**Visualizing Air Pollution Levels Around The World In 2022**
Visualizing Air Pollution Levels Around The World In 2022
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that **air pollution** leads to **7 million (https://www.who.int/india/health-topics/air-pollution) premature deaths every year.**
Out of the six common air pollutants, particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter, or **PM2.5**, is accepted as the most harmful to human health. This is due to its prevalence in the atmosphere and the broad range of adverse health effects associated with its exposure, such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.
With that context in mind, this visualization from Visual Capitalist's Selin Oğuz and Miranda Smith (https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-air-pollution-levels-around-the-world-2022/) uses IQAir’s World Air Quality Report (https://www.iqair.com/ca/world-air-quality-report) to map out the 2022 average PM2.5 concentrations in select major cities around the globe, expressed in micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³).
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Understanding the WHO Air Pollution Guidelines
Did you know that in 2019, only 1% of the global population (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health) lived in places where WHO global air quality guidelines were met?
Designed to protect public health from the harmful effects of air pollution, the guidelines (https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/345329/9789240034228-eng.pdf) cover a range of air pollutants, including particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
The healthy limits for PM2.5 are set at an annual average of **0-5 μg/m³**.
WHO ClassificationAnnual Average PM2.5 Concentration (μg/m³)% of countries within classification, 2022\*WHO Air Quality Guideline0 - 59.9%Interim Target 45.1 - 1018.3%Interim Target 310.1 - 1519.8%Interim Target 215.1 - 2528.2%Interim Target 125.1 - 359.9%Exceeds Target Levels35.1 - 507.6%Exceeds Target Levels\> 506.1%
\* _Percentages are calculated as a proportion of the 131 countries that had sufficient air quality data and were included in IQAir’s World Air Quality Report in 2022._
According to IQAir’s World Air Quality Report, only **13 countries or territories** met the recommended concentration of PM2.5 in 2022. Among them were Australia, Finland, Puerto Rico, Iceland, Bermuda, and Guam.
Above this guideline, many countries fell within the four interim targets, while nearly **14%** recorded air pollution levels that exceeded all target levels.
The Effects of Air Quality on Mortality
While it can be a little difficult to grasp what the above concentrations represent, thinking of them in terms of their effect on mortality can shed some light on their significance.
According to the WHO (https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/345329/9789240034228-eng.pdf), non-accidental mortality rates multiply by **1.08 per 10 µg/m³ increase** in PM2.5 concentration, but only up to 35 μg/m³. Above that, mortality growth rates may not be linear, resulting in many more deaths.
Here is an example to highlight what that means.
- Say that, for a population living within the WHO PM2.5 guideline, the non-accidental mortality rate is arbitrarily set to **100 deaths** for a given period.
- If this area’s PM2.5 concentration goes up to 10 μg/m³, putting them at **Interim Target 4**, they would see **104 deaths** in that same amount of time.
- At **Interim Target 3**, where their PM2.5 concentration would be 15 μg/m³, they would see **108 deaths**.
- At **Interim Target 2**, they’d see **117**.
- Finally, at **Interim Target 1**, they’d see **126**.
Beyond Interim Target 1 (above 35 μg/m³), deaths would potentially grow **much faster**. As of 2022, around 14% of countries report levels above this threshold, including Chad, India, Pakistan, Qatar, and Nigeria.
The State of Air Pollution Around the World
While many cities in North America and Europe have seen steady and relatively lower PM2.5 concentrations during the last few years, many cities (especially those in Asia) have been making strides in lowering their air pollution levels.
Nonetheless, many of them still record PM2.5 concentrations that are more than **six times** the WHO guideline.
City2022 annual average PM2.5 concentration (μg/m³)2018 annual average PM2.5 concentration (μg/m³)🇪🇬 Cairo, Egypt47.4N/A🇮🇳 Mumbai, India46.758.6🇦🇪 Dubai, UAE43.755.3🇮🇩 Jakarta, Indonesia36.245.3🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria36.1N/A🇨🇳 Beijing, China29.850.9🇵🇪 Lima, Peru25.628🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico22.119.7🇨🇳 Guangzhou, China21.333.2🇵🇭 Manila, Philippin…
https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/visualizing-air-pollution-levels-around-world-2022
**Lula: Peace Club To De-Dollarization**
Lula: Peace Club To De-Dollarization
_Authored by Andrew Korybko via The Automatic Earth blog,_ (https://www.theautomaticearth.com/2023/04/lula-peace-club-to-de-dollarization/)
Brazilian President Lula was **successful in reaching an agreement to de-dollarize his country’s trade with China,** the significance of which was earlier explained in the context of his country’s grand strategy here (https://korybko.substack.com/p/the-de-dollarization-of-brazilian), **but failed to convince (https://newsingermany.com/xi-refuses-to-join-lulas-peace-club/) his counterpart to join a so-called “peace club” on Ukraine during their summit.** This is no small shortcoming either since it was promoted by his Foreign Minister as one of the reasons behind his trip in an interview that he gave to the Financial Times (https://www.ft.com/content/24b59a38-d11f-4333-966f-644250ffff40) (FT) late last month.
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Globally prominent outlets such as Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-12/xi-hosts-brazil-s-lula-in-diplomatic-push-for-ukraine-cease-fire), France24 (https://www.france24.com/en/video/20230412-lula-in-china-brazil-president-looking-to-strengthen-ties-gain-ukraine-aid), the US Government-run “Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (https://www.rferl.org/a/china-brazils-lula-visit-ukraine-peace-crimea/32362646.html)” (RFERL), and others all accordingly reported that this issue would be high on the agenda during Lula’s talks with President Xi. His supporters on social media also went wild getting everyone’s expectations up about this as well, even though “Brazil & China Are Poles Apart When It Comes To Their Envisaged End Games In Ukraine (https://korybko.substack.com/p/brazil-and-china-are-poles-apart)” so it was never likely that anything would come of this.
While China, India, and South Africa have consistently abstained from anti-Russian UNGA Resolutions, Brazil bucked the BRICS trend by always voting against Russia except (https://www.axios.com/2022/04/07/un-suspend-russia-human-rights-council-bucha) when it came to suspending it from the Human Rights Council. **Lula became the first BRICS leader to personally condemn Russia in his joint statement (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/02/10/joint-statement-following-the-meeting-between-president-biden-and-president-lula/) with Biden back in February**, after which he ordered his diplomats to vote in support (https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/02/1133847) of the latest anti-Russian UNGA Resolution later that same month.
Foreign Minister Vieira was obviously well aware of the sharp differences between Brazil and China’s officially envisaged end games to this conflict yet he still made it seem to FT like there was a chance that the People’s Republic would tacitly support his country’s position via participation in the “peace club”. That was nothing more than wishful thinking (https://astutenews.com/2022/07/putin-cautioned-russian-strategic-forecasters-against-indulging-in-wishful-thinking/), which belied Brazilian diplomats’ refusal to acknowledge China’s principled approach to this conflict since they in hindsight seemed to assume that it was flexible.
**Reality slapped them and their supporters in the face upon the publication of the joint Brazilian-Chinese communique on Friday,** which can be read in English on the official website of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs here (https://www.gov.br/mre/en/contact-us/press-area/press-releases/joint-communique-between-the-federative-republic-of-brazil-and-the-people2019s-republic-of-china-on-the-deepening-of-their-global-strategic-partnership-beijing-14-april-2023). The ninth paragraph of that document will now be shared in full so as to prove Lula’s failure to sway President Xi to his country’s side contrary to the unrealistic expectation that Vieira set for his trip when talking to the FT late last month:
> _“Both parties stated that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way out of the crisis in Ukraine and that all efforts leading to a peaceful solution to the crisis must be encouraged and supported. Brazil received in a positive way the proposal by China that offers reflections conducive to the search for a peaceful solution to the crisis. China received in a positive way the efforts by Brazil in favour of peace. The parties made an appeal for more countries to play a constructive role in the promotion of a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine. The parties decided to keep in contact on this matter.”_
**As can be seen, absolutely nothing of tangible significance came from Lula’s over-hyped “peace club” proposal.** This paragraph of their joint …
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/lula-peace-club-de-dollarization
**Thieves Steal 2 Million Dimes Worth $200,000 From Big Rig Parked In Philadelphia Walmart**
Thieves Steal 2 Million Dimes Worth $200,000 From Big Rig Parked In Philadelphia Walmart
_Talk about taking QE to another level._
Today in "if Fed policy was an 18-wheeler" news, a trailer containing 2 million dimes was broken into and looted in Northeast Philadelphia this week.
