**Ireland Government's Hate Speech Bill Promotes 'Thought Crime Legislation'**

Ireland Government's Hate Speech Bill Promotes 'Thought Crime Legislation'

_Authored by Naveen Anthrapully via The Epoch Times,_ (https://www.theepochtimes.com/ireland-governments-hate-speech-bill-promotes-thought-crime-legislation_5232937.html)

**Irish authorities are pushing forward a bill that will make it a crime to disseminate and possess content deemed to be hateful—a development Elon Musk warns is a threat to free speech in the country.**

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The Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 (pdf (https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/bill/2022/105/eng/ver_a/b105a22d.pdf)) seeks to “amend the law relating to the prohibition of incitement to violence or hatred against a person or a group of persons on account of certain characteristics (referred to as protected characteristics) of the person or the group of persons and to provide for an offence of condoning, denying or grossly trivialising genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against peace.”

**It aims at “combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law.”**

The bill classifies “race, skin colour, nationality, religion, national or ethnic origin, descent, gender, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, and disability” as protected characteristics.

Gender is “the gender of a person or the gender which a person expresses as the person’s preferred gender or with which the person identifies and includes transgender and a gender other than those of male and female.”

**The bill empowers Irish authorities to convict people criminally for alleged hate crimes.** According to the bill, a person can be deemed guilty of an offense if the individual “(i) communicates material to the public or a section of the public, or (ii) behaves in a public place in a manner, that is likely to incite violence or hatred against a person or a group of persons on account of their protected characteristics or any of those characteristics.”

_**“Massive attack on freedom of speech,”**_ Musk said in an April 30 tweet (https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1652441207946235904) responding to an organization called Free Speech Ireland, which criticized the Irish government for voting against “human rights and quite literally for thought crime legislation.”

An amendment to include the UN Convention on Human Rights protections on free speech into the hate speech bill was defeated. Another amendment to excuse the section allowing for prosecuting individuals possessing offensive material without communicating it was also defeated.

This means that Irish authorities can arrest a person for simply possessing material deemed as potentially inciting hatred if disseminated.

**A person deemed guilty of violating the bill’s provisions shall have to pay fines, face imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.**

Burden of Proof

The legislation also shifts the burden of proof onto the accused. During his April 26 speech (https://twitter.com/FreeSpeechIre/status/1651288549340196867) at the lower house of the Irish legislature, Paul Murphy, an elected member for Dublin South-West, warned that Section 10 of the bill “creates the possibility of someone being criminalized purely for having material which is hateful, without that material being communicated to the public.”

> _**“That’s a problem. That gets to the fundamental problem of this bill. That is the creation of a ‘thought crime.’”**_

“Subsection 3 states that where it is reasonable to assume that the material was not intended for personal use, the onus will be put on the accused to prove their own innocence by showing that the material that they prepared or even just material they possessed was never intended to be publicly communicated,” Murphy stated.

“Within Section 10, you have the creation of a thought crime. And then you have a dangerous reversal of the burden of proof, where the burden is now placed on the accused to overturn the presumption that the material was not intended for personal use. This is extremely problematic.”

Religious Issues

**The constitution of Ireland protects freedom of religion, provided it adheres to public order and morality. Some fear that the new hate speech bill might harm religious freedoms.**

For instance, priests may hold opinions on subjects like gender and sexual identity that can be seen as violating the new bill’s provisions, thereby putting them under threat of prosecution.

The country’s progressive government has pushed the bill. The legislation is currently in its second stage of the legislative approval process and needs to go through three …

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ireland-governments-hate-speech-bill-promotes-thought-crime-legislation

**The French Tradition Of Protesting Pension Reforms**

The French Tradition Of Protesting Pension Reforms

**Anger in the National Assembly, violence in the streets and the Bordeaux town hall on fire.**

?itok=qsTs932F (?itok=qsTs932F)

Macron's pension (https://www.statista.com/topics/4220/pension-funds-in-europe/) reform may have passed in March following the Borne government's controversial use of Article 49-3 of the Constitution, but a large part of the population remains in disagreement with the changes, particularly the increase in the legal retirement age.

As Statista's Martin Armstrong reports, (https://www.statista.com/chart/29569/france-protests-against-pension-reform-timeline/) the latest union-organized demonstrations (https://www.statista.com/topics/10508/strikes-and-mobilization-in-france/) on May 1 involved violent clashes which **resulted in injury to at least 108 police officers and 291 people being detained across the country.**

Government figures suggest 782 thousand people took part in the nationwide protests. Organizers however say the figure was far higher, at 2.3 million.

This infographic, based on data from the French Ministry of the Interior (via France Info (https://www.francetvinfo.fr/economie/retraite/reforme-des-retraites/manifestations-du-1er-mai-visualisez-les-chiffres-de-la-mobilisation-par-rapport-aux-precedentes-annees_5796812.html)), **compares the official size of protests against the various pension reforms in France between 1995 and 2023.**

(https://www.statista.com/chart/29569/france-protests-against-pension-reform-timeline/)

_You will find more infographics at Statista (https://www.statista.com/chartoftheday/)_

There have been several cycles of demonstrations against pension reforms in recent decades: in 1995, in 2003, in 2010, in 2019-2020 and in 2023.

**This year now has the largest number of days on which protests were organized, with 13 called by the unions.**

In 2010, the number reached 12.

Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Wed, 05/03/2023 - 02:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/french-tradition-protesting-pension-reforms

**Escobar: What China Is Really Playing At In Ukraine**

Escobar: What China Is Really Playing At In Ukraine

_Authored by Pepe Escobar,_

**_Beijing is fully aware the NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine is the un-dissociable double of the U.S. war against its Belt and Road Initiative._**

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**Imagine President Xi Jinping mustering undiluted Taoist patience to suffer through a phone call with that warmongering actor in a sweaty T-shirt in Kiev while attempting to teach him a few facts of life – complete with the promise of sending a high-level Chinese delegation to Ukraine to discuss “peace”.**

There’s way more than meets the discerning eye obscured by this spun-to-death diplomatic “victory” – at least from the point of view of NATOstan.

**The question is inevitable: what’s the point of this phone call? Very simple: just business.**

The Beijing leadership is fully aware the NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine is the un-dissociable double of an American direct war against the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Until recently, and since 2019, Beijing was the top trade partner for Kiev (14.4% of imports, 15.3% of exports). China essentially exported machinery, equipment, cars and chemical products, importing food products, metals and also some machinery.

Very few in the West know that Ukraine joined BRI way back in 2014, and a BRI trade and investment center was operating in Kiev since 2018. BRI projects include a 2017 drive to build the fourth line of the Kiev metro system as well as 4G installed by Huawei. Everything is stalled since 2022.

Noble Agri, a subsidiary of COFCO (China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation), invested in a sunflower seed processing complex in Mariupol and the recently built Mykolaiv grain port terminal. The next step will necessarily feature cooperation between Donbass authorities and the Chinese when it comes to rebuilding their assets that may have been damaged during the war.

Beijing also tried to become heavily involved in the Ukraine defense sector and even buy Motor Sich; that was blocked by Kiev.

**Watch that neon**

So what we have in Ukraine, from the Chinese point of view, is a trade/investment cocktail of BRI, railways, military supplies, 4G and construction jobs. And then, the key vector: neon.

Roughly half of neon used in the production of semiconductors was supplied, until recently, by two Ukrainian companies; Ingas in Mariupol, and Cryoin, in Odessa. There’s no business going on since the start of the Special Military Operation (SMO). That directly affects the Chinese production of semiconductors. Bets can be made that the Hegemon is not exactly losing sleep over this predicament.

Ukraine does represent value for China as a BRI crossroads. The war is interrupting not only business but, in the bigger picture, one of the trade and connectivity corridors linking Western China to Eastern Europe. BRI conditions all key decisions in Beijing – as it is the overarching concept of Chinese foreign policy way into mid-century.

**And that explains Xi’s phone call, debunking any NATOstan nonsense on China finally paying attention to the warmongering actor.**

As relevant as BRI is the overarching bilateral relationship dictating Beijing’s geopolitics: the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership.

So let’s transition to the meeting of Defense Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) earlier this week in Delhi.

