Visualizing The Decline Of Remote Work, By Industry
Visualizing The Decline Of Remote Work, By Industry
After years of companies embracing remote work and hybrid models, a major shift back to in-office work could be underway.
This infographic,https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-the-decline-of-remote-work-by-industry/
of 8,426 employees from various industries in the United States.
?itok=bdfuBsCm
Which Industries Are Returning to the Office?
Across all industries, the share of employees reporting to work in person doubled to 68% in 2024, from 34% in 2023.
However, some sectors are seeing much higher levels of in-office work than others. The table below breaks down the return-to-office trend by industry:
?itok=DC8Mtmar
The consumer and retail industry saw the highest growth in return to the office, with 87% of the employees reporting to work in person.
Public sector jobs also saw a sharp rise, with two-thirds of workers now in the office most days. Recently, President Trump also https://www.barrons.com/news/trump-says-federal-workers-must-come-to-work-by-feb-6-or-be-terminated-a4365082
that all federal employees must agree to return to in-person work by the first week of February or be terminated.
Additionally, 84% of employees in the Education sector worked mostly in office in 2024, despite the prevalence of EdTech tools over the last few years.
The End of Remote Work?
Remote work declined sharply between 2023 and 2024. McKinsey’s survey found that the share of https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-remote-workers-by-u-s-city/
across all industries fell to 17% in 2024, less than half of the 44% in 2023.
Over the past year, major Fortune 500 companies—including JP Morgan, Amazon, and Nike—have implemented return-to-office mandates, requiring employees to report to the office at least four days a week. Other organizations, along with the U.S. https://www.voronoiapp.com/work/The-Data-Behind-the-US-Federal-Government-Workforce-3511
, are following the trend.
However, employee sentiment remains mixed. Many still prefer the flexibility of remote and hybrid work models, while others appreciate the structure and teamwork of being in the office.
Despite the rise of in-person work, many high-paying remote jobs still exist out there. Check out https://www.voronoiapp.com/wealth/Looking-for-a-Job-You-Can-Do-From-Home-1307
on the Voronoi app to learn more.
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Fri, 02/28/2025 - 06:55
https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/visualizing-decline-remote-work-industry
NATO Is The Big Obstacle To Peace In Ukraine
NATO Is The Big Obstacle To Peace In Ukraine
https://www.fff.org/2025/02/27/nato-is-the-big-obstacle-to-peace-in-ukraine/
During his recent campaign for president, Donald Trump repeatedly stated that he had a secret plan for settling the war in Ukraine.
He suggested that he would be able to resolve the conflict within a day of so of taking office. That obviously was political hyperbole because the war is still going on. Trump and people in his administration are now talking to Russian president Vladimir Putin and Russian officials in an effort to find a way to end the war and possibly even normalize relations between the United States and Russia.
There is one great big obstacle, however, to bringing an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. That obstacle is NATO, the old Cold War dinosaur that should have gone out of existence with the end of the Cold War, just like the Warsaw Pact did.
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Instead, NATO not only remained in existence, it also ultimately became the root cause of the war between Ukraine and Russia.
It’s that critically important point that is lost on the U.S. mainstream media. For them, the war began at the moment that Russia invaded Ukraine. Nothing that preceded that invasion matters to the mainstream media. What came before the invasion is simply considered irrelevant.
But it’s not irrelevant, especially because it might well prove to be an insurmountable obstacle to a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.
With the surprise end of the Cold War, the U.S. national-security establishment — i.e., the Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA — lost its big official enemy — Russia (or, to be more exact, the Soviet Union), which meant the end of the big Cold War racket that had kept the national-security branch in high cotton in terms of power and taxpayer-funded largess.
The Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA were panicky. At first, they announced that they were willing to participate in the “war on drugs.” They then converted their old partner and ally Saddam Hussein into an official enemy, who they used to scare the American people for some 11 years. Then, their interventionist and deadly foreign policy in the Middle East brought about the 9/11 retaliatory strikes and they were off to the races again, with the “war on terrorism” replacing the Cold War’s “war on communism.”
But they never lost sight of the possibility of reconverting Russia into a renewed official enemy, as part of a new Cold War, especially given that the anti-Russia Cold War sentiment was so deeply embedded within the American people. That’s when they began using NATO to expand eastward toward Russia’s border by absorbing former members of the Warsaw Pact.
An important thing to note about this was that U.S. officials had promised Russia that NATO would not expand. It would stay, they repeatedly stated, right where it was.
It was a lie. Instead, NATO was used to expand eastward, which enabled NATO’s missiles, tanks, weapons, troops, and planes to get ever closer to Russia’s border. It’s worth mentioning that NATO includes Germany, the nation that wreaked untold death and destruction on Russia in the two world wars.
Why would U.S. officials do that? To get their official enemy — and big cash cow — back. They were not ready to let go of Russia as America’s official enemy. And they knew — as an absolute certainty — what Russia’s reaction would be to having U.S. and German missiles, forces, tanks, planes, and armaments getting ever closer to Russia’s borders. They knew that Russia would react negatively — very negatively. And the reason they knew that was because they knew that that is precisely how they would react if Russia began doing the same thing in Cuba.
Moreover, Russia repeatedly told them what would happen if they threatened to absorb Ukraine into NATO. Russia would invade to prevent that from happening. Thus, not surprisingly, NATO threatened to absorb Ukraine, knowing full-well that that would provoke Russia into invading.
Thus, when Russia did invade, U.S. and European officials and the U.S. mainstream press cried, “Aggression! Aggression!” And they were right from a legal standpoint. Russia had no legal right to invade Ukraine, and Ukraine had the legal right to join NATO. But what U.S. officials, European officials, and the U.S. mainstream press steadfastly avoided confronting — and still avoid confronting — is that, as a practical matter, U.S. officials had broken their promise to Russia not to expand NATO eastward and that, as a practical matter, that was the reason for the Ukraine-Russia war.
Why is all that pre-invasion history important insofar as a peace treaty is concerned? Because if one takes the official U.S.-European narrative seriously — that Russia invaded Ukraine because it is an aggressor nation that is hell-bent on conquering the world — then how do they arrive at a satisfactory resolution of the war, given that the real reason that Russia invaded Ukraine was to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO?
Thus, how does Trump guarantee Russia that Ukraine won’t ever join NATO? Sure, he can give his word. He can even put it into writing. But everyone knows that the U.S. government does not keep its word, and everyone knows that the U.S. government lies. Indeed, everyone knows that the U.S. promised Russia that NATO would not move eastward, and it did anyway.
Moreover, even if Russia believes Trump and takes him at his word, Trump could die from a heart attack tomorrow. Moreover, four years from now, America will presumably have a new president. What then? What assurance does Russia have that a new president won’t suddenly announce that NATO is absorbing Ukraine.
Therefore, the best assurance that Russia could be given would be the total dismantling of NATO.
With no NATO, there is no threat of NATO’s suddenly absorbing Ukraine. Moreover, no more NATO means no more former Warsaw Pact members as members of NATO.
But what are the chances that Trump will bring an end to this Cold War dinosaur? Very slim, unfortunately, which will make it very difficult to arrive at a lasting peace in Ukraine.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Thu, 02/27/2025 - 23:25
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/nato-big-obstacle-peace-ukraine
How (Un)Free Is The World?
How (Un)Free Is The World?
Global freedom declined for the 19th consecutive year in 2024, according to the https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/FITW_World_2025_Feb.2025.pdf
by democratic watchdog organization Freedom House, released Wednesday.
https://www.statista.com/chart/12541/the-state-of-freedom-worldwide/
analysts found that 60 countries have experienced a deterioration in their political and civil liberties since 2023, while 34 saw improvements.
https://www.statista.com/chart/12541/the-state-of-freedom-worldwide/
You will find more infographics at https://www.statista.com/chartoftheday/
El Salvador, Haiti, Kuwait and Tunisia saw their scores drop the furthest compared to last year, while Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Syria saw the biggest gains.
In a major year for elections, violence affected 27 of the 66 countries and territories studied in the report where ballots were held last year, including attacks on candidates. In Mexico and South Africa, such assaults were largely at the hands of criminal groups seeking to gain political influence and control of territory. In countries such as France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, extremism or partisan stances drove attacks on individuals running for office.
India has seen a decline of 15 points in the past decade. Between 2023 and 2024 it slid three points and was placed in the category of "partly free". Meanwhile, Indian Kashmir saw an increase of 12 points year on year due largely to its return of elections, lifting it from the "not free" group to the "partly free" group.
