- Green Party Official Tells Germans To Use Washcloths Instead Of Taking Showers
Green Party Official Tells Germans To Use Washcloths Instead Of Taking Showers
Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Summit News,
A top Green Party official has caused controversy by suggesting Germans use washcloths instead of taking showers, as well as buying expensive eco-heating systems that are unaffordable for the average person.
The comments were made by Baden-Württemberg’s Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann in response to the energy crisis, which will be exacerbated this winter as a result of gas shortages caused by the war in Ukraine.
“Even the washcloth is a useful invention,” the Green politician told Südwest-Presse.
Bragging about his own eco-credentials, Kretschmann boasted, “I have an electric car, I have a huge photovoltaic system on the roof.”
The pellet heating system Kretschmann uses in his home costs anything up to €21,000 euros and beyond, a figure completely unrealistic for Germans already struggling to pay their energy bills.
Remix News explained the actual environmental cost of Kretschmann’s so-called solution.
“Wired magazine reports that these devices rely primarily on wood pellets sourced from forests in the southeastern United States. They are then shipped halfway around the world to individuals like Kretschmann despite many scientists arguing that these pellets are just as polluting as coal.”
“Although they come from a renewable resource, forests are cut down across the U.S. to make this resource, and according to Greenpeace, the practice destroys biodiversity and ruins entire ecosystems. Scientists estimate it takes between 44 to over 100 years for these forests to grow back, and for those worried about climate change, they say this destruction of natural forests will cost the planet immeasurably.”
The reaction to Kretschmann’s advice probably wasn’t what the green politician anticipated, with the hashtag #Waschlappen hashtag (German for “washcloth”) trending on Twitter.
Unser Land steht vor einer Energiekrise, die den Wohlstand von Millionen Menschen bedroht! Und wie lautet die Antwort des Grünen-Übervaters #Kretschmann? Nicht jeden Tag duschen: „Auch der #Waschlappen ist eine brauchbare Erfindung“. Was für Leute regieren eigentlich Deutschland?
— Gerhard Papke (@PapkeGerhard) August 19, 2022
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
“Our country faces an energy crisis that threatens the prosperity of millions of people! And what is the answer of the green father Kretschmann? Don’t shower every day: ‘The #Waschlappen is also a useful invention.’ What kind of people actually govern Germany?” asked Gerhard Papke, the president of the German-Hungarian Society.
As we previously highlighted, Germany could be facing blackouts and the collapse of the power grid this winter after citizens began panic buying electric heaters over fears gas supplies could be cut off.
Supplies of firewood and heating stoves are also being exhausted, while cities across Germany are planning to use sports arenas and exhibition halls as ‘warm up spaces’ this winter to help freezing citizens who are unable to afford skyrocketing energy costs.
Germans have also been told to take fewer showers, wear more layers of clothing and avoid washing their clothes and driving their cars as often.
As we reported last week, the interior minister of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Herbert Reul (CDU), outrageously suggested Germans who may be planning to protest against energy blackouts were “enemies of the state” and “extremists” who want to overthrow the government.
Other observers are predicting riots in response to energy shortages that will make anti-lockdown unrest look like a “children’s birthday party.”
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Tyler Durden
Wed, 08/24/2022 – 02:00 - Drought Conditions Now Affecting Two-Thirds Of US
Drought Conditions Now Affecting Two-Thirds Of US
Human remains discovered at the shores of Lake Mead in May, July and August as its water levels are at historic lows are just the latest consequence of a prolonged drought gripping the United States. One of the bodies found was identified as a homicide victim who died around 40 or 50 years ago, spurring speculation that the person could have been a victim of mob crime that still was prevalent in nearby Las Vegas at that time.
As Statista’s Katharina Buchholz notes, since late 2020, the United States has been experiencing unusually hot and dry weather. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, extreme and exceptional drought affects the American West as well as Texas most, but stretches as far as Kansas, Nebraska, Montana and Massachusetts.
The extreme circumstances have spurred demand for water and cooling, leaving reservoirs emptier than usual. With the drought also comes a heightened risk of heat-induced medical emergencies and wildfires.
As of August 16, droughts of different levels of severity affect more than 66 percent of the area of the continental United States. The number has been above the 60-percent mark since October of 2020 with just two short breaks (82 out of 98 weeks).
You will find more infographics at Statista
While it has risen this high before, it rarely stayed there for so long. During the drought of 2018, it exceeded the threshold for only five weeks. Between April 2012 and May 2013, droughts had affected more than 60 percent of the United States’ area for 60 weeks in a row and expanded to around 80 percent momentarily.
While fluctuating temperatures and very hot, very dry or very cold days are a normal phenomenon, these extreme weather events are expected to become more frequent and severe due to climate change. Scientist have connected the reoccuring drought in the Western U.S. to a changing climate, for example citing heatwaves that start earlier in the year and have become longer as well as stronger.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 23:45 - Rep. Crenshaw Defends FBI As Other Republicans Denounce Agency Raid On Trump
Rep. Crenshaw Defends FBI As Other Republicans Denounce Agency Raid On Trump
Authored by Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) said during an Aug. 21 television appearance that Republican criticisms of the FBI following its unprecedented raid of President Donald Trump’s home are “crazy,” and opined that most Republican voters don’t share this attitude.
US Representative Dan Crenshaw questions witnesses during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing about “Worldwide threats to the Homeland” on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 17, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The FBI’s Aug. 8 raid on Trump’s Florida Mar-a-Lago home set off warning bells among many Republican lawmakers, who have characterized the raid as politically motivated and lawless.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who has in the past had a sometimes adversarial attitude toward the former president, was emphatic in his denunciation of the raid.
“I’ve seen enough,” McCarthy wrote in a tweet the night of the raid. “The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization. When Republicans take back the House, we will conduct immediate oversight of this department, follow the facts, and leave no stone unturned. Attorney General Garland, preserve your documents and clear your calendar.”
Other Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), took it a step further.
Just days after the raid, Greene filed articles of impeachment against Attorney General Merrick Garland and has called for the FBI to be defunded.
Republicans across the ideological spectrum have demanded that the FBI and DOJ answer for the raid, but as of yet answers about the reasons for the search have been scant.
During an Aug. 22 appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Crenshaw lashed out against denunciations of the FBI, which he called “crazy.”
“Oh yes, it’s crazy,” Crenshaw said specifically when asked about the rhetoric on the FBI from within his party.
Some Republicans, including Crenshaw, have condemned Greene’s calls to defund the FBI as being equivalent to Democrats’ calls following the 2020 death of George Floyd to defund the police, a cry that has been kept alive among some more progressive Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
“It makes us seem like extremist Democrats, right?” Crenshaw said. “And so Marjorie and AOC can go join the defund the law enforcement club if they want. Ninety-nine percent of Republicans are not on that train.”