**The key meeting in India was between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese colleague Li Shangfu. Li was recently in Moscow, and was received by Putin in person for a special conversation. This time he invited Shoigu to visit Beijing, and that was promptly accepted.**

Needless to add that every single player in the SCO and beyond, including nations that are for the moment just observers or dialogue partners as well as others itching to become full members, such as Saudi Arabia, paid very close attention to the Shoigu-Shangfu camaraderie.

When it comes to the profoundly strategic Central Asian “stans”, that represents the six feet under treatment for the Hegemon wishful thinking of using them in a Divide and Rule scheme pitting Russia against China.

Shoigu-Shangfu also sent a subtle message to SCO members India and Pakistan – stop bickering and in the case of Delhi, hedging your bets – and to full member (in 2023) Iran and near future member Saudi Arabia: here’s where’s it at, this the table that matters.

All of the above also points to the increasing interconnection between BRI and SCO, both under Russia-China leadership.

**BRICS is essentially an economic club – complete with its own bank, the NDB – and focused on trade. It’s mostly about s…

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/escobar-what-china-really-playing-ukraine

**Disarm The IRS, De-Militarize The Bureaucracy, & Dismantle The Standing Army**

Disarm The IRS, De-Militarize The Bureaucracy, & Dismantle The Standing Army

_Authored by John & Nisha Whitehead via The Rutherford Institute,_ (https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/disarm_the_irs_de_militarize_the_bureaucracy_and_dismantle_the_standing_army)

> “There are instruments so dangerous to the rights of the nation and which place them so totally at the mercy of their governors that those governors, whether legislative or executive, should be restrained from keeping such instruments on foot but in well-defined cases. Such an instrument is a standing army.”

>

> \- Thomas Jefferson, 1789

**What does it say about the state of our freedoms that there are now more pencil-pushing, bureaucratic (non-military) government agents armed with weapons than U.S. Marines (https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/01/28/president-trumps-regulatory-agencies-continued-to-stockpile-firepower/)?**

Among the agencies being supplied with night-vision equipment, body armor, hollow-point bullets, shotguns (https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-does-the-irs-need-guns-1466117176), drones, assault rifles and LP gas cannons are the IRS, Smithsonian, U.S. Mint, Health and Human Services, FDA, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Education Department, Energy Department, Bureau of Engraving and Printing and an assortment of public universities.

Add in the Biden Administration’s plans to swell the ranks of the IRS by 87,000 new employees (https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/16/irs-spending-new-money-00051523) (some of whom _will_ be authorized to use deadly force (https://openthebooks.substack.com/p/the-militarization-of-the-irs-the)) and grow the nation’s police forces by 100,000 more cops (https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-08-01/biden-police-expansion-mistake), and you’ve got a nation in the throes of martial law.

**We’re being frog-marched into tyranny at the end of a loaded gun.**

Make that hundreds of thousands of loaded guns (https://openthebooks.substack.com/p/the-militarization-of-the-irs-thehttps:/openthebooks.substack.com/p/the-militarization-of-the-irs-the).

According to the _Wall Street Journal_, the number of federal agents armed with guns, ammunition and military-style equipment, authorized to make arrests, and trained in military tactics has nearly tripled (https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-does-the-irs-need-guns-1466117176) over the past several decades.

As Adam Andrzejewski writes for _Forbes_, “the federal government has become one never-ending gun show (https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/01/28/president-trumps-regulatory-agencies-continued-to-stockpile-firepower/).”

**While Americans have to jump through an increasing number of hoops in order to own a gun, federal agencies have been placing orders for hundreds of millions of rounds of hollow point bullets and military gear.**

For example, the IRS has stockpiled 4,500 guns and five million rounds of ammunition in recent years, including 621 shotguns, 539 long-barrel rifles and 15 submachine guns (https://www.openthebooks.com/assets/1/6/Militarization_Report_v5.pdf).

The Veterans Administration purchased 11 million rounds of ammunition (https://www.openthebooks.com/assets/1/6/Militarization_Report_v5.pdf) (equivalent to 2,800 rounds for each of their officers), along with camouflage uniforms, riot helmets and shields, specialized image enhancement devices and tactical lighting.

The Department of Health and Human Services acquired 4 million rounds of ammunition (https://www.openthebooks.com/assets/1/6/Militarization_Report_v5.pdf), in addition to 1,300 guns, including five submachine guns and 189 automatic firearms for its Office of Inspector General.

According to an in-depth report on “The Militarization of the U.S. Executive Agencies (https://www.openthebooks.com/assets/1/6/Militarization_Report_v5.pdf),” the Social Security Administration secured 800,000 rounds of ammunition for their special agents, as well as armor and guns.

The Environmental Protection Agency owns 600 guns. The Smithsonian now employs 620-armed “special agents.” (https://www.openthebooks.com/assets/1/6/Militarization_Report_v5.pdf)

Even agencies such as Amtrak and NASA (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36343/from-nasa-to-amtrak-these-are-all-the-government-agencies-with-tactical-teams) have their own SWAT teams.

**Ask yourselves: why are government agencies being turned into military outposts?**

What’s with the buildup of SWAT teams within non-security-related federal agencies? Even the Department of Agriculture, the Railroad Retirement Board, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Office of Personnel Management, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Educatio…

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/disarm-irs-de-militarize-bureaucracy-dismantle-standing-army

**Rise Of Skynet? Robot Dog Gets ChatGPT Brain**

Rise Of Skynet? Robot Dog Gets ChatGPT Brain

A team of artificial intelligence engineers equipped a Boston Dynamics robot dog with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Text-to-Speech voice, creating what could be a real-life Skynet-like robot.

In a recent video posted to Twitter, machine learning engineer Santiago Valdarrama showed how the robo-dog can interact with humans via a voice interface faster than control panels and reports.

"These robots run automated missions every day," Valdarrama said in a Twitter thread, noting that each mission could be "miles-long, hard-to-understand configuration files" and "only technical people can handle them." When paired with ChatGPT and Google's Text-to-Speech voice, a user can ask simple questions to the robot about "configuration files and the mission results."

"We can now ask the robots about past and future missions and get an answer in real time. ChatGPT interprets the question, parses the files, and formulates the answer," he said.

The ChatGPT brain means anyone can talk to the robo-dog.

> We integrated ChatGPT with our robots.

>

> We had a ton of fun building this!

>

> Read on for the details: pic.twitter.com/DRC2AOF0eU (https://t.co/DRC2AOF0eU)

>

> — Santiago (@svpino) April 25, 2023 (https://twitter.com/svpino/status/1650832349008125952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

In the short term, integrating a ChatGPT brain into robots may appear harmless. However, there's a dark risk to artificial intelligence, giving rise to intelligent robots in a Skynet-like scenario.

Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Tue, 05/02/2023 - 23:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/rise-skynet-robot-dog-gets-chatgpt-brain

**They're Taking A Wrecking Ball To The "American Reality"**

They're Taking A Wrecking Ball To The "American Reality"

_Authored by Simon Black via SovereignMan.com,_ (https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/theyre-taking-a-wrecking-ball-to-the-american-reality-147087/)

Last September– a bit more than seven months ago– my father died. Technically he was my step-father, but he was every bit my dad, and I loved him. The loss was hard.

We didn’t do a memorial service right away, though. My mother understandably just wasn’t in the right frame of mind. So we waited… until last weekend, and held the memorial service at the George Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

It was a good thing my mother booked such a large venue; the memorial service was incredibly well attended, and nearly 500 people came to pay their respects.

**After the service was over, I wanted to get my mind off the day’s events, so some friends and I popped upstairs to check out the Bush presidential museum… which was currently presenting an exhibit aptly named “Freedom Matters”.**

I couldn’t agree more.

Access to the museum, however, is tightly controlled. And you can only enter after going through an airport-style security checkpoint. You know the drill– empty your pockets, take off your clothes, and submit to an angry authority who treats you like you’ve just been booked at the county jail.

My friend Jim was lucky enough to receive extra screening; after setting off the metal detector, he was pulled aside and assumed the “I surrender” pose while gruff security personnel waved a magnetic wand near his genitals.

**Curiously the security wand kept going off, prompting the increasingly irate guard to demand “what is this? What’s in here?”**

I couldn’t help myself and shouted, “It’s his dignity!” Apparently Jim forgot to remove it before going through security.

