Nostr

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/baltimore-reporter-probes-left-wing-ngo-propaganda-machine-flooding-local-airwaves

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 20:30

Illinois' Disastrous Demographics: Fewer Youth, A Drop In Working-Age Residents And A Jump In Elderly

Submitted by Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner of https://wirepoints.org/illinois-disastrous-demographics-fewer-youth-a-drop-in-working-age-residents-and-a-jump-in-elderly-wirepoints/

A review of U.S. Census population data since 2020, including fresh 2024 data released this week, reveals a perfect demographic storm that’s likely to worsen Illinois’ downward spiral.

Illinois has experienced from 2020 to 2024 the nation’s worst collapse in youth aged 18 and under; the 6th-worst drop in working age residents; and a jump in the elderly’s share of population. All three in combination foreshadow a vicious cycle of higher taxes and taxpayer flight, leading to even higher taxes and more population decline.

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The demographic challenges above are piling up on top of a slew of other damaging population data released recently.

Illinois’ population loss of nearly 110,000 since 2020 is the nation’s 3rd worst. Only a spike in illegal immigration the https://wirepoints.org/open-borders-sanctuary-status-free-benefits-gov-abbott-chicago-population-growth-wirepoints/

in exchange for incomers who make far less.

The overall population results of the last four years show why Illinois needs an absolute flip of its politics and policy.

Here’s what the latest demographic data shows for Illinois:

Nation’s worst drop in number of residents age 18 and under. Illinois had 184,000 fewer residents aged 18 and under in 2024 vs 2020. That’s a 6% drop, the biggest percentage loss in the country.

To be sure, much of Illinois’ decline can be attributed to the national trend of declining births. In all, just 11 states increased their youth population over the same period. But having the worst decline shows Illinois is in special trouble. Every one of Illinois’ neighbors had a far smaller decline than we did.

Florida, in contrast, had its age 18 and under population grow by 5.5%, or nearly 250,000, over the same period.

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Nation’s 6th-worst drop in working-age residents. Illinois needs a massive growth in its tax base to change its current trajectory from ever-higher taxes to actual tax relief. Not to mention it needs more productive workers to spread out the cost of its nation’s-highest pension debt.

Unfortunately, over the last four years Illinois lost 146,000 18-64 working age residents. That’s a decline of 2%, the 6th-worst change in the country.

Texas and Florida show the power of attracting workers from other states to drive their economies. In just four years Florida added 950,000 working-age residents and Texas, 1.3 million.

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Seniors growing as a share of population. Compounding the demographic problems mentioned above is a significant 225,000 increase in Illinois’ number of senior citizens. With the young and working-age brackets in decline, seniors now make up 18% of the population, up from 16% four years before. As a result, the tax base will be under even bigger pressure.

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Count on the bad news to keep coming. There’s zero indication that the state’s current leadership plans to reverse course on the policies that have gotten Illinois into this mess.

Appendix.

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https://www.zerohedge.com/political/illinois-disastrous-demographics-fewer-youth-drop-working-age-residents-and-jump-elderly

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 20:05

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/cdc-advisers-vote-to-recommend-removal-of-mercury-from-influenza-vaccines-5878717?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge

CDC Advisers Vote To Recommend Removal Of Mercury From Influenza Vaccines

(emphasis ours),

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on June 26 advised the agency to stop recommending influenza vaccines containing a mercury-based preservative.

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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in https://www.youtube.com/live/z-16fImZoEc

reaffirmed the existing recommendation that virtually all individuals aged at least 6 months of age receive an annual influenza shot. The panel further advised, though, that individuals only receive thimerosal-free vaccines.

About 95 percent of influenza vaccines administered in the United States in late 2024 and early 2025 were free of thimerosal, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Tracy Hoeg, an FDA official, told the committee that there appear to be enough influenza vaccine doses without thimerosal for the upcoming virus season, which runs from the fall into the winter.

A spokesperson for Sanofi told The Epoch Times in an email: “We acknowledge the recommendation of the new ACIP. We now await the decision by the CDC on the path forward.

“We will have sufficient supply of Sanofi flu vaccine to support customer preference for this season.”

Seqirus, which also produces influenza vaccines with thimerosal, has not responded to requests for comment.

ACIP provides advice to the CDC’s director, who typically adopts the recommendations.

The CDC has no acting director listed on its website. President Donald Trump’s nominee for the post, Susan Monarez, is being considered by the Senate. The CDC and its parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, did not respond to requests for comment.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier in the year adopted some recommendations offered by ACIP.

Kennedy has long opposed vaccines with thimerosal, and the panel heard before the vote from Lyn Redwood, a past president of a nonprofit that Kennedy founded who is now https://directory.psc.gov/hhsdir/eeKey.asp?Key=10127&Format=Table

as an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Redwood https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/slides-2025-06-25-26/05-influenza-redwood-508.pdf

links to several positive and several negative associations, including a lower measure of executive functioning.

“There have been studies that have found evidence of harm,” Redwood said.

Thimerosal is about 50 percent mercury by weight. It was used broadly in vaccines for decades before largely being phased out in the 2000s in what federal officials have described as a precautionary measure.

“We do have a risk of repeated exposure to this. So it’s not just a one administration, but potential chronic exposure on an annual basis,” Dr. Robert Malone, one of the CDC’s advisers, said after listening to Redwood’s presentation.

A number of CDC advisers said they supported lowering exposure to mercury, noting that mercury is a known toxin.

“We need to do whatever we can to control the controllable sources of exposure,” Retsef Levi, another panelist, said.

Dr. Cody Meissner, a pediatrician who was just reappointed to the committee, strongly opposed the move.

“ACIP makes recommendations based on scientific evidence as much as possible,” he said. “And there is no scientific evidence that thimerosal has caused a problem.”

Some representatives of health groups serving as liaisons to the committee, including Dr. Matthew Zahn with the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told the panel before the vote that they think thimerosal-containing vaccines are safe.

The CDC https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/cdc-says-no-link-between-vaccine-preservative-and-autism-5877561

in an unsigned document posted online on June 24 that “evidence does not support an association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism spectrum disorder or other neurodevelopmental disorders.” Staffers said that the papers that have found an increased risk of neurodevelopment disorders and autism from thimerosal-containing vaccines ”have significant methodological limitations including unmeasured confounding, inaccurate assessment of exposures, differences in control and case groups, unverified diagnoses, and other potential biases that threaten the validity and reliability of the findings.”

The document was taken offline before the meeting.

“This document by the CDC vaccine safety office did not go through the appropriate process to be posted,” a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services told The Epoch Times in an email.

The spokesperson said the document was provided to all ACIP members, and members said they had reviewed it.

In the first vote, every adviser except for one voted in favor of keeping the existing recommendation that people aged 6 months and older receive an influenza vaccine on an annual basis unless they have a contraindication. The next three votes focused on whether to recommend thimerosal-free vaccines for various populations.

Vicky Pebsworth, one of the members, abstained from all four votes, saying she did not think there had been enough discussion about the topic. Meissner voted no on the thimerosal-free vaccine votes. All other advisers voted yes.

Members said in a joint statement after the meeting: “We came to this meeting with no predetermined ideas and will make judgments as if we are treating our own families. Unbiased scientific thinking is fundamental to the committee’s charge. Our votes are recommendations, but we know that some may perceive them as mandates, so we take this responsibility very seriously. We pledge to not hold a vote if there is not sufficient information to enable evaluation of the risks and benefits.”

Kennedy recently https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/department-of-health-removes-all-members-of-cdc-vaccine-advisory-panel-5870288

them with new members.

Kennedy https://x.com/SecKennedy/status/1937696602996576528

higher brain-to-blood mercury concentration ratios in monkeys exposed to thimerosal versus a control group.

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/cdc-advisers-vote-recommend-removal-mercury-influenza-vaccines

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 19:15

Last Christian Town In West Bank Attacked And Besieged By Israeli Settlers

The last entirely-Christian town in the Israeli-controlled West Bank is enduring a wave of attacks by violent Jewish settlers, a local church leader says, prompting families to flee and leading clergy to declare the town is "no longer safe" for its inhabitants. Ominously, settlers have also set up an "outpost" on the fringe of that town -- Taybeh, Ramallah -- a 4,500-year-old community with huge significance in the story of Jesus Christ.

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“The town, which the Gospel of John (11:54) refers to as ‘Ephraim’ — the place Jesus withdrew to before his passion — is no longer safe for its people today," Father Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of Taybeh's Church of Christ the Redeemer, told the Catholic, Arabic-language ACI MENA news service. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/265035/priest-warns-christian-town-of-taybe-in-holy-land-no-longer-safe-amid-settler-attacks

..Since last October, more than 10 families have left Taybeh due to fear from ongoing violence and harassment."

This and other videos embedded below are circulating on social media, purportedly capturing the settlers' latest attacks on Taybeh this week (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz9knl5w529o

confirms an attack took place on Wednesday):

More horrific footage from the Israeli settler pogrom against the Christian village of Taybeh, Ramallah, in the West Bank, where settlers set houses and vehicles on fire. https://t.co/97xW3epLEf

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) https://twitter.com/IhabHassane/status/1937992402725187788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

This is only the latest in an ongoing pattern of aggression directed toward Taybeh's inhabitants, a pattern that has also included stealing farm equipment, and destroying crops with fire or by releasing settlers' cattle to devour them, https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/265035/priest-warns-christian-town-of-taybe-in-holy-land-no-longer-safe-amid-settler-attacks

reports.

Settlers have established an outpost on the town's eastern edge, on the remains of a farmhouse abandoned by Christians who'd fled about a year ago under the growing settler campaign of violence and intimidation. An "outpost" is a Jewish settlement on Palestinian land that's not authorized by the Israeli government. Outposts typically begin with something as small as a tent or a van, and are frequently situated on hilltops or agricultural land. In the case of "herding outposts," settlers will bring livestock that they allow to graze over a wide area with the goal of establishing a larger claim. Despite outposts' lack of government permission at the outset, the Israeli government often legalizes them retroactively, cementing the Palestinians' loss of the land. (Note, there are both Christian and Muslim Palestinians, and both varieties experience the iniquities associated with being non-Jewish in the West Bank.)

Israeli settlers attack the Christian Palestinian village of Taybeh. Meanwhile, if Christians or Muslims defend themselves, the Israeli military will kill them.https://t.co/OHITkNqobp

— Khalil Sayegh (@KhalilJeries) https://twitter.com/KhalilJeries/status/1937975527387603051?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The settler outpost on Taybeh's periphery sits in an economically-essential agricultural zone that comprises 4,200 acres out of the town's total 5,900 acres. The land is used for olive groves and seasonal crops, along with raising poultry and sheep. In the usual sequence of events, Jews in the outposts begin harassing the Palestinians whose families have long lived off that land, preventing them from accessing it. Such behavior is often carried out as Israeli security forces stand by and watch -- often intervening only when Palestinians fight back.

Local Christians say this agricultural-deprivation tactic is exactly what's playing out in Taybeh:

During the latest olive harvest season, for the second year in a row, farmers were barred from accessing their land near the Rimmonim settlement — which was built on confiscated Taybeh land — resulting in either theft or complete spoilage of the olive crop. Approximately 20 families were physically assaulted while trying to reach their land....

“These days, settlers are grazing their cows on a hill planted with olive and barley fields right next to people’s homes. Locals see this as part of a systematic effort to strangle them economically and push them out,” [said Father Fawadleh] -- https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/265035/priest-warns-christian-town-of-taybe-in-holy-land-no-longer-safe-amid-settler-attacks

/ Catholic News Agency

Horrific night in the West Bank: Israeli settlers are currently attacking the Christian village of Taybeh, near Ramallah—setting homes on fire and shooting at residents. https://t.co/Ug8UzVg94b

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) https://twitter.com/IhabHassane/status/1937941828520525899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Here, a Palestinian Christian explains how he, his family and fellow Taybeh residents are preyed upon by West Bank settlers seeking to take over the land:

"Jesus Christ came here a week before he was crucified," a Palestinian in Taybeh told me.

Taybeh is the largest Palestinian Christian community in the West Bank. Since October 7th, armed Jewish settlers and the Israeli army, emboldened by the war in Gaza, have been terrorizing… https://t.co/0h1c4UPpuh

— Jeremy Loffredo (@loffredojeremy) https://twitter.com/loffredojeremy/status/1774465468184584678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The terrible treatment of Taybeh's Christians helps explain why Israel-catering Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was booed of a stage in 2014 as he delivered a tin-eared keynote address at a gala hosted by https://indefenseofchristians.org/about-us/

-- in which Cruz insisted the Bible commands Christians to support the modern political entity that is the State of Israel.

At that 2014 IDC event, things quickly went south when Cruz dished out the Israel-pandering rhetoric that reliably draws applause when he's addressing crowds with no knowledge of the plight of Christian Palestinians in Israel-controlled territory, in Taybeh and elsewhere. "In 1948, Jews throughout the Middle East faced murder and extermination and fled to the nation of Israel," said Cruze. "And today, Christians have no better ally than the Jewish state," he added -- triggering murmurs and boos. Cruz attempted to plow on, saying, “Let me say this: those who hate Israel hate America. And those who hate Jews hate Christians.” The booing and heckling endured, forcing Cruz to abandon the event, saying, "If you will not stand with Israel and Jews, then I will not stand with you."

"If you don't stand with Israel and the Jews, then I will not stand with you."

Remember when Ted Cruz was booed off stage at a fundraiser for persecuted Christians in the Middle East because he demanded allegiance to Israel? https://t.co/RbO4ekW73n

— Lucky Teter (@TheMagaHulk) https://twitter.com/TheMagaHulk/status/1935396646877057033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Fifteen kilometers northeast of Jerusalem and 12 km northeast of Ramallah, Taybeh was https://hcef.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Taybeh-Pamphlet-Eng-2014B3FINAL.pdf

-- though it's unclear how much longer that will be the case.

One thing is certain: Ted Cruz and groups like Christians United For Israel won't be speaking out on behalf of Taybeh's besieged residents anytime soon.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/last-christian-town-west-bank-attacked-and-besieged-israeli-settlers

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 18:50

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/asking-rent-prices-in-montreal-have-jumped-more-than-70-percent-since-2019-statcan-5878644

Asking Rent Prices In Montreal Have Jumped More Than 70 Percent Since 2019: StatCan

(emphasis ours),

The average asking price for rental units in Montreal increased by nearly 71 percent between 2019 and the first quarter of this year, according to Statistics Canada.

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The average asking rent for a two-bedroom unit in Montreal was $1,130 in 2019, which increased by 70.8 percent to $1,930 by the first quarter of 2025, according to a quarterly https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250625/dq250625b-eng.htm

released by StatCan on June 25 in collaboration with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Montreal ranked 17th highest for average asking prices of two-bedroom apartments among 40 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) in Canada.

“Because prospective renters typically face higher rents compared with long-term tenants—whose rents reflect past leases and can also be subject to rent control regulations—asking rents offer a picture of current market trends,” StatCan said in the report.

Meanwhile, smaller CMAs in Quebec, such as Drummondville and Sherbrooke, recorded the lowest average asking rent prices in the first quarter of 2025. However, these two CMAs also had the largest growth in rental asking price from the first quarter of 2019 to the first quarter of this year.

Asking rent in Drummondville averaged $600 per month in 2019, which jumped to $1,200 per month in 2025, while the asking rent for Sherbrooke in 2019 was $660 and jumped to $1,250 this year.

Toronto, Vancouver

CMAs with the highest average asking rent experienced slower growth in prices between 2019 and 2025.

Toronto, for example, ranks second for highest asking prices. Average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Toronto was $2,560 in the first quarter of 2019, and grew 5.1 percent to $2,690 in the first quarter of 2025.

Average asking rents declined during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto, StatCan said, adding that the decrease was followed by an increase in the second half of 2023, reaching a peak of $2,920 for a two-bedroom unit. Year over year, asking rent decreased by 5.6 percent in Toronto from 2024 to this year’s first quarter.

Vancouver, which has the highest average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Canada, experienced stronger growth than Toronto over the six-year period. Average asking rent in Vancouver increased 27.3 percent from $2,490 in the first quarter of 2019, to $3,170 in the first quarter of this year.

Asking rent in Vancouver began to increase in 2021 and reached its peak of $3,580 by the third quarter of 2023. Prices then decreased by 7.8 percent from the first quarter of 2024 to that of this year.

‘Significant Pressures’

Canada’s housing department released a https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/housing-costs-to-average-52-percent-of-household-income-in-2025-federal-report-5870147

on April 30 that indicated rent increases have reached a “record high” average of 8 percent annually, which exceeds both inflation and wage growth.

Canadian renters have been facing “significant pressures” due to high demand for rental housing with rental vacancy rates reaching a historical low in 2023, says Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/pd-dp/transition/2024/dm-sm/2/book-cahier-2-eng.html

The department added that the demand for rental housing has outpaced the supply in most city centres across Canada.

Canada’s increasing population, primarily driven by immigration, coupled with labour shortages in the construction industry and the rising cost of housing, are trends that have influenced the supply-and-demand dynamics in the housing market, the document says.

“Lack of growth in purpose-built affordable rental housing combined with the diminishing non-market housing stock is impacting social areas beyond housing (e.g., health) and disproportionately affecting newcomers, vulnerable and lower-income groups,” the Transition Binder says.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/asking-rent-prices-montreal-have-jumped-more-70-percent-2019-statcan

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 18:25

"Time To Leave NYC": Kyle Bass Urges Dan Loeb To "Embrace Your Inner Texas" After Mamdani's Socialist Shockwave

Far-left socialist and foreign-born Muslim Zohran Mamdani's surprise primary victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the NYC mayoral race has sent https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/wall-street-panics-socialist-set-take-over-new-york-reits-tumble-idiocy-it-all

. Even more unsettling for pro-business leaders is the realization that a growing segment of voters in the sanctuary city appears completely detached from basic economic math—a symptom of a failed progressive-dominated education system that has glorified socialism while vilifying capitalism.

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Earlier this week, Dan Loeb, chief executive of hedge fund Third Point and a major Cuomo backer, put it best: "It's officially hot commie summer." Loeb was referring to Mamdani's victory over Cuomo in the mayoral primary.

It’s officially hot commie summer.

— Daniel S. Loeb (@DanielSLoeb1) https://twitter.com/DanielSLoeb1/status/1937800092255183096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"The irony is that socialist policies that lead to hoarding of available housing and stifles investment in new housing leads to high housing costs; other well-intentioned anti-market attempts at wage control, excess regulation, a bloated government bureaucracy and confiscatory taxes cause this," Loeb wrote on X earlier.

The irony is that socialist policies that lead to hoarding of available housing and stifles investment in new housing leads to high housing costs; other well-intentioned anti-market attempts at wage control, excess regulation, a bloated government bureaucracy and confiscatory…

— Daniel S. Loeb (@DanielSLoeb1) https://twitter.com/DanielSLoeb1/status/1938602505807561029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Loeb's X post cited a Wall Street Journal article explaining that Mamdani's rise to fame was fueled by young, white, college-educated New Yorkers who are increasingly frustrated by out-of-control living costs in the progressive city.

The CEO of Third Point emphasized: "Doubling down will not solve any of these problems while they may drive out the city's tax base."

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Mamdani's appeal among young, woke voters centers on his socialist agenda, including rent freezes, city-owned grocery stores, and free bus rides.

Young socialists go wild while celebrating Zohran Mamdani winning the NYC Mayoral Democratic Primary.https://t.co/xD7eaE6U5b

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) https://twitter.com/OliLondonTV/status/1937866976745214053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Mamdani's supporters might want to revisit their college gender studies microeconomics textbooks and relearn that rent control suppresses the construction of new apartments by distorting the economic incentives for developers and investors.

Landlords, such as Danny Fishman, CEO of real estate investment firm Gaia Real Estate, told the Wall Street Journal that the Mamdani administration "would be the death penalty for the city."

Fishman said a socialist in NYC City Hall "would be the best thing to happen to Miami and Palm Beach since Covid."

"We've got to do something," said Greg Kraut, chief executive of New York office landlord KPG Funds.

Kraut plans to set up meetings with Adams and the Republican Party to find "another viable path" instead of Mamdani.

"You're going to see a ton of money coming into the race from all levels literally against this one person," said Kraut.

Earlier this week, Goldman's trading desk noted that its NYC Office REITs basket tumbled on the prospect of Mamdani winning. Their analysts said the "big focus is on the back of Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani winning last night. Lot of inbounds on what this potential administration means for NYC exposed REITs, particularly across Office and Apartment REITs with exposure to NYC."

?itok=BtP5z6aa

Anti-communist analyst Karlyn Borysenko commented on the NYC situation, suggesting that "maybe we need a little bit of accelerationism... maybe we need a socialist mayor to show the potential reality we're dealing with."

Borysenko warned that people need to wake up—and noted that the Republican Party certainly hasn't yet understood the threat of a socialist takeover of America. In her view, it might take NYC going fully socialist for the rest of the country to finally pay attention.

What I think about the incoming Socialist

Mayor of New York City. https://t.co/3ciadAPr67

— Karlyn Borysenko, anti-communist cult leader (@DrKarlynB) https://twitter.com/DrKarlynB/status/1937750131287457804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

We suspect Mamdani's shocking win over Cuomo will mobilize pro-business leaders to begin their anti-socialist campaign. RIP NYC.

Kyle Bass to Loeb:

You have to leave. Third Point’s HQ must move to DALLAS. Time for you to embrace your inner Texan.

— 🇺🇸 Kyle Bass 🇹🇼 (@Jkylebass) https://twitter.com/Jkylebass/status/1937808112410378267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

. . .

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/time-leave-nyc-kyle-bass-urges-dan-loeb-embrace-your-inner-texas-after-mamdanis-socialist

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 18:00

https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/why-eggs-are-ideal-muscle-food-5865514

Eggs Strengthen Muscles And Help Prevent Sarcopenia - How Many Should You Eat?

(emphasis ours),

“Eating too many eggs will raise your cholesterol.”

For many years, we were warned to limit eggs in our diet. However, in 2015, the United States Department of Agriculture https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/14/2904

any upper limit on dietary cholesterol from its Dietary Guidelines, marking a big shift in how we view foods like eggs.

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Once considered villains of heart health, eggs are being re-evaluated as harmless when it comes to our hearts and as a nutrient-dense food that strengthens our muscles.

Eggs stand out as one of the most complete and bioavailable protein sources, making them an excellent choice for supporting muscle growth and maintenance, Jodi Duval, a naturopathic physician and owner of Revital Health, told The Epoch Times.

“They’re a staple in my clinical recommendations for anyone working on muscle mass, strength, or recovery,” she added.

Eggs Support Muscle

Egg protein is an excellent https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/14/2904

of all the essential amino acids your body needs and is easy to digest. Thus, eggs are effective for building muscle and preventing loss, especially as we age.

In fact, eggs are likely the most digestible protein source—measured at 97 percent, compared with many plant proteins, which are digested at 45 to 80 percent.

Eggs are also very high in leucine, an amino acid considered to be the https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561423002583

about 500 milligrams, packed in just 72 calories, thus making it a great choice for muscle health.

Eggs also contain other nutrients important for muscles, according to Duval. These include:

Choline, which helps with muscle coordination

Vitamin D, important for muscle strength

Vitamins B12 and B2 support energy use in muscles

Selenium, an antioxidant that helps with recovery

Healthy fats, especially found in pasture-raised eggs, which contain omega-3s that reduce muscle inflammation

Omega-3 fats improve how muscles use amino acids and help reduce inflammation, which is important because inflammation can https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/31/6/article-p514.xml

muscle loss.