The trailer contained "hundreds of thousands of dollars" worth of dimes, 6ABC reported. (https://6abc.com/dime-theft-trailer-containing-dimes-philadelphia-walmart-parking-lot/13121955/)
After a discovery of the trailer was made at 6AM on Thursday morning, police commented that roughly 2 million dimes, worth about $200,000 were stolen.
The truck had $750,000 in dimes in it altogether. Many were found strewn about in a Walmart parking lot where the trailer was parked.
The dimes had been picked up at the Philadelphia Mint on Wednesday, but the driver of the truck went home to sleep before planning to drive the next day to Florida.
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Capt. Jack Ryan of Northeast Detectives commented: "This is common practice - to pick up a load going to Florida and go home for the night, get to sleep, and get on the road in the morning."
He didn't comment on the driver's decision to leave $750,000 in dimes in a trailer in the Walmart parking lot overnight, however.
"They were trying to cross-load the dimes into other things. There are dimes all over the parking lot," Ryan added, telling 6ABC.
Police are reviewing camera footage to try and get a suspect description.
One bystander asked: "I feel like if they try to go to the bank and cash it in, they're going to get caught. They'll be like, 'Well, where did you get all of these dimes from?'"
**Oh and don't worry: we're sure by next week the incident will be used as an example of why we absolutely must use central bank digital currencies.**
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Sat, 04/15/2023 - 17:00
**US Arms Industry Planning 1st Taiwan Trip In Years To Talk Joint Production**
US Arms Industry Planning 1st Taiwan Trip In Years To Talk Joint Production
_Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,_ (https://news.antiwar.com/2023/04/13/us-arms-industry-planning-first-taiwan-trip-in-four-years/)
Around **25 US defense contractors plan to send representatives to Taiwan next month**, marking the first time the arms industry will send a delegation to the island since 2019, _Nikkei Asia_ (https://archive.is/bipzV) reported this week.
Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US Taiwan Business Council, said the delegation will look to boost cooperation with Taiwan’s industry and wants to explore jointly producing weapons. The arms that Taipei is **interested in producing include drones and ammunition**.
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_Taiwan's domestic-made Teng Yun 2 drone, via Asia Times_ (
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The planned arms industry trip to Taiwan comes as the US is looking to ramp up arms sales and general military cooperation with Taiwan, which will further exacerbate tensions with Beijing.
The delegation plans to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who recently provoked major Chinese military drills by meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.
When asked about the prospect of US companies jointly producing arms with Taiwan, a Biden administration official expressed support for the idea.
"From a very high-level perspective, we think that **co-production arrangements make sense**, but we need to take a look at them on a case-by-case basis, and it has to be at the request of US industry," the official told _Nikkei_.
Since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979, the US has always sold weapons to Taiwan. But the US is now looking to expand support by providing billions in military aid included in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Some of the Taiwan aid has hit a snag with the appropriations committees, but the Pentagon has saidit plans to use the $1 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority (https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2023/04/06/pentagon-to-use-new-taiwan-arms-transfer-authority-similar-to-ukraine/) to start arming Taiwan. The authority is what President Biden has been using to arm Ukraine by sending weapons directly from US military stockpiles.
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Sat, 04/15/2023 - 16:30
**The Biden Administration Is Once Again Tightening Rules On Vehicles Emissions**
The Biden Administration Is Once Again Tightening Rules On Vehicles Emissions
It's a case of Joe Biden versus the free market.
Recall, just yesterday, we wrote about how (https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/despite-7500-inflation-reduction-act-tax-credit-americans-are-just-not-evs), despite enormous subsidies, EV adoption in the United States was slowing. In other words, it turns out, not everybody shares the virtue signaling stance of blindly switching to a more expensive method of driving with more complex refueling demands...just because the government "said so".
Enter the Biden administration, yet again, which is now unveiling what Fox News is calling (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-unveils-toughest-ever-car-emissions-rules-bid-force-electric-vehicle-purchases) "the most aggressive tailpipe emissions ever crafted" to try and further the push into EVs.
The new rules proposed by the EPA and White House "will impact car model years 2027 through 2032". The White House claims they will result in "carbon emission reductions of nearly 10 billion tons by 2055 and would save consumers an average of $12,000 over the lifetime of vehicles," the report says.
The White House stated: "Cars and truck manufacturers have made clear that the future of transportation is electric. The market is moving."
It added: "As a car enthusiast and self-proclaimed car guy, President Biden is seizing the moment. His Investing in America agenda is expanding domestic manufacturing and accelerating adoption of zero-emission vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and fuel cell electric vehicles."
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The administration also estimates that the new rules will "reduce oil imports by 20 billion barrels".
Meanwhile, critics state the obvious: that new rules on emission standards will make the cost of all vehicles rise. If its rules are enacted, "67% of new sedan, crossover, SUV and light truck purchases could be electric by 2032," the White House predicts.
Myron Ebell, the director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute's Center for Energy and Environment told Fox News (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-unveils-toughest-ever-car-emissions-rules-bid-force-electric-vehicle-purchases): "The Biden administration is trying to bend every federal rule they can find to force people into buying EVs. There is still a market that allows drivers to buy the vehicles of their choice, but government coercion is rapidly limiting those choices."
He concluded: "If Biden policies are successful, we will soon have a choice between buying an EV and not being able to afford a vehicle at all."
Conspicuously, the White House didn't mention any restrictions or concerns about the way that heavy metals are being mined for use in EV batteries, because - well, child labor and toxic work conditions in continents in Africa aren't in vogue, popular, trendy talking points.
_But...but...carbon!_
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Sat, 04/15/2023 - 16:00
**SEC Sides With Conservatives Over Launching PayPal Discrimination Probe**
SEC Sides With Conservatives Over Launching PayPal Discrimination Probe
_Authored by Kevin Stocklin via The Epoch Times (https://www.theepochtimes.com/shareholders-charge-political-bias-at-paypal_5192776.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge) (emphasis ours),_
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sided with conservative investors this week in their request to investigate what they say is **PayPal’s systematic political and religious discrimination against customers.**
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Over the objections of PayPal’s management, the SEC allowed a proposal by the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) to go to a shareholder vote at the company’s next annual meeting. This decision follows a similar decision (https://adfmedia.org/press-release/jpmorgan-chase-loses-sec-challenge-must-allow-shareholders-consider-viewpoint) on March 29, **in which the SEC green-lighted a proposal regarding alleged political and religious discrimination at JPMorgan Chase**, America’s largest bank.
In an April 10 letter (https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/admin/1999/ncpprpaypal041023-14a8.pdf) to PayPal’s attorneys, the SEC stated that NCPPR’s proposal “requests that the board conduct an evaluation and issue a report within the next year evaluating how it oversees risks related to discrimination against individuals based on their race, color, religion (including religious views), sex, national origin, or political views, and whether such discrimination may impact individuals’ exercise of their constitutionally protected civil rights.”
Responding to PayPal’s request to block the proposal from going to a shareholder vote, the SEC stated: “We are unable to concur in your view that the Company may exclude the Proposal under Rule 14a-8(i)(7). In our view, the Proposal transcends ordinary business matters.”