**The irony seemed to be lost on the guards, whose brusque treatment of museum visitors was taking place directly in front of an exhibit literally called “Freedom Matters”.**

At the front of the exhibit was a large banner– I snapped a photo– defining freedom, according to a former Soviet dissident:

> _**“Can a person walk into the middle of the town square and express his or her views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm? If he can, then that person is living in a free society. If not, it’s a fear society.”**_

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I thought about this quote for a few moments, glanced back at the security guards wanding another unlucky visitor, and quickly realized– based on this definition– that **the US is quickly becoming a fear society.**

You can no longer freely express views without fear of reprisal anymore– especially if those views conflict with the radical woke left.

**Personal opinions can easily be viewed as hate speech, misinformation, violence, etc. And we’ve all seen too many instances of people’s lives being ruined by cancel culture. But I’ll come back to this.**

After wandering around the museum for a while and enjoying some jokes with my friends, I finally returned home to the AirBnb I’m renting with my family, very close to where I grew up in the Dallas area.

It’s the quintessential American suburb: clean, quiet, safe, and stable. The house where I’m staying is at the end of a picturesque tree-lined cul-de-sac, and on the other end of the street is a large park where small children were playing organized sports in the afternoon.

Parents chatted with each other on the playground while their kids bounced around the jungle gym. Retirees were out walking their dogs. Even the postman drove by and greeted some of the residents by name. Everyone was happy… and it was basically perfect.

**This isn’t the famous ‘American Dream’. It’s not a dream. This is real life as it’s supposed to be… the pinnacle of civilization, the product of more than two centuries of hard work and responsibility. It is the American Reality.**

That’s why it’s so frustrating to watch the people in charge dismantle it. Brick by brick, neighborhood by neighborhood, they’ve been chipping away at this vast, enviable middle class prosperity, ripping it away in front of our very eyes.

They’ve encouraged “mostly peaceful” violence and caused an alarming rise in crime as a result of their soft “criminal first” policies.

They’ve sent the cost of living to record highs, and yet have no understanding how their spending practices could have possibly contributed to inflation. They’ve expanded the national debt to a record high $31.5 trillion and plan to keep overspending tax revenue by trillions of dollars every year.

They’ve worked hard to re-engineer c…

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/theyre-taking-wrecking-ball-american-reality

**Watch: Democrats Have No Interest In Voting For Joe Biden Again In 2024**

Watch: Democrats Have No Interest In Voting For Joe Biden Again In 2024

The only reason to vote for Biden?  He's not Trump.  This is the sentiment repeated across America as millions of Democrats say they would rather opt out of the Biden train and find a different candidate by 2024.  Of course, this was the same view many leftists vocalized in 2020, but they voted for him anyway.

Whether or not you believe that federal elections matter in the slightest, it's important to point out that Biden is perhaps one of the least liked presidents in recent memory, and one that sparks zero enthusiasm from his political base.  Despite an increasing woke fanaticism among leftists in terms of ideology and Biden doing everything in his power to push their agenda, a majority of Democrat voters (52%) (https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/04/21/most-democrats-dont-want-biden-to-run-again-poll-finds-but-theyll-probably-vote-for-him-anyway/) still do not want Biden to run for office again next year.

It appears that the embarrassment is becoming too much for them...

> Voters seem to be excited about Joe Biden running again

>

> pic.twitter.com/idqVOPm6S9 (https://t.co/idqVOPm6S9)

>

> — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 2, 2023 (https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1653192250115989504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Tue, 05/02/2023 - 23:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watch-democrats-have-no-interest-voting-joe-biden-again-2024

**14 Million Jobs Will Be Slashed Globally By 2027 Owing To AI And ESG Standards: WEF**

14 Million Jobs Will Be Slashed Globally By 2027 Owing To AI And ESG Standards: WEF

Authored by Katabella Roberts via The Epoch Times (https://www.theepochtimes.com/14-million-jobs-will-be-slashed-globally-by-2027-owing-to-ai-and-esg-standards-wef_5235349.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge) (emphasis ours),

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has warned that **the employment landscape will change drastically over the next five years amid increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI), the transition to green energy, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, and slower economic growth.**

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_A cameraman works in front of a logo of the World Economic Forum in Davos, eastern Switzerland, on Jan. 20, 2019. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)_ (?itok=EvOFU6IC)

According to WEF’s “The Future of Jobs Report 2023,” roughly 23 percent of jobs are expected to change by 2027, with around 69 million new jobs to be created and 83 million eliminated, resulting in a decrease of 14 million jobs, or 2 percent of current employment.

The report (pdf (https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf)) surveyed 803 companies collectively employing more than 11.3 million workers in 27 industry clusters and 45 economies from across the globe, on macro and technology trends and their impact on jobs and skills, as well as the “workforce transformation strategies” that businesses plan to implement between now and 2027.

It found that **clerical or secretarial roles, including bank tellers, cashiers and ticket clerks, data entry clerks, postal service clerks, and administrative and executive secretaries will likely see the fastest decline in roles over the next five years** relative to their size today, with roughly 26 million fewer jobs by 2027.

Meanwhile, certain tech jobs, including those focused on AI and machine learning, sustainability specialists, business intelligence analysts, information security specialists, and fintech engineers, are expected to see an increase in employment.

Overall, the biggest job growth will likely be seen across the fields of education (10 percent, leading to 3 million additional jobs), agriculture (30 percent, or 3 million additional jobs), and digital commerce and trade (4 million additional jobs), according to the report.

?itok=CvMqkPra\

_A smartphone with a displayed ChatGPT logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken on Feb. 23, 2023. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)_ (?itok=CvMqkPra)Renewable Energy, ESG Pushing Job Changes

The WEF cites trends such as the transition to renewable energy, ESG standards—which are used by companies in the investment decision-making process to measure sustainable and ethical impacts—advancing technology adoption, and localization of supply chains as the “leading drivers of job growth,” while economic challenges such as ongoing high inflation, slower economic growth, and supply shortages pose “the greatest threat” to job creation.

“The largest job creation and destruction effects come from environmental, technology, and economic trends. Among the macro trends listed, businesses predict the strongest net job-creation effect to be driven by investments that facilitate the green transition of businesses, the broader application of ESG standards, and supply chains becoming more localized, albeit with job growth offset by partial job displacement in each case,” the report states.

U.S. Republican lawmakers have repeatedly warned (https://www.theepochtimes.com/21-attorneys-general-warn-proxy-advisory-firms-to-abide-by-legal-duties-drop-esg-practices_5006376.html) that companies embracing ESG standards risk slashing investment returns and hampering economic growth, which could have ripple effects across the economy.

“ **Climate change adaptation and the demographic dividend in developing and emerging economies also rate high as net job creators**,” the WEF report adds. “Technological advancement through increased adoption of new and frontier technologies and increased digital access are expected to drive job growth in more than half of surveyed companies, offset by expected job displacement in one-fifth of companies,” it continues.

The report also cites the increasing cost of living for consumers as anoth…

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/14-million-jobs-will-be-slashed-globally-2027-owing-ai-and-esg-standards-wef

**New Wave Of Gaza-Israel Rocket Fire After Death Of Palestinian Hunger Striker**

New Wave Of Gaza-Israel Rocket Fire After Death Of Palestinian Hunger Striker

More rocket fire between Israel and the Gaza strip erupted Tuesday, following news of the death of Khader Adnan Mohammad Musa, a 45-year-old Palestinian prisoner who was a leader of the Islamic Jihad. He **died after an 86-day hunger strike in Israeli jails**, and is said to be the first Palestinian prisoner to die of a long term hunger strike.

At least three on the Israeli side have been injured after an **initial** **barrage of 22 rockets** were fired from the Gaza Strip, setting off air raid sirens across southern Israel. Four of the projectiles were reported intercepted by anti-air defense systems. Israel has responded with tank fire, and further escalation in strikes on the strip is likely. Later into the evening, Israeli officials and media tallied **over 30 rockets fired**. Gaza militants are vowing further retaliation for their "martyr".

