Today’s News 24th November 2023

• How Blue States Work Around SCOTUS To Restrict Gun Rights
  How Blue States Work Around SCOTUS To Restrict Gun Rights

  Authored by Michael Clements via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  The Second Amendment debate is academic for many Americans—speculation with friends over what-if scenarios and the concept of God-given rights.

  

  On Oct. 7, those rights hit home for Adam Edelman (not his real name) and others in New York’s Jewish community, who were horrified by the Hamas terror attack on Israel and the massacre of 1,200 people.

  Then, days later, while he was sitting in his small business outside New York City, pro-Palestinian protestors were marching just miles from his office.

  He began recalling his grandparents’, aunts’, and uncles’ accounts of the beginning of the Holocaust. And how he could protect his family in a state that restricts his Second Amendment rights.

  Mr. Edelman spoke with The Epoch Times on condition of anonymity out of concern for his family’s safety.

  “Well, look, the parallels are there. They’re openly screaming ‘Death to Jews,’” Mr. Edelman told The Epoch Times. “If they had a chance, they would eradicate all the Jews. They would do it.”

  Gun rights activists hailed the June 23, 2022, U.S. Supreme Court ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen that citizens have a constitutional right to carry a gun in public for self-defense.

  

  They see the decision as the bookend to the 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, in which the court ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms.

  Since Bruen, 27 states have adopted so-called constitutional carry laws, which allow law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm without a license.

  But not all legislatures celebrated.

  In many blue states, where strict gun laws are the norm, legislatures took the opposite path. California, Oregon, Illinois, Washington, and other states implemented more firearms restrictions or refitted existing laws to the new standard.

  Washington, Illinois, and Delaware joined the seven other states that banned certain types of semi-automatic rifles, so-called assault weapons.

  Other states added prohibitions on where guns could be legally carried, expanding their lists of “sensitive places.”

  The centerpiece of New York’s reaction to Bruen was the Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA), announced on Aug. 31, 2022.

  The CCIA increased the training required for a license, expanded the number of places where concealed carry was prohibited, made in-person interviews and a review of an applicant’s social media accounts mandatory, and reduced the license recertification period from five years to three years.

  The state set up a website to explain the new law.

  

  Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office didn’t respond to an interview request. But in a July 1 speech touting a law mandating background checks for ammunition purchases, Ms. Hochul said New Yorkers’ Second Amendment rights would be protected.

  “We know this has nothing to do with lawful gun owners, nothing to do with them at all. These are people who have been convicted of felonies or other categories of people that should be prohibited from firearms and ammunition,” she said.

  Mr. Edelman said that the restrictions have turned out to have much to do with law-abiding citizens.

  He is a federal firearms license holder, gun dealer, and New York state and NRA firearms instructor. He said that since the Oct. 7 attacks, demands for his firearms license class have increased as the threats from protestors have overridden the political leanings of many in the Jewish community.

  “I live in a very, very liberal area. A lot of those people are coming to me like, ‘What do we need to protect the house?’ These are the people who never thought they would ever need to buy a gun,” Mr. Edelman said.

  

  Being new to firearms and the laws that apply to them, Mr. Edelman’s students are often surprised at the hoops through which they must jump simply to own a gun. The state requirements can appear daunting, and the process can take anywhere from a few months to years to complete.

  As the process plays out, Jewish applicants will be left unarmed as their enemies march, Mr. Edelman said.

  “There are a number of laws that are really precluding law-abiding citizens from first acquiring firearms and exercising their right to defend themselves,” Mr. Edelman said.

  The city of Peekskill is in the hills on the east bank of the Hudson River, about 10 miles south of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and 43 miles north of New York City.

  At 1000 Division Street in Peekskill, The Hat Factory houses a milk distribution company, a yoga studio, and Donahoo Consulting, among other businesses, offices, and art studios.

  Steve Donahoo, owner of Donahoo Consulting, is a retired New York City police officer. He’s a gregarious, outgoing man who jokes that if a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind, then he “must be healthy.”

  

  Like Mr. Edelman, Mr. Donahoo is an NRA-certified instructor and teaches the New York state licensing course. And, like Mr. Edelman, he often has to encourage students to persevere through a licensing process that may seem interminable.

  Mr. Donahoo pointed out that the state-required training is only the first step.

  Each county and New York City has additional requirements. Failure to comply with them can put the entire process on hold.

  He recounted the story of one student whose county required that all application forms downloaded from the internet be printed on both sides of the page. The student printed his forms on one side of each page and was told by county officials he could reapply again in a year.

  “It’s a big commitment to get a pistol license nowadays,” Mr. Donahoo said.

  And it’s a big commitment to keep one.

  Both men said that New York has no stand-your-ground law, or castle doctrine. Licensed gun owners still have a legal duty to retreat, even in their homes. A firearm is considered a means of last resort. Even then, the state often doesn’t recognize an individual’s right to self-defense.

  

  Law Calls For Duty to Retreat

  Mr. Edelman spoke of a case in which one of his students, who was legally carrying his pistol, was arrested and charged with a crime. The man was the president of a co-op board and had been asked to talk with a person who was acting strangely.

  At one point, the co-op board president felt threatened. He drew his licensed firearm and asked the man to leave, which he did. Mr. Edelman said no shots were fired and no one was injured in the nonviolent confrontation.

  The co-op board president was arrested and charged with a crime. Mr. Edelman uses the incident in his class to warn his students.

  “Know that you will be arrested, there will be charges filed against you, it doesn’t matter if you did it in self-defense or not. This is the state we live in,” Mr. Edelman said.

  The owner of a liquor store in North Tonawanda, New York, discovered that New York firearms regulations could cost him his livelihood even when there is no gunplay.

  For Ian Brennan, the issue isn’t about self-defense, though he does support the right to carry. The 30-something business owner has always collected unique or unusual firearms, especially antiques.

  “I’m a really big fan of history and everything like that.” Mr. Brennan told The Epoch Times as he pointed to the 1857 muzzleloader on the wall above the cash register at Yankee Spirits.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 23:30

• New Study Finds That Costlier U.S. Cities Offer Better Middle And Lower Class Living Standards
  New Study Finds That Costlier U.S. Cities Offer Better Middle And Lower Class Living Standards

  As the ole’ expression goes: money talks and bulls**t walks.

  That appears to be the theme of a new study by the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity, which found this week that paying up to live in some of the major cities in the U.S. could offer the best living standards for middle class and lower class households.

  The report, cited in a new Bloomberg article, found that the institute’s analysis, which evaluates the economic welfare of middle- and working-class residents in the 50 largest US metro areas, indicates that the elevated wages in these locations more than compensate for the increased costs.

  The study used criteria like the price of essential goods and services, their inflation over the past 20 years, wages, and general employment indicators. A crucial observation is that top-performing cities usually offer a more balanced variety of jobs across different pay levels.

  

  It also monitors variations in prices of necessities such as housing, food, and childcare, and contrasts these with the median weekly earnings of the entire workforce, encompassing part-time workers and job seekers, who are often omitted from many wage assessments.

  San Jose, California, emerges as the leading city in this respect. San Jose tops 50 metros in disposable income and ranks fourth in spending power growth since 2005.

  Conversely, Seattle lags, with living standards not matching price rises. New York City and other costly metros like Los Angeles rank poorly on the Ludwig scale for middle- and working-class families, partly due to a high proportion of low-paying jobs.

  For instance, Las Vegas and Miami have 63% and 56% of workers in low-wage roles, respectively, compared to the national average of around 35%. Better-performing cities in Ludwig’s ranking, such as Austin and Baltimore, have even lower percentages of low-wage jobs.

  Gene Ludwig, head of the institute, said: “Across the nation we are seeing both ends of the spectrum — communities where middle- and working-class families are faring well and others where financial survival remains a struggle.”

  

  Bloomberg also noted that 60% of Americans struggle to afford basic needs, a situation worsened by the pandemic-induced surge in essential living costs, notably housing.