On the other hand, Crenshaw did call for more transparency from the DOJ and FBI on the reasons for the raid, which he said was “automatically political” since it involved a search of a former president’s home.
On Aug. 22, Bruce Reinhart ruled against the DOJ’s efforts to keep the entire search warrant affidavit private.
The 13-page ruling found that the DOJ had not successfully proven a compelling state interest in censoring the entire document from public view.
Prior to the Aug. 22 ruling, the federal judiciary signaled openness to releasing a redacted version of the document, but it has as yet not been made public, even following Reinhart’s Aug. 22 ruling. The DOJ, for its part, criticized any effort to release the affidavit over expressed concerns for witness safety.
“The criticisms that we’re leveling against the FBI and DOJ are fully warranted,” Crenshaw said of GOP calls for more transparency. “It is not those criticisms that lead to a crazy person attacking an FBI.”
‘Shameful’: Rep. Greene Hits Back
Following Crenshaw’s Aug. 21 appearance, Greene countered the Texas Republican in an Aug. 22 Twitter thread.
“‘Conservative’ Dan Crenshaw runs to CNN to beg Democrat activists like Jake Tapper to take him seriously,” Greene wrote. “Comparing our great men & women in local law enforcement who put their lives on the line to corrupt deep state FBI operatives like Peter Strozk & Lisa Page is shameful.”
Greene defended her calls to defund the FBI as substantively different from left-wing calls to defund the police.
“Defunding the FBI is defunding the corrupt deep state that is weaponizing our federal agencies against conservatives all across America,” Greene said.
The “Defund the police” movement, Greene said by contrast, “is defunding our community protectors and is creating lawlessness across America.”
Greene continued, “of course everyone is supposed to just trust intelligence operatives like Jim Comey, James Clapper, and Christopher Wray.
“Dan Crenshaw says they are just like the police AOC wants to defund.
“Dan doesn’t see a difference and says neither should you.
“He wants you to see no difference in the FBI & DOJ setting up the Russia collusion hoax wasting $30+ million taxpayer dollars on the Democrat’s communist style political witch hunt and local law enforcement just trying to get drug gangs off the streets and lock up murderers.
“Dan just wants more useless congressional hearings for members of congress to get their 5 minute CSPAN clips instead of actually doing the hard work of gutting our federal agencies of Marxists like Merrick Garland.
“Dan says shame on you for using your first amendment freedom of speech proclaiming your outrage over Merrick Garland sending the FBI to raid Maralago even though Pres Trump and his attorneys were nicely working with them and the FBI had already been there and inspected the very documents they raided for.
“Even [former New York Governor] Andrew Cuomo who killed elderly nursing home patients by locking them up with covid patients cried foul on the FBI violating Pres Trump and his family’s 4th amendment rights.
“But Dan says that’s extreme and anyone who wants to defund the corrupt FBI is just like AOC.
“Try telling that to your voters Dan.
“They might not have a degree from Harvard and hang out with [World Economic Forum Chairman] Klaus Schwab but they have the wisdom to see the very clear difference between the politically corrupt FBI and our good men and women guarding our communities each night.”
In an emailed statement to the Epoch Times, Greene’s office pointed to polling from Rasmussen that “contradicts Crenshaw’s claims about 99 percent.”
According to the results of that poll, only 30 percent of Republicans now view the FBI favorably, down from 38 percent in December;
Among voters not affiliated with either major party, 45 percent have a favorable impression of the FBI and 50 percent view the bureau unfavorably.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 23:25 - Winter Strikes Hamptons Housing Market As Sellers Forced To Slash Prices
Winter Strikes Hamptons Housing Market As Sellers Forced To Slash Prices
We recently pointed out the “housing market peaked and home prices finally drop from record highs,” and home price growth just suffered one of the most significant monthly declines since the 1970s.” Evidence is mounting pandemic boomtown markets are rapidly cooling as a tsunami of price cuts has only just begun.
The wealthy enclave on Long Island, known as the Hamptons, is entering a new market phase as sellers are forced to lower their asking price by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Bloomberg spoke with seller George Giacoia who listed his home for $1.695 million in May. He consulted with three real estate agents about the asking price and quickly found there was no demand:
“I had no response at all,” Giacoia said. “There was not a phone call, nor was there a person that came to any of the open houses.”
Desperate, the 70-year-old retiree was forced to lower the asking price by a whopping $400,000.
“Am I going to be lowering my price any more? No,” he said, who plans to move to Italy in October. He finally received an offer two weeks ago and, after some negotiation, the buyers agreed on the new asking price of $1.299 million. They’re currently finalizing the details of the offer. – Bloomberg
Price cuts in the Hamptons have become a new phenomenon after the pandemic boom: People who could suddenly work remotely flooded the luxury resort town on the southeastern end of New York’s Long Island two years ago. The influx of demand resulted in median home prices surging 88% between the second quarter of 2019 and the same quarter this year.
“Buyers have more negotiating power now than they did six months ago. The fervor that we were experiencing has subsided. The competitiveness for buying homes has waned,” said Drew Green, a broker in the Hamptons for Saunders & Associates.
Housing data from Out East, an online marketplace for Hamptons real estate, shows that the number of listings with reduced asking prices has doubled between April and July, and inventory has increased.
Source: Bloomberg There’s little doubt soaring mortgage rates, plunging stocks and crypto markets, slowing economic growth, and a so-called ‘technical recession’ have been some of the reasons for lackluster demand for homes.
Compass broker Jack Pearson, representing a mansion on 37 Huntington Lane, said price discounts are accelerating, though he said not all sellers are receptive to lowering asks.
“With the economy and with uncertainty in the world there are definitely people who think that prices will go down and they’ll wait,” Pearson said. “But it doesn’t mean that what they are waiting for, if it’s a prime property, it will be reduced by that much.”
Another seller was outraged by the response her $1.895 million home received on the market. Leslie Reese, 65, said her three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Bridgehampton received an offer for $500,000 below list.
“I thought it was a fluke,” Reese said. “I guess they feel you’re in a desperate situation and feel like they can get a bottom price, but I have a budget.”
After two weeks on the market, she lowered the asking price by $250,000. The home on 17 Worchester Court is under contract for $1.5 million in an all-cash offer.
