Today’s News 28th February 2025

• NATO Is The Big Obstacle To Peace In Ukraine
  NATO Is The Big Obstacle To Peace In Ukraine

  Authored by Jacob Hornberger via The Future of Freedom Foundation,

  During his recent campaign for president, Donald Trump repeatedly stated that he had a secret plan for settling the war in Ukraine. 

  He suggested that he would be able to resolve the conflict within a day of so of taking office. That obviously was political hyperbole because the war is still going on. Trump and people in his administration are now talking to Russian president Vladimir Putin and Russian officials in an effort to find a way to end the war and possibly even normalize relations between the United States and Russia.

  There is one great big obstacle, however, to bringing an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. That obstacle is NATO, the old Cold War dinosaur that should have gone out of existence with the end of the Cold War, just like the Warsaw Pact did.

  

  Instead, NATO not only remained in existence, it also ultimately became the root cause of the war between Ukraine and Russia.

  It’s that critically important point that is lost on the U.S. mainstream media. For them, the war began at the moment that Russia invaded Ukraine. Nothing that preceded that invasion matters to the mainstream media. What came before the invasion is simply considered irrelevant.

  But it’s not irrelevant, especially because it might well prove to be an insurmountable obstacle to a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.

  With the surprise end of the Cold War, the U.S. national-security establishment — i.e., the Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA — lost its big official enemy — Russia (or, to be more exact, the Soviet Union), which meant the end of the big Cold War racket that had kept the national-security branch in high cotton in terms of power and taxpayer-funded largess.

  The Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA were panicky. At first, they announced that they were willing to participate in the “war on drugs.” They then converted their old partner and ally Saddam Hussein into an official enemy, who they used to scare the American people for some 11 years. Then, their interventionist and deadly foreign policy in the Middle East brought about the 9/11 retaliatory strikes and they were off to the races again, with the “war on terrorism” replacing the Cold War’s “war on communism.”

  But they never lost sight of the possibility of reconverting Russia into a renewed official enemy, as part of a new Cold War, especially given that the anti-Russia Cold War sentiment was so deeply embedded within the American people. That’s when they began using NATO to expand eastward toward Russia’s border by absorbing former members of the Warsaw Pact.

  An important thing to note about this was that U.S. officials had promised Russia that NATO would not expand. It would stay, they repeatedly stated, right where it was.

  It was a lie. Instead, NATO was used to expand eastward, which enabled NATO’s missiles, tanks, weapons, troops, and planes to get ever closer to Russia’s border. It’s worth mentioning that NATO includes Germany, the nation that wreaked untold death and destruction on Russia in the two world wars.

  Why would U.S. officials do that? To get their official enemy — and big cash cow — back. They were not ready to let go of Russia as America’s official enemy. And they knew — as an absolute certainty — what Russia’s reaction would be to having U.S. and German missiles, forces, tanks, planes, and armaments getting ever closer to Russia’s borders. They knew that Russia would react negatively — very negatively. And the reason they knew that was because they knew that that is precisely how they would react if Russia began doing the same thing in Cuba.

  Moreover, Russia repeatedly told them what would happen if they threatened to absorb Ukraine into NATO. Russia would invade to prevent that from happening. Thus, not surprisingly, NATO threatened to absorb Ukraine, knowing full-well that that would provoke Russia into invading.

  Thus, when Russia did invade, U.S. and European officials and the U.S. mainstream press cried, “Aggression! Aggression!” And they were right from a legal standpoint. Russia had no legal right to invade Ukraine, and Ukraine had the legal right to join NATO. But what U.S. officials, European officials, and the U.S. mainstream press steadfastly avoided confronting — and still avoid confronting — is that, as a practical matter, U.S. officials had broken their promise to Russia not to expand NATO eastward and that, as a practical matter, that was the reason for the Ukraine-Russia war.

  Why is all that pre-invasion history important insofar as a peace treaty is concerned? Because if one takes the official U.S.-European narrative seriously — that Russia invaded Ukraine because it is an aggressor nation that is hell-bent on conquering the world — then how do they arrive at a satisfactory resolution of the war, given that the real reason that Russia invaded Ukraine was to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO?

  Thus, how does Trump guarantee Russia that Ukraine won’t ever join NATO? Sure, he can give his word. He can even put it into writing. But everyone knows that the U.S. government does not keep its word, and everyone knows that the U.S. government lies. Indeed, everyone knows that the U.S. promised Russia that NATO would not move eastward, and it did anyway.

  Moreover, even if Russia believes Trump and takes him at his word, Trump could die from a heart attack tomorrow. Moreover, four years from now, America will presumably have a new president. What then? What assurance does Russia have that a new president won’t suddenly announce that NATO is absorbing Ukraine.

  Therefore, the best assurance that Russia could be given would be the total dismantling of NATO. 

  With no NATO, there is no threat of NATO’s suddenly absorbing Ukraine. Moreover, no more NATO means no more former Warsaw Pact members as members of NATO. 

  But what are the chances that Trump will bring an end to this Cold War dinosaur? Very slim, unfortunately, which will make it very difficult to arrive at a lasting peace in Ukraine.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 23:25

• How (Un)Free Is The World?
  How (Un)Free Is The World?

  Global freedom declined for the 19th consecutive year in 2024, according to the Global Freedom Index by democratic watchdog organization Freedom House, released Wednesday. 

  As Statista’s Anna Fleck reports, analysts found that 60 countries have experienced a deterioration in their political and civil liberties since 2023, while 34 saw improvements. 

   

  You will find more infographics at Statista

  El Salvador, Haiti, Kuwait and Tunisia saw their scores drop the furthest compared to last year, while Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Syria saw the biggest gains.

  In a major year for elections, violence affected 27 of the 66 countries and territories studied in the report where ballots were held last year, including attacks on candidates. In Mexico and South Africa, such assaults were largely at the hands of criminal groups seeking to gain political influence and control of territory. In countries such as France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, extremism or partisan stances drove attacks on individuals running for office.

  India has seen a decline of 15 points in the past decade. Between 2023 and 2024 it slid three points and was placed in the category of “partly free”. Meanwhile, Indian Kashmir saw an increase of 12 points year on year due largely to its return of elections, lifting it from the “not free” group to the “partly free” group.

  Freedoms and security also continued to be hampered by ongoing armed conflicts. Freedom House notes how civil wars, clashes between states, and fighting that involved non-state armed groups have hit local civilian populations in places around the world and have had a negative ripple effect, including fuelling the spread of illicit trades.

  The Freedom in the World Index is an index compiled annually by the U.S. NGO Freedom House, which evaluates civil and political freedom in states and territories around the world. The methodology is based on the Declaration of Human Rights as proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) in 1948 and is intended to assess the political rights and civil liberties of individuals rather than governments.

  The countries/territories are evaluated by a team of internal and external analysts and expert advisors from a range of academia, think tank and human rights communities, with the final scores being the result of a consensus between the analysts, a panel of outside advisors and Freedom House staff. Depending on the weighted index score for political rights and civil liberties, a country is classified as “free”, “partly free” or “not free”.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 23:00

• The Real Victims Of USAID's Mismanagement
  The Real Victims Of USAID’s Mismanagement

  Authored by Peter Burns & Isaac Six via RealClearPolitics,

  For decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been a pillar of global humanitarian assistance, channeling billions of dollars into development projects worldwide. But behind its noble mission of alleviating suffering and fostering stability lies a deeply flawed system – one riddled with pet political programs, excessive overhead, and a rejection of meaningful oversight. Now, as USAID faces drastic budget cuts and program suspensions, the consequences of these longstanding failures are being felt not just by contractors and implementers but by the very people the agency was meant to serve.

  

  While some may view these reductions as an unfortunate casualty of shifting political priorities, they are, in many ways, the predictable outcome of an institution that has operated with a sense of entitlement for far too long. USAID’s unchecked hubris, its tendency to fund projects of questionable value, and its failure to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent advancing their interest have all contributed to the current crisis. If the United States is to maintain its leadership in international development, a fundamental reckoning with USAID’s practices is long overdue. 

  A System Transformed To Serve Itself

  Despite its important mission and the efforts of well-intentioned staff, USAID had become notorious for inefficiencies and bloated bureaucracies. A significant portion of its $58.4 billion budget never reached those in need, instead getting caught in a web of administrative costs and layers of subcontractors.

  Take, for example, Chemonics International, one of USAID’s largest implementing partners. While its contracts are often worth billions, much of that money never reaches the ground. Instead, it is eaten up by overhead costs and an expansive bureaucracy that has grown wealthy off U.S. foreign aid. For example, when the first Trump administration announced hundreds of millions in aid money to help rebuild religious minority communities devastated by ISIS genocide, hopes were high, but between Chemonics and years of USAID bureaucratic entanglement, little of the money was ever seen or felt by the communities for which it was meant. 

  At the heart of this problem is the way USAID structures its funding. Rather than directly administering aid, the agency too often relied on large implementing partners that, in turn, subcontracted work to other organizations. Each layer takes its share of the funding, leaving only a fraction of the original budget for actual aid delivery. This model has created an ecosystem in which a handful of firms secure massive contracts while local organizations – often better positioned to execute aid programs effectively – are historically sidelined.

  Worse yet, USAID has a history of funding projects that, at best, have limited impact and, at worst, appear to be completely partisan nonsense. Taxpayer dollars have gone to fund a transgender-themed opera in Columbia, a DEI-themed musical event in Ireland, and an LGBTQ+ promoting comic book in Peru. In an era of growing global crisis, such spending choices raise serious questions about the agency’s priorities and how grant awards are being vetted. The plethora of absurd programs suggests more than a simple oversight within a massive bureaucracy. 

  Wealthy Contractors, Struggling Recipients

  For those who have worked within USAID’s ecosystem, the disconnect between the agency’s stated mission and its actual operations is glaring. Many of its largest contractors have thrived financially even as the populations they were meant to assist saw limited benefit. A handful of development firms have built entire business ecosystems off USAID funding, securing contract after contract while delivering lackluster results.

  Meanwhile, the human cost of these inefficiencies cannot be overstated. As USAID-funded programs are halted or downsized, jobs are being lost – not just in Washington, D.C., but across the developing world. Local employees who relied on USAID-funded jobs to support their families now find themselves without work, caught in the fallout of an aid system that prioritized contract value over sustainable impact. 

  The Path Forward

  The current funding review comes at a pivotal moment. Recognizing the risks of an abrupt pullback, the administration has granted a waiver for existing life-saving humanitarian assistance programs, allowing them to continue while broader budgetary decisions are made. 

  For U.S. international aid to regain the American people’s trust and truly advance U.S. national interest abroad, systemic changes must be made. [ZH: or just let it die] The process needs greater oversight in allocating funds and a renewed focus on delivering aid efficiently. This means reducing the reliance on massive contracts that siphon money away from recipients and instead empowering local organizations that can execute projects. On the ground, U.S. expertise and local faith communities that have existing trust and accountability can be used to balance the challenges of moving away from large international aid implementors. The idea of bringing foreign assistance back into the Department of State makes a lot of sense and reflects the structure many governments are moving toward, such as the UK’s restructuring in 2020. 

  There is no question that foreign aid remains a critical tool of U.S. diplomacy and global leadership. Reforms of this nature are painful and disruptive, much like a first trip back to the gym after the holidays, but the results can be worth the burn. This moment of reckoning presents an opportunity to rebuild a system that truly works – one that prioritizes U.S. interest, effectiveness, and the people it was meant to help. Anything less would be a disservice to American taxpayers and the millions who rely on U.S. aid for survival.

