Jan 03

Today’s News 3rd January 2025

  • 2024: Year Of The Drone
    2024: Year Of The Drone

    Authored by Patrick Drennan via RealClearDefense,

    Drone boats, drone planes, trolly drones, drone traffic lights and more…

    The 2024 word of the year was controversially proposed as either Brat (Collins dictionary), Polarization (Miriam Webster dictionary), or Brain-Rot (Oxford University Press) – however no word has more impact on the modern psych than the word Drone.

    The weird and extravagant reactions to drones spotted in the night sky of New Jersey recently reflects that fascination. One member of Congress speculated that they came from outer space.

    From drones that can soar through the stratosphere, to rotor drones that hover a few feet above the ground, and submersible drones that glide 50 feet underwater, drones have transformed our lives and modern warfare.

    Their impact mainly comes from daily news and internet video images of war footage – particularly the fiery, innovative, and futuristic use of drones in Ukraine.

    Cost effective FPV (First Person View), and kamikaze drones excel in reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and direct strikes, proving highly effective at targeting enemy positions…but they have been upgraded for much more than that –

    Sea Drones

    Ukraine use their Magura V5 and Sea Baby drones to sink Russian barges, attack oil rigs and devastatingly, sink billion-dollar Russian warships.  In February 2024, a video depicted a Ukraine sea drone sinking a Russian battleship. Later, Ukraine used a sea drone with a mounted remote-controlled machine gun to shoot at Russia helicopters. The Russians called in jet fighters to sink these drones, but it is only a matter of time when the sea drones will be mounted with MANPAD ground-to-air missiles.

    Trolly Drones

    The Palianytsia drone is actually a converted heavy missile powered by a turbojet engine and guided by GPS. It motors down a runway on a wheeled trolley, abandoning the trolley as it gains lift. 

    Plane Drones

    The Ukrainians have adapted small kitset sports planes into combat drones – flying them by remote control, loaded with explosives. They extend the range of normal drones and increase the payload. On December 15, a video was released showing a Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat drone aircraft damaging a Chechen/Russian military facility 500 miles from the Ukrainian border.

    Drone Swarms

    Both sides in the Russian/Ukraine conflict use cheap plastic, polystyrene and wooden drone swarms to confuse and confound sophisticated radar systems, like the Russian TombStone system. The drones are often used in conjunction with more sophisticated drones and ballistic missiles. The Russians combine swarms of Iranian HESA Shahed 136 drones with Kalibr cruise missiles, and 9K720 Iskander ballistic missiles to attack Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians.

    Both sides effectively use electronic jamming equipment to counter drones. In response both sides are increasingly reverting to algorithm trained drones that fly by visual navigation without ground signals. Ukraine also cheekily diverted some attacking drones into the territory of Russian ally Belarus.

    Drones Operated by Long Fiber Cables

    In response Russia developed drones that were operated by attached thin fiber-optic cables that were over 6 miles long. With no radio signal the drone was impossible to detect, and impossible to jam. However, when former U.S. Marine Troy Smothers saw this, he built similar drones for Ukraine with an incredible range of 15 miles.

    Ground Combat Drones

    Robot ground drones are being used for a variety of purposes including delivering equipment such as landmines, and astonishingly Ukraine has developed a tracked drone armed with a Browning 12.7 mm machine gun – the Droid TW 12.7. It has a range of eight miles and is also equipped with hi-tech cameras for reconnaissance. They are limited in number but have great potential.

    Drone Traffic Lights

    A telegram user posted a video of a Russian military traffic light system. It flashes a yellow light when a distant hostile drone is detected. The light turns red when there is a high-level threat, and green when there are no nearby threats at all.

    Drone Detection From Space

    The Chairperson of the Russian Center for Unmanned Systems,  Andrei Bezrukov claimed on December 14 that the center developed the “Kalinka” monitoring system to detect drones that connect to satellite systems, including Starlink. Bezrukov claimed that the system can detect Ukrainian aerial and maritime drones up to 10 miles away.

    Specialized Military Drone Branches

    Ukraine and Russia have both established large, dedicated military drone branches.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered  the establishment of a separate branch within the Ukrainian Armed Forces on February 6, 2024, called the Unmanned System Forces (USF). The USF is responsible for interactions with already existing unmanned systems units and with supporting these units. The USF is also responsible for supplying units with drones, training specialists, planning military operations involving unmanned systems, and cooperating with domestic unmanned systems manufacturers.

    In response the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) launched a coordinated effort in August 2024 to create a centralized separate branch for unmanned systems, likely to reorganize informal specialized drone detachments and centralize procurement of unmanned systems. The Russian MoD is mainly trying to consolidate the state’s control over Russian drone operators and developers, some of whom had enjoyed relative semi-independence from the Russian military bureaucracy.D

    While Russia seeks centralized control, Western armies are offering different tactics. Every British and American army platoon will now have a drone operator. The 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning is being trained in using the RQ-28A short-range reconnaissance (SRR) quadcopter drone.  “The SRR RQ-28A capability will provide game-changing technology to Army platoons, enhancing both soldier lethality and survivability,” said Carson L. Wakefield.

    Peaceful Drones 

    Drones have incredible value in the civilian world. They assist in humanitarian and disaster response, engineering, construction, crop monitoring, weather forecasting, and search and rescue. They even have drones that can clean high-rise windows.

    Despite all the remarkable innovations above, drones are not as destructively effective on the battlefield as artillery, missiles and landmines. However, drones are what captures the public imagination. Now imagine drones that are not operated by humans at all, but by AI programmed robots. Are you ready for that?

    Patrick Drennan is a journalist based in New Zealand, with a degree in American history and economics.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 23:25

  • Israel To Intensify Gaza Fight If Hamas Doesn't Release Hostages
    Israel To Intensify Gaza Fight If Hamas Doesn’t Release Hostages

    Amid reports of over 45,000 Palestinians dead following well over a year of fighting in the Gaza Strip, Israel is warning that it is preparing to escalate its offensive against Hamas even more.

    Defense Minister Israel Katz issued an ultimatum Wednesday, telling Hamas to immediately release the some 100 hostages that remain or else Israel deal it “blows with a force not seen in Gaza for a long time.”

    Via Retuers

    At this point the hostages have been held for more than 450 days, and many of the remaining one hundred are feared dead.

    “The IDF will intensify its activities against the terrorist nests in Gaza until the release of the hostages and the elimination of Hamas,” Katz warned while touring the southern Israeli city of Netivot.

    “I call on Gaza’s residents to rise up against the murderous Hamas group, which also uses you as human shields, and to bring about the release of the hostages, to prevent suffering and end the war,” Katz said.

    Netivot had witnessed a New Year’s Day salvo of Hamas rockets fired on it. The defense minister touted Israel’s “willingness to make far-reaching compromises in accordance with the principles outlined by the U.S. president.”

    On Thursday Reuters cited PM Netanyahu’s office as saying he has authorized the resumption of negotiations by an Israeli delegation in Doha. “Hostage negotiations are reportedly not stuck and there has been progress,” The Jerusalem Post additionally said.

    A new Israeli military statement has said that warplanes continue to be engaged in heavy operations over the Gaza Strip. “Air Force aircraft and control rooms are in direct contact with the fighting [ground] forces and support the fighting in the various sectors,” a statement said.

    The IDF added, “This is an early warning. Terror groups are again firing rockets from this area, which has been warned several times in the past.”

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    But with much of the Strip already completely leveled and devastated, it’s hard to know how or in what ways Israel can still escalate. Hamas leadership has been degraded, but likely there are still many thousands more Hamas militants operating from the vast tunnel system, waging guerilla war.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 23:00

  • 2025 Might Be A Tumultuous Year For South Asia
    2025 Might Be A Tumultuous Year For South Asia

    Authored by Andrew Korybko via substack,

    South Asia is generally thought of as a comparatively stable region whose primary problems are socio-economic development, which shouldn’t be underestimated but isn’t the same as the geopolitical turbulence that West Asia and Europe have recently experienced. That might be about to change.

    From Afghanistan to Myanmar, the latter of which can be included in South Asia due to its former role in the British Raj, the entire region is bracing itself for a tumultuous 2025.

    Beginning with Afghanistan, the latest tit-for-tat attacks between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan across the Durand Line bode ill for the future of their bilateral relations. Kabul never recognized the British-imposed border between Afghanistan and what later became Pakistan. It’s also accused by Islamabad of harboring the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the “Pakistani Taliban”, which is a designated terrorist group. The Afghan Taliban, meanwhile, accused Pakistan of killing civilians in its latest strike.

    At the same time, Pakistan’s relations with the US are also deteriorating. The Biden Administration imposed new sanctions on its ballistic missile program, unprecedentedly targeting a state agency, while the State Department just condemned a military court’s conviction of 25 civilians. Returning US President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions Richard Grenell is also advocating for the release of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. Ties will likely become more complicated.

    India’s found itself in a similar situation. A former Indian official was charged in October with organizing the attempted assassination of a Delhi-designated terrorist with dual American citizenship on US soil in summer 2023. Earlier this year, Russia gave voice to Indian suspicions that the US meddled in its general election, while some Indians believe that the US’ charges against billionaire business Gautam Adani are politically motivated. Others accuse the US of overthrowing the friendly government in Bangladesh too.

    On that topic, ties between these neighbors took a huge hit after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled her country during increasingly riotous protests over the summer. The new ruling arrangement in Bangladesh has adopted an ultra-nationalist position towards India, while India accuses it of turning a blind eye to retributive mob violence against the Hindu minority. Dhaka earlier accused Delhi of playing a role in August’s floods. This rising mutual distrust might soon have regional security consequences.

    And finally, Bangladesh would do well to a closer eye on Myanmar than on India, where the Buddhist nationalist Arakan Army just seized control of their narrow border and reportedly reaffirmed its prior accusations that Dhaka backs jihadist Rohingya groups. The speed at which rebels swept across the country since the start of their 1023 offensive in October 2023, which has since led to them reportedly capturing over half of the country, raises concerns that Myanmar might soon follow in Syria’s footsteps.