Here are other examples of homes in the Hamptons with price cuts this summer:
60 Harbor Dr., Sag Harbor
April 1 price: $2,995,000
July 28 price: $2,600,000
Reduction: $395,000
107 Stoney Hill Rd., Sag Harbor
April 8 price: $5,295,000
July 31 price: $4,795,000
Reduction: $500,000
16 McGregor Dr., Southampton
June 24 price: $1,995,000
Aug. 1 price: $1,795,000
Reduction: $200,000
17 Worchester Ct., Bridgehampton
July 22 price: $1,895,000
Aug. 6 price: $1,650,000
Reduction: $245,000
46 Cedar St., East Hampton
May 19 price: $4,500,000
Aug. 5 price: $3,950,000
Reduction: $550,000
26 Woodbine Pl., Southampton
May 29 price: $1,695,000
July 31 price: $1,299,000
Reduction: $396,000
320 Noyack Rd., Southampton
May 9 price: $2,695,000
July 27 price: $2,199,900
Reduction: $495,100
6 Joshuas Path, East Hampton
April 8 price: $3,350,000
Aug. 9 price: $2,995,000
Reduction: $355,000
68 Old Trail Rd., Water Mill
July 9 price: $2,495,000
Aug. 4 price: $2,290,000
Reduction: $205,000
16 Delavan St., East Hampton
May 13 price: $1,795,000
Aug. 8 price: $1,695,000
Reduction: $100,000
A seismic shift in the housing market is already underway as sellers in Hamptons missed the window of opportunity earlier this year and during the pandemic to unload their mansions at hefty premiums. Because of interest rate hikes and a downturn in the economy, buyers aren’t showing up, forcing sellers to cut prices. This is how housing markets reverse.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 23:05 - Should Red States Block Federal Agencies From Operating With Impunity? Blue States Do It
Should Red States Block Federal Agencies From Operating With Impunity? Blue States Do It
Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us
The concept of “sanctuary cities” has long been implemented within predominantly leftist states in America. It’s not anything new. Any operations by DHS and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) within blue states to arrest and deport illegal immigrants are often met with aggressive resistance by Democrat run city governments.
Keep in mind that foreign individuals have no right under the constitution to reside in the US without first gaining citizenship. Leftists say they don’t care and are happy to welcome millions of illegals into the country with open arms in direct violation of laws protecting our borders as well as the stability of our economy and society. They do this NOT because they are naively humanitarian; rather, they see it as a means to import a massive voting block that will give leftists whatever they want because they believe they will get citizenship in exchange.
If they didn’t want millions of illegal votes, then Democrats would not be constantly attempting to block voter ID laws.
Obviously, the political left is openly hostile to federal agencies when those agencies happen to obstruct their agenda. Though it’s rare these days for blue states and the feds to be at odds, it does happen. ICE and other agencies might try to find ways around sanctuary status, but there is never any question of “treason” or “insurrection.” Blue state politicians don’t get raided or arrested as national enemies.
I bring up this issue because many readers have asked me to comment on the events at Mar-a-Lago and the FBI search of Donald Trump’s home. From the information I have seen, every president in history has been given access to classified information after they leave the White House, especially if they are planning to run for office again. One can debate the merits of this policy, but it is a policy just the same. Presidents also have sweeping authority to declassify documents and information when they feel it is justified. Meaning, if documents were found in Trump’s possession, it’s completely plausible that he simply declassified them before taking them.
The main leftist position is more about the nuances of how the documents are stored and if Trump followed proper procedures through NARA. While the secondary argument by leftists is basically that Trump is a criminal and should not be allowed the same access as other presidents (though impeachment failed and he has never been criminally charged). Until the information on the raid is unsealed we really have no idea if Trump actually had any dangerous or top secret documents in his possession. It’s all hypothetical at this point and the progressive media is running wild with the story simply because they hate Trump and are hoping against hope that this event will stop him from running for office in 2024, where Biden would be easily crushed.
My personal feeling on the issue is that people are missing the bigger picture. The Mar-a-Lago raid is much like the January 6th trials – It’s all a circus and a distraction. Nothing substantial will come from these events, it’s about optics and influencing public perception. If anything, the raid on Trump’s home makes him look MORE appealing to a large number of Americans who have grown tired of the apparent incompetence and chicanery of the Biden Administration. This event HELPS Trump in the long run instead of hurting him.
The only other possible scenario that makes sense here is that there will be an attempt to arrest Trump on thin charges. Such a move would be seen as purely political in nature and would enrage millions of Americans to the point of civil unrest. But maybe that’s the point…
I have never had much trust in Trump and I was always highly critical of the fact that he loaded his cabinet with known banking elites and globalists after attacking those same people during his election campaign. This article is not meant to defend Trump or admonish him. Frankly, I don’t care.
What I do care about, though, is the increasing tide of federal aggression and the use of federal agencies as a political club to intimidate or beat down opponents of the leftists and globalists. The FBI raid in Florida, is one example. Then there was the FBI seizure of PA congressman Scott Perry’s cell phone, and the Jan. 6th investigations in general are purely about intimidation and not about justice.
The message of the Jan 6th trials is this: Leftists are allowed to violently riot and burn buildings to the ground across the country. Conservatives are not allowed to do anything. If we do, then we will be rounded up for “insurrection.” At least, that’s what they want us to believe so that we self censor and live in fear of ever protesting again. We are at an impasse. There is no compromise to be had and no agreements to be made. They want us gone, and now we want them gone because they want us gone. This is not going to change.
Another growing concern among many Americans is the sudden explosion in agent recruitment at the IRS, with an implied need for agents that are willing to execute raids and violence. The “Inflation Reduction Act” which contains no measures that actually reduce inflation but does contain a climate change agenda, socialized healthcare measures and an extreme boost to the IRS.
The agency is slated to receive an $80 billion boost from the Inflation Reduction Act and the institution is now looking to hire 87,000 more employees. If the mission is to reduce inflation by using the IRS to steal more money from American consumers, then I guess that could work if they rob almost everyone, but it would also cause recessionary carnage and even more public discontent and anger.
Obviously, not all of the 87,000 new IRS agents will be field agents. Finding that many people with training that are also willing to risk their lives for the IRS would be exceedingly difficult. Many of them will be sitting at a desk, but thousands of them will be strapped and tasked with arrests and this is what worries people. The mainstream media claims that these new agents will be targeting “rich tax dodgers” but we all know better. The IRS was used extensively under Obama to put pressure on conservative organizations and individuals that were not “rich,” and there’s no reason to think Biden would not do the same thing.
The IRS even had to apologize for their biased activities against conservative groups as part of a legal settlement in 2017.
They’ve done it before and they’ll do it again, but this time with a massive payout from the Biden White House and probably more leeway to bend the law. So, with federal agencies being utilized even more as political weapons, should conservative states step in and block their operations? Blue states do it, why not red states? This is an apples to apples comparison and absolutely fair. I would say that what blue states are doing with illegal immigrants is highly destructive in comparison. Red states stopping alphabet agencies from using intimidation against conservatives who are legal citizens is far more justified.