Eggs are effective in helping to prevent muscle loss, or sarcopenia. Starting as early as age 30, adults begin to lose around 8 percent of their muscle mass each decade, a rate that accelerates after age 70.

The type and quality of protein in a meal are especially important as we age. Animal proteins, including eggs, are very effective at stimulating muscle maintenance in older adults. However, getting enough high-quality protein can be challenging for many seniors due to reduced appetite, difficulty chewing or swallowing, limited mobility, or tight budgets.

“Eggs really shine when it comes to preventing muscle loss in older adults,” Duval said.

They are affordable, easy to prepare, and rich in nutrients. Their high-quality protein, especially in the yolk, can improve the body’s ability to use protein effectively with age. Regularly including eggs in meals, particularly breakfast, can support muscle maintenance and improve strength and function in older adults, Duval explained.

Egg Whites Versus Yolks

Many people zero in on egg whites, assuming they’re the healthiest option. However, when it comes to muscle building, tossing the yolk means missing out on some of the egg’s most powerful benefits.

While the egg white provides a high-quality source of protein, the yolk contributes approximately 40 percent of the egg’s total protein content. More importantly, the yolk is rich in nutrients such as lipids, vitamins, minerals, and phosphatidic acid, a type of fat molecule that stimulates muscle growth.

Studies have shown that whole eggs offer greater muscle-building benefits than egg whites alone. In one https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522026934?via%3Dihub

, healthy young men ate either whole eggs after a resistance training session, with 18 grams of protein and 17 grams of fat, or an equivalent amount of protein from egg whites, with 18 grams of protein and 0 grams of fat. The study found that whole eggs led to greater muscle building and repair, suggesting that the combination of nutrients in the yolk enhances the body’s ability to build muscle, even when total protein intake is the same.

How Many Eggs?

Around 20 grams of egg protein is enough to stimulate muscle growth after resistance training. Since one egg contains roughly 6 grams of protein, three eggs will get you close to the target.

How much you need also depends on your goals.

For athletes or those aiming to build muscle, Duval often recommends two to four eggs after a workout, along with a carbohydrate source to help replenish glycogen and support recovery.

For older adults, she suggests one to two eggs earlier in the day, like at breakfast, when protein timing is especially important to reduce muscle breakdown, regardless of activity level.

“For both athletes and older adults, consistency and spreading protein intake across the day are more important than loading it all at once,” she added.

Duval also emphasized the importance of https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/decoding-egg-labels-from-cage-free-to-pasture-raised-5821257

. She always recommends pasture-raised, organic eggs when possible.

“They contain more omega-3s, antioxidants, and offer a better overall nutrient profile,” she said.

Easy and Creative Ways to Enjoy Eggs

Eggs are anything but boring, especially when you get a little creative in the kitchen.

Here are some of Duval’s favorite go-to recipes:

Shakshuka: Eggs poached in a spiced tomato and capsicum sauce with cumin, paprika, and fresh herbs.

Frittatas: A great way to use up greens, leftover vegetables, and flavor boosters like goat cheese or fresh herbs.

Soft-boiled eggs with dukkah: A mixture of nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices, dukkah pairs well with eggs.

Scrambled eggs with turmeric and black pepper: Serve with kimchi for a gut-friendly, anti-inflammatory meal.

Avocado and egg toast: Top with microgreens and chili flakes for a quick, protein-rich breakfast or lunch.

Duval also recommends prepping ahead: “Egg muffins, boiled eggs for snacks, or nourishing bowls topped with poached eggs are all great make-ahead options.”

Lena Beal, cardiovascular dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, shared a few more fresh ideas with The Epoch Times:

Stirred into oatmeal for a surprisingly tasty protein boost

Japanese-style tamago or soy-marinated soft-boiled eggs

Egg curry flavored with Indian spices

For those who don’t or can’t eat eggs, some egg substitutes—like tofu scramble or chickpea flour omelets—can offer some benefits when combined with other protein-rich foods, though they lack certain nutrients unique to eggs, such as vitamin B12 and choline.

Remember, eggs offer more than protein.

“They are one of the most complete, whole-food tools we have for strength and longevity at every life stage,” Duval said.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/eggs-strengthen-muscles-and-help-prevent-sarcopenia-how-many-should-you-eat

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 17:40

Trump Urges Swift Action Oon Tax Bill As Republicans Reach Tentative SALT Deal

President Donald Trump intensified his push Friday for Congress to pass his sweeping tax and spending package before the July 4 holiday, as Senate Republicans announced a tentative deal on one of the legislation’s most contentious issues: the state and local tax deduction.

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“The House of Representatives must be ready to send it to my desk before July 4th — We can get it done,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social, setting a firmer deadline after earlier signaling that slipping past Independence Day “wouldn’t be the end-all.”

The agreement on the so-called SALT cap would raise the current $10,000 deduction limit to $40,000 annually for five years, Senator John Hoeven told reporters Friday afternoon. The development marked a potential breakthrough in negotiations that have divided Republican lawmakers, particularly those from high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California.

The Senate plans to begin voting on the bill as early as midday Saturday. Still, it remained uncertain whether the compromise would be enough to win over a bloc of House Republicans who had threatened to oppose the package unless the SALT deduction was expanded for a full decade.

This latest revision on includes a phaseout of the enhanced deduction for taxpayers earning $500,000 or more, according to a person familiar with the discussions who requested anonymity to describe private talks. In a further concession, negotiators also agreed to abandon a proposal that would have placed new restrictions on the ability of pass-through businesses - like partnerships and LLCs - to deduct state and local taxes.

That proposal had targeted workaround structures approved by legislatures in states like New York, Connecticut and California, which allowed business owners to sidestep the $10,000 cap that applies to most individual taxpayers. The House version of Mr. Trump’s plan had sought to curtail those arrangements.

Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said negotiators were “very, very close” to finalizing the SALT provision. He declined to offer details but emphasized the importance of meeting the president’s July 4 deadline, calling it a source of “certainty.”

The SALT issue is just one of several obstacles that have slowed the bill’s progress in the Senate. Republican leaders are also working to reconcile divisions over proposed cuts to social programs and the elimination of clean energy tax credits—priorities for conservative members that have raised concerns among moderates.

Senator John Thune, the Republican leader, faces the challenge of uniting the party behind a bill that represents the cornerstone of Mr. Trump’s second-term economic agenda. The legislation would make permanent the individual and corporate tax cuts enacted in 2017, while introducing temporary tax breaks for hourly workers, seniors, and new car buyers.

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In addition to its tax provisions, the bill authorizes hundreds of billions in new spending for defense, border enforcement, and immigration operations. To offset some of the projected revenue loss, the measure scales back funding for Medicaid, food assistance programs, and federal college aid.

Crucially, the package also includes a $5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling, a move intended to prevent a federal default projected as early as August.

As Republican lawmakers prepare for a weekend of high-stakes votes, the fate of the bill—and its sweeping economic implications—now rests on whether internal party divisions can be resolved in time.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-urges-swift-action-oon-tax-bill-republicans-reach-tentative-salt-deal

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 17:20

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/pentagon-creates-new-250-mile-military-buffer-zone-at-texas-mexico-border-5878669

Pentagon Creates New 250-Mile Military Buffer Zone At Texas–Mexico Border

(emphasis ours),

The Department of Defense is establishing a new military buffer zone—known as a national defense area—along the southwestern border to curb illegal immigration.

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On June 25, the U.S. Air Force https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4226175/national-defense-area-established-in-south-texas/

that a 250-mile stretch of the border along the Rio Grande in Texas’s Cameron and Hidalgo counties will be designated an extension of Joint Base San Antonio.

The land was previously managed by the International Boundary and Water Commission, an agency overseeing water-sharing between the United States and Mexico.

The move is part of President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to allocate military resources for border enforcement. In an April presidential https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/military-mission-for-sealing-the-southern-border-of-the-united-states-and-repelling-invasions/

, Trump outlined plans to establish national defense areas, calling it a military mission “for sealing the southern border of the United States and repelling invaders.”

While the U.S. military generally does not perform civilian law enforcement, the national defense area designation grants limited legal authority for specific actions. Within these zones, servicemembers may help with setting up barriers and signs, conduct patrols—much like on any military base—and temporarily detain trespassers until they are transferred to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

The first national defense area was designated in April, a 170-mile zone in New Mexico, attached to Fort Huachuca in neighboring Arizona. The following month, a 63-mile section was set up in West Texas under Fort Bliss.

Combined with the new Texas stretch, the total area under national defense area designation now exceeds 480 miles. The Texas–Mexico border extends 1,254 miles.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Departments of Defense and the U.S. Navy for confirmation regarding any other national defense areas in the works.

In May, a federal judge https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/judge-dismisses-charges-against-illegal-immigrants-accused-of-crossing-into-military-zone-5858812

trespassing charges against 98 illegal immigrants who had been arrested inside the New Mexico national defense area.

In his ruling, U.S. magistrate judge Gregory Wormuth said the federal government had failed to prove that the accused individuals knew they were entering a restricted military zone, despite posted signs in both English and Spanish warning that unauthorized entry was prohibited.

“As the United States concedes, the NMNDA [New Mexico National Defense Area] spans over 180 miles of ‘often difficult and mountainous terrain,’” the judge said. “The mere fact that some ’signs’ were posted in the NMNDA provides no basis on which to conclude that the defendant could have seen, let alone did see, the signs.”

The judge’s decision dismissed two misdemeanor charges faced by the 98 migrants arrested: violating a security regulation and entering military property for an unlawful purpose. A third misdemeanor charge of illegal border crossing still stands.

According to the Department of Justice, as of mid-May, at least 60 individuals have https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/60-more-illegal-aliens-plead-guilty-national-defense-area-violations-el-paso-133-new-0

guilty to illegally entering a national defense area in a separate case related to West Texas.

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/pentagon-creates-new-250-mile-military-buffer-zone-texas-mexico-border

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 17:00

Israel Pummels South Lebanon In Biggest Airstrikes Since November Hezbollah Ceasefire

In an dangerous sign that hostilities involving Iran and Israel could quickly ratchet again, Israel on Friday is pounding southern Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah is entrenched, in the biggest escalation there since a November ceasefire was agreed to.

Massive plumes of smoke have been observed over the region, with Lebanon’s official National News Agency https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/en/justice-law/790873/israeli-strike-in-nabatieh-kills-one-civilian-inju

that a residential building in Nabatieh was directly struck, resulting in the death of at least one person and the wounding of 21 more.

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Local media further says there over twenty strikes in only under 15-minutes, making it the most intense attack in well over six months.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) https://t.me/idfofficial/14962

what it said were airstrikes targeting a "significant underground project" used by Hezbollah. The statement touted that the site was "completely taken out of use" following the strikes,

But questions remain as the IDF said that it targeted a Hezbollah site identified as Beaufort Ridge, which actually lies some five miles from Nabatieh.

"In recent days, the IDF identified attempts by the Hezbollah terror organization to restore the site, and therefore the terror infrastructure in the area was struck," the Israeli military said.

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The IDF further claimed the "presence of this site and the attempts to reestablish it constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."

This statement suggests the Israel-Hezbollah truce could be on the brink of failure.

This could also be the result of Israeli frustration at President Trump having enforced an Iran ceasefire - given that Israeli leaders were telling the public to expect 'weeks' more of air attacks on the Islamic Republic.

As for current allegations of attacks on Lebanese residential buildings, Israel's military claims "The IDF did not target any civilian building," according to the IDF's Arabic-language spokesman.

BREAKING | An Israeli drone bombs a house in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, southern Lebanon.

The warplanes also bombed between the southern Lebanese villages of Zrarieh and Ansar. https://t.co/4lBrScKORU

— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) https://twitter.com/TheCradleMedia/status/1938528844241076332?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"According to the information we have, the building was hit by a rocket projectile that was stored at the site, and was launched and exploded as a result of the airstrike," he said.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/israel-pummels-south-lebanon-biggest-airstrikes-november-hezbollah-ceasefire

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 16:40

https://www.kunstler.com/p/chaos-creeps-in-on-little-cats-feet

"Great Cities Fall To The Sound Of Cheering Crowds..."

Chaos Creeps In On Little Cat's Feet

"Great cities fall to the sound of cheering crowds."

- Ami Kozak on "X"

The Democratic Party put another bullet in its head this week with the election of the charming, affable jihadi communist Zohran Mamdani. Is “communist” too harsh a label? (He styles himself, softly, a “socialist.”) Yet his campaign platform looks like a template from the venerable Soviet Council of Ministers circa 1957: Free Everything: housing, buses and subways, college, child-care, government food stores. . . with a cherry-on-top of replacing police with social workers in high crime areas — because rapists and car-jackers would quit their rowdy ways if only they could talk about their feelings.

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If you believe the news reports emanating from Woke Central, Zohran received major support from the folks who predominate the Upper West Side, where he was raised-up by his Columbia prof Dad and film-maker Mom. That is, voted in by the same high-income demographic that flocks to Zabar’s Deli on Sunday mornings for smoked sturgeon and babka — a curious alliance. I guess this solves the old riddle of why Europe’s Jews walked so placidly into Auschwitz.

“Life imitates art,” old Oscar Wilde liked to say, and with so many self-administered bullets in its head now, the Democratic Party looks more and more like The Walking Dead, a necromantic tribute to its erstwhile mascot, “Joe Biden,” the Phantom of the White House. Fortunately, the Latinx bombshell, AOC, America’s answer to Eva Peron, has stepped up to the leadership role, flanked by the foxy Jasmine Crockett, with their mentor, Bernie Sanders close at hand (on a leash, really) barking validation for the Party’s death trip.

It’s a wonder of our time (and its playful zeitgeist) that New Yorkers might choose a mayor even worse than the brain-dead colossus, Bill de Blasio, but there it is, in plain sight for all to behold. The Big Apple and its various services will now go from their currently merely broke-ass condition, to the complete collapse of infrastructure, transit, housing, revenue, business, and public safety, in other words, to true Third World authenticity! Serious people, who run viable businesses, support families, and pay whopping taxes, are in a panic, all a’chatter about moving elsewhere.

That chatter is not idle, especially among the class that owns major real estate, of which New York City has a frightening and increasingly obsolete inventory — hundreds of office skyscrapers running at fifty percent (or less) occupancy, which cannot cover their mortgages, maintenance, or taxes. What will become of them? I’ll tell you: some will be foreclosed-on, sold for dimes on the dollar (and fail again under new ownership,) and quite few will stand empty waiting for acanthus tree seeds to sprout on their empty windowsills.

Or, they will turn into “squats,” like the towers in the abandoned city center of Johannesburg that I saw visiting there ten years ago. Those giant office buildings were not converted into “residential,” you understand; folks were simply camping-out there, even with the electricity and water turned off. This is exactly what happens when you run the prosperous people, whom you hate, out of town, which is what happened in that sad-sack nation.

How many demonstration projects like that are needed to prove that communism with a racist frosting on top is a mug’s game.

Of course, we’re not there yet. Zohran hasn’t been sworn in, though the victory celebration just now looks like it’s fait accompli. You can only imagine the frantic conversation running between the old party poohbahs out in the cold: Chuck Schumer, Hakim, Nadler, Obama, even the loser, Cuomo, plus the non-elected party apparatchiks: Axelrod, Podesta, Carville, Plouffe, Emmanuel. . . . They’re not saying, but I bet many are silently wondering: Is there some way we can just disappear the guy? Make him go away? X him out? Cancel his ass? (Someone, for Godsake, find a couple of girls who will say he groped them in an elevator!)

Or maybe some electoral work-around? Maybe put what remains of the party’s dwindling financial mojo back behind Eric Adams — yes, he’s still Mayor — who supposedly quit the party (after they tried and failed to stuff him in prison) and is running for mayor now as an independent. . . but who will surely welcome whatever support and moolah they can bring to his cause. Adams’s two great virtues as a political figure: he’s not Bill de Blasio and he’s not Zohran Mamdani.

New York might go down the drain anyway. At least for a while. That broken business model for skyscrapers is not going away anytime soon, and neither is the greatly augmented Third World population funneled across the open border into New York City by “Joe Biden’s” shadowy minders. Will New York turn into that fairytale town whose economy subsisted on people simply taking in each other’s laundry?

Well, the city will always have its geographical assets, like, the best goshdarn ocean harbor in the whole east coast. Something will be there. . . some human agglomeration. But what? And over all of that, like the uncanny eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg in Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, looming above the ash-heaps of Queens County on the road to West Egg, lately rises the stern visage of Donald J. Trump, New York real estate mogul superbus, and now President of this sore-beset nation, watching events roll out.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/great-cities-fall-sound-cheering-crowds

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 16:20

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/doj-sues-california-county-over-noncitizen-voting-records-5878346?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge

DOJ Sues California County Over Non-Citizen Voting Records

The Trump administration has sued California’s Orange County Registrar of Voters Robert Page for allegedly withholding information that could reveal noncitizens were registered to vote.

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The lawsuit, filed in federal district court, alleges that Orange County undermined voter confidence by “refusing transparency of its voter information in violation of federal voting laws” and “concealing the unlawful registration of ineligible, noncitizen voters.”

“Voting by noncitizens is a federal crime, and states and counties that refuse to disclose all requested voter information are in violation of well-established federal elections laws” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division.

“Removal of noncitizens from the state’s voter rolls is critical to ensuring that the state’s voter rolls are accurate and that elections in California are conducted without fraudulent voting. The Department of Justice will hold jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal voting laws accountable,” she said.

The https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1404546/dl

alleges that Page has refused to provide the DOJ with records pertaining to the removal of noncitizens from its voter registration list and has failed to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli https://x.com/USAttyEssayli

on June 26 that Orange County refused “to hand over records showing noncitizens are registered to vote and received ballots in federal elections.”

Page did not respond directly to a media inquiry, but media liaison Enedina Chhim stated in an email to The Epoch Times that the county “does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation.”

The lawsuit stems from a complaint received by the Attorney General’s Office from the family member of a noncitizen in Orange County “indicating that the noncitizen received an unsolicited mail-in ballot” from the OC Registrar of Voters.

On June 2, 2025, the attorney general requested documents from Page from Jan. 1, 2020, “to present” showing the number of voter registration records in Orange County canceled because registrants didn’t meet citizenship requirements to vote, according to allegations in the complaint.

Page responded to the request but redacted information such a California driver’s licenses and identification card numbers, Social Security numbers, California secretary of State-assigned voter identification numbers, language preference, and images of registrants’ signatures, according to the complaint.

The legal complaint stated that Page cited state law as the reason for the redactions, and on June 17 the DOJ responded to him indicating the data redaction prohibits the Attorney General’s Office from making an accurate assessment of the whether the OC Registrar of Voters acted in compliance with HAVA and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

The Attorney General’s Office holds that such records are not exempt from the NVRA’s public disclosure provision and is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/doj-sues-california-county-over-noncitizen-voting-records

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 15:45

Fired Black Workers Sue Walmart Over Criminal Background Checks

A class action lawsuit was filed Thursday against Walmart for firing Black workers with criminal records. The suit follows years of accusations by progressive organizations claiming that Walmart has "shown a pattern of firing qualified Black workers" because of past involvement with the legal system - a practice they say perpetuates "racial and economic inequality".

Former workers, attorneys and advocates gathered in Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago to announce the suit and argue their rationale:

"Having a record does not define you or your character," said Marcos Ceniceros, with Warehouse Workers for Justice. "It should not determine your worth, and it certainly shouldn't be used as an excuse to fire Black workers trying to build a better life."

The argument assumes, of course, that Walmart has limited its firings to only black workers with criminal records. Plaintiffs would have to show evidence that the company does not fire white workers with similar records, or that they have a blanket ban on those with criminal histories (federal law does not allow for blanket bans on hiring convicted criminals).

The criminal background issue also comes down to supply and demand - In a tightening labor market companies are less likely to overlook an employee with a record because they have plenty of applicants with clean histories. In a choice between a criminal and non-criminal, it's obvious who most employers would hire. Ultimately, corporations have legal discretion to hire or not hire workers with detrimental backgrounds as long as they review all aspects of each application.

The race debate when it comes to practical business decisions is reminiscent of the ongoing conflict over "food deserts" in cities like Chicago in predominantly black neighborhoods. Residents and city officials assert that mass retail closures in these neighborhoods constitute an attack on racial equality, but they continually ignore the key problem - High crime and high rates of theft in black areas.

Actions have consequences, but race hustlers are trying to circumvent this reality. Some people who have committed crimes and paid their debt to society might deserve a second chance. Others might not. Race has little to do with it, and it's not up to business owners to take the risk simply because a worker is a minority.

By extension, if a certain demographic is far more statistically prone to commit crimes, then businesses must take this into account. They might not be able to legally admit it, but they can't pretend the dynamic doesn't exist. The loss of access to employment and to close retail options is in the hands of the community and its residents. They determine if companies stay or leave. They determine if they are hired or fired.

Accountability cannot be avoided forever under the guise of "equity".

https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/fired-black-workers-sue-walmart-over-criminal-background-checks

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 15:25

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/oklahoma-requests-soda-candy-be-excluded-from-food-stamp-purchases-5879203?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge

Oklahoma Requests Soda, Candy Be Excluded From Food Stamp Purchases

Oklahoma has become the latest state to request federal permission to exclude soft drinks and candy from the list of items that can be purchased through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, Gov. Kevin Stitt https://oklahoma.gov/governor/newsroom/newsroom/2025/governor-stitt--u-s--health-and-human-services-secretary-kennedy.html

on June 26.

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Stitt made the announcement during an event at the state Capitol, alongside Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as part of his “Make Oklahoma Healthy Again” (MOHA) campaign.

According to Stitt’s office, the campaign is a state-level extension of the national Make America Healthy Again movement championed by President Donald Trump and Kennedy.

“For far too long, we have settled for food that has made us sicker as a nation,” said Stitt. “In Oklahoma, we’re choosing common sense, medical freedom, and personal responsibility.”

Stitt said Oklahoma formally submitted the federal waiver to the Department of Agriculture amid growing bipartisan concern about the link between processed food consumption and chronic illnesses.

The move means Oklahoma joins a growing list of states seeking to remove the sugary items from the federal program that helps more than 42 https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/chart-detail?chartId=55416#:~:text=In%20fiscal%20year%202023%2C%20the,as%204.6%20percent%20in%20Utah.

low-income Americans pay for food each month.

The governors of Arkansas and Indiana each submitted https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/4-states-submit-waivers-to-usda-seeking-to-ban-soda-candy-from-snap-5847407

on April 15, citing efforts to reduce chronic disease and ensure taxpayer funds in federal food assistance programs are used to help low-income Americans afford nutritious food.

Iowa and Nebraska have also submitted similar requests, while West Virginia and Utah have https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/states-move-to-ban-using-food-stamps-for-soda-5834224

the process of pursuing similar changes to their SNAP program.

The American Beverage Association, a trade group whose members include producers and bottlers of soft drinks such as The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper, has consistently opposed the move, writing in an April https://www.americanbeverage.org/press-releases/american-beverage-statement-on-the-arkansas-snap-waiver/

that such waivers “won’t make an ounce of difference on health.”

The group pointed to data showing that obesity has skyrocketed in the past two decades while beverage calories per serving have dropped by 42 percent.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that approximately one in five American children and adolescents are https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood-obesity-facts/childhood-obesity-facts.html

health condition.