PayPal had argued that its shareholders should not consider NCPPR’s request because the issue of viewpoint discrimination is part of the company’s “ordinary business operations” and that “the proposal seeks to ‘micro-manage’ the company by probing too deeply into matters of a complex nature upon which shareholders, as a group, would not be in a position to make an informed judgment.”
The NCPPR proposal stated, among other things, that “ **companies that provide banking or financial services are essential pillars of the marketplace**. On account of their unique and pivotal role in America’s economy, many federal and state laws already prohibit them from discriminating when providing financial services to the public. And the UN Declaration of Human Rights, consistent with many other laws and the U.S. Constitution, recognizes that **‘everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.’”**
Conservatives Charge Viewpoint Discrimination
“ **We know from news stories that PayPal has been discriminating on the basis of viewpoints, shutting down accounts that differ from their ‘woke’ political principles**,” Scott Shepard, a director at NCPPR and co-author of the proposal, told The Epoch Times. “We’re giving them a chance with this to consider ways to rectify those problems.”
PayPal has scored well in terms of its support for progressive causes. Standard & Poor’s (https://www.spglobal.com/esg/scores/results?cid=4580296) ranked it a 49 out of 100 in the social-justice category of its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) score, more than double the industry average of 22, though below the industry best of 90. Its overall ESG rating increased steadily from 18 in 2018 to 58 today.
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_The logo of online payment company PayPal during LeWeb 2013 event in Saint-Denis near Paris on Dec.10, 2013. (Eric PiermontI /AFP via Getty Images)_ (
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**PayPal scored a perfect 100 percent on the Corporate Equality Index (https://www.hrc.org/resources/corporate-equality-index) (CEI), published by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)**. The HRC publishes various corporate indices that it says are “benchmarks of LGBTQ-inclusive policies, practices, and benefits of our nation’s employers.” Noting left-wing philanthropist George Soros’s funding of the HRC, some analysts have suggested (https://nypost.com/2023/04/07/inside-the-woke-scoring-system-guiding-american-companies/) that campaigns such as Bud Light’s endorsement of trans activist Dylan Mulvaney were part of a standard corporate practice …
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/sec-sides-conservatives-over-launching-paypal-discrimination-probe
**Anheuser-Busch Transitions Into Damage Control Mode - And People Aren't Buying It**
Anheuser-Busch Transitions Into Damage Control Mode - And People Aren't Buying It
After rolling out a Bud Light ad campaign featuring flamboyant transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney - whose ditzy caricature of a woman mocks decades of actual progress by feminists (who have apparently been wokeshamed into silence), **Anheuser-Busch's damage control team kicked into action on Friday** after the Mulvaney ad sparked **a massive backlash (https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bar-owner-says-customers-have-stopped-ordering-bud-light-after-trangender-ad-campaign).**
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"We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people," said Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Brendan Whitworth in a carefully crafted, heavily focus-grouped press release (https://www.anheuser-busch.com/newsroom/our-responsibility-to-america) which failed to mention Mulvaney, Bud Light, or transgender issues. "We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer."
" **I care deeply about this country, this company, our brands and our partners.** I spend much of my time traveling across America, listening to and learning from our customers, distributors and others," the statement continued. "Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation."
Translation: Let's all forget about this over a beer.
The company then went with a 'hey fellow beer drinkers' ad campaign, tweeting "TGIF" along with a picture of a Bud Light can. It was received about as well as one would imagine... with a **massive ratio** of people commenting vs. 'liking' it.
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The campaign was mocked mercilessly.
> This is the beer can we wanted pic.twitter.com/MBKMEsgK7P (https://t.co/MBKMEsgK7P)
>
> — Mostly Peaceful Memes (@MostlyPeacefull) April 15, 2023 (https://twitter.com/MostlyPeacefull/status/1647072631433334784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> Waiting for a REAL apology from Bud Light, along with an announcement that they have fired their marketing team.
>
> — The Gay Republican (@GayRepublicSwag) April 15, 2023 (https://twitter.com/GayRepublicSwag/status/1647056199085326341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> New sponsor for Pisswater Light pic.twitter.com/YjOrjLTjIT (https://t.co/YjOrjLTjIT)
>
> — Big Ray Hernandez (@BigRayHernandez) April 14, 2023 (https://twitter.com/BigRayHernandez/status/1646999498470866947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
More via _The Epoch Times_ (https://www.theepochtimes.com/anheuser-busch-ceo-breaks-silence-after-bud-light-dylan-mulvaney-controversy_5196111.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge) (emphasis ours),
Brand Damage
Some analysts and investors said that the damage likely won’t sink Anheuser-Busch, but the damage has been done to the Bud Light brand.
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_The logo of Anheuser-Busch InBev pictured outside the brewer’s headquarters in Leuven, Belgium, on Feb. 28, 2019. (Francois Lenoir/Reuters)_ (
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“I simply don’t understand why they hired the person who was doing the marketing,” Oxygen Financial CEO Ted Jenkin told Fox News Thursday. “I mean, **if your target customer is Kid Rock, and then all of a sudden you decide to go to RuPaul, that just doesn’t make any sense at all.**”
**Because Bud Light generally targets “blue-collar workers and younger adults that are 25 to 29 years old,” the campaign should be problematic for the firm.** “So, I don’t think that this one campaign is going to colossally destroy the brand,” it said.
“But certainly short term, it puts doubt into their loyal drinkers of Bud Light to say, ‘Do I want to continue to be drinking Bud Light based upon who they’re showing representing Bud Light?’” he asked. “Anytime a company puts on a national spokesperson that has backlash, it certainly can affect your business.”
A research fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research wrote this week that Anheuser-Busch is owned by InBev, a multinational conglomerate worth tens of billions of dollars. One product, he wrote, won’t do a huge amount of damage to the brand or value.
“ **But that seems like a plausible result.** The Venn diagram of people interested in drinking Bud Light and those eager to support the issue at the sharp edge of the wokis…
**These Are America's Most Diverse Cities**
These Are America's Most Diverse Cities
Which cities in the United States are the most diverse? It depends on the definition. As Statista's Katharina Buchholz details below (https://www.statista.com/chart/29721/americas-most-diverse-cities/), an analysis of American Community Survey data (https://data.census.gov/table?t=Populations+and+People&g=010XX00US,$31000M1&y=2021) shows that **the metro areas appearing most diverse at first glance might not be the most mixed places after all.**
Out of almost 400 metro areas listed with the Census Bureau in the 50 U.S. states, the ones where the biggest shares of the population identify as a race other than white can be found in California, Texas and Hawaii. **El Centro in California - registering the highest share of non-white population (https://www.statista.com/topics/776/population/) at 82.3 percent** \- as well as Laredo, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission and El Paso in Texas all hug the border with Mexico, which has led to especially high Latino populations in these places.
(https://www.statista.com/chart/29721/americas-most-diverse-cities/)
_You will find more infographics at Statista (https://www.statista.com/chartoftheday/)_
According to the Census, **Latinos in the U.S. most often identify their race as "other" or "more than one race", while around 20 percent define their race as white.** This leads to the share of the Latino populations of the four aforementioned metros ranging between 83 percent in El Paso and a whopping 96 percent in Laredo. Urban Honolulu and the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina metro in Hawaii as well as San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif., meanwhile owe their high non-white populations to the concentration of another race: Asians. Their share ranges from 30 percent to 42 percent in these metros.
**However, does a high share of a single race or ethnicity other than white people constitutes true diversity?**
In another approach, an index score calculated by Statista measures the divergence of the racial and ethnic makeups of metro areas from the U.S. average. Here, **Texas' College Station-Bryan, a metro of around 270,000 people home to the flagship campus of Texas A&M University, is the city most closely matching the U.S. average.** The metro's white population stands at around 65 percent, a little higher than the 61.2 percent U.S. average. Apart from that, divergence remains under one percentage point for most races, with the notable exception of Latinos, whose share is 8 percentage points higher. But with white populations reaching as high as 72 percent (in the case of Wichita) within the top 8 of this index, it also is an imperfect way to measure diversity.