  Peter Burns is executive director of the International Religious Freedom Summit and previously served at the U.S. Department of State. 

  Isaac Six is the co-founder and CEO of The Six Group, an organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom around the world, and has worked for nearly 14 years in Washington, D.C., on international religious freedom issues.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 22:35

• These Are The Highest Paid World Leaders
  These Are The Highest Paid World Leaders

  A study by Slot.Day ranked the ten highest-paid world leaders, comparing their salaries against their respective nations’ GDP per capita to standardize comparisons across economies.

  Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong tops the list as the world’s highest-paid leader, earning $1.6 million annually—nearly 1.5 times the country’s GDP per capita of $84.7K, according to Slot.Day.

  Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, ranks second with a $695K salary, more than 1.1 times Hong Kong’s GDP per capita but less than half of Wong’s earnings. Switzerland’s President, Viola Amherd, follows in third place, earning $572K, which is less than half of the country’s GDP per capita of $99.9K.

  Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ranks fourth with a $413K salary, equating to 53% of the nation’s GDP per capita. U.S. President Donald Trump takes the fifth spot with a $400K salary—only 40% of the U.S. GDP per capita of $81.6K, the lowest ratio among the top 10.

  

  The study by Slot.Day study revealed that in sixth place, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earns $364K, about 50% of the EU’s GDP per capita. Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer ranks seventh with a $317K salary, or 47% of Austria’s GDP per capita.

  New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ranks eighth, earning $311K, or 53% of the country’s GDP per capita—the same ratio as his Australian counterpart. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ninth with a $301.4K salary, reflecting a salary-to-GDP ratio of 47.06%.

  Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz rounds out the top ten with a $293.7K salary, maintaining the European norm at 46% of GDP per capita.

  A spokesperson for Slot.Day said: “The vast differences in world leader salaries show how nations prioritize executive compensation in relation to economic output. While some leaders earn well above their country’s GDP per capita, others operate within stricter public service norms.”

  They continued: “The uniformity of European salary ratios around 47% suggests a structured approach to governance pay, contrasting sharply with regions where leadership compensation far exceeds national averages. These disparities reflect broader political philosophies—whether leadership is seen as a high-value executive role or a duty bound by fiscal restraint.”

  The entire dataset from the report can be found here. 

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 22:10

• Bidenflation & His Media Whores
  Bidenflation & His Media Whores

  Submitted by Jim Bovard

  High inflation spurred Donald Trump’s defeat of Kamala Harris last November. The economy was the top issue for most voters, and inflation was the top economic issue. As Biden’s partner in economic crime, Harris could not escape the blame for the torpedoing of the dollar’s value in recent years.

  Inflation occurs when the government prints excessive currency, resulting in more money chasing the same amount of goods and services. Nobel Laureate economist Friedrich Hayek wrote, “Inflation is never an unavoidable natural disaster; it is always the result of the weakness or ignorance of those in charge of monetary policy.” As economist Per Bylund observed, “Inflation is money losing its purchasing power.” Government is the premier profiteer of inflation, providing politicians with “free” money to spend while systematically defaulting on any debts government promised to pay.

  Biden inflation lies begin

  In July 2021, Biden declared, “There’s nobody suggesting there’s unchecked inflation on the way — no serious economist.” Actually,  there were plenty of dire warnings. In December 2021, Biden scoffed at inflation as a “bump in the road.” But that “bump” became a hole in the gas tank for tens of millions of Americans who drive to work as fuel prices set one record after another. Biden claimed inflation is a problem everywhere, but National Public Radio reported that “between 2019 and 2021, the United States saw one of the biggest inflation rate increases in the world, behind only Brazil and Turkey.” Rep. Lance Gooden (R–Texas) noted, “Joe Biden promised $2,000 stimulus checks but gave Americans $5,000 per year inflation instead.”

  

  Biden spawned the highest rate of food inflation since the Nixon administration, but he scoffed when a CNN interviewer recently asked him about the 30 percent rise in grocery prices. Biden ridiculously declared of consumers, “They have the money to spend!” Exiled whistleblower Edward Snowden quipped that the White House was trying to defuse anger by “telling people no, no, a shopping cart full of groceries has always cost $36,000.”

  Biden’s pro-inflation policies divided Americans between those who work for a living and those who vote for a living. In  2021, Biden boasted, “Even after accounting for inflation … our families have more money in their pockets than they did before the pandemic.” Putting more unearned dollars in people’s pockets was a windfall for politicians, but it worsened economic disruptions. Besides, it was scant consolation to have more dollars that purchase less and less each month.

  Experts kindly offered plenty of financial remedies to hard-pressed Americans. For Thanksgiving 2021, the Federal Reserve recommended that people rely on soybean-based dinners instead of turkey — saving 76 cents a serving. Georgia Democratic Party leader Stacey Abrams touted abortion as a cure for inflation: “Having children is why you’re worried about your price for gas, it’s why you’re concerned about how much food costs. For women, this is not a reductive issue.” Professor Teresa Ghilarducci, in a Washington Post op-ed, recommended that families with an income less than $289,000 per year “adjust” to inflation by eating lentils instead of meat, ditching their car and taking public transit, and maybe letting their pets die. In October 2022, Biden implied that soaring food prices wouldn’t be a real problem if Americans bought no-name, store-brand Raisin Bran instead of Kellogg’s.

  Biden’s media whores

  Pro-Biden media outlets painted inflation as practically a divine blessing that Biden is bestowing on Americans. MSNBC tweeted, “Why the inflation we’re seeing now is a good thing,” while The Intercept went whole-hog on soaring milk prices: “Inflation is Good for You.”  The Washington Post editorial board rushed to absolve Biden: “The main reason inflation is at its highest level since 1982” is because “people continue to spend a lot of time at home” and demand more goods. MSNBC anchor Joy Reid claimed in November 2022 that inflation was a word that Republicans “taught people…. Most people would have never used that word ever in their lives are using it now because they’ve been taught it.” The same month, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen blamed inflation on citizens frustrated by lockdowns who “suddenly started splurging on goods.” Most pundits dismissed or disdained people who complained about how the 20+ percent inflation of the Biden era harmed their families. Author Tom Woods noted that leftists “are now mocking people who are concerned about price inflation by using the expression ‘burger too expensive.’”

  NPR ran a tear-jerking piece headlined: “The Movement To Stick Inflation Blame On Biden.” After disparaging the “I did that!” stickers of Biden’s face being attached to gas pumps and other places, NPR lamented, “It’s not just vandals, pranksters, and TikTokers trying to stick inflation blame on Biden.” After admitting that real wages for workers fell 2.4 percent last year, NPR consoles, “It’s A Crummy Time To Be A World Leader.”

  But inflation was much worse than Biden or the media admitted. Beginning in the 1980s, the formula for calculating inflation was revised dozens of times, almost always with a downward bias. The Consumer Price Index is skewed because it does not attempt to compare the price of the same basket of goods over time. Instead, federal officials concocted a gauge they claim measures a “constant level of satisfaction.” But who in hell made bureaucrats the supreme judges of happiness?

  In addition to that bureaucratic fairy dust, the inflation formula was changed to severely underweight rises in housing prices, instead relying on “the new concept of homeowners’ equivalent rent, where the government would estimate how much it would cost to own your own house,” John Williams, the founder of Shadow Stats, observed. The average monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home has doubled since Biden took office.

  Larry Summers, Bill Clinton’s treasury secretary, observed that if the feds used the same inflation gauges during Biden’s administration that were used in the 1970s, Biden’s peak inflation would have been 18 percent, twice as high as the reported number and the highest inflation rate in U.S. history. Understating inflation permitted the Biden administration to deny much of the financial damage it inflicted.

  Biden portrayed himself as inflation’s biggest victim. “Inflation is the bane of our existence,” Biden lamented to a talk show host in June 2022. Unfortunately, he was referring to inflation’s effect on his approval ratings, not the plight of average Americans struggling to pay for gas and groceries. When Peter Doocy of Fox News asked about the impact of inflation in January, Biden called him “a stupid son of a bitch.” The Biden administration presumed that giving more handouts to government dependents would ease the pain of self-reliant middle class families — perhaps by osmosis.

  Economic hocus pocus

  Biden’s policies were based the “Magic Bean School of Political Economy.” His policymakers favor Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) — the notion that government spending almost never has an adverse effect on the economy. MMT advocates believe there is practically no problem that cannot supposedly be solved by bigger gushers of free government money. A Washington Post headline captured the administration’s presumptions: “Biden’s big bet: That he can remake economy with no bad side effects” such as “less incentive to work.” But as USA Today reported, “Many people have permanently stopped working, depressing labor force participation” by millions of people. Labor force participation has fallen sharply since 2019.

  MMT champions are adamant that the flood of new money is irrelevant to rising price levels. In a March 2022 speech to Democratic members of Congress, Biden raged at being blamed for inflation: “I’m sick of this stuff!… We have to talk about it because the American people think the reason for inflation is the government spending more money. Simply. Not. True.”

  Biden sought to deflate the political peril by demagoguing against corporations for raising prices. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Biden found a new culprit: “Make no mistake, inflation is largely the fault of Putin.” But inflation was already at 7 percent before the invasion of Ukraine. Biden began denouncing the “Putin Price Hikes,” but polls showed that few Americans  swallowed that assertion. In June 2022, the Washington Post reported that Biden was blaming his White House aides for his problem with inflation: he “complained to aides that they were not doing a good job explaining the causes of inflation and what the administration is doing about it.”

  In the final weeks of the 2022 midterm congressional campaign, Biden boasted of the impact of inflation — at least on voters pocketing federal checks. He told senior citizens in Florida, “On my watch, for the first time in 10 years, seniors are getting an increase in their Social Security checks.” In reality, Social Security benefits have increased every year since 2016. The White House tweeted: “Seniors are getting the biggest increase in their Social Security checks in 10 years through President Biden’s leadership.” Even CNN derided that comment, since Social Security benefits are linked to inflation by law. Actually, the benefit boost was the largest in 40 years.

  According to Biden, “shrinkflation” — adjusting for inflation by selling smaller products for the same price — is a worse crime than anything his administration inflicted on the American people. Biden condemned corporations for “charging folks more and more for less and less.” In his 2024 Super Bowl ad denouncing shrinkflation, Biden declared, “The American public is tired of being played for suckers.” Politico reported, “The White House has been aggressively testing out the [shrinkflation] messaging on the airwaves and in internal polling ahead” of Biden’s State of the Union speech. But unlike governments that force people to pay more taxes for worse services, corporations cannot conscript their victims. Biden’s attempt to persuade Americans they were being crucified on a cross made of shrinking candy bars failed.

  Biden sought to “fix” inflation the same way he “solved” other debacles: with brazen lies that presumed his listeners are either idiots or NPR junkies. As voters focused more on the losses of their purchasing power, Biden repeatedly declared in early 2024 that the inflation rate was 9 percent at the time he took office  — almost six times the actual rate. Biden’s credibility deteriorated even faster than the value of the U.S. dollar.

  

  Policymakers ignored the devastation they inflicted. When asked during a January 2022 news conference about how “inflation affects different groups of Americans,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he wasn’t “aware of … inflation literally falling more on different socioeconomic groups…. The point is some people are just really prone to suffer more.” Inflation sounded like a problem that therapists must solve. In reality, lower-income households spend a far higher percent of their income on food, gas, and heating their homes — three categories where prices have soared. A survey by Lending Club in early 2022 found that “61 percent of the U.S. population lived paycheck to paycheck, up seven percentage points since the first report in June 2021, including 77 percent of consumers earning less than $50,000.” In October 2022, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported that most American workers had suffered the harshest fall in wages in 25 years, including a “median decline in real wages” of more than 8.5 percent.