    As can be seen, socio-economic developmental problems are no longer South Asia’s greatest challenge, with geopolitical issues now coming to the forefront of policymakers’ attention instead. Three of them concern worsening inter-state relations between Afghanistan-Pakistan, India-Bangladesh, and Bangladesh-Myanmar, which add to exiting tensions between India-Pakistan. If there’s any geopolitical silver lining from the past year, it’s that India and China are now trying to patch up their problems.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the latest BRICS Summit in Russia’s Kazan in late October. This followed the announcement that their countries had reached a long-awaited deal to mutually de-escalate their border crisis that led to lethal clashes in summer 2020. Provided that their incipient rapprochement remains on track, then it could alleviate their security dilemma, which would reduce military pressure along India’s northern border.

    On the flip side, however, the returning Trump Administration might disapprove of any meaningful improvement in Sino-Indo relations due to expected prioritization of containing China. This might lead to the US trying to incentivize India into slowing the pace of its rapprochement with China in exchange for relief from some of the pressure that the Biden Administration previously placed upon it. The existing charges would have to run their course, but there might be an informal agreement to not hype them up.

    India is the most important country in the region due to its demographic, economic, and military weight, which makes it a rising Great Power in what’s been described as the emerging multipolar world order, so its balancing act (known in Indian parlance as “multi-alignment” between other major players can have an outsized role on the region. In particular, this concerns its relations with the US, China, and Russia. Ties with Russia are excellent, they’re improving with China, while they remain complicated with the US.

    Trump is expected to bargain hard for American trade and investment interests the world over, and he criticized India for its high tariffs just several months ago, so he’s unlikely to propose any related concessions for incentivizing India to decelerate its rapprochement with China. What he can do, however, is pressure Bangladesh’s new ruling arrangement on the issue of minority Hindu rights and holding truly free and fair elections as soon as possible, which would be deeply appreciated by Delhi.

    Worsening US-Pakistani ties over the issue of the latter’s ballistic missile program, which Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said could one day reach American soil, and Khan’s imprisonment would obviously be smiled upon by India but might not be enough to reach a deal on China. That’s why the aforementioned Bangladesh proposal would be a more realistic means to that end, but even if something is agreed to, India is unlikely to turn against China and become a US proxy.

    The most that it’ll do is slow down the pace at which their ties are improving in the hopes that more American pressure on the People’s Republic in the coming future, which would follow Trump’s plans to broker a ceasefire, armistice, or peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, could improve its hand. If India can once again position itself as the US’ top regional partner, which it was during the Obama years and Trump’s first term, then it’ll be much better placed to manage any forthcoming regional turmoil.

    Bangladesh and Pakistan don’t have anywhere near the importance for the US’ geostrategic interests as India does since they can’t serve as a partial counterweight to China like it can. Trump, who’s known to favor transactional deals, might thus privilege its regional interests so long as he can get something in return to justify this. Bangladesh might therefore be pressured to hold truly free and fair elections as soon as possible while Pakistan might be coerced into releasing Khan and then doing the same.

    From India’s perspective, it’s imperative to ensure that relations with Bangladesh’s new ruling arrangement don’t worsen, which the US can help it with. India also wants to contain the consequences of any Syrian-like collapse in Myanmar instead of risk having them spill over into its historically unstable Northeast States. The US can’t help as much in that regard, but some rebel groups are considered US-friendly and politically backed by the US, so it might be able to exert some positive influence on them.

    Another thing that India wants is a relief in American political pressure, including acceptance of the role that India and Russia play in each other’s complementary balancing acts vis-à-vis China, which meets US interests despite this not yet being widely acknowledged. The future of Indo-US relations under Trump 2.0 will ultimately play the largest role in determining the degree of tumult that South Asia experiences next year. A noticeable improvement would greatly reduce the scope of regional turmoil next year.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 22:35

  • Deutsche Bank: "A Wake-Up Call For Sixth Gen" 
    Deutsche Bank: “A Wake-Up Call For Sixth Gen” 

    Following the release of footage last week showcasing China’s next-generation fighter-bomber on social media platforms like X, Deutsche Bank analyst Scott Deuschle issued a stark warning to clients.

    In his note, “A Wake-Up Call for Sixth Gen,” Deuschle characterized China’s rapid advancements in sixth-generation combat aircraft as a serious “wake-up call” for the United States Air Force. This development comes amid a race between the US, China, and Russia to produce fifth—and sixth-generation fighters, bombers, and hypersonic weapons. 

    Zoomed in. 

    “Emergence of this video and imagery follows several years of USAF inaction with respect to procuring sixth-generation aircraft other than B-21,” Deuschle said. 

    The analyst outlined the impacts on his defense coverage following China’s big reveal of the next-gen stealth tactical fighter bomber with a “diamond-shaped wing design.” He also noted a potential risk for commercial aerospace:

    1. There’s still a big future for advanced aircraft: There’s been a tremendous amount of handwringing in the investment community over the last year that the future of warfare may not require the types of sophisticated and highly-engineered platforms that have traditionally been procured by DoD, with low cost drones instead being debated as being better aligned with the trajectory of the DoD’s future needs. We think this unveiling throws cold water on that debate, as the capabilities procured by the US are necessarily linked to the capabilities that its peers can field or plan to field. And China is now showing that it is focused on procuring a combination of capabilities—one that continues to include highly capable platforms. More generally, we’d also note that low cost drones are generally only low cost because they don’t have modern jet engines, and an aircraft without modern jet engines is an aircraft that doesn’t offer much in terms of flying range or long-range sensing capacity. And an aircraft without those types of capabilities isn’t likely to be very effective in the Pacific, in our view. To be clear, we think there’s a role for low cost drones, but we think it’s more likely to be a complementary role rather than one that substitutes completely for the status quo.

    2. …but that future looks more challenging for F-35: We think this revealing adds some additional challenge to the future of the F-35 program. If China is flying demonstrators today for aircraft with capabilities potentially superior to the F-35, then it seems plausible to think that China may be able to industrialize production and field that capability potentially before F-35 Block IV is even completed; the Power & Thermal Management System (PTMS) capability isn’t likely to hit production until 2032 according to GAO. That China could potentially field 6th generation capabilities before F-35 achieves full Block IV capability is an unfortunate state of affairs, and would be a blow to the longer-term credibility of the platform if it happens. For Lockheed, winning a position on a 6th gen platform is now more important than ever, in our view.

    3. Capability gap potentially emerging…supports increased defense spending: One of the drivers of increased defense spending during the Cold War was the idea that a “bomber gap” and then that a “missile gap” existed between the US and the Soviet Union. These perceived capability deficits were used to justify increased defense spending at the time. We think that this reveal could drive increased alarm within Congress that the US military is falling behind, which may in turn drive improved Congressional support for increased defense spending.

    4. SAF’s budget outlook stronger: In addition to supporting increased defense spending generally, capability gaps of the past ultimately drove large procurement quantities for the platforms where the perceived deficit was focused—e.g. the US ultimately bought nearly 750 B-52s during its production run to address the bomber gap. With China now demonstrating a potential sixth generation aircraft capability, we think there will be more money directed to the USAF to procure additional quantities of aircraft tied to that gap—whether that’s B-21, NGAD, or otherwise.

    On a stock-specific level, Deuschle said, “Increased focus on US development and procurement of 6th gen capabilities would be most positive for NOC and BA at the level of the defense primes, GE for engine suppliers (given NGAP lead, no F-35 exposure), and CW, HXL, and CR for SMID cap suppliers. We see LMT and RTX as potentially having more to lose than to win here, given their relative positions to the F-35. We think the read for HWM is net positive, albeit with some potential long-term downside risk for its F-35 business.” 

    He noted that Trump 2.0 will likely scrutinize how China rapidly advanced its aerospace manufacturing capabilities, potentially surpassing the US in the next decade, 

    “If there is another supply chain shock that could hit commercial aerospace at some point in the coming years, it is within the context of this discussion where we’d be most concerned,” the analyst warned. 

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 22:10

  • Trump, Title IX, & 2025: Restore Real Learning, Stop Fringe Sexual Politics
    Trump, Title IX, & 2025: Restore Real Learning, Stop Fringe Sexual Politics

    Authored by Teresa Manning via American Greatness,

    What can we expect from the Trump Administration on Title IX?

    One hopes Trump will immediately undo the damage inflicted by Biden’s Education Department, including rescission of the Title IX rule issued in April, already enjoined by federal courts in over half the country. The usual suspects will make the usual noise and claim Trump is “anti-woman” and taking away rights, but if Trump focuses on ending sexual identity politics to restore learning, he will be removing controversy and Title IX abuses, not causing them.

    Title IX is the 1972 Congressional ban on sex discrimination in federally funded education.

    Called an equal access law for women, it was an outgrowth of equal opportunity initiatives based on race that were popular in the 1960s.

    But Title IX soon became the weapon of choice for feminists in government. They quickly interpreted it as requiring identical funding for female sports even when women weren’t interested and even as this decimated men’s teams. Then, they redefined “discrimination” to encompass “harassment” and “a hostile environment,” still nebulous terms that many define as subjective offenses, which are anybody’s guess, as the offense changes with the subject. This also makes healthy courtship a minefield since any romantic gesture, such as holding open a door, can offend someone and become a Title IX complaint. Then they expanded “harassment” to include alleged sexual assault, a matter of criminal law at the state level, not civil rights law from Congress. But that didn’t stop Obama education officials from directing campus Title IX offices to seek, find, and punish anyone merely accused of sexual misconduct by presuming guilt—an egregious violation of due process. Hundreds of students were suspended or expelled by what were then called campus kangaroo courts.

    Biden officials continued this abuse of Title IX by redefining the law’s central term “sex” to include same-sex orientation and “gender ideology” such that homosexuals and men pretending to be women (especially on women’s sports teams) could claim a Title IX violation when others did not approve or go along.