This question leads to a whole gamut of conflicts for sure, and there will be endless cries by leftists of “treason.” But who really cares what they think? We realize that there is a double standard and it’s only expanding in the favor of social justice extremists that want to fundamentally disrupt and change the foundations of our country. Why should we play by their rules when they don’t play by any?
Red states should enforce a moratorium on federal agency operations until the threats of political abuse are addressed. It is not possible to reach an understanding with leftists at this time because they operate through a prism of zealotry. They cannot be reasoned with because they believe that everything they are doing is righteous and no violation of individual rights is off the table, so it is better to separate and prevent them from implementing malicious policies within our state borders until the conflict is resolved. Otherwise, a lot of people could get hurt.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 22:45 - "Hangover-Free" Weed-Infused Beverages Becoming All The Rage
“Hangover-Free” Weed-Infused Beverages Becoming All The Rage
As recreational marijuana becomes legal in a growing number of states, cannabis-infused, alcohol-free ‘mocktails’ have emerged as a new, healthier alternative for those who wish to imbibe.
And since liquids are absorbed far more quickly in the stomach than solids (such as pot cookies), these drinks – which include seltzers and alcohol-free wines – have seen a flood of demand.
According to Colorado-based research firm BDSA, dolalr sales of marijuana beverages were up approximately 65% between 2020 and 2021 in the 12 states they track. California – the #1 consumer of weed drinks – saw the number of cannabis beverages available nearly double during the same period, with at least 747 distinct products now available, according to the NY Times.
Pabst, known for its Blue Ribbon beer, now sells lemon-flavored “High Seltzer,” a canned cannabis drink promising “a different kind of buzz.” The cannabis beverage company Cann calls its carbonated cocktails “social tonics”; it also sells “roadies,” cannabis-infused drink mix in ready-to-go foil packets. Rebel Coast, a California-based winemaker, makes cans of alcohol-free sparkling wine infused with 10 milligrams of THC.
Cannabis-infused beverages are often branded as a healthier alternative to alcohol — “No painful days after drinking or regrets,” a tagline on Cann’s site reads. These kinds of drinks carry a connotation of health, said Emily Moquin, a food and beverage analyst at Morning Consult. They tout themselves as “hangover-free” and without the high calories of alcohol; they claim to help you feel “focused,” balanced, relaxed. One cannabis beverage company even suggests pairing their drinks with a spa day.
Previous attempts to infuse THC into beverages were unsuccessful or produced a terrible tasting drink because the cannabinoid is hydrophobic – and doesn’t mix easily. In recent years, however, ‘nanoemulsion’ technology has allowed for cannabinoids to be smoothly blended into a seltzer or cocktail.
According to a July survey, nearly 19% of millennials say they’ve tried a THC-infused beverage – a number which Emily Moquin expects to grow as Marijuana is increasingly marketed as a form of self-care.
“It’s associated with health benefits, things like sleep, anxiety reduction — some things that people might reach for a drink to try to solve,” she said.
Just don’t drink too much
As anyone who’s done edibles knows, it takes some time to kick in. What’s more, standards of potency vary – though most experts consider 5 milligrams of THC to constitute a single dose.
According to Headset, a company that collects and analyzes data on cannabis, more than 50% of cannabis drinks sold in the US in 2021 contained 100 milligrams of THC, an amount that could seriously intoxicate a person.
Most edibles, on the other hand, contain 5 or 10mg doses.
“If you tell someone, this is an 8 percent beer, they say, ‘That’s a strong beer,’” said James MacKillop, director of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research at McMaster University. “If you tell someone this is a 20 milligram drink versus a five milligram drink, that’s Greek to many people.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 22:25 - Kuroda's BOJ Is A Test Case Of Monetary Policy Limit
Kuroda’s BOJ Is A Test Case Of Monetary Policy Limit
By Masaki Kondo, Bloomberg Markets live reporter and analyst
What are the limits of monetary policy? The answer may lie in the Bank of Japan’s experience.
For close to a decade now, a weaker exchange rate has complemented Japan’s loose monetary policy as the central bank sought to revive growth and inflation. The reason? Years of rock-bottom interest rates and an abundance of cheap funds had long lost their impact.
Japan’s real effective exchange rate is at the lowest since at least 1994 and this is probably a deliberate — albeit indirect — policy move on BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s part. But it remains to be seen if it’s enough to rouse Japan’s economy from decades of anemic growth and inflation.
The answer to that question has far-reaching implications. As the risks of a global downturn increases, central banks will have to contend with the issue of how much policy easing can do to stimulate consumption and investment.
In this respect, Japanese stocks may provide a clue as to the effectiveness of BOJ’s monetary policy. The so-called Fed Model shows the Topix index’s earnings yield premium is about 8 percentage points over that of 10-year local government notes. That’s 5 percentage points above the S&P 500’s.
It’s worth noting that the falling yen has also widened Japan’s trade deficit given that exporters had moved their production hubs abroad. Still, a prolonged bout of currency weakness may encourage them to return. Rising US-China tensions as well as the Biden administration’s initiative for a semiconductor alliance that includes Japan, South Korea and Taiwan will provide additional tailwinds.
Should Kuroda prove that a weaker currency is an effective easing tool, Japan’s stocks may further outperform their developed peers.
And if he doesn’t, this may serve as an example to other central banks that monetary policy has its limits.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 22:05 - CCP To Release Top Gun-Esque Aerial-Action Thriller, Featuring Stealth Fighter
CCP To Release Top Gun-Esque Aerial-Action Thriller, Featuring Stealth Fighter
Beijing banned Chinese moviegoers from Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster this summer, “Top Gun: Maverick,” because Tom Cruise’s character (“Maverick”) wore a flight jacket with flag patches of Japan and Taiwan. With Cruise’s flick banned, the next best thing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could do is produce a Top Gun-esque air force film of its own, expected to be released later this year.
CCP’s mouthpiece Global Times said a fifteen-second teaser for the Chinese military film “Born to Fly” has been released, featuring the country’s most advanced stealth fighter, the Chengdu J-20, along with the story of how Chinese scientists, engineers, and military personnel developed the fifth-generation fighter jet.
“The movie presents the struggles of Chinese scientists and engineers as they work to catch up with the times in stealth jet research and advancement after the country experienced a technological blockade under the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM) and Wassenaar Arrangement,” Global Times said.
Global Times added: “The film will present the power and speed of China’s latest fighter jets as well as reveal the work and life of a test pilot, a representative of the contemporary PLA Air Force.”