**Finally, a second index that combines both aspects - divergence from the U.S. average racial and ethnic distribution and divergence from the United States' most non-white metro - hits on more of the country's large cities.** The list is led by New York City, (https://www.statista.com/topics/9382/new-york-city/) followed by Washington D.C., Chicago, Atlantic City, NJ, and San Francisco. In the case of New York, a white population of around 46 percent, combined with somewhat elevated levels of inhabitants from all other races and ethnicities facilitates the top score. In ranks 6 to 8, Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk in Connecticut reappears, followed by Goldsboro, North Carolina, and Trenton-Princeton, New Jersey.
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Sat, 04/15/2023 - 13:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/these-are-americas-most-diverse-cities
**Lake Tahoe Has Clearest Water Since 1980s: Study**
Lake Tahoe Has Clearest Water Since 1980s: Study
_Authored by Jill McClaughlin via The Epoch Times,_ (https://www.theepochtimes.com/lake-tahoe-has-clearest-water-since-1980s-study_5193780.html)
**Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America, is the clearest it has been for nearly 40 years,** according to a new University of California–Davis study (https://tahoe.ucdavis.edu/secchi).
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In the last five months of 2022, a resurgence of native algae-eating zooplankton cleaned up enough murky debris to restore the lake’s famous cobalt-blue water. The lake could clear up even more in the future, researchers said.
> _**“… Clarity may return to 1970s levels—despite the expected large runoff from this year’s record snowpack,”**_ Brant Allen, a local boat captain who helped measure the clear water, said in an April 10 statement.
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_Lake Tahoe’s clear-blue water is seen at Zephyr Cove Marina in Nevada on April 13, 2023. The alpine lake, which straddles northern California and Nevada, was the clearest it has been in 40 years last year, according to a University of California–Davis study. (Jill McLaughlin/The Epoch Times)_
The lake is world-renowned for its clear, icy blue water and surrounding mountains. **It’s the second deepest lake in North America.**
According to findings reported in the “Lake Tahoe Clarity Report 2022” released April 10 by UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, the lake gained nearly 11 more feet of clarity last year. In 2021, the water was clear up to 61 feet. Scientists measured the clarity up to nearly 71.7 feet in 2022.
Restoring the Lake
Agencies in California and Nevada are working together to restore the lake’s clarity to its historic 97.4 feet, according to the study.
Longtime South Lake Tahoe resident Mark Oser grew up on the shores of Lake Tahoe. His mother, who was the first woman Coast Guard pilot on the lake, used to take their old wooden boat to the Cave Rock area on the eastern shore.
> _“She used to drop a dime down in the water and she could see it go all the way down until it hit the bottom,” Oser told The Epoch Times._
>
> _“I haven’t been able to see that in a long time.”_
In the past few years, Oser said he has noticed the water getting murkier at his neighborhood beach next to Lakeside Marina.
> _“I was going swimming every day,” he said._
>
> _“I would get out there and it was gross. You can’t even see your feet. It’s disgusting.”_
Algae-Eating Helpers
Researchers suspect the recent growth of zooplankton—small, microscopic animals—is the biggest reason the lake has regained clarity.
Some zooplankton in Lake Tahoe, mostly Daphnia and Bosmina, have consumed enough small single-celled algae particles to start clearing the lake.
> _“Daphnia and Bosmina largely disappeared from the lake after they were grazed down following the introduction of the Mysis shrimp in the 1960s,” Geoffrey Schladow, director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, said in a statement._
>
> _“In late 2021, the Mysis population unexpectedly crashed, and it took 12 months for the Daphnia and Bosmina to build up their numbers and start their natural cleansing.”_
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_Lake Tahoe’s clear-blue water is seen near Cave Rock on April 13, 2023. The alpine lake, which straddles northern California and Nevada, was the clearest it has been in 40 years last year, according to a University of California–Davis study. (Jill McLaughlin/The Epoch Times)_
A concentration of small particles—such as silt and clay, and algae—has built up around Lake Tahoe’s shores, creating deeper green murky waters.
Large amounts of spring runoff from the lake’s surrounding mountains and warmer surface temperatures also affect the clear water, but the study found that the zooplankton growth was the most important.
> _“The report examined all these factors and concluded that only the change in the zooplankton community could account for the magnitude of this year’s change,” the study reported._
**Researchers expect the clarity to continue improving through this year,** the university reported. But if the lake’s population of shrimp rebounds, they could consume the zooplankton and the clarity would be reduced, researchers said.
Ty…
https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/lake-tahoe-has-clearest-water-1980s-study
**Wagner Chief Calls On Putin To Declare End Of War, "Gain Firm Foothold" On Held Territories**
Wagner Chief Calls On Putin To Declare End Of War, "Gain Firm Foothold" On Held Territories
Head of Russia's most prominent mercenary firm Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has issued an unexpected call for the Kremlin to **declare an end of the war in order to consolidate territory already gained**.
A Friday statement by Prigozhin released by his press service (https://t.me/concordgroup_official/754?fbclid=IwAR33YlWj4oJfTY8U0lVr6yPwzILALFRW2mETe0HgKLrXaWnCNlrTKZDy7P4) suggested it's time to declare 'victory' and to focus on fully establishing Russian control over the occupied territories of Ukraine.
"For the authorities \[of the Russian Federation – ed.\] and for society as a whole, **it is necessary to put some kind of bold full stop in the ‘special military operation’**," the Wagner chief said \[emphasis ours\].
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_Russia’s Wagner Group posing in central Bakhmut._ (
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The rare statement continued (https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/wagner-group-leader-calls-putin-190000516.html): "The ideal option is to announce the end of the special military operation, to inform everyone that Russia has **achieved the results that it planned, and in a sense, we have really achieved them**. We have ground a huge number of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and can report to ourselves that our task has been completed."
"Theoretically, Russia has already received this full stop by destroying a large part of the active male population of Ukraine, by intimidating another part of it that has fled to Europe."
Prigozhin went on: "Russia has cut off the Azov Sea and a large chunk of the Black Sea, seized a fat chunk of Ukraine's territory, and created a land corridor to Crimea," and stressed that Russia can **"gain a firm foothold, cling to the territories that already exist".**
But he noted that "If earlier Ukraine was part of former Russia, now it is an absolutely national-oriented state".
This comes as Wagner is spearheading the largely successful offensive to capture Bakhmut and surrounding areas of Donetsk region. At least 80% of the largely destroyed city is currently in Russian hands.
> #Bakhmut (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bakhmut?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Update:#Russian (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Russian?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) forces continued to advance in Bakhmut on April 14. Geolocated footage showed that #Wagner (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wagner?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Group forces made marginal gains in northwestern Bakhmut and advanced in southwestern Bakhmut.https://t.co/fgj818U037 (https://t.co/fgj818U037)pic.twitter.com/XX0Vc6qDX4 (https://t.co/XX0Vc6qDX4)
>
> — ISW (@TheStudyofWar) April 15, 2023 (https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1647096203778170881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
A Russian defense ministry briefing on Saturday said (https://www.barrons.com/news/russia-claims-gains-north-and-south-of-ukraine-s-bakhmut-bbdbbe70) "Wagner assault units have successfully advanced, capturing two districts on the northern and southern outskirts of the city." Western media too has generally acknowledged the Russian forces' steady advance.
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Sat, 04/15/2023 - 12:00
**Trump 2024 Bid Picks Up Seventh Senator's Endorsement**
Trump 2024 Bid Picks Up Seventh Senator's Endorsement
_Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times (https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-2024-bid-picks-up-seventh-senators-endorsement_5194314.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge) (emphasis ours),_
**Former President Donald Trump picked up his seventh Senate endorsement on April 13**, with Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) backing Trump’s third bid for the White House in 2024.