A 2016 https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/ops/SNAPFoodsTypicallyPurchased.pdf

from the USDA showed that soft drinks were the number one food commodity by expenditure in the SNAP program.

The waivers come after Trump signed an https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-the-make-america-healthy-again-commission/

order in February establishing the “Make America Healthy Again” commission as part of wider efforts to tackle America’s escalating health crisis.

The commission, which is chaired by Kennedy, is tasked with investigating and addressing the “root causes” of the crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases. It must also produce a strategy, based on the findings of its assessment, to improve the health of America’s children.

According to the order, America’s health care system is largely focused on treating chronic illnesses instead of preventing them, which has led to a growing health crisis with serious economic and national security consequences.

As a result, Americans are becoming sicker and plagued by illnesses that the country’s medical system isn’t addressing effectively, the order says.

Speaking at the Oklahoma state Capitol, Kennedy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVXD_n5_-s4

that if Americans want to drink a bottled soda, “you should be able to have that right,” however, he added that the federal government “should not be paying for it with taxpayer money.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/oklahoma-requests-soda-candy-be-excluded-food-stamp-purchases

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 15:05

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/newsom-files-787m-lawsuit-against-fox-news-alleging-it-lied-about-his-call-with-trump-5879260?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge

Newsom Files $787M Lawsuit Against Fox News Alleging It Lied About His Call With Trump

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has filed a $787 million lawsuit against Fox News claiming the company defamed him through its coverage of a phone call between the governor and President Donald Trump.

“No more lies,” Newsom https://x.com/gavinnewsom/status/1938587950704677237?s=61

on social media platform X on June 27, confirming news of the lawsuit. “I’m suing Fox News for $787 million.”

The governor seeks damages for what he claims were lies about a phone call with the president. He has also asked the court for an order to stop Fox News from broadcasting or posting segments that say Newsom lied about the call.

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Newsom also sent a letter to Fox News, demanding that it issue a retraction and that host Jesse Walters issue an on-air apology about the call.

If the news company and Walters meet those conditions, Newsom will drop the lawsuit.

Newsom’s latest legal action against Trump was done in a personal capacity, one of his official spokespersons, Brandon Richards, told The Epoch Times.

Rumors of a possible presidential run for Newsom have swirled in recent years, though he has denied any intention of entering the 2028 race. However, the governor hinted at the possibility in an interview with the Wall Street Journal for a https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/california-gavin-newsom-trump-los-angeles-1e2ec00f

published on June 10.

“I’m not thinking about running, but it’s a path that I could see unfold,” he said.

Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-brings-receipts-he-called-newsom-amid-la-riots-california-gov-claims-wasnt-even-voicemail?intcmp=fb_fnc&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawLLkBBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFzaTdOdlF3aWsyU1psaWQ2AR5SdRURLMwrqYi-kGdtUyAIo5tiEV1hOefkbFOB711Djqnw-o0LpvA_DsaubA_aem_rNKKH8lujICVmn0KyUkDsw

earlier this month that Newsom had lied when he claimed he did not get a call from Trump.

Trump shared with Fox News an alleged screenshot of a call the president said he had with the governor about the Los Angeles riots, dated 1:23 a.m. on June 7, that lasted 16 minutes.

“There was no call. Not even a voicemail,” Newson wrote in a June 10 https://x.com/gavinnewsom/status/1932486104583975413?s=61

on X.

Fox News did not immediately return a request for comment.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/newsom-files-787m-lawsuit-against-fox-news-alleging-it-lied-about-his-call-trump

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 14:25

CBS https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nestle-artificial-dyes-us-foods-beverages-mid-2026/

Nestle To Stop Using Artificial Dyes By Mid-2026

It's another resounding success for the MAHA movement that has left us thinking why on Earth were these steps not taken any sooner. And of course, we know the answer: the food lobby that RFK and his administration has been hell bent on not taking their cues from.

Nestlé announced Wednesday it will remove artificial colors from its U.S. food and beverage products by mid-2026, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nestle-artificial-dyes-us-foods-beverages-mid-2026/

“We are always looking for different ways to offer great tasting, compelling choices for our consumers. As their diverse dietary preferences and nutritional needs evolve, we evolve with them,” said Nestlé U.S. CEO Marty Thompson. “Serving and delighting people is at the heart of everything we do and every decision that we make,” he added.

The company said it has gradually eliminated synthetic dyes over the past decade, with 90% of its U.S. portfolio already dye-free. However, some products like Nesquik Banana Strawberry milk still contain Red 3.

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Nestlé previously pledged to remove artificial dyes in 2015 but did not fully follow through.

that other major food companies are making similar moves. Kraft Heinz and General Mills both announced plans last week to eliminate artificial dyes from U.S. products by 2027. General Mills also aims to remove them from cereals and all K–12 school foods by mid-2026.

Public and regulatory pressure is growing. A recent AP-NORC poll shows about two-thirds of Americans support removing dyes and added sugars from processed foods. California and West Virginia have banned artificial dyes in school meals, and Texas will require a new warning label starting in 2027 for foods with ingredients "not recommended for human consumption" in Australia, Canada, the EU, or the U.K.

Federal oversight is increasing as well. In January, just before President Trump took office, Red 3 was banned from food due to cancer concerns. In April, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency would seek to phase out synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, relying largely on voluntary action from the food industry.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/nestle-stop-using-artificial-dyes-mid-2026

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 14:05

Loonie Tumbles As Trump Suddenly 'Terminates' All Trade Talks With Canada

US stocks and the Canadian dollar are sliding after President Trump announces on https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114756567645919781

that the US is terminating all trade discussions with his northern neighbor due to Carney putting a tax on US tech firms (like Europe):

"We have just been informed that Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with, including the fact that they have charged our Farmers as much as 400% Tariffs, for years, on Dairy Products, has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country.

They are obviously copying the European Union, which has done the same thing, and is currently under discussion with us, also.

Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately.

We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

The reaction was swift and saw the loonie dumped...

?itok=FUQV_sOj

...and US stocks rolled over.

Developing...

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/loonie-tumbles-trump-suddenly-terminates-all-trade-talks-canada

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 13:57

https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/symbolic-iran-missile-attack-on-us-base-required-largest-patriot-missile-engagement-to-repel/

Iran Missile Attack On US Base Marked 'Largest Patriot Missile Engagement In US History'

Even after Tehran informed Washington that Iran would execute a symbolic retaliatory strike on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the US military https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/repelling-irans-attack-on-us-air-base-in-qatar-largest-single-patriot-engagement-in-american-history-top-general/3614377

in its largest battle using Patriot missiles to date to repel the attack.

On Monday, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/23/iran-attacks-us-air-base-in-qatar-what-we-know-so-far

ballistic missiles at America’s largest Middle East air base. Most of the missiles were shot down by air defenses. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters, "We believe that this is the largest single Patriot engagement in US military history, and we were joined in this engagement by the Qatari Patriot crews."

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While Gen Caine did not disclose how many interceptors were fired, it was likely an expensive operation as each PAC-3 Patriot missile costs $4 million. Additionally, the supply of air defense is becoming increasingly limited due to the ongoing war in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate in May, "The Ukrainians asked for air defense systems — Patriot systems, which, frankly, we don’t have."

After Israel launched its aggressive war against Iran, Tel Aviv’s supply of interceptors https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/israel-is-running-low-on-air-defense-interceptors/

. Within five days of the start of the war, multiple outlets reported Tel Aviv was nearly out of Arrow-3 interceptors and only had supplies to run the Iron Dome air defense system for less than two weeks.

By the end of the short war, Israel was forced to ration its deployment of interceptors, leaving some areas vulnerable to Iranian strikes. After the war, President Donald Trump noted that "Iran hit Israel hard."

Throughout the 12-day conflict, the US aided Israel in shooting down incoming Iranian missiles. The assistance put a strain on the Navy’s supply of interceptors.

Adm. James Kilby, the acting chief of naval operations, said while the US had enough SM-3 interceptors, they were being used “at an alarming rate” to defend Israel.

The SM-3 can cost between $10 million and $30 million for a single missile.

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/iran-missile-attack-us-base-marked-largest-patriot-missile-engagement-us-history

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 13:45

Trump Says He Would Bomb Iran Again 'Without Question' & Not Looking To Drop Sanctions Anymore

Update(1319ET): In comments to the press on Friday President Trump has reiterated his belief that Iran's nuclear program was 'obliterated' - despite skepticism voiced by leading Senators and Representatives, on both sides of the aisle.

Importantly, he's backing off his prior words suggesting he's ready to soften or even drop sanctions, as Iran essentially no longer has a program in his view, while saying he's ready to bomb Iran again if it needs https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/israel-iran-live-updates-irans-khamenei-punishment-israel/?id=123109706

President Donald Trump said on Friday he would bomb Iran again "without a question" if intelligence were to find that Iran can enrich uranium to a level higher than what he is comfortable with.

"Without a question. Absolutely," he told reporters in the White House briefing room.

"They're exhausted. The last thing they are thinking about is nuclear [weapons]," Trump said of Iran.

Responding to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's claim that Iran won the war, Trump said, "You got beat to hell. Israel was beat up too, they were both beat up."

His analogy of a schoolyard fight is similar to words used for the Ukraine war previously, suggesting he is ready to step away from the Iran conflict at this point (just as he did from pushing hard for Ukraine peace). Trump also in the remarks claimed that he 'saved' Iran's leader from an 'ugly and ignominious death' - amid reports Israel was looking to assassinate the Ayatollah.

And more in a fresh Truth Social Post:

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But Trump further said both sides "violated" the ceasefire that he announced late on Monday - suggesting that for now at least he's not ready to take further military against Iran.

The White House on Thursday had explained that the Ayatollah simply wants to save face, naturally, in proclaiming 'victory' over the US and Israel - but apparently Trump didn't get the memo from press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She had answered precisely this during the prior afternoon's press briefing.

* * *

Iran says it is still assessing damage at its nuclear sites which were hit during the 12-day war with Israel, and which were bombed in a special Trump-ordered B-2 raid last weekend; however, Tehran has made clear it has no intention to host UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Raphael Grossi and his team for inspections.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has acknowledged that the damage was "serious" and that "a detailed assessment of the damage is being carried out by experts from the Atomic Energy Organization [of Iran]."

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He said further in the Thursday state TV interview, "Now, the discussion of demanding damages [from the US and Israel] and the necessity of providing them has been placed as one of the important issues on the country’s diplomatic agenda."

However, he clarified that an Iranian negotiating team has no plan to meet with the United States, after President Trump earlier proclaimed that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.

He said that leaders are still assessing whether talks with the US would be in Iran's interest, after previously saying that the Islamic Republic doesn't engage in negotiations under duress.

Araghchi’s remarks followed the passage of a "binding" bill by Iranian lawmakers to halt all collaboration with the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA.

As for the rejection of talks with the US next week, it flatly contradicts Trump's words during a NATO summit presser at The Hague. "We're going to talk to them next week, with Iran," the president had told reporters.

"I don't care if I have an agreement or not," he said. "The only thing we'd be asking for is what we were asking for before about, 'we want no nuclear.' But we destroyed the nuclear. In other words, that's destroyed. I said, 'Iran will not have nuclear.' Well, we blew it up. It's blown up to kingdom come. And so I don't feel very strongly about it. If we got a document, it wouldn't be bad."

He strongly suggested a deal is no longer needed after all, given the assertion that core nuclear components have been 'destroyed' and 'obliterated'. Later the White House Press Secretary confirmed that there is as yet no meeting with the Iranians scheduled.

Meanwhile, the IAEA's Grossi has expressed doubts: "There is a chance that much of Iran's highly enriched uranium survived Israeli and U.S. attacks because it may have been moved by Tehran soon after the first strikes, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday," according to Reuters.

The Pentagon does not want to answer this key question: where is the 440 kg of near weapons grade Highly Enriched Uranium and could it have been moved?

So I asked some nuclear experts.

Daryl Kimball, Arms Control Association, https://twitter.com/DarylGKimball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

explained how Iran could and likely…

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) https://twitter.com/JenGriffinFNC/status/1938281362643136710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

A Financial Times article, based on early European intelligence assessments and voiced by EU officials, has concluded something similar. "Preliminary intelligence assessments provided to European governments indicate that Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile remains largely intact following US strikes on its main nuclear sites, two officials have said," the https://www.ft.com/content/0808eeb8-341c-4a4e-8ccf-0db07febef91

Thursday.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-denies-any-meeting-us-next-week-rejects-iaea-inspectors

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 13:19

Spain Could Ruin The EU-US Trade Negotiations

By Philip Marey, Senior US strategist at Rabobank

Yesterday, the US dollar was under pressure - with EUR/USD peaking at 1.1744 - as speculation about Fed rate cuts increased after comments by Trump and reports in the media that he is considering nominating the next Fed Chair in the coming months. An early nomination could make the nominee the “de facto shadow chair” as his comments (only men are reported to be on the shortlist) would carry a lot of weight in the markets regarding monetary policy beyond May 2026 when Powell’s term expires. For more details on Powell’s succession and the concept of a shadow chair, see our article in https://public-eur.mkt.dynamics.com/api/orgs/285245b1-7c6f-ef11-a66d-000d3a4b6c6a/r/joEIFqZFQUyGRwZue80DAAEAAAA?target=%7B%22TargetUrl%22%3A%22https%253A%252F%252Finternationalbanker.com%252Fbanking%252Fis-the-fed-on-a-collision-course-with-trump%252F%22%2C%22RedirectOptions%22%3A%7B%225%22%3Anull%2C%221%22%3Anull%2C%222%22%3A%7B%22utm_medium%22%3A%22email%22%2C%22utm_term%22%3A%22N%2FA%22%2C%22utm_source%22%3A%22dynamics-rr%22%2C%22utm_campaign%22%3A%221%22%7D%7D%7D&digest=%2FVJ6bF0gWMumPYcbo90mnAwiRUfJWoMbbza%2F7UzFdos%3D&secretVersion=7c13c22c20aa46a1b2fc8b71fde4d19a

from a few months ago. Meanwhile, there was more pushback against a July rate cut by several Fed speakers yesterday, specifically Daly, Collins, Barkin and Goolsbee.

One day after the NATO summit in The Hague, European leaders met in Brussels again. Now that President Trump has made a clear connection between NATO policy and trade negotiations, European leaders think they have earned trade concessions from the US for their increased contributions to NATO. A major problem is Spain which is not willing to help defend Europe by spending 5% of GDP, but it expects the EU to protect it from US tariffs. Whether other EU countries are happy with this double free riding remains to be seen. They just assigned a lot of money appeasing President Trump (and defending Europe from Russia) but Spain could ruin the EU-US trade negotiations. Yesterday, European leaders discussed trade concessions to the US, including lowering tariffs, reducing non-tariff barriers, buying more US products including LNG, and cooperating with the US to tackle its economic concerns with China.

In other trade news, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that a trade “deal” with China had been signed two days ago, although this appears to be essentially the truce reached last month in Geneva. He added that there are imminent plans to reach agreements with 10 major trading partners.

Meanwhile, the spinning of the Fordow attack is in full force on both sides. While the White House maintains that the nuclear facility was obliterated, Iran is downplaying the impact and both sides claim victory. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine gave a joint press conference providing more details about the air strike, but they offered no new evidence about the effectiveness of the attack.

Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Finance issued a statement that the proposed introduction of Section 899 to the Internal Revenue Code would be removed from the One Big Beautiful Bill because of a forthcoming international tax agreement announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Section 899 would have introduced retaliatory taxes on foreign companies from countries that impose “unfair taxes” on US companies, such as undertaxed profits rules, digital services taxes, and diverted profits taxes.

“We applaud President Trump and his team for protecting the interests of American workers and businesses after years of congressional Republicans sounding the alarm on the Biden Administration’s unilateral global tax surrender under Pillar 2. Reaching a joint understanding with the G7 means the U.S. can reclaim tens of billions of dollars that had been ceded from our tax base by Democrats’ America-Last policy. At the request of Secretary Bessent and in light of this joint understanding to preserve U.S. tax sovereignty and allow U.S. tax laws to co-exist with the Pillar 2 regime, we will remove proposed tax code Section 899 from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and we look forward to active engagement with Treasury on these important issues. We are committed to restoring Americans’ confidence in our representative government by putting America first. Congressional Republicans stand ready to take immediate action if the other parties walk away from this deal or slow walk its implementation.”

The last sentence of the statement can be seen as a threat to foreign governments that the US Congress could still adopt Section 899 if the new international tax agreement is violated.

Meanwhile, progress of the One Big Beautiful Bill in the Senate was dealt a blow by the Senate parliamentarian. The Senate’s rules arbiter decided that several spending cuts proposed in the bill did not qualify for the reconciliation process that allows the bill to be passed with a simple majority. Republicans hope to remedy this by changing the wording and are still sticking to their self-imposed July 4 deadline to get the bill to President Trump’s desk. However, if the Senate parliamentarian is not going to be convinced, they may have to drop these spending cuts which would make it harder to reach their budget targets and meet the Independence Day deadline.

Day Ahead

In politics, the US Senate intended to start voting today on the One Big Beautiful Bill. However, this could be delayed by the procedural clash with the Senate parliamentarian. Over a month ago, the House of Representatives passed its version with a narrow 215-214 vote. When it comes to a vote, the margins in the Senate are also small. There are 53 Republican senators, but libertarian Rand Paul is expected to vote no because of the debt limit increase included in the bill. Other fiscal hawks, in particular Ron Johnson, Rick Scott, and Mike Lee are demanding more savings in the bill, such as bigger spending cuts and a faster expiration of clean-energy tax credits. However, this is a difficult balancing act for Senate Majority Leader John Thune because at the other end of the Republican spectrum, the “Medicaid moderates”, in particular Thom Tillis, Josh Hawley and Susan Collins think the bill’s Medicaid cuts are too deep. Lisa Murkowski, Jerry Moran and Jim Justice are also considered to be part of this group. Meanwhile, there is disagreement about the increase in the cap (to $40,000) on how much taxpayers can deduct from the amount they owe in federal taxes state and local taxes (SALT). This was negotiated by House Republicans from high tax states, such as California, New Jersey and New York. However, many Republican senators want to keep this at the level of the TCJA ($10,000).

Once the Senate has passed its version, the House could accept the adjusted version early next week and send the bill to President Trump who can then sign it into law by July 4, or reject it. However, the self-imposed Independence Day deadline is symbolic and there is no X-date until August at the earliest and the fiscal cliff from the income tax provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is at end of the year. So a modest delay would have no major consequences other than ruining Trump’s good mood after getting the royal treatment at the NATO summit in The Hague.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/spain-could-ruin-eu-us-trade-negotiations

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 13:05

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-27/masayoshi-son-prepares-to-pick-successor-from-within-softbank

SoftBank's Masayoshi Son "Ready To Hand Over Reins" As He Goes "All-In" On AI Superintelligence

Masayoshi Son is positioning SoftBank to become the "world's top platformer" for Artificial Superintelligence (ASI), aiming to control the core architecture, compute infrastructure, and strategic partnerships that will enable ASI. Yet even as Son charts SoftBank's course for the 2030s, the 67-year-old says he's preparing to hand over the reins—though he won't name a successor until the last minute.

reports SoftBank's Son is preparing to step aside and will hand over leadership to an internal successor...

"I'm mentally prepared for anything, and am ready to hand over the reins at any time," Son told shareholders at a meeting in Tokyo earlier today. He added that he won't name the individual until the last minute to avoid fostering arrogance. "It's a delicate balance."

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He revealed that SoftBank now controls key AI chip architecture and plans to invest up to $30 billion in OpenAI. The group also recently acquired Graphcore and is in talks to buy Ampere Computing.

Son emphasized the importance of controlling AI infrastructure in a "winner-take-all" era, anchored by SoftBank's stake in chip designer Arm. He discussed plans to 'https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/trump-will-unveil-stargate-venture-between-openai-softbank-oracle-planning-spend-500

' by establishing an Arizona hub modeled after China's Shenzhen, potentially in partnership with TSMC, which is investing heavily in the U.S.

"We want to become the world's top platformer for ASI," he said, adding, "I'm all in."

Son didn't disclose a specific reason or timeline for stepping down, but with SoftBank's ability to fund bold AI bets by heavily relying on Japanese retail investors, installing younger leadership ahead of the 2030s may be a strategic move to strengthen confidence and align with a new generation of investors.

https://www.zerohedge.com/ai/softbanks-masayoshi-son-ready-hand-over-reins-he-goes-all-ai

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 12:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/maximum-generation-alert-issued-nations-largest-power-grid

Heat Dome Breaks: Mid-Atlantic & Northeast See Short-Lived Relief

After a stretch of scorching heat across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City, much-needed relief in the form of cooler weather has descended into the area on Friday morning. Daytime highs are expected to hover near 75°F from the nation's capital up through New York City—well below the triple-digit temperatures earlier this week that sent power grids across the eastern half of the U.S. into emergencies.

2 pm temps today as far BELOW normal as they were above a couple of days ago. Anyone want to panic over that https://t.co/VNnhM7BjCR

— The American Storm (@BigJoeBastardi) https://twitter.com/BigJoeBastardi/status/1938546250950782986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

This temporary cooldown will offer relief today before temperatures climb back into the 85°F to 90°F range for the Washington metro area through the weekend.

?itok=zHVGN76P

This week, power grids across the eastern U.S. were pushed to the brink as millions cranked up their air conditioners to survive the heat:

https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/power-blackout-hits-parts-queens-nyc-con-edison-urges-energy-conservation-temps-spike

https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/doe-declares-us-southeast-grid-emergency-avert-blackouts

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/youre-welcome-pennsylvania-boasts-about-saving-green-maryland-power-grid-collapse

https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/new-york-power-grid-stabilizes-after-rare-energy-warning

What was the one thing missing from this week's extreme heat dome? The usual barrage of "climate crisis" headlines from far left-leaning legacy corporate media outlets like ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC.

Bloomberg data show a sharp decline in climate-crisis story counts. No spike this week??

?itok=PK2CzCj_

The reason may be simple: these headlines only spike when the Democratic Party is ramming through 'green' climate bills that benefit their rogue NGO industry.

https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/heat-dome-breaks-mid-atlantic-northeast-see-short-lived-relief

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 12:05

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-launches-reelection-campaign-5878775?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge

NYC Mayor Eric Adams To Run For Reelection Against Rival Mamdani

Mayor Eric Adams launched his campaign for the November general election during a June 26 press conference on the steps of City Hall, days after state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani presumptively won the Democratic primary.

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Adams, 64, was elected in 2021 as a Democrat but chose not to run in the Democratic primary amid his unpopularity among progressive voters stemming from a now-withdrawn federal indictment on bribery charges and his concurrent decision to permit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain foreign nationals at the city’s Rikers Island jail.

In the primary, Mamdani, 33, an Indian-Ugandan American state assemblyman from Queens, defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on a progressive platform, making him Adams’s principal opponent in the general election. The city’s progressive lean makes the GOP a nonfactor in the race.

The Adams Campaign

Adams addressed Mamdani’s victory and explained his reelection platform, which he presented as a continuation of work underway during his first term. He highlighted his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was still underway when his term began.

“People were debating should our children be in school or not, but as a leader that was unwavering ... I stood strong and firm against the naysayers and said, ‘We’re going to open our schools and protect our children,’” said Adams.

He added: “Crime was moving at a higher rate. Businesses were fleeing this city. There was a lot of uncertainty. Black and brown unemployment was high. ... With my leadership, [I said] we must forge ahead a pattern and a pathway.”