The war flick comes as China rapidly modernizes its armed forces at an unprecedented pace. Threats of war between the US and China surged earlier this month when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, forcing China to conduct an abrupt military drill around the self-governed island.
Some in the West believe Beijing’s economic and military weight could shift the balance of power in the decade ahead. As we’ve pointed out, the US-led “unipolar world order” is transforming into a new “multipolar world system.”
The superpower showdown appears full steam ahead as China attempts to one-up the West with a pro-war propaganda movie of its own.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 21:45 - Dennis Rodman: I'm Going To Russia "To Help That Girl"
Dennis Rodman: I’m Going To Russia “To Help That Girl”
Authored by Kyle Anzalone & Will Porter via The Libertarian Institute,
In an interview with NBC News, former NBA champion Dennis Rodman says he got “permission” to travel to Russia to seek the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner. Rodman previously used his relationship with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un to help secure the release of Kenneth Bae.
Rodman indicated that he could make the trip as early as this week. He did not say who gave him permission to travel to Russia. Rodman would not technically need authorization from the White House to travel to Russia, but Moscow would need to provide him a visa to enter the country.
Dennis Rodman, via Instagram: @dennisrodman The State Department has advised Americans not to travel to Russia, and Western sanctions on Moscow make visiting a logistical challenge. Rodman appears undeterred by the complicated geopolitical situation, telling NBC, “I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl. I’m trying to go this week.”
The US government has ceased contact with the Kremlin since Putin ordered his army to invade Ukraine in February. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have spoken once in the past six months. Three weeks ago, the top diplomats held a call about a prisoner swap, but Griner remains in Russia.
On Sunday, in an interview with Financial Times, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations said the war in Ukraine will likely drag on because of the US refusal to engage in negotiations. “We do not have any contacts with the western delegations. On the protocol side we do not see each other . . . Privately we do not have any contacts, unfortunately… we simply do not talk to each other,” he said.
While Rodman does not hold any official government credentials, he has netted diplomatic successes in the past. After Christian missionary Kenneth Bae was freed from North Korea, he said, “I thank Dennis Rodman for being a catalyst for my release.”
The NBA star also appeared at the 2018 Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.
Dennis Rodman has made multiple trips to North Korea as a personal friend of Kim Jong Un over the years, via AFP. Putin and Rodman met in Moscow in 2014. Rodman said about the Russian leader, “You know, he’s actually cool. I’m not going to say — I’m not talking about politics. I ain’t about politics … this was my first time meeting him. He just walked in, shook my hand and left with all his people. I just stayed there and had a good time at his restaurant.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 21:25 - Federal Judge Protects The Religious Right Of Marines To Refuse COVID Vaccine
Federal Judge Protects The Religious Right Of Marines To Refuse COVID Vaccine
U.S. District Court of Florida Judge Steven Merryday issued an injunction this week against the Department of Defense and the U.S. Marine Corps, allowing US Marines with religious objections to refuse covid vaccine mandates imposed by the Biden Administration.
Liberty Council, a Christian religious rights law firm, sued Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and pursued class action relief on behalf of all U.S. Marines who were denied religious accommodations from the COVID shots. Some religious objectors refuse the vaccines citing research and development that may have involved aborted fetal cells.
Joe Biden attempted and failed to institute vaccine mandates for US businesses and their employees in 2021, but unfortunately this did not extend to soldiers in the US military. Mandates have been fought in courts to varying degrees by current serving within different branches, but the pressure to comply has been extensive. Many have sought religious exemptions, which have been used successfully with other vaccinations, but such rights have been utterly ignored when it comes to the covid mRNA vax.
Keep in mind, new vaccines on average are tested for at least 10 to 15 YEARS before being released to for use by the US public. There is no significant long term data on covid mRNA vaccines developed by companies like Pfizer beyond small studies run by the same pharmaceutical corporations that stand to make massive profits. Some of these studies were only a few weeks to a few months long. Vaccines with minimal testing are able to be administered to the public under emergency authorization from the government, which is what vax companies used to pump out millions of doses.
Vaccine advocates claim that the covid vaccines are “different” and that companies were able to “compress the timeline for study” because of the billions of dollars involved in Operation Warp Speed. This is a misrepresentation of the facts. There is no other precedence in modern vaccine history for such a swift release. Long term testing is not only about money and meeting efficacy standards, it’s also about monitoring effects that may not be present in testing in short term studies, but could arise unexpectedly over time. This is why no vaccine has ever been approved by the FDA for public use as quickly as the covid vaccines.
Even the mumps vaccine which was fast-tracked by the US government in 1963 took over 4 years to approve and was rolled out in 1967. This was the fastest approval ever by the FDA until the covid vaccines came along and were rolled out within 10 months from testing to distribution.
The potential effects involved with mRNA technology are specifically concerning for this reason, and because they have never been used on the medical market anywhere in the world until the covid pandemic. This is an issue consistently mentioned by one of the inventors of mRNA tech, Robert Malone, along with thousands of other scientists, and he has been consistently demonized for it in the mainstream media.
In fact, there is NO ONE out there today that can say with any certainty what the long term effects of covid vaccines will be, because there are no long term studies to corroborate claims of safety. At least, if there are long term studies (multi-year studies) on the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, they have not been released.
Maybe there will be limited effects, or no effects, or maybe there will be many. Given the minimal average Infection Fatality Rate of covid, which is 0.23% according to dozens of independent peer reviewed studies, millions of people in the US including many in the military have determined that there is no reason for them to gamble on the jab. Why take the chance on a vaccine with no long term data when the threat of death is so low, especially for younger people?
Judge Steven Merryday issued the following injunction against the Department of Defense and the U.S. Marine Corps:
“The defendants are PRELIMINARILY ENJOINED (1) from enforcing against a member of the class any order, requirement, or rule to accept COVID-19 vaccination, (2) from separating or discharging from the Marine Corps a member of the class who declines COVID-19 vaccination, and (3) from retaliating against a member of the class for the member’s asserting statutory rights under RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act).”
According to Liberty Counsel, the class includes:
“All persons on active duty or in the ready reserve (1) who serve under the command of the Marine Corps, (2) who were affirmed by a chaplain as harboring a sincere religious objection, (3) who timely submitted an initial request for a religious accommodation, (4) who were denied the initial request, (5) who timely appealed the denial of the initial request, and (6) who were denied or will be denied after appeal.”