“Just a few years ago America was strong, but now **under Joe Biden, we are a nation in decline**,” Budd said in a statement (https://tedbudd.com/ted-budd-endorses-president-trump/). “Our economy is faltering, our wide-open southern border is tragically wrecking lives, and our country’s power and influence in the world is diminished.”
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_Republican Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina is ceremonially sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris for the 118th Congress in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 3, 2023. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)_ (
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In contrast, Budd said, the Trump-led America was much different.
“ **Under President Trump, our economy saw record-setting growth, and families were starting to get ahead.** Neighborhoods were safer,” Budd said. “Across the globe, we were achieving peace. We were respected by allies and feared by enemies.
“That’s why I endorse Donald J. Trump for President,” Budd added. “ **Hardworking, everyday families need a return of the America First agenda to restore prosperity and peace.**”
The six other GOP senators who have endorsed (https://www.theepochtimes.com/mississippi-senator-endorses-trump-the-night-before-his-arraignment_5171796.html) Trump’s presidential bid are Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
**Budd Endorsement**
Budd, a former House lawmaker, defeated (https://www.theepochtimes.com/ted-budd-claims-north-carolinas-open-senate-seat-for-republicans_4831881.html) Democrat Cheri Beasley to win North Carolina’s 2022 Senate race. Budd was endorsed (https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-endorses-rep-ted-budd-as-lara-trump-announces-she-will-not-run-for-senate_3846231.html) by Trump before his November election victory, paving the way for his GOP primary win (https://www.theepochtimes.com/rep-ted-budd-wins-senate-republican-primary-in-north-carolina_4458922.html) over former North Carolina governor, Pat McCrory.
Like many Republicans, Budd has criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for bringing criminal charges against Trump.
“The Manhattan DA’s partisan prosecution of President Trump is a disgrace,” Budd wrote (https://twitter.com/SenTedBuddNC/status/1641561762615967745) on Twitter on March 30. “NYC has a real problem with violent crime. Instead of spending so much time targeting his political enemies, Alvin Bragg should focus on doing his job to keep the people of NYC safe.”
On April 4, the former president was charged (https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-charged-with-felony-level-falsifying-business-records-pleads-not-guilty_5170484.html) with 34 accounts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has pleaded not guilty (https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-pleads-not-guilty-to-historic-indictment_5171748.html) to all charges and stated that Bragg has “no case (https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-declares-new-york-da-has-no-case-in-first-statement-after-pleading-not-guilty_5172653.html)” against him.
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_Former President Donald Trump appears in court at the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on April 4, 2023. (Steven Hirsch/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)_ (
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Budd introduced his first bill (https://twitter.com/SenTedBuddNC/status/1625525410296373248) as a senator in February, when he and other GOP senators introduced the Build the Wall Now Act (S.422 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/422/text?s=1&r=54)) in an attempt to address the border crisis.
“P **resident Biden has created the worst border crisis in American history.** Instead of taking steps to solve this crisis, the Biden administration has tried to run out the regulatory clock on border wall construction,” Budd said in a statement (https…
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-2024-bid-picks-seventh-senators-endorsement
**Finland Unveils 1st Section Of Russian Border Fence After Joining NATO**
Finland Unveils 1st Section Of Russian Border Fence After Joining NATO
Following Finland's April 4th entry into NATO, the Scandinavian country has this week unveiled completion of its first section of a 200-km long border fence with Russia.
The nearly half-billion dollar fence is expected to be completed by 2026, and is topped with barbed wire and has a height of three meters (or nearly 10-feet tall).
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_Border fence construction: AFP_ (
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"We started work on the site about a month ago. We have built a road and foundations," a representative of the construction company GRK told the AFP.
According to more from AFP: " **About 70% of the fence will be erected on the southeast**, with several smaller sections planned for central Finland and the largely uninhabited Arctic border in Lapland."
Finnish Brigadier General Jari Tolppanen told a press briefing over the fence that "Typical target areas will be border crossing points and their surrounding areas, roads leading across the border. Areas where human access is easy." He explained, "The necessity was triggered by a change in the security situation in Europe," and that "There is a need to reduce dependence on the effectiveness of Russian border control."
Previously some European and Finnish officials expressed fears that Moscow **could use migrants to exert pressure on Finland**, concerns that grew after President Putin's 'partial mobilization' order was issued in September.
_Stretches of fence are planned for all major border crossings. Below is the plan as initially proposed, but which has since been reduced..._
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Russia previously warned its Arctic neighbor against militarizing the border in relation to the controversial NATO bid. The Kremlin further stated that NATO positioning military assets and weaponry there risked setting off a nuclear arms build-up in the Baltic region.
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Sat, 04/15/2023 - 11:00
**IMF Unveils New Global Currency Known As The "Universal Monetary Unit" To "Transform" World Economy**
IMF Unveils New Global Currency Known As The "Universal Monetary Unit" To "Transform" World Economy
_Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,_ (http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/the-imf-has-just-unveiled-a-new-global-currency-known-as-the-universal-monetary-unit-that-is-supposed-to-revolutionize-the-world-economy/)
A new global currency just launched, but 99 percent of the global population has no idea what just happened.
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**The “Universal Monetary Unit”, also known as “Unicoin”, is an “international central bank digital currency” that has been designed to work in conjunction with all existing national currencies.** This should set off alarm bells for all of us, because the widespread adoption of a new “global currency” would be a giant step forward for the globalist agenda. The IMF did not create this new currency, but it was unveiled at a major IMF gathering earlier this week (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-digital-currency-monetary-authority-dcma-launches-an-international-central-bank-digital-currency-cbdc-301793163.html)…
> Today, at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings 2023, the Digital Currency Monetary Authority (DCMA) announced their official launch of an international central bank digital currency (CBDC) that strengthens the monetary sovereignty of participating central banks and complies with the recent crypto assets policy recommendations proposed by the IMF.
>
> Universal Monetary Unit (UMU), symbolized as ANSI Character, Ü, is legally a money commodity, can transact in any legal tender settlement currency, and functions like a CBDC to enforce banking regulations and to protect the financial integrity of the international banking system.
As the press release quoted above indicates, this new “Universal Monetary Unit” was created by the Digital Currency Monetary Authority.
**So who in the world is the Digital Currency Monetary Authority?**
Honestly, I had no idea until I started doing research for this article.
The press release (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-digital-currency-monetary-authority-dcma-launches-an-international-central-bank-digital-currency-cbdc-301793163.html) says that the organization consists of “sovereign states, central banks, commercial and retail banks, and other financial institutions”…
> The DCMA is a world leader in the advocacy of digital currency and monetary policy innovations for governments and central banks. Membership within the DCMA consists of sovereign states, central banks, commercial and retail banks, and other financial institutions.
Basically, it sounds like a secretive cabal of international banks and national governments is conspiring to push this new currency down our throats.
We are being told that the “Universal Monetary Unit” is “‘Crypto 2.0”, and **those that created it are hoping that it will be widely adopted by “all constituencies in a global economy” (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-digital-currency-monetary-authority-dcma-launches-an-international-central-bank-digital-currency-cbdc-301793163.html)…**
> The DCMA introduces Universal Monetary Unit as Crypto 2.0 because it innovates a new wave of cryptographic technologies for realizing a digital currency public monetary system with a widespread adoption framework encompassing use cases for all constituencies in a global economy.
I don’t know about you, but this sounds super shady to me.
**Of course the Digital Currency Monetary Authority is not the only one that has been working on a new digital currency.**
The UK has also been working on one.
The same is true for the European Union.