  Biden’s attempt to portray himself as an innocent bystander to the destruction of value of the U.S. dollar was a disastrous flop. The president suffered political “death by a thousand price hikes,” as consumers blamed Biden each time they hit the gas pump or grocery store.

  When Kamala Harris signaled that she would likely continue Biden’s policies across the board, voters recognized that she had learned nothing from Biden’s debacles. The Harris campaign believed that perpetually championing the right to abortion would guarantee them more than enough votes from women. But it turned out that “women buy milk and eggs more often than they get abortions.”

  A century ago, Americans clearly recognized the moral implications of inflation. Vice President Calvin Coolidge bluntly declared in 1922: “Inflation is repudiation.” But it remains to be seen whether the inflationary torrent of recent years will awaken Americans to the folly of trusting Washington to not sabotage their personal independence or the nation’s prosperity.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 21:45

• These Are The Most Powerful Passports In 2025
  These Are The Most Powerful Passports In 2025

  A strong passport provides greater travel freedom, lower costs, and easier global mobility for work, study, and leisure. 

  But which passports are the most powerful in 2025?

  

  This ranking, via Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti, is based on data from Henley & Partners, which determines the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free.

  Asian Passports Lead the Way

  Asia dominates the top rankings, with Singapore, Japan, and South Korea offering visa-free access to over 190 countries out of 227 destinations worldwide. Interestingly, Japan regained visa-free access to neighboring China for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdowns.

  Germany and France, which held the top spot in 2024, have now dropped to third place.

  Europe Follows Closely

  The rest of the top 15 is largely made up of European countries: Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Norway.

  

  The U.S. Passport Slips Further

  Noticeably absent from the top rankings, the U.S. passport has fallen from its traditional first or second place a decade ago. Today, U.S. passport holders can travel to 183 destinations visa-free.

  The U.S. is slightly edged out in the ranking by countries like Canada (185 visa-free destinations), the UK (186), and Australia (186).

  If you enjoyed this content, check out The Least Powerful Passports in 2025, listing the 15 countries with the least visa-free access. To put it into perspective, a Singaporean passport grants access to 169 more destinations visa-free compared to an Afghan passport.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 21:20

• 'Fraud On A Mass Scale' – Why Trump Should Repeal Real Estate Tax
  ‘Fraud On A Mass Scale’ – Why Trump Should Repeal Real Estate Tax

  Submitted by Mitchell Vexler,

  IN THE Texas House Of Representatives Ways and Means Committee 

  BRIEF OF MITCHELL VEXLER AS AMICUS CURIAE SUPPORTING PROPERTY OWNERS ACROSS TEXAS AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

  Bill to Repeal Real Estate Tax in favor of a UNIFORM STATES SALES TAX 

  A Presentation to President Trump and Elon Musk 

  02/17/2025 

  This is the short version of the Amicus created for ZeroHedge. For the full print version of the Amicus Brief Supporting Property Owners and School Districts and Accounting Fraud, both of which are being delivered by hand to President Trump click here and here.

  Introduction of Argument 

  The Home Affordability and Probability of Bankruptcy graphic below shows Taxation of Unrealized Gains, which is a violation of the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Market Value is the mechanism in Texas and most States in the Union, from which the Assessed Value is created. 

  Under current Texas Law you can protest your Market Value but not the Assessed Value. If the Market Value is fraudulent, then so is the Assessed Value. 

  Comparing Median Household Income and Expenses – All that matters is the Median Household Income 

  How Much Rent Can I afford? = Median Household Income X .30%. 

  How Much Debt to Income for a House is standard = 28% 

  The Bankruptcy Probability Worksheet establishes the following which can be adjusted for any County in the United States: 

  1. Denton County Median Household Income is $109,126.00 

  2. Based on a 28% DTI a $109,126.00 income can afford a $296,000 home 

  3. Denton Central Appraisal District has stated (fraudulently) that the Median Home Market Value is $514,000. 

  4. To afford a $514,000 home utilizing the DTI of 28% the Median Household Income would need to be $189,500 which is 57% greater than the $109,126 Median Household Income. 

  5. Home affordability is roughly 74% less than the assessed “market value” proving the fraud because the vast majority of Denton County Citizens do not earn $189,500. 

  6. The fraud is created by ignoring USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice), Texas Property Tax Code, Texas Constitution and U.S Constitution.

  THE CURRENT POTENTIAL % OF HOUSEHOLDS AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR HOME AS A DIRECT IRREFUTABLE RESULT OF THE FRAUD IS 37.81% as seen in the Bankruptcy Probability Worksheet below:

  

  Specifically, what you see is the cumulative compounding fraud on the public via Market Value as solely determined by Denton Central Appraisal District (CAD) and applicable to any CAD in all 3,143 Counties across the United States, between 2021 and 2023, the net result for 2023 is that 72% of homeowners cannot afford the average market value of what DCAD claims is a $514,000 home. 37% of all households are at risk of losing their home. The same mathematical formulas apply across the State of Texas and the United States of America. 

  You would logically then ask, how could that happen? 

  Argument 

  This graphic shows 2 different single-family residences in 2 different municipalities and then looks at the change in appraisal notice market value, final market value and assessed value for the years 2016-2023 and then looks at the inflation, as stated by the U.S. Treasury, during those years. 

  

  You will see that regardless of which value percentage compared, being Notice Value, Final Market Value, or Assessed value, DCAD through its corrupt database and co-conspirators increased the values 156% to 327% faster than inflation. The same mathematical formulas apply across the State of Texas and the United States of America. 

  

  An entire community in Copper Canyon Texas where the values increased 205% faster than inflation.

  In Law under USPAP, and The Texas Property Tax Code, what “clear and convincing” evidence exists for a home to go up from $1,149,000 market value to $1,858,935 initial notice value, which is 62% higher than the prior year? The answer is none and this is just a snippet of the corruption of the database and those people deploying made up values (Taxation of Unrealized Gains / Market Value) against the real estate taxpayers. It also proves that DCAD, JCAD, HCAD etc. are incapable, by intent, of obtaining an Initial Notice of Market Value, which is a violation of USPAP, Texas Property Tax Code and the Texas Constitution and The Constitution of the United States of America. The law does not say “lets just make the values up to satisfy a pre-determined budget created by a Taxing Entity (i.e. school district) 

  

  Change in Market Value – Year over year in RED as high as 420% 

  The change in market value for this commercial property is equivalent to an 8 standard deviation move, when the norm under USPAP is .5 STDEV or + or – 5% to 10%. The odds of an 8 STDEV is 1 in 390,000,000,000 yet there are only approximately 511,000 tax accounts in Denton County. The same mathematical formulas apply across the State of Texas and the United States of America. 

  

  Analysis of three Apartment Properties in Denton County. 

  DCAD created class codes, beyond the purview of the public, without accuracy or uniformity in its application and in violation of USPAP and Mass Appraisal Standards and thus in violation of the Law. 

  This graphic shows DCAD’s (an most CADs across the U.S.) failings under the Mass Appraisal Standards: 

  • Did DCAD factor in wage growth? No 

  • Did DCAD factor in cost of mortgage rates? No 

  • Did DCAD look at wage adjusted mortgage payments? No 

  • Did DCAD study mortgage application volume? No 

  • Did DCAD look at Consumer Price Inflation, month over month % change ? No 

  • Did DCAD use proper comparisons as required under USPAP and Law? No 

  • Did DCAD conform to USPAP? No 

  • Did DCAD examine SF rental income as a method to value SF homes? No 

  • Did DCAD study standard deviation of price as a method to value property? No 

  • Does DCAD have a system of checks and balance to prohibit corrupt data? No 

  • Did DCAD use Standard Deviation to determine the expected move of price? No 

  • Did the DCAD Board hire a Chief Appraiser capable of doing the job? No 

  • Did the County Tax Assessor Collector knowingly accept corrupt data from DCAD? YES 

  • DID DCAD BREAK THE LAW, UPSAP, TEXAS CONSTITUTION, & US CONSTITUTION? YES 

  • Did CADs across Texas follow the same non-enforcement of Appraisal Laws as DCAD? YES 

  In the mass appraisal process, DCAD has failed to consider “all available evidence” and “supply and demand” factors that affect property value. 

  The exact same method of criminality exists in the majority of CADs across the United States. 

  The net result of the root causes as outlined above is fraud on a mass scale. 

  2023 Notice Values in Denton County were over $30 Billion higher than 2022, 20+% higher. DCAD brazenly & recklessly increased values of properties for years, unchecked & without accountability. 

  Result and effect of their deception & overvaluation in violation of The Texas Constitution in “affordability” analysis. 

  • 72% of Denton County homeowners cannot afford the average market value of a home. 

  • With average market value at $514,082, only 27.29% can. 

  • In 2021, 65.10% of households owned a home. 

  • In 2023, 37.81% of households are at risk of losing their home (65.10%-27.29%). 

  • Households need annual gross income of $189,500 to afford a $514,082 home. 

  • With 2023 median household incomes of $109,126 the lender’s housing-income ratio (48%>28%). 

  • 2023 median income household can only afford a home valued at $296,000 

  • 72.72% of Denton County homeowners would fail loan approval on $551,082 avg mkt home value. 

  • Certified average home values of $514,082 are overvalued by 42% based on affordability. ($514,028 – $296,000 = $218,082. $218,082 / $514,082 = 42%) 

  • Average home value in this dollar range ($514,082) are obviously being valued as if NEW. 

  • DCAD is using new homes (bad comparisons) to value existing homes. 

  • New construction homes should not be used in comparison to older homes. 

  The summary of the above is: 

  A.) There is no clear and convincing evidence to justify 20% increases year over year yet alone 420%. Thus, an irrefutable violation of every appraisal method, requirement, and law ever written. 

  B.) Based on the 140-property sample, what clear and convincing evidence exists to increase commercial property values in bulk by 80% year over year when the cash flows are generally flat? The answer is none, meaning that the initial notice of values is determined by hand, outside the confines of USPAP and the Texas Property Tax Code and the Texas Constitution. 

  C.) What was the purpose to go from 6 class codes to 28 class codes, when there are no audits of data entry? DCAD thinks, let’s just make it up…nobody will figure it out. “We are DCAD and the public has to trust us”. The best descriptive words to describe this creation of categories is a scam, sham, and con and it gets worse in that even after the creation of these categories, DCAD simply increases the values to meet the pre-determined budgets of the Taxing Entities, all of which ends in a violation of the Texas Constitution. 

  D.) These class codes do not exist in many other Central Appraisal Districts and there is no uniformity of application. 

  It is the combination of the above facts created by government overreach and constitutional violations which are demonstrated in the graphics that define government creep, but the mathematical ramifications of violating the very existence of the Laws for the purpose of funding pre-determined budgets of the Taxing Entities (which in itself violates USPAP), shows the level of ignorance of the Central Appraisal Districts and lack of care or understanding for the very people and corporations that generate the revenue to begin with. What you see in the above graphics in Denton County alone is that over 100,000 homeowners today are severely impacted by what DCAD and its co-conspirators have done, which is irrefutably illegal, and criminal and this is occurring across the United States. 