  A US Senate Joint Economic Committee analysis indicates that, as of October 2023, an average US family requires an additional $11,400 annually to maintain their 2021 living standards. However, in costly metros like San Jose and San Francisco, higher salaries help counterbalance these increased expenses. The Ludwig researchers specifically examined the disposable income of median earners after covering essential monthly costs, the report said.

  Philip Cornell, a member of the research team, added: “A lot of cities are actually negative with that. If you’re a median earner in Los Angeles and you’re just trying to meet your basic needs, you’re falling behind. Whereas in San Jose, the median earner is doing better.”

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 22:45

• Black Friday Shaping Up To Be A Dud For Retailers As Consumer Spending Slows
  Black Friday Shaping Up To Be A Dud For Retailers As Consumer Spending Slows

  By Sam Bourgi of CreditNews,

  With Black Friday just around the corner, retailers are offering larger discounts in advance to lure inflation-weary shoppers back to their stores. According to an Adobe Analytics analysis, retailers got a headstart on Black Friday deals this year, with most online product categories offering extended holiday discounts beginning in October.

  Online apparel prices were down 9% during the month, compared to 2% and 5% discounts in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

  

  Furniture discounts were 5% this October, compared to 2% and 1% in the previous two years. Steeper discounts were also reported for sporting goods, televisions, and appliances.

  Adobe Analytics tracks eight online product categories and said only electronics and toys had fewer discounts than the previous holiday seasons.

  

  Separate data from Jane Hali & Associates, a retail-focused research firm, shows that major brands like Kohl’s and Macy’s have already slashed prices by up to 60% on some products.

  Research from GlobalData backs up these numbers. The analytics firm said 8% of items sold in October were discounted, compared to 7% in 2022 and 3% in 2021.

  In all, the average discount rose to 24%, up from 13% in 2021 and 20% in 2022.

  While it’s not unusual for Black Friday deals to begin earlier than the day after Thanksgiving, retailers are working extra hard this year to push their products out the door because of slower consumer spending.

  Consumer spending weakens ahead of holidays

  Experts warn that consumers are already tapped out and don’t have enough money to splurge this holiday season.

  In the latest quarterly reports, several major retailers, including Walmart and Target, have raised concerns that this season may be slower than usual.

  “Consumers are feeling the weight of multiple economic pressures, and discretionary retail has borne the brunt of this weight,” said Christina Hennington, Target’s chief growth officer.

  “We are more cautious on the consumer than we were 90 days ago at this time,” said Walmart CFO John David Rainey.

  According to the NRF, holiday sales in November and December are forecast to rise between 3% and 4% compared to the same period in 2022, the smallest increase in five years.

  That’s a problem for the retail sector, which derives 19% of its annual revenue from the holiday shopping season.

  

  While holiday shopping data isn’t available yet, there’s evidence that consumer spending is already running dry.

  According to the Commerce Department, U.S. retail sales declined by 0.1% in October. This may not seem like much, but it was the first month of negative growth since March. The report showed only modest sales growth at “nonstore retailers” (e-commerce shops).

  “Despite heavy promotion of e-commerce sales events during October, nonstore retailers’ sales rose just 0.2% after a strong performance in September,” KPMG analysts wrote.

  “Consumer sentiment remains depressed and retailers have to be getting nervous about the all-important holiday period,” said Bankrate analyst Ted Rossman.

  American households feeling the pinch

  Retailers have good reason to feel nervous about the holiday season. Consumer spending is directly tied to household finances, which are currently under the strain of interest rates, ballooning debt levels, and weaker employment prospects.

  Americans collectively owed $1.08 trillion in credit card debt in the third quarter—the highest on record. At the same time, the share of consumers falling behind on their payments is back to pre-Covid levels.

  Households are “trying to keep the house of cards from collapsing,” according to Charlie Wise, a research executive with TransUnion. That’ll be hard to do with average credit card interest rates exceeding 21%, according to Fed data. Several retail credit cards now charge more than 30%.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 22:00

• YouTuber Booted From San Antonio Gun Buyback For Buying Firearms Off People In Line
  YouTuber Booted From San Antonio Gun Buyback For Buying Firearms Off People In Line

  Brandon Herrera, a firearm social media personality with more than 3 million subscribers on YouTube, visited San Antonio’s first-ever gun buyback event last Sunday. He offered a more generous offer for those looking to dispose of their firearms: cash instead of the city’s gift cards to supermarket chain H-E-B. 

  The city offered people $300 for semi-automatic rifles, $200 for handguns, $150 for a rifle or shotgun, and $50 for a malfunctioning or homemade gun. However, the gift cards were limited only to groceries at H-E-B. 

  Herrera published a video on his YouTube page that showed him and friends holding signs that read, “Licensed Gun Dealer … $$$ CASH $$$ … 4 Guns.” 

  

  He purchased a number of pistols, rifles, and shotguns – a sign folks wanted cash instead of gift cards. 

  

  Then Herrera was booted from the property by police for buying the guns that were supposed to be turned into the city. 

  

  And others were doing the same. 

  

  The city handed out $175,000 in gift cards last Sunday. There was no word on how many folks traded guns for cash. 

  Studies have shown gun buybacks are ineffective. Only law-abiding citizens are handing over their guns – not criminals.

  Perhaps Herrera and others have found a new way to purchase cheap guns – show up at gun buybacks hosted by cities and states and offer cash. 

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 21:15

• Iraqi Government 'Vehemently' Condemns US Airstrikes As Violation Of Sovereignty
  Iraqi Government ‘Vehemently’ Condemns US Airstrikes As Violation Of Sovereignty

  Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

  Iraq’s government on Wednesday blasted US airstrikes launched in the country against Shia militias, calling them a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

  “We vehemently condemn the attack on Jurf al-Nasr, executed without the knowledge of Iraqi government agencies,” said Iraqi government spokesman Basem al-Awadi.

  

  “This action is a blatant violation of sovereignty and an attempt to destabilize the security situation,” al-Awadi added.

  The statement came after the US military announced it launched airstrikes early Wednesday against facilities south of Baghdad used by Kataib Hezbollah, a Shia militia that’s aligned with Iran. Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of Shia militias that formed in 2014 to fight ISIS, said eight of its fighters were killed in the US strikes.

  About 24 hours earlier, a US AC-130 Gunship launched airstrikes against individuals the US claims were responsible for a ballistic missile attack on the Ain al-Asad airbase, which hosts US troops. US officials said the AC-130 killed three militants.

  The AC-130 strikes were the first the US launched in Iraq since US troops in Iraq and Syria started coming under attack due to President Biden’s support for Israel’s onslaught in Gaza. According to the Pentagon, US troops have come under attack 66 times in Iraq and Syria since October 17.

  The US previously launched three rounds of airstrikes in eastern Syria. Over the weekend, The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon was aware launching strikes in Iraq could “exacerbate anti-American sentiment” in the country. 

  The US has 2,500 troops in Iraq, a presence many elements in Iraq strongly oppose. The Iraqi government said the airstrikes violated the agreement the US has with Baghdad to keep troops in the country.

  “The recent incident represents a clear violation of the coalition’s mission to combat [ISIS] on Iraqi soil,”” the statement said. The government also condemned the frequent attacks on US troops and said it was the only authority that could punish the perpetrators.

  Aftermath of US strikes on PMF group in Jurf al-Nasr, Iraq. pic.twitter.com/p3TRlAML8f

  — Wladimir van Wilgenburg (@vvanwilgenburg) November 22, 2023

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

  “The Iraqi government is solely dedicated to enforcing the law and holding violators accountable, a prerogative exclusively within its purview. No party or foreign agency has the right to assume this role, as it contradicts Iraqi constitutional sovereignty and international law,” the statement said.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 20:45

• Bezos' Little Helpers
  Bezos’ Little Helpers

  As Amazon is right in the middle of its Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotions, the company’s workers are bracing for what will likely be the most stressful days of the year.