?itok=bvr7shn4\

_Palestinian Khader Adnan on hunger strike, via AFP_ (?itok=bvr7shn4)

The "Joint Command of Resistance Groups", which makes up multiple militant factions operating in Gaza, has vowed more action to come, stating that the first wave of rockets was a **"a first response"**.

Protests have broken out in the West Bank, including in the large town of Ramallah, putting already high tensions with Israeli military and police further on edge.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called the death of Khader Adnan a **"deliberate assassination"**. He had been arrested by Israeli forces in the West Bank for alleged security-related crimes.

Shtayyeh blamed Israel for his death "by rejecting his request for his release, neglecting him medically and keeping him in his cell, despite the seriousness of his health condition," according to a statement (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/5/2/israel-palestine-live-hunger-striking-prisoner-khader-adnan-dies).

> Footage shows a rocket impact in Sderot pic.twitter.com/wXpBO9K3xw (https://t.co/wXpBO9K3xw)

>

> — Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 2, 2023 (https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/1653382379522736128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Based on the latest description of the deteriorating situation in _The Associated Press_, things are teetering on the brink of a possible new outbreak of large-scale clashes between Palestinians and Israeli authorities, including in prisons where thousands of Palestinians are held, sometimes without charges (https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-hunger-strike-adnan-4b9c28fe71f66bab3a1583f1bddbab9c):

> _Palestinians called for a general strike in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and **protesters rushed to Israeli military checkpoints in the occupied territory**, slinging stones at Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at crowds gathered at the northern entrance to the West Bank city of Ramallah. Early Tuesday, Palestinian militants in Gaza fired another volley of rockets that landed in empty fields in Israel. Islamic Jihad said that its **"fight continues and will not stop."**_

>

> _Palestinian prisoners are overseen by Cabinet minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultra-nationalist politician who has tightened restrictions on the Palestinian inmates, including shortening their shower time and closing prison bakeries._

>

> _**Ben-Gvir said Tuesday that prison officials must exhibit "zero-tolerance toward hunger strikes and unrest in security prisons"** and ordered prisoners be confined to their cells._

> Footage shows the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip on southern Israelpic.twitter.com/6xxdHSnUwm (https://t.co/6xxdHSnUwm)

>

> — Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 2, 2023 (https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/1653378778423345153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

International reports say Adnan had been arrested 12 times and spent a total of eight years in Israeli prisons, with most of that time having been spent in administrative detention, meaning he was **held without trial**.

Israel has defended the controversial practice of raiding West Bank homes and then holding people without trial as necessary to root out dangerous militants who pose a threat to Israeli security.

Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Tue, 05/02/2023 - 22:25

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/death-palestinian-hunger-striker-sets-new-wave-gaza-israel-rocket-fire

**Judge Orders Hunter Biden To Provide Details On Income From Artwork, Investments, Gifts**

Judge Orders Hunter Biden To Provide Details On Income From Artwork, Investments, Gifts

Authored by Michael Clements via The Epoch Times (https://www.theepochtimes.com/lawyer-reveals-amount-of-hunter-biden-child-support-agreement-in-arkansas-court-hearing_5233541.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge) (emphasis ours),

**President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden may have paid the mother of his 4-year-old daughter up to $750,000 in child support since March 2020,** said one of his attorneys at a hearing.

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_Hunter Biden, the son U.S. President Joe Biden, holds his son Beau as they arrive for the National Thanksgiving Turkey pardoning ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 21, 2022. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)_ (?itok=0OiGhJhU)

Hunter Biden appeared in Independence County Circuit Court in Batesville, Arkansas, on May 1 as ordered by the judge overseeing the child support dispute between the president’s 53-year-old son and Lunden Roberts. Roberts is the Arkansas woman who, according to court filings, had a relationship with Hunter and gave birth to a baby girl in August 2018. She sued for support in 2019.

At first Hunter Biden denied that the child was his, but a DNA test confirmed he is the father (https://www.theepochtimes.com/hunter-biden-the-biological-and-legal-father-of-child-in-arkansas-paternity-suit-judge_3197441.html).

On March 12, 2020, he and Roberts agreed to an undisclosed amount in monthly child support to begin on April 1, 2020. Terms of the agreement are sealed because they contain sensitive personal information, including the amount of monthly support and each party’s source of income.

Hunter Biden asked the court to review the child support arrangement the following September because his financial status had changed.

Lawyer Reveals Monthly Payment

During a discussion of the discovery process, Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe David Lowell, said **his client has been paying $20,000 monthly, more than $700,000 since the support order was signed.**

Judge Holly Meyer clarified during the May 1 hearing that any information discussed in open court was a matter of public record.

Lowell’s remarks came after he and attorney Brent Langdon of Dallas, Texas, complained that news outlets had published information from sealed court files. He said news reports referenced tax files, information on Hunter Biden’s cars, and other things that had been redacted.

“ **How is it that things that are redacted in the file are released to the Daily Mail?** There are matters that are being redacted that are getting out to the daily news,” Langdon said.

Meyer said that, without proof someone was illegally releasing information, there was little she could do. Journalists and the public often speculate on matters and may come close to guessing what is in a sealed file, she added.

‘Can’t Gag the World’

“If the press comes up with those things, I can’t control that. I can’t gag the world,” Meyer said.

The judge ordered Hunter Biden to provide information on his income from his artwork, investments, employment, gifts from friends, and other sources. She also ordered Roberts to provide information on the value of her property and income while working with her father’s business.

The dispute until now has been mostly a battle of lawyers, with neither of the litigants appearing in court. Hunter Biden’s lawyers have filed at least five motions to delay the process including a last-minute attempt to delay the May 1, 2023 hearing.

Meyer denied that motion.

“All parties are to physically appear for all future court hearings in this matter. The parties will no longer have their appearances excused,” Meyer wrote in her order.

Motions Must Be Filed Correctly

Roberts’ lawyers have asked the court to find Hunter Biden in contempt and jail him for refusing to comply with previous orders, and provide requested discovery information.

Meyer wrote that those matters would be dealt with once everyone was in the courtroom.

In subsequent filings, **Roberts’ attorneys complained that the Biden team was dragging its feet in the discovery process. They claim Hunter Biden is living a “lavish lifestyle.”**

During the May 1 hearing, Meyer said the contempt request needed to be appropriately filed. She added that she couldn’t rule on the amount of child support because neither side provided enough information in the discovery process to move ahead.

The judge went through a to-do list so each side knew what they were expected to do in order to proceed.

One issue has been the role Hunter Biden’s laptop would play in the process. Roberts’ …

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/judge-orders-hunter-biden-provide-details-income-artwork-investments-gifts

**Billionaire Steven Roth's Mega Manhattan Redevelopment Project Battered By CRE Turmoil**

Billionaire Steven Roth's Mega Manhattan Redevelopment Project Battered By CRE Turmoil

The billionaire head of Vornado Realty Trust is facing an uncertain future regarding his multi-billion dollar investment plan to build "gleaming office skyscrapers around Manhattan's universally hated Penn Station," according to Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-02/billionaire-steven-roth-s-bet-near-nyc-s-penn-station-battered-by-office-woes). The uncertainty comes as the regional banking crisis has sparked a painful credit crunch already battering commercial real estate.

"We're going to take a breath," stated Chief Executive Steven Roth during Vornado's quarterly earnings call on Tuesday. He maintained the plan to continue investing upwards of $2 billion in redeveloping over 5 million square feet in what he calls "Penn District." Vornado's redevelopment plan to build new office buildings and refurbish older ones is a bet to capitalize off the modernization of Penn Station.

?itok=CAPrKjdo (?itok=CAPrKjdo)

Roth has spent the last two decades acquiring plots of land around the train station in Manhattan. The billionaire saw the potential for an area of the city to flourish once redevelopment projects were completed, but have since been overshadowed by high office vacancy rates in a post-Covid environment, along with a regional banking crisis that has spread to commercial real estate.

Shares of his Vornado plunged to a 27-year low last week when the tradeable REIT of office, retail, and residential buildings surprised investors with an announcement about delaying its dividend to preserve cash.