Freedoms and security also continued to be hampered by ongoing armed conflicts. Freedom House notes how civil wars, clashes between states, and fighting that involved non-state armed groups have hit local civilian populations in places around the world and have had a negative ripple effect, including fuelling the spread of illicit trades.
The Freedom in the World Index is an index compiled annually by the U.S. NGO Freedom House, which evaluates civil and political freedom in states and territories around the world. The methodology is based on the Declaration of Human Rights as proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) in 1948 and is intended to assess the political rights and civil liberties of individuals rather than governments.
The countries/territories are evaluated by a team of internal and external analysts and expert advisors from a range of academia, think tank and human rights communities, with the final scores being the result of a consensus between the analysts, a panel of outside advisors and Freedom House staff. Depending on the weighted index score for political rights and civil liberties, a country is classified as "free", "partly free" or "not free".
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Thu, 02/27/2025 - 23:00
First Batch Of Epstein Files Released: Here's What We Know
First Batch Of Epstein Files Released: Here's What We Know
Update (1401ET): The 'Epstein Files' have been released - to a select group of journalists and influencers, so we don't quite know what's in them yet...
?itok=y5i9Lu8R
, however, it's a nothingburger (but stay tuned, as we'll drop whatever's good - if anything)...
A source who has reviewed the files said the release spans more than 100 pages, including a list of contacts without further context.
The person said the unveiling was likely to be a “disappointment” to sleuths eager for bombshell new evidence about the billionaire pedophile’s connection to prominent political and business leaders.
Former President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Prince Andrew and President Trump are among the high-profile people who associated with Epstein — though Trump reportedly banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007 over an incident with a club member’s daughter.
A client list is not included in the initial release, which was compiled into binders describing the disclosure as “phase one” of the Epstein files, according to the source.
Earlier in the day the DOJ passed out binder copies of the "Epstein Files: Phase 1" to various people.
"This is just the start. AG Bondi confirmed there are thousands more Epstein File documents being secretly held in the SDNY and they will be delivered to the DOJ in DC by February 28," wrote @DC_Draino who received a binder.
🚨Today I met with President Trump, VP JD Vance, AG Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel in the Oval Office
They handed me a binder copy of the Epstein Files
This is the most transparent administration in American history
The best part? This is just the start. AG Bondi… https://t.co/A4MRVuPeVh
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/1895180633053200563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Just got an Epstein binder
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1895173533535514939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
BREAKING: DC Draino, Libs of TikTok, Cernovich, Liz Wheeler seen holding "EPSTEIN FILES: PHASE 1" at the White House.
👀👀
Photo from https://twitter.com/JoshSukoff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1895173242719215739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
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Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday evening that she's going to release DOJ files on dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
?itok=FQJUveuT
"You said last week that you had the Epstein files on your desk. When can we see them?" asked Fox News' Jesse Watters.
"Jesse, there are well over - this will make you sick, 200 victims. Well over... over 250 actually. So we have to make sure that their identity is protected, and their personal information. But other than that, I think tomorrow Jesse - breaking news right now, you're going to see some Epstein information being released by my office."
"What kind? Are we going to see who was on the flights? Are we going to see any evidence from what he recorded - because he had all of his homes wired with recording devices," Watters asked.
"What you're going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information... it's pretty sick what that man did," Bondi continued.
Watch:
BREAKING NEWS: US Attorney General https://twitter.com/PamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) https://twitter.com/JesseBWatters/status/1894919854534074534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender was found dead in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. While his death was rules a suicide, he was also good friends with the Clintons and several other high-profile figures such as Bill Gates, Britain's Prince Andrew, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former Barclays CEO and 'https://www.zerohedge.com/political/say-hello-snow-white-ex-jpmorgan-exec-emailed-jeffrey-epstein-about-disney-princesses
.
?itok=kMvaHtFa
Here are the https://archive.org/details/jeffreyepsteinflightmanifestrecords19972006_202001
which have already been released.
Media Room?
Watters' question about recordings stems from earlier reporting that the deceased sex trafficker's homes were wired with recording devices.
In late 2019, Jeffrey Epstein victim Maria Farmer alleged that the deceased pedophile had a "https://www.zerohedge.com/political/epsteins-ny-mansion-had-secret-media-room-record-bedrooms-and-bathrooms-accuser
" on the first floor where high-profile johns were allegedly recorded having sex with women and children.
"So if you’re facing the house, there’s a window on the right that’s barred – that’s the room, the ‘media room’ is what he called it," Farmer said. "And so there was a door that looked like an invisible door with all this limestone and everything and you push it and you go in and I saw all the cameras."
Maria said: "What it was – was like old televisions basically, like stacked."
"They were monitors inside this cabinet and there were men sitting here and I looked on the cameras and I saw toilet, toilet, bed, bed, toilet, bed.
"And I was like I’m never going to use the restroom here and I am never going to sleep here." -https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10385875/jeffrey-epsteins-a-list-guests-filmed-bathroom-accuser/
The claim was supported in a 2024 lawsuit by two women - Danielle Bensky and Jane Doe 3, who said Epstein employed a sophisticated system involving constant CCTV surveillance within his New York mansion.
Bondi's appearance came hours after the DOJ appeared to give Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) the brush-off, telling her in a Wednesday letter that they are "reviewing your requests and look forward to engaging further to accommodate your oversight and legislative needs."
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump suggested that he would be open to releasing the Epstein list, while Bondi said in November that anyone named in the documents who are "still fighting to keep their names private, Sean, they have no legal basis to do so unless they're a child, a victim or a cooperating defendant."
My office just received a formal response from the DOJ on the Jeffrey Epstein, JFK, MLK, & RFK files.
Read below👇 https://t.co/gooBBQRlAq
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) https://twitter.com/RepLuna/status/1894885359764562249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Last week Bondi https://www.zerohedge.com/political/epstein-client-list-today-ag-pam-bondi-says-its-sitting-my-desk-right-now
Fox News that she had the Epstein files "sitting on my desk right now to review."
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Thu, 02/27/2025 - 14:04
State Dept: Freeze Did Not Stall Anti-Narcotics Program In Mexico
State Dept: Freeze Did Not Stall Anti-Narcotics Program In Mexico
,
The State Department is disputing reports that President Trump’s foreign aid freeze has halted a United Nations program in Mexico designed to prevent imported fentanyl chemicals and other narcotics precursors from reaching the country’s drug cartels.
?itok=mtjfvjZD
Far from trying to end it, the State Department is working to extend and expand the initiative, a State Department official told RealClearPolitics Monday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has directed a review of all foreign assistance programs, which has placed the training portion in a temporary limbo. While that review is taking place, Mexican officials who have already been trained are presumably using that expertise to continue to screen containers, according to the State Department official.
The program in question provided Mexico’s navy with training and equipment to improve the anti-narcotics screening of cargo entering and leaving the Port of Manzanillo, which is located on the Pacific Ocean and is one of the country’s busiest ports, responsible for handling cargo for the Mexico City area. The port also has served as an entry point for smugglers bringing in Chinese chemical precursors for fentanyl, methamphetamine, and synthetic opioids so the drugs can made in Mexican labs.
The project, known as the Container Control Programme, is a joint initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Customs Organization. The U.S. provided nearly $1 million to launch the project at the Port of Manzanillo in 2023. The initiative had already provided equipment and specialized training and was just two months from completion when the Trump freeze on foreign aid took effect Jan. 20, according to a State Department official.
Considering that the program had been going on for almost two years, Mexican officials who were already trained should have acquired the skills as to how to continue to inspect the containers even amid the pause on U.S. foreign assistance, the State Department pointed out.
“We expect Mexican officials in Manzanillo to continue employing the expertise and equipment the U.S. government has provided to stop the flow of deadly drugs and precursor chemicals used in their production in Mexico,” the State Department official told RCP. “As neighbors, we must work together to address our most pressing challenges, including securing our borders and confronting the drug trafficking, alien smuggling, and arms trafficking that harm our communities.”
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Customs Organization, and the Mexican Foreign Ministry did not respond to RCP’s inquiries.
, headlined “Trump aid freeze disrupts anti-narcotics program at Mexican ports,” claimed that the foreign aid freeze had stalled the Container Control Programme and paused a roll-out planned for two additional Mexican seaports – Lazaro Cardenas and Veracruz, which were to be added in February.
Over the last year, the program had already notched two major interdictions. Mexican authorities made several large seizures of chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine destined for the United States. The Mexican authorities intercepted 88 tons of precursor chemicals in July 2024 and another 25 tons in December 2024.