Adams’s approval rating has significantly declined during his term. In March, it was https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3920

, the lowest in the 30-year-old poll’s recorded history. Additionally, 56 percent of voters wanted Adams to resign before his term concluded.

Adams stated that his term achieved several accomplishments in key areas, particularly in public safety and affordability, which are the top issues for voters.

“We took 20,000 guns off our streets ... and we prevented the loss of life of black and brown people. ... Gun arrests are at a record high, removals of guns are record high.

“Tech is booming, tourism is back, Broadway had the best 12 months in recorded history, construction is growing, and yes, Times Square is alive again,” said Adams. “We’re turning unused buildings into homes and streamlining permitting,” he said, addressing the housing crisis.

During his remarks, Adams also praised former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire owner of Bloomberg LP, who served as the city’s mayor for three terms from 2002 to 2013, and who https://pro.morningconsult.com/analysis/eric-adams-new-york-city-poll-october-2024

in the city. Bloomberg, the city’s last Republican mayor who has since become a Democrat, endorsed Cuomo during the primary.

“I saw [leadership] when Mayor Bloomberg came into office. ... He turned around this city with real leadership and focus, and I knew I had to have that same leadership, and determination, and focus,” said Adams. “That’s why we’re here today ... asking for four more years,” he added, with the crowd breaking into a chant of “four more years.”

Adams said that if reelected, he would focus on reducing crime, launch a citywide mental health initiative, advance workforce development, expand housing, and clean streets.

Adams on Mamdani

Adams criticized Mamdani for having few political achievements. Adams previously served as the Borough president of Brooklyn, a New York state senator, and for 22 years in the New York City Police Department (NYPD), reaching the rank of captain.

“They have a record of tweets. I have a record on these streets,” Adams said. “They talk about problems; I fix them. ... You don’t lead this city from a soapbox.” He said Mamdani was “an assemblymember who did not pass a bill” and was promising a “fantasy state.”

Three bills sponsored by Mamdani have been signed into law during his tenure at the Legislature. Additionally, several provisions of bills that he introduced in the Assembly have been included in other legislation that eventually passed the body and were enacted.

Criticizing Mamdani’s Democratic Socialist politics, Adams said New York is “not a city of handouts” but “a city of ‘hands up.’”

“This is a city, not a socialism. ... There is no dignity in someone giving you everything for free. There’s dignity in giving you a job, so you can provide for your family,” Adams said.

“You are going to see a movement that you have never witnessed before. I told all of you, in the beginning, this was going to be the most interesting political campaign in the history of the city. It didn’t stop on June 24, it started on June 24,” he said. “I’m ready to be your mayor for another four years.”

Some protesters were constantly heckling during Adams’s remarks.

“You can call me all the names you want, but I’m only going to answer to one: Mayor Adams,” the mayor said.

Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-run-reelection-against-rival-mamdani

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 11:05

https://mishtalk.com/economics/six-million-student-loan-borrowers-on-track-to-have-wages-garnished/

Six Million Student Loan Borrowers On Track To Have Wages Garnished

It’s 2 million now with another 4 million projected. And jobs are harder to find.

?itok=XQaC-iJK

Student-Loan Borrowers Are at Risk of Docked Pay This Summer

The Wall Street Journal reports https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/student-loan-wage-garnishment-07fc4d2a

Roughly six million federal student-loan borrowers are 90 days or more past due after a pandemic-era reprieve ended, according to TransUnion. The credit-reporting company estimates that about a third of them, or nearly two million borrowers, could move into default in July and start having their pay docked by the government. That’s up from the 1.2 million that TransUnion had estimated in early May.

An additional one million borrowers are on track to default by August, followed by another two million in September. Borrowers fall into default when they are 270 days past due.

Wage garnishment is also set to restart this summer. Until past due payments are paid in full or the default status is resolved, borrowers could see up to 15% of their wages automatically deducted from their paychecks.

Borrowers who have been newly reported as delinquent since then on their student loans have seen an average 60-point https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/student-loan-payment-pause-resumes-credit-score-498763af?mod=article_inline

, according to TransUnion. Nine percent of borrowers who fell into delinquency were current on their payments by April, according to TransUnion.

The Education Department has been urging borrowers to resume payments and emphasizing the consequences. Roughly 43 million borrowers owe more than $1.6 trillion in student-loan debt.

More than nine million of them are expected to see their credit scores drop this year, according to data from the New York Fed released in March.

This is no small deal. Millions of zoomers and millennials are spending every penny right now and struggling.

Now come wage garnishment up to 15 percent.

And those graduating now are struggling with a much tougher job market.

Gen Z College Grads Hit the Job Market at the Worst Possible Time

Business Insider reports https://www.businessinsider.com/charts-gen-z-college-grads-job-market-hiring-unemployment-2025-6

Zoomers are staring down a tough hiring market: Economic uncertainty has contributed to employees’ wariness to quit and companies’ hesitancy to hire. Artificial intelligence is disrupting the entry-level rung of the career ladder in industries like tech. Recent graduates have told Business Insider that they’re frustrated by hundreds of rejected applications and being ghosted by prospective employers. Some are settling for whatever work they can find.

It’s long been typical for 20-somethings to have a higher unemployment rate than the general population, and the overall US unemployment rate is still relatively low. One relatively new development, however, is that young people with college degrees are being hit hard by the economic slowdown — especially if they’re hoping to land a role in traditionally white-collar fields. Many Gen Zers are losing faith in the ROI of higher education and are turning toward blue-collar opportunities.

The unemployment rate for recent college graduates ages 22 to 27 has soared compared to unemployment for all workers ages 16 to 65 in recent years. This is a new trend: young people with degrees have historically almost always been more likely to be employed than the rest of the labor force.

The unemployment rate gap between the total workforce and recent grads was historically wide this spring, meaning that the job market for 20-somethings with degrees is among the worst the cohort has seen in at least four decades. Those who studied anthropology, physics, or computer engineering had the highest unemployment rates in 2023, per the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s analysis of Census Bureau data.

The pool of jobs available for Gen Z — and the workforce as a whole — to apply for has shrunk. Job openings have cooled from 12 million in March 2022 to 7 million this past April. In what’s been dubbed the Big Stay, current employees are holding on to their seats as well, with the monthly quit rate falling from 3% in March 2022 to 2% this past April.

Small and midsize businesses aren’t hiring as many recent grads

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Gusto, a payroll and benefits platform for small- and medium-sized businesses, found the rate of primarily white-collar hires aged 20 to 24 at small and midsize employers has fallen from pre-pandemic levels, declining from 9.4% in May 2019 to 2.7% this past March.

Even if new graduates have a job, they may be working in a role that doesn’t typically require a college degree. While this figure fluctuates over time, the share of 20-somethings who have jobs they’re overeducated for is rising in 2025. It coincides with the generation’s pivot toward skilled-trades roles such as electricians or plumbers.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell says the labor market is healthy.

I disagree.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/six-million-student-loan-borrowers-track-have-wages-garnished

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 07:20

Kremlin Condemns White House Envoy's Comparing Iran & Ukraine Wars

Moscow has reacted angrily to fresh words of Trump special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who has also been working on US diplomacy with Russia's Putin, after he drew parallels between the Ukraine war and Israel-Iran conflict.

"We’re hopeful that people look at what happened in Iran and say: ‘we want a part of that sort of peace process as well,’" Witkoff told https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQwaDLmOCq4

on Wednesday. "This may well gravitate towards Russia and Ukraine."

In the interview he expressed hope for expanding the Abraham Accords, particularly to Saudi Arabia: "We are hoping for normalization across an array of countries, maybe that people would never have contemplated coming in before," he said. "We’re excited for that prospect. That would also be a stabilizer in the Middle East."

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But the fact that he briefly drew comparison to the Ukraine war, expressing hope that Russia would take note of President Trump's peace 'successes' - has drawn condemnation from https://www.rt.com/russia/620573-peskov-iran-ukraine-comparison/

Israel’s “unprovoked” attack on Iran bears no comparison to the Ukraine conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, rejecting an assessment made by the US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

Witkoff had suggested earlier that the recent ceasefire between Iran and Israel could serve as a model for ending the hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.

Peskov emphasized that the two wars greatly differ in "in their essence and nature" and further asserted that the "Israeli attacks on Iran were absolutely unprovoked."

He said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is something "going back several decades" - and highlighted constant NATO expansion up to Russa's doorstep, and especially the "armed coup" in Kiev in 2014.

"It is hardly appropriate to draw parallels here," Peskov continued, and said that unlike Israel's and the United States' aerial assaults on Iran, the notion of "peace by force" is not something Russia did in the context of Ukraine. Israeli officials have even dubbed their actions 'preemptive'.

But of course, the West is going to vehemently disagree with this narrative, with the difference fundamentally coming down to whether the Ukraine war was provoked or unprovoked.

The question has increasingly been belatedly hotly debated over the last year, & finally even in mainstream publications...

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/kremlin-condemns-white-house-envoys-comparing-iran-ukraine-wars

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 04:15

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/interior-secretary-warns-us-risk-spain-style-blackouts

"Train Wreck": Extreme Measures Being Taken To Battle Biden's 'Green' Energy Grid Crisis

Energy Secretary Chris Wright warns that the U.S. power grid is nearing its capacity limit, as his department urgently works to avert a potential crisis.

This week, the Energy Department issued an emergency order to counter a Southeast heatwave threatening grid stability and blackouts, authorizing full operation of specific electric generating units.

_92%289%29.jpg?itok=YN6MoQLi

"In my department, we've issued four emergency orders just in the last few weeks to stop the closure of reliable plants, so we can keep the lights on and stop pushing up electricity prices,” Wright said in an interview Thursday with https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/trumps-energy-chief-warns-us-grid-reaching-its-limit-administration-works-avert-train-wreck

"We were on a course that was a train wreck,” the Trump official warned. "We're doing everything possible now to sweep out the nonsense.”

Wright blamed Biden-era regulations, specifically emission regulation, for that power grid being on the brink of failure.

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"We had to issue an emergency order a few days ago just to let utilities in the Southeast run their plants at full capacity so they could keep the lights on. Under the Biden laws, that's illegal," Wright said. "Emissions rules would have prevented them from producing all the electricity they could, and they would have had rolling brownouts. That's just total nonsense.”

U.S. electricity demand is projected to surge 16% over the next five years, three times the growth predicted just last year, according to the White House. In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to bolster the reliability and security of the grid.

"We need to make changes rapidly. We need to see new capacity built, smarter regulation, we need to use our grid wiser. There's so many things we need to do to improve it. We can't do it all overnight," Wright cautioned.

Trump was elected to bring back 'common sense' on energy: Secretary Chris Wright https://t.co/EqZcmknpRc

— Mornings with Maria (@MorningsMaria) https://twitter.com/MorningsMaria/status/1938240883289215303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"I can assure you, the team at [the] Department of Energy and across this administration are 24/7, seven days a week, working to get out the morass, the nonsense that got put in,” he added. "Free American energy production, and bring jobs back here. We want a shortage of electricity and plumbers and all that, that pushes wages up and that gives great job opportunities for all those hard-working Americans.”

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum declared in May that the U.S. is on the brink of crippling blackouts, much like those that paralyzed Spain, thanks to reckless over-subsidization of unreliable renewable energy sources.

Burgum attributed Spain’s grid collapse to its heavy reliance on unreliable wind and solar power, declaring, “It just defies physics. You can't run an electrical grid with just intermittent power. You cannot run with something that is based on intermittent, which is the definition of solar or wind, because the sun doesn't shine at night, and the wind doesn't blow every day.”

, warning that America is barreling toward the same disaster. “We became dangerously close to that right now. We've got parts of our country that are at risk for those same kind of—what I'll call the Biden brownouts and blackouts—to happen,” the Trump official told Friedberg.

Burgum also blasted the administration’s obsession with over-subsidizing flaky renewable energy while slapping punishing regulations on dependable coal and nuclear power. Burgum argued these misguided moves, all in the name of “saving the planet,” are recklessly jeopardizing America’s energy security. “All we're doing is potentially putting our own country at risk,” he stressed, calling for an immediate pivot to secure a robust grid to fuel the Trump administration’s economic goals—especially as China races ahead with its aggressive energy expansion.

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/train-wreck-extreme-measures-being-taken-battle-bidens-green-energy-grid-crisis

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 20:30

https://alt-market.us/feminists-are-begging-for-men-to-come-back-but-still-blame-them-for-everything/

Feminists Are Begging For Men To Come Back But Still Blame Them For Everything

One rule has remained true for generations when it comes to the division between the sexes: Men are held accountable for everything, women accept accountability for nothing.

Obviously, there’s going to be exceptions to the rule, but the majority of the time it is true that modern western women have a serious problem taking responsibility when things go wrong. They have been taught from a very early age that they are victims: Victims of men, victims of society, victims of “patriarchy”, victims of religion, victims of biology, victims of circumstance, etc.

The feminist movement is built entirely around the notion that women can weaponize their victimhood as a means to control society.

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I continue to hold that feminism is the KEY movement that has undermined the success of western culture. Their zealotry has led to the destruction of the nuclear family (the most important factor in a healthy nation). They have helped to facilitate the near collapse of the west and this problem needs to be addressed before it’s too late.

I recently came across an article in the New York Times which explains the decline in western relationships in a way that is both hilarious and depressing. The essay is titled https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/style/modern-love-men-where-have-you-gone-please-come-back.html

. The author (a 50-something woman from Chicago) recalls the old days of dating when men were easy targets for exploitation.

“We knew what worked. We knew how to frame a face, a gesture, a moment of implication — just enough to ignite fantasy and open a wallet. I came to understand, in exact terms, what cues tempt the average 18-to-36-year-old cis heterosexual man. What drew him in. What kept him coming back. It wasn’t intimacy. It wasn’t mutuality. It was access to simulation — clean, fast and frictionless…”

“…That dynamic has quietly collapsed. We have moved into an era where many men no longer seek women to impress other men or to connect across difference. They perform elsewhere. Alone. They’ve filtered us out.”

The author insinuates that the era of easy money and easy sex for women was a product of the masculine dynamics of competition and status (blame men). Yet, she also seems to be waxing nostalgic, longing for those days to return. This was the “Sex And The City” era in the late 1990s and early 2000s that was born from the sexual revolution of second wave feminism. It was the era in which female promiscuity and greed was glorified as the ultimate expression of women’s empowerment.

The idea was to turn women’s early adult years into a Dionysian orgy; giving away sex to any man with decent looks and a fat wallet in the hopes of eventually trapping a lifetime pay-pig. Marriage and maybe family would come in their 30s (or maybe 40s), but not until they had achieved as much degenerate fun as they could muster.

The problem is, women are on a biological clock, which is why for thousands of years marriage was THE primary concern for the fairer sex. To waste their 20s giving away their bodies for nothing? That was unthinkable insanity. This would doom them to decades of misery as lonely old maids living off the charity of others, and frankly nothing has changed. Childless cat ladies are still a thing and they are still embarrassing.

Only in the first world are these women able to survive.

No one looks at a spinster and sees her as “powerful” or free. Everyone can smell her failure. Her desperation. Her cope. This is why, more and more, we are beginning to see a sense of panic among women who bought into the feminist con game. They’re realizing that men are not chasing them anymore.

It started out as a joke among woke leftists who laughed at the “rise of incels”. The number of single men refusing to enter the dating world was skyrocketing and the feminists said this was a good thing. Let the “ugly scrubs” wallow in their loneliness while the ladies go out and gorge on freedom and fun until they get sick. However, the trend has continued to the point that a majority of men are checking out completely.

Recent surveys reveal that https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/08/for-valentines-day-5-facts-about-single-americans/

ages 18-29 are single. Around 30% of men have not been sexually active for a year or more. In 1980, 60% of adults were married by the age of 25. Today, only 20% are married by age 25. Men are exiting relationships and marriage at record pace, and because men are the initiators of relationships (men are biologically designed to take risks and pursue), women are starting to feel the pinch.

The latest data predicts that https://medium.com/the-savanna-post/45-of-women-estimated-to-be-single-and-childless-by-2030-1faf959b26cf

ages of 25 to 44 will be single and childless by the year 2030, and not necessarily by choice. If a woman is single and childless by the time she reaches her mid-30s, her chances of creating a family drop exponentially along with her fertility.

They are calling it the female loneliness epidemic and it’s bearing down on western society like a freight train. Even feminists are getting worried. As the New York Times opines:

“There was a time, not so long ago, when even a one-night stand might end with tangled limbs and a shared breakfast. When the act of staying the night didn’t announce a relationship, just a willingness to be human for a few more hours. Now, even that kind of unscripted contact feels rare. We’ve built so many boundaries that we’ve walled off the very moments that make connection memorable…”

“This idea that vulnerability is a threat instead of an invitation has created a culture of hesitation, of men circling intimacy but never entering it. And the result is thousands of tiny silos. Everyone performing closeness, but no one making a move that binds. Isolation. Loneliness. A hunger for contact that has nowhere to land…”

But of course, the Times doesn’t seem to think women are culpable in the slightest for this outcome. Instead, they continue the blame game:

“So here’s what I’ll say: You are missed. Not just by me, but by the world you once helped shape…”

“We remember you. The version of you that lingered at the table. That laughed from the chest. That asked questions and waited for the answers. That touched without taking. That listened – really listened – when a woman spoke.

You are not gone, but your presence is thinning. In restaurants, in friendships, in the slow rituals of romantic emergence. You’ve retreated – not into malice, but into something softer and harder all at once: Avoidance. Exhaustion. Disrepair.

Maybe no one taught you how to stay. Maybe you tried once, and it hurt. Maybe the world told you your role was to provide, to perform, to protect — and never to feel…”

Listen men, your lack of participation is starting to stress out the ladies. Just admit you can’t handle intimacy. Just admit you can’t handle these “powerful” women and their vast intellects and emotional genius. You need to be taught how to behave, that’s all. Just crawl back to them and they’re ready to tolerate you again. Isn’t that nice? They’re giving you a second chance…

At no point does the author ask WHY men are exhausted? At no point does she ask any actual men what they think or feel before writing her nonsensical screed. Obscured by insufferable and flowery prose, she still blames men while asking them to come back. And that should tell you everything you need to know about feminism in general.

I would ask feminists the million dollar question that they have avoided for so long: Have you considered the possibility that men ghost you and will not commit to you because YOU are the problem? The answer is no, obviously.

I’m a man in my mid-40s who thankfully dodged the bulk of wokeness in the dating world, but I think I can still explain for the NYT why men are walking away if they’re willing to listen.

1) First, I must say that an author in her 50s still longing for casual sitcom encounters like she’s in her 20s reveals a lot about why modern women are oblivious. Real life is not Sex In The City – Most men of means do not gravitate towards long term relationships with women in their grandma phase. She should already be in a happy relationship or marriage, she’s had plenty of time to figure this out.

Feminism has made women think they can engage with life on their own schedule. They can’t.

2) Men are especially wary of women with baggage. Women initiate 70% of breakups and divorces and feminist influence over family law has made divorce easier and more lucrative than ever for women. The older a woman is the more baggage she has and the less likely a man is going to want to date her seriously, let alone put an expensive ring on her finger.

Western women have been taught they need to party in their 20s, then pursue serious relationships in their 30s or 40s. Meaning, they ignore their best prospects for at least a decade. Their ideology sets them up to enter the relationship market when their marriage value is lowest.

3) Men are no longer tolerating the concept of the sexual revolution. They don’t want to take any chances on women who think promiscuity is a virtue. They know that statistically, women who sleep around lack discernment, the ability to connect, self respect and mental stability. Starting a relationship with such a person will only lead to disaster. They never stay happy for long (the grass is always greener). And so, men stay home. Want to get them back? Keep your body count low.

4) Third-Wave Feminists spent the better part of the last 20 years telling men they are pure evil for being masculine and wanting to chase women. So, men did what you asked of them – They stopped chasing you. They found other more interesting endeavors like their careers and their hobbies. If you want men to come back, perhaps you should APOLOGIZE for all those years of slander.

5) Modern women have greatly overestimated the usefulness of sex as a bartering tool for securing a man. If you want a man to stick around you’re going to have to show him love and respect, not just what’s inside your pants.

6) Men are far more conditioned to be alone than women are. Women are communal creatures. They rely on constant interactions, affirmations and group inclusion. Social media might fill the void for a while but it can’t give them what they really want – Intimate personal attention 24/7. Only a partner and children can give you that. In a battle of who can endure loneliness longer, men will win, so don’t make it into a battle.

7) I’ll tell you the biggest open secret that modern women still don’t understand – They claim that men are afraid of approaching them. They say that men today are “weak” and that they can’t handle the new era of the “boss babe”. They argue that men need to abandon their traditional masculine roles and act more feminine; this will make it easier for everyone to get along.

These are common jabs at the male ego designed to make men feel ashamed for distancing themselves from feminists. In reality, men value one thing above all else: Peace. If you can’t offer peace, then no man with any sense of self worth has a use for you. Feminists offer the opposite of peace, and so they have no value.

8) Feminism, like all Marxist movements, is obsessed with power. Everything they do is driven by a desire for power and control; not just over their own lives but over the world around them. Modern women say they want the same power as men, but they need to accept that no matter how much the scales are tipped in their favor through laws, government subsidies, easy college grants, DEI hiring and unfair divorce, they will never be like men.

The author suggests that men no longer shape the world because they have abandoned the current relationship dynamic. This is foolish. Men continue to shape everything around you. Every utility, every necessity, every government, nearly every company, your safety and security, your ability to be free, it’s all reliant on men. You have no power and you never will.

Feminist empowerment is a fantasy based on institutional leverage which men ALLOW them to have. Until they stop coveting power they can’t comprehend or handle the divisions between men and women will not be resolved. In short, if feminists want men to pay attention to them again, they will have to stop being feminists.

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

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/feminists-are-begging-men-come-back-still-blame-them-everything

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 17:00

https://www.theepochtimes.com/china/new-texas-law-to-prevent-land-sales-to-ccp-members-5877235?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge

New Texas Law Prevents Land Sales To CCP Members

(emphasis ours),

Texas will ban individuals and companies with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from purchasing land in the state under a law set to take effect on Sept. 1.

?itok=vbfFjsZQ

Gov. Greg Abbott https://x.com/gregabbott_tx/status/1936983385412428051?s=61

into law, restricting the foreign ownership of residential property, agricultural land, mineral deposits, and water rights across Texas.

The legislation targets nations designated as national security threats by the Director of National Intelligence. Besides communist China, the current list includes Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It also grants the governor the authority to add more countries to the restricted list.

With the new law, Texas is joining a growing number of states that regulate foreign ownership of their land. From January 2023 to July 2024, a total of 22 states have enacted similar laws limiting or banning foreign ownership of land, according to a https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11013

by the Congressional Research Service released in August 2024.

State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, who reintroduced SB 17 earlier in 2024, hailed the Texas measures as “the strongest national security bill that this nation has ever seen from any state.”

“I believe that, from the very bottom of my heart, we are protecting our land and our minerals,” the Republican senator https://senate.texas.gov/videoplayer.php?vid=22351&lang=en

at a press conference on May 31 following the bill’s passage in the Texas Legislature.

“All of these are our resources that should never fall into the hands of adversarial nations.”

In November 2022, Kolkhorst first https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/proposed-texas-legislation-banning-chinese-land-purchases-softened-amid-criticism-5102034

the bill, which was killed in the state’s lower chamber at the time.

Under the soon-to-be-enacted law, people from the designated nations living in the United States legally are allowed to purchase residential property but only if those properties serve as their primary residences.