?itok=LhP-zfjE (?itok=LhP-zfjE)

We have repeatedly shown readers big banks such as JPM (https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/nowhere-hide-cmbs-cre-nuke-goes-small-banks-acount-70-total-commercial-real-estate-loans), Morgan Stanley (https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/new-big-short-hits-record-low-focus-turns-400-billion-cre-debt-maturity-wall), and Goldman Sachs (https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/state-commercial-real-estate-goldman-expects-sharp-spike-office-delinquency-rates) have all joined our CRE gloom parade as rumblings in the office space market emerge.

It is an unfavorable time for office property owners, particularly for those like Roth's company, which is constructing office skyscrapers. Amid all of the gathering storm clouds in the office space market, a critical question arises if the real estate mogul can still deliver on the Penn District project.

> _"Roth has missed the bus, and the bus isn't coming back until 2030 or beyond," said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy at New York University, referring to the downturn in the CRE space, primarily office buildings._

It was only last year when Roth told analysts on an earnings call he was "doubly and triply excited about the Penn District." But that excitement has evaporated in a rising interest rate environment and tightening credit conditions over the past year. Roth said earlier this year that new construction is "almost impossible" because of tight lending.

Meanwhile, office space vacancy rates in New York remain at alarming highs, while companies are reducing headcount and footprint to save on costs, subsequently reducing their demand for office space.

Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jeffrey Langbaum said Vornado's Penn District buildings will need to "sustain leasing demand by creating space that appeals to tenants looking to migrate to newer, higher-quality properties."

According to Alexander Goldfarb, an analyst at Piper Sandler, Vornado faces a series of challenges, including high debt costs and low rent prospects that could present challenges in the completion of Penn District.

Here's an idea: Vornado might want to consider constructing apartment buildings instead of office space amid the CRE downturn.

Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Tue, 05/02/2023 - 21:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/billionaire-steven-roths-mega-manhattan-redevelopment-project-battered-cre-turmoil

**Democrat Cities Have Highest Homicide Rates, Report Finds**

Democrat Cities Have Highest Homicide Rates, Report Finds

_Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (https://www.theepochtimes.com/democrat-cities-have-highest-homicide-rates-report-finds_5232661.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge) (emphasis ours),_

**Cities governed by Democrat mayors have seen the largest increases in homicide rates over the past year as well as registered the highest homicide rate per capita in Q1 out of 45 cities, according to a new report.**

Homicide rates in 45 of the most populated American cities rose by approximately 10 percent on average between Q1, 2021 and Q1, 2023, and continue to rise, according to an April 26 report (https://wallethub.com/edu/cities-homicide-rate/94070) by WalletHub. Blue cities were found to have a higher increase in homicide rates compared to red cities. The report designated a city as red or blue based on the mayor’s political affiliation.

The top five cities that saw the greatest increase in per capita homicide are Richmond, Virginia; Memphis, Tennessee; Durham, North Carolina; Garland, Texas; and Washington, D.C.

Except for Garland, where Mayor Scott LeMay is a Republican, the remaining four cities have mayors who are affiliated with the Democratic Party.

**The highest homicide rate per capita in the first quarter of 2023 was in Memphis** at 14.19 per 100,000 residents. **New Orleans**, Louisiana, came in second at 12.76, followed by **Baltimore**, Maryland, with 10.47, **St. Louis**, Missouri, with 9.91, and **Detroit**, Michigan, with 8.52.

Excluding St. Louis, the other four cities have mayors affiliated with the Democratic Party. The mayor of St. Louis, Tishaura Jones, was a former Democrat member of the Missouri House of Representatives.

?itok=9-ZSvfRY\

_A Richmond Police car in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)_ (?itok=9-ZSvfRY)Political Reason Behind Spiking Homicides

Gregg W. Etter, a professor at the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Missouri, blamed the tendency of politicians to seek “simplistic, one-size-fits-all solutions to complex problems” as a reason behind the spike in homicides across the nation.

Politicians offer such solutions to gain favor with political interest groups during elections, he pointed out. For instance, when faced with the issue of police using force in isolated instances, such politicians might support defunding the police rather than dealing with problematic officers.

This ends up resulting in a less-effective police force, higher response times, lower morale among officers, and an “increasing unwillingness” to engage in proactive policing, he said.

“ **This has left many police forces in a strictly reactive mode, only responding to crimes that have already occurred. In addition, no-cash bail rulings have put many dangerous criminals back onto the streets even though they are arrested several times for violent crimes**,” Etter said.

“In cities where these two things are happening, the crime rate has spiked. You have less police officers and more dangerous criminals at large.”

Countering the rising homicide trend will require boosting police funding and improved police training to avoid some of the problems resulting from the use of force, he added.

_Read more **here...** (https://www.theepochtimes.com/democrat-cities-have-highest-homicide-rates-report-finds_5232661.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge)_

Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Tue, 05/02/2023 - 21:25

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/democrat-cities-have-highest-homicide-rates-report-finds

**Fox Can’t Replace Tucker Carlson: Victor Davis Hanson**

Fox Can’t Replace Tucker Carlson: Victor Davis Hanson

Authored by Dorothy Li via The Epoch Times (https://www.theepochtimes.com/fox-cant-replace-tucker-carlson-victor-davis-hanson_5232822.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge) (emphasis ours),

**Fox News executives miscalculated in their sudden decision to oust the network’s most popular prime-time host, Tucker Carlson,** according to Victor Davis Hanson, a historian and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

“One of the messages the Murdochs are not quite understanding \[is\] that **when you take away somebody who had a greater potential elsewhere** and was a precious asset that anchored your whole evening lineup, and you fired him in a fit of pique, or anger, without thinking it through, **you’ve gotta be very careful, because you’re not gonna be able to replace a guy like that**,” Victor Davis Hanson told The Telegraph (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SiaaCznZKE) on April 29.

?itok=Ec-ceE5a\

_Tucker Carlson during the 2022 Fox Nation Patriot Awards at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood in Hollywood, Fla., on Nov. 17, 2022. (Jason Koerner/Getty Images)_ (?itok=Ec-ceE5a)

A week after Carlson’s abrupt exit, why the popular prime-time host left the network remains a mystery.

A brief statement issued by Fox News said only that the two “have agreed to part ways” and “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”

Carson’s last broadcast was on April 21. During his final on-air segment, Carlson told his audience that he would be back on Monday.

While the network has parted with several popular news personalities like Bill O’Reilly and Megyn Kelly (https://www.theepochtimes.com/megyn-kelly-claims-fox-news-in-existential-crisis-after-tucker-carlsons-exit_5231830.html), the case for Carson was different, according to Hanson.

“Before they fired him, they thought ‘Fox is bigger than any one anchor: We fired Bill O’Reilly. And guess what? Tucker showed up, and he has the same size of audience or bigger,’” he said. “We can do that because people tune into us because \[of\] the brand.

“ **But I don’t think they understand it’s not quite like that**. It’s cumulative: It’s like a cut, a cut, a cut, and each one magnifies the prior one. So when you get rid of Bill O’Reilly, and you get rid of Megyn Kelly … you go up and down, and Newsmax and competitors creep in and grab your audience.

**“I don’t think that there was a serious cause of firing him other than an emotional one,”** Hanson said.

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_Victor Davis Hanson, a classicist, military historian, and author of “The Dying Citizen,” in Visalia, Calif. on Feb. 7, 2023. (York Du/The Epoch Times)_ (?itok=hPOybi7Z)

On April 26, Carlson broke the silence (https://www.theepochtimes.com/tucker-carlson-addresses-america-from-usual-8-pm-slot-on-twitter_5224596.html) with a video posted on Twitter that drew some 23 million views, exceeding the number (https://www.theepochtimes.com/elon-musk-reacts-to-tucker-carlsons-video-surpassing-cable-news-ratings_5230999.html) of viewers of his old prime-time show on the cable news channel.

Hanson suggested Carlson doesn’t really need to go on television. Instead, the media figure, like his former colleague Megyn Kelly, could pursue an independent route.

“ **Even though Tucker was supposedly getting two more years at $20 million a year, given his appeal and talents, he could probably make more than that with his own venue**,” he said, adding that the media business is “fragmented.”

But Fox News “needed Tucker Carlson to appeal to the new Republican Party,” Hanson noted.

“What do I mean by that? He was talking about the absurdity of woke, and I don’t where you find somebody like that, who has the ability to articulate those positions but is not crazy,” he continued.