  

  Whether it’s warehouse workers or delivery drivers, every link of the supply chain will be stretched to its limits, as millions of consumers around the world are itching to spend their holiday cash on what are supposedly the best deals of the year.

  Amazon’s fourth quarter sales are typically 30 to 50 percent higher than average sales during non-holiday quarters, putting an enormous strain on the company’s logistics backbone.

  As Statista’s Felix Richter illustrates in the chart below, Amazon hires thousands of seasonal workers every year to help carry the workload across its network of fulfillment/sortation centers and customer service sites.

  

  You will find more infographics at Statista

  Despite laying off a total of 27,000 workers in 2022 and 2023, this year’s holiday hiring spree has been even larger than usual.

  In September, the company announced that it’s bringing in 250,000 workers in full-time, seasonal, and part-time roles across its operations network in the U.S. this year, topping last year’s seasonal hiring by 100,000 little helpers.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 20:15

• Why We're Thankful For The Second Amendment
  Why We’re Thankful For The Second Amendment

  Submitted by Gun Owners of America,

  Our government has changed a lot since 1776, but the spirit of the United States has remained the same.

  American gun culture is rooted in a rich history of firearm ownership that spans back to before the Revolutionary War. Firearms were so crucial to the Founding Fathers that they enshrined them in the Constitution with the Second Amendment.

  And while anti-gun billionaires like Michael Bloomberg have been working to strip the average American of their Second Amendment rights for years, significant victories in the courts like District of Colombia v. Heller and NYSRPA v. Bruen continue to prove the Founding Fathers’ intent that each American has the God-given right to self-defense.

  That right to self-defense includes defense against a tyrannical government. In fact, the Second Amendment protects us from many of the worst threats in this modern era.

  Gun Owners of America’s Ben Sanderson details the three biggest reasons why we’re thankful for the Second Amendment this holiday season.

  For example, compare Covid lockdowns in the United States to a Communist Dictatorship like China. In China, it was commonplace to see videos of citizens dragged out of their homes and their family pets killed over the suspicion that they were sick with Covid. The government would never dare to attempt this in the United States because of our sizeable armed citizenry. And while some states did attempt to shut down and implement restrictions, Americans largely ignored these without consequence.

  Also, during Covidd, first-time gun ownership skyrocketed. 

  

  Many people realized what gun owners have been saying for years: that the Second Amendment is a symbol of self-reliance. Taking the defense of your family and your community into your own hands ensures safety from unforeseen consequences, especially during emergencies.

  Another example is that Americans enjoy peace of mind that foreign militaries will not invade the US as Russia did with Ukraine.

  An invading force to the United States would likely deal with “a rifle behind every blade of grass” due to the armed population. It is unlikely that the United States would ever have to deal with a war on our doorstep thanks to the Second Amendment.

  Lastly, the Second Amendment protects all the other rights from Government overreach. For example, the First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the right to free speech. However, free speech can only be truly protected when individuals are secure in their rights and can express their opinions without fear. 

  The Second Amendment plays a critical role in safeguarding the First Amendment.

  By enabling individuals to protect themselves and their communities, the Second Amendment ensures that dissenting voices are not silenced through intimidation or violence. It provides a balance of power and discourages the abuse of authority.

  Speaking of abuse of authority, gun control is very much a modern phenomenon. While anti-gun billionaires and their friends in the federal government continue to attempt to restrict the rights of Americans, groups like Gun Owners of America stand in opposition to these tyrants. 

  Currently, the Biden Administration and the ATF are attempting to pass a rule that would mandate Universal Registration Checks on every firearms sale nationwide. We’re asking all gun owners to make their voices heard and leave a comment on the rule. You can use our prewritten comment here. 

  This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for the Second Amendment.

  *   *   * 

  We’ll hold the line for you in Washington. We are No Compromise. Join the Fight Now.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 19:45

• NYC Mayor Eric Adams Accused Of Sexual Assault
  NYC Mayor Eric Adams Accused Of Sexual Assault

  New York City Eric Adams has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 1993, according to a filing late Wednesday in the state Supreme Court of Manhattan.

  

  The plaintiff did not reveal specifics about the alleged incident in the three-page filing which also names the NYPD and Guardian Association as defendants, The Messenger reports.

  “Plaintiff was sexually assaulted by Defendant Eric Adams in New York, New York in 1993 while they both worked for the City of New York,” reads the complaint.

  A City Hall spokesperson says that Adams “does not recall” ever meeting his accuser, who waited 30 years to spring this on him – just months after he became a vocal and powerful critic of the Biden administration’s border policies, in what we’re sure is sheer coincidence.

  According to the spokesperson, Adams “would never do anything to physically harm another person and vigorously denies any such claim.””

  NEW — NYC mayor Eric Adams accused of sexual assault in Adult Survivors Act claim filed Wednesday.

  “Plaintiff was sexually assaulted by Defendant Eric Adams in New York, New York in 1993,” the summons filed Wednesday night states —> https://t.co/UVLt1wt3nd

  — Ben Feuerherd (@benfeuerherd) November 23, 2023

  The woman wants at least $5 million in relief, according to the filing, which was made under the Adult Survivors Act that went into effect in Nov. 2022, opening a one-year window for sexual abuse accusers to file suits in state and federal courts for claims that were previously barred by the statue of limitations.

  A number of celebrities, politicians and sports stars have been sued under the law, including in a flurry of last-minute filings filed in recent days ahead of the window expiring.

  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, comedian Bill Cosby, Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr., and rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs have all had last-minute claims filed against them under the law.

  Combs settled his suit, brought by his former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, a day after it was filed. -The Messenger

  Adams, formerly a NYPD captain, was elected mayor of NYC in 2021.

  More recently, the FBI raided the home of his campaign’s top fundraiser in a probe concerning alleged illegal contributions from Turkey. Days later, FBI agents seized the mayor’s cellphones and iPad after approaching him on the street.

  Adams says he has “nothing to hide,” and is cooperating with investigators.

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  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 19:15

• Nearly 75% Of Americans Not Worried About Getting 'Seriously Sick' From COVID-19: KFF Survey
  Nearly 75% Of Americans Not Worried About Getting ‘Seriously Sick’ From COVID-19: KFF Survey

  Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  Three-quarters of Americans are unconcerned about contracting COVID-19 during the upcoming holiday season, while over half have no intention of taking precautions against the infection, according to a recent survey report.

  “With fall and winter holidays coming up, the possibility of a further wave of COVID-19 infections is looming with increased indoor gatherings and time with friends and family. Yet, most of the public is not worried about spreading or catching COVID-19 over the coming months,” said a Nov. 17 report by health policy research organization KFF. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they were “not too worried” or “not at all worried” about any increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for the season.

  

  While 72 percent of respondents were not worried about potentially getting “seriously sick” from COVID-19, 69 percent weren’t concerned about spreading the infection to people close to them.

  Half of all adults in the survey said they were not taking precautions like wearing masks, avoiding large gatherings, or canceling travel plans during the COVID-19 season this fall and winter.

  The report also found that vaccination rates for the updated shots were on the lower side.

  Only one in five surveyed individuals took the updated COVID-19 vaccines introduced about two months back, with 51 percent of respondents saying that they would “probably” or “definitely” not take the shots.

  When asked why people were not keen on getting the latest vaccines, 52 percent of individuals who had earlier been vaccinated said they were not worried about getting infected.

  “Experiences from previous doses may also be keeping people from getting the new vaccine, with about a quarter saying that bad side effects from a previous COVID-19 vaccine dose is a reason why they have not gotten the new vaccine,” the report said.

  Other reasons cited for not getting the shots include being “too busy” or not having enough time, waiting to get it at a later date, not being able to get an appointment, and recommendation by a doctor not to get the vaccine.