It restricts members of “the ruling political party or any subdivision of the ruling political party” in these nations from purchasing the state’s property. That means CCP members, for example, would not be able to buy land in Texas.

Individuals who act “as an agent or on behalf of a designated country” are also subject to the land purchase ban.

The law prohibits them from acquiring land and limits property leases to less than a year at a time.

The bill https://x.com/LoisKolkhorst/status/1928619708829544576

vote.

Among the four targeted nations—which collectively hold less than 1 percent of total foreign-held agricultural land—investors from China own the most U.S. forest land and farmland at 277,336 acres, according to the Department of Agriculture’s most recent https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/economic-policy-analysis/afida/annual-reports/foreign-holdings-us-agricultural-land-december-31-2023

Texas alone has 123,708 of those acres, making it the state with the largest Chinese holdings. It was followed by North Carolina with 44,263 acres and Missouri with 42,905 acres.

Nationwide, Iranian and Russian investors reported owning 3,030 acres and 11 acres, respectively, while there was no reported acreage held by North Koreans, according to the report released in December 2023.

State Rep. Cole Hefner, a Republican who carried SB 17 in the House, said that the new law will “prevent hostile foreign nations from buying up Texas land and exposing Texas to a significant and growing threat.”

“We cannot, we will not, allow oppressive regimes who actively seek to do us harm to seize control and dictate their terms over our economy, our supply chains, our daily lives, our critical infrastructure, or our food supply,” Hefner said at the May 31 press conference.

State Sen. Bryan Hughes told reporters that the bill was not about foreign people but was part of Texas’s efforts to stand up against threats from hostile foreign adversaries.

He pointed to the threats posed by transnational repression, saying that agents from foreign adversaries operate in Texas, going after dissidents and Americans who speak out against them.

“We love all people,” Hughes said. “We do not support hostile foreign governments that are very open about their designs on us, and we will not let them mess with Texas.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/new-texas-law-prevents-land-sales-ccp-members

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 15:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/us-pending-home-sales-plunge-most-30-months-back-near-record-lows

US Pending Home Sales Rose In May, But Remain Near Record Lows

(-6.3% MoM), analysts expected May pending home sales to bounce very modestly (+0.1% MoM).

New home sales plunged, existing home sales ticked up very modestly, and so pending home sales breaks the tie with a 1.8% MoM increase...

?itok=YL8LGiN2

Source: Bloomberg

That modest rebound (though better than expected) dragged the YoY change in pending home sales up to just a 0.34% decline, but the index remains near record lows...

?itok=eZadbAz0

Source: Bloomberg

Signings picked up in all four US regions, most notably in the West, which rose by the most since December 2023.

NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun attributed May’s rise to resilience in the US labor market, with wage gains outpacing home price appreciation.

However, “mortgage rate fluctuations are the primary driver of homebuying decisions and impact housing affordability more than wage gains,” Yun said in a prepared statement.

The supply of existing homes for sale has reached an almost five-year high, as more people list their homes for sale, but the extra inventory isn’t yet pushing prices down.

?itok=jaX25s99

Source: Bloomberg

Pending-homes sales tend to be a leading indicator for previously owned homes, as houses typically go under contract a month or two before they’re sold.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/us-pending-home-sales-rose-may-remain-near-record-lows

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 10:07

It total https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/6/25/live-israel-iran-truce-holds-us-did-not-destroy-iranian-nuclear-programme

Ayatollah Claims 'Victory' Over Israel Which 'Almost Collapsed' In 1st Public Appearance Since Ceasefire

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday issued his first comments since the Trump-backed ceasefire with Israel took effect, congratulating "the great nation of Iran" for its "victory over the fake Zionist regime."

"Despite all that noise, and with all those claims, the Zionist regime almost collapsed and was crushed under the blows of the Islamic Republic," he said, according to the national IRNA news agency. He also claimed to have "delivered a slap to America’s face."

?itok=HKhbcY-T

At a moment the Trump administration is celebrating to 'obliteration' of the Islamic Republic's core elements and main facilities of its nuclear program, the Ayatollah downplayed the effects of the military campaign.

He described that the United States entered the war along Israel's side "because they felt that if they did not enter, the Zionist regime would be destroyed." He presented this as a sign of Israeli weakness, echoing prior statements issued during the aerial raids.

"However, the Americans did not gain anything in this war," he asserted. He went to say that those that attacked Iran suffered a high cost. According to more from state media https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/06/26/750155/leader-congratulates-iranian-nation-victory-says-zionist-regime-was-crushed

“We thank God for aiding our armed forces, who managed to breach their advanced multilayered defense systems and flatten large parts of their military and urban centers with powerful missile and weapons strikes,” he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei said it proves to the Zionist regime that aggression against the Islamic Republic comes with a high cost that it will have to pay, crediting both the armed forces and the people of the Islamic Republic for the glorious victory.

The last couple days since the ceasefire has held saw throngs of people come out into Tehran streets, to demonstrate in solidarity with the military, and to show defiance and that the 12-days of attacks did not bring the nation to its knees.

There have been other signs of symbolic defiance and resistance as well, including public events and a concert by the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, which goes back nearly 100 years. On Wednesday, in the city's popular Azadi Square, reports https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-conflict-us-trump-06-26-25-intl-hnk

As residents gathered for the performance, the orchestra played “Ey Iran,” the country’s unofficial national anthem that has long been considered a song of national pride and resistance and had once been banned by the Islamic Republic due to its association with anti-government sentiment.

Established in 1933, the orchestra has survived multiple regimes, coups, revolution and wars, widely seen as a symbol of resilience.

Its hardest days came during the term of hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when the orchestra was disbanded due to sanctions, financial difficulties and negligence.

died and thousands were injured in the strikes, with Israel also claiming to have assassinated at least 14 Iranian nuclear scientists and many more high-ranking military commanders.

But Israel, and Tel Aviv especially, had whole building and neighborhoods leveled, and had some of its military command centers hit by Iranian ballistic and hypersonic missiles. On the other side, much of Tehran was destroyed, and the Iranians admit that key nuclear facilities suffered significant damage; however, they have pledged that nuclear energy development will continue as a matter of national sovereignty.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ayatollah-claims-victory-over-israel-which-almost-collapsed-1st-public-appearance

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 08:50

Boeing Binge-Buying Sparks Biggest Jump In US Durable Goods Orders In 11 Years

Following last month's plunge in headline durable goods orders, preliminary May data was expected to surge on the back of plane orders following Trump's visit to the MidEast (and the Paris Air Show).

Brace for Durable Goods surge. Consensus expects +8.5% but real number likely to come around +15.0% on a sharp increase in aircraft orders following Trump's visit to the Middle East.

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) https://twitter.com/zerohedge/status/1938201804464132178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

And they were right but the magnitude is incredible - orders rose a stunning 16.4% MoM, the biggest jump since July 2014...

?itok=gmLKRNA1

Source: Bloomberg

This was all driven by non-defense aircraft orders... which rose 230% MoM..

?itok=D1sAElvJ

Source: Bloomberg

...as 'ex-transports', orders rose just 0.5% MoM (still better than expected)...

?itok=nHejDQSD

Source: Bloomberg

Capital goods shipments rose 0.5%, excluding defense and commercial aircraft, better than expected, adding to Q2 GDP growth hopes.

https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/boeing-binge-buying-spark-biggest-jump-us-durable-goods-orders-11-years

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 08:48

The https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/Standardartikel/Themen/Oeffentliche_Finanzen/Bundeshaushalt/bundeshaushalt-2025.html

Germany's Fiscal Illusion: How Berlin Is Burying The Debt Brake

By Thomas Kolbe

Bye-Bye Maastricht: Germany's March into the Debt State

Political failure in a welfare state translates almost immediately into rising social expenditures. Their disproportionate increase shows one thing clearly: Germany is heading for troubled times.

"Budgetary policy is the sovereign right of parliament"—so goes the well-worn phrase when lawmakers gather for their annual budget debate. If that phrase ever held truth, then today the sovereign stands exposed: the king has no clothes.

, finalized today by Germany’s federal cabinet and scheduled for adoption tomorrow, amounts to a fiscal policy capitulation. It foresees €81.8 billion in new net borrowing for the core budget—while an additional €60 billion is parked off the books in a so-called “special fund,” also debt-financed. The total federal budget climbs to approximately €503 billion, an increase of 6.1 percent over the previous year. For 2026, Finance Minister Christian Lindner is already planning a further expansion to €519.5 billion.

The real net borrowing, once this off-book spending is accounted for, reaches 3.2 percent of GDP—exceeding the long-abandoned Maastricht threshold of 3 percent. When even the eurozone’s former poster child no longer adheres to the rules, one thing becomes obvious: they were never worth the paper they were printed on. And the only natural brake on such excess—a free capital market—has long been neutralized by the European Central Bank’s perpetual interventions.

The path is now clear. Or rather: the floodgates are open. Debt-financed stimulus is once again the weapon of choice against recession.

As for Germany’s much-lauded “debt brake”—a constitutional clause requiring balanced budgets—it was always political poetry, never policy. A legal fiction on the verge of collapse, threatening constitutional confidence because no one in Berlin even pretends to honor it anymore.

Expensive Social Glue

If budget policy is about priorities, this one speaks volumes. It serves the dubious function of further expanding Germany’s welfare architecture. In 2025, social spending will rise by 6 percent to a staggering €210 billion. That growth does not merely signal the coalition’s political preferences—it exposes the structural failure of German governance.

Especially noteworthy is the increase in Bürgergeld (citizens’ benefit), which rises by €900 million to a total of €16.2 billion this year. Meanwhile, providing for migrants living in Germany without legal status costs states and municipalities over €10 billion annually. The welfare state has become an unrestrained transfer machine. It no longer acts as a safety net, but rather as an immigration magnet—exerting mounting pressure on German society from within.

War-Readiness Without Limits

Alongside the welfare sector and the ever-growing bureaucracy, Germany’s arms industry can also expect substantial fiscal generosity. The defense budget will rise by 3.5 percent next year—a first step toward https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/what-is-natos-new-5-defence-spending-target-2025-06-23/

for defense and security. By 2029, Germany plans to allocate €152.8 billion to defense. Of that, 3.5 percent will go to traditional armaments, with the rest earmarked for cybersecurity, logistics, and military infrastructure. Naturally, these extra billions will be tucked away in the “special fund”—because Germany now keeps its books like the disreputable cousin of an honorable merchant. The truth is hidden; creditworthiness is merely simulated.

With the establishment of these special funds, Berlin has opened Pandora’s box. Over the next twelve years, it plans to bury €500 billion in spending for infrastructure, digitalization, and the failed green transition within them. This systematic obfuscation of costs—and their inflationary consequences—will increase public debt by at least twelve percent. It’s as if a child had been handed the key to the candy cabinet. The result is the end of any pretense of fiscal discipline.

Trickery, Smoke Screens, and Denial

German budget policy has become a farce. What we’re witnessing are expertly staged accounting tricks, media distractions, and the desperate attempt to defer structural reform of the welfare state—whatever the cost.

The worn-out German economy will not breathe new life into an equally exhausted state through some unexpected economic miracle. If current trends continue—and all signs suggest they will—German public debt will surpass the 100 percent-of-GDP mark within the next decade.

At that point, there will be no way back from the fiscal trap. It’s only a matter of time before the portion of the bond market not artificially suppressed by the European Central Bank begins to price in Berlin’s fiscal camouflage. The unholy alliance of expansionary fiscal policy and monetary manipulation will keep interest rates under control through bond purchases, but redirect the monetary damage elsewhere.

In the end, this unsound budget policy translates into one thing: inflation. The erosion of purchasing power is knowingly accepted by the political class. It is, in fact, a feature—not a bug—of the redistribution mechanism

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/germanys-fiscal-illusion-how-berlin-burying-debt-brake

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 03:30

ISIS-Inspired Drone War Plans Leaked From US National Security Council

Authored by https://headlineusa.com/author/jose-ninoheadlineusa-com/

According to leaked documents, British and American academics advised the U.S. National Security Council to encourage Ukraine to adopt https://headlineusa.com/tag/ISIS

-style drone tactics against Russian railways.

?itok=FS7dkojI

In a report https://thegrayzone.com/2025/06/23/nsc-advisors-isis-drone-attacks/

by investigative journalist Kit Klarenberg for The Grayzone on Monday, Project Alchemy, a secret academic-intelligence cell whose mission was “to keep Ukraine fighting” by imposing “strategic dilemmas, costs and frictions upon Russia” was revealed as the network allegedly behind these plans.

The academic recommendations were delivered to Colonel https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-f-wright00

at the National Security Council from August 2021 to July 2022. The proposals came from three key drone experts within a broader Ukraine Working Group composed of “approximately 60 experts hailing from states throughout NATO” who sought to “assist Ukraine’s defense (short of deploying combat forces).”

Zachary Kallenborn from George Mason University’s Schar School advocated for “two-stage attacks like ISIS did frequently” on Russian railways, recommending https://headlineusa.com/tag/Ukraine

“break the track, and wait for the engineers to come to fix it, then use the drone to kill them.”

An unnamed Durham University researcher identified as “M.E.D.” cited Islamic State’s “innovative” use of drones as documented in a July 2018 West Point paper, suggesting commercial drones could be “modified via a simple drop mechanism… to serve as effective munitions delivery platforms.”

Dominika Kunertova, formerly of ETH Zurich’s Center for Security Studies and currently directing drone warfare research at the Atlantic Council, recommended targeting “anything that uses” railroads as opposed to the infrastructure itself.

These academic blueprints proved prophetic when Ukraine launched Operation Spider Web late last month conducting bold drone attacks inside Russia that killed seven people and injured more than 30, including two children.

The timing proved particularly significant as these attacks took place “on the eve of scheduled negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.”

Ukrainian forces subsequently destroyed a Russian fuel train late last month using a DJI Mavic III drone, one of the specific models Kallenborn had recommended for modification.

The attacks continued through this month with Operation Spiderweb 2.0, demonstrating how the “British-born strategy has heavily influenced the thinking of Kiev’s increasingly desperate military.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/isis-inspired-drone-war-plans-leaked-us-national-security-council

Wed, 06/25/2025 - 22:35

https://www.theepochtimes.com/business/fed-moves-to-relax-key-capital-rule-for-big-banks-to-support-treasury-markets-5878249?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge

Fed Moves To Relax Key Capital Rule For Big Banks To Support Treasury Markets

The Federal Reserve has adopted a draft proposal to ease a key capital requirement for the nation’s largest banks, aiming to reduce regulatory pressure that discourages them from holding low-risk assets such as U.S. Treasurys and to make it easier for these institutions to act as intermediaries in the Treasury market during times of stress, when liquidity is most needed.

?itok=AQNfx0Yf

At a public board https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/boardmeetings/20250625open.htm

to modify the enhanced supplementary leverage ratio (eSLR)—a post–2008 financial crisis safeguard that requires global systemically important banks (GSIBs) to hold capital against all assets, regardless of risk. The proposal will now be published in the Federal Register and will be open for public comment for 60 days.

Fed chair Jerome Powell, speaking before the vote, endorsed the proposal and pointed to the banking sector’s overall strength. But he warned that the current leverage rule may be over-calibrated, potentially discouraging banks from holding safe assets and contributing to market strain.

“In the case of the leverage ratio, over-calibration may lead to diminished liquidity in the Treasury markets and other unintended consequences,” Powell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg-A049eVD0

. “A leverage requirement functions best when it is generally a backstop to risk-based capital requirements,” Powell continued, adding that when leverage requirements are binding, they can discourage banks from participating in lower-risk lower-return activities that support the U.S. financial system and economy, such as Treasury market intermediation.

The proposed rule would replace the current flat leverage buffer of 2 percent at the parent bank level and 6 percent at the subsidiary level with a variable buffer based on each bank’s systemic risk score.

That change would reduce total capital requirements for America’s biggest banks by about 1.4 percent, according to Fed staff https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/boardmeetings/files/leverage-ratio-memo-20250625.pdf

. While capital requirements for bank subsidiaries would fall by a much larger 27 percent, most of that capital would remain locked within the banking group due to holding company rules and would not be available for shareholder payouts.

The reductions apply to Tier 1 capital—the core capital that includes common stock and retained earnings—used as a primary buffer to absorb losses during times of financial stress.

Supporters of the proposal say that the current version of the leverage rule has become too rigid—penalizing banks for holding safe assets and discouraging them from helping stabilize financial markets during periods of stress. Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman, who spearheaded the effort, https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/boardmeetings/files/bowman-statement-20250625.pdf

the recalibration a “sensible and timely” fix that restores the eSLR’s original purpose.

“The proposal will help to build resilience in U.S. Treasury markets, reducing the likelihood of market dysfunction and the need for the Federal Reserve to intervene in a future stress event,” Bowman said in prepared remarks. “We should be proactive in addressing the unintended consequences of bank regulation, including the bindingness of the eSLR, while ensuring the framework continues to promote safety, soundness, and financial stability.”

Fed governor Christopher Waller likewise endorsed the plan, saying that the current rule fails to distinguish between risky and safe assets.

“The leverage ratio treats a Treasury bond the same as a junk bond, but we know they’re not the same,” Waller said in https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/boardmeetings/files/waller-statement-20250625.pdf

, adding that the currently calibrated eSLR serves not as a backstop but as a binding requirement for some banks, imposing “unintended consequences for bank health,” with the added potential to impede market functioning.

“Re-working that incentive structure to address these unintended consequences of the current calibration makes sense,” said Waller, who also voted for the proposal.

Oppositions

Two Fed governors voted against the measure, warning that easing the rule could weaken safeguards that protect the banking system in a crisis.

Governor Michael Barr, the Fed’s former top regulatory official, criticized the proposal for significantly reducing bank-level capital and potentially encouraging firms to take on more risk or return capital to shareholders rather than expanding Treasury market activity.

Barr, who previously served as the Fed’s top regulatory official, https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/boardmeetings/files/barr-statement-20250625.pdf

in prepared remarks that the proposal would significantly reduce capital across the banking system: by $210 billion at the holding company level, $280 billion at bank subsidiaries, $73 billion in total loss-absorbing capacity, and $132 billion in long-term debt requirements.

“Taken together, these changes would significantly increase the risk that a GSIB bank would fail, orderly resolution would not be possible, and the Deposit Insurance Fund would incur higher losses,” he said, referring to the fund at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which is used to protect depositors and cover losses when insured banks collapse. Barr warned that with less capital on hand, large banks would be vulnerable in a crisis, potentially leaving the financial system—and taxpayers—more exposed.

Governor Adriana Kugler also opposed the measure, saying she might have supported a narrower recalibration at the holding company level but could not back the deeper capital cuts proposed for bank subsidiaries.

“Broker-dealers, not banks, are the subsidiaries of the G-SIB organizations that play the most critical role in intermediating Treasury markets through market making and securities financing activities,” Kugler https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/boardmeetings/files/kugler-statement-20250625.pdf

in prepared remarks. “Banks do not play the same role, and I am not convinced that the benefits to Treasury market intermediation from the change at the bank-level justify the significant proposed reductions in tier 1 capital requirements, especially in light of the potential for elevated financial stability risk.”

The proposal also invites public comment on potential alternatives, including whether to exclude certain Treasury assets entirely from the leverage ratio calculation, to further address concerns around U.S. Treasury market intermediation.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/fed-moves-relax-key-capital-rule-big-banks-support-treasury-markets

Wed, 06/25/2025 - 18:25

Please https://quoththeraven.substack.com/p/hey-dems-unseat-mamdani-and-youll

Hey Dems: Unseat Mamdani And You’ll Win The 2028 National Election

Submitted by https://quoththeraven.substack.com/p/hey-dems-unseat-mamdani-and-youll

I think it was Mark Twain who said “every massive communist nightmare of a problem with a chance to destroy the most iconic city in American history is an opportunity in disguise”. Maybe it was Milton Friedman. Or Kim Kardashian.

I can’t remember.

But the point is that Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City Mayoral Democratic primary tonight could actually turn out to be a national moment of truth for the Democratic Party.

After a bruising 2024 presidential defeat, one in which Democrats were widely criticized for alienating moderates and independents with a platform that veered too far left, the party now finds itself at a crossroads. Again.

Among many, well-known (former) Democrats like Ana Kasparian, Bill Ackman, Joy Reid, Elon Musk and former Rep. Jared Golden have distanced themselves—if not removed themselves—from the party altogether. More will soon follow.

This New York City mayoral election is no longer a local issue—it’s a symbolic referendum on whether Democrats have learned anything from their recent loss, or if they’re content to continue losing the middle in pursuit of ideological purity.

2024 should have been winnable for Democrats. The Republican Party fielded a polarizing candidate, the economy was relatively stable, and yet voters across the country turned away because they feared what the Democrats were becoming.

Centrist voters who once leaned blue looked at the messaging, the priorities, the excesses and the socialism, activism and radical policy stances and simply said “enough”.

In the nation’s most important city, Democrats are voting for a platform that feels like it was written during a fireside drum circle in the quad of Evergreen University.

Free housing. Free transit. Free groceries—courtesy of government-run stores. A policing strategy that replaces cops with counselors and bureaucrats with badges. Tax hikes that seem designed not to generate revenue, but to punish — and will assuredly lead to a massive capital outflow from New York. It’s not policy, it’s bullshit performance art that has no chance of being effective in one of the world’s most important geographic locations. And it is everything that turned off centrist Democrat voters in 2024.

So here’s the opportunity: Democrats can make a statement—not just to New York, but to the country—that they are still the party of rational governance and common sense — and that they can self-correct. That they are capable of breaking with their worst parts when it matters.

And it matters now.

This means one thing for the Democratic party: backing a centrist, independent candidate in November who can beat Mamdani in the general. Not a protest candidate. Not a placeholder. A real, serious contender who speaks to the exhausted majority that is desperate for competence over chaos.

🔥 50% OFF FOR LIFE: Using this coupon entitles you to 50% off an annual subscription to Fringe Finance for life: https://quoththeraven.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=d8097c43

Yes, it would mean bypassing your own party’s nominee. Yes, it would mean a messy, unscripted break with tradition. But it would also be a powerful signal to the rest of the country: we heard you. We understand that winning elections in a diverse, divided nation means appealing to a broad coalition. Not just activists and donors, but homeowners, working-class voters, small business owners, families, and independents.

Democrats have a chance—right now—to show they’ve learned from their mistakes. That they’re not doubling down on the same playbook that cost them the White House, House seats, and voter trust.

Let’s be clear: the only viable path forward is an independent candidacy with full-throated support from party leaders, major donors, national figures, and the rank-and-file who quietly know this has gone too far.

And the media must stop treating this like some heartwarming tale of a plucky outsider shaking up the system. This isn’t a feel-good story. It’s the slow-motion capture of a governing disaster in the making. If Democrats let it happen unchallenged, they’ll be complicit—not just in Mamdani’s mayoralty, but in further defining the national brand as unserious, unanchored, and unelectable.

Because if Mamdani wins, it won’t just be a local experiment gone wrong. It’ll be seen as confirmation that the Democratic Party is unable—or unwilling—to police its own excesses.

And that message won’t stop at the Hudson. It’ll ripple across every swing district, every suburban race, every national conversation where voters are quietly asking: who is looking out for the middle anymore?

This is Democrats’ chance to answer. And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I hope they don’t waste it.

for free if you enjoyed the content.

QTR’s Disclaimer: Please read my full legal disclaimer https://quoththeraven.substack.com/about

with my best effort to uphold what the license asks, or with the permission of the author.