Funding for the container inspection training program was suspended Jan. 20 as part of Trump’s executive order reevaluating foreign assistance to programs that are “efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy” under Trump’s American First agenda, the State Department official noted.
The State Department has made exceptions for several of anti-narcotics programs, including $7.8 million in waivers for projects in Mexico funded by its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, or INL, to counter production and trafficking of fentanyl and to dismantle terrorist criminal organizations. The State Department, whose INL has an approximately $50 million total budget for Mexico, said additional waivers are under review, though it did not indicate which programs might get exceptions.
Trump has made stopping the flow of illegal fentanyl into the United States a top priority, threatening 25% tariffs on Mexican and most Canadian imports to pressure the two countries to do more to curb illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Last week, the State Department announced the designation of several Mexican entities, including the Sinaloa and the Jalisco New Generation cartels, as foreign terrorist organizations.
Susan Crabtree is RealClearPolitics' national political correspondent.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Thu, 02/27/2025 - 14:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/state-dept-freeze-did-not-stall-anti-narcotics-program-mexico
"Growth Scare & Tariffs" - The Troubling Narrative Continues Brewing
"Growth Scare & Tariffs" - The Troubling Narrative Continues Brewing
This year, the long-running US exceptionalism trade has shown signs of fatigue as concerns over a potential economic slowdown mount. Top market strategists, including https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/selloff-feels-more-technical-fundamental-goldman-trader-sees-growth-scare-narrative-rising
, have voiced concerns that a growth scare scenario could unfold.
On Thursday, Goldman's Diana Asatryan provided clients with an updated take on the "Growth scare and tariffs" narrative that continues to flash alarm bells:
A sequence of disappointing prints—UMich, PMIs, consumer confidence, Walmart earnings—brought growth fears back to the forefront, right next to the ongoing tariff uncertainties:
Consumer health: Weaker consumer data and less optimistic earnings commentary from major retailers has lead to a major unwind in consumer names year-to-date, sparking renewed debates around the health of the consumer. Some of this pullback however can be attributed to weather and market seasonality, leading our consumer sector specialist to believe that the rapid negative shift in the narrative may be overblown. Watching March numbers, and clarity around tariffs/immigration reforms here.
Left tail: The Fed has made it clear that further monetary policy adjustment will be careful and deliberate. There is broad consensus, however, that the Fed can jump into action if there are signs of sustained economic weakness. Given the latest growth jitters, our rates desk already notes client interest in buying the left side tail, adding that there is likely room for the market to price deeper cuts.
Tariffs and DOGE: Policy continues to be the biggest driver of volatility this year. Specifically, the new administration's emphasis on growth-negative actions (tariffs, immigration restrictions), while growth-positive actions (tax cuts, deregulation) are taking longer, is weighing on market sentiment. Our Chief US Political Economist Alec Phillips provided a thorough rundown on everything from tariffs, to DOGE, to regulation, to tax cuts, and more in the latest episode of The Breaks of the Game—a must-listen.
China sentiment: As outlined last week, Chinese equities are having their AI moment. But the trajectory of monetary policy, growth, and (again) tariffs, would be key to the sustainability of this rally. Join our APAC thought leaders this Friday for a discussion on China macro and policy outlook (replay to follow), and complete our latest client sentiment survey—you will receive the results as soon as you participate.
Asatryan provided clients with a chart pack focused on the trade policy and AI basket returns to offer a clearer view of the shifting economic landscape.
Here's part of that chart pack:
Where is the Trade Policy Uncertainty Index for the United States?
?itok=qVu8Mg2d
Where are the normalized earnings of AI Baskets?
?itok=iH7VO9Dy
GS Sector / Basket Performance:
?itok=lrFGuNgl
Our addition to the chart pack:
are rolling over towards "misses" on average versus expectations...
?itok=OQo2uc8M
AI Software: After a blazing start to the year, the AI software basket (GSTMTAIS) has suffered its worst five-day move in two years (-13%).
?itok=hrbv3Tom
?itok=fo2uZjYO
The takeaway is that US exceptionalism is now on pause.
Will this be enough for TSY yields to slide, considering the Trump admin is laser-focused on bringing down borrowing costs?
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Thu, 02/27/2025 - 13:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/growth-scare-tariffs-troubling-narrative-continues-brewing
GOP Lawmaker Proposes $250 Trump Bill
GOP Lawmaker Proposes $250 Trump Bill
https://modernity.news/2025/02/27/gop-lawmaker-proposes-250-trump-bill
South Carolina Republican Representative Joe Wilson has put forward an intriguing legislative proposal to create a new $250 bill adorned with an image of President Trump.
?itok=zOiMn0KH
Wilson argues that the move would address “Bidenflation,” the economic strain felt by American families due to rising costs during the previous regime. He further suggests that this inflationary pressure has forced people to carry more cash, making the introduction of a higher-denomination bill timely and necessary.
In a statement shared on X, Wilson expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, stating that he is drafting legislation to instruct the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design the bill.
Grateful to announce that I am drafting legislation to direct the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design a $250 bill featuring Donald J. Trump. Bidenflation has destroyed the economy forcing American families to carry more cash. Most valuable bill for most valuable President! https://t.co/v4glGOB2z3
— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) https://twitter.com/RepJoeWilson/status/1894492941919379575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
He dubbed it the “most valuable bill for the most valuable President,” also linking the $250 denomination to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, adding a layer of historical significance to the proposal.
The idea has sparked varied reactions. Supporters see it as a fitting tribute to Trump, while critics are questioning its practicality, noting that U.S. law traditionally prohibits featuring living individuals on currency.
If passed, this would mark a historic shift, making Trump the first living current or former president to appear on U.S. money.
The proposal comes amid ongoing economic debates, with inflation having peaked at 9.1% in mid-2022 under Biden and eased to 3% in 2025, though Trump’s recent tariff announcements could influence future price trends.
Would you like to pack a Trump in your wallet, or is this just a distraction from more important issues?
It looks, great, way more useful than a 100 for bigger exchanges. Let's gooo.
— Matt (@tslanerd) https://twitter.com/tslanerd/status/1894682641418399857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Hope this comes through.
— Jennifer Vranes (@jennifervranes1) https://twitter.com/jennifervranes1/status/1894980361354129892?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Really? I voted for Trump, but isn’t there more pressing issues at hand?
— Kelly McCarty (formerly NONBidenary) (@KellyLMcCarty) https://twitter.com/KellyLMcCarty/status/1894503652951240771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Wait till everyone gets their taxes back and try again 🫣😂
— Mandy (@MarindaVannoy1) https://twitter.com/MarindaVannoy1/status/1894624717266407764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Don’t spend money paying staff to draft this. It’s a waste of time & resources.
— Diane T 🦩 (@Always_DianeT) https://twitter.com/Always_DianeT/status/1894495307754332302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
How does this fix any of America's problems? Now get to work on actual important stuff Joe!
— THE PARZIVAL (@The1Parzival) https://twitter.com/The1Parzival/status/1894869524857626685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
It MUST be limited production! When you insert higher currency, that is a sign of a weakening currency.
— ViErFrie (@firstchristmas9) https://twitter.com/firstchristmas9/status/1894851903227306115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
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Thu, 02/27/2025 - 13:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/gop-lawmaker-proposes-250-trump-bill
Pentagon Will Track Down And Discharge Transgender Service Members
Pentagon Will Track Down And Discharge Transgender Service Members
Pursuing President Trump's vision of a fighting force focused on readiness to wage war, the Pentagon is about to initiate a fast-paced program to ferret out transgender military members and discharge them from the military, according to a memorandum filed in federal court on Wednesday.
“Service members who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria will be processed for separation from military service,” the memo https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/26/politics/pentagon-remove-transgender-service-members-new-policy/index.html
unless the individual's record makes a lesser classification appropriate.
“The Department only recognizes two sexes: male and female,” the memo https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/26/politics/pentagon-remove-transgender-service-members-new-policy/index.html
reports.
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The memo indicates that exceptions may be made if there is a “compelling government interest … that directly supports warfighting capabilities" and --this is a big one -- the individual is willing to comply with standards “associated with the applicant’s sex.” Taken with other elements of the Pentagon's pronouncements, that latter criterion seems to indicate that the individual would essentially have to renounce their transgender identity and behaviors -- perhaps even when they're off-duty. Combined with the "compelling government interest" qualifier, it seems few if any exceptions will be made.