  You can now see exactly how fraud is perpetrated by the intentional misapplication of Market Value (Taxation of Unrealized Gains). We cannot stress enough the economic damage that will occur across the State of Texas to homeowners, commercial property owners and businesses, if this real estate tax is not repealed in favor of a Uniform States Sales Tax. We have the math that ties to the laws to show how bad this will be, and it shows that the risk greatly outweighs the rewards of owning real estate and will cause a dramatic domino effect of bankruptcies not just of homeowners and income property owners but to the mortgage holders, bond investors, which are pensions and 401Ks. Not repealing the real estate tax will have the effect of destroying the very fabric of everyday American life in that owning a home will be an impossibility for many people who strive to be owners and destroy any reason to own commercial property.

  $22.5 Trillion in 5 years of fraudulent overvaluation, resulting in $450 Billion of fraudulent over taxation of Mom and Pop: 

  

  Parabolic home prices up 100% in 5 years create losses which accrue to the Property Owners (Mom and Pop). $21.25 Trillion in fraudulent overvaluation led to $450,000,000,000 in over taxation in 2024 alone.

  To give you a more in-depth understanding of the gravity of this situation, look at the median household income shortfall in the lower 1/3 of the graphic; 

  

  Affordability Testing across Texas: In the lower 1/3 of the graphic look at the median household income shortfall.

  This is fraud! 

  An elaborate scheme (government overreach) of all these entities: 

  DCAD creates fraudulent income statements, uses comparisons in violation of USPAP, “manipulates 60,000 properties” (audio recording), builds into their valuations the pre-determined budgets of the taxing entities, negotiates values before protest hearings because they can’t get to all the protests, issues a directive to ARB panels not to go below the homestead cap, all of which is a violation of USPAP, Texas Constitution and The Constitution of the United States of America and all of which create dirty data and corrupt databases. Our evidence proves that DCAD and its co-conspirators are not doing appraisals under any definition in law, are violating USPAP, and due to intentionally corrupt databases are incapable of arriving at a legitimate Market Value.

  The same mathematical formulas apply across the State of Texas and the United States of America. 

  There is no other answer other than an elaborate scheme (fraudulent government overreach), and all these entities and people are participating in the scheme.

  

  Overview: Flow of Intertwined organizations and resulting violations of law.

  Taxation of unrealized gains (aka Market Value) in violation of the 16th amendment, considering government creep, literally and mathematically means that there would be no probable way for any property owner to make money on their assets in the short term or the long term because of the compound cumulative effect of the overvaluation and over taxation reduces the profit, if any. 

  What is lost in the depth of these issues, is that allowing Taxation of Unrealized Gains (Market Value) is cause and the exact definition of bankruptcy where the liabilities are greater than the assets. Further, the home income to debt ratio under the above scenario would breach 60% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, HUD, FHA, and Lenders utilize 28%) and this means that the average Denton County household could not afford a $150,000 home let alone a $350,000 home or as currently claimed by DCAD a $514,000 median value of a home. 

  16th Amendment to The Constitution of the United States of America – In the years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019…2023 and prior to the creation of The Constitution of the United States of America, there were and are no laws in the United States that allow Taxation of Unrealized Gains / Market Value. The government overreach as evidenced herein is trying to create Taxation of Unrealized Gains / Market Value, without understanding the ramifications of such action which bring us to where we are…the tipping point. The State of Texas Legislature which created the Taxing Entities which own the CADs and the State Comptroller which allegedly oversees DCAD and the CADs, and the Executive Branch at that time did a work around the U.S. Constitution and have violated the 16th Amendment which states “Congress to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived”. This is why it says, “taxes on incomes”. Then as now, income was understood to refer to gains realized by a taxpayer through payment, exchange, or the like, not merely increase in value of property. Appreciation in the value of a home or other asset is not income until it is sold, and the gain realized, and no property should be taxed on sale or based on market value. We would be remiss if we did not point out that the appreciation in value (inflation) is directly correlated to the decrease in purchasing power of the U.S. dollar which neither DCAD and its co-conspirators take into consideration which ends up being the equity stripping of Mom and Pop. 

  On average 9% of the median household income goes into real estate tax regardless of home ownership or renting. 

  

  Roughly 9% ($7,000.00) of a median income goes to real estate tax on homes. The average household is short roughly $9,000 per year of which $7,000 is real estate tax. The difference of surviving or bankruptcy is the real estate tax. 

  What is the Wheel of Fraud? 

  What are the benefits of repealing the real estate tax in favor of a Uniform States Sales Tax? 

  What are the laws being broken? 

  If you want the answers and evidence to these questions please see the videos below and related documents below the videos and visit www.mockingbirdproperties.com/dcad All the information is free. 

  “I sincerely believe…that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity under the name of funding is but swindling futurity on a large scale” 

  – Thomas Jefferson 1816 

  Conclusion 

  Roughly 9% ($7,000.00) of a median income goes to real estate tax on homes. The average household (37% at risk of losing their home and 65% can’t afford the claimed median home value) is short roughly $9,000 per year of which $7,000 is real estate tax. The difference of surviving or bankruptcy is the real estate tax. 

  Those who vote against the elimination of real estate tax in favor of a Uniform States Sales Tax are voting against their own family, friends, neighbors, constituents and placing 30% + of the households in bankruptcy. 

  Title 42 U.S. Code Section 1986, Knowledge of Wrongful Act & Power to Prevent. 

  Do not make the law irrelevant. 

  Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary leadership. Texas can lead in the solution or put its Citizens in imminent harm’s way of bankruptcy. Eliminating a corrupt bankrupt system and prohibiting future financial leverage in the school districts, so that it never happens again is non-negotiable. As there is no alternative, I strongly suggest the immediate elimination of real estate tax in favor of the Uniform States Sales Tax. 

  Eliminating the real estate tax in favor of the Uniform States Sales Tax, across the U.S., will inject over $1 Trillion back into the economy within 12 months. 

  *  *  *

  Resources

  These are the corresponding videos to this article and the document delivery to President Trump, Elon Musk and Pam Bondi:

  Accounting Fraud 60X larger than Enron 

  Amicus Brief Supporting Property Owners and School Districts and Accounting Fraud. 

  School Districts Fraud.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 20:55

• The FBI Hides Evidence Of Being The FBI
  The FBI Hides Evidence Of Being The FBI

  Authored by Mike McDaniel via American Thinker,

  Imagine you’re an operative for a government law enforcement agency gone Stasi. Your power over the lives of others is near-absolute. You can destroy anyone who even thinks of opposing you or your political masters. You no longer expose yourself to the dangers of pursuing real criminals, spies and terrorists. Soccer moms and Catholics are easy targets. You’re covered. You can violate the law and Constitution at will and violating the rights of Americans is your daily stock in trade. 

  

  So pervasive is the corruption in your agency, it is daily routine to document it. You feel no need to hide evidence of lawlessness, even the commission of crimes, because that’s the status quo. Any vestiges of conscience, decency, accountability have long been wiped from your mind and your agency’s collective conscience and data banks. You’re invincible, and every additional violation of the Constitution, every violation of your oath, ensures there is no way to undo “our democracy” to which you’ve sold your soul.

  And then, the unthinkable happens. Joe Biden exposes his dementia, and his handler’s lies and manipulations, on national TV. Even the Democrat/socialist/communist (D/s/c) media can’t cover for him anymore. It is suddenly possible free speech might be restored. Still, you’re sure the dam will hold. The mighty walls of deceit and intimidation you’ve built can’t fall.

  And then, Kamala Harris, who has never won a primary, is anointed and God help you, she’s allowed to speak in public. Donald Trump is elected, Elon Musk and Big Balls are appointed and allowed to run rampant in previously untouchable files, and the walls come a tumblin’ down.

  There’s only one thing left to do before you’re fired, your security clearance is revoked and you’re locked out of all access to your previous tools of blackmail, extortion and power: destroy the evidence!

  

  Journalist Michael Shellenberger has exposed so much corruption over the past several years, we’ve learned that when he drops a bomb on Twitter, it’s usually worth paying attention to and it is usually HUGE. 

  From the scandal of the Twitter files to the lies and falsified research at WPATH regarding ‘gender-affirming care’ to, most recently, the fraud he documented at USAID, when Shellenberger announces something, we tend to listen.

  His latest nuke dropped on Twitter involves the FBI. This news is early in development and he has only written very briefly about it so far, but it sure sounds like he — and a noted FBI whistleblower — have some interesting and incriminating things to say to Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and newly named Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino. 

  Shellenberger was prompted to post the tweet amid a conversation between Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and conservative pundit Charlie Kirk involving corruption at the CIA and other intelligence agencies … and whatever sick things are going on at the NSA right now.

  The whistleblower Shellenberger mentioned in his tweet is former FBI agent Garrett O’Boyle, who previously testified before Congress about the weaponization of the FBI under the Biden administration and the retribution the agency took on him and others for exposing its actions, despite whistleblower protection laws. 

  Elon Musk was surely already aware of this, and with Kash Patel, is dealing with it. His one word comment speaks volumes:

  

  I don’t presume to know computers on the level of Musk’s whiz kids, but I suspect this is right:

  

  I share Shellenberger’s sentiment:

  

  Generally speaking, anyone who destroys evidence of a crime becomes, at the least, an accessory after the fact to that crime even if they didn’t actively participate in it. With such people, there is always the possibility of conspiracy charges, and depending on the nature of the crimes, treason. The FBI is a primary agency charged with defending national security, and our enemies offer many temptations for those willing to betray America beyond the perks and power of being an American Stasi.

  Cutting the infection out of the federal government was always going to be a herculean task. We’re discovering, day by day, just how daunting it is and only massive arrests and prosecutions of every one of those who have betrayed America can have any hope of deterring future offenses.

  If people like O’Boyle, all the other whistleblowers and Shellenberger aren’t eventually lauded as genuine heroes, we’ll know the Swamp has not really been reformed. God help us if it isn’t.

  Crushing “our democracy” and restoring our representative, constitutional republic depend upon it.

  On a different subject, if you are not already a subscriber, you may not know that we’ve implemented something new: A weekly newsletter with unique content from our editors for subscribers only. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription. 

  Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor. 

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 20:30

• Screen Time Linked To Increased Risk Of Nearsightedness In Children, Study Finds
  Screen Time Linked To Increased Risk Of Nearsightedness In Children, Study Finds

  Authored by George Citroner via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  Even one hour of screen time per day significantly increases the risk of nearsightedness (myopia), especially for children, a new study suggests.

  

  More Screen Time, More Risk

  Researchers found that spending an additional hour per day (past the first) watching screens was associated with a 21 percent increase in the odds of someone developing nearsightedness.

  The study analyzed data from 45 different studies involving more than 335,000 participants to find a complex relationship between screen time and nearsightedness risk. The analysis collected data from various digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, computers, and television sets, which were collectively referred to as digital devices.

  The findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis, recently published in JAMA Network Open, highlight a growing concern over children’s screen usage.

  “As children increasingly embrace smart devices at younger ages and spend more time on digital screens, there is an urgent need to better understand the association of digital screen time with myopia,” the researchers wrote.

  In the United States, estimates show nearsightedness prevalence to be about 42 percent. Among children specifically, as much as 41 percent of children in urban areas and 16 percent of children in rural areas are living with the condition.

  The results suggest that daily screen time should be limited to less than one hour to potentially reduce the risk of developing nearsightedness.