    The silver lining in this radicalization has been the inevitable pushback. Regular citizens have now woken up and are fighting back. For example, Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos reversed the abuses of the Obama administration, stopping campus kangaroo courts by issuing a formal Title IX rule that protected due process for the accused but also mandated support for any accuser. The DeVos rule received an unprecedented 125,000 public comments during the rulemaking process—most positive—showing widespread public support for ending Title IX due process nightmares. What’s more, when the DeVos rule was challenged in court, it was upheld as lawful and fair by every judge to review it.

    But Biden targeted the DeVos rule out of the gate in 2021 and then devised its own regulation, which includes the redefinition of sex. Unlike the DeVos rule, however, when the Biden regulation was challenged in court, it was found unlawful and unconstitutional (as administrative overreach), findings affirmed by the United States Supreme Court last August. As a result, it’s been enjoined in 26 states but applies in the remaining 24 where no lawsuits were filed.

    So America is now a Title IX patchwork, ready to be remedied by President Trump.

    How?

    On Inauguration Day, Trump should announce his intention to re-issue the DeVos rule and rescind the Biden regulation, citing the many federal court opinions on the latter’s unlawfulness. Trump’s Justice Department should also file Statements of Interest in the pending cases, informing the courts that the Department won’t be defending Biden’s actions.

    The Trump Education Department should also declare as null and void all Title IX Resolution Agreements between the Biden Education Department and individual schools.

    Many of these agreements are of highly questionable legality, as they appear to be the result of politically motivated investigations and, worse, impose conditions not authorized by law. For example, California’s Taft College was investigated for an alleged Title IX offense when faculty did not use female pronouns demanded by a male student who enrolled as a male. The faculty’s refusal to use pronouns was never a Title IX offense. The college should therefore not have even been investigated.

    Worse, the resulting Resolution Agreement requires faculty to use these pronouns—what is called compelled speech and is illegal—as if Title IX required it, though Title IX does no such thing. Worse still, Biden officials knew this since they were in the process of issuing a rule that made this very change. In short, Biden officials fraudulently treated their ideological goals as law and imposed them on Taft College.

    School districts are also targeted and subjected to legally questionable agreements with ideologically driven and expensive terms. The forthcoming report on the Education Department by the National Association of Scholars titled Wasteland: The Education Department’s Profligacy, Mediocrity and Radicalism, describes numerous such agreements with onerous conditions unauthorized by law and yet treated as binding legal precedent by the Biden Education Department. For example, the Resolution Agreement with the Rapid City Area Schools in South Dakota required the district to hire consultants and experts to “examine the root causes of discrimination” and to hire Diversity Directors and Directors of “Positive School Climate.”

    Trump should make sure that all this gets the ax.

    All that said, America should not kid itself that radicalization and the imposition of fringe sexual politics on schools are limited to Title IX. Unfortunately, sex (and race) identity politics are everywhere in American education. They lurk behind a myriad of buzzwords and phrases such as “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (“DEI”), “marginalized communities,” “underrepresented minorities,” and so on. Student conduct codes feature these terms along with policies on discrimination and harassment, which are variously defined and changing every day. Teachers and school staff from politicized teachers’ colleges have been fed this politicized content for years, and they feel entitled to impose it on students and unsuspecting families as part of their job.

    In fact, if academic assessments are any indication, they view it as their whole job. Last month, the “Trends in International Math and Science Studies,” or TIMSS survey, was published, showing declines among American students in math and science, similar to declines documented in other areas such as English, writing skills, and reading comprehension. It is not hyperbole to say that indoctrination has replaced education in most American schools.

    Trump should therefore act with confidence and resolve to shut down Title IX ideologies to restore real learning and academic excellence. He will be a hero not only to parents but to the entire country.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 21:45

  • "Man-Made Virus, Watch Millions Die Biggest Profit Of Their Lives. Here's Inflation, That's Your Prize": Striking Anthem Of Our Time 
    “Man-Made Virus, Watch Millions Die Biggest Profit Of Their Lives. Here’s Inflation, That’s Your Prize”: Striking Anthem Of Our Time 

    Australian medical doctor and independent artist Iyah May has released a new track titled “Karmageddon,” which sheds light on the harsh realities of Twitter wars, political division, media manipulation, out-of-control inflation, Covid bioweapon, Dr. Fauci, and corporate greed. The song reflects the turmoil the world has endured over the past five years and might as well serve as a striking anthem of our time.

    Here are the lyrics to “Karmageddon” by Iyah May:

    I open up my phone on a Monday morning Staring at my screen, I’m tired and a little lonely Mr. Musk, he said some shit, the left’s are angry Twitter wars and Gaza, man, it’s overwhelming

    Maybe that’s how life becomes when People less important than a profit line No one cares about your dreams, just pay your tax on time Keep scrolling

    Hold me near to you now Gender, guns, religion, and abortion rights You better pick a tribe and hate the other side Keep scrolling (But did you see Taylor live?)

    Man-made virus, watch the millions die Biggest profit of their lives Here’s inflation, that’s your prize This is Karmageddon

    Turn on the news and eat their lies Kim or Kanye? Pick a side Cancel culture, what a vibe This is Karmageddon

    Corporations swear they never lie Politicians bribed for life More than war, it’s genocide This is Karmageddon

    Welcome to the chaos of the times If you go left and I go right Pray we make it out alive This is Karmageddon

    It’s fashion week, celebs lose ribs Balenciaga, how’s the kids? Just ask Drake, he’s losing beef Kendrick killed him in his sleep

    Diss tracks about beating up your queen While women dying doesn’t cause a scene While we’re fed all these distractions Kids are killed from Israel’s actions

    I’m a speak my mind Sick to death of all these crazy lies A circus for humanity’s decline We just want a peaceful life Give the people back their rights

    And I’ve still got a beef ‘Cause Fauci’s laughing and we’ve been asleep And WHO’s a liar and it’s running deep Big pharma finna eat They a devil, make them weak

    Man-made virus, watch the millions die Biggest profit of their lives Here’s inflation, that’s your prize This is Karmageddon

    Turn on the news and eat their lies Kim or Kanye? Pick a side Cancel culture, what a vibe This is Karmageddon

    Corporations swear they never lie Politicians bribed for life More than war, it’s genocide This is Karmageddon

    Welcome to the chaos of the times If you go left and I go right Pray we make it out alive This is Karmageddon

    On X, May said because of her controversial lyrics, “As some of you might know I am now an independent artist after I lost my manager because I didn’t change the lyrics of this song, and also left my label.” 

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    More about why she wrote the song: 

    “Fuelled by my own despair over a divided world and deceitful corporations, I channelled my frustration into Karmageddon. My career as a doctor has been greatly impacted, and I was affected on a deep and personal level.

    “For a long time, I felt isolated with my opinions. This song reflects the helplessness many of us feel in these dark times.”

    Full music video:

    Politically themed music has soared in popularity as the ‘Fourth Turning‘ deepens across the West… 

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 21:20

  • Classified CIA Experiment Claims Life Did Exist On Mars And They Built Pyramids
    Classified CIA Experiment Claims Life Did Exist On Mars And They Built Pyramids

    Via The Mind Unleashed,

    Imagine unlocking a door in your mind and stepping onto a barren, windswept landscape – alien skies above, ancient pyramids towering in the distance, and whispers of a civilization long gone. This might sound like the plot of a science fiction novel, but it’s exactly what unfolded in a classified CIA experiment during the height of the Cold War.

    Through a top-secret program known as the Stargate Project, intelligence officers turned to psychics in hopes of gaining access to inaccessible places. One such session led to an astonishing revelation: descriptions of life on Mars over a million years ago, complete with advanced beings and monumental structures. Could these accounts hold the key to understanding our own planet’s mysteries—or were they simply the product of an overactive imagination? As the once-classified files are revealed to the public, they reignite questions humanity has been asking for centuries: Are we alone? And if not, how much of our history is truly ours?

    The Stargate Project: Espionage Meets the Supernatural

    At the height of the Cold War, espionage wasn’t limited to gadgets, codes, and spies. The United States was racing not only against its earthly adversaries but also against the boundaries of human consciousness. Enter the Stargate Project, a CIA-backed program exploring the potential of “remote viewing,” a technique where individuals claimed to mentally perceive events, locations, or objects from great distances without physical presence.

    “Remote viewing refers to a type of extra-sensorial perception that involves using the mind to ‘see’ or manipulate distant objects, people, events, or other information that are hidden from physical view,” Popular Mechanics explains. This practice was more than just speculation—it was part of a serious effort to harness the untapped potential of the human mind for intelligence purposes.

    This wasn’t a fringe experiment by secretive hobbyists—it was a government-funded initiative blending espionage with the supernatural. Participants, often labeled as psychics or gifted individuals, were tasked with extraordinary missions: seeing inside secure facilities, locating hidden objects, and even uncovering secrets from other planets. The project aimed to turn thought into a weapon, hoping to outpace the Soviet Union in a battle for the mind.

    In 1984, one such experiment took a surprising turn. A remote viewer, given coordinates with no prior context, described visions that defied explanation. The focus? Mars. The timeline? Over a million years ago. What followed was a vivid account of a planet that seemed alive, filled with monumental structures and intelligent beings. Was this the breakthrough the CIA hoped for, or the limits of human imagination? The story of what they found—or claimed to find—on Mars would challenge conventional thinking for decades to come.

    Remote Viewing the Red Planet: A Journey Back in Time

    In the dimly lit room of a classified CIA facility, a remote viewer sat silently, focusing on a set of coordinates provided by their handler. They were given no information about the location or purpose of the session. As they concentrated, an extraordinary vision unfolded—one that seemed to transcend time and space.

    The remote viewer described a desolate Mars, not as it is today, but as it might have been over a million years ago. Towering dust storms raged across the surface, but the landscape was marked by massive pyramid-like structures, crumbling yet majestic, speaking of a once-great civilization. The viewer spoke of intelligent beings, tall and thin, struggling to survive in the aftermath of a cataclysmic event that had ravaged their planet.

    These Martian inhabitants were described as desperate, searching for a way to escape their doomed world. Some had reportedly ventured to “safe places,” leaving behind their architectural marvels as monuments to their existence. The vividness of these accounts captivated the CIA officers present, raising questions that extended far beyond intelligence gathering. Were these glimpses a window into a forgotten past—or simply the creative workings of the human subconscious?