“Tucker came from one of the wealthiest families in California. He was an aristocrat … So for him, brought up like that as an aristocrat, to become a populist and yet know how the aristocratic mind works, is very unusual.”

Hanson estimated the “big vacuum” created by Carlson’s departure was about 3.5 million viewers, breathing life into rival conservative networks.

Following Carlson’s exit, Newsmax drew doubled viewers at the 8 p.m. EST slot, Hanson said, adding that Fox News’ parent company lost $800 million in market value after the …

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fox-cant-replace-tucker-carlson-victor-davis-hanson

**Biden Sending 1,500 Troops To Southern Border To Deal With Surge Of Illegal Immigrants**

Biden Sending 1,500 Troops To Southern Border To Deal With Surge Of Illegal Immigrants

_By Joseph Lord of The Epoch Times (https://www.theepochtimes.com/us-to-send-1500-troops-to-southern-border-white-house_5236608.html)_

The United States will be sending troops to the southern border with Mexico, the White House announced on May 2. The move was unveiled ahead of an expected surge of illegal immigrants as pandemic restrictions, known as Title 42, are set to lift on May 11.

The southern border has been hammered over the past two years by an unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants, leaving border control authorities struggling to keep up with limited resources.

Pentagon Press Secretary Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed in a **Tuesday press conference that the Pentagon would be sending 1,500 U.S. military personnel “to supplement” Border Patrol resources for 90 days.** Ryder suggested this could be extended as the need arises.

These 1,500 troops “ _will fill critical capability gaps, such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support until CBP \[Customs and Border Protection\] can address these needs through contracted support_.”

“Military personnel will not directly participate in law enforcement activities,” Ryder added.

While the first wave of troops will be drawn from active-duty personnel, Ryder said that the Pentagon was looking into other options, including potentially pulling from reserves.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that the move was made in the hopes of freeing Border Patrol agents up to focus on apprehending illegal immigrants crossing the border.

Under President Donald Trump, military servicemembers performed similar functions at the border. **When Trump deployed troops to the border in 2018, Democrats blasted (https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/417703-2020-democrats-challenge-trumps-use-of-troops-at-mexico-border/) the move as a “politicization” of the military.** This time however, in comments to reporters, Jean-Pierre said that the deployment was “ _**common practice.”**_

“DoD personnel have been supporting \[Customs and Border Protection\] at the border for almost two decades now,” she said, referring to the Department of Defense.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in a statement Tuesday, said (https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/05/02/dhs-statement-request-additional-dod-support-southwest-border) the additional forces would help “to reduce irregular migration, ensure safe, orderly, and efficient processing, and promptly remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States.”

Currently, 2,500 troops are serving in some capacity along the border. The addition of 1,500 new troops, nearly a twofold increase, comes days ahead of the end of Title 42, a COVID-era immigration rule making it easier for illegal aliens to be turned away at the border.

DHS added that Customs and Border Protection’s investment in new technology and personnel will reduce the need for such assistance moving forward.

Despite an unprecedented flow of illegal migrants across the border, the administration has long refrained from using the word “crisis” to describe the situation.

President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have each insisted that the border is secure and under operational control.

The decision to send troops to the border comes as Republicans prepare a series of legislation addressing immigration problems along the border.

_Read more here (https://www.theepochtimes.com/us-to-send-1500-troops-to-southern-border-white-house_5236608.html)._

Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Tue, 05/02/2023 - 19:35

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/biden-sending-1500-troops-southern-border-deal-surge-illegal-immigrants

**Biden's Game Of Chicken: "We Won't See A Debt Ceiling Solution Until The Market Panics"**

Biden's Game Of Chicken: "We Won't See A Debt Ceiling Solution Until The Market Panics"

_By Philip Marey, Senior Strategist at Rabobank_

**Summary**

- _Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Yellen sent a new letter to the Congressional leadership, with the message that the X-date could arrive as soon as June 1._

- _With the adoption of the Limit, Save, Grow Act in the House of Representatives and President Biden’s unwillingness to negotiate about conditions for a raise in the debt limit, a game of chicken between Republicans and Democrats has started._

- _So far, markets reacted to the possibility of a US federal government default with a revealed preference for one month treasury bills over longer dated T-bills. However, we are still far from the panic needed to break the stalemate between Republicans and Democrats. This is likely to occur closer to the X-date._

- _Either this game is over within a few weeks or we are going to see a suspension of the debt limit until later this year **. In both cases, we are not likely to see any solution until financial markets start to panic.**_

**Introduction**

Although the midterm elections in November turned out better for the Democrats than could have been expected based on the high inflation rate and President Biden’s low approval rating, they lost their majority in the House of Representatives. With the 118th Congress in session since early January, the balance of power in Washington DC has shifted. After two years of Democratic Control, with Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress and a Democratic President, the Republicans are now able to shoot down any bill on the House floor in the next two years. This means a regime shift has taken place in US politics this year to Divided Government, where legislation requires bipartisan cooperation. The first of the fiscal standoffs that we warned for in Midterm implications is already taking shape and it is the most dangerous one, the debt limit.

**McCarthy’s move**

On April 26, the House of Representatives adopted the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, presented by House Speaker McCarthy a week earlier, with a 217-215 vote. All Democrats voted no, so did four Republicans. The bill, drafted by the leadership of the House Republicans, in consultation with various members, raises the debt limit by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first. Note that the current debt limit of $31.381 trillion was reached on January 19, after which the Treasury Department started extraordinary measures, postponing the X-date, when the Treasury will be unable to meet all of its debt obligations. In exchange for the higher debt ceiling, the House Republicans want to limit government spending. The bill sets discretionary spending for fiscal year 2024 (October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024) at the level of fiscal year 2022 and then limits growth in discretionary spending to no more than 1% a year in the next decade. The bill also rescinds unspent COVID relief funds, and make changes to energy, regulatory and permitting policies. However, the plan also cuts the increased funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). What’s more, it will prevent implementation of President Biden’s student debt cancellation and Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) expansion, and impose or expand work requirements in several federal safety net programs. This means serious concessions by the Democrats, which they are not likely to agree to. In fact, President Biden has made clear repeatedly that he does not want to negotiate at all. His position remains that he wants a “clean” debt limit raise, i.e. without any condition.

**Biden’s game of chicken**

With the adoption of _Limit, Save, Grow Act_ by the House of Representatives, and Biden’s demand for a “clean” raise of the debt limit, a game of chicken has started between Republicans and Democrats. Both parties want to avoid a government default, which would cause significant damage to the financial markets and the economy. Consequently, the so-called X-date, when the extraordinary measures are exhausted, is the deadline for the game of chicken. In the time before the deadline, we are not likely to see any party blink, unless a financial market panic breaks out. **Once the deadline passes, neither party has an interest in keeping the US in default. By this time, financial markets will definitely be in turmoil.**

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It could be argued, especially by Democrats, that as the Republicans are the party attaching conditions to the debt limit increase necessary to avert or end the default, they are likely to bear most of the pressure to concede. This argument frames the cu…

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/bidens-game-chicken-we-wont-see-debt-ceiling-solution-until-market-panics

**Another Train Derailment In Russia Suggests Stepped-Up Covert Sabotage Campaign**

Another Train Derailment In Russia Suggests Stepped-Up Covert Sabotage Campaign

For the second consecutive day, a Russian freight train has been derailed not far from the Ukrainian border, in what appears to be another sabotage attack. These cross-border irregular warfare attacks seem to be stepping up simultaneous to the so-called Ukrainian Spring counteroffensive being stalled (https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/why-long-awaited-ukrainian-counteroffensive-delayed).

_Reuters_ is reporting (https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-741897) based on local sources that " **An explosion derailed a freight train for the second day in a row in a Russian region bordering Ukraine on Tuesday**, sending both the locomotive and some cars off the tracks, authorities said."

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_Map source: BBC_ (?itok=_vxwefeN)

Bryansk regional governor Alexander Bogomaz confirmed in a Telegram statement, "An unidentified explosive device went off near the Snezhetskaya railway station. There were no casualties." He described that "As a result of the incident, a locomotive and several wagons of a freight train derailed."

The Bryansk region borders both Ukraine and Belarus, and this second sabotage incident happened just to the southeast of Bryansk. With this latest freight disaster, which occurred mid-evening local time, some **20 cars derailed**, according to Russian media.