  Vaccine Safety Concerns

  Back in 2021, KFF surveys found that concerns about vaccine safety were the “driving reason” why most people didn’t take the jabs during the initial rollout of the vaccination campaign.

  “Even as those concerns dissipated among most of the public, a small share of the public remained steadfast and never received a COVID-19 vaccine,” the report stated.

  “Yet, subsequent booster never reached the same uptake levels as seen in the initial vaccine rollout. And as the country enters its fourth year of COVID-19 concerns, it appears this trend continues.”

  Americans aged 65 and older were found to have a higher proportion of people who have already been vaccinated (34 percent).

  In contrast, individuals in the age group of 18-29 had the highest proportion of people who said they “probably” or “definitely” won’t get vaccinated.

  

  Race-wise, White people were more hesitant to get vaccinated than Hispanics or Blacks. In terms of political affiliation, Republicans were the biggest share of people who were against COVID-19 vaccination, followed by Independents.

  While 66 percent of Republicans cited lower worries about getting infected as the top reason for avoiding the updated vaccine, Democrats pointed to being “too busy” or not having enough time as the major reason.

  Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that vaccination rates of the updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine have been very low. As of Nov. 17, only 5.4 percent of children and 14.8 percent of adults aged 18 and above had taken the shot.

  The CDC is recommending the updated COVID-19 shots for children as young as just six months old, claiming that the vaccines will “protect against serious illness from COVID-19.”

  The agency is recommending three vaccines—Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax.

  Both Pfizer and Moderna are mRNA vaccines that work by giving instructions to cells to make the spike protein found on the surface of the COVID-19 virus. This eventually results in the body creating antibodies to fight off future infections.

  Novavax is a protein subunit vaccine that includes only parts of a virus deemed to best stimulate the immune system.

  Vaccination and Risks

  While the CDC is promoting vaccination among Americans, some studies have raised concerns about the safety of these jabs. A study published in the MDPI journal on Aug. 17 found that spike proteins are “pathogenic,” whether they come from the infection or as a result of vaccinations.

  The lipid nanoparticle carriers for the mRNA and Novavax vaccines have “pathological pro-inflammatory properties,” the authors wrote.

  

  “The clinical implications that follow are that clinicians in all fields of Medicine need to be mindful of the varied possible presentations of COVID-19 vaccine-related illness, both acute and chronic, and the worsening of pre-existing conditions,” the study stated.

  “We also advocate for the suspension of gene-based COVID-19 vaccines and lipid-nanoparticle carrier matrices, and other vaccines based on mRNA or viral-vectorDNA technology.”

  A study published at ScienceDirect on Nov. 10 found that 64.6 percent of vaccinated individuals had at least one post-COVID-19 vaccination syndrome (PCVS) at 12 months after primary vaccination.

  Among individuals who took booster shots, over eight out of ten reported at least one PCVS, which is far higher than the five in ten people from the unvaccinated group who reported a similar syndrome.

  In a Nov. 13 hearing in Washington convened by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Dr. Robert Malone testified that DNA fragments have been detected in the Pfizer vaccine.

  Dr. Malone, who helped invent the mRNA technology, warned that the presence of a DNA sequence called SV40 in the vaccine is a “proven genotoxicity risk.” Genotoxicity refers to the ability of harmful substances to damage the genetic information in cells.

  Meanwhile, a recent poll by Rasmussen Reports found that 24 percent of Americans “believe someone they know died from COVID-19 vaccine side effects.”

  The poll found no difference in political affiliation regarding such claims. While 25 percent of Republican voters admitted to knowing someone who allegedly died from vaccine side effects, this number was at 24 percent among Democrats and unaffiliated voters.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 18:45

• Ranking The Average Black Friday Discounts For Major Retailers
  Ranking The Average Black Friday Discounts For Major Retailers

  Whether one is shopping online or lining up at stores this Black Friday, the sheer plethora of deals can overwhelm even the most hardy shoppers. Knowing the average Black Friday discounts at a glance can help impending shopping decisions.

  Visual Capitalist’s Marcus Lu and Pallavi Rao visualize the average Black Friday discounts of 13 major U.S. retailers for 2023, using data compiled by WalletHub.

  To come up with this ranking, WalletHub analyzed over 3,500 advertised deals from 2023 Black Friday ads from 13 popular U.S. retailers. The average discount was weighted based on the pre-discounted price of the item, which gives more credit to retailers discounting high-price items.

  

  Which U.S. Retailer Has the Best Black Friday Deals?

  JCPenney ranks first with an average Black Friday discount of 59%. This is the fifth time the apparel and jewelry giant has topped the list since 2014.

  For those looking to get engaged soon, their headline deal drops a $6,000 diamond ring to close to $1,600, boosting their discount rank.

  Here’s the full ranking of U.S. retailers average Black Friday discounts.

  

  Note: Data is current up to November 14th, 2023.

  Macy’s is close behind, with an average discount of 58%. Only one other major brand, Belk, has an average discount above 50%, though their appliance-specific deals inch closer to a 60% drop.

  Coming in fourth, Kohl’s average discount for Black Friday is around 49%, but will have the best deals on their jewelry line, averaging 72%.

  Similarly, Newegg whose average markdown will be around 20% will have the best deals on electronics, at around 43%.

  Last on the list, Costco, known for their affordable products, will not be cutting prices much further for Black Friday, coming in at 17%.

  WalletHub notes that this year, many retailers have opted to release several rounds of markdowns throughout the month, changing their Black Friday deals on a weekly basis. As a result this data is current up to November 14th, 2023.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 18:15

• America’s Runaway Debt Scenario: $1,000,000,000,000 In Interest
  America’s Runaway Debt Scenario: $1,000,000,000,000 In Interest

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

  The U.S. federal government has borrowed so much money that, over the past year, it has had to spend one-fifth of all the money it collected just on debt interest—which came to almost $880 billion.

  

  Americans paid some $450 billion less in income taxes for the year, trapping the government in the pincers of a fiscal crunch.

  The country teeters on the brink of a debt spiral that could devolve into a fiscal crisis or hyperinflation, several economists told The Epoch Times.

  “The problem is serious because, any way you cut it, taxpayers are paying interest on the mountain of debt that has been accumulated,” said Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University. “In short, they are paying something for nothing.”

  Congress must dramatically curb deficit spending to instill confidence in investors—who seem to be losing faith in America’s ability to satisfy its obligations, some suggest.

  “Deficit spending by the U.S. government is in a runaway scenario,” said Mark Thornton, a senior fellow at the classical liberal Mises Institute. “The amount of money that they’re borrowing is at extremely elevated levels and there doesn’t seem to be any regulation or even mild attempts to curb the spending side of the fiscal equation.”

  

  Gigantic Debt

  Government debt stood above $33 trillion in fiscal year 2023 (the 12 months that ended on Sept. 30). That’s about $1.7 trillion more than the year before. Interest on the debt has been growing steadily for decades, although at a relatively slow pace to about $570 billion in 2019 from about $350 billion in 1995—an annual increase of some 2 percent.

  With the explosion of government spending during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve, the debt cost has skyrocketed by more than 50 percent between 2019 and 2023. Over the past year, it has already surpassed the entire military budget.

  The cost is expected to keep growing as old debt issued at low interest rates matures and is rolled over into higher rates.

  While the government pays some of the interest to itself, as it holds about 20 percent of the debt in various trusts and funds, interest from that portion of the debt is supposed to pay for future expenses of programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

  “That money is already slated to go out the door. It just hasn’t gone out the door yet,” said E.J. Antoni, an economist and research fellow at conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation.

  “It’s not as if the government has that cash on hand to spend.”

  Even with that income counted in, the Medicare Hospital Insurance and Social Security funds are expected to run out of money in about 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

  

  Who Pays?