    What made this session particularly remarkable was the level of detail: the remote viewer described the structures, the atmospheric conditions, and even the emotional state of the beings with uncanny specificity. But these revelations would spark debates, leaving many to wonder whether such visions were rooted in truth or the limitations of an experiment that strayed into the realm of the extraordinary.

    Pyramids on Mars: An Alien Connection?

    Among the most captivating details from the 1984 session was the description of massive pyramid-like structures scattered across the Martian surface. These were not crude formations shaped by nature but, according to the remote viewer, deliberate constructions—evidence of a once-thriving civilization. The pyramids, though weathered and ancient, were described as bearing a striking resemblance to those found on Earth, particularly in their geometric precision and imposing scale.

    The idea of pyramids on Mars isn’t new; it has long fueled theories about ancient astronauts and interplanetary connections. Could these structures be linked to the pyramids on Earth? Some speculate that civilizations across the cosmos shared advanced knowledge, leaving behind similar architectural legacies. Others suggest that Earth’s ancient structures were inspired or even influenced by visitors from Mars, their knowledge passed down through myths and legends.

    However, skepticism tempers such tantalizing ideas. Geologists and planetary scientists argue that what appear to be pyramids could easily be natural formations, shaped by erosion over eons. Yet, the specificity of the remote viewer’s descriptions challenges this dismissal. The pyramids were said to be part of a larger, structured environment—a city or complex left in ruins after a catastrophic event.

    If these claims hold even a shred of truth, the implications are profound. Did an advanced civilization once thrive on Mars? Were they capable of space travel, and could they have influenced Earth’s early cultures? Or are these visions simply a mirror of humanity’s own longing to connect with the cosmos? As the mystery deepens, the pyramids on Mars stand as a symbolic bridge between what we know and what we may never understand.

    Declassified Mysteries: Why Now?

    The declassification of the Stargate Project files, including the 1984 Mars experiment, has added fuel to ongoing debates about extraterrestrial life and the limits of human understanding. But why were these files, shrouded in secrecy for decades, released now?

    Some believe the timing is strategic, coinciding with growing public interest in UFOs and the search for alien life. Recent government disclosures on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) have sparked a wave of curiosity and speculation. By releasing documents from projects like Stargate, the CIA may be acknowledging the public’s demand for transparency about the unknown.

    Others suggest a more pragmatic motive: the files may serve as a historical record of Cold War-era innovation and the unconventional methods pursued in the quest for an edge over adversaries. Projects like Stargate symbolize the lengths intelligence agencies were willing to go, even if the results were inconclusive or scientifically questionable.

    Regardless of intent, the release of these files has reignited interest in the boundaries of what we consider possible. As new generations discover these accounts, they’re confronted with the question of how much we truly know about our universe—and how much remains hidden in the archives of history.

    The timing of the declassification is also significant in the context of space exploration. With missions like NASA’s Perseverance rover uncovering new data about Mars and private companies pushing the limits of human space travel, the mysteries of the Red Planet feel closer than ever. Perhaps these revelations serve as a reminder that the answers to our greatest questions may be found in the unlikeliest places.

    Reflections: What Does This Mean for Humanity?

    At the heart of the Mars experiment lies a question that transcends scientific skepticism or government secrecy: What does it mean if life once existed beyond Earth? Whether viewed as a glimpse into an ancient civilization or as an imaginative projection of the human mind, the claims invite us to reconsider humanity’s place in the cosmos.

    For centuries, we have gazed at the stars, searching for connections to something greater. The possibility that Mars once harbored intelligent life stirs both excitement and existential unease. If civilizations on other planets rose and fell, what lessons might their histories hold for us? Could their demise foreshadow humanity’s own challenges in preserving its world?

    The 1984 session, while controversial, also highlights the power of the human imagination and its ability to explore realms far beyond our physical limitations. It bridges the gap between hard science and the metaphysical, offering a unique lens through which to view our universe.

    Ultimately, these revelations are a testament to our unending curiosity and our relentless pursuit of answers to the unknown. Whether or not pyramids and civilizations once dotted the Martian landscape, the story challenges us to keep asking, exploring, and imagining. After all, the search for life beyond Earth isn’t just about what we might find—it’s about what the journey reveals about ourselves.

    The Uncharted Frontiers of Mystery

    The declassified CIA experiment that claimed to uncover a glimpse of life on ancient Mars is as compelling as it is divisive. From towering pyramids to civilizations grappling with survival, the remote viewing session from the Stargate Project bridges the line between science fiction and the tantalizing possibility of alien histories.

    While skeptics challenge the legitimacy of such accounts, the sheer detail and imagination behind them leave room for reflection. Could these stories hint at something larger—an interconnectedness across time and space—or are they a testament to the creativity and curiosity of the human mind?

    As we continue to explore Mars through rovers and satellites, the allure of these ancient claims lingers, reminding us that the universe holds countless mysteries waiting to be uncovered. Whether through scientific discovery or the power of human wonder, the answers we seek may one day reveal themselves, or they may remain forever in the realm of the unknown. Until then, Mars continues to inspire dreams, debates, and the age-old question: What if?

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 20:55

  • "Trump Is Not Wrong" – MSNBC Finally Admits Massive Spike In Illegal Immigration Under Biden
    “Trump Is Not Wrong” – MSNBC Finally Admits Massive Spike In Illegal Immigration Under Biden

    Unless you have lived under a rock or never dared to venture beyond MSNBC or CNN or the front page of the New York Times as your source of ‘news’, none of this will come as a surprise at all…

    But, for those that have lived blinkered from the truth about the border for the past four years, MSNBC just sent your minds to ’11’ on the ‘cognitive dissonance’ scale as they dared to show a chart that – hold your breath here for a moment – shows a massive surge in illegal immigration during Biden’s reign (especially compared to Trump’s).

    “The border was not Biden’s finest moment, frankly,” former Obama administration official Steve Rattner sheepishly admits while showing the dramatic chart, shocking his co-host on MSNBC’s Morning Joe by admitting that:

    “you can see what happened here and Trump is not wrong when he talks about how border crossings were quite low.”

    “They were running about 74,000 a month when he left office. And they, in fact, did shoot up. Some of it was some things Biden said and some ways that they put a moratorium, for example, on deportations.”

    “But in fact, we did get up here almost to 300,000 a month,” Rattner continued.

    Enjoy…

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    As a reminder, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas claimed that the border is secure on multiple occasions prior to a March 2024 impeachment vote in the House of Representatives, despite the fact that the Border Patrol encountered millions of illegal immigrants since the start of fiscal year 2021, according to figures released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 20:30

  • Corporations Clinging To DEI Will Lose Social License To Operate
    Corporations Clinging To DEI Will Lose Social License To Operate

    Authored by Stefan Padfield via RealClearMarkets.com,

    Americans hate racial discrimination, and they hate inequality borne of government force. However, if you try to solve the problem of inequality by engaging in Orwellian and neo-racist “discrimination in the name of anti-discrimination” (often advanced under the banners of “antiracism” and “DEI” — “diversity, equity, and inclusion”), then you will sooner or later experience the wrath of the people. The recent judicial rebuke of Nasdaq’s diversity rule adds to the drumbeat of feedback alerting corporations to this fact: If corporations want to maintain their social license to operate, then they must stop discriminating on the basis of race.

    In National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) v. SEC, the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the SEC’s approval of Nasdaq’s “Board Diversity Rules.” I work for the National Center, and our excellent attorneys at the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) described the discredited rules as follows: “These Rules imposed gender, race and sexual orientation quotas on corporate board membership for Nasdaq-listed companies, compelling those that failed to meet their board seat quotas to explain why or face involuntary delisting from the stock exchange.”

    You can read the National Center’s press release as well as NCLA’s press release for more detailed analysis of the case.

    The short of it is that the SEC exceeded its statutory authority in approving the rule because the rules advanced none of the express purposes of the governing statute, but were instead a thinly veiled attempt to shame corporations into advancing the forced neo-racist social engineering that’s become so popular as “antiracism” the past few years.

    In reading some of the subsequent analysis, I was particularly struck by Professor Ann Lipton’s conclusions. In part, Lipton writes that:

    “I tend to agree that [the] diversity disclosure rule is not, in fact, intended to help investors price securities or even to adopt governance practices that contribute to wealth creation; it is more in the category of the kind of rule that serves a kind of signaling function, that the corporation is exercising its power responsibly and inclusively.  It’s a display of self-governance and discipline, in a manner that costs corporations very little but perhaps wins them legitimacy.  It benefits companies and investors, but not in the traditional manner by which the securities laws operate; it does so by contributing to their social license to operate.”

    It is worth noting that Lipton – with whom I used to co-blog at the Business Law Prof Blog, and who is an excellent scholar – does not even try to defend the diversity rule with the worn out “diversity is good for the bottom line” trope, which has by now been thoroughly debunked to the point that the SEC itself could not mount a defense on that basis (though that doesn’t stop DEI advocates from continuing to claim the business case for diversity has been proven, which is a lie).

    Lipton goes on, however, to argue that diversity disclosures support a corporation’s social license to operate. The problem with this assertion, however, is that it boils down to arguing that racial discrimination is good for society. But once one sees through the lovely sounding “diversity, equity, and inclusion” mantra, one is left with the unmistakable conclusion that what is going on in the name of DEI is nothing short of sorting people into buckets based on their race (and other related identity categories), and then allocating resources like jobs, promotions, and financial support on that basis. While it has indeed taken Americans some time to figure this out, they have now done so – and corporations are quite properly dumping DEI fast.

    But not all corporations, of course. In reporting on the Nasdaq ruling, it has been noted that the Big 5 (the Big 3 asset managers BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, together with the Big 2 proxy advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis) still push corporations to allocate resources on the basis of race and sex in various ways. For a more specific example, one need look no further than Goldman Sachs, which denies its IPO services to companies that don’t meet Goldman’s neo-racist social engineering vision: “In 2021, the bank upped the requirement to two diverse board members, including at least one woman.” In other words, straight white male boards don’t just go to the back of Goldman’s IPO bus, they aren’t even allowed on.

