs.

  The good news for the upcoming year is that I see geopolitical tensions cooling off a little. With Trump at the helm, I believe there will be a rejiggering of diplomacy globally, and that a lot of the geopolitical risk we saw with Joe Biden in office — and that I highlighted as key risk heading into 2024 — will start to cool heading into the new year.

  This may act as a tailwind for the broader market, but I’m generally focused on it as it relates to the same defense stocks I liked for 2024, which I am not as excited about heading into the new year. Between geopolitical tensions cooling and this government supposedly looking for ways to cut spending, I can’t envision defense stocks having as great of a year as they had last year—so you won’t see them on my list this year.

  As I said last week, this market is so overvalued and hyperextended that I would be watching cryptocurrencies as the first canary in the coal mine for a potential pullback. In my opinion, they will lead the way.

  Keeping these macro trends in mind, it wasn’t as easy to find ideas I’d like to watch for the upcoming year. But, as I always do, I gave it my best…(CLICK HERE TO READ ALL 25 NAMES I’M WATCHING FOR 2025).

  

  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. If I’m long I could quickly be short and vice versa. I won’t update my positions. 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
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 13:20

• Ever Decreasing Circles – Why The Worldwide Banking Ponzi-Scheme Must Be Reset
  Ever Decreasing Circles – Why The Worldwide Banking Ponzi-Scheme Must Be Reset

  Submitted by Luke Eastwood,

  Since central banks became a ‘thing’ back in the early 20th century, we have seen a massive decline in the national finances of most countries around the world. Of course, predating this was the formation of the Bank of England and its role in the financing of the British empire, but of more significance to our current situation is the rise of America, the formation of the Federal Reserve, the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) and the World Bank Group (post Bretton Woods Conference) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

  

  One could argue that all of these institutions exist not for the benefit of the world or humanity but to deprive nation states of their income and ownership of their resources, transferring both into the hands of private corporations and their shareholders. So today we are at a point in time where most countries are hideously in debt, many with debts far exceeding the dangerous 100% level of debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio. While Japan has far exceeded this for decades (currently 260%+) and not totally collapsed, it has proven to be a massive drag on any country, with huge amounts of money being wasted on interest payments alone.

  The USA is of course fast catching up with Japan, or at least appears to be trying to, in terms of increasing its debt ratio. By any metric such failures to address ever-increasing debt are destined to lead to an implosion eventually, with a contraction into ever decreasing circles. There is not enough income in the world to pay back all of the money that is owed, so more and more debt is issued to continue paying the ever-increasing interest on the ever-increasing debts.

  This imbecilic mistake is the kind of financial mismanagement that 10-year-olds can comprehend, yet this is a worldwide phenomenon that only a few countries have avoided (Russia being a case in point with approx. 20% debt to GDP). However, this situation has been allowed to occur and persist for decades now. In personal finances the same situation has occurred for most people.

  When I was in a child, in the 1970s, many people did not have a bank account, credit was limited to expensive white goods in some shops and a ‘slate’ with the local grocer, that had to be cleared or at least substantially reduced at the end of the month. The idea of accumulating debt of 3-10 times your annual household income was just not an option for most people. This changed with the arrival of ‘personal banking’ in the 1980s, eventually leading to the current situation, where most families live paycheck to paycheck because they have maxed-out their borrowing with banks and credit card companies – meaning that a massive portion of their incomes is wasted on debt payments and the interest accrued.

  Of course, such situations cannot continue forever, which is why the World Economic Forum (WEF) came up with their heinous Great Reset plan, to deal with the inevitable ‘end of the road’ when the financial ‘can’ cannot be kicked any further and collapse is unavoidable. In fact, one might conclude the WEF plan includes an induced or controlled collapse, in preparation for their neo-feudal and totalitarian Great Reset to be rolled out across a largely unsuspecting world.