**And would it surprise anyone that the Biden administration is touting the potential benefits of a “digital form of the U.S. dollar”?** The following comes from the official White House website (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/09/16/technical-possibilities-for-a-u-s-central-bank-digital-currency/#:~:text=If%20the%20U.S.%20pursued%20a,within%20the%20international%20financial%20system.)…
> A United States central bank digital currency (CBDC) would be a digital form of the U.S. dollar. While the U.S. has not yet decided whether it will pursue a CBDC, the U.S. has been closely examining the implications of, and options for, issuing a CBDC. If the U.S. pursued a CBDC, there could be many possible benefits, such as facilitating efficient and low-cost transactions, fostering greater access to the financial system, boosting economic growth, and supporting the continued centrality of the U.S. within the international financial syste…
**X.AI - Musk Reportedly Creating ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence Rival**
X.AI - Musk Reportedly Creating ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence Rival
Despite recent outspoken criticism of artificial intelligence - _**warning of the "danger of training AI to be woke"**_ \- it appears Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is working on an AI-related project that will reportedly take on ChatGPT.
The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times reported (https://www.ft.com/content/2a96995b-c799-4281-8b60-b235e84aefe4) that **Musk has started a new AI firm called X.AI Corp**.
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Developing artificial intelligence is nothing new for Musk. Together with the company’s current CEO, Sam Altman, he co-founded and chaired OpenAI in 2015.
The revelation came after information surfaced that **Musk is assembling a team of AI researchers and engineers**, according to The FT (https://www.ft.com/content/2a96995b-c799-4281-8b60-b235e84aefe4).
> _Musk incorporated a company named X.AI on March 9, according to Nevada business records._
>
> _He is the company’s only director, its secretary is listed as Jared Birchall, the ex-Morgan Stanley banker who manages Musk’s wealth._
>
> _Musk recently changed the name of Twitter to X Corp in company filings, as part of his plans to create an “everything app” under the brand “X”._
The report suggests that Musk is in talks with existing SpaceX and Tesla investors regarding investments in the upcoming AI venture.
> _**“A bunch of people are investing in it... it’s real and they are excited about it,”**_added FT’s source (https://www.ft.com/content/2a96995b-c799-4281-8b60-b235e84aefe4).
Additionally, Twitter recently acquired new talent with an extensive background in the AI field. In March, engineers Igor Babuschkin and Manuel Kroiss joined Musk’s team after working with DeepMind, an AI research subsidiary of Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
> X
>
> — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 11, 2023 (https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1645684041264529408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
**These developments come only a few weeks after Musk signed an open letter, along with thousands of other researchers in the tech space, to temporarily halt the development (https://cointelegraph.com/news/elon-musk-led-petition-to-halt-ai-development-divides-tech-community) of AI due to the risk to humanity.**
Musk is also on record in 2017 giving a warning to regulators at an event with the United States National Governors Association that AI research needs to be regulated “before it’s too late.“
This latest revelation comes after **reports of Musk purchasing 1000s of GPUs** (https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/elon-musk-reportedly-buys-1000s-gpus-ai-project) (critical infrastructure for AI development).
While **Musk left the board of OpenAI in 2018**, the launch of the new AI startup will place him among other tech giants, such as Google and Microsoft, to build next-gen AI... and perhaps this time, without the implicitly woke bias we have seen from the existing models.
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Sat, 04/15/2023 - 09:55
**Furious Viewers Complain En Masse About New UK TV Show With Adult Men Stripping Naked For Kids**
Furious Viewers Complain En Masse About New UK TV Show With Adult Men Stripping Naked For Kids
_Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,_ (https://rmx.news/uk/furious-viewers-complain-en-masse-about-new-uk-tv-show-with-adult-men-stripping-naked-for-children/)
_The **first episode of “Naked Education,”** which aired last week on Channel 4, received a total of **930 complaints** to Britain’s broadcasting watchdog..._
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A British television show aiming to promote body positivity showed adult men stripping naked in front of children. The program has been the subject of hundreds of complaints to the U.K.’s communications watchdog following the airing of its first episode last Tuesday.
“Naked Education,” which is broadcast on Channel 4, **features adults who take their clothes off in front of underage teenagers** who are then required to give feedback on the body parts they see in front of them.
**“I’ve never seen, like, a full, naked man before,”** one teenager told producers during the first episode.
_**“It’s just a lot to process. Naked men in real life. We’ve never really seen it,”**_ added another young girl after four adult men stood in front of the group of children and dropped their bathrobes to bare all.
Its host, Anna Richardson, said ahead of the first episode last week, “If you’re curious about your body, and your life’s journey (whatever that may be), then tune in.” **She described the program as “educational, emotional, joyous.”**
> UK network Channel 4 premiered a new "body positive" program.
>
> It featured 14, 15 and 16 year old children being exposed to fully nude males.
>
> What has happened to western civilization? pic.twitter.com/6vIvaGzWJv (https://t.co/6vIvaGzWJv)
>
> — Ivan Trumpovic 🇦🇺🇭🇷🇺🇲🇷🇺 (@QualityTweets78) April 10, 2023 (https://twitter.com/QualityTweets78/status/1645400249211539456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
However, a total of 930 complaints from members of the public were received by Britain’s broadcasting watchdog, Ofcom, after the first episode, far more than the 66 complaints received for the second most offending program last week.
One adult participant, Liam Halewood, defended the show on Wednesday, telling a panel on GB News that he went on the show “to just show that people can be themselves and be confident.” **When asked whether he accepted the show could be deemed “perverse” and potentially dangerous, the participant rejected this notion.**
> I debated Naked Attraction participant Liam Halewood, who justified adults performing sex acts in the classroom because "It's all out there online... kids can see all this fake stuff anyway"
>
> Sexualisation is not education
>
> Stop flashing kids
>
> Last night w/@danwootton (https://twitter.com/danwootton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) on @GBNEWS (https://twitter.com/GBNEWS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)pic.twitter.com/wndPGCZzAS (https://t.co/wndPGCZzAS)
>
> — Connor Tomlinson (@Con\_Tomlinson) April 13, 2023 (https://twitter.com/Con_Tomlinson/status/1646439522064801793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Halewood was challenged on his analysis of the show by political commentator Connor Tomlinson, who revealed that **an episode of the identical show produced in Denmark recently had to be pulled because one of the participants was found to be a convicted pedophile.**
Broadcaster Channel 4 has vigorously defended the show and its intentions. Its chief content officer, Ian Katz, wrote in response to criticism: “Anyone who suggests that the Channel 4 show Naked Education promotes pedophilia or is abusive of children almost certainly hasn’t watched it.
> _“The show counters the dangerous myths and toxic images that teenagers are bombarded with by exposing them to real, normal bodies and engaging them in an open, safe conversation about them._
>
> _“It would be hard to think of a clearer example of valuable public service broadcasting that challenges the kind of misconceptions that too often cause anxiety and feelings of inadequacy in young people,” he added._
The show’s co-host, Dr. Alex George, added: “The show is all about body positivity and educating people on what ‘normal’ bodies actually look like.
_**“We talk about everything from the ageing body to \[penis\] size, answering the questions people are afraid to ask,”**_ he wrote on Instagram.
“We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules before deciding whether or not to investigate,” an Ofcom spokesperson said in response.
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Sat, 04/15/2023 - 09:20
**Cash App Founder's Death Sprang From Dispute Over Suspect's Sister: Court Docs**
Cash App Founder's Death Sprang From Dispute Over Suspect's Sister: Court Docs
The murder of Cash App creator Bob Lee on a dark San Francisco street sprang from **trouble between Lee and accused killer Nima Momeni -- who was agitated over Lee's socializing with Momeni's sister.**
**This and other new alleged details emerged Friday afternoon** with the filing of a motion to detain Momeniwithout bail, which summarized the initial findings of the investigation into Lee's death by stabbing at around 2:30 am on April 4.
According to his LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmomeni/) profile, Momeni is an "IT consultant/entrepreneur." **His sister, Khazar Elyassnia, is married (https://www.kron4.com/news/who-is-khazar-elyassnia-sister-of-accused-lee-killer-nima-momeni/#:~:text=Little%20is%20currently%20known%20about,as%20being%20on%20Sutter%20Street.) to a prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon**, Dino Elyassnia (https://www.dinomd.com/about/meet-dr-elyassnia/).