  Proponents of large government deficit spending have argued that servicing the debt isn’t much of a worry since the Fed can print the cash necessary to cover the interest or even buy up the debt. The Treasury would then pay the interest on the debt to the Fed, which would then use the money to cover the cost of its operations and send the surplus back to the Treasury. The government would, in effect, pay the interest to itself.

  Indeed, about 20 percent of the government debt is held by the Fed already.

  However, the reality doesn’t necessarily follow this logic.

  “The Federal Reserve doesn’t actually make money anymore,” Mr. Antoni said. “They lose money because so much of the Treasuries that they have on the books right now [were] purchased in 2020 and even early 2021 when rates were near zero, so those assets are earning almost nothing,”

  Anything the Fed does collect on its portfolio, it immediately pays out to banks and money market funds in interest on reserves and reverse repurchase agreements. The point of those operations is to stem inflation—“keeping liquid cash locked in its vaults so that it can’t multiply in the banking system,” he said.

  These operations now cost the central bank some $700 million per day, forcing it into a “huge deficit,” Mr. Antoni said.

  “It’s not sending Treasury a dime.”

  For the same reason, the Fed seems to lack the appetite for more government debt. Over the past year and a half, it has been slowly reducing its debt holdings, siphoning cash out of the market to curb inflation.

  “Any time the Fed buys something, they do it with money that’s being created for that purpose,” he said.

  “The Fed actually doesn’t have an account with any balance. Their checking account literally has zero balance so when they sell an asset, the money that goes into that account is extinguished. When they buy an asset, the money that comes out of that account is just created.”

  If the Fed were to buy more debt, it would increase the money supply, summoning the specter of inflation even as it’s trying to banish it.

  “We would be right back on the inflation treadmill,” Mr. Antoni said.

  Bad Credit?

  If the government wants to borrow without worsening inflation, it needs to find somebody to buy the debt with existing dollars.

  Until recently, that hasn’t been a problem. Despite offering measly interest, U.S. Treasurys served as a safe haven investment—a hedge against risk and an indispensable collateral in complex investment schemes in financial markets.

  “U.S. Treasurys were seen as the safest asset. And increasingly that’s not the case today,” Mr. Antoni said.

  In August, the Fitch rating firm downgraded U.S. debt to AA+ from AAA.

  On Nov. 9, the Treasury had the worst auction of 30-year Treasurys in more than a decade as investors demanded a premium to buy the bond. Demand was down by almost 5 percent from the month before.

  On Nov. 10, Moody’s, another rating firm, lowered the U.S. debt outlook to “negative” from “stable,” arguing that polarization in Congress is likely to thwart fiscal reforms.

  “People are increasingly realizing today [that U.S. Treasurys] aren’t safe at all,” Mr. Antoni said.

  He pointed out that “violent changes” in monetary policy can dramatically affect bond prices.

  Nobody would pay the full price of a bond that pays 2 percent annual interest when the Treasury now offers plenty of bonds that pay 5 percent.

  “If you bought a government bond, for example, in 2020, it’s lost about half of its value, so you just can’t sell it,” Mr. Antoni said. “You’re essentially stuck with that low rate of return.”

  Accounting for inflation, the older bonds are now, in fact, losing their owners money, but at least they return something.

  “That’s still typically better than the losses you would take if you sold it outright,” he said.

  Then, there’s the default risk. Investors are aware that the government will likely one day be unable to pay its debts. So far, that hasn’t been much of an issue, partly because of the “greater fool strategy,” as he put it.

  “’I’m betting that there’s a bigger fool out there who, after I want to sell, is still willing to buy, even though that Doomsday, if you will, is right around the corner,’” he said, summing up the strategy.

  “That may sound silly, but there are plenty of investors and investments that operate on that principle.”

  The cooling of demand for the 30-year bonds may be a sign that investors are gradually losing confidence that such a fool will be available over the long haul. The Treasury seems to be responding by offering more of the shorter maturity bonds, according to Mr. Antoni.

  Yet inflation poses a similar risk to a default, he said, noting that the dollar has lost about 17 percent of its value over the past few years.

  “It’s the same as if the Treasury were to turn around and only pay 83 percent of the bondholders and tell the other 17 percent to go pound sand,” he said.

  All these factors seem to be souring investor confidence in the bonds. And once spoiled, investor trust is hard to restore, according to Mr. Hanke.

  

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 17:45

• Did Biden's ATF Expand Definition Of Suppressor? Potentially Turning Law-Abiding Citizens Into Felons Overnight
  Did Biden’s ATF Expand Definition Of Suppressor? Potentially Turning Law-Abiding Citizens Into Felons Overnight

  A new report from firearms website AmmoLand Shooting Sports News revealed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) sent an open letter to all federal firearm licensees (also commonly known as gun shops) that “solvent traps never existed under federal law and most have always been unregistered silencers.” 

  However, in early 2022, the ATF unofficially considered solvent traps as suppressors (read: here), which allowed law-abiding gun owners who bought these devices and manufactured them into homemade suppressors to file a National Firearms Act “Form 1” with the ATF and pay $200 tax stamp to own them legally. 

  Now, according to AmmoLand’s investigative reporter John Crump, the ATF’s open letter sent to FFLs on Monday indicates these devices that attach to the end of a barrel, used to catch fluids from cleaning firearms, “never existed under federal law and most have always been unregistered silencers.” He said the ATF has begun “rejecting all applications to make a suppressor.” 

  

  “These traps can be purchased from various retailers, notably Chinese websites like Aliexpress and Wish. Many Americans purchased these items to legally convert solvent traps into suppressors, but the ATF claims the term does not exist in its regulations,” Crump said. 

  “‘Solvent traps’ are marketed as devices that attach to firearm barrels to catch excess solvent used when cleaning firearms,” the letter reads. “ATF has not classified any device as a ‘solvent trap,’ because that term does not exist in the relevant Federal statutes or implementing regulations.

  Here’s more from Crump’s reporting:

  One example the ATF gives is if there is an indentation that can be used as a drill guide. The agency states that these index markings have no purpose other than showing users where to drill to convert a solvent trap into a suppressor. This reasoning is similar to the ATF stating that an AR-15 with an index mark for the third hole is considered a machine gun. The ATF says that the solvent trap might still be a silencer even without indexing.

  Other features that the ATF says make a solvent trap a suppressor are baffles, spacers, ported inner sleeve or tube, expansion chamber, end caps, and dampening material. In the eyes of the ATF, any of these could turn a law-abiding citizen into a felon facing ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. This penalty is the same as being caught with an unregistered machine gun.

  “Other such characteristics may include baffles, spacers, ported inner sleeve or tube, expansion chamber, end caps, and dampening material, depending on the particular design of the device,” the ATF says. “While increasing the effectiveness of a firearm silencer, these same objective design features offer no advantages in collecting or filtering cleaning solvent.”

  And then there’s this… The ATF appears to be broadening its definition of “suppressors,” possibly labeling end caps as suppressors. Crump goes into detail about this troubling development:

  The ATF says that end caps by themselves are suppressors, even if an end cap is the only part an end-user has. The ATF clearly believes that a silencer does not have to be complete or functional before the owner crosses the line. Just the mere possession of a single part can send a person to prison if the ATF decides to prosecute.

  The ATF also claims that users with solvent traps can not legally convert them into suppressors even if they complete the proper paperwork. Its reasoning is the originating company already created an unregistered suppressor and didn’t go through the appropriate steps to transfer it. Once those steps are skipped, they can never be made legal in the eyes of the ATF.

  “Over the years, many companies involved in marketing such’ solvent traps’ have asserted that they are permitted to manufacture, transfer, or import these items because they are not yet ‘complete’ and therefore do not qualify as ‘firearm silencers’ under Federal law,” the ATF writes. “However, this assertion is incorrect because a component of a ‘firearm silencer’ need not be fully functional before it is recognized as a ‘part intended only for use’ in assembling or fabricating a ‘firearm silencer.'”