  To believe that we can continue as we are indefinitely is pure foolishness and a reset of sorts is both essential and inevitable in an unsustainable situation such as the world’s financial decline. On all 3 levels – national, commercial and personal finance we have a zombie apocalypse in progress already, but one that is hardly recognized. In all three areas, the ‘walking dead’ continue to miraculously function, based on confidence alone I have concluded. However, over-leveraging is already at critical levels and eventually concealing the zombie state of finances will no longer be possible, that time is approaching very soon.

  At this point we are left with few realistic options. 

  To me, at least, the worst option is to accept the WEF Great Reset plan, due for implementation in full by 2030, this is no more than a wholesale theft of private equity and income and enforcement of a world-wide digital prison for the middle and working (or ex-working) classes. Successful implementation of the Great Reset is nothing short of a totalitarian pseudo-Communist dictatorship. This would be a neo-feudal, fascist world government and a total disaster for the bulk of humanity, for however long it survived before an inevitable revolt against the ‘Elites’ who seek to usher it in.

  To do nothing, is an option, but given the attempts by the WEF, if their plan fails then we will still be in a hopeless situation of bankrupt countries, insolvent companies, insolvent/defunct financial institutions and vast numbers of individuals with almost none or no available income, or facing bankruptcy/insolvency.

  While this may be less horrific than the Great Reset, it would be chaotic, destructive and probably horrific as well.

  The only other sensible option I can see is a default/debt cancellation reset. While this would be a catastrophic situation for the BIS, the IMF and the World Bank Group and all their investors who would lose out of their continued income flows, it would be a reprieve for more-or-less everyone else. If one country defaults it can be a disaster for that country, but not always – as was the case for Iceland. If every indebted country defaulted at the same time, then it would bankrupt the BIS, World Bank, IBS and the owners of central banks and the Federal Reserve. However, if the entire system was reset to zero and money re-established based on some basket of assets or resources, then trade and commerce could resume. Resuming a gold-backed currency has been touted greatly, but perhaps currencies based on a wider selection of physical resources might be more relevant for today? An updated asset-backed form of finance might include precious metals, rare-earth elements, energy resources, etc. Once capital is re-established from a position of zero debt, with all previous debt erased, a more sensible model for borrowing and issuance of debt could be established – perhaps with simple instead of compound interest and strict limits on leverage levels and duration?

  The whole current situation only became possible because of an insane desire for outrageous profits instead of substantial profits, which has led to a bizarre form of cannibalism of human society. Eventually when you have eaten everybody else you are forced to eat your own limbs and face your own inevitable death – but the ‘Elites’ who rigged up this whole Ponzi-scheme failed to see that they too would end up victims of their own success in the end. In ancient Babylon the debt problem was solved by debt cancellation on the installation of a new ruler to replace the dead king. This rather drastic measure was rather simplistic but as the timescale was relatively short, it did solve the problem of unsustainable lending and out of control debt obligations.

  What I am suggesting has no-doubt been proposed by others – it is in effect a reset, perhaps a Humane Reset, rather than a Great Reset? It would seek to preserve the wealth, assets and financial viability of nations, commercial organisations and individuals, preventing a massive transfer of assets to a few individuals who own the Ponzi-scheme. In fact, the only real losers would be the owners of the BIS, IMF etc, who would no longer have any income on their balance sheets, only loans that have become defunct. It would be an opportunity to take stock, return to sound financial practices and enable commerce to recommence on a more equal, fair and truly sustainable footing. Surely, in the long-run, a more calibrated and reasonable financial system, with permanent fiscal checks and balances, is the only practical means of enabling human society to function in a beneficial, rather than ultimately self-destructive way?

  We must ‘grasp the nettle’ regarding the impending financial collapse, that cannot be far away. If we do not come up with a viable alternative plan, and very soon, we will be faced with a choice of the Great Reset or an unpredictable and chaotic implosion. Neither of these choices is going to be good for human civilization, so a credible alternative must be formulated while there is still time to implement one!

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 12/31/2024 – 13:00

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