  Building on Previous Research

  A previous meta-analysis combining data from 11 studies that included 934 participants looking at the relationship between screen time on smart devices (such as smartphones or tablets) and nearsightedness revealed a significant link—time spent on smart devices alone was associated with a 26 percent increase in the odds of developing nearsightedness.

  When this screen time was combined with computer usage, the odds increased by 77 percent.

  However, another meta-analysis that analyzed screen time data separately for different categories found that time spent on computers and televisions was linked to nearsightedness, but time spent on smartphones was not.

  The researchers involved in the new study noted that findings such as these highlight a need for more in-depth investigations into the safety threshold for digital device exposure.

  Why the Increased Risk?

  Nearsightedness occurs when the eye elongates from front to back. This causes light entering the eye to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, which makes distant objects appear blurry, optometrist Dr. Meenal Agarwal, owner of Pickering Town Centre Optometric Clinic, Stouffville Family Eye Care, and Promenade Optometric Clinic, told The Epoch Times.

  “It’s counterintuitive,” she said. “But the theory is that focusing on close objects for extended periods can put stress on the eye’s focusing system, which may influence the shape of the eye, causing it to elongate more than it would naturally.”

  She said this applies when looking at anything closer than 22 inches to the face.

  When staring at a screen, your eyes are constantly focused on a fixed distance, usually one very close to your face. This prevents the natural switching between focusing on near and far objects that happens in a natural environment. This means your eyes maintain a consistent focus for extended periods, straining the muscles responsible for changing your eye’s focus and potentially contributing to nearsightedness because of the prolonged near focusing effort required.

  Agarwal said this increased stress may also prevent the eye from fully relaxing when focusing on distant objects, which could lead to changes in how the eye grows over time.

  Reducing Myopia Risk

  To reduce children’s risk of developing nearsightedness, Agarwal recommended encouraging kids to spend more time outdoors.

  “Studies have found that children who spend more time outdoors tend to have a lower risk of developing myopia,” she said. “This is because exposure to natural light and focusing on objects at various distances, as we do outdoors, may help prevent myopia.”

  Agarwal recommended approximately two hours of outdoor time per day for both children and adults to help prevent or delay the onset of nearsightedness. Reducing near work and taking breaks while doing near work are also very important, she said.

  To help relieve the strain of prolonged near work, Agarwal advised following the “20-20-20 rule,” which means taking a 20-second break and looking at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes.

  “Lastly, if your child is already myopic, consider myopia control options with your eye doctor like myopia control glasses, contact lenses, or treatments like atropine eye drops,” she said. “These have all been proven to slow the progression of myopia.”

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 20:05

• Judge Says Meta Must Face Lawsuit Alleging Hiring Bias Against US Citizens
  Judge Says Meta Must Face Lawsuit Alleging Hiring Bias Against US Citizens

  A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit alleging that Facebook parent Meta favors hiring foreign workers over U.S. citizens can move forward.

  U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler on Feb. 25 denied Meta’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which accuses the big tech giant of systematically preferring H-1B visa holders because it could pay them less than American workers.

  The lawsuit, filed by three U.S. citizens, alleges that Meta’s hiring practices violate 42 U.S.C. § 1981(a) by discriminating against American citizens.

  

  As Tom Ozimek reports for The Epoch Times, the lawsuit accuses Meta of abusing the H-1B visa program, which is intended to bring foreign workers into the United States to perform services in specialty occupations where there are insufficient U.S. workers.

  The three plaintiffs allege they were passed over for jobs because Meta preferred to hire foreign H-1B visa holders to perform the work to maximize profit.

  “When hiring for U.S. positions, Facebook considers United States citizens, lawful permanent residents (e.g., green card holders), and foreign citizens with proper work permits (e.g., H-1B or L-1 visa holders),” the plaintiffs’ complaint states. 

  “But while visa holders make up just a fraction of the United States labor market, Facebook prefers to hire visa-dependent workers for certain U.S. positions, as it can pay these employees less than American workers performing the same work.”

  The plaintiffs cited a separate lawsuit against Meta by the Department of Justice (DOJ) that accused the company of discriminating against U.S. workers by reserving certain positions for temporary visa holders, including those on H-1B visas. To resolve those allegations, Meta agreed to a settlement involving payment of a $4.75 million civil penalty to the U.S. government and up to $9.5 million to eligible victims of the alleged discrimination.

  As part of that settlement, Meta also committed to revising its recruitment and hiring practices to ensure greater transparency and accessibility for U.S. workers.

  The current lawsuit claims Meta continues to favor visa holders, citing workforce statistics showing that 15 percent of Meta’s U.S. workforce holds H-1B visas, compared to 0.5 percent of the overall U.S. workforce.

  “These allegations support the plaintiffs’ overall complaint that they were not hired because Meta favors H-1B visa holders,” the judge wrote in her order.

  Meta has denied the allegations and previously sought to have the case dismissed. It argued that the plaintiffs failed to prove any intentional discrimination or that they would have been hired if not for the alleged discrimination. The company also moved to exclude from the lawsuit any references to the DOJ case and the settlement. The judge rejected Meta’s arguments.

  “The plaintiffs are correct: their complaint relies on more than the DOJ allegations, and allegations that Meta favored non-citizen employees in another context are relevant to the plaintiffs’ claim,” the judge wrote in the order. 

  “The court finds that none of the material that Meta seeks to strike is ’redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous.’”

  Meta also sought to pause the discovery process, arguing that it should not be required to turn over hiring data while its motion to dismiss was still pending. The judge also rejected that request, allowing the case to proceed.

  Meta did not respond to a request for comment.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 19:40

• US Health Secretary Delays Rule Updating Definition Of 'Healthy' On Food Labels
  US Health Secretary Delays Rule Updating Definition Of ‘Healthy’ On Food Labels

  Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has ordered the delay of a new rule updating the definition of “healthy” on food product labels.

  

  The new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) final rule will not go into effect until April 28, a delay from the originally announced implementation date of Feb. 25, Kennedy said in an update on Tuesday.

  Kennedy pointed to President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, which directs agencies to consider postponing the effective dates for pending rules to review them for “questions of fact, law, and policy that the rules may raise.”

  “The temporary delay in the effective date until April 28, 2025, is necessary to give Agency officials the opportunity for further review and consideration of the new regulation, consistent with the memorandum described previously,” Kennedy said.

  The FDA announced in late 2024 that it was updating the definition of healthy on food labels, in the first major revision since the FDA first defined the word in 1994.

  “Given that nutrition science has evolved since the 1990s, this final rule updates the definition of ‘healthy’ to be consistent with current nutrition science and Federal dietary guidance to help ensure that consumers have access to more complete, accurate, and up-to-date information on food labels,” the agency said at the time.

  Under the new definition, manufacturers could label certain foods as healthy that currently cannot be, such as salmon, while others that are currently eligible for a healthy label, such as sugary cereal, would become ineligible.

  The framework established under the rule includes mandating that a vegetable product must have at least half a cup of a vegetable to be labeled healthy. A dairy product must have at least two-thirds a cup of dairy to meet the updated requirements.

  Proteins such as eggs and some oils, including 100 percent oils, can also be labeled healthy under the rule.

  The compliance date for the rule was to be February 2028. That date has not been changed, Kennedy said on Tuesday.

  Manufacturers are welcome to start complying with the rule ahead of the compliance date, officials have said.

  The FDA says the purpose of the healthy label is “to highlight those foods that, based on their nutrient levels, are particularly useful in constructing a diet that conforms to current dietary guidelines.”

  Kennedy was recently confirmed by the Senate as health secretary. He campaigned as an independent presidential candidate on a “Make America Healthy Again” platform before dropping out of the 2024 race and endorsing Trump for president.

  At Kennedy’s swearing-in ceremony, Trump said that his confirmed nominee “is going to lead a great national mission to make America healthy again.”

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 19:15

• Leftists Push Feb 28 'Economic Blackout' Over Corporate 'Greed,' Waning DEI
  Leftists Push Feb 28 ‘Economic Blackout’ Over Corporate ‘Greed,’ Waning DEI

  A new leftist entity calling itself The People’s Union USA is calling for Americans to refrain from spending a single dollar anywhere on Friday Feb. 28. Branded as an “Economic Blackout,” it’s intended to lash back against a bucketful of woes that include economic injustice, low wages, high interest rates, outsourced jobs, and the growing abandonment of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It’s the first of several scheduled boycotts, with future ones targeting individual corporations.  

  Here’s how 57-year-old founder and drum teacher John Schwarz describes the undertaking in an Instagram video: 

  “For our entire lives, they have told us we have no choice … that we have to accept these insane prices, the corporate greed, the billionaire tax breaks, all while we struggle to just to get by.

  February 28, the 24-hour economic blackout: no Amazon, no Walmart, no fast food, no gas, not a single unnecessary dollar spent … for one day, we are going to finally turn the tables.”

  

  A grab-bag of dimwitted leftist celebrities have endorsed the Economic Blackout, from Stephen King to Bette Midler. From our own observations, the campaign appears to have gained meaningful traction across social media. Hitting “share” on a boycott post gives leftists a no-effort clicktivism outlet for their rage that’s mounting daily as they watch Donald Trump and Elon Musk take a sledgehammer to all that’s cherished in their warped ideology. 

  Of course, the real question is whether it will turn into anything even barely perceptible in a $29 trillion economy. “A lot of people dismiss the idea, arguing that a one-day spending freeze won’t move the needle for major corporations or the broader financial system,” 9i Capital Group CEO Kevin Thompson told Newsweek. “And I agree — it’ll likely have a minimal direct impact.” 

  That’s especially true when you consider that a one-day boycott means a great many purchases of earnest participants will merely be accelerated to Thursday or deferred to Saturday. Yawn. Then there’s the near-certainty that some right-wingers will intentionally spend money on Friday just for the fun of undermining the stunt. 

  I’m buying a new 100″ TV on Friday!
  What about you? pic.twitter.com/Dwra1LJNEa

  — Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) February 26, 2025

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

  As with any Marxist campaign, this one’s loaded with flawed logic, internal contradictions and questionable tactics. For example:

  • Schwarz simultaneously rants that “mega corporations have driven up prices” and demonizes Walmart for “price gouging.” 
  • While greedy corporations are among the group’s most-hated foes, Peoples Union USA doesn’t even want participants to spend money at small businesses on Friday — unless it’s for something essential. If the one-day “blackout” is supposed to hurt big businesses, that means the group is calling for pain to be inflicted on small ones too. 

  

  The Peoples Union USA website itself offers a whole line of merchandise, with revenue pledged to “payroll” and other costs; we’re guessing the store will be open on Friday. In another contradiction, Schwarz discourages followers from using credit cards when buying essential items from anyone else — lest it create profits for banks — yet his own merchandise store offers credit cards as the first payment option. You can also pay via major corporations Google and Paypal.    

  The group’s positively Antifa-esque, black goods include $29 Economic Blackout commemorative t-shirts and $69 flags. Taking a page from their Marxist playbook, ZeroHedge hereby arbitrarily declares that Peoples Union USA prices are SYSTEMICALLY UNJUST AND EXPLOITATIVE. Also, our store is much cooler.

  

  The group says that, through Feb. 25, it’s raised $61,760 in donations accepted via GoFundMe or a PO Box in Ringwood, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. Schwarz should spend some of that money to improve his craptastic website, and particularly this barely readable, center-justified clusterf**ck of an FAQ page.