  Many law-abiding Americans purchased these devices to legally convert solvent traps into suppressors by filing Form 1. But now the ATF claims these devices were always unregistered silencers. 

  Crump also explains in the video below how the ATF is broadening its definition of suppressor to include end caps. 

  Yet another move by Biden’s rogue ATF to turn law-abiding Americans into felons overnight. 

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 17:15

• Leo Ryan's Heroism At Jonestown
  Leo Ryan’s Heroism At Jonestown

  Authored by Mark Stricherz via RealClear Wire,

  Forty-five years later, what happened in Guyana, South America, is still shocking. More than 900 members of the Peoples Temple organization, a former San Francisco-based Disciples of Christ congregation that in exile turned into a militant New Left group, died from ingesting or being injected with potassium cyanide-laced poison. Many corpses were found face down and holding hands in and around the pavilion in the farm commune known as Jonestown, an indication they died willingly.

  

  The large number of dead and the bizarre manner of death gave rise to a famous, if technically inaccurate, warning to followers of any stripe: “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.” The Jonestown massacre has come to be seen as a cautionary tale about the perils of blind obedience to a leader. Today, some progressives liken supporters of former President Donald Trump to the doomed Temple members.

  Such warnings never felt quite right to me. Growing up in the Bay Area, I learned a different lesson about Jonestown. My cousin Valerie was a San Francisco public school teacher, and eight or nine of her former students were among those who died in Jonestown. They were not wild-eyed followers of Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones. They were murder victims.

  All told, 304 American infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children, and teenagers died in the massacre, a number larger than U.S. military casualties during the Persian Gulf War. Either their parents or Temple staff members forced them to drink cups of potassium cyanide-laced Flavor-Aid or injected them with the poison.

  An untold number of adults, too, were murdered, according to Dr. Leslie Mootoo, a Guyanese pathologist and the first medical doctor on the scene after the massacre. Mootoo performed toxicology studies or spot checks on 64 corpses in Jonestown on Nov. 20 and Nov. 21, 1978. What he noticed was that more than 50 syringes were present and that some corpses had puncture wounds on their upper arms that appeared to have been caused by a hypodermic needle.

  To be sure, many Temple members committed suicide. What their suicides confirm is that the Jonestown massacre was more complicated than the public and some historians believe.

  Yes, the mass deaths, the largest in U.S. history outside of natural disasters or wartime until the September 11, 2001, attacks, are an object lesson in the perils of being an obedient follower. Yet incredible as it may sound, the Jonestown massacre had another side.

  Twenty-five Americans escaped from Jonestown, and many more nearly did so. Their stories represent a hopeful tale about a political leader.

  I base this conclusion on material that for decades was inaccessible to researchers: 22,000 pages of files compiled by Congress in its investigation into the assassination of Rep. Leo J. Ryan, a California Democrat, and the State Department’s inquiry into Jonestown. The documents and audio tapes, stored at the National Archives of Washington, D.C., offer an unparalleled look at the government’s oversight of Jonestown.

  Congressman Ryan arrived in Jonestown on Friday, Nov. 17, 1978, to investigate charges of abuse and false imprisonment. Five years later, he would receive a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal.

  “It was typical of Leo Ryan’s concern for his constituents that he would investigate personally the rumors of mistreatment in Jonestown that reportedly affected so many from his district,” President Ronald Reagan said in November 1983.

  For more than a year before the massacre, Jonestown residents were, practically speaking, inmates in an open-air prison. Unless they were Jones’ trusted lieutenants or made a hair-raising escape through a tropical rainforest, they were held in bondage. When Temple teenagers Thom Bogue and Brian Davis attempted to escape in late 1977, Jones ordered his security guards to bring the boys back. The teens were tracked down, returned to the compound, and shackled in leg irons.

  Jones ruled like a cruel prison warden, and he could not abide his secret being exposed. By the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 18, 1978, Jones’ weakness was palpable. He was losing the faith of his flock. Fifteen Temple members agreed to leave with Ryan out of Jonestown, and another 11 had escaped through the jungle. “Leave us,” Jones told NBC News’ Don Harris in his final interview. “I just beg you, please leave us. We’ll bother nobody.”

  Jones’ pleas were in vain. People escaped anyway, an act which required not just physical courage, but force of will. “The level of indoctrination we were under was astounding,” Vern Gosney, a former Temple member who left with Ryan, wrote in 2013. “Lack of sleep and decent food, endless meetings with Jones haranguing us, and those goddamn loudspeakers going on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, had taken their toll. My mind was a mass of confusion and conflict.”

  As Ryan liberated the prisoners, 47-year-old Jones expressed despair. “I’m defeated,” he said. “I might as well die.”

  Some historians attribute Jones’ despair and incompetence to a high fever and drug use. This is, at a minimum, simplistic.

  Only 10 days before Ryan arrived, Consul Doug Ellice and Vice-Consul T. Dennis Reece from the American Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana, inspected Jonestown. Jones’ ailments didn’t stop him from pulling the wool over the young diplomats’ eyes. They found no evidence Americans were falsely imprisoned. “[Jonestown] reminded me of a Boy Scout camp,” Ellice told congressional investigators.

  They weren’t the only U.S. government officials who failed the victims. Since the Temple’s mass exodus from California in mid-1977, State Department officials had visited Jonestown an additional four times. The diplomats were so clueless about what was happening at the compound that the embassy issued this statement: “The Consul is convinced on the basis of his personal observations and conversations with Peoples Temple members and Guyanese government officials that it is improbable that anyone is being held against their will in Jonestown … They appear adequately fed and expressed satisfaction with their lives.”

  Leo Ryan’s success in exposing Jones was no accident. The son of two journalists, the 53-year-old congressman had developed a rare expertise in investigating prisons. In all, he had investigated five prisons on three continents. Among those was Tan Hiep in South Vietnam in 1974 and what he called the “national jail” that was East Berlin, Germany, in 1970.

  Ryan knew his way around a prison camp, and his investigation showed as much. Not only did Ryan bring significantly more officials and inspectors to Jonestown than those from the State Department, but Ryan’s traveling party also stayed longer.

  The diplomats’ inspections were much less thorough. No more than two showed up, and they stayed for four to five hours typically. When Ryan arrived on Nov. 17, 1978, he had 16 members in his traveling party, and they stayed in Guyana overnight.

  Ryan’s band of journalists and Temple family members overwhelmed Jones. As one escapee, Dale Parks, reflected in 2017, “When Embassy and State officials showed up in Jonestown, Jones was in control. He showed them what he wanted them to see. Only a few officials were there, and they were easy to lead around. Ryan’s party was different. It was much larger. Jones couldn’t control them.”

  The second reason Ryan is worthy of remembering is because he alone stuck his neck out for Jonestown’s residents and his constituents. A Ryan constituent, Clare Bouquet, had written the State Department, the Guyanese government, and California’s congressional delegation about her adult son Brian, who had moved to Jonestown without telling her. When Bouquet met with Ryan at his office in San Mateo, Calif., in August 1978, she noted that hardly any officials had helped her.  

  Why did Ryan care? Critics say Ryan had ulterior motives. Reagan administration lawyer John G. Roberts Jr., now Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, suggested the congressman was a “publicity hound.”

  This was simplistic. Although he was not camera shy, Ryan’s motivations ran much deeper. For one thing, he knew firsthand the pain of an unexpected family loss. When he was 11 years old, his father was struck by a motorist and died. When he was 42, his secretary in the California Assembly, Miriam Martin, a married mother of three, was bludgeoned to death by a robber inside her family’s home in the Sacramento suburbs. When he was 51, his teenage nephew, Ramsey Devereaux, disappeared mysteriously after joining the Church of Scientology.

  Even so, what Leo Ryan did on Nov. 18, 1978, was incredible.