    In 2020, we were told a reckoning was coming. Well, it’s now 2024 and the terms of that reckoning have changed. Corporations that continue to force “antiracist” neo-racism on their employees and other stakeholders will be left facing boycotts and lawsuits that will materially harm their bottom line. And don’t let them tell you they weren’t warned — they were.

    Finally, let’s keep in mind that addressing inequality doesn’t require neo-racism. Instead, progress can be made by focusing on socio-economic status or geographic and viewpoint diversity. It’s time corporations stopped dividing us on the basis of race and got back to uniting employees around the common goal of providing the best products and services so that the poverty-eradicating engine of free market capitalism can continue to maximize the spread of prosperity.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 20:05

  • Biden Presented With Options To Strike Iran Nuke Sites If Tehran Speeds Toward Bomb
    Biden Presented With Options To Strike Iran Nuke Sites If Tehran Speeds Toward Bomb

    President Biden was presented with options for a potential US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the scenario that Tehran was deemed by the intelligence community as speeding toward a bomb.

    Per a Thursday Axios report citing several insider sources, the Biden admin discussions were based on “if the Iranians move towards a nuclear weapon before Jan. 20″ and came in “a meeting several weeks ago that remained secret until now.”

    No final decision was made, the report noted, and was not necessarily prompted by fresh or specific intelligence of a new threat, but was part of “prudent scenario planning” related to if the Islamic Republic reaches Uranium enrichment to 90% purity before Jan. 20.

    Western officials have feared that due to fast-moving events in the region, most notably Hezbollah’s leadership being decimated and the collapse of the Assad government, the Iranians could be desperate enough to pursue nuclear weapons in order to restore the security balance in the region, given Israel has clearly come out on top.

    Interestingly, months ago when Israel and Iran conducted tit-for-tat direct strikes on each other, President Biden made it clear that the US would not back Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

    The internal Biden White House ‘scenario planning’ discussions were said to have taken place about a month ago. One source tried to caution that “there are currently no active discussions inside the White House about possible military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities,” Axios noted.

    There is an international consensus that Iran has increased its Uranium enrichment to 60%, putting it within easy striking distance of being able to develop a bomb if it wanted to.

    Axios has also pointed out that “Even if Iran decided to build a bomb, it would need to develop a nuclear explosive device or warhead. Israeli intelligence believes that would take at least a year.”

    All of these newly revealed executive branch discussions over whether to launch a preemptive attack on Iranian nuclear sites are taking place completely outside of Congressional debate or approval.

    The last several US administrations have argued that they don’t need Congressional approval in launching such strikes, whether it be on Syria, Iraq, Iran, or Libya. 

    Trump in his first administration tried but failed to bring the troops occupying northeast Syria home, but deeper entanglement in striking Iran could surely draw these troops into a broader conflict. The Pentagon would in that case likely expand its deployed forces in the region as well.

    Iran has long maintained it develops only peaceful nuclear energy, and there’s little doubt that after the dramatic events that unfolded in Syria, and with Hezbollah top leadership removed by Israeli attacks (especially the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah), Tehran finds itself on a back foot. 

    Some Israeli and Western officials believe that all of this will make Iranian leaders more desperate to ensure they have a final and ultimate defense against any threats (as in rapidly developing a nuke).

    But if a soon to be inaugurated Trump were to authorize strikes on Iranian facilities, this would also obviously violate his frequent vows to his voters to not start new wars in the Middle East. The reality is that even ‘limited’ strikes still constitute an act of war. The potential for runaway escalation involving the US, Iran, and Israel would be a much bigger likelihood. 

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 19:40

  • Australia's Misinformation Bill Is Dead… For Now
    Australia’s Misinformation Bill Is Dead… For Now

    Authored by Maryanne Demasi via The Brownstone Institute,

    It is official. 

    The Australian government’s attempt to ram through legislation to combat misinformation online has been blocked after the Greens party announced it would not support the controversial bill.

    “We are concerned this bill doesn’t actually do what it needs to do when it comes to stopping the deliberate mass distribution of false and harmful information,” said Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

    This unexpected move is said to be the final nail in the coffin for the bill that intended to grant the media watchdog unprecedented regulatory powers to oversee digital content and determine what is ‘misinformation.’

    A Domino Effect

    During this week, an interesting display of parliamentary dynamics unfolded as an array of Senators announced they would oppose the bill, one by one.

    Senators Lidia Thorpe, Tammy Tyrell, David Pocock, Jacqui Lambie, Gerard Rennick, Fatima Payman, and others declared their opposition.

    Their reasons varied from concerns over government overreach, and vague definitions of misinformation, to the implications for political discourse and the potential for misuse. Each statement chipped away at the bill’s support, creating a domino effect.

    An urgent call to action resulted in significant public outcry. Australians, concerned about their digital rights, flooded senators with emails, petitions, and social media campaigns.

    The sheer volume of these communications likely played a crucial role in shaping the Senators’ views.

    The vigorous debate also garnered international attention.

    Michael Shellenberger, an American author and free speech campaigner, visited Australia to warn that these “totalitarian” laws would have implications for democracy, and blur the line between regulating harmful content and stifling dissent.

    Nov 20, 2024 – Michael Shellenberger on Sky News Australia

    According to Shellenberger, misinformation should be countered with more and better information, not through suppression or censorship.

    Elon Musk, whose influence in the digital sphere is undeniable, especially after taking the helm of X, expressed similar views, and has been vocal about his disdain for what he perceives as “overreach” in digital governance, labelling the failed bill as “fascist.”

    Digital ID for Under 16s

    It has not quelled the government’s enthusiasm for its proposed ban of social media access for individuals under 16. This bill, which introduces a mandatory age verification process, has implications for digital identity and privacy.

    The rapid legislative push on Thursday only allowed a 24-hour window for public submissions, a move to fast-track the controversial legislation without due public scrutiny.

    The bill would require all Australians to undergo identity verification to use social media, raising alarms about the collection and potential misuse of personal data. The process could involve gathering biometric data, posing a risk for data breaches or misuse.

    Today, Musk described the legislation as a “backdoor way to control access to the internet,” which promises to punish platforms, including X, with steep fines if they allow children under age 16 to hold social media accounts.

    The combination of these legislative proposals (the misinformation bill, and the digital ID for under-16s), paints a picture of a government intent on tightening control over what you can say and read online.

    What Happens Now?

    After this week’s news, the Labor government must now retreat and reassess.

    It could decide to abandon the legislative approach altogether and focus on other means like public education campaigns or working with social media platforms on voluntary codes of practice. But this is unlikely.

    The government will most probably go back to the drawing board, either to revise the bill with more stringent protections for free speech or to explore alternative, less direct methods of addressing misinformation, hoping to revive the bill in the new year.

    Republished from the author’s Substack

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 19:15

  • Make Lithium Great Again: Peer-Reviewed Study Reveals Whole-Body Benefits Of Supplementation
    Make Lithium Great Again: Peer-Reviewed Study Reveals Whole-Body Benefits Of Supplementation

    Lithium is best known as a medication for treating bipolar disorder, where it’s used in higher doses to stabilize mood and reduce the risk of suicide. But now, researchers are uncovering evidence that this humble mineral may offer benefits far beyond mental health – at doses much smaller than those used in traditional therapies. A 2023 study from Brock University explored these possibilities in depth.

    Before we continue – yes, we sell low-dose lithium in a product called Mood from IQ Biologix. We take it. It works – really well. Whether or not you give it a try, please read on as the findings from the above study are legit, and this naturally occurring mineral can be a great alternative to prescription drugs for a variety of needs. If you’re into studies, we encourage you to read it.

    Published in the peer-reviewed Current Neuropharmacology, the findings suggest lithium may play a huge role in some of the biggest health challenges of aging, including Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes.

    Brain Health: Lithium’s Hidden Gift

    Lithium’s connection to mental health is well established. It stabilizes mood by helping balance chemicals in the brain, like serotonin and dopamine, that influence how we feel and respond to stress.

    But according to the study, even tiny doses of lithium could protect the brain in other ways. One of the most promising applications is cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease.

    “Li is well-known to have multiple neuroprotective effects that can be used against Alzheimer’s Disease pathology. In fact, numerous studies in patients receiving Li for bipolar disorder have reported lower rates of dementias, including AD.” –Beyond Its Psychiatric Use: The Benefits of Low-Dose Lithium Supplementation, 2023

    The researchers found that lithium inhibits glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), an enzyme linked to the buildup of harmful plaques and tangles in the brain. By reducing these toxic accumulations and boosting levels of a brain-supportive protein called BDNF, lithium may help preserve memory and cognitive function well into old age. The study also referenced ecological research showing that areas with higher levels of lithium in drinking water had lower death rates from Alzheimer’s disease [1, 2, 3]. While the exact reasons are still unclear, these findings point to lithium’s potential for maintaining brain health over time. 

    What about that famously fabricated research on the Amyloid Plaque hypothesis? That focused on a narrow subpopulation of amyloid beta oligomers – while the original hypothesis itself is alive and well. Current research suggests Alzheimer’s is a combination of amyloid plaque accumulation, misfolded proteins, neuroinflammation of Microglia cells (the brain’s primary immune cells), genetic factors, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, synaptic loss, and cerebrovascular issues.

    A Stronger Heart and Healthier Arteries

    Lithium’s benefits don’t stop with the brain—it may also help keep your heart healthy. At low doses, the researchers found that lithium supports the heart’s ability to adapt to stress, helping it pump blood more effectively. It also protects blood vessels by reducing inflammation and preventing harmful plaque buildup, which can block circulation. However, the study highlighted an important consideration: while lithium’s short-term effects on the heart are positive, long-term use might carry risks under certain conditions. Prolonged GSK3 inhibition, for instance, could contribute to excessive heart muscle growth in specific scenarios, such as chronic stress on the heart. More research is needed to fully understand these potential effects.