News of the pending mass-discharge program follows an earlier Pentagon announcement that it would stop accepting transgender people as new recruits, and would no longer perform or facilitate gender transition procedures.
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The memorandum was filed as part of the adjudication of a legal challenge to Trump's Jan. 26 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/prioritizing-military-excellence-and-readiness/
aimed at "prioritizing military excellence and readiness." The order declared gender dysphoria to be wholly incompatible with military service. Its pointed language was applauded by conservatives, while enraging cultural Marxists:
Consistent with the military mission and longstanding DoD policy, expressing a false “gender identity” divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.
Beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life. A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.
That blunt language is also factoring into the legal challenge filed by several trans service members, with https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/26/politics/pentagon-remove-transgender-service-members-new-policy/index.html
Reyes is holding judgement until she can examine the Pentagon's detailed implementation plan. The next hearing is scheduled for late March.
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There's more to the Pentagon's war on woke ideology. On Jan. 31, the Defense Department https://www.zerohedge.com/political/us-defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-identity-months-dead-dod
."
"Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women's History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month. Service members and civilians remain permitted to attend these events in an unofficial capacity outside of duty hours."
The ghosts of D-Day's dead are smiling approvingly.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Thu, 02/27/2025 - 13:00
RFK Jr Pauses Multi-Million Dollar Contract To Develop New COVID-19 Vaccine
RFK Jr Pauses Multi-Million Dollar Contract To Develop New COVID-19 Vaccine
Clinical trials for a new COVID-19 vaccine were halted after a multi-million contract authorized by the Biden administration to develop the inoculation was paused by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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Kennedy implemented a 90-day stop-work order on Feb. 21 regarding the HHS contract with Vaxart Inc., according to the announcement, which was first reported by Fox News Digital on Feb. 25.
Vaxart, an American biotech company, is creating a new COVID-19 inoculation for oral use.
Before the stop-work order, 10,000 individuals were scheduled to start clinical trials on Feb. 24, an HHS spokesperson confirmed with The Epoch Times.
Kennedy noted in comments to Fox News Digital that “it is crucial” that the HHS support pandemic preparedness, “four years of the Biden administration’s failed oversight have made it necessary to review agreements for vaccine production, including Vaxart’s.”
The trial is not terminated, according to the HHS.
Kennedy and other health officials will determine the next steps after reviewing their findings over the next 90 days.
As part of the Biden administration’s $4.7 billion Project NextGen program launched in 2023, the Vaxart vaccine was funded through an agreement with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
That panel is part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, which is managed by HHS.
BARDA allocated around $460 million for Vaxart to develop the new vaccine, including $240 million that has already been approved.
The announcement to pause Vaxart’s contract was followed by a report that an Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine advisory committee meeting slated for March has been canceled, according to committee member Dr. Paul Offit, who is the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a vocal critic of Kennedy.
Offit told multiple media outlets on Feb. 26 that members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee received an email from the FDA letting them know the meeting would not take place. The meeting had been set to choose the strains for next season’s flu shot.
The FDA is one of 13 agencies under the HHS umbrella.
On Feb. 28, a World Health Organization (WHO) advisory committee is scheduled to gather and discuss which strains should be included in the next flu vaccines across the Northern Hemisphere. The FDA often adheres that that committee’s recommendations.
Trump issued an executive order in January to start the process of withdrawing the United States from the WHO.
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A pharmacist prepares a dose behind a counter lined with vials of COVID-19 vaccines in Toronto on June 18, 2021. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Two weeks ago, Kennedy gained Senate confirmation to become HHS secretary. He was sworn in that day, and moments later Trump https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/trump-establishes-make-america-healthy-again-commission-5809872
establishing the president’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission.
Kennedy serves as chairman of the commission, which directs executive departments and federal agencies to primarily advise the president on how to “address the childhood chronic disease crisis.”
The MAHA Commission is tasked to explore possible causes of such diseases, including “the American diet, absorption of toxic material, medical treatments, lifestyle, environmental factors, government policies, food production techniques, electromagnetic radiation, and corporate influence or cronyism.”
For years, critics have called Kennedy an “anti-vaxxer,” a claim he has denied.
During his presidential campaign and the Senate confirmation process, he repeatedly said he is an advocate for vaccine safety, informed consent, and “gold standard science” behind vaccine efficacy studies.
“I’ve never been anti-vaccine,” Kennedy told The Epoch Times in September 2024.
“People should have a choice, and that choice should be informed by the best information possible.
“I’m going to ensure that there are science-based safety studies available, and people can make their own assessments about whether a vaccine is good for them.”
Under the Biden administration, COVID-19 vaccines were mandated throughout the federal government.
Multiple private sector businesses, and public and private universities, also required the inoculation.
Since Trump took office last month, he has signed several executive orders related to COVID-19 mandates implemented by the Biden administration.
On Feb. 14, Trump https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/trump-to-bar-funding-to-schools-with-covid-vaccine-mandates-5810287
an executive order barring funding to universities and schools with COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
In his first week back in office, Trump reinstated service members dismissed for refusing the COVID vaccine, giving them full back pay and benefits.
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press before signing an Executive Order, alongside U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (L) and U.S. Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick (R), at the Oval Office in Washington, on Feb. 25, 2025. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Last week, Kennedy https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/rfk-jr-promises-a-new-era-of-radical-transparency-in-first-staff-address-as-hhs-secretary-5812390
HHS staff members that he wanted his tenure as secretary of the agency to usher in a “new era of radical transparency” and that he wanted to work on ending the “chronic disease epidemic” across the United States.
“I’m not going to come in here and impose my belief over any of yours,“ Kennedy said. ”Instead, we’re going to work together to launch a new era of radical transparency.
“Only through radical transparency can we provide Americans with genuine informed consent, which is the bedrock and the foundation stone of democracy.”
The Feb. 21 decision to pause Vaxart’s contract and subsequent COVID-19 vaccine trial reflects Kennedy’s vow to study vaccine efficacy and safety.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory committee https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/health-group-raises-concern-after-cdc-postpones-vaccine-meeting-5815336
.
The ACIP was scheduled to meet in Atlanta from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28.
ACIP conducts public meetings at least three times a year—typically in February, June, and October—to review recommendations and new vaccine data before voting on proposals.
The CDC director does not have to adopt ACIP’s recommendations but often does as was the case with COVID-19 vaccines used during the pandemic.
In his first address to HHS employees, Kennedy also said that he will review the childhood vaccine schedule.
He added that the MAHA Commission will investigate anti-depressants, vaccines, and pesticides to determine if they have played a role in the rise of chronic disease in the United States.
This year, more health care professionals have spoken out about the need for increased study of vaccine efficacy and safety.
In January, the western province of Alberta in Canada released a 269-page report—the first of its kind—examining the information and data that informed its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Gary Davidson, an emergency physician and primary author of the report, told American Thought Leaders that the study discovered that pandemic lockdowns, masking mandates, and vaccine mandates all failed to achieve their intended results.
“There’s just so much data out there. The Nordic countries did a huge study—millions of people, showing that if you’re under 50 years old, and if you don’t have any really good reason, you probably shouldn’t get this vaccine,” Davidson said.
“And so that’s what we recommend doing in Alberta.”
Dr. Robert Redfield served as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during Trump’s first term.
He called for more vaccine research in his https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/former-cdc-director-redfield-urges-rfk-jr-to-boost-vaccine-research-5813075
at a health care event hosted by Politico on Feb. 19.
“I’m in clinical practice two half days a week right now, and largely doing COVID and long COVID, and I have a number of patients that have very serious long-term consequences from the mRNA vaccines,” Redfield said during Politico’s First 100 Days: Health Care https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/politico-forum-on-health-care-policy/655950
.
“Let’s get that systematically reviewed by the experts.”
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Thu, 02/27/2025 - 09:35
Housing: The Foundations Of The Middle Class Are Crumbling
Housing: The Foundations Of The Middle Class Are Crumbling
https://charleshughsmith.substack.com/p/housing-the-foundations-of-the-middle
Home ownership has been the foundation of middle-class stability and security for so long that it defines middle-class status as much as income. From the end of World War II in 1945 on, the deal was simple: buy a house and you'll build equity that's even better than a savings account because you get the tax break of deducting mortgage interest and you get a roof over your head at a cost that's equal to or even lower than renting a house. Once you've paid off the mortgage, the costs of ownership drop, enabling a secure retirement.
Every one of these assumptions has either crumbled or is now in doubt. A recent report in The Guardian sketches out the forces undermining housing as the source of security:
Scores in the US say they're grappling with raised mortgage and loan interest rates and exploding insurance premiums.