  No fewer than eight local, state, federal, and international government agencies had investigated Jim Jones since 1971. Those included the State Department, whose embassy in Guyana was less than 150 miles from Jonestown. None held Jones to account for his crimes and misdemeanors. Ryan was based more than 2,000 miles away on Capitol Hill and in the San Francisco Bay Area. Yet he held Jones to account and rescued 25 Americans, directly and indirectly, from the Temple leader’s grip.

  Ryan recognized that investigating Jones could be dangerous; he considered taking a gun to protect himself from robbers. Yet neither he nor anyone else expected Jones to unleash the violence he did. In the end, Ryan, too, was a victim. At a remote dirt airstrip in Port Kaituma, Guyana, he and four others were assassinated by Jones’ hit squad while escorting 14 Americans to safety.

  “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid” is a fair warning to followers. But “Are you willing to put your body on the line to fight injustice?” is a fair question to ask leaders. Imagine if those from the Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts, or major universities had responded as forcefully to complaints of abuse leveled against institutions as Rep. Leo Ryan. The ones who answer yes, like this tragic hero, deserve not only honor but also fanfare.

  Mark Stricherz, a reporter and writer in Washington, D.C., is working on a book about Jonestown. He maintains a weekly blog on nonfiction writing at www.MarkStricherz.com.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 16:45

• What Will Americans Buy On Black Friday?
  What Will Americans Buy On Black Friday?

  Black Friday falls on the fourth Friday of November each year, with Cyber Monday following just three days later.

  The two shopping days are some of the busiest of the year in the United States, with an estimated $19.6 billion raked in over the 2021 Thanksgiving weekend in e-commerce revenue alone.

  U.S. shoppers keen to make the most of discounted prices were asked in a Statista survey which items they were planning on buying.

  As Statista’s Anna Fleck shows in the following chart, clothing, electronics and shoes are among the most popular choices this year.

  

  You will find more infographics at Statista

  In terms of other shopping behaviors, the same survey found that where 41 percent of U.S. respondents said they would be shopping via online stores, 28 percent were undecided and 25 percent planned on heading to brick-and-mortar shops.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 16:15

• Thanksgiving Can Be A Challenging Time for Mental Health. Gratitude Can Help
  Thanksgiving Can Be A Challenging Time for Mental Health. Gratitude Can Help

  Authored by Millicent Rose via RealClear Wire,

  With global tragedies looming, inflation rising, and the state of our collective mental health at a peak of fragility, the importance of kindness and gratitude in procuring our individual and community wellness has never been more critical as we prepare to gather for this Thanksgiving holiday.

  

  Traditionally, research has shown that societal expectations of a joyous and family-filled holiday season paired with individual feelings of emotional difficulty can put a strain on a person’s mental health. During the Thanksgiving holiday many people become overwhelmed with feelings of hopelessness, despair, ruminating thoughts, and loneliness. Collaboratively these feelings during the holidays often contribute to increased reports of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.

  While there are many who can look forward to time with loved ones, there are those who are reminded of lost ones and besotted with grief. While some can luxuriate in plans to see family, there are those whose families are an untethered source of chronic and unprocessed pain. The time surrounding Thanksgiving is further complicated by media news outlets, commercials, and social media timelines that all romanticize the idea of a happy Thanksgiving. However, the gap between holiday expectations and a person’s difficult reality is one that can illuminate a brief but intense period of suffering.

  There are many things that we can all do to buffer against the decline of our mental health this Thanksgiving. But less often discussed is the role of gratitude and kindness as a pathway to improved mental health.

  Derived from the Latin word “gratus,” meaning pleasing or thankful, gratitude is scientifically proven to evoke feelings of joy, bliss, optimism, self-satisfaction, improved mood, and even true happiness. Practicing kindness, on the other hand, fosters mutual benefits for both self and others. Specifically, the theory of Positive Psychology notes that kindness promotes empathy and encourages people to be more altruistic, compassionate, and tolerant, which results in feelings of fulfillment.

  The easiest way to practice gratitude is with a gratitude journal. If you need an official gratitude journal with prompts, they can be purchased online for little cost. Alternatively, if you already have a journal and wish to incorporate gratitude, you can simply respond to these two prompts daily:

  1. List three experiences that happened today for which you are grateful.
  2. List three experiences that happened today that made you laugh or smile.

  For beginners, consider starting this exercise by listing one experience and working your way up to three. If feelings of anxiety and sadness feel like barriers to finding things to be grateful for, consider pulling from the basics of your daily life, like waking up this morning, breathing the fresh air, getting out of the house, the beautiful trees outside, a tasty meal, or a funny video or meme that made you chuckle. Looking back and finding experiences that supported your well-being encourage you to be more grounded in the present as the day unfolds. When you are more grounded in the present it helps to counteract feelings of depression and anxiety that are rooted in worries of the past and fears of the future.

  For those with children, gratitude can also be a family exercise exchanged at dinner time or bedtime and handed down to the next generation as a tool of resilience.

  To incorporate more kindness, remember that the opportunity to be kind to self and others is never absent. Acts of kindness can happen in myriad ways including:

  • Holding the door open for somebody.
  • Saying thank you.
  • Letting someone else go first.
  • Asking someone about their day.
  • Checking on a friend who is struggling.
  • Leaving your mailman a thank-you note for the holidays.
  • Sending a positive message to a loved one to let them know you are thinking of them.
  • Buying flowers for someone who does not expect them and rarely gets them.
  • Smiling or saying hello to someone new.
  • Buying someone’s coffee.
  • Donating to those in need.

  During a mentally challenging holiday period like Thanksgiving, engaging in acts that encompass gratitude and kindness can feel burdensome and out of reach. However, individuals are encouraged to scale their incorporation of gratitude and kindness to acts that are smaller and realistically attainable. Fortunately, the benefits of gratitude and kindness are not contingent on grandiosity; they require only an intention to be kind and grateful in exchange for access to joy and fulfillment.

  In addition to pursuing gratitude and kindness for mental health, individuals can also reach out to members of their support system for company and comfort or read self-help books that give advice on how to navigate grief and despair. Another consideration would be to join a support group for individuals who struggle during the holidays, or to seek the consistent support of a mental health professional.

  Anyone can reap the benefits of “thanks” and “giving” this holiday season, even if their reality is not picturesque. Making room for your mental health during Thanksgiving is possible if you take small, simple steps that harness gratitude and kindness. While these are not cure-alls for the difficulties that a person faces during the holiday season, their benefits are invaluable and could truly enhance the landscape of one’s mental and emotional well-being.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 15:45

• US Warship Downs Several Attack Drones In Red Sea As Hijacked Vessel Standoff Continues
  US Warship Downs Several Attack Drones In Red Sea As Hijacked Vessel Standoff Continues

  On Thursday morning the USS Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, intercepted more attack drones fired from Yemen while patrolling waters in the Red Sea.

  “On the morning (Yemen time) of November 23, the USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen,” CENTCOM announced on X.

  

  “The drones were shot down while the U.S. warship was on patrol in the Red Sea,” the statement continued, noting that there was no damage to the ship or casualties among the crew.

  “The ship and crew sustained no damage or injury,” according to CENTCOM. The wording of the statement suggests the drones may have been targeting the US warship. 

  The Houthis have already on several occasions launched missiles and drones on southern Israel. US warships have intercepted the projectiles at least three times at this point. 

  Both Washington and Israel see that it is Iran ultimately behind Houthi actions. Tehran has also long supplied the Shia Houthis with advanced rockets and drones, part of the broader regional proxy war against the US-Saudi-Gulf axis.

  An Israel-Hamas temporary ceasefire and hostage release is expected to go into effect Friday. It remains unclear the extent to which the Houthis and Lebanese Hezbollah will also abide by the Qatar-brokered ceasefire.

  Tensions have increased in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf areas on fears that Iran-backed groups could escalate attacks on shipping. The Houthis days ago seized an Israeli-linked shipping vessel and are holding the 25 international crew members hostage. This has served to divert some commercial ship traffic: 

  Two commercial ships that diverted their course in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden were connected to the same maritime group whose vessel was seized by Yemen’s Houthis, according to shipping data and British maritime security company Ambrey.