    Building Strong Bones and Maintaining Muscle

    Aging often brings declines in bone strength and muscle mass, increasing the risk of fractures and mobility issues. The study found that lithium may counteract these changes by directly supporting bone and muscle health. In bones, the researchers showed that lithium activates pathways encouraging bone-forming cells, called osteoblasts, to work more effectively. This process increased bone density and improved fracture healing in animal models. In some cases, lithium even restored bone strength in fragile skeletons to levels seen in healthy controls.

    For muscles, lithium was shown to enhance repair by promoting the fusion of muscle cells during regeneration. It also encouraged a shift toward fatigue-resistant muscle fibers, which could help preserve strength and mobility as we age, reducing the risk of falls and fractures.

    Tackling Inflammation and Cellular Damage

    As we get older, our bodies tend to experience more inflammation and damage from unstable molecules called free radicals. These issues, collectively referred to as oxidative stress, can lead to chronic diseases and accelerate aging. According to the study, lithium helps combat these issues in several ways. It reduces inflammation and supports a cellular “clean-up” process called autophagy, which clears out damaged proteins and debris. By enhancing these processes, lithium may help cells maintain their function and resilience over time.

    Metabolism Support: Fighting Fat and Sugar Issues

    Another surprising benefit of low-dose lithium is its potential role in preventing obesity and type 2 diabetes. While high doses of lithium can sometimes cause weight gain, the study found that smaller amounts may have the opposite effect. The researchers demonstrated that lithium helped convert white fat (which primarily stores energy) into beige fat, a more metabolically active type that burns calories. It also improved blood sugar control in animal studies, mimicking some of the effects of exercise. These findings suggest lithium may be a valuable tool in managing metabolic health.

    “Of interest, we have recently shown, at the population level, trace levels of Li found in publicly available drinking water to be negatively associated with the prevalence of obesity and diabetes across the state of Texas.”

    A New Chapter for Lithium

    While the potential benefits of low-dose lithium are exciting, this is still an emerging field. Scientists, including Hamstra and her team, are working to determine the best ways to use lithium safely over the long term. What’s clear is that lithium—once seen only as a psychiatric medication—is revealing itself as a versatile and powerful mineral for overall health. From protecting the brain to strengthening the heart, bones, and muscles, this overlooked element may hold the key to staying healthier, longer. As researchers continue to explore lithium’s potential, it offers a glimpse of what the future of aging well could look like. For now, this tiny but mighty mineral is quietly making its case as a surprising ally in the quest for a healthier life.

    Snag some low-dose lithium here…

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 18:55

  • US Establishing New Military Base In Aleppo Province
    US Establishing New Military Base In Aleppo Province

    Following the December 8 overthrow of Bashar al-Assad amid the rapid takeover of Syria by al-Qaeda splinter group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the big question for the incoming Trump administration in the US will be whether to finally pull American forces from Syria, after they’ve been there for a half-decade.

    For now it seems US troops are not only maintaining their bases in the northeast, where Syria’s oil and gas fields are located, but are actually expanding the Pentagon presence, and very close to the border with Turkey.

    On Thursday the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which has long been known as an anti-Assad opposition outlet in exile, said that US forces are making preparations to establish a new military base in the northern city of Ain Al-Arab, or Kobani.

    Illustrative file image: US forces in Syria

    The outlet cited its observers on the ground who say US forces brought in a convoy of 50 trucks carrying cement blocks to areas of northeast Syria controlled by the US proxy Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF, a group largely dominated by Syrian Kurds).

    Ain Al-Arab is a district of Aleppo province in northern Syria. The area around Aleppo saw sporadic fighting between Syrian Kurds and HTS jihadists throughout December.

    “SOHR activists have reported seeing the convoy on Al-Hasakah-Al-Raqqah highway, while it was heading to Ain Al-Arab area (Kobani) in the eastern countryside of Aleppo,” the report described, and noted that a SDF military vehicle was providing escort.

    “According to SOHR sources, this comes as a part of US forces’ efforts to boost their bases and establish a new military base in Ain Al-Arab in light of the growing security and military tension in that region.” Russia’s Sputnik is also reporting the development.

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    The SOHR report provided additional details strongly suggesting a new US military base on this border region near Turkey:

    Yesterday, SOHR sources reported that “International Coalition” forces brought a convoy of logistic reinforcements including premade chambers, surveillance cameras, cement blocks, fuel tanks and digging machineries towards Ain Al-Arab (Kobani).

    According to reliable SOHR sources, the digging and drilling will start tomorrow and more military reinforcements such as soldiers, weapons, armored vehicles, radars and anti-aircraft weapons will be brought.

    The border region has for years seen clashes between Turkish-backed militant groups and the US armed and trained SDF. Turkish warplanes have also at times bombed Syrian Kurdish positions.

    Via MGN

    The United States is in a precarious position in Syria given that almost no group – with the exception of the Kurds – wants US troops occupying Syrian territory. Turkey has long accused Washington of supporting ‘terrorists’ given it sees the SDF as an extension of the outlawed PKK.

    Damascus’ new HTS rulers are certainly going to want access to the country’s oil and gas fields, in order to deliver on promises of getting electricity and fuel back up and running for the population. The US has long held on to these energy resources for leverage, and to starve the prior Assad government of its resources, also amid sanctions. What will Trump do this time around?

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 18:50

  • Vegas Police Say "Very Strange Similarities" Between Cybertruck Bombing & Bourbon Street Massacre
    Vegas Police Say “Very Strange Similarities” Between Cybertruck Bombing & Bourbon Street Massacre

    Welcome to the second day of 2025.

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    Update (1859ET): 

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    But…

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    Update (1849ET): 

    The FBI’s field office in New Orleans wrote on X, “Newly released surveillance photos show Shamsud- Din Jabbar a little more than an hour before the deadly Bourbon Street attack.”

    *   *   *

    Update (1736ET): 

    Academy Securities published a note summarizing the views of four retired US generals on the Cybertruck bombing and the New Orleans terrorist attack:

    General Spider Marks: “Most importantly, we must acknowledge that terrorism in its many forms (both kinetic and non-kinetic) will never be eliminated or determined irrelevant. As the investigation continues, we’ll know more about the motivation of the attack. Regardless, all forms of terrorism require a network of inspiration and support. Where isolation occurs, virtual access to a ‘community’ of shared interests and beliefs provides a readily available justification for action. There is no ‘lone wolf’ anymore. More facts to follow, but terrorism still exists.”

    General John Evans: “It is likely premature to assess motives, motivations, and linkages. However, the ‘vehicle as a weapon’ TTP (tactics, techniques, and procedures) that we have seen used with devastating effect in Europe (and the US), although not new, now creates yet another attack vector which local, state, and federal law enforcement must plan for at events such as the gathering we saw in New Orleans. Individuals suffering from political or personal disenfranchisement can now leverage the ubiquity of motor vehicles to inflict great harm in virtually any setting, since most security plans only focus on keeping vehicles away from critical nodes or VIPs.”

    General Robert Ashley: “The intel community will be focused on any reflections on the attack which normally would happen within the first 24-36 hours. Given the domestic nature of the attack, I would expect a joint White House/FBI announcement in the near-term if there is a foreign nexus, otherwise updates will likely remain in law enforcement channels. We become less vigilant with each passing day. Significant calendar events (New Year’s) and major public events require greater vigilance, which means increased funding for the security forces that protect all of us daily. Moreover, it will require greater tolerance by the public regarding the associated delays of enhanced force protection. As this unfolds, it will be key to uncover the attacker’s network (domestic and/or foreign) and to determine if there are any foreign connections (that include nation state involvement) that may have assisted or motivated the attacker(s).”

    General Rick Waddell: “It is too early to say anything decisive, but if news accounts are in any way accurate then: 1) more people than just the driver were involved in NOLA; 2) this terror cell spent time preparing and planting IEDs; and 3) NOLA was changing out its bollards blocking vehicular traffic from Bourbon Street and were months into the project with a targeted completion date before the 2025 Super Bowl, but not before the New Year’s celebrations or the Sugar Bowl. In the absence of the bollards, a police vehicle was used to block the entrance to Bourbon Street, but the killer avoided the blocking vehicle by simply driving onto the sidewalk. What is unknown is whether the NOLA event is connected to what now looks like a suicide vehicle bombing outside the Trump Tower in Las Vegas. Both attacks used vehicles that were rented through the app Turo. As Spider points out, terrorism is with us and won’t go away. We can harden likely targets, we can put up barriers (like the bollards) before key events, we can increase guard forces for key facilities and key events, and we can use intelligence and law enforcement methods to penetrate terrorist cells.”

    *   *   *

    Update (1518ET): 

    In Vegas, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters that the Cybertruck bomber, Matthew Livelsberger, shot himself in the head before the vehicle exploded.

    McMahill stated that a handgun was found at Livelsberger’s feet. However, this is not definitive evidence about the timing of the death. Remember, the Cybertruck has Full Self-Driving… 

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    More headlines from the press conference: 

    • LAS VEGAS POLICE: FOUND SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPON IN CYBERTRUCK

    • LAS VEGAS POLICE: ALSO FOUND MILITARY ID IN CYBERTRUCK

    • LVMPD: SUBJECT WENT TO SEVERAL PLACES ALONG LAS VEGAS BOULEVARD

    • ATF: GUNS WERE LAWFULLY PURCHASED BY LIVELSBERGER; GUNS WERE PURCHASED ON DEC. 30

    • FBI: NO IDEOLOGY LEADING TO TRUMP, TESLA IN CYBERTRUCK BLAST

    Here’s where things get interesting… 

    At an earlier press conference in New Orleans: 

    • FBI: NO ‘DEFINITIVE LINK’ BETWEEN ATTACK IN NOLA AND LAS VEGAS

    Now: 

    • LAS VEGAS POLICE: ‘VERY STRANGE SIMILARITIES‘ WITH NOLA CASE

    It’s always after the fact, but a CNN report stated the Department of Homeland Security warned about ‘lone wolf’ attacks last month.