The day prior (Monday), a section of track in the same oblast but which lies even closer to the border with Ukraine was blown up, derailing a train carrying fuel and timber.

> Another train sabotage reported in Bryansk region in Western Russia, with 20 cars going off rails after a series of explosions. Russian Railways called it “illegal interference,” per RBC. This is a second incident in two days — yesterday another train carrying fuel was blown up. pic.twitter.com/itpUVN32kC (https://t.co/itpUVN32kC)

>

> — Mary Ilyushina (@maryilyushina) May 2, 2023 (https://twitter.com/maryilyushina/status/1653460268138086401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Bryansk has been a region which has seen frequent cross-border attacks throughout the conflict. Over the weekend, projectiles fired from Ukraine **killed four people in a Russian village** which lies just 10km from the border.

All of this has resulted in speculation over whether the delayed Ukrainian counteroffensive could turn into a focus on irregular cross-border guerrilla tactics.

> Another bomb causes a second train derailment in two days in Russia's Bryansk region. https://t.co/A2bk3bi56L (https://t.co/A2bk3bi56L)pic.twitter.com/nfEqR6WGel (https://t.co/nfEqR6WGel)

>

> — Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) May 2, 2023 (https://twitter.com/KevinRothrock/status/1653463183447736322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Already there's been multiple drone attacks, sabotage bombings, as well as assassinations of high-profile Russians. If Ukrainian frontlines collapse, this could unleash more "punishment" inside Russian territory by covert operatives. The Kremlin has frequently also alleged that the US and other NATO countries have supported Ukraine in these black ops.

Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Tue, 05/02/2023 - 19:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/2nd-train-derailment-russia-suggests-stepped-covert-sabotage-campaign

**Blaming Conservatives For Collapse: Damned If They Do, Damned If They Don’t On The Debt Ceiling**

Blaming Conservatives For Collapse: Damned If They Do, Damned If They Don’t On The Debt Ceiling

_Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us (https://alt-market.us/blaming-conservatives-for-collapse-damned-if-they-do-damned-if-they-dont-on-the-debt-ceiling/)_

In 2021 I published an article titled ‘The Fed’s Catch-22 Taper Is A Weapon, Not A Policy Error’ (https://alt-market.us/the-feds-catch-22-taper-is-a-weapon-not-a-policy-error/) in which I outlined the deliberately engineered trap the Federal Reserve has created for the American economy. Specifically, I confronted the issue of strangled liquidity through increasing debt costs vs continued money printing and inflation.

It’s an issue that Jerome Powell warned about in 2012 (https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/FOMC20121024meeting.pdf), years before he became Fed Chairman; the consequences of creating a stimulus dependent system and then abruptly cutting off the life support. As soon as he was installed as the head of the central bank he implemented the very policies he predicted would cause a crash.

The result? We just saw the beginning of the end with the latest banking crisis involving companies like SVB, First Republic and Credit Suisse – It’s not just US finances, but banks around the world that rely on liquidity injections from the Fed to stay afloat. The central bankers addicted the system to cheap easy debt and now they are taking away the drugs.

In other words, no one can honestly argue that the central banks are ignorant or unaware of the threat. They KNOW what’s about to happen and they do not care. But why does the establishment want a crisis now instead of five years ago, or five years in the future?

**Thankfully, much of the public is becoming aware of the various programs to introduce CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies), but what they may not understand is the manner in which such massive economic changes usually happen. Generally speaking, in order to institute a new economic system the banks have to take down the old system.**

The last time we saw this happen was just after the Great Depression and WWII. The deflationary crash and the war conjured the proper amount of global chaos and before the dust settled western nations instituted the Bretton Woods agreement in 1944, making the dollar the defacto world reserve currency while locking down the price of gold.. Then they established the globalist International Monetary Fund (IMF) the same year and the United Nations in 1945. The world was centralized dramatically in a little over a decade.

I believe we are fast approaching another engineered singularity, a controlled demolition of existing systems to make way for a cashless society, a one world currency and global governance. I believe this because it’s all the globalists can talk about these days; it’s not as if they’re trying to hide it anymore.

The BIS and IMF are actively fielding one-world digital currency mechanisms right now; structures that would combine all national CBDCs (https://alt-market.us/project-icebreaker-the-beginning-of-a-one-world-digital-currency-system/) under one umbrella. In the meantime, globalist think-tanks like the WEF (World Economic Forum) are ranting excessively about the coming era of an AI controlled economy and a “4th Industrial Revolution” in which you will “own nothing, have no privacy” and will be forced to adapt to a cashless socialist sharing system. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/worldeconomicforum/2016/11/10/shopping-i-cant-really-remember-what-that-is-or-how-differently-well-live-in-2030/)

**All they need is a scapegoat to complete their crisis formula.** War seems to work well in distracting the masses from the true culprits behind any financial calamity, and numerous institutions are hard at work to convince the public that countries like Russia are to blame for ongoing stagflation problems. Of course, the stagflation crisis started well before the war in Ukraine and many Americans are not buying the spin.

China, a dedicated partner to the globalist project, has shown consistent fealty to the IMF and is a key player in the move towards a one-world currency system. Because they are the largest importer/exporter on the planet and have considerable leverage over the US dollar, they have the ability to strike the final blow against the dollar’s world reserve status. A heightened conflict with China would be a perfect cover for the dumping of the Greenback, making way for the IMF’s new global currency, called the UMU (Universal Monetary Unit) (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/digital-currency-monetary-authority-dcma-132700400.html).

However, foreign conflagrations will not be enough for the establishment to keep the American public from scrutinizing the narrative. They need a domestic enemy, a frightening threat that lives right next door…

https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/blaming-conservatives-collapse-damned-if-they-do-damned-if-they-dont-debt-ceiling

**NYC's Adams: Abbott's Migrant-Busing Targets 'Black-Run' Cities**

NYC's Adams: Abbott's Migrant-Busing Targets 'Black-Run' Cities

**Texas Governor Greg Abbott migrant bus service to is ramping back up in a big way -- and mayors in destination cities are fuming**, especially New York City's Eric Adams and Chicago's outgoing Lori Lightfoot.

"More than 57,000 migrants, mostly hailing from Latin America, have arrived in \[New York City\] since last spring, while Chicago has fielded more than 8,000 newcomers," _Politico_ (https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/01/eric-adams-texas-migrant-busing-00094694) reports.

?itok=lvXqy2E0 (?itok=lvXqy2E0)**Overwhelmed with immigrants pouring into his sanctuary city, Adams (left) threw his race card at Abbott**(AP photo via (?itok=lvXqy2E0)_NY Daily News_ (https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-nyc-mayor-adams-buses-texas-governor-abbott-20220809-k7fb6fgerzc3vnyftghn4nwffm-story.html))

In a statement (https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/305-23/mayor-adams-on-governor-abbott-s-decision-resume-busing-asylum-seekers-five) issued Monday, **Adams accused Abbott of targeting cities based on the skin color of their elected officials**:

> _“This weekend, **we learned that Governor Abbott is once again deciding to play politics with people's lives by resuming the busing of asylum seekers** to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and Washington, D.C._

>

> _Not only is this behavior morally bankrupt and devoid of any concern for the well-being of asylum seekers, but **it is also impossible to ignore the fact that Abbott is now targeting five cities run by Black mayors.** Put plainly, **Abbott is using this crisis to hurt Black-run cities."**_

We pause to note that, where America's largest metropolises are concerned, "black-run cities (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mayors_of_the_50_largest_cities_in_the_United_States)" is increasingly a redundancy.

**Moving on from his implicit accusation of racism**, Adams went on to accuse Abbott of shipping migrants to New York against their will, and having security guards "hold them hostage" when they tried to get off in other cities.

He also blamed border states for the overload of immigrants while asking President Biden for help. " **With a vacuum of leadership from border states, we need the federal government to step in** and provide us with support and to prevent this cruelty from continuing.” That's an interesting angle, given the federal government routinely opposes states taking border security into their own hands.