  People’s Union USA has laid out a schedule of follow-on blackouts, with several that target various companies for an entire week at a time. Here are the dates, the targets and their alleged sins, if specified: 

  • March 7-14: Amazon, which is apparently so manifestly evil that no rationale is needed 
  • March 21-28: Nestle, for “water exploitation, child labor, and corporate greed” 
  • March 28: Economic Blackout #2
  • April 7-13: Walmart, for “price-gouging” (aka, highly affordable products) and “worker exploitation”
  • April 18: Economic Blackout #3
  • April 21-27: General Mills, for “food industry corruption and the poisoning of our families” 

  Schwarz has ambitions to “unionize the people” by creating national nonprofit organization, hiring lawyers, lobbying legislators, and develop independent media channels. Here’s looking forward to a comically anticlimactic Friday.  

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 18:50

• How Medical And Integrative Experts Recommend Protecting Against Influenza
  How Medical And Integrative Experts Recommend Protecting Against Influenza

  Authored by Amy Denney via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  It’s been a rough, cold season for Mike and Cindy Gorbett. Mike had such a severe case of bronchitis in December that he was still coughing when they traveled out of town on Jan. 31 for their granddaughter’s softball tournament.

  

  When they arrived, he crawled into bed, exhausted with a worsening cough, and stayed there until it was time to go home. Cindy developed a cough the following day.

  It didn’t take long for the couple to realize it wasn’t a run-of-the-mill virus. Their coughing and fatigue were sudden, intense, and worsened, so they headed to a walk-in clinic. Tests confirmed both had influenza A—the dominant strain wreaking havoc on millions of Americans this month.

  “We still both have coughs. His cough is worse than mine. Mine is a little tickle you feel like you need to clear out but it never really clears out,” Cindy told The Epoch Times. It was the first time she’s been officially diagnosed with influenza.

  This year, the Gorbetts are among at least 33 million Americans who’ve been sick with the flu, which has caused 430,000 hospitalizations and 19,000 deaths so far this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s the highest flu severity season since 2017–2018—affecting all age groups—and it’s not over yet.

  That’s why experts say it’s important to adopt healthy habits that can help you prevent getting sick and manage your symptoms if you do catch a respiratory virus to avoid hospitalization.

  When Is the Flu an Emergency?

  Dueling social media posts among nurses in one community illustrate the complicated nature of managing influenza. One nurse advised people to recuperate at home, rest, and drink lots of fluids—to prevent spreading the virus and to alleviate an already-burdened health care system.

  The other nurse criticized that approach, noting a local child’s death from the flu justifies taking a trip to the hospital if you don’t feel well.

  Influenza differs from a common cold in that it comes on quickly with fever, chills, cough, sore throat, aches and pains, headaches, fatigue, and a runny or stuffy nose. A cold tends to have a gradual onset with a runny or congested nose.

  Ms. Gorbett, who is a nurse in a health system but works offsite, knew influenza numbers were running quite high when she got sick. She received a system-wide email encouraging expedited discharges to make room for the high influenza admissions.

  CDC data show influenza levels were extremely high or high in 45 states earlier this month. The week ending Feb. 15, showed 43,367 patients with influenza admitted to hospitals, down from 50,382 admitted the week prior.

  It is important to reduce the influenza burden on hospitals that can have overcrowded emergency rooms, limited bed availability, and strained staff when flu numbers are high, said Lisa M. Lee, an infectious disease expert and senior associate vice president for research and innovation at Virginia Tech, told The Epoch Times.

  However, she said unresolved symptoms may warrant a trip to urgent care or the emergency room—particularly during peak flu season in high-risk populations like the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. Of particular concern are high fevers that aren’t coming down, troubled breathing, and anything that feels extremely uncomfortable, she said.

  “Even if you already know you have COVID or influenza, if it’s bad enough, go seek care. You might go there and you’re sent home, but if you go home and you continue to have a high fever or severe symptoms, go back.”

  Prevent Hospitalization

  Whereas colds don’t typically result in serious complications—like bacterial infections, pneumonia, and hospitalizations—the flu can pose these risks.

  “Hospital care can be needed,” said Dr. David Brownstein, a family physician and holistic practitioner. “But my job is to keep someone out of the hospital and to not allow them to get close to where they can’t breathe.”

  Maintaining optimal levels of nutrients—particularly vitamins A, C, and D—can support the immune system to protect against illness, according to Brownstein, author of “A Holistic Approach to Viruses.”

  He’s used the same protocol for 25 years in his practice to aid the immune system in fighting viral illnesses, including COVID-19.

  Researchers pointed out in a 2020 Nutrients study that vitamin D’s ability to ward off infection would be useful during the pandemic for both COVID-19 and influenza.

  Vitamin C may also help prevent severe illness.

  “Vitamin C is an essential substance for the human body. We can’t manufacture it. We have to get it in the diet. Every cell in the body needs vitamin C. Vitamin C requirements go up when we have illnesses, including viral illnesses,” he said, adding that his supplement protocol for viruses is “one of the best things I do in my practice,” said Brownstein.

  Brownstein advises that adults take 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C every hour when flu symptoms first begin. For vitamin A, he suggests taking 100,000 international units (IU) daily, and for vitamin D, 50,000 IU. The protocol can be used for four days. He also recommends taking iodine, which has proven successful in reducing influenza transmission in animal studies, and boosting fluid intake—water with added electrolytes or salt.

  While malnourished people are more susceptible to infections, megadoses of single vitamins aren’t proven to help the immune system. Micronutrient deficiencies—including vitamins A, B6, C, and E, among others—alter the human cellular immune response.

  Micronutrients ensure the body’s mucosal barriers and immune cells are working correctly. Children, the elderly, and those whose immune system is compromised by infection, stress, or pollution may need higher micronutrients, according to a review published in Nutrients, particularly vitamins C and D and zinc.

  Effective ways to strengthen your immune system may include:

  • Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
  • Quitting smoking
  • Exercising regularly
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Avoiding heavy alcohol use
  • Getting plenty of sleep
  • Minimizing stress
  • Getting vaccinated with the flu shot

  Read the rest here…

  And pick up some IQ Biologix Emergency Immune Support here…

  

   

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 18:25

• Maryland Democrats "Clearly In Denial" As State Faces Twin Crises
  Maryland Democrats “Clearly In Denial” As State Faces Twin Crises

  Television magnate David Smith’s purchase of The Baltimore Sun last year has reshaped the paper’s editorial direction, focusing on crime coverage in Brandon Scott’s crime-ridden Baltimore City and critiquing Maryland’s radical Democratic leadership in Annapolis. Under Smith’s ownership, the newspaper has intensified its scrutiny of radical progressive policies, contributing to twin economic and energy crises. Further exacerbating Maryland’s challenges, the Department of Government Efficiency’s downsizing of the federal bureaucracy is expected to spark significant economic headwinds for a state (such as credit downgrade) that relies heavily on federal workers and lacks any real sizeable private-sector economy. 

  The absurdity in the sanctuary state that prioritizes illegal aliens and transgenders was realized in recent days when radical leftist lawmakers in Annapolis prioritized a bill to install condom machines in elementary schools. These unaccountable politicians purposely overlooked solving the energy crisis that is bankrupting Marylanders at a shocking rate. According to local outlet WMAR, out of 1.3 million power customers in Central Maryland, more than 264,000 are behind on their bills. 

  Maryland Democrats are pushing a bill to put VENDING MACHINE CONDOMS in KINDERGARTEN

  Literally beyond parody pic.twitter.com/Ynd5X15vzP

  — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 26, 2025

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  In addition, far-left Gov. Wes Moore is well over his head as he struggles with a budget crisis and death spiral that threatens to push the state into a “deep recession.”

  Maryland’s Death Spiral: Reckless Democratic Lawmakers Spark Budget Crisis Fears As “Deep Recession” Looms https://t.co/reReKpxTsN

  — zerohedge (@zerohedge) November 28, 2024

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  Returning to Smith’s transformation of The Baltimore Sun, which now delivers quality commentary on local politics that Marylanders actually want to read instead of years of toxic wokeism, a guest op-ed by House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R) and House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy (R) titled “Democrats Don’t Have Answers for Maryland’s Energy Crisis” highlights Maryland Democrats are “clearly in denial” that their policies have backfired and risks the Illinois 2.0 moment.

  How times have changed for the local paper – now offering readers critical op-eds on Democrats: 

  Many Democrats in Annapolis — from the governor to the House and Senate leadership — are clearly in denial. First, we saw it with the budget deficit — some Democrats attempt to blame former Gov. Larry Hogan, and others insist that the $10 billion Blueprint for Maryland’s Future plan has not contributed to the shortfall. Now, as Maryland’s ratepayers are getting crushed under the weight of high electricity costs, Maryland Democrats are, in the governor’s case, ignoring the problem or, in the case of the General Assembly, feigning shock, blaming others and offering false “fixes.”

  For many years, Maryland ratepayers have been the metaphorical frog in the pot of water. Through their reckless environmental policies that sacrifice our ratepayers on the altar of clean energy, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly has been gradually increasing the pressure on energy prices. Now, those rates have spiked at a time of increased usage, and our ratepayers are finding themselves in boiling-hot water.

  In response to the outcry from families crushed by high energy bills, those who have advocated for the foolish policies responsible for these rate hikes have offered a series of measures they claim will provide affordable, reliable energy to lower utility bills. That sounds great, but the reality is these measures do not achieve any of those goals — they merely double down on Maryland’s green energy obsession that got us here in the first place.

  The Next Generation Energy Act (H.B. 1035) declares the state’s support for nuclear energy while offering no incentives for nuclear investment and discouraging new nuclear projects with expensive labor construction requirements and unnecessary DEI policies that do nothing to reduce energy costs. It also includes provisions for natural gas plants, but only those with a long-term plan to convert to hydrogen or biofuel, making the projects less feasible and more costly. These policies won’t provide immediate or long-term relief to ratepayers.

  Another of the Democratic leadership’s bills, the Renewable Energy Certainty Act (H.B. 1036), furthers the push for more solar farms but restricts local governments’ ability to manage them. It also makes rooftop solar systems more expensive by adding regulatory burdens on both systems and installers, ultimately doing nothing to help ratepayers reduce their energy bills.

  The Energy Resource Adequacy and Planning Act (H.B. 1037) expands state government to create the Integrated Resource Planning Office within the Public Service Commission (PSC) tasked with developing a 25-year comprehensive energy forecast. The bill also requires the PSC to adopt regulations requiring power companies to develop an integrated resource plan. While increased planning may be a good idea, the priority of this measure is clean energy, while affordable rates are again an afterthought. This is yet another piece of legislation that places the needs of Maryland’s families and businesses after the needs of Maryland’s Democratic leaders to please the ever-present green movement in Annapolis.

  Over the last six years, Maryland has lost 6,000 megawatts of energy generation through the closure of fossil fuel power plants, not including the pending closures of Brandon Shores and H.A. Wagner power plants. Over that time Maryland has only gained 1,600 megawatts of new energy generation. Maryland imports over 40% of our energy needs from out-of-state locations. This energy deficit has been exacerbated by a demand surge brought on by the electrification policies pushed by the Democratic leadership, who simply ignore the benefit of natural gas and other proven energy sources. Nothing in the leadership’s plan makes any of this better. The hard reality is that providing immediate rate relief to Marylanders in the short term is a daunting task. This problem was created over many years with the passage of numerous pieces of reckless legislation. Significant damage has been done to our energy market and it will take time and willingness to reverse these policies and even longer to bring new energy generation online.