"I've come to view home ownership and healthcare as destabilizing forces in my life," said Bernie, a 45-year-old network engineer from Minneapolis. To finance owning his and his wife's $300,000 home and saving for the future, the couple was foregoing medical and dental treatment of any kind and cutting back on expenses everywhere, he said, despite a pre-tax household income of more than $250,000.
Let's break down what's changed:
1. The non-mortgage costs of ownership are no longer predictable or affordable. For decades, the cost to insure one's home was modest and predictable, not changing much year to year. Now that insurers are losing billions of dollars as a result of increasingly extreme weather events, rates are rising even in places outside flood, fire and hurricane zones.
Insurance rates are doubling or tripling in a few years, and insurers are leaving markets entirely or increasing the deductible that must be paid by the owners before insurance kicks in, and reducing the coverage.
Property taxes are soaring in many locales. Property taxes were another cost that was relatively modest and predictable. Those conditions no longer apply in many locales: local governments are jacking up property taxes, and / or soaring home valuations are pushing taxes up to nosebleed levels. (I just looked up the annual property tax on a friend's house in California: north of $18,000 a year. And no, it's not a mansion in Malibu, and he bought it 20 years ago.)
The costs of home repairs and maintenance are also skyrocketing. The average age of homes in the U.S. is around 40 years, but closer to 50 years in slow-growth states. As the quality of materials and construction have slowly declined, even houses that are 25 years old or less may require costly repairs--especially if construction defects were undiscovered until major damage had been done.
Routine work such as trimming large trees that pose risks to houses now cost a small fortune. The Guardian article noted estimates for a new roof of $60,000, a sum that equals the construction cost of an entire new house two generations ago. Eye-watering costs of materials are now the norm.
Again, the major changes are not just in costs, but in the loss of predictability. What was modest in cost was not just modest, it was predictable. Now the costs are far higher and future costs cannot be assumed to be affordable.
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2. Mortgage costs are also higher, and there's no guarantee interest rates will fall back to 3.5% mortgage rates. As this chart illustrates, the cost of servicing today's mortgages is significantly higher than in years past.
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3. Those who locked in low mortgage rates are trapped in their current homes, as they can't afford to move and pay interest rates that are 50% to 100% higher than the low rates they secured years ago. The Federal Reserve intervened massively in the private mortgage market in the post 2008 era, effectively socializing the mortgage market as the means to push mortgage rates down to encourage "growth."
The Fed's intervention helped inflate Housing Bubble #2, just as the subprime excesses of the early 2000s helped inflate Housing Bubble #1. These distortions were intended to fuel home buying, but they also fueled massive increases in housing valuations.
4. The total costs of ownership--the monthly nut including mortgage and other costs--now exceeds the peak in Housing Bubble #1. Buying a house now is not a guaranteed pathway to financial security, it's a wager that valuations will continue to soar ever higher, generating capital gains that will offset the decades of higher costs of ownership.
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5. The triple-whammy of soaring valuations, mortgage rates and other costs of ownership has made housing unaffordable in many locales. By any measure, housing affordability has declined to levels that equal or exceed the trough of Housing Bubble #1.
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The Case Shiller National Housing Index offers a snapshot of Housing Bubble #2.
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6. Land, materials and labor are no longer cheap. In traditional economics, the high costs of housing can be reduced by reducing demand or increasing supply. Increasing supply at affordable prices is far more challenging now than in the postwar decades. The easy-to-build land was built out long ago, and high-rise condominiums come with higher construction costs and the uncertainties of common-area expenses, which in some cases skyrocket to equal or exceed the costs of ownership.
Proponents of building more housing in urban / suburban areas--YIMBYs--yes in my back yard--face hurdles of geography, aging infrastructure, parking, and the high costs of insurance, mortgages, materials and labor, along with many restrictive zoning and planning regulations designed to maintain the status quo.
As for reducing demand: the population of the U.S. was 265 million in 1995, and it's now 345 million: an increase of 80 million people, roughly the same as the entire population of Germany (83 million).
7. The costs of housing have opened generational and regional divides. Boomers and Gen-Xers who bought homes decades ago in the 1990s or early 2000s locked in much lower purchase prices and had multiple opportunities to refinance mortgages at lower rates as the Fed interventions pushed rates down. Recent buyers have no equivalent set of built-in advantages.
Regional divides are increased. A modest home purchased in a middle-class urban area decades ago has increased 10-fold in some areas and not even kept up with inflation in others. The winners are now sitting on a million dollars in equity, a windfall the less fortunate did not reap.
As the urban winners cash in their equity and move to desirable towns, they quickly bid up housing to the point local residents can no longer afford to buy a home in their hometown. And since the wealthy also snap up housing as investment properties--short-term vacation rentals--households that would be considered middle-class by income are doomed to being renters.
"Middle class" is no longer middle-class, it's a seat in the casino that most exit as losers.
8. Renting is no longer a cheaper option. Rents have soared along with home prices, and once again, the predictability of future costs has vanished: rents can increase 30% overnight, just as insurance and property taxes can leap up far beyond anyone's projections.
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Bottom line: with the loss of predictability, we've also lost any sense of future financial security. Buying a house is now a wager: a wager that the costs of ownership won't stair-step up to eat us alive, and a wager that valuations will continue to rise, offsetting the high costs of ownership with future capital gains.
Should Housing Bubble #2 pop--and all bubbles eventually pop--then homeowners will be dealt a future of ever-higher costs of ownership even as their equity diminishes. Those sitting on a wealth of equity now may find the assumption that this equity is predictably permanent is itself a wager.
The middle class was fundamentally defined by predictable financial security and social stability. Now everything is a wager with unknowable odds. Rather than being a source of stability, housing is now a source of instability for many--and potentially for every homeowner, should costs of ownership continue increasing as Housing Bubble #2 pops.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Thu, 02/27/2025 - 07:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/housing-foundations-middle-class-are-crumbling
Active Investigation Launched After "French Connection" Star Gene Hackman & Wife Found Dead
Active Investigation Launched After "French Connection" Star Gene Hackman & Wife Found Dead
Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that an investigation is underway into the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog.
Hackman, 95, Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog were all found dead after deputies entered their home around 1345 local time Wednesday.
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"We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail," the sheriff's office said, adding, "This is an active investigation - however, at this time we do not believe that foul play was a factor."
reported that a neighbor called the local sheriff's office to conduct a welfare check earlier Wednesday. The bodies of "The French Connection" star were not formally identified until 1230 local time Thursday.
Hackman was one of the top actors of his generation, portraying villains, heroes, and antiheroes in dozens of movies from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s. His final on-screen appearance was in the 2004 film Welcome to Mooseport.
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Thu, 02/27/2025 - 06:55
DOGE To Confront The DoD Checkbook
DOGE To Confront The DoD Checkbook
https://realclearwire.com/articles/2025/02/24/doge_to_confront_the_dod_checkbook_1093686.html
,
With unprecedented zeal, Special Government Employee Elon Musk and his DOGE team have descended upon multiple agencies to execute its cost cutting agenda. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said DOGE will be welcomed at the department but simply accessing its accounting systems will not provide the visibility needed. The Department of Defense has failed seven consecutive audits, its financial information systems are a disaster, and solutions have been elusive.
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Thou Shalt Be Audited
In 1990, Congress passed https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/house-bill/5687
and one provision required every agency to be audited in full. Between 1991 and 2013, DOD only subjected itself to partial audits. In 2014, Congress required DOD to comply in full by 2018.
Unsurprisingly, DOD https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/afr/fy2018/DoD_FY18_Agency_Financial_Report.pdf
20 material weaknesses, which are shortcomings that, in simple terms, means errors will occur but they won't be caught or corrected before it is too late.
For the next seven years, audits https://www.dodig.mil/In-the-Spotlight/Article/3868930/press-release-fy-2023-understanding-the-audit-results-report-dodig-2024-114/
almost 2,500 reissued and 850 new NFRs every between 2019 and 2023.
Big Checkbook, Antiquated Calculators
Two major deficiencies have https://www.dodig.mil/In-the-Spotlight/Article/3868930/press-release-fy-2023-understanding-the-audit-results-report-dodig-2024-114/
throughout -- the Fund Balance with Treasury (the department's checking account) and Information Technology.
In the former, the department can't balance its $800 billion-plus checkbook and lacks the tools to research discrepancies or produce the receipts.