Even Adams has been increasingly critical of the Biden administration's immigration policies (https://www.zerohedge.com/political/democrat-mayor-says-migrant-crisis-has-destroyed-new-york-city-biden-admin-has-turned). In April, he said, " **The city is being destroyed by the migrant crisis**...The national government has turned its back on New York City... **This is in the lap of the president of the United States.**" Reiterating that desperate messaging on Monday, Adams said, **" _This crisis is more than one city can handle."_**

**Adams isn't the only mayor attacking Abbott for sharing the wealth of northbound diversity** pouring into the country. On Sunday, Chicago's Lightfoot, who will exit office on May 15 after a losing reelection bid, sent a letter (https://twitter.com/Ryan_Johnson/status/1652782826234818562/photo/1) to Abbott asking him to "stop this inhumane and dangerous action."

?itok=QIIebT7p\

**Lame duck walking: In two weeks, our frequency of Lightfoot photos is poised to dramatically dip** (?itok=QIIebT7p)

Like Adams, Lightfoot also painted a picture of desperation, saying that, **although "Chicago is a Welcoming City...we simply have no more shelters, spaces, or resources** to accommodate an increase of individuals at this level."

She wrote that many migrants shipped from the Lone Star State "needed extensive medical care. Some of the individuals you placed on buses were women in active labor, and some were victims of sexual assault. None of those needs were addressed in Texas."

When **Abbott wrote back (https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/Mayor_Lori_Lightfoot.pdf) to Lightfoot on Monday**, he didn't address those allegations. He did, however, point out that that the immigration situation is about to get much worse:

> "With Title 42 expulsions set to end next week, the federal government has estimated that we could have up to 13,000 illegal immigrants cross the U.S.–Mexico border ev…

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/nycs-adams-abbotts-migrant-busing-targets-black-run-cities

**DeSantis Signs Bill To Authorize Death Penalty For Child Rapists In Florida**

DeSantis Signs Bill To Authorize Death Penalty For Child Rapists In Florida

_Authored by Steve Watson via Summit News,_ (https://summit.news/2023/05/02/desantis-signs-bill-to-authorise-death-penalty-for-child-rapists-in-florida/)

**Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Monday that will allow convicted child rapists to be given the death penalty, a move that will likely trigger a confrontation in the U.S. Supreme Court.**

?itok=6J4MK1On (?itok=6J4MK1On)

Florida lawmakers passed HB1297 (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1297/?Tab=RelatedBills) last month, paving the way for rapists of children under the age of 12 to be sentenced to execution without jury unanimity.

It means that the approval of only 8 jurors out of 12 would be needed to go ahead with a sentence of capital punishment for those who sexually abuse kids in the State.

As we highlighted, pedos were not happy about it.

> Florida Enables Death Penalty For Child Sexual Abuse (https://summit.news/2023/04/14/florida-enables-death-penalty-for-child-sexual-abuse/)

On signing the legislation, which goes into effect on October 1st, DeSantis noted “We think that in the worst of the worst cases, the only appropriate punishment is the ultimate punishment.”

> In Florida, we believe it’s only appropriate that the worst of the worst crimes deserve the worst of the worst punishment. pic.twitter.com/pOg4UYe92m (https://t.co/pOg4UYe92m)

>

> — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 1, 2023 (https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1653111212886958081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

The full speech is below:

> Governor DeSantis Signs Anti-Crime Legislation https://t.co/NxSN1Utj0z (https://t.co/NxSN1Utj0z)

>

> — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 1, 2023 (https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1653081112636436482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

A previous 2008 U.S. Supreme Court ruling outlawed capital punishment in child sexual battery cases.

DeSantis said he believed the the Supreme Court’s decision was “wrong.”

> It’s a BAD DAY for Pedophiles and a Great a day for PARENTS!!

>

> Great job @GovRonDeSantis (https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) 👏

>

> — First Class Fatherhood 🎙 (@AlecLace) May 1, 2023 (https://twitter.com/AlecLace/status/1653112972011528197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

The governor also signed (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1226/?Tab=BillText) two other bills (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1627/?Tab=BillText) Monday, one to make those who sell fentanyl resembling candy to children eligible for life in prison, and another to ban suspects arrested for dangerous crimes from being granted pretrial release without monetary bail at their first court hearings.

“If you’re messing with children, you’re going to have the book thrown at you 100%,” DeSantis declared.

> Today, I signed legislation that will:

>

> \- Makes child rapists eligible for the death penalty with the minimum sentence of life in prison without parole

>

> \- Impose additional penalties on fentanyl and drug-related crimes targeted at children

>

> \- Protect Floridians from disastrous… pic.twitter.com/sO1mkcfm0a (https://t.co/sO1mkcfm0a)

>

> — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 1, 2023 (https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1653100659493724174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

He added, “We’re excited to be able to deliver these victories. We’re gonna have a lot more that we’re gonna be announcing over the next few weeks.”

“We’re really delivering a big agenda,” he continued, adding “So this is one important — but admittedly very small part — of an overall large agenda and very bold agenda that’s really setting the terms of the debate for the country, quite frankly.”

\*  \*  \*

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Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Tue, 05/02/2023 - 18:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/desantis-signs-bill-authorise-death-penalty-child-rapists-florida

**Watch: Biden Press Secretary Claims Illegal Immigration DOWN By 90%**

Watch: Biden Press Secretary Claims Illegal Immigration DOWN By 90%

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed on Monday that **illegal immigration has dropped 92% under the Biden administration**.

"When it comes to illegal migration, you have seen it come down by more than 90%, and that’s because of the actions that this president has taken," she said.

> Jean-Pierre: "When it comes to illegal migration, you have seen it come down by more than 90%.”

>

> pic.twitter.com/unGIAQQswv (https://t.co/unGIAQQswv)

>

> — Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) May 1, 2023 (https://twitter.com/FreeBeacon/status/1653134811609939968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Oh?

?itok=8shg52UH (?itok=8shg52UH)

According to US Customs and Border Protection, **over 5 million illegal immigrants have crossed the US border** **since Biden took office**, not to mention around 1.2 million 'gotaways' (a figure which is undoubtedly far higher).

Reactions to Jean-Pierre's latest steaming pile of lies were, as one would expect:

?itok=3cRKZ-Of (?itok=3cRKZ-Of)

> We are suffering through the largest tidal wave of illegal immigration in human history and it’s not even close.

>

> — Stephen Miller (@StephenM) May 1, 2023 (https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/1653141764520259585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> …where? Because it’s not the US southern border. pic.twitter.com/qqWoi6nPWF (https://t.co/qqWoi6nPWF)

>

> — GruntDoc (@gruntdoc) May 1, 2023 (https://twitter.com/gruntdoc/status/1653173499488354307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Seven Million to date — before Title 42 has ended. 90% less than what @PressSec (https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)?

>

> — ETN Patriot (@etn\_patriot) May 1, 2023 (https://twitter.com/etn_patriot/status/1653142523160739844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

And as _Summit News_ (https://summit.news/2023/05/02/video-biden-press-secretary-claims-illegal-immigration-is-down-by-90/) notes, Jean-Pierre also spoke about a "horrific act of gun violence" amid a manhunt for an illegal immigrant accused of murdering five of his neighbors. Jean-Pierre, of course, didn't note that the man was illegal, or that he has been **deported multiple times** from the United States.

> Instead Jean-Pierre used the case as a way of pushing for increased gun control, stating “the President believes prayers alone are not enough. Congress must act because what makes tragedies like this one all the more heart wrenching is the fact that it is entirely within our power to take these weapons of war off our streets.” -_Summit News_ (https://summit.news/2023/05/02/video-biden-press-secretary-claims-illegal-immigration-is-down-by-90/)

> KJP kicks off the briefing by discussing the shooting in Cleveland, Texas. Of course, there was no mention that the suspect was an illegal alien and wouldn't have been able to kill anyone if not for Biden's refusal to secure the border. pic.twitter.com/6e1uEbEsqf (https://t.co/6e1uEbEsqf)

>

> — Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) May 1, 2023 (https://twitter.com/KevinTober94/status/1653127224688607234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> He couldn't even buy a gun legally

>

> — Unlimited (@Purpleskei) May 1, 2023 (https://twitter.com/Purpleskei/status/1653125535025733644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Tue, 05/02/2023 - 17:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watch-biden-press-secretary-claims-illegal-immigration-down-90