This is a big win for individual liberty in the face of medical authoritarianism, and as the covid hysteria continues to subside perhaps people will finally realize how they allowed their fear to get in the way of reason.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 21:05 - US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Falls To 35-Year Low
US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Falls To 35-Year Low
Authored by Charles Kennedy via OilPrice.com,
The United States’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) now has only 453.1 million barrels in its inventory, following another significant drop in the past week that puts the emergency reserve at a low not seen in three and a half decades, Reuters reports, citing the Department of Energy.
In the week ending August 19th, the SPR saw another draw of 8.1 million barrels, following smaller releases in the weeks leading up to that.
In March, the Biden administration authorized the release of 1 million bpd from the SPR over a period of six months in a bid to lower oil prices and to potentially boost domestic production through contracts with companies to purchase future oil at fixed prices. The SPR releases are a response to the disruption of global oil markets caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions that have led to soaring oil and gas prices.
The final plan called for a total release of 180 million barrels of crude from the SPR to counter the inexorable increase in oil prices amid a tight market.
The record-high release of crude oil from the SPR will end this fall.
In addition to the lowest inventory levels in the SPR since 1985, last Wednesday, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated that crude oil inventories (excluding the SPR) had fallen by 7.1 million barrels.
For that week, U.S. crude oil inventories, excluding those in the SPR, were at only 425 million barrels, or 6% below the five year average.
The largest sale from the SPR was announced on August 11, when the Department of Energy said that nine companies would buy 20 million barrels.
According to the Institute of Energy Research, the SPR is expected to shrink to a 40-year low by the end of October, with inventories then at 358 million barrels, compared to 621 million barrels a year ago.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 20:45 - Seized Russian Superyacht To Be Auctioned, With Proceeds Going To J.P. Morgan
Seized Russian Superyacht To Be Auctioned, With Proceeds Going To J.P. Morgan
Seizing other people’s assets to enrich our massive investment banks…it’s the American way!
A massive luxury superyacht that was seized as part of the Western sanctions on Russia this year is going to be sold at auction to pay off J.P. Morgan, a new report from Bloomberg said this week.
The yacht, formerly owned by sanctioned Russian businessman Dmitry Pumpyansky is going to be sold at auction on Tuesday after Pumpyansky reportedly defaulted on a loan that he was given from J.P. Morgan, the report says.
According to Nigel Hollyer, a broker at auction house Howe Robinson Partners, it’s going to be the first superyacht auctioned since the sanctions took hold, freezing yachts in ports across the world.
The yacht – Axioma – had been seized in Gibraltar in March. It is currently valued at £63 million, though it is expected to fetch less than that at auction.
Meanwhile, J.P. Morgan won a court order in Gibraltar last month that allowed for the sale of the yacht on account of Pumpyansky not paying off a $20.6 million loan that was tied to the ship.
The ship has what every fishing vessel absolutely needs, including a swimming pool and a 3D cinema. The auction has “staggering amount of interest,” Hollyer told Bloomberg. He said there were about 115 inquiries into the yahct and more than two dozen inspections of the vessel.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 20:25 - Is The Yen About To Resume Its Path Lower?
Is The Yen About To Resume Its Path Lower?
Authored by Bruce Wilds via Advancing Time blog,
Much of the recent strength in the yen can be explained in one word and that is China. While I have seen no other currency watchers espouse this theory, I continue to contend the yen has become a major conduit by which wealth is being transferred out of China. This tight relationship can be seen each time trouble surfaces in China’s economy. When this happens the yen rises in value as wealth exits China through business back-channels.
Let’s be frank, most economic watchers think the Chinese economy is in big trouble, this makes it logical many people would want to get their wealth out of the country. This, however, is easier said than done. China has very strict rules related to taking money in and out of the country.
These rules regulate the actions of individuals attempting to move money out of China. We can assume, that most people moving large amounts of money would rather go under the radar and avoid running into problems with the Chinese government.
A few other factors feed into the recent bounce in the yen but do not be surprised if this recent strength rapidly fades.
One factor playing into the bounce is the decline in the yen’s value over the last several months may have been a bit overdone. Another could be related to the fact energy prices have come down reducing the cost of imports needed to fuel the economy. Still, we are again beginning to see the yen slip down towards its lows and should be repaired to see it again slip into new low territory.
Japan’s basic problems still remain.
As stated in an earlier post, higher interest rates are toxic to the highly indebted nation. Also, unfavorable demographics will continue to haunt the small island nation. Simply put, the fundamentals for Japan are lousy. Much of the risk of who gets hurt in the case of a falling yen or a default has shifted from the private sector to the Japanese public since the BOJ has continued splurging on JGBs.
The Japanese Government Is Heavily In Debt
As Japan continues down this path it is only a matter of time before the credibility of the BOJ is lost and the yen plunges. To support their stock market the BOJ has even gone to buying stock. When investors in Japan’s government bonds begin to believe that inflation is about to return it would be logical for owners of Japanese debt to rush out of the low-yielding securities and buy foreign bonds or equities.
Unlike many other leading economies, Japan has been battling deflation or falling prices for the best part of the past two decades. We may have reached the point where reality has now taken hold. This has been a long time coming. When Japan crumbles it will be felt across the world and add to doubts about the whole fiat currency system.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 20:05 - Hyundai To Speed Up EV Construction In U.S. To Take Advantage Of "Inflation Reduction Act" Subsidies
Hyundai To Speed Up EV Construction In U.S. To Take Advantage Of “Inflation Reduction Act” Subsidies
The printed power of great government incentives strikes again…
First, it was Ford and GM raising the prices of their EVs commensurate with the subsidy the new “Inflation Reduction Act” was offering potential buyers.
Now it’s Hyundai Motor, moving quickly to try and finish its EV plant in Georgia this year so it can also have a spot at the
government feeding troughsubsidy table.The automaker is reportedly looking to speed up construction of its forthcoming facilities in Georgia so that it can start production in the second half of 2024, Yonhap and Bloomberg reported this week.
The company was originally slated to begin production in the first half of 2025 and not start construction until January 2023.
But the changes are afoot because the “US’ Inflation Reduction Act. excludes EVs built outside US from tax breaks”, Bloomberg reported this week.
Recall, less than a week ago we noted that Ford was hiking the price of its F-150 by about the exact same amount as would be received by EV subsidies included in the act.
Ford announced last week that it is raising the price of its high end electric F-150 by up to $8,500; an amount that adds another $1,000 onto the new $7,500 EV subsidy that was including in President Biden’s “Inflation Reduction Act”. Base models are seeing their prices hiked by $7,000.
Biden signed his “flagship” act last Tuesday afternoon.
One more time, so we’re clear: a $7,500 taxpayer subsidy included in an act named after reducing inflation appears to have spurred an even larger price hike on electric pickup trucks.