An unnamed witness who's central to the investigation told police **her marriage "had possibly been in jeopardy,**" but that he was "unsure" of any intimate involvement between Momeni's sister and Lee.
?itok=ZFQF1q2o (
?itok=ZFQF1q2o)**Momeni's sister, Khazar Elyassnia, with her husband at San Francisco's Hall of Justice on Friday afternoon** ( (?itok=ZFQF1q2o)_AP_ (https://apnews.com/article/cash-app-founder-bob-lee-momeni-stabbed-4429c2d780fb40bca508aaac4814ced7?utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Twitter) Photo/Olga R. Rodriguez)
According to Friday's motion (https://dig.abclocal.go.com/kgo/PDF/041423-kgo-bob-lee-court-doc.pdf) drawing on video evidence and the account of "Witness 1," here's how Lee's rendezvous with death played out...
**Murder Timeline**
**3:30 pm:** Witness 1, who has known Lee for 10 years and considered himself a close friend, arrives at a house on Mission Street. There, a small group is drinking: Lee -- who was visiting from Miami on business -- **Momeni's sister, Khazar Elyassnia,** and the resident.
**Some time later:** Lee and Witness 1 go to Lee's hotel room, also on Mission Street. Lee had invited Momeni's sister to come, but she declined. At the hotel room, **Witness 1 observes a tense phone conversation between Lee and Momeni**, in which Momeni discusses "picking up his younger sister" at the apartment.
Momeni puts Lee on the defensive, asking if his sister was doing drugs or anything inappropriate. Lee **reassures the 38-year-old Momeni that "nothing inappropriate had happened."** Lee and Witness 1 go to Witness 1's apartment.
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**Accused murderer Nima Momeni**(LinkedIn) (
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**8:31 pm:**A white BMW Z4 matching Momeni's car arrives at the high-rise Millenium Tower condo building on Mission Street -- where Momeni's sister owns a unit.
**12:30 am:** Lee leaves Witness 1's apartment and arrives at Millenium Tower at 12:39.
**2:03 am:**Momeni and Lee descend to the lobby and leave in Momeni's BMW, which travels to an area near a Caltrans fence on the 400 block of Main Street in Rincon Hill. **The men stay in the car for more than 20 minutes.**
**2:25 am:**Both men exit the BMW and stand on the sidewalk for five minutes. Then, Momeni lunges at Lee with a kitchen knife, inflicting stab wounds in the hip, chest and -- fatally-- the heart.
> Video shows cash app founder Bob Lee being chased down and stabbed 🙏🏽🚨 pic.twitter.com/tQpe2n99qM (https://t.co/tQpe2n99qM)
>
> — BayAreaAlert (@BayAreaalert\_) April 7, 2023 (https://twitter.com/BayAreaalert_/status/1644454702732693504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Bleeding profusely, Lee staggers down the block. Momeni goes the other direction, pauses next to a Caltrans fence where police would later find the murder weapon, then speeds off in the BMW, leaving Lee to die.
> @DailyMail (https://twitter.com/DailyMail?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) posted the CCTV footage showing Cash App founder Bob Lee asking for help after being stabbed, the car drove off. Then walked towards the apartment building staggering, holding his midsection and collapsing. #BobLee (https://twitter.com/hashtag/BobLee?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)#SanFrancisco (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SanFrancisco?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)pic.twitter.com/1t83GNNpmt (https://t.co/1t83GNNpmt)
>
> — DeL2000 (@DeL2000) April 7, 2023 (https://twitter.com/DeL2000/status/1644129357332631552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Poli…
**Germany Approves Poland's Request To Send 5 Fighter Jets To Ukraine**
Germany Approves Poland's Request To Send 5 Fighter Jets To Ukraine
_Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,_ (https://news.antiwar.com/2023/04/13/germany-approves-polands-request-to-send-mig-29-fighter-jets-to-ukraine/)
The German government has approved Poland’s request to export (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/13/germany-approves-polands-request-to-send-mig-29-jets-to-ukraine) five Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine that **originally came from Berlin’s stockpile**.
Poland and Slovakia have already delivered some MiG-29s to Ukraine, making them the first NATO countries to provide Kyiv with fighter jets, an escalation of military support that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz previously warned against.
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_Image: The Aviationist_ (
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"There will be **no fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine**," Scholz said in January (https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-chancellor-olaf-scholz-doubles-down-on-refusal-of-fighter-jets-for-ukraine/#:~:text=Scholz%20last%20week%20ruled%20out,tanks%20for%20Kyiv's%20war%20effort.). He also warned against "entering into a constant competition to outbid each other when it comes to weapons systems" that are being sent to Ukraine.
While the MiG-29s are not the Western-made aircraft Kyiv has been demanding, the provision still **marks a significant escalation of NATO military support**.
Al Jazeera notes that "Germany inherited 24 MiG-29 jets from the German Democratic Republic, or GDR, also widely known as East Germany, during reunification in 1990." And further, "At the time, the aircraft were seen as among the most advanced fighter jets in the world."
In March 2022, when Poland first offered its MiG-29s to Ukraine, the Pentagon ruled it out over escalation concerns. NATO diplomats said at the time (https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/09/politics/ukraine-russia-poland-fighter-jets/index.html) that Moscow could perceive the move as the alliance directly entering the war.
Polish pressure also led to Scholz approving the export of German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine and Berlin sending its own.
In September 2022, when expressing his opposition to sending tanks and planes to Kyiv (https://archive.vn/Hmrto), Scholz said he was supporting Ukraine "in a way that is not escalating to where it is becoming a war between Russia and NATO because this would be a catastrophe."
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Sat, 04/15/2023 - 08:10
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/germany-approves-polands-request-send-5-fighter-jets-ukraine
**China is Preparing For War; Is The US Ready?**
China is Preparing For War; Is The US Ready?
_Authored by Andrew Thornebrooke via The Epoch Times (https://www.theepochtimes.com/is-the-us-ready-for-war-with-china_5186517.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge) (emphasis ours),_
**The ammunition is running low, casualties are immense, medicine and other critical supplies have not come for weeks, and a nuclear attack on the American homeland is imminent.**
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_A US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth fighter aircraft at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia, on Dec. 15, 2015. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)_ (
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It is a dramatic scene, more closely resembling a Hollywood drama than any war that the United States has actually fought in the last half-century. It is nevertheless what many expect a war between the United States and communist China could look like this decade.
Both the United States and China are investing record-breaking sums in building up their military capabilities. **Leadership on both sides increasingly appears to consider such a conflict as inevitable, despite rhetoric to the contrary.**
The cause for that mutual enmity is the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) claim that democratic Taiwan belongs to China, and CCP leader Xi Jinping’s desire (https://www.theepochtimes.com/china-more-likely-to-invade-taiwan-in-2027-taiwans-foreign-minister-joseph-wu-warns_4995722.html) to force that unification within a few years’ time.
**Xi has ordered the regime’s military wing to prepare for war (https://www.theepochtimes.com/xi-orders-military-to-prepare-for-war-unveils-new-hypersonic-missile_4850057.html), and to be ready to launch an invasion of Taiwan by 2027.**
Preparing for what would be history’s most ambitious amphibious assault is not the same as actually launching it. But, should the worst occur, the Biden administration or its successor will have to decide either to join the fray, or to let Taiwan stand on its own and fight for its freedom.
Before U.S. leadership decides on that question, however, it must answer another, more foundational one: Can the United States win a war with China?
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_Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) presides over the first hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington on Feb. 28, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)_ (
?itok=qau0fWfp)‘The Window of Maximum Danger’
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) is more invested in the new cold war (https://www.theepochtimes.com/we-are-in-a-new-cold-war-with-china-former-us-assistant-secretary-of-state_4331755.html) between the United States and China than most.