On the latter, the department simply has too many obsolete systems; in 2021 the DODIG https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/afr/fy2021/DoD_FY21_Agency_Financial_Report.pdf
the department wouldn’t be retiring 140 legacy systems until 2036.
In 2017, the department's Chief Financial Officer https://www.gao.gov/assets/870/862288.pdf
using a data platform called Advana to build the missing universe of transactions so desperately needed to support auditability.
Advana is a data repository, not a tool for validating data; reliability is the responsibility of system owner from which Advana is drawing. Moreover, Advana does not have access to data across the entire department.
To overcome these challenges, the Deputy Secretary of Defense “https://media.defense.gov/2021/May/10/2002638551/-1/-1/0/deputy-secretary-of-defense-memorandum.pdf
” in May 2021 that data sharing would be maximized. More pointedly, Advana would be the "single source of truth" for objective, informed decision-making.
Beginning with the 2022 audit, the DODIG https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/afr/fy2022/DoD_FY22_Agency_Financial_Report.pdf
recommending the department use Advana to address the aforementioned Fund Balance with Treasury deficiency.
In May 2023, the Government Accountability Office credited the department with progress https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105784
noted its remedial plans still lacked basic details, such as interim dates to track the steps taken to achieve auditability.
Similarly, the DODIG https://www.dodig.mil/In-the-Spotlight/Article/3940692/press-release-audit-of-the-dods-execution-of-funds-to-assist-ukraine-report-no/
problems with Advana. In October 2024, the DODIG examined whether billions of dollars in Ukraine assistance had been used in accordance with federal law.
The DODIG tersely reported "DOD did not."
The DODIG found the department did not have documentation for $1.1 billion in outlays. More notably, the DODIG identified the amount as https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/405#a_4
, those transactions that may constitute legal or regulatory violations.
To date, Congress has https://media.defense.gov/2024/Sep/27/2003555026/-1/-1/1/FY2025%20JSOP_OAR_FINAL_508.PDF
$111 billion in Ukraine assistance
In 2025, the DOD budget https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60665
a $200 billion increase.
Even a conservative (e.g. generous) projection of ten percent in questioned costs would mean almost $100 billion in transactions that could be violations of law or regulations.
Follow the Blockchain ...
To extract itself from its fiduciary quagmire, DOD should embrace blockchains.
https://www.amazon.com/Cryptocurrency-Bitcoin-Digital-Challenging-Economic/dp/1784700738
are a secure means of executing and recording transactions without the need for a central authority. Per its protocols, transactions are recorded transparently and permanently; the data is synchronized in real time and shared in full by all stakeholders.
Inherently immutable, blockchains ensure data integrity, transparency, and above all, auditability.
To its credit, Congress has https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20191209/CRPT-116hrpt333.pdf
, adoption would improve cybersecurity, supply chain efficiency, continuity of operations, and, most importantly, auditability.
An Air Force Institute of Technology https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/5554/
from 2022 also examined the advantages of employing blockchains.
First and foremost, the publication https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/5554/
variant.
To demonstrate its effectiveness, the publication https://scholar.afit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6556&context=etd
its application by Walmart, a common comparison given the company’s size and logistical sophistication.
In 2020, Walmart launched the "world's largest blockchain industrial application solution" to date.
Under its existing system, disputes over Canada-based invoices occurred in approximately 70% of deliveries and required labor-intensive investigations taking six and eight months to resolve. While Walmart found paying the disputed amount easier, it also meant paying a 38 percent overage.
The contracted provider configured a blockchain within eight months and conducted a two-month pilot. The results were such that Walmart swiftly moved all seventy of its Canadian suppliers on the blockchain by 2022. The blockchain reduced disputes to 1.5% of all deliveries, dispute resolution times shortened, and the company saved millions.
The provider was https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/5554/
, a small Canadian company founded in 2017 – not a major prime charging hundreds of billions.
The blockchain was a distributed ledger architecture that had been developed by a non-profit launched in 2015 by the Linux Foundation -- not a multi-year acquisition program.
The publication also demonstrated how the Walmart blockchain https://scholar.afit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6556&context=etd
current DOD accounting systems in terms of lifecycle costs, transaction throughput, and error rates.
Lastly, the publication https://scholar.afit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6556&context=etd
how blockchains satisfied existing regulatory regimes governing information technologies and would address its audit deficiencies.
While the confrontation between a trillionaire and a trillion-dollar entity will be epic, the brutal reality is neither will win because defense spending is the quintessential unknown unknown.
In the thirty-four years since the first required audit, DOD has lived down to the low expectations ascribed to government bureaucracies. Congress is now https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2670
the department to pass an audit by 2028.
The department's financial systems are marred by unreliable data and archaic technologies. Blockchains constitute an elegant solution to these failings and more.
R. Jordan Prescott is a private contractor working in defense and national security since 2002. He has been published in The National Interest, Small Wars Journal, Modern War Institute, 19fortyfive, and RealClearDefense.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 23:25
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/doge-confront-dod-checkbook
How Big Is The Space Economy?
How Big Is The Space Economy?
The global space economy reached $596 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $944 billion by 2033.
This graphic, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-big-is-the-space-economy
.
The space economy includes government agencies and companies involved in the production and launch of satellites and spacecraft, data generation, Earth-based infrastructure, R&D programs, and more.
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Over 10,000 Satellites Orbit the Earth
Space-based applications that are enabled by space, such as weather forecasting, remote sensing, satellite navigation systems, and satellite television, make up the largest portion of the market, representing $308 billion.
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Satellite services are another major component of the space economy, generating $137 billion per year. Currently, over 10,000 satellites orbit the Earth, with SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, controlling half of the https://www.visualcapitalist.com/who-owns-the-most-satellites/
.
Upward Trajectory
2024 set spaceflight records for the fourth consecutive year, with 259 launches worldwide—an average of one launch attempt every 34 hours, according to a recent analysis of the global space economy.
The study, published by https://www.thespacereport.org/
, also predicts that the pace of launches will continue to rise this year.
The U.S. dominated the launch cycle in 2024, outpacing China by more than 2-to-1, according to the report. Meanwhile, Russia significantly increased the number of satellites it deployed into Earth orbit, rising from 21 in 2023 to 98 in 2024.
If you enjoyed this post, check out https://www.voronoiapp.com/space/Visualized-Every-Moon-in-the-Solar-System-1848
on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
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Wed, 02/26/2025 - 23:00
7Y Auction Stops Through Despite Muted Foreign Demand
7Y Auction Stops Through Despite Muted Foreign Demand
After two consecutive stellar auctions, moments ago the Treasury concluded the week's schedule of coupon sale when it auctioned off $44BN in 7Y paper, and just like the week's previous auctions, this one too was very strong.
Pricing at a high yield of 4.194%, the yield was 26bps lower than last month's and was the lowest since September; and like the week's previous two coupon auctions, this one too stopped through the When Issued 4.203% by 0.9bps.
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The bid to cover was 2.64, virtually unchanged from last month's 2.643 and just below the six-auction average of 2.66.
However, unlike the week's previous two coupon auctions which saw a surge in foreign demand, today's sale was in line with recent performance as indirect bidders took down 66.1%, down from 67.1% and the lowest since November; And with Directs awarded 25.2% or the highest since November, Dealers were left holding just 8.8%, the lowest since October.
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Overall, this was yet another solid auction and one which comes as yields continue to tumble - thus without any concession - which shows just how much demand there suddenly is for US paper. Sure enough, yields dropped to another session low after the auction results hit the tape. Then again, once sentiment flips and yields blow out again, which they will, everyone who bought at today's yield will be underwater. Until then, however, let the party continue.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 13:30
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/7y-auction-stops-through-despite-muted-foreign-demand
Trump Announces $5 Million "Gold Card" To "World-Class" Foreigners To Pay Down Deficit
Trump Announces $5 Million "Gold Card" To "World-Class" Foreigners To Pay Down Deficit
President Trump announced Tuesday evening that the US will soon introduce a new green card for wealthy foreign nationals, dubbed the "gold card," which will cost $5 million and grant residency, work rights, and a pathway to citizenship. This pay-to-play legal immigration program aims to attract job creators and high-level talent, marking a stark difference to the Biden-Harris regime's open border policies, which resulted in an invasion of unvetted illegal aliens from third worlds that drain the nation's resources, some of whom the government has classified as "foreign terrorists."
"We're going to be selling a gold card," Trump said from the White House. "You have a green card. This is a gold card. We're going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million and that's going to give you green card privileges, plus it's going to be a route to citizenship. And wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card and they will be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people."