  Israel on Sunday said the Houthis had seized a British-owned, Japanese-operated cargo ship in the southern Red Sea, describing the incident as an “Iranian act of terrorism” with consequences for international maritime security.

  The Houthis have meanwhile issued an awkward video of its militants ‘celebrating’ the taking of the Galaxy Leader vessel…

  Meanwhile on the Galaxy Leader…pic.twitter.com/JWI5IOe2mG

  — War Monitor (@WarMonitors) November 23, 2023

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

  The seized Galaxy Leader is ultimately owned by Ray Car Carriers, which was founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar. With an estimated 2019 net worth of more than $2 billion, he’s among Israel’s 30 wealthiest individuals. 

  The Biden administration is now threatening to formally designate the Houthis a terrorist organization. The White House has also alleged that Iran is complicit in the hijacking of the Galaxy Leader.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 15:15

• Lithium Crash Deepens With Battery Metal Now Down 78% From Peak 
  Lithium Crash Deepens With Battery Metal Now Down 78% From Peak 

  The price of battery-grade lithium carbonate has crashed in the last 12 months. This downward pressure is attributed to oversupplied markets in Asia, primarily because the global adoption rate of electric vehicles has notably slowed amid high interest rates. 

  Since November 2022, the average price of battery-grade lithium carbonate in China plunged from $84,500 per metric ton to $18,630, or about a 78% decline. 

  

  According to forecasts from industry consultancy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the global lithium market won’t rebalance and return to a deficit until 2028. 

  General Motors, Honda, LG Energy Solution, and other auto and battery manufacturers have dialed back EV expansion plans in recent months, mainly because rising interest rates are curbing demand. This has created a global supply glut for the battery metal. 

  BloombergNEF’s Allan Ray Restauro said, “With lithium supply growing more next year, we are likely going to see prices falling further, adding, “On the demand side, some regional differences on EV sales have been dragging sentiment down around the industry.”

  The world’s second-largest lithium producer, Chilean miner SQM, recently blamed the plunge in lithium prices on excess inventory, especially in Asia. 

  Plunging prices come as the ‘green’ energy bubble is melting down, with the world’s largest offshore wind farm developer, Orsted A/S, abandoning US projects, and solar stocks crashing on sliding demand. 

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 14:45

• After Failing 6 Audits, Pentagon Wants $114 Million For Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
  After Failing 6 Audits, Pentagon Wants $114 Million For Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

  Authored by Stephen Kruiser via PJMedia.com,

  Here on the right side of the American political spectrum, we’re used to railing against “the government.”

  I’ve done plenty of it in speeches and in writing over the years.

  Most of the time, I will refer to “the bureaucracy” when I am making a point about how awful the government is. Bureaucracy is, after all, what clogs the arteries of the federal government.

  

  What frustrates those of us who have to function in the real world about the federal bureaucracy is the utter lack of accountability. While the rest of us have to do our jobs well if we want to keep them, federal bureaucrats can be perennial screw-ups and upwardly mobile at the same time. 

  Money is no object when it comes from the taxpayers and the magic Monopoly printing machine that the government keeps for special occasions. 

  A recent classic example of bureaucratic inefficiency can be found at the Pentagon, which has been struggling to show where all of the money it gets is going. 

  The Hill: 

  The Pentagon has failed its annual audit for the sixth year in a row, according to the Defense Department’s chief financial officer. 

  Out of 29 individual sub-audits of the department, only seven passed this year, the same as the year prior, Comptroller Mike McCord told reporters Wednesday. 

  One other received a “qualified” rating — a step down from passing — while three are ongoing and 18 were given failing grades, with no fraud found, he said. 

  What a relief, there was no fraud found. That wasn’t the only thing that wasn’t found, by the way. According to the article, “half of DOD’s assets can’t be accounted for.” I guess that we’re supposed to take comfort in the fact that the only problem is incompetence, not fraudsters. 

  Hot on the heels of this stellar annual failure, the Pentagon has decided to be even more wasteful, frivolous, and ridiculous. 

  Fox News: 

  The Department of Defense (DOD) is requesting approximately $114 million to finance its latest round of diversity initiatives.

  The DOD plans to use the funds for “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) programs in fiscal year 2024.

  “The FY 2024 President’s Budget request demonstrates the DoD’s commitment to DEIA and includes $114.7 million for dedicated diversity and inclusion activities,” the department wrote in its Strategic Management Plan for fiscal year 2022 to 2026.

  Wars are popping up everywhere, China goes bolder by the minute, and our Dept. of Defense wants over a hundred million to blow on DEI insanity. It’s good to know that when China does finally invade, our military will be inclusive and able to properly convey their pronouns to our occupiers. 

  It’s embarrassing enough when private-sector organizations go all-in on DEI; it’s probably a sign of the Republic’s imminent demise that our military wants money that the country doesn’t have to spend on it. There’s also the fact that DEI is rather insidious at its core. As Kevin reminds us near the end of this post, DEI is a leftist vehicle for control. 

  Oh, it’s also riddled with anti-Semitism. 

  Perhaps the DOD should focus on things like being prepared for something more serious than a scolding from the progressives. We were safer when the military brass wasn’t hyper-obsessed with being popular with the campus commies. 

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 14:15

• 'Artificially Stuffed' – Anti-Obesity Drugs Set To Spoil Thanksgiving Bingefest
  ‘Artificially Stuffed’ – Anti-Obesity Drugs Set To Spoil Thanksgiving Bingefest

  America’s anti-obesity craze, fueled by GLP-1-based weight-loss drugs like Novo Nordisk A/S’ Ozempic, originally a diabetes treatment, and Wegovy, along with Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro and the newly approved weight-loss medication Zepbound, suggests that Americans who can afford these drugs at over $1,000 per month might have a reduced appetite this upcoming Thanksgiving.

  

  Bloomberg showed GLP-1 drug prescriptions have erupted by 300% from 2020 to 2022, and this trend appears to be in the very early innings as the pharma-industrial complex is reaping the rewards of ‘making America slim again.’ These drugs send a signal to the brain to reduce food cravings – even tuning out food thoughts – allowing some folks to lose an astonishing 100 pounds in 15 months:

  Thanksgiving this year will look very different for Julissa Alcantar-Martinez and her family.

  The Houston-area realtor has been taking the appetite suppressing medication Mounjaro for one-and-a-half years following fifteen months on Ozempic. She has lost 115 pounds after years of struggles with dieting and diet-related disease. Her son, 17, has lost 65 pounds on Ozempic, and her 21-year-old daughter has lost 50 on it.

  While the family is eating very differently now, they will still celebrate America’s feasting day with the traditional turkey and fixings. As the host, Alcantar-Martinez says she’ll still make the sweet potato and green bean casseroles, but she doesn’t expect to eat much of them and will send the leftovers home with her parents. “Before, I might have kept some,” she said. This year, “I’ll keep the protein.” -Bloomberg.

  What’s clear is that millions of Americans, like Martinez, will be altering their Thanksgiving food intake. 

  A recent Morgan Stanley report titled “Food Meets Pharma: Downsizing Demand: Obesity Medications’ Impact on the Food Ecosystem” revealed that GLP-1-based weight-loss drugs can reduce daily calorie intake by 20-30%. 

  

  Several companies, such as Walmart, Kellanova, makers of Pringles and Cheez-Its, and others, have been concerned about the impact on dietary behaviors due to the weight-loss drugs. 

  Bloomberg spoke with Jamie Centner, a Louisiana middle school teacher who is taking a weight-loss drug, and said her mind is not focused on Thanksgiving. 

  “I don’t think about food as much, things don’t sound as good,” Centner said, adding, “A lot less mental effort goes into tracking down all the best recipes.”

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 11/23/2023 – 13:45

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