The electric F-150 had previously been listed for $40,000 for its base version. Now, it is priced at $47,000, according to CNN. The better equipped versions of the vehicles have similar price hikes, up to $8,500.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 19:45 - For Democrats And Due Process, It's Now Or Never…
For Democrats And Due Process, It’s Now Or Never…
Authored by Augustus Howard via RealClearPolitics.com,
The FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago represents the logical next step in the left’s ongoing effort to destroy Donald Trump.
The raid also evinces Democrats’ spiral of worry: A successful Trump return, once unthinkable to them, is looking more possible by the day.
To stop it, Democrats and their anti-Trump Republican allies are prepared to shred every last norm of American due process.
Consider the January 6 Committee hearings – a one-sided show trial that, instead of “defending democracy,” in fact subverts due process and undermines American politics and justice alike. Why did Nancy Pelosi throw precedent to the wind, denying the minority party the right to seat its own chosen members on the committee? Why does the committee showcase select witnesses and cherry-picked testimony in carefully choreographed, professionally-produced television specials? And at the same time, why does it bury other testimony, potentially unhelpful to the chosen narrative, far from the cameras?
If Pelosi and the Democrats were confident in their case, they would make it without privilege or prejudice for any particular witness. Republican members, chosen by Republican leadership, would have the right to examine and cross-examine everyone who testifies. Ordinary due process would be observed. But the Democrats are clearly far from confident – about their case, but more importantly still, about their electoral prospects. For them, the January 6 hearings had to be a “no-risk” proposition, a fait accompli in which the “defendants” are presumed guilty with no opportunity to “prove” their innocence. Due process, for Pelosi and crew, was simply a luxury that could not be afforded.
At the same time, and for only the second time in American history, the Justice Department has convicted an individual for not complying with a congressional subpoena: former Trump aide Stephen Bannon, who originally refused to testify before the January 6 Committee, citing executive privilege. Ordinarily, division-of-power understandings counsel against such a prosecution; the Justice Department usually takes the view that Congress must enforce its own will in inherently political matters. This may be why Obama Attorney General Eric Holder was never prosecuted for defying congressional subpoenas over the Fast and Furious operation, wherein his department supplied thousands of firearms to criminals south of the border. But precedent, and the rules for the Obama Administration, simply do not apply to Trump – and they must not, lest he be able to run again for president. So, Bannon was prosecuted and convicted for defying a subpoena, even though he ultimately agreed to testify anyway. And for all that, Democrats still will not televise Bannon’s potentially inconvenient testimony.
And then came the raid in Palm Beach. For the first time in our nation’s history, Americans saw government agents with guns, at the behest of a sitting president’s Justice Department, enter the residence of his predecessor. The agents turned over the former president’s office and rummaged through the former first lady’s wardrobe, all supposedly to seize classified documents from Trump’s administration. Of course, Trump could have declassified any of the documents at issue while president if he chose to do so. But, as Andrew McCarthy argues in the New York Post, this isn’t about classified documents anyway; the raid was likely just a pretext to further the January 6 investigation. Certainly, it was a continuation of the effort to discredit and remove Donald Trump forever.
Expect such actions to continue and worsen. Recent polls show Trump defeating Joe Biden in a rematch.
Biden’s approval numbers remain at historic, embarrassing lows. And Democrats think they will lose control of Congress in the midterms.
With Trump gaining momentum in his own party – he overwhelmingly won a recent CPAC straw poll – Democrats know that the window to stop him is closing. For them and their anti-Trump GOP allies, it’s now or never. Unfortunately, much the same can be said for American due process.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 19:25 - Greta Thunberg Cult Has Gone 'Bust': Sky News
Greta Thunberg Cult Has Gone ‘Bust’: Sky News
Greta Thunberg’s guilt-trip climate shame tour appears to have hit the wall, as green pipe dreams with zero practical solutions meet the realities of, well, reality.
Or, as Sky News Australia’s Andrew Bolt puts it; “A mere child, full of rage, obsessed with doom, totally devoid of any practical solutions – but here she was lecturing the world on how to fuel their 21st century economies.”
Over the past year, Thunberg’s movement – described by Bolt as a “cult” – has fizzled out.
“Thunberg is now a victim of her own success in scaring people into doing very, very stupid things that we’re now paying for.”
Watch:
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 19:05 - 'Mad Max' Is Coming – Bill Holter Warns Of 'Dark Times Ahead, Even For The Prepared'
‘Mad Max’ Is Coming – Bill Holter Warns Of ‘Dark Times Ahead, Even For The Prepared’
Via Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com,
Precious metals expert and financial writer Bill Holter says, “nothing is getting better” and points out the proof is everywhere that we are clearly headed for a financial calamity, the likes of which we have never seen before.
Holter, who is also a precious metals broker, is seeing a big pick-up in business because big money is looking for a place to hide in the physical world. Holter explains,
“We are getting more orders and larger orders. I think this is natural because I think people know something is wrong, and when something is wrong, you want to get defensive. I think people are finally making the connection the world is in the process of bankrupting, and you want your capital in something that cannot bankrupt. By definition, that is gold and silver.”
Holter says evil is trying to take over everywhere.
Holter contends, “The consensus is the fact that we have a 2nd Amendment and we still have guns here is the only reason they have not snapped the trap shut yet. The United States is ‘the last bastion.’ “
“Just look at Australia. Look at New Zealand. Look at Canada. Look at Britain. Can you have guns there? No, they have taken them away. What did they do? They forced the population into lockdown. They forced the population to get the jab. The result is you are going to see the West vastly depopulated and degraded in the next 1, 2 or 5 years. They have total control over their population. Whereas, that is not the case yet in the U.S.”
Holter has long said when the overloaded debt system breaks, it will break “fast and ugly.”
“Credit will dry up overnight,” and “The world runs on credit,” according to Holter.
His math shows a dark time ahead even for the prepared. Holter explains,
“All you have to do is wake up in the morning and read the news, and you know it has gotten worse than the day before. That’s day after day. I have talked about ‘Mad Max’ for several years. When I first started talking about it, I got all kinds of grief, and they called me a nut case. It is certainly looking more and more now as the likely scenario. It just goes back to the West and, including China, it is not in the West, but it too is extremely levered (or indebted). When you over-lever a financial system, you over-lever an economy. At some point, the only thing that can happen is something bad. It’s either default or hyperinflation of the currency to pay the debt back. As far as timing, I would be shocked if we make it through the end of this year and people would still consider the system normal.”