This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stocks or securities, just my opinions. I often lose money on positions I trade/invest in. I may add any name mentioned in this article and sell any name mentioned in this piece at any time, without further warning. None of this is a solicitation to buy or sell securities. I may or may not own names I write about and are watching. Sometimes I’m bullish without owning things, sometimes I’m bearish and do own things. Just assume my positions could be exactly the opposite of what you think they are just in case. If I’m long I could quickly be short and vice versa. I won’t update my positions. All positions can change immediately as soon as I publish this, with or without notice and at any point I can be long, short or neutral on any position. You are on your own. Do not make decisions based on my blog. I exist on the fringe. The publisher does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this page. These are not the opinions of any of my employers, partners, or associates. I did my best to be honest about my disclosures but can’t guarantee I am right; I write these posts after a couple beers sometimes. I edit after my posts are published because I’m impatient and lazy, so if you see a typo, check back in a half hour. Also, I just straight up get shit wrong a lot. I mention it twice because it’s that important.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/hey-dems-unseat-mamdani-and-youll-win-2028-national-election

Wed, 06/25/2025 - 08:05

California Is America's Most Expensive State, Arkansas Its Least

How far does a dollar really go across America?

As inflation has raised everything from housing costs to the price of eggs to record levels, consumers are feeling the burden. While tariffs stand to raise prices even further—although no meaningful signs in official data show this yet—price pressures have few signs of abating.

This graphic, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-us-states-from-most-to-least-expensive/

?itok=3sDUme3t

How Price Parity Compares Across America

To show the differences in prices across the country, the BEA compared each state to the national average, represented as 100 as of 2023.

State

Regional Price Parity (U.S. = 100)

California

113

Washington DC

111

New Jersey

109

Hawaii

109

Washington

109

Massachusetts

108

New York

108

New Hampshire

105

Oregon

105

Maryland

104

Connecticut

104

Florida

104

Alaska

102

Rhode Island

101

Colorado

101

Arizona

101

Virginia

101

Delaware

Illinois

Minnesota

Pennsylvania

Texas

Maine

Nevada

Georgia

Vermont

Utah

Michigan

North Carolina

South Carolina

Wisconsin

Tennessee

Indiana

Ohio

Missouri

Idaho

Wyoming

Kentucky

New Mexico

Nebraska

Montana

Alabama

Kansas

West Virginia

Iowa

North Dakota

Louisiana

Oklahoma

South Dakota

Mississippi

Arkansas

Ranking as the nation’s most expensive state, prices in California are 13% higher than the national average.

In particular, California’s housing rents are 58% higher overall, second-only to Washington, D.C.. at 69% in 2023. Typically, housing is the primary driver of price disparities across the country.

At the same time, Californians pay more for groceries than any other state—at around 10% higher than the U.S. average.

Ranking in third is New Jersey, driven largely by its proximity to New York. In addition to high housing costs, a separate report shows that people in the Garden State pay 32% more for household bills like utilities and health insurance than the U.S. average.

At the other end of the spectrum, southern states like Arkansas and Mississippi offer some of the lowest costs of living. In August 2024, the https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-median-home-sale-price-by-u-s-state/

in Arkansas was just $203,067 compared to the U.S. median of about $385,000. Beyond housing costs, daily expenses like transportation and utilities are also comparatively lower.

Similarly, median home prices in Mississippi stand at just $183,507, however, median household incomes fall below the national average, at $55,060.

To learn more about this topic from an affordability perspective, check out this https://www.voronoiapp.com/real-estate/Montana-Is-Americas-Least-Affordable-State--5078

on home affordability scores by U.S. state.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/california-americas-most-expensive-state-arkansas-its-least

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 22:10

NATO Chief Butters Up Trump, While Touting Ukraine's 'Irreversible Path' To NATO Membership

Before President Trump's Air Force One even touched down in The Hague to attend this week's major NATO summit, he was responding somewhat coldly when asked about his relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and whether they will meet.

The White House clarified that such a meeting will take place at some point on the sidelines of the summit, but pro-Kiev pundits are reacting to the following exchange with a reporter as an insult to Zelensky and to Ukraine...

"Do you think you'll meet with Zelensky [at NATO]?"https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

: "Yeah, probably I'll see him."

"What would you say to him?"https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

: "I'll say, 'How ya doing?'"

😂🤣 https://t.co/zio42p5rAX

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937523977259225521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The last time the two leaders met was in April on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral, which resulted in the famous photo of the two sitting face-to-face, talking intensely, in St. Peter's Basilica.

Trump only said to reporters Tuesday that he "would probably meet" with Zelensky, and reports now say that the sit-down could happen as soon as tomorrow afternoon.

The US has shut the door on Ukraine's path to NATO membership, and Trump is only expected to discuss new anti-Russia sanctions as well as purchase of a fresh weapons package from the US with Zelensky.

But NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is still busy touting an 'irreversible' path of Ukraine toward NATO. He said ahead of the https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-chief-ukraine-alliance-irreversible-donald-trump-us-mark-rutte-eu-canada-russia-defense/

"I can announce that now new estimates showing that our European and Canadian allies have stepped up, they will provide over €35 billion of additional security assistance to Ukraine for the year ahead," the NATO chief said.

Rutte said there was agreement within the alliance on the need to keep up support.

“This is the reason why, I think also last year in Washington, NATO allies agreed that for Ukraine, there is an irreversible path of Ukraine to enter NATO,” Rutte told reporters. “That is still true today, and it will still be true on Thursday after this summit.”

Reporters at The Hague are busy contrasting Rutte's warmth and embrace of Zelensky's with Trump's apparent coolness...

Hugs and this from NATO Sec Gen Rutte to Zelensky: "We will continue to build the bridge for Ukraine’s irreversible path to NATO membership." https://t.co/3GQooqadT2

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) https://twitter.com/ChristopherJM/status/1937514807877419367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Rutte is clearly trying to stay on Trump's good side, meanwhile, having issued a letter praising Trump's 'extraordinary' decision to hit Iran's nuclear sites.

The head of NATO has formally congratulated the US president in a private text message which has been revealed as follows:

?itok=P--Ewb9Q

The message was confirmed by the White House as authentic, after some questioned it, given how gushing it was: "You are flying into another big success in https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/24/sabotage-fears-as-hits-nato-summit-travel/

,” he continued, explaining how other member states have agreed to increase their defense spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product," Rutte wrote.

"Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world," he wrote. "You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done."

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/nato-chief-butters-trump-while-touting-ukraines-irreversible-path-nato-membership

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 16:40

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/06/some_updated_satirical_predictions_for_the_latter_half_of_2025.html

Some 'Predictions' For The Latter Half Of 2025...

Back in mid-January I issued “My Predictions For The Rest Of 2025.”

We are half a year in, and I thought I should issue an update.

?itok=6XCoVLcY

Ergo, I hereby present to you “My Updated Predictions For The Last Half Of 2025:”

*June 25—A lone federal district court judge rules that President Trump must re-rename the large body of water between Florida and Mexico “The Gulf of Mexico.”

*June 26—A lone federal district court judge, installed by Barack Obama in 2015, rules that all African-Americans must be given $2 million each in reparations—and a $1,000 IHOP gift card.

*June 27—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) takes to the Congressional podium to vehemently declare that illegal aliens’ right to vote must be immediately codified and enshrined in law, while white people “and other infidels” should not be allowed to vote, in order to “save our democracy.”

*June 28—Yes, the Chicago White Sox are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

*July 7—Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney jointly issue a stunning announcement: Minnesota will become Canada’s 11th province as of August 1st.

*July 24—A lone federal district court judge rules that President Trump must “immediately restore the White House to exactly as it looked at the very moment when President Biden left office on January 20th, 2025.”

*August 12—With the Canadian wildfires raging as strong as ever, four months in, President Trump, citing national security and health concerns, decides to annex Canada and put out the fires. This also reunites Minnesota with the United States. Sort of. Trump says, “I must protect the rights of American citizens to go outdoors, play golf, and breathe without being forced to inhale toxic smoke that could eventually kill them.”

*August 30—A lone federal district court judge rules that Trump must un-annex Canada and restart the Canadian wildfires.

*September 10—Elon Musk, continuing to try to patch things up with President Trump, says that he misspoke when his tweet implied that Trump visited Epstein Island. Musk says what he meant to tweet was that Trump had once visited Gilligan’s Island. “My bad,” says Musk.

*September 23—A lone federal district court judge rules that, contrary to recent Trump administration directives, the United States military must be at least 50% comprised of members of the LGBTQ Community by Jan. 1, 2027.

*September 30-- Extensive new studies find that COVID-19 vaccines injured or killed far more people than originally thought…prompting the mainstream media to immediately launch a series of programs revisiting the “January 6 Insurrection.”

*October 12—Kamala Harris is found passed out on a San Francisco street, empty wine box to her side.

*October 29—Nancy Pelosi is found passed out on a San Francisco street, empty Haagen Dazs containers and vodka bottles to her side.

*November 18—It is revealed that CNN became the first cable news network ever to have a negative ratings share for any week. Lifesitenews brands the network’s Nov. 9- Nov. 15 performance “a miracle.”

*November 20—Congressional Democrats propose a bill that would require the payment of reparations to Blacks and mandate that the U.S. return the southwestern states to Mexico, the middle of the country to France, and the Eastern seaboard to England. An amendment to the bill calls for all English-speaking folks to subsequently return to England, effectively returning the erstwhile United States to the Indigenous Peoples.

*December 10—A lone federal district court judge’s ruling declares that President Trump must only wear boxers, never briefs.

*December 31—Yes, CNN’s Anderson Cooper does accidentally vomit on air after guzzling a glass filled with a mix of Wild Turkey and Clorox Bleach-- and taking several prolonged bong hits to celebrate the New Year.

A sneak peek at 2026:

*January 9—Al Gore says that, unless all human activity on planet Earth immediately ceases, the planet will spontaneously combust by the end of the year.

*January 27—The U.S. observes the 10-year anniversary of Al Gore stating that, unless the Earth took “drastic measures,” it would reach the “point of no return” in 10 years.

*January 29—A lone federal district court judge invalidates the 2024 presidential election, finding that “the American people are incapable of voting in a way that furthers and supports our precious democracy.” He rules that Kamala Harris be immediately installed as president and Tim Walz as vice-president. He adds, “There are no kings in this country. I have spoken!”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/some-predictions-latter-half-2025

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 16:20

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/harvard-wins-injunction-against-trump-administrations-student-visa-ban-5877297?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge

Harvard Wins Injunction Against Trump Admin's Student Visa Ban

A federal judge on Monday issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of President Donald Trump’s https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/enhancing-national-security-by-addressing-risks-at-harvard-university/

that bars foreign nationals from entering the United States through Harvard’s student exchange visa program.

?itok=O6qRB8Y_

District Judge Allison Burroughs granted Harvard’s request for an injunction to extend a block on enforcement of the June 4 proclamation while litigation is ongoing.

Trump stated in his proclamation that the Chinese Communist Party and other U.S. adversaries are trying to “take advantage of American higher education by exploiting the student visa program for improper purposes and by using visiting students to collect information at elite universities in the United States.”

The proclamation also pointed to a rise in crime rates at Harvard in recent years, alleging that the university had failed to discipline certain categories of conduct violations on campus.

In a 44-page https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.285083/gov.uscourts.mad.285083.75.0_1.pdf

, Burroughs stated that the proclamation did not establish any connection between the high crime rates at Harvard and the presence of foreign students.

“The proclamation does not state, for example, that the rise in crime is correlated with a rise in the percentage of international students of Harvard, nor does it cite any evidence whatsoever that international students are committing these crimes, statistics which, presumably, would be available to the federal government if they exist,” she wrote.

Burroughs said the case centers on core constitutional rights to freedom of thought, expression, and speech, which she said must be safeguarded as they serve as “a pillar of a functioning democracy and an essential hedge against authoritarianism.”

The judge found that the government’s attempts to exert control over “a reputable academic institution and squelch diverse viewpoints seemingly because they are, in some instances, opposed to this administration’s own views,” are threatening those rights.

“To make matters worse, the government attempts to accomplish this, at least in part, on the backs of international students, with little thought to the consequences to them or, ultimately, to our own citizens,” she stated.

The Epoch Times has sought comment from both the White House and Harvard but did not receive a response by publication time.

Funding Frozen

Before Trump’s proclamation, the president froze billions in federal funding for medical research at Harvard amid his administration’s crackdown on anti-Semitism and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in higher education.

Harvard challenged the move, arguing that the funding freeze had no connection to the alleged harassment of Jewish students on its campus.

In April, Trump threatened to revoke Harvard’s https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/trump-floats-revoking-harvards-tax-exempt-status-what-is-it-5843806

He then issued the proclamation on June 4 to end the university’s visa program for international students, resulting in an additional lawsuit from Harvard.

The proclamation barred foreign nationals from entering the United States to study at Harvard or take part in an exchange visitor program hosted by the university for six months. It also directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider whether the visas of foreign nationals already enrolled at Harvard should be revoked.

In a June 5 https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2025/an-update-on-supporting-our-international-students-and-scholars-2/

, Harvard President Alan Garber said Trump’s order against student visas was “yet another illegal step taken by the administration to retaliate against Harvard.”

Burroughs issued a preliminary injunction on June 5 to block the proclamation. The latest injunction extended that block until the court reaches a decision.

Trump https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-signals-possible-deal-with-harvard-in-next-week-or-so-5876201

on June 20 that he has been in talks with Harvard University officials regarding their “large-scale improprieties” and expects to reach an agreement with the university soon.

“They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to commit to doing what is right,” he https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114717387393069944

on the social media platform Truth Social.

The university has not publicly commented on the president’s announcement.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/harvard-wins-injunction-against-trump-admins-student-visa-ban

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 13:25

Futures Jump, Oil And Dollar Dump As Markets Ignore Ceasefire Violations

US equity futures jumped, rapidly approaching all time highs, while oil and the dollar tumbled on hopes the worst is over in the middle east, even as traders parse rapidly-changing headlines on Iran where the fragile ceasefire with Iran announced by President Donald Trump was promptly violated by both sides, sparking several angry outbursts by Trump this morning, starting with this one...

ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

... followed by this:

ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly “Plane Wave” to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect! Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

... and Trump even dropped the F-bomb in frustration.

Trump says Israel and Iran ‘don’t know what the fuck they’re doing’ https://t.co/FWoVCqdLL9

— Danny Kemp (@dannyctkemp) https://twitter.com/dannyctkemp/status/1937468657585782856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In any case, for now markets are giving the lack of a ceasefire the benefit of the doubt - after all Trump probably already printed hats commemorating the end of the "12 Day War", and as of 8:00am, S&P futures rose 0.8%, signaling a second day of gains, while Nasdaq 100 futures surged 1%, with all Mag7 stocks higher premarket led again by TSLA with semis and cyclicals ex-energy also higher. European stocks and Asian stocks also advanced. has plunged 15% from Monday’s intraday high, sliding an additional 5.6% on Tuesday as it fell below the level of June 12, the day before Israel began attacking Iran’s nuclear sites. The benchmark later pared some losses to trade above $69 a barrel after Israel reported a missile launch from Iran and instructed its military to respond; but for the most part oil has completely shrugged off reports that the ceasefire is obviously being violated. The dollar headed for its biggest drop since the outbreak of the conflict. The yield on 10-year Treasuries was little changed, as investors’ awaited the first day of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony before lawmakers on Tuesday (at 10am ET) which is adding fuel to the rally. The yield curve is twisting steeper as USD decline continues. Cmdtys are lower, dragged by Energy, but precious metals are under pressure. Today’s macro data focus is on housing prices, Consumer Confidence, and regional Fed activity indicators. Barring another escalation in the Middle East, focus will shift back to the Fed, with six speakers today including Powell.

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In premarket trading,Mag7 stocks are all higher alongside index futures (Tesla +2.2%, Amazon +1.5%, Alphabet +1.2%, Apple +1.2%, Nvidia +0.9%, Meta +0.7%, Microsoft +0.6%). Tesla (TSLA) is outperforming fellow Magnificent 7 stocks in premarket trading on Tuesday, rising 2.2%, after launching its much-anticipated driverless taxi service to a handful of riders. Here are the other notable premarket movers:

Airline stocks around the world surged after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, spurring optimism over a potential easing of airspace disruptions in the Middle East.

Circle Internet Group Inc. shares (CRCL) fell 1.9% in premarket trading after the stablecoin issuer was initiated at Compass Point Research & Trading with a recommendation of neutral as competition is expected to increase after US stablecoin legislation was passed.

CommScope shares (COMM) are up 2.2% in premarket trading, after Deutsche Bank added the communications equipment company to its catalyst call buy list.

Crypto-linked stocks are rising on Tuesday with Bitcoin gaining as much as 2.2% amid broader market gains after Israel and Iran reached a ceasefire.

Energy stocks fall and airlines rise after a ceasefire announcement by President Donald Trump pointed to a potential reduction of tensions in the Middle East. Iran has yet to confirm publicly that it agreed to the ceasefire.

Lyft shares (LYFT) rise as much as 5.4% in premarket trading on Tuesday as TD Cowen raised to buy from hold citing multiple growth levers.

Mastercard (MA +2.7%) deepens its partnership with Fiserv (FI +4.4%) to integrate its new FIUSD token across a range of Mastercard products and services, expanding stablecoin adoption and utility for their shared customers around the world.

NextDecade Corp. (NEXT) gains 4.6% premarket after TD Cowen analyst Jason Gabelman raised the recommendation to buy from hold, citing the expectation of final investment decisions in favor of two new liquefaction trains at the Rio Grande liqufied natural gas project in Texas.

Teladoc Health shares (TDOC) rise 5.2% in premarket trading on Tuesday, putting stock on track to extend gains after Citron Research said the market is underestimating the value of the virtual health-care platform.

Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) rose 3.5% on Tuesday as it’s set to begin offering its customers driverless Waymo rides in Atlanta, making it the second market, after Austin, where the two companies are teaming up instead of competing against each other.

In corporate news, Alphabet’s Google is set to face more scrutiny from the UK’s antitrust watchdog over its online search and advertising business. Starbucks said it’s not currently considering a full sale of its China business, disputing a report from Caixin Global that had sent the shares higher in late trading on Monday.

The rapid-fire sequence of events followed a turbulent stretch in financial markets, which have been roiled for nearly two weeks by fears of an escalating conflict. Volatility was particularly high in oil, as concerns over supply and shipping disruptions had pushed Brent crude to nearly $80 a barrel. However, the subsequent collapse in the price of Brent below $70 helped the narrative on inflation risk and, together with equity positioning that suggests investors are still on the sidelines, could create upside potential. Barring another escalation in the Middle East, focus will shift back to the Fed, with six speakers today including Powell.

“If the ceasefire holds – and there is no guarantee that it will - it will undoubtedly be greeted positively by markets as it will at the margin reduce uncertainty,” said Daniel Murray, chief executive officer of EFG Asset Management in Switzerland. Lower oil prices will reduce inflationary pressure and “also help support consumption trends and hence growth overall.”

The greenback slipped 0.4% against a basket of currencies as demand to hedge against higher oil prices receded.

“The US dollar was one of the key beneficiaries of the hostilities so it is now rolling over,” said Sean Callow, a senior analyst at InTouch Capital Markets. “Investors have been very keen to draw a line under the Israel-Iran conflict, choosing to leave aside any concerns over the path Iran might choose beyond the very short term.”

Elsewhere, Powell is due to testify before two committees in Washington this week amid ongoing pressure from Trump who said interest rates should be “at least two to three points lower.” Further geopolitical headlines might come from a two day NATO summit starting today in the Netherlands.

“We’re going to go back to the bigger picture, and that is to talk about tariffs and growth,” Mislav Matejka, head of global equity strategy at JPMorgan Chase & Co., told Bloomberg TV. “To believe that tariffs are fully digested and that inflation pickup will not happen whatsoever, i think that is premature.”

In Europe, the Stoxx 600 rose 1.4%, lifted by airline shares, as President Donald Trump said a ceasefire was in place between Iran and Israel, easing worries about a prolonged conflict. Energy and utility sectors are the only two in the red. Here are some of the biggest movers on Tuesday:

Energy stocks fall in European trading while airlines rise after US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire is now in place between Iran and Israel.

AstraZeneca shares rise as much as 1.8% after the drugmaker’s Datroway medicine received US approval for the treatment of some patients with lung cancer.

Melexis shares rise as much as 7.9% after it was upgraded to overweight at Morgan Stanley as a likely beneficiary of a cyclical recovery in autos, and named as top pick in European semiconductor small caps.

DKSH gains as much as 4.9% after the Swiss distribution company receives a new buy rating from Berenberg, which hails its market-leading position in the Asia-Pacific region.

Lindt shares fall as much as 4.4% after BofA downgraded the chocolate maker to neutral from buy, saying that a strong 1H is already priced in and the valuation is looking stretched.

OVH Groupe slumps as much as 17% after the cloud computing company releases its third-quarter results. Analysts note high expectations heading into the print following strong share-price advance year-to-date.

Shares of precious metals miners drop as gold falls on ebbing haven demand after US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire.

In FX, the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index dropped 0.5% to a one-week low. The kiwi dollar is leading gains against the greenback, rising 1%.

In rates, treasuries mixed with the yield curve steeper in early US session. US front-end yields are more than 3bp lower on the day with long-end tenors little changed, leaving 2s10s and 5s30s spreads wider by 2bp-3bp, extending Monday’s move. 5s30s spread topped at 99.98bp, approaching year’s high 100.9bp, reached May 22. the 10-year is flat at 4.35%, outperforming bunds and gilts in the sector by 5bp and 1.5bp. European bond markets are broadly weaker on the day led by Germany, which announced plans to borrow about a fifth more than planned in the third quarter, spurring long-end-led selloff. Longer-dated bonds lead declines with German 30-year yields rising 10 bps to 3.06%. US 30-year borrowing costs also rise 2 bps to 4.90%. US shorter-dated yields fall. The Treasury auction cycle starts with $69 billion 2-year note sale at 1pm New York time and includes $70 billion 5-year Wednesday and $44 billion 7-year Thursday. WI 2-year yield near 3.82% is ~13.5bp richer thank last month’s, which stopped through by 1bp

In commodities, Brent crude futures fall over 3% to $69 a barrel after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran had gone into effect. Oil prices pared losses briefly after Israel has accused Iran of breaching the ceasefire, while Tehran denied firing missiles at Israel after truce. Spot gold falls $49 to around $3,319/oz, and together with oil, was back below levels before the Israeli strike on Iran. Bitcoin rises 1.6% and above $105,000.