    “Lone offenders have historically used simple tactics, such as edged weapons, firearms, or vehicle ramming, due to their ease of access, ability to inflict mass casualties, and lack of required training,” the DHS bulletin read.

    According to a federal source close to the counter-terrorism community, another intelligence briefing released last summer indicated that pre-trained al-Qaeda terrorists had entered the US through the Biden-Harris administration’s open southern border.

    In a recent discussion on the Shawn Ryan Show, former CIA targeting officer Sarah Adams warned of a potentially devastating attack planned by Al-Qaeda terrorists on American soil.

    Investigations into the Cybertruck bomber and New Orleans terrorist are only just beginning. More details are coming… 

    *   *   *

    Update (1407ET): 

    Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia of the FBI Counterterrorism Division told reporters on Thursday afternoon that the New Orleans massacre “was an act of terrorism” (14 dead, dozens injured) and stated, “My goal is to be as forthcoming as possible with you about what we’ve uncovered so far.”

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    Remember, hours after the terror incident on Bourbon Street, the FBI lied to the American people: “This was not a terrorist event.” 

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    Sigh, FBI! Public trust continues to crumble. 

    Also, the FBI announced a complete reversal from a statement on Wednseday, in which Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan said, “We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates.”

    Once again, given the FBI’s ongoing trust issues, the public remains uncertain about what to believe.

    Back to Raia’s press conference, he said there had not been a “definitive link” between the Bourbon Street attack and the Tesla Cybertruck explosion at Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas. 

    “As you know, there’s also an FBI investigation in Las Vegas. We are following up on all potential leads and not ruling everything out. However, at this point, there is no definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas. And again, I’ll preface as I close, I’ll preface everything with what I started with in the beginning, which was this is very early in an investigation like this,” Raia told reporters. 

    New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Bourbon Street will reopen this afternoon ahead of the Sugar Bowl game this evening. 

    Meanwhile, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the Bourbon Street massacre can happen anywhere, and “you have to crush” evil to protect America. 

    Under the Biden-Harris regime, the Feds facilitated the greatest migrant invasion this nation has ever seen by opening the floodgates on the southern border to millions of illegal aliens, some of which were pre-trained terrorists. In other words, our own government willfully compromised national security through globalist border policies.

    Raia also said Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the Bourbon Street terrorist, was “100% inspired by ISIS…” 

    “So what I can tell you right now is that he was 100% inspired by ISIS. And so we’re digging — we’re digging through more of the social media, more interviews, working with some of our other partners to-to ascertain just how to ascertain a little bit more about that connection,” he noted. 

    However, we must note that Jabbar and Matthew Livelsberger’s (Cybertruck suicide bomber) were both US Army veterans. 

    From a ramming attack on Bourbon Street to a VBIED-like explosion at Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas, occurring on the same day just hours apart, it seems suspicious and raises concerns that there might be more incidents to come.

    *   *   *

    Welcome to the second day of 2025.

    Federal authorities and investigative teams are probing a potential military connection between a US Army veteran who displayed an Islamic State (IS) flag and was described as “hellbent” on causing maximum damage by steering a Ford F-150 Lightning (EV) into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens, and another US Army veteran who drove an explosives-filled Tesla Cybertruck that detonated almost like a VBIED outside Trump’s Las Vegas hotel just hours after the Bourbon Street massacre.

    Two law enforcement sources familiar with the New Orleans truck-terror-ramming attack and the Las Vegas incident told NBC News that federal investigative teams are probing a potential military connection between the two individuals involved in both attacks.

    New Orleans terror suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, who died in a subsequent close-range firefight with police after the ramming attack, was a US national and Texas resident. He worked in the US Army’s human resources and information technology departments between 2006 and 2020, including a deployment to Afghanistan in 2009. 

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    The suspect in the Cybertruck explosion at Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas has been identified as “Matthew Livelsberger,” according to Newsweek. 

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    Denver-based station ABC7 reported that Livelsberger once served at the same base as Shamsud-Din Jabbar. However, no evidence yet confirms whether they had direct links of any sort. 

    However, both vehicles used in New Orleans and Las Vegas were rented from San Francisco-based Turo.

    Turo wrote in a statement, “We do not believe that either renter had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat, and we are not currently aware of any information that indicates the two incidents are related.”

    Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told NBC earlier that investigators believe multiple people were involved in the Bourbon Street massacre. She said authorities believe explosive devices were made in an Airbnb rental in the New Orleans metro area.

    “We know that these individuals had rented the house were using it for that purpose,” Murrill said.

    Murrill also said she wanted to postpone the Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for another day. The football game is currently scheduled for tonight after it was postponed following the attack.

    Murrill noted that “the community is safe” because of the increased law enforcement presence in the city. However, the delay of the Sugar Bowl may only suggest that something larger is unfolding. 

    Here we go. 

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    In a recent discussion on the Shawn Ryan Show, former CIA targeting officer Sarah Adams warned of a potentially devastating attack planned by Al-Qaeda terrorists on American soil.

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    Finally, with just a few days left until Trump is inaugurated, we can’t help but wonder at the timing of this sudden chaos.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 18:49

  • New Florida Bill Would Prohibit Illegal Immigrants From Filing Lawsuits
    New Florida Bill Would Prohibit Illegal Immigrants From Filing Lawsuits

    Authored by T.J.Muscaro via The Epoch Times,

    A new bill introduced to Florida’s state legislature intends to prohibit illegal immigrants from being able to utilize the civil court system to file lawsuits and other legal actions.

     

    Titled HB 71: Civil Actions Brought by Unauthorized Aliens, the single-page bill stated, “an unauthorized alien may not commence a civil action,” using the definition of “unauthorized aliens” as stated in the federal Immigration and Nationality Act.

    It was filed in Florida’s State House of Representatives by Rep. Joel Rudman on Dec. 27, arguing that someone who enters the country illegally has no legal standing to file lawsuits, be it for a slip and fall or malpractice.

    “If you are in Florida illegally, then you should not have access to our courts,” he said on X.

    ”You have no legal standing to sue anyone here, since you were not even supposed to be here. American citizens and legal immigrants have had enough.”

    The Republican argued in a press release that the justice system was  already “drowning under a sea of frivolous lawsuits,” and Americans could not afford illegal immigrants the chance to “use our courts as their free lottery ticket.”

    This bill is only limited to civil court, meaning they would retain their rights if a crime were committed against them.

    There is no companion bill in the state Senate at the time of this article’s publication.

    Rudman stepped down from his seat in Tallahassee on Jan. 1 to take his shot at running in Florida’s First Congressional District’s special election to replace former Rep. Matt Gaetz in Washington, D.C. He will be going up against several candidates, including Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, who has already secured President-elect Donald Trump’s endorsement.

    However, Republicans hold a supermajority in both the Florida legislature, which suggests the bill like this will easily reach Gov. Ron DeSantis’s desk, considering the GOP’s stance on illegal immigration.

    The Epoch Times has reached out to Florida’s Democratic Party for comment on this bill.

    Rudman also mentioned in his press release that he was the husband of a legal immigrant and said his state welcomes immigrants who come legally through proper channels.

    If passed, the bill will go into effect July 1.

    The Florida House of Representatives has yet to release its schedule for January as of this article’s publication.

    According to the Florida Senate’s website, all requests for general bill drafts, as well as companion bills, must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 25.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 18:25

  • Tractor-Trailer Bomb Threat Shuts Down I-85 In South Carolina
    Tractor-Trailer Bomb Threat Shuts Down I-85 In South Carolina

    Live Feed: 

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    *   *   * 

    Concerns over terrorism are intensifying in the wake of the Bourbon Street massacre and the Las Vegas Cybertruck bombing. Adding to the anxiety, police are now investigating a potential bomb in a tractor-trailer on a major highway in South Carolina. 

    Local media WSPA reports all lanes of Interstate 85 are blocked in both directions between exits 42 and 44 near White Horse Road in Greenville County. 

    South Carolina Law Enforcement Division confirmed to WSPA that bomb squad personnel are responding to a potential bomb inside a tractor-trailer. Details are limited.

    “Situation unfolding in Greenville Co South Carolina that’s closed I-85 | Sources tell me it involves an 18-wheeler. Driver apparently pulled over and stated he has a bomb. Multiple agency incident,” WXIA’s Cody Alcorn wrote on X. 

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    South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster wrote on X:

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    Traffic nightmare. 

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    *Developing… 

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 18:19

  • From RWA Boom To Bitcoin Yields: Top Crypto Trends To Watch In 2025
    From RWA Boom To Bitcoin Yields: Top Crypto Trends To Watch In 2025

    Authored by Ana Paula Pereira via CoinTelegraph.com,

    The year 2024 will be remembered as a landmark chapter in crypto history. From surging mainstream demand for Bitcoin-regulated financial products to an expected crypto-friendly White House, the Web3 industry has made significant strides despite facing notable challenges along the way.

    With its resilience finally paying off, the industry is now setting its sights on another promising year as hopes for regulatory clarity converge with years of innovation and development.

    Experts are closely watching emerging trends poised to not only redefine the crypto landscape but also affect the world as a whole. To explore what lies ahead, Cointelegraph has compiled a list of key crypto trends expected to take center stage in the months to come.

    RWAs: The use case to watch in 2025

    If you have never heard about it, make a note of this word: tokenization. It refers to the art of turning traditional assets into tokens, making them tradable, even in small fractions. 

    Developers, investors and companies from a range of industries were enraptured by the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) fever in 2024, as it unlocks liquidity for traditionally nonliquid assets, such as real estate, and allows people around the world to access investments not always accessible to small investors. 

    “RWAs are the use case to watch in 2025. The value of tokenized assets will double in the year,” predicts Sergey Gorbunov, CEO of Interop Labs and co-founder of Axelar Network. 

    Gorbunov’s view is followed by venture capital firm a16z. In its annual report on trends in the crypto and blockchain industry, the VC said that “tokenizing unconventional assets could redefine income generation in the digital age.”

    According to data from RWA.xyz, the total value of tokenized assets now stands at nearly $13.9 billion, a 67% jump from $8.3 billion in January.