Trump stated that the gold card program would replace the legacy EB-5 program and could be ready within weeks. He suggested that millions of these cards could be sold.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was in the Oval Office with Trump, explaining that the card would replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program "full of nonsense and fraud ... and a way to get a green card at a low price."
"The president said rather than having this sort of ridiculous EB-5 program, we're going to end the EB-5 program. We're going to replace it with the Trump gold card," fraud said, adding, "They'll be able to pay $5 million to the US government not to go through vetting, of course, going to make sure they are wonderful world-class, global citizens."
He added: "They can come to America. The president can give them a green card, and they can invest in America, and we can use that money to reduce our deficit."
🚨NEW: Trump says in the next two weeks the United States will be selling a "Gold Card". A $5M purchasable green card that will allow you to work in this country and have a route to citizenship.
This would be replacing the EB-5 program. Gold Card recipients would be vetted.… https://t.co/3SiNacOroR
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) https://twitter.com/AutismCapital/status/1894525297422471409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
There is a stark contrast in immigration policies. Trump's approach prioritizes attracting top talent, entrepreneurs, and capital allocators, while globalist Democrats rolled out the red carpet to unvetted third-world migrants that were not capital allocators but instead have been massive liabilities - including draining public resources.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 06:55
Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine Use Soared During COVID-19 Pandemic, Study Says
Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine Use Soared During COVID-19 Pandemic, Study Says
(emphasis ours),
Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine prescriptions “soared far above” levels before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study.
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Researchers from the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) and other institutions said that nearly 3 million ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine prescriptions were issued during the pandemic, totaling some $272 million, according to a news release https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1074447
on Feb. 20.
The dispensing of ivermectin “from US pharmacies was nearly 1,000 percent higher than prepandemic rates,” the study said.
Usage of the two drugs was three times higher in people aged 65 and older, compared with people aged 18 to 64, according to the study published in the Health Affairs https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00452
. Patients aged 65 and older represented 25 percent of adults in the study but constituted more than 59 percent of COVID-19-linked ivermectin usage and 68 percent of COVID-19-related hydroxychloroquine use, it found.
Hydroxychloroquine prescriptions and usage peaked in March 2020, when the pandemic started in the United States, to 133 percent of pre-pandemic rates, the UCLA news release said.
Meanwhile, ivermectin use increased dramatically throughout 2020 and 2021, the researchers noted. By August 2021, prescriptions for the drug had shot to more than 10 times higher than before the pandemic.
But after the COVID-19-specific medications, such as Pfizer’s Paxlovid, became more widely available, prescriptions for both hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin dropped some 93 percent. That drop took place between March 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, they noted.
“Ivermectin use in particular was higher among people living in the most socially vulnerable neighborhoods and markedly higher in the southern United States,” they stated.
However, the “limited availability of COVID-19 medications does not appear to explain” what they described as a “wide geographic variation in ivermectin prescribing” such as in the South.
John Mafi, a senior study author with UCLA, said their findings “underscore the urgent need for policy reforms to combat misinformation and mistrust in scientific institutions,” asserting that “eliminating undue industry influence in government, enhancing transparency around scientific uncertainty, and earmarking public funding for clinical trials of new drugs are good places to start.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/ivermectin-and-covid-19
that it has not authorized ivermectin for use against COVID-19 and that it has received multiple reports of people using ivermectin that was designed for animals. The agency said that it has received no evidence to suggest that ivermectin, which is approved as an anti-parasitic medication, is effective against COVID-19.
However, some studies have https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/ivermectin-linked-to-less-deaths-in-covid-19-patients-compared-to-remdesivir-study-4323256
it led to “large reductions” in deaths from the virus.
against using hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, to treat COVID-19 outside of hospitals or clinical trials and said it revoked its emergency use authorization to use the medication as well as chloroquine to treat COVID-19 in some hospitalized individuals.
At least one study, published in mid-2020, had https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/hydroxychloroquine-lowers-covid-19-death-rate-us-study-finds-3410208
its effectiveness.
In the UCLA paper, researchers evaluated 8.1 million insured patients from across the United States to evaluate spending and usage of the two drugs in the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on their analysis, they wrote that “an estimated 3,037,751 COVID-19-associated prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin totaling an estimated $271,559,207 in spending were provided in US outpatient settings throughout the public health emergency,” according to the study, which was funded by the Commonwealth Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
The findings was published just days after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as the U.S. health secretary.
Among other criticisms directed at the FDA, Kennedy last year https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1771230344106201209
that the agency is “biased against many low-cost” or generic drugs such as ivermectin and said that large pharmaceutical companies are involved in the FDA’s decision-making processes.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 05:00
These Are The 15 Largest Defense Budgets In The World
These Are The 15 Largest Defense Budgets In The World
In 2024, the U.S. spent nearly $1 trillion on its defense budget, equal to 3.4% of GDP.
In contrast, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/breaking-down-1-3t-in-nato-defense-spending/
in Europe and Canada spent an average of 2% of GDP on defense. While NATO’s defense budgets have declined since the Cold War, Russia’s military spending has surged by 227% since 2000, and China’s has skyrocketed by 566%.
This graphic, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/largest-defense-budgets-in-the-world/
.
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America’s Defense Budget Towers Over the Rest
Here are the largest defense budgets worldwide, illustrating America’s continued dominance of hard power amid unfolding geopolitical conflicts:
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U.S. represents OMB adjusted figure. Russia represents National Defense budget plus military R&D funding, military pensions, paramilitary forces’ budgets, and other MoD-related expenses such as housing. Germany includes special fund allocation, military pensions, and military aid to Ukraine. UK includes Armed Forces Pension Scheme and military aid to Ukraine. Poland excludes Armed Forces Support Fund.
As the above table shows, the U.S. spends as much as the next 12 largest defense budgets combined.
Today, just five prime contractors receive 86% of the Pentagon’s spending compared to 51 contractors being allocated 6% of defense spending at the end of the Cold War. Arguably, this concentration has fostered overspending and lower productivity gains.
In an era of all things new, the Trump administration has fired senior leaders in the military, navy, coast guard, and air force. Senior lawyers were abruptly let go too. Overall, the Pentagon could shed 8% of its personnel.
Ranking in second is China, with a $235 billion defense budget. Yet on a purchasing power parity basis, it stands at $477 billion when adjusting for lower costs in China. Overall, the country’s military modernization includes 600 operational nuclear warheads that are projected to reach 1,000 by 2030 as the country increasingly focuses on reunification with Taiwan.
Russia has the third-largest defense budget globally, at $146 billion, representing 6% of the country’s national income—the highest share since the Cold War. Like China, this figure is much higher in real purchasing power terms, rising to $461 billion. Today, Russia’s nuclear arsenal rivals the U.S. with 5,000 warheads, despite being a https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-115-trillion-world-economy-in-one-chart/
.
To learn more about this topic from a U.S. military perspective, check out this https://www.voronoiapp.com/maps/-Mapping-the-US-Militarys-Reach-Across-the-World-4066
on all of America’s military bases worldwide.
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Wed, 02/26/2025 - 04:15
https://www.zerohedge.com/military/these-are-15-largest-defense-budgets-world
UK Power Grid Requires $60 Billion Investment By 2050
UK Power Grid Requires $60 Billion Investment By 2050
The UK could need up to $63 billion of investment in the power distribution network nationally to support additional demand and generation through 2050, double the current pace of additional investment, said the National Infrastructure Commission, the government’s independent infrastructure advisor.
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The UK will likely need investments of between $47 billion (£37 billion) and $63 billion (£50 billion) by 2050 as a “step change” is required in investment in Great Britain’s local electricity networks.
This investment would be essential to achieve the government’s growth mission and lower long-term energy costs for consumers, the commission said in a https://nic.org.uk/app/uploads/Electricity-Distribution-Networks-report-21-Feb-2025.pdf
on Friday.
The required investment levels would be at least a doubling of current annual allowances for load related expenditure, on top of business as usual investment, such as end of life asset replacement, the commission added.
The National Infrastructure Commission’s report says that with demand for electricity set to double by 2050, the current pace of additional investment in electricity distribution networks must also double to ensure the system can cope with rising demand and connect both new sources of renewable power and new electricity demands to the grid faster.
Investments, however, are constrained by legislation.
Current regulation by the energy regulator Ofgem “is too complex and doesn’t encourage distribution network operators (DNOs) to make the proactive investments needed to boost network capacity and provide resilience to future climate impacts,” the commission’s analysis found.