?itok=tvkjzzdO

The US economic data slate includes June Philadelphia Fed non-manufacturing activity and 1Q current account balance (8:30am), April FHFA house price index and S&P CoreLogic home prices (9am), June Richmond Fed business conditions and consumer confidence (10am). Fed speakers include Hammack (9:15am), Powell (10am), Williams (12:30pm), Kashkari (1:45pm), Collins (2pm), Barr (4pm) and Schmid (8:15pm)

Market Snapshot

S&P 500 mini +0.8%

Nasdaq 100 mini +1.1%

Russell 2000 mini +1.1%

Stoxx Europe 600 +1.4%

DAX +2.2%

CAC 40 +1.4%

10-year Treasury yield +1 basis point at 4.36%

VIX -1.7 points at 18.16

Bloomberg Dollar Index -0.5% at 1202.68

euro +0.3% at $1.1608

WTI crude -3.3% at $66.27/barrel

Top overnight news

US equity futures bid higher after Trump declared a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the truce, saying Israel had achieved its war goals. But within hours, the country accused Tehran of launching more missiles, a charge that Iran denied. BBG

Trump said interest rates should be “at least two to three points lower” ahead of Jerome Powell’s testimony before a House committee. The Fed chair is expected to defend holding rates until at least September. He appears before the Senate tomorrow. BBG

Germany will borrow about a fifth more than planned in the coming months to fund a surge in spending, while a deal to secure a €46 billion ($53 billion) package of tax breaks highlighted how debt needs are set to grow. BBG

China’s advantages in developing artificial intelligence are about to unleash a wave of innovation that will generate more than 100 DeepSeek-like breakthroughs in the coming 18 months, according to a former top official. The new software products “will fundamentally change the nature and the tech nature of the whole Chinese economy,” Zhu Min, who was previously a deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, said during the World Economic Forum in Tianjin on Tuesday. BBG

The custodians of trillions of dollars of global central bank reserves are eyeing a move away from the greenback into gold, the euro and China's yuan as the splintering of world trade and geopolitical upheaval spark a rethink of financial flows. RTRS

"Big Banks are worried [US] President Trump could turn the power of the federal government against them with an executive order on “debanking.”", via WSJ

The PBOC set the strongest yuan fixing since November as the dollar fell. BBG

JGB futures slid after a weaker-than-expected 20-year debt auction, Japan’s first since trimming its bond sales plans last week. BBG

Europe signals it could soften digital rules aimed at American tech giants for the first time as it seeks relief from Trump’s impending trade tariffs. Politico

ECB’s Villeroy says the central bank can still cut rates despite recent geopolitical-driven volatility in oil markets. FT

Fed's Bostic sees economic growth slowing to 1.1% this year, inflation rising to 2.9%; no need to cut rates now, sees single 25bps reduction late this year.

House GOP leaders were still unsure whether they would cancel the July 4 recess to pass the mega bill, depending on whether the Senate could clear the bill by the weekend as planned. The decision depended on what changes the Senate made and whether the House would need to alter the bill: Politico

US Senate Majority Leader Thune said House will ultimately accept what the Senate passes, according to three senators in the room: Punchbowl.

US President Trump posted "Members of Congress are united in their commitment to deliver the One Big Beautiful Bill "

NHTSA seeks information from Tesla (TSLA) after Robotaxi debut, with regards to issues seen in online videos. Tesla (TSLA) is sued by the estates of three people killed in a September 2024 crash in Model S with autopilot, according to a court filing: BBG

Starbucks (SBUX), when asked to comment on media report, says it is not currently considering a full sale of its China operation. Earlier, it was reported Starbucks (SBUX) is reportedly mulling full sale of China business, according to Caixin.

Iran/Israel

US President Trump announced that Israel and Iran agreed to a complete and total ceasefire, from 05:00BST/00:00ET, which would last for 12 hours. After which, the war would be considered officially ended.

Under the ceasefire announced by Trump, Iran would stop striking Israel in six hours (at midnight ET on Tuesday), and Israel is expected to stop striking Iran 12 hours after that (at noon ET Tuesday). Then, after another 12 hours, or at midnight ET Wednesday, the war will be considered over, a White House official confirmed to CBS News.

Strikes continued into and after the Iranian proposed time of 01:30BST/20:30ET. After the Trump deadline of 05:00BST/00:00ET, Iran is said to have fired some missiles at Israel, though they claim it was fired just before the deadline.

At 06:04BST/01:04ET Trump posted that the "ceasefire is now in effect".

At 07:17BST/02:17ET Israeli PM Netanyahu confirmed the ceasefire is now in effect, war achieved its goals, will respond forcefully to any violations. PM's office adds that Netanyahu will deliver a statement later today.

The ceasefire agreement seems to have broken down only 4 hours after being in effect, with the IDF suggesting it had detected and intercepted fresh ballistic missiles from Iran. In response to this latest attack, the IDF Minister instructed the military to respond “forcefully” to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire. Iran has denied firing missiles at Israel after the ceasefire.

Trade/Tariffs

Japanese Economy Minister Akazawa is reportedly arranging to visit the US as early as June 26th for tariff talks, according to Yomiuri.

The EU said it would not give up decision‑making power for a US trade deal, according to the WSJ citing European Commission President von der Leyen.

US and South Korean trade ministers reaffirmed commitment to reaching a tariff deal early, according to the South Korean ministry.

A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newsquawk

APAC stocks traded firmer across the board with the region coat-tailing gains from Wall Street, which initially stemmed from Iran's "symbolic" strike on a US base in Qatar—de-escalatory in nature given the clear effort to minimise casualties and collateral damage. Sentiment was further boosted at the resumption of futures trading after US President Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, although the Iranian Foreign Minister later clarified that there was no "agreement", but Iran would stop attacking if Israel also halts. ASX 200 was bolstered by most sectors, although energy producers and gold miners bore the brunt of the slide in oil and gold. Nikkei 225 gains and tested the 39k mark to the upside amid broader market optimism, although gains were somewhat capped by gradual JPY strength. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp conformed to the broader tone across the market amid optimism surrounding the Israel-Iran ceasefire alongside the step-down in tensions with the US.

Top Asian News

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi said Japan would hold its Upper House election on July 20th, according to Reuters.

Japan’s finance ministry said top foreign exchange diplomat Atsushi Mimura would be reappointed for his second year, as he remained involved in US trade talks, according to Reuters.

PBoC injected 406.5bln via 7-day reverse repos with the rate maintained at 1.40%.

PBoC issues guidelines on financial support to boost consumption; to increase credit support for services consumption and key areas To increase support for the real economy. Support employment, boost income. Improve financial institutions capabilities, expand supply in consumer sector. Maintain ample liquidity. Strengthen financial services to help optimise consumption environment. Encourage issuance of consumption ETF. Support eligible enterprises in consumption industry chain to raise funds through listing. Support qualified consumer infrastructure companies in issuing REITs in the sector. To increase investment in key areas of services consumption.

European bourses (STOXX 600 +1.2%) opened entirely in the green and still trade at elevated levels, albeit have cooled a touch off peaks. Sentiment today has been boosted by US President Trump’s “complete and total ceasefire” announcement between Iran and Israel. Though this seems to have broken down only 4 hours after being in effect, with the IDF suggesting it had detected and intercepted fresh ballistic missiles from Iran. In response to this latest attack, the IDF Minister instructed the military to respond “forcefully” to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire. Iran has denied firing missiles at Israel after the ceasefire. Complex continues to remain buoyed. European sectors hold a strong positive bias, in-fitting with the positive risk-tone seen across markets. It comes as no surprise that Energy sits right at the foot of the pile, due to the latest slump in oil prices, following the latest ceasefire agreement. Travel & Leisure takes the top spot, lifted by lower oil prices and with airliners generally buoyed by the broader sentiment.

Top European News

ECB’s Villeroy said the ECB could still proceed with rate cuts despite volatility in oil markets, according to the FT. He noted that inflation expectations remained moderate.

BoE's Greene says underlying activity is weak, the labour market has loosened further and the disinflationary process is continuing. Worries about both demand and supply sides of the economy. Continue to think risks remain two sided but skewed to the downside on growth and to the upside on inflation. Given the period of elevated inflation through which we have just come, I think price stability is the key priority. A careful and gradual approach to removing monetary policy restrictiveness continues to be warranted. On the domestic front, noisy data means that it will take longer for me to take comfort from recent disinflationary trends. On the global front, there are a number of key events playing out between now and our next meeting, including the deadline for the pause on so-called “reciprocal tariffs” from the US, the potential passage of a budget in the US and the unfolding of events in the Middle East. It’s unlikely that the uncertainty from these events – and subsequent developments – will be resolved any time soon (in reference to global points of uncertainty, i.e. tariffs, geopols). Still expect trade policy to have a net disinflationary impact on the UK, but it may be muted relative to my expectations in May, when it was a factor in my decision to cut Bank Rate. The risk that our near-term plateau in inflation feeds through into second round effects is skewed to the upside.

UK Grocery Inflation 4.7% in the four weeks to June 15th (prev. 4.1% in May), via Kantar; "Grocery footfall hit a five-year high", grocery volumes -0.4% Y/Y, the first such decline in 2025.

German Finance Ministry says it is to issue EUR 19bln more than initially planned in Q3; includes EUR 15bln increase in borrowing on the capital market and EUR 4bln increase on the money market.

German Finance Agency says will "probably" continue upward adjustments to bond issuance in Q4. Very good demand for long term bonds. 50yr Bond not planned for this year but internal conditions have been created.

DXY is lower as the safe-haven premium continues to unwind for the USD. This comes after US President Trump declared a ceasefire between Iran and Israel; which was subsequently later acknowledged by Israel. However, Israel has since stated that Iran has breached the ceasefire. Accordingly, DXY has bounced from a 97.96 low and made its way back onto a 98.0 handle. Focus will be on Fed Chair Powell at 15:00 BST / 10:00 EDT alongside US Consumer Confidence.

EUR is firmer vs. the USD but to a lesser extent than peers. EUR/USD rose to a session peak at 1.1622, benefiting from the Iran-Israel ceasefire, but the move for the Single-Currency ran out of steam around the same time that Israel claimed that Iran had violated the ceasefire. In terms of domestic drivers, German IFO data saw a larger-than-expected increase for the Business climate metric. A slew of ECB speakers are due throughout the day. If upside in EUR/USD resumes, the YTD high from June 12th sits at 1.1631.

JPY is towards the top of the G10 leaderboard despite the unwind in the safe-haven premium seen elsewhere. JPY is instead benefitting from the pullback in oil prices, given that it is a net importer. Furthermore, Japanese Economy Minister Akazawa is reportedly arranging to visit the US as early as June 26th for tariff talks, according to Yomiuri. USD/JPY has pulled back markedly from Monday's 148.03 peak and briefly slipped onto a 144 handle with a current session low at 144.95.

GBP is firmer vs. the USD and EUR as it benefits from the bump in risk sentiment. Fresh UK-specific macro drivers are lacking for today's session. However, that could change given the busy BoE speaker slate which includes MPC members Bailey, Greene, Ramsden, Pill and Breeden. Markets will be looking for any clues over the MPC's future easing intentions given the three dovish dissenters at last week's meeting, as well as a recent run of soft data points, including last week's retail sales release.

Antipodeans are both are near the top of the G10 leaderboard on account of the positive risk-tone. Fresh macro drivers for both have been on the light side. However, traders are mindful of Australian monthly CPI metrics overnight, which are expected to see the Weighted Y/Y CPI metric decline to 2.3% from 2.4%.

CAD firmer vs. the USD but to a lesser extent than peers as the declines in oil prices caps gains for the currency. Attention today will be on domestic inflation data with Y/Y CPI for May set to hold steady at 1.7%, M/M is expected to rise to 0.5% from -0.1%. Note, at its most recent meeting (where it left rates unchanged), the Bank stated that further rate cuts may be warranted if tariff-related uncertainty spreads but inflationary cost pressures remain contained.

PBoC sets USD/CNY mid-point at 7.1656 vs exp. 7.1605 (prev. 7.1710); strongest CNY fix since Nov 8th 2024

Brazil’s central bank announced a spot dollar auction for 25 June, offering up to USD 1bln. It also announced a reverse FX swap auction on the same date, offering up to 20k contracts, according to a statement.

Fixed Income

USTs are lower by a handful ticks in what has been a choppy European morning so far. Overnight, benchmarks lost their haven allure given Trump's Iran-Israel ceasefire agreement. Though this was short-lived, as Israel claimed Iran had broken the agreement by launching two missiles into the area - This sparked a modest bid in the USTs, taking it to 111-14. Pressure has since resumed more recently in tandem with Bunds, after the latest updates from the German Finance Agency (details below); USTs are currently trading just of lows at around 111-09+. For the US specifically, traders will eye US Consumer Confidence, 2yr supply and a slew of Fed speakers (incl. Fed Chair Powell).

Bunds tracked peers overnight and into the morning, on the aforementioned geopolitical updates. For the region itself, the German Finance Ministry said it is to issue EUR 19bln more than initially planned in Q3. Thereafter, the agency said it will "probably" continue upward adjustments to bond issuance in Q4; commentary which saw German paper slip to a fresh trough of 130.35. On the data front, German Ifo printed firmer than the prior across the board. German auction was okay, with decent demand but with a higher avg. yield - ultimately unable to stop the continued pressure in Bunds, which is now down to a 130.35 low. Ahead, a slew of ECB speakers.

Gilts are softer and trading marginally heavier than peers, potentially as a function of confirmation that the UK will pledge to increase defence spending to 3.5% (prev. 2.3%) by 2035. In slight contrast to Bunds and USTs, Gilts have exactly matched Monday’s 92.25-93.21 confines, but are yet to breach them. A couple BoE speakers have already appeared today (and a few more still yet to come); BoE's Greene said underlying activity is weak and the labour market has loosened further and the disinflationary process is continuing.

Germany sells EUR 3.066bln vs exp. EUR 4bln 1.70% 2027 Schatz: b/c 2.9x (prev 2.9x), average yield 1.85% (prev 1.78%), retention 23.35% (prev 18.27%)

UK sells GBP 1.7bln 1.125% 2035 I/L Gilt: b/c 3.02x (prev. 3.36x) & real yield 1.386% (prev. 1.268%)

Commodities

Crude drilled lower overnight after the announcement of an Israel-Iran ceasefire which came into effect at 05:00 BST. Benchmarks now trade lower by around -3.5%, with recent two-way action seen on reports of ceasefire violations. In an update which lifted benchmarks this morning, the IDF said that it had detected missiles launched from Iran, which the nation said it had intercepted. Far-Right Israeli Finance Minister, Smotrich said the ceasefire was violated, and that Tehran will tremble in response. More recently, downticks were seen across the complex after Iran denied firing missiles towards Israel, we now look for further clarity. Brent Aug'25 currently trades around USD 69.30/bbl.

Spot gold is firmly in the red, towards session lows and suffering from the positive mood after the US announced an Israel-Iran ceasefire.

Base metals are trading firmer given the positive risk environment, alongside the softer USD.

Kazakhstan's Tengiz oil output seen at 35.7mln T in 2025, according to KazMunayGas.

Geopolitics:

Iran's attack on US base in Qatar

Iran's Foreign Minister said Tehran’s attack on a US air base in Qatar was in response to US aggression against Iran’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, adding that Iran would be ready to respond again if the US took further action, according to Reuters.

US President Trump posted "CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!"

Saudi Arabia stated that Iranian aggression against Qatar was unacceptable, could not be justified, and constituted a flagrant violation of international law, according to Al Arabiya.

US Vice President Vance said Iran is now incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because the US destroyed it, according to a Fox News interview.

Israel-Iran Ceasefire

US President Trump announced that Israel and Iran have agreed to a complete and total ceasefire, to begin at 00:00 EDT/05:00 BST, and lasting 12 hours. Trump stated that the war would be considered officially ended following this sequence. He praised both nations for ending what he termed “THE 12 DAY WAR.”

US President Trump called the ceasefire between Iran and Israel — which he announced — a wonderful day for the world, according to NBC News. He said he believes the ceasefire is unlimited and is going to go “forever.”

US President Trump and Vice President Vance discussed the Israel-Iran ceasefire proposal with Qatar’s emir after Iranian attacks on the airbase in Qatar on Monday, according to an official cited by Reuters. Qatar’s prime minister secured Iran’s agreement to the US ceasefire proposal in a call.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire with Iran during talks with US President Trump, on the condition that Iran stopped its attacks.

Israeli PM Netanyahu announced an agreement with Iran, noting that a comprehensive ceasefire agreement had been reached, according to Al Arabiya.

Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi said there was no "agreement" on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations between Israel and Iran. He stated that Iran had consistently made clear it was Israel that launched the war, not Iran. However, if Israel halted its "illegal aggression" against the Iranian people by 4 a.m. Tehran time, Iran had no intention to continue its response. He added that the final decision on halting Iran's military operations would be made later.

Israel attacked a “substantial percentage” of the targets approved as part of Operation Am Kalvi, according to i24 journalist Stein. An Israeli source told him: “We will complete the attacks on all the approved targets within a few days.” The source warned: “If we need to, we have a very large pool of targets. There are still many places to attack in Iran.”

Iranian officials made clear to the Trump administration that they would come back to the negotiating table and discuss their nuclear program on the condition that Israel stops bombing them, according to a senior US official via NYT.

Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei posted on X that “the Iranian nation isn’t a nation that surrenders.”

US President Trump posted that Israel and Iran came to him “almost simultaneously” and said “PEACE!”, declaring that he knew the time was now. He said the world and the Middle East were the real winners. Trump added that both nations had much to gain and much to lose if they strayed from the road of righteousness and truth. He said the future for Israel and Iran was unlimited and filled with great promise.

Strikes since ceasefire announcement

Israeli strikes were continuous as markets headed into Iran's proposed ceasefire time (01:30 BST) vs Trump's guided time (05:00 BST). Iranian media reported that tonight marked the most intense defensive operation since the beginning of Israel’s attacks on Tehran, according to Iran International.

Iranian strikes continued after 01:30 BST, with several missiles fired towards Israel. Some reports noted an Iranian ballistic missile hitting an Israeli residential building, with three killed.

An Iraqi military official said an unknown drone targeted the Taji military base north of Baghdad, with no casualties reported, according to the state news agency. Al Hadath reported a drone attack on US bases in Iraq, stating that four Iraqi military bases housing US forces were targeted, and added that there were no human casualties resulting from the attacks on the Iraqi military bases.

The Israeli military said a fifth wave of missiles had been launched from Iran towards Israel.

There were reports of the Israeli assassination in Tehran of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohammad Reza Sediqi.

"Drone strike on radar of air base in southern Iraq", according to Sky News Arabia.

After the ceasefire came into effect

"Iran fires missiles towards Israel, violating ceasefire announced by Trump", according to BNO Newsroom; " Israeli army: We are monitoring a sixth Iranian attack on Israel", according to Al Jazeera.

Iran fired the last round of missiles towards Israel before the ceasefire came into effect, according to Iran's SNN.

US President Trump posts, at 06:09BST/01:09ET, "THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!"

Israel claims Iran has violated the ceasefire agreement

Times of Israel journalist posts on X "The IDF says it has detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran. Sirens are expected to sound in northern Israel in the coming minutes".

Israel Finance Minster Smotrich says the ceasefire was violated, one launch was identified from Iran - "Tehran will tremble", via N12 News.

"Two Iranian missiles were launched at northern Israel and intercepted according to an initial assessment", via Horowitz on X.

Israel Defence Minister says he instructed the military to respond "forcefully" to Iran's violation of the ceasefire with high-intensity strikes against targets in the heart of Tehran.

"Iran denies firing missiles at Israel after ceasefire - state media", via Soylu on X.

Iran Top Security Body says "Iran's armed forces have no trust in the words of its enemies and will keep finger on trigger to respond to any further act of aggression", via Fars News.

US Event Calendar

8:30 am: 1Q Current Account Balance, est. -445.5b, prior -303.94b

9:00 am: Apr FHFA House Price Index MoM, est. 0%, prior -0.1%

9:00 am: Apr S&P CoreLogic CS 20-City YoY NSA, est. 3.94%, prior 4.07%

10:00 am: Jun Richmond Fed Manufact. Index, est. -10, prior -9

10:00 am: Jun Conf. Board Consumer Confidence, est. 99.8, prior 98

Central Banks (All Times ET):

9:15 am: Fed’s Hammack Speaks on Monetary Policy

10:00 am: Fed’s Powell to Deliver Semiannual Policy Testimony

12:30 pm: Fed’s Williams Gives Keynote Remarks

1:45 pm: Fed’s Kashkari Participates in Town Hall Event

2:00 pm: Fed’s Collins Speaks on State of Nation’s Housing

4:00 pm: Fed’s Barr Gives Welcoming Remarks

8:15 pm: Fed’s Schmid Speaks on the Economic Outlook

DB's Jim Ried concludes the overnight wrap

Despite all the fears over the weekend, over the last 12 hours we've seen a pretty remarkable de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East. The best scorecard of this has been the price of oil which now trades just below $70/bbl, having opened at just over $80/bbl early yesterday morning in Asia. Brent crude (-7.18%) posted its biggest daily decline since 2022 and is subsequently trading another -2.56% lower this morning at $69.65/bbl, close to the levels before Israel’s strikes against Iran on June 13. Easing geopolitical concerns helped the S&P 500 rebound +0.96%, with futures another +0.55% higher overnight. Easing inflation fears supported bonds, with Treasuries also benefitting from more dovish Fedspeak, more on which later.

To recap developments, shortly after yesterday’s European market close, Iran launched missiles at a US air base in Qatar, but with the attack being well telegraphed and Qatar suspending air traffic shortly before. Markets soon rallied as it became apparent that Iran’s retaliation did not involve energy targets and was likely seeking to avoid any escalatory spiral with US, with reporting that Iran had warned Qatar ahead of the strikes. Later in the US afternoon, Trump posted that there were no casualties from Iran’s “very weak response” while also thanking Iran for “giving us early notice” of the strikes. This was followed by a surprise post by Trump at around 11pm London time last night claiming that Iran and Israel have agreed to a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED! Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World."

As I write this around 6 hours after the post above, we are yet to hear formal confirmation on the ceasefire from Israel or Iran, with US media reporting that the ceasefire was brokered by Trump in direct conversation with Netanyahu". Iran’s foreign minister posted that Iran has “no intention to continue our response” if Israel stops its aggression but that “as of now, there is NO 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations”. So there are still outstanding questions, from whether a ceasefire will hold given that mutual strikes had continued overnight, to the future of what remains of Iran’s nuclear programme. But as things stand, the past 12 days look set to join the long list of geopolitical shocks that proved temporarily disruptive but had little lasting effect on markets.

Prior to those Middle East developments, the main new story of the day had been on the Fed, as rate cut speculation got further support after comments from Michelle Bowman, the Fed’s Vice Chair for Supervision. She commented how inflation had come in at or beneath expectations recently, and said “we should recognize that inflation appears to be on a sustained path toward 2 percent and that there will likely be only minimal impacts on overall core PCE inflation from changes to trade policy.” As such, she said that she’d support a rate cut as soon as the next meeting in late July, if “inflation pressures remain contained”. Those remarks meant futures dialled up the likelihood of a July rate cut, rising from 17% before the weekend to 23% by the close, while pricing of rate cut by September rose to 96%, its highest since mid-May. So that really heightens the importance of the next CPI report, as a 5th downside surprise in a row would really keep up the momentum for a rate cut. There has been talk about potential candidates for the Fed Chair role becoming more vocal around dovish thoughts if they believe in them given the President's very public view on what the Fed should do so this may be something to bear in mind in the weeks and months ahead. Powell's term ends in May 2026 but a replacement could be named very soon. Staying with all things Fed and rates related, today, we’ll see Fed Chair Powell appearing before the House Financial Services Committee, so it’ll be interesting to hear his thoughts too but this time the gap between this and last week's FOMC isn't large so new information may not be forthcoming.

With oil prices falling and markets pricing in more rate cuts, this proved good news for US Treasuries, with the 2yr yield down -4.5bps to 3.86% and the 10yr down -2.9bps to 4.35% and another -1.5bps lower overnight. That’s their lowest levels since May 7, before US and China announced a pause in the retaliatory tariffs. Rising rate cut expectations and easing geopolitical risks also drove a big turn around for the dollar, which had climbed by as much as three-quarters of a percent by European lunchtime, but ended the day -0.29% lower.