    Real-world assets onchain are now worth over $13.8 billion. Source: RWA.xyz

    Financial institutions are now looking at risk frameworks for tokenized assets. In other words, they want to ensure compliance with legal requirements, security risks and market volatility issues are addressed. According to Gurbunov:

    “Multiple major financial institutions will develop the risk frameworks needed to issue RWAs that can move across interconnected, public blockchains.”

    ID checks by AI agents

    Several protocols have been working on ways to provide ID verification onchain over the past few years. 

    One of the advancements in this field is undoubtedly the emergence of zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, a technology that allows a human to prove themselves without revealing any personal information. Startups developing this technology include Worldcoin, ONCHAINID and RisedID, to name a few. 

    Moving forward, onchain biometric verification is expected to be increasingly powered by artificial intelligence. In other words, you will be checked for your identity autonomously onchain by an AI. This may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s just an example of AI and blockchain coming together.

    “We expect to see automated biometrics and/or government ID checks become the norm, not the exception,” said Civic CEO Chris Hart. He continued: 

    “As AI agents increasingly act on behalf of users, robust identity verification and authorization frameworks will be crucial for controlling what these agents can do and for how long — especially in financial transactions.”

    DePINs to take off

    Community-driven energy services, online storage and internet connectivity are already a reality through decentralized physical infrastructure networks, or DePINs. 

    DePINs allow users to become stakeholders in the network, meaning they can own a piece of the infrastructure they use, thus creating new opportunities for financial inclusion.

    Borderless Capital, a venture firm pouring millions of dollars into DePIN protocols, claims the sector holds “the most compelling opportunity” in Web3.

    “It is the only Web3 vertical generating revenue and fundamentals with zero correlation to the crypto market, delivering real-world value,” Álvaro Gracia, partner at Borderless, told Cointelegraph.

    According to data aggregated by DePIN.Ninja, the market capitalization of DePIN protocols has exceeded $50 billion.

    More yields from Bitcoin

    Finally, it is impossible to discuss 2025 without mentioning Bitcoin. Once a discredited asset, Bitcoin has made significant strides over the past decade, earning adoption within Wall Street and solidifying its position in the financial landscape.

    While developers still struggle with possible upgrades to a network that now has more stakeholders than ever before, startups are exploring alternative ways to unlock yield generation for holders.

    “This is the natural need for holders, including the retail and institution. This is the native demand for holders,” said Kevin He of Bitlayer, a Bitcoin layer-2 protocol backed by asset manager firm Franklin Templeton.

    According to He, not only investors but also large holders of BTC, such as MicroStrategy, are looking for additional sources of revenue through the fusion of Bitcoin and decentralized finance. 

    According to He, Bitcoiners could soon generate annual returns of up to 40% on their holdings.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 17:40

  • Palestinian Authority Bans Al Jazeera From West Bank For 'Stirring Strife'
    Palestinian Authority Bans Al Jazeera From West Bank For ‘Stirring Strife’

    The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced Wednesday the suspension of Al-Jazeera’s operations in the Palestinian West Bank, citing alleged violations of Palestinian laws and ‘interference’. 

    The major Qatar-based outlet is accused of “manipulation, interference in internal affairs, and dissemination of misleading and incendiary reports,” according to a statement in the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

    Al Jazeera headquarters building in Doha, Qatar. Source: AJ

    The broadcaster has been further blamed for “reports that were deceiving and stirring strife” in the context of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) effort to crackdown on unauthorized armed groups.

    For the past more than two weeks the PA has laid police siege to the Jenin refugee camp in an effort to root out the Jenin Brigade and associated factions. The PA has called the groups “outlaws” and “Iranian gangs” which are operating in the camp.

    At least nine Palestinians have been killed as a result of the assault, including reportedly children. The PA had already banned Al Jazeera from reporting from inside Jenin amid the crisis.

    Al Jazeera issued a Thursday statement saying it was “shocked by this decision” and is urging an immediate reversal of the temporary ban, for which there hasn’t been a timetable. It has confirmed its coverage has moved to Jordan.

    The outlet has charged the PA with “an attempt to hide the truth about events in the occupied territories, especially what is happening in Jenin and its camps.”

    Months ago Israeli commandoes raided Al Jazeera’s West Bank offices and seized equipment and ordered the bureau closed.

    As early as October 2023, soon after the Oct.7 Hamas terror attacks, Israel moved to ban Al Jazeera from having offices in Tel Aviv or operating anywhere in Israel.

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    This came on the heels of Israeli government approving “emergency regulations” giving it the power to shut down foreign news agencies which are deemed to be acting against the “security of the state”. 

    On Thursday a United Nations spokesperson urged the Palestinian Authority to reverse its decision to ban Al-Jazeera, in a rare moment.

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 17:20

  • Pentagon Reassesses Osprey's Future Amid Crashes And Operational Failures
    Pentagon Reassesses Osprey’s Future Amid Crashes And Operational Failures

    Authored by Mike Fredenburg via The Epoch Times,

    The  Marines, and now the Air Force and Navy, have cleared their Osprey fleets to fly after all U.S.-operated Ospreys were grounded earlier this month. Clearing the Ospreys involves implementing “risk mitigation controls,” part of which includes a more rigorous inspection regime and careful monitoring of hours flown.

    However, while the Ospreys are once again flying, the airplane’s root problem driving these groundings has not been addressed. And the most recent groundings have once again thrust the Osprey’s long history of problems and crashes into the spotlight, with the most recent crash killing eight marines occurring in November of 2023.

    As was the case with earlier groundings, the most recent grounding appears to be related to key parts of its complex tiltrotor transmissions not being able to stand up the stresses placed on them and growing weaker at a much faster rate than expected. As this issue affects all Ospreys, the Pentagon grounded all the planes on Dec. 9.

    That the Osprey is so problem-plagued 43 years after Bell and Boeing began joint development of it begs several questions. The first is, with well over $10 billion expended on research, development, and testing, and the first test flight taking place way back in 1989, why does the Osprey continue to be so beset with issues, incidents, groundings, and crashes? And the second is, why taxpayers paid tens of billions to acquire V-22s that are unreliable, unsafe, and have arguably delivered less capability than the helicopters and airplanes they are supposedly replacing? The final question is whether it’s time to consider the V-22’s future from a sunk cost basis, and move away from using V-22s and back towards using more capable helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

    Perhaps a tiltrotor could be designed that is reliable and safe, but after decades of accidents and mechanical failures it should be obvious that the V-22 design is critically flawed and unreliable. Consequently, perhaps, just perhaps, it is time to consider that their adoption has resulted in a net loss of capability, and look at limiting their use only to the small subset of missions and tasks that truly can only be performed by them.

    Elaborating, the attraction of the Osprey is that it can perform the duties of both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. This mindset creates the temptation to look for opportunities to replace helicopters with Ospreys in the belief that not only do you get the benefits of a helicopter,  but you get the range and speed of an airplane. Likewise, by replacing fixed-wing aircraft with Ospreys, you not only get an airplane, but you get the capabilities of a helicopter.

    This certainly sounds like a big win. But even if the Osprey was safe and reliable, and did not cost so much to operate, the fact is that a tiltrotor aircraft is a lousy helicopter, and is at best a mediocre airplane.

    Why Does the Osprey Make Such a Poor Helicopter?

    Firstly, while the Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that can ascend and descend vertically, the fact that the vicious downwash  generated by its proprotors is much more concentrated and intense than the downwash generated by a helicopter’s rotor(s) makes it inferior to a helicopter when it comes to executing a wide variety of tasks and missions.

    Perhaps the biggest weakness relative to a helicopter is that an Osprey’s intense proprotor wash and hot exhaust strikes the ground with much greater force, throwing up rocks, sand, soil, and in some cases even helipads. This is not only a danger to anyone nearby, but the thrown-up ground materials can potentially be ingested by the engine, damaging it and causing it to fail. The obscuring cloud created by an Osprey can be so intense that the pilot cannot safely land due to lack of visibility.

    The intense downwash also means that missions that require hovering, such as air-sea rescues and fast insertions involving troops repelling to the ground, and moving cargo by slings or nets, must be executed from a higher hover height. This, combined with the intensity of the proprotor downwash, makes  Ospreys inferior to helicopters for such missions.

    Additionally, hover time for Ospreys enveloped in the obscuring cloud is limited to 60 seconds or less. And due to heat issues, its hover time in general is far less than that of a helicopter.

    Further, the Osprey’s intense propwash and engine exhaust damages ship decks perfectly suited to handle helicopters. Consequently, costly deck modifications have had to be made and/or will have to be made to our amphibious warships, which were designed to support helicopters. This is just another example of a helicopter’s vastly superior landing zone flexibility.

    Finally, when an Osprey loses power, unlike a helicopter it cannot safely autorotate and its gliding ability is much inferior to that of a fixed-wing airplane. So in general, when loss of power occurs, its passengers and crew are less likely to survive, which is why the Osprey has earned the name “widow maker.”

    Why the Osprey Is a Mediocre Airplane

    The main reason that the Osprey will always at best be a mediocre airplane is that along with being more complex and less reliable, its proprotors are much less efficient than standard propellers. This lack of efficiency translates into burning more fuel and a lower top speed compared to comparably sized turboprops with standard-sized propellers.

    All of the above does not negate that there are some missions for which a reliable and safe tiltrotor  aircraft would be the best option. But given the V-22’s  history and its $80,000 cost per flying hour,  the services using V-22s need to take a hard look at their decision to replace reliable, more cost-effective, and arguably more capable helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft with the Ospreys

    Given the V-22’s ongoing unresolved problems and their high operational costs, the Pentagon should consider the V-22 a sunk cost and only use Ospreys for the very limited sets of  tasks and missions that can truly only be executed by the V-22. All other tasks and missions should be migrated over time to the helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft best suited to fulfill them.

    Finally, a very hard look should be taken of the Army’s plans to move away from helicopters to a brand-new unproven tiltrotor, the V-280 Valor.

    *  *  *

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

    Tyler Durden
    Thu, 01/02/2025 – 17:00

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