  The best way to end Maryland’s energy crisis is to end our obsession with green energy and its impossible and expensive goals. The members of the House Republican Caucus are offering numerous initiatives to end Maryland’s expensive green energy addiction. This includes legislation exempting public safety buildings from green energy requirements, prohibiting state and local governments from increasing energy costs through frivolous global warming lawsuits, limiting the provisions of the Climate Solutions Now Act to the extent economically practicable, and eliminating costly “green energy” subsidies that show up on your utility bill. We all want clean energy — but people have to be able to afford it. Until that day comes, all options have to be on the table.

  Local lawmakers Buckel and Pippy, who penned the op-ed, should’ve added a section about the DOGE-related disaster coming down the pipe that will likely create even larger headaches for the state locked in a dangerous death spiral.

  As we’ve previously noted, our recent conversation with a large asset management firm in the region revealed the state’s dire fiscal situation and how their clients are being told not to add Maryland munis to their bond portfolio. Some clients are being advised to find residency in conservative states amid fears Democrats will enact out-of-control tax hikes as the state implodes. 

  What a shitstorm. This is what happens when leftist activists run the state – not actual managers – everything turns to shit. 

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 18:00

• The Gold At Fort Knox Was Stolen From Americans
  The Gold At Fort Knox Was Stolen From Americans

  Authored by Ryan McMaken via The Mises Institute,

  In recent days, President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Senator Rand Paul, and some others have pressed for an audit of the US gold reserves, with a special focus on the gold at Fort Knox. This is perfectly reasonable given that the US gold reserves – which are the property of the US Treasury and not the Federal Reserve – have not undergone even a partial audit in at least forty years.

  

  Part of the reason for the audit is to discover if any of the gold has been stolen. The US Mint, the government agency that acts as custodian of the gold, has reported for many years that the official size of the gold reserve is 8,133.46 metric tons of gold. Since there has been no audit in so many decades, though, the Mint’s position is essentially “trust us, bro.” Trusting federal bureaucrats has never been a particularly wise policy, and this is why there are ongoing demands for some sort of transparent audit.

  If the total size of the US’s gold holdings is revealed to be a number below the official number, then it will just be the latest reminder that there a great many thieves and incompetents among the people running the US federal government. After all, if there is less gold than reported in the US gold reserves, it was presumably stolen at some point.

  This would be a fitting destiny for the US government’s gold since much of that was stolen to begin with. When I say “stolen,” I don’t even mean in the sense that “taxation is theft” and that the US bought the gold using tax dollars. In truth, the way the US Treasury acquired much of its gold hoard is even more underhanded than ordinary taxation.

  Rather, it is likely that most of the gold at Fort Knox, as with the US regime’s gold in general, is gold stolen from ordinary Americans as a part of Franklin Roosevelt’s efforts to end the gold standard and confiscate private gold holdings in the United States. That is, the US gold reserves are a legacy of the way the US government reneged on its promises to redeem US dollars in gold. Rather than pay out the gold that was owed to holders of US dollars, the US government hoarded it instead. That stolen gold is what the auditors will be counting if the US government ever allows an honest accounting of the Treasury’s gold reserves.

  Where Did the Gold at Fort Knox Come From?

  In his 1994 article for The Journal of Economic Education, economist William C. Wood writes that “the Fort Knox depository is now an artifact of gold standard days.“ He then adds, “The gold currently in Fort Knox came from the melting of Depression-era gold coins, from lend-lease arrangements in War II, and from government operations under the gold standard.”

  That reference to “Depression-era gold coins” is telling. Most of those gold coins were likely the coins confiscated from private owners by the US government following Roosevelt’s Executive Order 6102 which outlawed the private ownership of gold. Few Americans owned gold bars, of course, and the gold that was in non-institutional private hands was mostly gold coin. Roosevelt’s edict required that private citizens hand this gold over to the US government in exchange for what was effectively below-market prices. And what if you would rather not give up your property to the US government? Too bad.

  Moreover, private banks and the central bank held gold in the form of coins for dollar holders who, prior to confiscation, would occasionally present US dollars for redemption in gold. This is, in part, the gold in Fort Knox that that Wood classifies as gold held for “government operations under the gold standard.” After 1933, however, banks did not need to hold onto any gold coins for this purpose since Roosevelt’s effort to end the gold standard included a prohibition on banks paying out gold.

  So, these coins ceased to have an immediate market value among banks. Where did all these gold coins end up? Most ended up with the US Treasury after the Treasury seized the Federal Reserve’s gold in 1934.

  Evidence of this can be found in the nature of the gold that is now held at Fort Knox. Wood further explains that the gold there is not the type of gold usually found in gold bars used for international transactions: “The gold resulting from melting of coinage has considerably lower quality than the ‘fine’ or ‘good delivery’ gold commonly used in international trade. The majority of the gold in Fort Knox is the lower-quality coin gold.”

  The legacy of the US regime’s gold theft is not limited to the coins that happened to be in private hands in 1933, however. Much of the gold that is in the US gold reserves today is gold that would have been paid out to the private sector had the US government not reneged in its promises to pay war bonds in gold. 

  The 1934 Default on Gold-Based Liberty Bonds

  Every time there is a debate over the so-called “debt ceiling,” various servants of the US regime like Jerome Powell or Janet Yellen claim that “the United States has never defaulted.” This is a lie. 

  Arguably, it was a default, in the broad sense, when Roosevelt’s regime refused to make good on its obligations to dollar holders under the gold standard. The US also defaulted in a formal and legal sense when it refused to pay its World War I Liberty Bonds in gold as promised. Specifically, in 1934, the United States defaulted on the fourth Liberty Bond. The contracts between debtor and creditor on these bonds was clear. The bonds were to be payable in gold. This presented a big problem for the US, which was facing big debts into the 1930s after the First World War. As described by John Chamberlain:

  By the time Franklin Roosevelt entered office in 1933, the interest payments alone were draining the treasury of gold; and because the treasury had only $4.2 billion in gold it was obvious there would be no way to pay the principal when it became due in 1938, not to mention meet expenses and other debt obligations. These other debt obligations were substantial. Ever since the 1890s the Treasury had been gold short and had financed this deficit by making new bond issues to attract gold for paying the interest of previous issues. The result was that by 1933 the total debt was $22 billion and the amount of gold needed to pay even the interest on it was soon going to be insufficient.

  So how did the US government deal with this? Chamberlain notes “Roosevelt decided to default on the whole of the domestically-held debt by refusing to redeem in gold to Americans.”

  In other words, thanks to its profligate deficit spending, the US government was running out of gold by the early 1930s. So, the regime defaulted on the gold bonds. The gold that would have passed into private hands was hoarded by the federal government and declared off limits to the public. Much of that gold remains in the US gold reserves today.

  Defaulting on International Gold Obligations

  Not all of the US Treasury’s gold is stolen from ordinary Americans. Some is stolen from foreign governments. Another illustration of the dishonesty of the “we never defaulted” narrative is the fact that the US government defaulted in 1971 on its obligations to foreign government under the Bretton Woods system. That is, rather than pay what was owed to foreign governments, the US government once again decided to steal this gold and simply said “tough luck” to everyone with a legal claim to the gold. Or, as Treasury Secretary John Connally said at the time, the dollar “is our currency, but it’s your problem.”

  US Gold Reserves: A Legacy of Theft and Lies

  The gold reserve was never supposed to be a static, untouchable hoard of the US federal government, as it is now. It was supposed to be there for Americans and other users of dollars who traded in their dollars for gold. Gold was supposed to flow in and out. Then, the US government slammed the doors of the federal gold vaults shut and declared “the gold is all ours forever.” 

  Like most everything else the US government “owns,” the gold in the US gold reserves is there due to many years of lies, gaslighting, and deception. The gold is there because the US regime defaulted on its debts and reneged on its promises to back dollars in gold.

  If a true auditing team is ever allowed to actually examine the US regime’s gold, it will be examining the evidence of crimes from long ago. The auditors will be counting the gold stolen from our ancestors to enrich the state and its friends.

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 17:40

• DOGE This: DC Layoffs May Top Million, Recession Risks Soar As Jobs & Housing Sour
  DOGE This: DC Layoffs May Top Million, Recession Risks Soar As Jobs & Housing Sour

  The Trump administration’s epic purge of federal workers is shaping into one of the most significant job cuts in a generation. Early indicators suggest Northern Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland may be in the beginning innings of an economic downturn, as jobless claims rise and a surge in active housing listings signals a very ominous outlook.

  On Thursday morning, Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo, joined Bloomberg TV, warning, “The consensus expects total DOGE-related job cuts to be 300,000 … However, studies show that for every federal employee, there are two contractors.” 

  

  “As a result, layoffs could potentially be closer to 1 million,” Slok noted. 

  

  Watch Slok’s interview…

  Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo, examines the potential level of federal job cuts that may be seen from the Department of Government Efficiency and says stagflation is “the backdrop for the conversation that we’re having in markets at the moment” https://t.co/w75JWgHA0u pic.twitter.com/RgKzIM4Ow7

  — Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) February 27, 2025

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  New jobs market data this AM showed that DOGE-related layoffs are beginning to filter through. Now comes the tsunami…

  DOGE Wins As DC Jobless Claims Soared Last Week https://t.co/ISgKiUOW67

  — zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 27, 2025

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  Dominic Konstam, head of macro strategy at Mizuho, asked: “DoGE-led recession risk?” 

  The market is focused on a negative economic fallout from Federal spending cuts. The level of potential Federal job losses is too small to derail growth, but overall government spending has been egregiously high in recent years. There has also been excessive job growth in the “government” sectors, including federal, state, and local government, as well as in education and health. If DoGE sets a precedent on jobs and achieves spending cuts that ricochet through the quasi-public sector, it is likely that new economic headwinds will develop. ​​

  Oh wow, where have we seen this? Just 3 weeks ahead of the curve.

  And now the official narrative is set. https://t.co/IVA9GG8qxG pic.twitter.com/FJU0G92Q3H

  — zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 27, 2025

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  Earlier this month, BofA’s Michael Hartnett commented: “Washington, DC recession begins.”

  “Government Recession Begins”: DC Active Home Listings Soar, Jobless Claims Spike As DOGE Drains Swamp https://t.co/1vP15sKxff

  — zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 16, 2025

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  New data from Bright MLS, one of the most extensive multiple listing services in the US, shows that DC’s active listing continues trending around 25% compared to the same week one year ago and is up 4% from one week ago. 

  

  DC active listings are trending well over levels seen in the past three years and could be ripe for much more upside as DOGE-related layoffs ramp up. 

  

  Active listings in DC with price decreases are also on the rise. 

  

  As the spring selling season begins, median prices in DC are still trending above the last few years. 

  

  Callie Cox, chief market strategist at Ritholtz Wealth Management, called the situation unfolding in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland as the “largest job cut in American history (by a mile).”  

  Google searches for “recession” remain tame across the country, but DC is currently searching for it the most… pic.twitter.com/QImaoN5EKk

  — Bespoke (@bespokeinvest) February 27, 2025

  And it begins. 

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  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 17:20

• Trans-Terror: Police Arrest 'Woman' For Allegedly Trying To Torch Tesla Dealership
  Trans-Terror: Police Arrest ‘Woman’ For Allegedly Trying To Torch Tesla Dealership

  Authored by Ken Silva via Headline USA,

  Police in Loveland, Colorado have arrested a suspect who allegedly vandalized a local Tesla dealership several times, and who left incendiary devices at the scene.