In the report, the government’s infrastructure advisor calls for “a more proactive approach to both energy regulation and system planning.”
Ofgem is currently seeking feedback on https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/UK-Regulator-Moves-to-Fast-Track-Clean-Energy-Connections-to-Grid.html
to the grid connection policy from a first-come first-served approach to prioritizing projects where generation capacity is needed the most and projects are at a more advanced stage of development.
The regulator looks to reform the current connections regulation which has become inadequate as some early-queued projects have fallen behind schedule while more advanced projects are waiting for years to connect to the grid.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 03:30
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/uk-power-grid-requires-60-billion-investment-2050
Kyle Bass Sounds Alarm Over China's 'Insane Battlefield Asymmetries' In U.S. Land Ownership
Kyle Bass Sounds Alarm Over China's 'Insane Battlefield Asymmetries' In U.S. Land Ownership
Hedge fund manager Kyle Bass is once again sounding the alarm over Chinese ownership of land across the United States, calling it one of the Chinese Communist Party’s “insane battlefield asymmetries.”
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Bass, founder of Hayman Capital Management, made the comments during a wide-ranging interview with Chris Powers on The Fort podcast.
"We afford them what I call battlefield asymmetries that we should not afford to them,” Bass told Powers. “It doesn't matter who you are in China; you can come to the U.S., you can buy 10,000 acres of farmland in Iowa, you can buy farmland in Texas, or you can buy 100,000 acres of land between our most active airbase and the border, which happened here in Texas. You can't believe that these things are happening."
.https://twitter.com/Jkylebass?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
: China Has ‘Insane Battlefield Asymmetry’ in U.S. Land Ownership
"We afford them what I call battlefield asymmetries that we should not afford to them. It doesn't matter who you are in China; you can come to the U.S., you can buy 10,000 acres of… https://t.co/PoCf3m1Iyt
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) https://twitter.com/joshdcaplan/status/1894058716376240336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Bass, who is also the founder of Conservation Equity Management, a Texas-based private equity firm focused on environmental sustainability, highlighted the stark contrast between U.S. policies and China’s restrictions on foreign land ownership, emphasizing the lack of reciprocity between the two superpowers.
"If you and I want to go buy land in China, do you know how successful we'd be? Zero—we would not; they wouldn't, they don't allow it. Reciprocity is really important; every single one of our internet search engines and social media companies is banned in China, and yet when TikTok gets banned here, or actually just got an order to be forcibly sold to an American company, they lose their mind,” the investor said.
Bass further criticized how China exploits the openness of American society while maintaining a tightly controlled system at home.
"When every single one of ours is banned over there, they manipulate everything that we do, and we are an open society; they are a closed society," Bass explained. "They navigate, manipulate every single crack and crevice in our openness to take advantage of us."
Bass also addressed how China counters U.S. efforts to regulate land purchases by framing opposition as on so-called discrimination:
"When you ask about them buying land, it's absolutely insane that they can buy land in size over here, and then what they do when you start being more vociferous, or you even start to draft legislation to prevent it - they get like local real estate agents that are Chinese, Chinese Americans, or naturalized Chinese citizens, and they say, 'You are just a racist; how can you tell a Chinese family in America that's become Americans they can't buy a house?' They create false equivalencies and functional racism, and they throw it all at the screen, and they were trying, you know, now they have you on your back feet; it's just insane what they do.
Chinese land purchases in the U.S. have become a growing concern among lawmakers and national security experts. The Trump White House has signaled an effort to ban China from buying U.S. farmland, particularly near military installations. According to a 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Canada holds 33% of foreign-owned U.S. agricultural and nonagricultural land, while China holds just 1%. However, the USDA acknowledged significant public concern regarding Chinese land holdings.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has emphasized that banning Chinese land ownership is a priority. “One of the very, very top of the list perhaps is the Chinese purchase of our farmland. A lot of that land is around some of our military outposts,” Rollins said in a https://www.voanews.com/a/us-agriculture-secretary-calls-for-federal-action-on-foreign-farm-ownership/7980929.html
.
Concerns over national security have already prompted action in Texas, where lawmakers blocked a Chinese company from constructing a wind farm in Val Verde County. The Blue Hills Wind Farm was slated for the Devil’s River area, about 200 miles northwest of San Antonio, raising alarms over potential risks to critical infrastructure and national security.
Property owners and conservationists were the first to object to the project, citing environmental concerns and the risks of a foreign entity connecting to the Texas power grid.
Bass has been at the forefront of exposing such threats, https://news4sanantonio.com/news/trouble-shooters/legislature-passes-bill-to-prevent-chinese-billionaire-from-building-wind-farm
a Chinese landowner with alleged ties to the CCP, Sun Guangxin, who had planned to build the wind farm. Bass captured images of an airstrip on Sun’s ranch, alleging that Sun is a former general with strong connections to the Chinese Communist Party.
"When you're able to plug directly in, you're able to map it, you're also able to upload malware, you can do all kinds of horrible things to our grid," Bass warned.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 02:45
More Of The Same? Germany Resumes Inbound Afghan Flights After Legacy Parties Survive Election Scare
More Of The Same? Germany Resumes Inbound Afghan Flights After Legacy Parties Survive Election Scare
The German government has resumed flights for Afghan refugees from Pakistan after a temporary suspension during the election campaign. On Tuesday, 155 Afghans arrived in Berlin, marking the first group to be transported since the election results secured power for the legacy parties CDU and SPD, who are expected to form a coalition government.
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Flights for Afghan refugees were paused ahead of the election due to concerns over immigration and political optics. The decision followed a series of high-profile crimes committed by Afghan nationals, which fueled fears that further arrivals could strengthen the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) had officially cited logistical issues as the reason for canceling two charter flights in the weeks leading up to the election.
Now, with the election concluded, approximately 3,000 Afghans currently waiting at reception centers in Islamabad are expected to be transported to Germany in the coming weeks.
, Germany has accepted more than 48,000 Afghans since August 2021, with almost 36,000 classified as “particularly endangered” by the federal government. Reports indicate that the cost of these relocations has amounted to several hundred million euros.
The decision to suspend flights during the campaign followed a string of violent crimes involving Afghan nationals across Germany.
Two weeks before the election, an Afghan migrant drove a vehicle into a left-wing Ver.di demonstration in Munich, injuring at least 28 people, including a toddler. Police confirmed that the attacker, 24-year-old Farhad Noori, was a rejected asylum seeker with a history of theft and other offenses. His asylum claim had been denied in 2020 after authorities deemed his account of persecution in Afghanistan to be fabricated.
The January 2024 fatal stabbing of a toddler and a 41-year-old man in Schöntal Park, Aschaffenburg, by a 28-year-old Afghan national who targeted a group from daycare, sparked national outrage and reignited calls for a suspension of new arrivals and expedited deportations back to the country now governed by the Taliban.
Other recent attacks involving Afghan nationals include https://rmx.news/article/afghan-asylum-seeker-who-attacked-ukrainian-woman-with-box-cutter-unlikely-to-serve-prison-time-due-to-mental-illness/
in broad daylight. Due to mental health concerns, he is unlikely to face prison time.
In June last year, a terror attack in Mannheim saw an Afghan migrant stab multiple people, including a police officer who later died from his injuries. Just days later, https://rmx.news/germany/germany-afghan-man-attacks-police-officers-with-long-blade-just-days-after-mannheim-terror-attack/
.
Germany’s evacuation of Afghans has been subject to scrutiny, particularly regarding security risks. In 2021, then-Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer (CSU) revealed that https://rmx.news/afghanistan/german-security-screening-reveals-criminals-and-suspected-terrorists-among-afghan-evacuees/
. Among them were convicted rapists and individuals previously deported from Germany due to security concerns. Reports also indicated that some evacuees had ties to counter-terrorism watchlists.
The resumption of flights signals Germany’s continued commitment to Afghan resettlement, despite ongoing concerns over security and public safety. However, political debates surrounding migration and integration are likely to persist, especially as the AfD and other conservative factions push for stricter immigration controls.
🇩🇪‼️ Is this the quickest U-turn in political history?
After the CDU campaigned on strict immigration measures to take votes away from the AfD, chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz told a press conference the day after the election that "none of us want to close the borders."… https://t.co/Ngxt98ag3r
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) https://twitter.com/RMXnews/status/1894043437751496731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The CDU, however, which talked tough during the election to sway voters away from the AfD, appears to have U-turned on its proposed radical approach, with chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz telling press on Monday that “no one wants to close the borders.”
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 02:00