When the system does break, that’s when it turns “ugly.” Holter explains,
“As far as how are things going to work when this thing goes down? My question would be is anything going to work? Will your bank be open? Will your broker be open? Will there be a store open or a restaurant or any place to buy goods? That gets back to Jim Sinclair’s ‘Get out of the System’ (GOTS). Become your own central banker. Stock up on the things you think you are going to need. Is it going to last two weeks or two years? It could last two years. One thing for sure, our life in the United States is going to be drastically changed to a lower standard of living. . . . You are watching the breakdown in real time.”
There is much more in the 41 min interview.
Join Greg Hunter as he goes One-on-One with financial writer and precious metals expert Bill Holter of JSMineset.com for 8.20.22.
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Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 18:45 - Biden Has Released 250,000 Unaccompanied Illegal Immigrant Children Into The US
Biden Has Released 250,000 Unaccompanied Illegal Immigrant Children Into The US
In 2012, Barack Obama’s Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano rolled out the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” program, also known as DACA. Over 800,000 illegal immigrant children (or more) have been blocked from deportation and allowed to remain in the US through the DACA program through 2021.
Donald Trump moved to terminate DACA but the Supreme Court backed immigration advocates in 2020.
In July 2021, a federal judge ruled that first-time DACA applicants were barred from applying to the program. All individuals whose DACA requests were approved prior to July 16, 2021 will continue to have DACA status and all DACA requests that were approved before July 16 will continue to be eligible to renew DACA and DACA work permits.
DACA allowed noncitizens who were then under the age of 31 and had entered America before turning 16 years old and before 2007 to request that the government not deport them. DACA children, also called “DREAMers” for the sake of political optics, were not granted technical citizenship status, but were granted most of the benefits of citizenship anyway, including driver’s licenses, work permits and social security numbers. In many states this kind of documentation also allows them to vote despite living in the US illegally.
Even though DACA has been shut down, Joe Biden has allowed over 257,000 illegal minors into the US to be relocated according to recent data from US Customs and Border Protection. They are not accompanied by parents and are often farmed out to foster or “sponsor” homes across the country. Keep in mind these are official government stats, which tend to under-report illegal immigration activity.
Like Obama, Biden has continued to ignore constitutional law on immigration, which says that only Congress is able to determine immigration levels within any given period of time.
The scheme is rather obvious – Import illegal immigrant children using their age and circumstances as an empathy shield against critics, then keep them in the US so long that it then becomes socially unacceptable to deport them when they are adults. Thus, they receive de facto citizenship without Congress having a say in the matter because “the poor children,” and leftists buy hundreds of thousands of future voters in the process.
These unilateral policies have created an epidemic of illegal migrants, especially young children, along US Border states, along with rampant human trafficking and other highly unsavory criminal activities. Border and refugee agencies have struggled to keep up with the constant arrivals of children, with thousands coming per week setting new records.
Open border advocates claim that many of these children are sent into the US alone because they already have family on the other side. This is nonsense. In order to apply for asylum or refugee status under DACA or any other immigration program, one of the requirements is that the child has no parent or legal guardian living in America.
They also claim that the children are exploited in their home countries and this is why they must stay within the US, but there is no evidence to support the notion that the majority of illegal children are escaping exploitation. What we do know is that if children make these claims they are more likely to receive refugee status and be resettled or get asylum later on. In other words, the incentives to claim abuse and exploitation are numerous. The vast majority of DACA children cross the border with no plan and no one to take care of them, with the chance of kidnapping growing each year. Truly, this must be the act of loving caring parents that want the best for their kids.
American taxpayers shell out AT LEAST $9.4 billion per year to provide care for illegal migrant children including DACA recipients. Some estimates indicate that the Biden Administration is spending over $60 million per week to shelter unaccompanied minors.
And here is perhaps the real reason why parents would send their vulnerable children into the US alone: Free child care, and potential future citizenship which they can then use to bring more family members into the US later. The real exploitation of migrant children is often committed by the parents, it’s not something they are running away from.
The real solution would be to coordinate with the Central and South American governments and send the children straight back to their families. Denial of legal citizenship for the rest of the parents’ lives as punishment might send a message. If there are no incentives, the mass migrations will stop. If these countries will not cooperate, taxes can be raised on imports until they see reason. But Biden will never do this.
There is talk among Democrats of instituting DACA 2.0, in order to ensure that the march of child migrants continues for many years to come and the numerous associated problems only get worse. New measures do not seem to matter though, because Biden is stepping over border laws and encouraging illegal immigration anyway, creating a creeping humanitarian disaster from which there seems to be no escape.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 18:25 - "F**k Wirepoints" Says Chicago Teachers Union When Confronted With Facts From The School District Itself
“F**k Wirepoints” Says Chicago Teachers Union When Confronted With Facts From The School District Itself
Authored by Mark Glennon, founder of Wirepoints.org,
On August 5, Wirepoints’ Matt Rosenberg wrote about empty, failing Chicago Public Schools. The numbers we reported are truly astonishing but they are the school district’s own.
Mike Flannery of FOX 32 Chicago asked the Chicago Teachers Union to join his show to discuss the numbers along with Wirepoints’ Ted Dabrowski.
“F*** Wirepoints,” was the union spokesman’s answer to Flannery. He used the whole word and said his answer was on the record, according to Flannery. The spokesman added nothing more about the numbers and did not join the video segment, which is here at the 8:30 mark, wherein Flannery described the union’s response.
Is the union so confident in its political power that it can respond to legitimate issues in such a manner?
Is that how the union believes Chicago students should be educated to engage in discourse?
Where is the Chicago leadership to address the calamity in its public schools?
Where is the government of the State of Illinois that has full power force reforms but shirks any responsibility?
The numbers we reported almost defy belief. Of CPS’ 478 stand-alone “traditional” schools, one-third of them, 150, are less than half-full, according to the school district. The 20 most empty CPS schools are only 5% to 25% full and most have abysmal educational outcomes, with proficiency percentages in the single digits.
Manley High School has a capacity of 1,296 students but just 64 students are enrolled. There, 2% are proficient in reading and 1% in math. Just 44 students attend Douglas High School that has a capacity of 888 and their reading and math proficiency are both 0%. The list goes on.
CPS has already lost 100,000 students, or 25% of its enrollment, since 2000 and enrollment is projected to decline by tens of thousands more within a few years.
That’s in a school system that spends an astonishing $28,000 per student to cover the district’s operating, capital and debt costs, a spending number which has doubled since 2013, as we reported earlier.
It’s in a system that graduates 84% of its students though only about a quarter can read or do math at grade level.
And it’s in a system that rates the portion of its teachers as “proficient or excellent” at 100%. That’s correct, 100%.
Those numbers are real, as is the omnipotence of the Chicago Teachers Union, but how one of the world’s formerly leading cities could have let it comes to this seems to defy reality.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 08/23/2022 – 18:05
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