Tasked with leading Congress’ new House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with the CCP, he is one of the few movers and shakers in the legislative branch directly engaged in developing an action plan to defend the American people, its economy, and values from CCP aggression.
For him, **Russia’s ongoing conquest of Ukraine, and the United States’ failure to deter it, contain all the lessons necessary to prepare for what comes next in Taiwan.**
“If we don’t learn the right lessons from the failure of deterrence in Ukraine, authoritarian aggression and the CCP’s malign influence will spread to the Indo-Pacific, and our New Cold War with the Chinese Communist Party could quickly become hot,” Gallagher told The Epoch Times.
“To prevent this, we have to act with a sense of urgency and do everything we can to deter a CCP invasion of Taiwan.”
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_Customers dine near a giant screen broadcasting news footage of aircraft under the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese military taking part in a combat readiness patrol and “Joint Sword” exercises around Taiwan, at a restaurant in Beijing on April 10, 2023. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)_ (
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That plan is much the same as it has been since 1979, when the United States passed the Taiwan Relations Act and agreed to provide the island with the arms necessary to maintain its self-defense.
The strategic landscape 44 years ago was something altogether different, however, and the number of weapons and systems …
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-preparing-war-us-ready
**"We've Been Warned:" El Nino Watch Initiated As Ag-Industry In Crosshairs**
"We've Been Warned:" El Nino Watch Initiated As Ag-Industry In Crosshairs
This week, the Climate Prediction Center (https://www.noaa.gov/news/what-to-watch-for-el-nino-likely-to-develop-summer) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released an El Niño Watch, indicating the increasing likelihood of the weather-altering phenomenon developing in the Pacific Ocean. If El Niño does form, it could result in heavy rainfall and heatwaves in specific regions across the globe, potentially causing disruptions in the agricultural industry.
A watch is issued when conditions are favorable for the development of El Niño within the next six months. The Climate Prediction Center said probabilities have risen over the last month from 61% to 74% of an El Niño emerging between August and October.
> Time to watch for El Nino! 👀 NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued an El Nino watch in today’s monthly update.
>
> See more at: https://t.co/znXWQK8Rzg (https://t.co/znXWQK8Rzg)pic.twitter.com/nbfHeUq059 (https://t.co/nbfHeUq059)
>
> — National Weather Service (@NWS) April 13, 2023 (https://twitter.com/NWS/status/1646510489399336965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
El Niño refers to a climate pattern that arises when the Pacific Ocean's equatorial region experiences warming, which then reacts with the atmosphere to cause weather shifts worldwide.
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On the commodity front, Bloomberg analyst Jake Lloyd-Smith said El Niño might impact harvests in the second half of the year:
> _So the parade of warnings that a_ **_disruptive El Nino pattern_** _may be on the way is_ **_critical for commodities_** _as it carries the potential to roil palm oil, sugar, and cocoa to list just a few._
>
> _The latest to wade are the folk at the US government, who've issued an El Nino watch. The pattern forms when the equatorial Pacific warms and reacts with the atmosphere to_ **_disrupt weather the world over_** _. In this neighborhood, it can_ **_crimp rainfall, drying out crops and possibly cutting harvests. In India and New Zealand, forecasters have also signaled their concern recently. That follows similar messages from Australia, Peru, and the Philippines. The pack, it seems, is well and truly on the move._**
>
> _There's a two-step process at work here. First, while the probability of an El Nino setting in has been increasing, it's not a certainty yet. And second, even if one does form, the events vary tremendously in their intensity._ **_The one that sticks in my mind is the appalling event of 1997-98 that played out as a vicious backdrop during the Asian Financial Crisis. Right now, we've been warned._**
El Niño's effect on crop yields could further strain the already stressed global food supply chain, leading to an increase in prices and making it harder for central bankers to cool inflation. As readers know, elevated food prices (https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/global-food-import-bill-soars-alarming-level-poor-countries-brink-crisis) and the soaring cost of living in emerging market nations can ignite social unrest, creating a perfect storm of adverse economic and political consequences.
_Is this all setting the stage for a major food crisis this year? (https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/major-food-crisis-coming-2023-prices-will-be-steroids-after-election)_
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Fri, 04/14/2023 - 23:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/weve-been-warned-el-nino-watch-initiated-ag-industry-crosshairs
**China's 'M&A King' Bao Fan Vanished, Rocking Country’s Financial Sector**
China's 'M&A King' Bao Fan Vanished, Rocking Country’s Financial Sector
Authored by Shawn Lin and Olivia Li via The Epoch Times (https://www.theepochtimes.com/chinas-ma-king-bao-fan-vanished-rocking-countrys-financial-sector_5187401.html) _(emphasis ours),_
**China’s “M&A King” Bao Fan has been missing for over 50 days, sending shockwaves throughout the country’s financial and political circles.**
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_The headquarters of China Renaissance is seen in Beijing on Feb. 27, 2023. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)_ (
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On April 3, China Renaissance Group, the company Bao founded, announced a trading halt, suspending trading from 9:00 am that day. The release of its annual performance report for 2022 has also been deferred as the auditors cannot issue an audit report in Bao’s absence.
Bao is the company’s chairman, executive director, chief executive officer, and controlling shareholder.
On Feb. 16, the company’s board of directors announced that **they had been unable to contact Bao**, and on Feb. 26, they revealed that he was “cooperating” with authorities’ investigations.
If we take Feb. 16 as the starting date, Bao has been missing for over 50 days.
Impressive Resume
Bao, born in 1970, founded China Renaissance Group in 2005 at the age of 35.
Prior to that, he served as the chief strategy officer of China-based IT services and software company Asiainfo Group. He also worked at international financial companies such as Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, accumulating seven years of investment banking experience on Wall Street.
**Bao’s influence in the Chinese financial industry is enormous.**
In 2015, China Renaissance Group facilitated four major mergers and acquisitions in China’s Internet industry: the merger of ride-hailing giants Didi and Kuaidi, the merger of classifieds site 58.com and Ganji.com, the merger of lifestyle e-commerce platform Meituan and online review site Dianping, and the merger of online travel agencies Ctrip and Qunar.
Since then, Bao has been involved in almost all major financing, mergers and acquisitions, and IPO deals in China’s internet industry.
According to IT Juzi, a Chinese business information service provider, China Renaissance Group has brokered 439 public transactions with 727 different investors from 2014 to 2021, including numerous big-name investors. His reputation as the “King of M&A” in China is well-deserved.
Bank of China Chairman Implicated
**The day after Bao went missing**, Liu Liange, chairman, executive director, and Chinese Communist Party (CPP) boss at the Bank of China, was removed from his positions.
One month later, the Bank of China claimed that Liu had “voluntarily” resigned. On March 31, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that Liu was under investigation for serious law violations.
Liu had worked in China’s banking system since the 1990s, holding key positions, including 11 years at the China Exim Bank and later serving as the Party boss and chairman of the Bank of China.
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_A man walks past a booth of the Bank of China at the Main Press Centre of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Jan. 28, 2022. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)_ (
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As reported by Beijing Caixin, sources close to the Bank of China said that Liu’s case is likely connected to the recent investigation into Bao’s case.
Before Liu’s downfall, several high-ranking executives at the Bank of China were taken away for investigation between July and September 2022.
Early Repayment Clause
Although China Renaissance Group has stated that its business and operations are currently running as usual, it has been noted that the company has signed loan agreements with specific clauses.
In May 2021, China Renaissance Group announced that it had obtained its first syndicated loan since going public. The loan, totaling $300 million over a three-year period, was led by the Bank of Communications (Hong Kong) and involved other banks such as Citibank (Hong Kong), China Citic Bank International, and Bank of China (Macau).
The financing agreement stipulates that if Bao is no longer the largest shareholder of China Renaissance Group or no longer serves as board chairman, the main lenders can cancel their commitments and demand immediate mandatory repayment of all outstanding loans under the financing.
**The market is concerned that if Bao cannot perform h…