  Justin Thomas Nelson, 42, a transgender person who goes by the first name Lucy, was arrested Monday night without incident.

  The arrest stems from a Lovement Police investigation into attempted arson that took place at a Tesla shop shortly after midnight on Feb. 7. In addition, police said that various vehicles and the Tesla building were vandalized with graffiti messages, some of which were offensive and hateful in nature.

  A radical trantifa activist has been arrested in Loveland, Colo. for allegedly carrying out a series of violent attacks on @Tesla property using incendiary devices.

  Lucy Grace Nelson, a man, has been incorrectly booked into the jail as a “female” by @LarimerSheriff. I can… pic.twitter.com/TLDpCVcMlN

  — Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) February 27, 2025

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  Police had already received similar reports on Jan. 29 and Feb. 2, but those incidents were less serious than the Feb. 7 attempted arson, they said.

  “On Monday evening, Nelson again returned to Loveland Tesla while in possession of additional incendiary devices, along with materials attributed to vandalism,” Loveland Police said in a press release.

  “Detectives apprehended Nelson prior to further damage occurring.”

  Nelson was booked into the Larimer County Jail on the following charges: Explosives or Incendiary Devices Use During Felony, a Class 2 felony; Criminal Mischief $2,000 < $5,000 Business, a Class 6 felony; and Criminal Attempt to Commit Class 3 Felony, a Class 4 felony.

  A judge issued a $100,000 cash surety bond for the alleged trans terrorist.

  Police said they worked with the ATF on the case.

  Mainstream media, including Fox News, was widely panned for reporting the suspect’s gender as female.

  Dear everyone,

  Lucy Grace Nelson aka Justin Thomas Nelson, is NOT a woman.

  That’s a man @FoxNews

  I thought we were done lying about transgenders and feeding into their delusions?

  “Lucy” vandalized a Tesla dealership several times and brought incendiary devises. https://t.co/yT96kou0L9 pic.twitter.com/GWCwnjonj9

  — Kristi L. Talmadge (@KristiTalmadge) February 27, 2025

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  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 17:00

• After Lame 'Epstein Files' Release, AG Pam Bondi Demands 'Withheld' FBI Files By 8AM Friday
  After Lame ‘Epstein Files’ Release, AG Pam Bondi Demands ‘Withheld’ FBI Files By 8AM Friday

  Update (1700ET):  Well, that was a massive letdown – eh? Today’s Epstein Files release, given to a select group of journalists and influencers, didn’t contain any new names or details of note. It was a nothingburger with no pickles or fries. And considering that Epstein was likely a Mossad honeypot operation, what did you expect?

  

  If you want a seriously good rundown of the Epstein files – what we know to date, and what we’re looking for, click into this guy’s tweet and read the thread.

  I have been reporting on Jeffrey Epstein and the criminal and civil lawsuits surrounding him for several years.

  Here is the truth about “The Epstein Files.”

  🧵 pic.twitter.com/6olSWIdikP

  — Jacob Shamsian ⚖️ (@JayShams) February 27, 2025

  In particular, we want this:

  We saw some of these records, and glimpses of others, during bail arguments for Jeffrey Epstein and during Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial.

  It’s clear there was a lot of material!https://t.co/HwgoO4FbQ0 pic.twitter.com/li3o8TB95A

  — Jacob Shamsian ⚖️ (@JayShams) February 27, 2025

  To that end, there’s still a glimmer of hope (don’t hold your breath!), as Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Thursday that there are still “thousands of pages” of documents in the FBI’s investigation into Epstein that were withheld from her – which she’s demanded by Friday morning at 8AM.

  “By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 28, the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained,” Bondi wrote in a letter to Patel.

  🚨BREAKING: Attorney General Pam Bondi REVEALS in a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel that the FBI is WITHHOLDING Epstein documents from her. pic.twitter.com/KbOazbdsRp

  — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 27, 2025

  Again, don’t hold your breath…

  *  *  *

  Know what isn’t lame? ZeroHedge Multitools. Hundreds sold. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!

  

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  Update (1401ET): The ‘Epstein Files’ have been released – to a select group of journalists and influencers, so we don’t quite know what’s in them yet…

  

  According to the NY Post, however, it’s a nothingburger (but stay tuned, as we’ll drop whatever’s good – if anything)…

  A source who has reviewed the files said the release spans more than 100 pages, including a list of contacts without further context.

  The person said the unveiling was likely to be a “disappointment” to sleuths eager for bombshell new evidence about the billionaire pedophile’s connection to prominent political and business leaders.

  Former President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Prince Andrew and President Trump are among the high-profile people who associated with Epstein — though Trump reportedly banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007 over an incident with a club member’s daughter.

  A client list is not included in the initial release, which was compiled into binders describing the disclosure as “phase one” of the Epstein files, according to the source.

  Earlier in the day the DOJ passed out binder copies of the “Epstein Files: Phase 1” to various people.

  “This is just the start. AG Bondi confirmed there are thousands more Epstein File documents being secretly held in the SDNY and they will be delivered to the DOJ in DC by February 28,” wrote @DC_Draino who received a binder.

  🚨Today I met with President Trump, VP JD Vance, AG Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel in the Oval Office

  They handed me a binder copy of the Epstein Files

  This is the most transparent administration in American history

  The best part? This is just the start. AG Bondi… pic.twitter.com/A4MRVuPeVh

  — DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) February 27, 2025

  PHASE 1 HAS BEGUNhttps://t.co/7G0yjsXHTo

  — Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) February 27, 2025

  Needless to say, the way this release been handled is not going over well…

  I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today… A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein’s phonebook.

  THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment.

  GET US THE…

  — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) February 27, 2025

  “Hey everyone, I have a list of all the members of an ultra-powerful international pedophile ring. Make sure you hit that like and subscribe button.”

  — T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) February 27, 2025

  *  *  *

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  Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday evening that she’s going to release DOJ files on dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

  

  “You said last week that you had the Epstein files on your desk. When can we see them?” asked Fox News‘ Jesse Watters.

  “Jesse, there are well over – this will make you sick, 200 victims. Well over… over 250 actually. So we have to make sure that their identity is protected, and their personal information. But other than that, I think tomorrow Jesse – breaking news right now, you’re going to see some Epstein information being released by my office.“

  “What kind? Are we going to see who was on the flights? Are we going to see any evidence from what he recorded – because he had all of his homes wired with recording devices,” Watters asked.

  “What you’re going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information… it’s pretty sick what that man did,” Bondi continued.

  Watch:

  BREAKING NEWS: US Attorney General @PamBondi says we can expect brand new Jeffrey Epstein details TOMORROW. Expect flight logs and names… pic.twitter.com/dMn4nkKefV

  — Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) February 27, 2025

  Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender was found dead in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. While his death was rules a suicide, he was also good friends with the Clintons and several other high-profile figures such as Bill Gates, Britain’s Prince Andrew, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former Barclays CEO and ‘Disney princess‘ aficionado Jes Staley, Larry Summers, Harvey Weinstein, and former Victoria’s Secret boss Les Wexner.

  

  Here are the flight logs which have already been released.

  Media Room?

  Watters’ question about recordings stems from earlier reporting that the deceased sex trafficker’s homes were wired with recording devices.

  In late 2019, Jeffrey Epstein victim Maria Farmer alleged that the deceased pedophile had a “media room” on the first floor where high-profile johns were allegedly recorded having sex with women and children.

  “So if you’re facing the house, there’s a window on the right that’s barred – that’s the room, the ‘media room’ is what he called it,” Farmer said. “And so there was a door that looked like an invisible door with all this limestone and everything and you push it and you go in and I saw all the cameras.”

  Maria said: “What it was – was like old televisions basically, like stacked.“

  “They were monitors inside this cabinet and there were men sitting here and I looked on the cameras and I saw toilet, toilet, bed, bed, toilet, bed.

  “And I was like I’m never going to use the restroom here and I am never going to sleep here.” –The Sun

  The claim was supported in a 2024 lawsuit by two women – Danielle Bensky and Jane Doe 3, who said Epstein employed a sophisticated system involving constant CCTV surveillance within his New York mansion.

  Bondi’s appearance came hours after the DOJ appeared to give Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) the brush-off, telling her in a Wednesday letter that they are “reviewing your requests and look forward to engaging further to accommodate your oversight and legislative needs.”

  On the campaign trail, Donald Trump suggested that he would be open to releasing the Epstein list, while Bondi said in November that anyone named in the documents who are “still fighting to keep their names private, Sean, they have no legal basis to do so unless they’re a child, a victim or a cooperating defendant.”

  My office just received a formal response from the DOJ on the Jeffrey Epstein, JFK, MLK, & RFK files.

  Read below👇 pic.twitter.com/gooBBQRlAq

  — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) February 26, 2025

  Last week Bondi told Fox News that she had the Epstein files “sitting on my desk right now to review.”

  *  *  *

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  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 16:55

• Treasonous CIA Insiders "Might Be Motivated" To Betray America If DOGE Fires Them
  Treasonous CIA Insiders “Might Be Motivated” To Betray America If DOGE Fires Them

  Apparently one of the ‘six ways from Sunday’ the intelligence community has to get back at the Trump administration is threatening to leak sensitive information to ‘a foreign intelligence service’ if they’re fired as part of DOGE’s efforts to downsize government.

  

  In a Feb. 24 CNN article titled “How Trump’s government-cutting moves risk exposing the CIA’s secrets,” the outlet warns “As the CIA weighs staff cuts, current and former intelligence officials say that mass firings could offer a rich recruitment opportunity for foreign intelligence services – like China or Russia – who may seek to exploit financially vulnerable or resentful former employees.“

  “on the CIA’s 7th floor – home to top leadership – some officers are also quietly discussing how mass firings and the buyouts already offered to staff risk creating a group of disgruntled former employees who might be motivated to take what they know to a foreign intelligence service,” the article continues.

  This is so crazy!

  pic.twitter.com/p8B3dXrkAW

  — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 27, 2025

  The Federalist goes even deeper:

  Is that a threat from the CIA? Is CNN reporting that Trump should keep everyone employed because, if he doesn’t, former CIA agents will spill U.S. secrets to our enemies? Apparently so.

  But if that’s the case, these are exactly the employees who should be fired. Those with too little integrity to exit with grace should not be employed in jobs with access to sensitive information. The CIA employees CNN describes should not be trusted with any more secrets.

  Within the same piece, CNN ridiculously makes it sound as if valued, model intelligence employees will get the axe — and that those same employees have loose lips and are ripe for the picking. Which is it, CNN?

  The media want you to be worried because they are worried. If Trump cleans house, it will destroy their business model. CNN and other propagandists have exploited unethical leaking of deep state sources, treating their whispers as gospel, and amplifying their aims through high-profile “news” stories.    

  If Trump fires their sources, it will be harder for the media to collude with the intelligence community to craft propaganda to sell to the public. The connection between CNN and the deep state has been too cozy for too long.

  Read the rest from The Federalist here…

  People have to be charged.

  If someone threatens to sell state secrets to China because they’re being fired, they should be charged with treason.

  What’s the punishment for treason again?

  — Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) February 27, 2025

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

  I mean that’s treason

  — Jacktron (@jacktronprime) February 27, 2025

  *  *  *

  Are You Prepared? Grab one or more of these 2-day survival backpacks from ReadyWise on sale for $199.95 with free shipping. Buy one for each car, your house, and your friends.

  

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

  Tyler Durden
  Thu, 02/27/2025 – 16:45

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