Another boost to markets yesterday came from the flash PMIs for June. They were broadly in line with expectations, but that cemented the narrative that the global economy was still holding up after Liberation Day, with no obvious signs of a deterioration, even with the 10% baseline tariffs that have been in place. That was echoed across the major economies, with the US composite PMI beating expectations at 52.8 (vs. 52.2 expected), whilst the Euro Area composite PMI held steady at 50.2 (vs. 50.4 expected). So both were still in expansionary territory, although France was an underperformer as its composite PMI fell back to 48.5 (vs. 49.3 expected), remaining in contractionary territory for a 10th consecutive month.

That backdrop proved supportive for US equities, though the impact of the data was dominated by volatility around the Middle East headlines. The S&P 500 had opened with a solid gain, reversed this as reports of imminent Iranian retaliation emerged, but then rallied to close around the day’s highs (+0.96%) to end a run of 3 consecutive declines. Tesla (+8.23%) was the strongest performer in the entire S&P after they launched their robotaxis over the weekend, which in turn helped the Magnificent 7 rise +1.58%. But the advance was pretty broad, with solid gains for the NASDAQ (+0.94%) and the small-cap Russell 2000 (+1.11%).

Over in Europe, markets didn’t perform quite as well. In large part that was as markets closed before the more sanguine news out of the Middle East and the big decline in oil played out, but also as European markets didn’t get as much of a benefit from the rate cut speculation centered on the Fed. So by the close, the STOXX 600 was down -0.28%, along with the DAX (-0.35%) and the CAC 40 (-0.69%). Moreover, the bond rally was also more subdued, with yields on 10yr bunds (-1.0bps), OATs (-1.4bps) and BTPs (-1.5bps) seeing smaller moves than Treasuries.

In Asia the mood is upbeat with the KOSPI (+2.78%) leading the gains led by a jump in index heavyweight Samsung Electronics. Elsewhere the Hang Seng (+1.93%), the CSI (+1.09%), the Shanghai Composite (+1.01%), the Nikkei (+1.07%) and the S&P/ASX 200 (+0.99%) are all experiencing major gains in early trade. S&P 500 (+0.55%) and NASDAQ 100 (+0.78%) futures are also higher.

Meanwhile, demand for Japan's 20-year bond auction was marginally below the average of the past year, despite the government's adjustments to its borrowing strategy. The bid-to-cover ratio came in at 3.11, stronger than from the last two auctions, but with many expecting a more positive outcome. The sale comes after the Finance Ministry yesterday approved a plan to reduce the volume of 20-, 30- and 40-year bonds sold in regular auctions by a total of ¥3.2 trillion ($22 billion) until the end of March 2026.

In response to the reduction in long-term funding, the ministry plans to enhance the issuance of shorter-term securities, which will include 2-year notes and six-month Treasury bills. These changes will be evident starting from the auctions next month.

To the day ahead now, and aside from Fed Chair Powell’s appearance before the House Financial Services Committee mentioned above, there will be attention on the annual NATO summit being held in the Hague today and tomorrow. This is expected to confirm a 5% of GDP spending target, including 3.5% on core defence spending, up from 2% before. Our European economists have previewed the summit and its fiscal implications here. Today Germany is also set to unveil its spending plan, with reporting yesterday that this will aim for an increase in core defence spending to 3.5% of GDP in 2029 and amount to a pretty speedy ramp up in spending already in 2025.

Other events today include central bank speak from the Fed’s Hamack, Williams, Kashkari, Collins, Barr and Schmid, ECB Vice President de Guindos, the ECB’s Kazimir and Lane, BoE Governor Bailey, and the BoE’s Greene, Ramsden, Pill and Breeden. Data releases include US Conference Board’s consumer confidence for June in the US, the Ifo’s business climate indicator for June in Germany, and Canada’s CPI for May. Finally, the NATO summit will begin.

https://www.zerohedge.com/market-recaps/futures-jump-oil-and-dollar-dump-markets-ignore-ceasefire-violations

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 08:33

https://store.zerohedge.com/rancher-direct-clean-food/

Got Beef? 12-Year Cycle Signals "Cyclical Low"

The U.S. beef industry operates on 12-year herd cycles, with the last herd low in 2014 and the beef packer margin trough in 2015. The current herd liquidation began in 2019, and as of the start of 2025, the nation's cattle herd stands at 86.7 million, the lowest level since the 1950s.

Herd rebuilding trends may begin soon, according to Goldman analysts Leah Jordan and Eli Thompson, who cited support from high calf prices and low feed costs, though herds appear tight for the foreseeable future. They expect this dynamic to keep beef packer margins depressed due to reduced slaughter volumes and elevated live cattle prices.

Beef cycles typically last about twelve years on average, looking at trough-to-trough in the cattle herd. The prior trough in the herd occurred in 2014, while the prior trough in beef packer margins occurred in 2015. The current herd liquidation cycle began in 2019, with the herd tracking at ~86.7mm as of January 1, 2025, the lowest level since the 1950s. Herd rebuilding may already be underway, or is likely soon, noting supportive industry conditions (high calf prices and low feed costs), which should further constrain supply in the near-term, partially offset by record weights for cattle on feed.

As a result, we expect beef packer margins to remain depressed in the near-term due to lower slaughter volumes and high live cattle prices. That said, herd retention will set up the industry better for the longer term, and effectively starts the clock for more normalized margins in about two years given the breeding timeline, with better visibility likely in a few quarters.

TSN's beef operating margins track with industry packer margins, while its stock has a moderate correlation as well, noting the stock started to work in advance of the beef-driven earnings recovery in 2016. Additionally, the relationship has already started to decouple in the current cycle, owing to the strength of its diversified business mix across proteins (including prepared foods with greater margin stability).

Analysts posed the question: "When will the beef cycle turn?" — one we've been asking at ZeroHedge, too.

Here's a visual breakdown of the beef industry's turning points, as charted by the analysts:

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"We also believe the cyclical low in beef profitability is creating an attractive entry point for patient investors in Buy-rated TSN," the analysts noted.

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During Tyson Foods' earnings call in early May, Brady Stewart—head of Tyson's beef and pork supply chains—offered https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/tyson-foods-spots-potential-beef-crisis-low-hard-work-begins

. His comments came in response to a question from one Wall Street analyst.

Stewart explained that while cattle supply remains down year-over-year, record-high animal weights are helping to offset the decline in volume. He added that the U.S. cattle industry is likely at or near the bottom of its inventory cycle, with herd levels now at a 73-year low.

At the start of the year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual Cattle Inventory report revealed that the https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/us-cattle-herd-set-shrink-1951-lows-beef-crisis-deepens

, totaling about 86.7 million head.

?itok=I1pKXxda

At the supermarket, USDA data from the end of May showed the average price for a pound of ground beef reached yet another record high of nearly $6 a pound.

?itok=aogZS62V

While analysts expect a cyclical low in the beef cycle, that doesn't mean the industry is out of the woods just yet—tight supplies and elevated prices are likely to persist for years. Now is the time for consumers to secure local supply chains, even if that means getting to know the rancher down the road.

The rise of the 'MAHA' movement is accelerating this shift, as more Americans turn to clean, locally raised beef and reject products from globalist-owned food conglomerates.

https://www.zerohedge.com/food/got-beef-12-year-cycle-signals-cyclical-low

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 07:45

Nvidia CEO Activates 10b5-1 Trading Plan, Kicks Off Stock Sales

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has initiated a new 10b5-1 trading plan, aiming to sell up to 6 million shares by the end of the year. The timing follows a sharp rebound in Nvidia stock, which tumbled below $100 earlier this spring but has since surged 53% to around $144 as of Monday's close.

Bloomberg cited a new Securities and Exchange Commission filing showing that Huang disposed of 100,000 shares between last Friday and Monday for $14.4 million. The sales are part of a new 10b5-1 trading plan the tech CEO adopted in March.

?itok=iLdvObfE

Data pulled from Bloomberg via the Insider Transaction function on the Terminal shows Huang's two 50,000-share sales following a massive multi-month rally in the stock, which is now nearing all-time highs.?itok=u0rnIFqM

Huang's prearranged stock trading plan was established in March under SEC Rule 10b5-1, which allows corporate insiders to sell stock at predetermined times—even if they later possess material nonpublic information. These plans are designed to shield executives from accusations of insider trading.

The 10b5-1 gives Huang a 6 million share option by the end of the year. As of Monday's close, at $144, that would be valued at $865 million.

According to a separate SEC filing, billionaire Nvidia board director Mark Stevens has begun selling stock, disposing of more than 600,000 shares for roughly $88 million on June 18. Unlike Huang, Stevens does not use a 10b5-1 trading plan.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/nvidia-ceo-activates-10b5-1-trading-plan-begins-stock-sales

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 07:20

https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Trump: "THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!"

Update(0320ET): As the US- and Qatar-brokered ceasefire deadline closed in, Israel and Iran exchanged lethal blows overnight, with Israel hitting various targets in Iran, killing nine people in northern Iran and reportedly https://aje.io/7jaly7?update=3796212

the ceasefire was in effect, and to urge continued compliance:

?itok=zI5wGBmd

Note that no broad peace deal has been made -- only a suspension of hostilities that Trump seemingly hopes will prove long-lasting. After hours of silence, Israel on Tuesday morning confirmed it was a party to a ceasefire, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office saying https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israel-says-it-agreed-to-bilateral-ceasefire-with-iran-will-respond-forcefully-to-any-violation/

...provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people."

Israel claimed Iran fired missiles after the deadline, an accusation Araghchi refuted in an https://x.com/araghchi/status/1937315583525036108

"The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am. Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute."

⚡️Be’er Sheba https://t.co/ajHQBpGaDK

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) https://twitter.com/WarMonitors/status/1937350114655543422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In Iran's last-minute act of retaliation, at least five people were killed and 26 injured in an enormous explosion that devastated a seven-story apartment building in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba. That toll may rise as responders continue to sort through rubble and incinerated automobiles. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-858756

said Israel's Fire and Rescue Authority. "The arrival of civilians endangers public safety and makes it difficult for rescue forces to operate."

Holy sh*t... the moment of massive impact in Beersheba https://t.co/c48T71pPBx

— COMBATE |🇵🇷 (@upholdreality) https://twitter.com/upholdreality/status/1937353689003696302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Meanwhile, Trump continued his series of manic social media posts about the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and the ensuing ceasefire, posting, “In a certain and very ironic way, that perfect ‘hit,’ late in the evening, brought everyone together, and the deal was made!!!”

Christening the war with a name that depends fully on an enduring ceasefire, Trump earlier declared the conflict "should be called THE 12 DAY WAR." Perhaps appropriately, that moniker harkens back to 1967's Six-Day War, which -- contrary to Zionist mythology -- was https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/a-50-year-occupation-israels-six-day-war-started-with-a-lie/

, killing 34 American service members and wounding 173.

'We are the ones with the last shot'

Iran publishes new poster with the destroyed buildings of Beersheba https://t.co/Ykqa5Zalh8

— RT (@RT_com) https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1937373771263787201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

There's already grumbling about the nascent peace among right-wing Israelis and Israel's US-based boosters. While Netanyahu asked his cabinet ministers to refrain from commenting on the ceasefire, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/liberman-warns-against-iran-ceasefire-without-a-clear-and-unambiguous-agreement/

Striking a different tone, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said the Netanyahu government should now end its war in Gaza, saying, "It’s time to [finish] there too. Return the hostages, end the war. Israel needs to start rebuilding.”

In the United States, Israel allies who thought they finally had their long-awaited, full-fledged American war on Iran are not happy. While they may still achieve their goal of leaving yet another Middle East society in ruin and despair, non-interventionists can at least enjoy the neocon heartbreak for as long as it lasts:

Mark Levin doesn’t want a ceasefire, and he is saying that leaving the Iranian Supreme Leader alive instead of killing him is akin to leaving Hitler alive during his rule over Nazi Germany.

It’s never enough for these people. https://t.co/3vK5Oqckck

— Anthony (@AnthonyCabassa_) https://twitter.com/AnthonyCabassa_/status/1937314648069746689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

* * *

Update(2200ET): The ceasefire is going to be shaky and likely difficult to maintain given that right up until the very moment it is to go into effect Tehran was on the receiving end of very intense Israeli warplane attacks. And Iran's Foreign Minister too said Iran hit back overnight:

IRANIAN TELEVISION: ISRAEL ASSASSINATED NUCLEAR SCIENTIST MOHAMMAD REZA SIDDIQI IN ITS RECENT ATTACKS

But shortly before that above latest statement, there was this by the top Iranian diplomat:

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What Tehran was looking like overnight, right up to ceasefire zero hour:

Tehran moments ago: https://t.co/Gq0RUdMVoo

— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) https://twitter.com/DrEliDavid/status/1937307019100529133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

It's anything but certain whether it will hold, but likely the White House is putting pressure on Tel Aviv to at least play nice for now, so Trump can take his 'victory lap' and declare mission accomplished. And yet, the status of Iran's uranium enrichment stockpile is unknown.

The status of the ceasefire itself may not become clear until the daylight hours...

The ceasefire between Iran and Israel may be voided, as Israel is using the final 30 minutes before it takes effect to assassinate Iranian leadership and rain fire down on Tehran.

If the attacks do not stop by 3:30 AM Tel Aviv time, Israel will have already violated the… https://t.co/TgIeyg91Qg

— AF Post (@AFpost) https://twitter.com/AFpost/status/1937301827906875570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

* * *

Update: Fox is reporting, "President Trump spoke with Qatar’s Emir and informed him the U.S. got Israel to agree to a ceasefire with Iran. The President asked Qatar to help persuade Iran to do the same, following that Vice President Vance coordinated with Qatar’s Prime Minister on the details. This effort proved successful and, following discussions with the Qatari PM, the Iranians agreed. The deal was coordinated at the highest level by the President and Vice President and the Qatari Emir and Prime minister directly."

"Despite having been attacked just hours earlier, the Qataris set aside their grievances and prioritized regional security to get the deal done," this source added.

Reuters is reporting that Iran has agreed to the ceasefire, which at the very least will provide a respite to the tit-for-tat missiles. More from Reuters:

Qatar Brokered Iran’s Ceasefire Deal After U.S. Request

Qatari PM secured Tehran’s approval following Trump’s outreach to Emir after Iran's strike on U.S. base.

Doha played key role in halting Israel-Iran conflict

* * *

Update: Shortly after 6pm, futures jumped and oil slumped even more in one of its biggest intraday reversals on record, after Trump https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114734934153569653

that Iran and Israel had "fully agreed" to a "Complete and Total ceasefire" which will takes place at approximately midnight ET, "when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions", and will last for 12 hours, at which time Trump says that "War will be considered, ENDED!"

The president adds that "on the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, “THE 12 DAY WAR.” This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will! God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!"

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The problem for now, however, is that the "fully-agreed upon ceasefire" announcement is news to Iran, with Al-Mayadeen reporting that "there is no confirmation from official Iranian sources regarding Trump's talk of a ceasefire"

إيران: مراسل الميادين: لا يوجد تأكيد من مصادر رسمية إيرانية بشأن كلام ترامب عن وقف لإطلاق النارhttps://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) https://twitter.com/AlMayadeenNews/status/1937281217423933914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Others only add to the confusion...

had accepted it — ISNA

— Barzan Sadiq (@BarzanSadiq) https://twitter.com/BarzanSadiq/status/1937284440490934685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

... with CNN noting that Iran has not received any ceasefire proposal...

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... and Iran's semi-official https://t.me/mehrnews/297168

going so fast as to claim that "the Zionist regime carried out attacks on Iran, Trump spread his delusions and announced an imaginary ceasefire between Iran and the United States."

Yet not all the subsequent information is negative: according to Reuters, the US appears to be backchanneling with Qatar, which has been asked for help to persuade Iran to agree after Israel had already agreed, and also adds that Iran had reportedly secured an agreement to a ceasfire.

TRUMP AND VP VANCE DISCUSSED ISRAEL-IRAN CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL WITH QATAR’S EMIR AFTER IRANIAN ATTACKS ON AIRBASE IN QATAR ON MONDAY –OFFICIAL BRIEFED ON NEGOTIATIONS TO REUTERS

TRUMP TOLD EMIR THAT ISRAEL HAD AGREED TO CEASEFIRE AND ASKED FOR QATARI HELP TO PERSUADE IRAN TO ALSO AGREE –OFFICIAL BRIEFED TO REUTERS

QATAR’S PRIME MINISTER SECURED IRAN’S AGREEMENT TO U.S. CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL IN CALL WITH TEHRAN -OFFICIAL BRIEFED TO REUTERS

And now we wait to see just who has agreed to what.

* * *

Summary: The mainstream media and US officials are collectively reporting it's all over folks - and there's currently a surprisingly open level of acknowledgement that this 'retaliation' on US bases was telegraphed and even coordinated between Iran and Qatar (and that yes, the US knew about it). Tehran is saying the same number of missiles were used in the short-lived assault as were used by US bombers against its nuclear facilities.

"Iran’s missile attack on a US air base in Qatar was telegraphed well in advance, suggesting Tehran intended a symbolic show of force while offering a way to de-escalate after US airstrikes over the weekend," Bloomberg is reporting. And CNN is currently even saying (based on its correspondent on the ground) that the skies over Tehran have grown quiet, after many days of constant strike waves by Israeli warplanes. The US military is saying all missiles were intercepted over Qatar. Airspace over Bahrain, Kuwait, and Dubai have already been reopened.

Certainly markets have reacted consistent to this off-ramp narrative as well, as if it was all baked in: "One official with knowledge of Western intelligence assessments said the attack was a typical example of an ‘off-ramp’ escalation and warned it was more difficult to understand whether — and at what point — Israel would stop its own military activities in the region," Bloomberg continues. The same report cites Jonathan Panikoff, a former deputy national intelligence officer for the Near East, who points to the obvious: “It feels choreographed and intentional. The Iranians get to tell their population they struck a mighty blow against the US, even if they didn’t, and Trump has the room now to decide not to retaliate.”

The Trump White House is now signaling it currently has no plans to launch a 'retaliation' strike in the wake of today's Iranian attacks on US assets in the Gulf. Most reports are claiming that no missiles actually struck the ground at a US base, but it could be that this information will get suppressed regardless. No deaths or injuries have been reported. Trump's statement in the aftermath 'thanking' Iran, ironically enough...

?itok=pXWPBWOi

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President Trump is essentially saying 'mission accomplished' and has declared that the three nuclear facilities struck by US bombers over the weekend were totally destroyed. But the big questions remain:

1) Will Netanyahu and the Israelis play ball with the 'off-ramp' opportunity?

2) Most importantly, where is the estimated 400kg of Iran's enriched uranium now?

Iran has two choices;

1. Become Libya

2. Become North Korea

— ADAM (@AdameMedia) https://twitter.com/AdameMedia/status/1936641989002568139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

To some degree, more 'known unknowns' (cue Rumsfeld) have been created in the wake of Trump's alleged destruction of Iran's enrichment facilities. Perhaps the Iranians will now hasten to begin the actual secretive nuclear bomb program?

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* * *

Update(1335ET): NY Times is reporting that advanced notice was given, which appears confirmation that plans of the 'retaliation' attack were leaked beforehand and was in many ways telegraphed publicly.

"Iran coordinated the attacks on the American airbase in Qatar with Qatar officials and gave advanced notice that attacks were coming to minimize casualties, according to three Iranian officials familiar with the plans," per the NY Times' reporting.

War theater? Or just one big test of US-supplied anti-air defense hardware? One regional journalist and pundit https://x.com/joumannatv/status/1937198108611342507?s=46

So far this is looking like the response we got in 2020 in response to the killing of Qassem Soleimani. A telegraphed attack on US base that did not result in fatalities but is “face saving” for the Iranian regime.

Some are claiming missile impact on some targets, which would indeed be a very serious development. But Qatar's Al-Arabi is saying there were no Iranian missile attacks on Iraq's Ain al-Assad base, which hosts significant US forces.

CONFIRMED IMPACTS made at US al-Udeid airbase in Qatar — Al-Mayadeen citing IRGC

Onlookers observe impacts as smoke reportedly rises from site — Al-Quds news footage https://t.co/I7nl8krTkZ

— RT (@RT_com) https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1937197077072888026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

And meanwhile markets seem to be taking this all in as a bit of staged war theater...

Some odd trading behavior to say the least, seemingly indicating markets aren't buying the 'spectacle' thus far...

?itok=VSpO-sZG

Oil knows?

?itok=p9qwwCLB

Below: Oil at moment when Iran launched the first missiles...

?itok=sIFiLNyS

* * *

Update(1242ET): The Iranian response appears to have begun, as it's raining missiles over Doha, Qatar. AFP journalists are reporting explosions over Doha, and Reuters has also cited witnesses to the blasts.

Axios is reporting that Iran has launched six missiles toward American bases in Qatar. "Iranian missiles were launched targeting US bases in Qatar and Iraq," according to JPost's Amichai Stein. i24News is reporting that "at least 10 missiles were fired at Qatar."

IRAN LAUNCHES MISSILE STRIKE AT US AIR BASE IN QATAR: TASNIM

UAE AIRSPACE IS CLOSED: FOX NEWS

AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM ACTIVATED OVER US AIN AL-ASSAD AIRBASE IN IRAQ ON ATTACK FEARS

IRAN LAUNCHES MISSILES AT US BASES IN QATAR, IRAQ AND KUWAIT

ALARMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT ALI AL SALEM AIR BASE IN KUWAIT

BAHRAIN URGES CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS TO GO TO SAFE PLACE

IRAN SAYS ITS ATTACK WAS FAR FROM QATAR RESIDENTIAL AREAS

Trump in Situation Room with Defense Secretary, Joint Chiefs — CNBC

U.S. military jets are currently scrambling from bases in Saudi Arabia: Report

Iranian military statement: we targeted the Al-Udeid Base in Qatar with 'devastating and powerful' missile attack.

Anti-air defenses active over the Gulf:

WILD FOOTAGE 🔴🔴

Video shows air defenses intercepting incoming Iranian missiles over Qatar.

Iran is officially striking the United States of America https://t.co/lc3fcLSoA3

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1937191332155445708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Doha, Qatar NOW https://t.co/fJmWpZAvfX

— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1937190341444071519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

More early, unconfirmed footage:

Footage Shows Activation of Air Defenses in Qatar

Newly circulated footage shows Qatari air defense systems being activated, reportedly in response to incoming missiles from Iran. https://t.co/j408U0CHdn

— Ahmad Algohbary (@AhmadAlgohbary) https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1937192482028290344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

It seems the Pentagon knew it was coming, and this may be telegraphed... perhaps more war theater:

Almost every single large military aircraft parked at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar evacuated the installation this week, with over 34 aircraft repositioning to other bases further from Iran.

The US confirmed that it moved some assets "vulnerable to Iranian attack." -Reuters https://t.co/DkaVAUz6s9

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1935490447385792761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

* * *

Update(1235ET): A series of rapid news wire headlines have set off the alarm of an Iranian attack on US interests in the Middle East is 'imminent'. Lots of fast-paced unverified claims racing:

Iran moves ballistic missile assets to target US assets across the region — WSJ

Large GPS disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz

US military jets being scrambled from Saudi Arabia, British & French military jets being scrambled

TRUMP ADMIN PREPARING FOR IRAN ATTACK ON US GULF BASES: AXIOS

CHINA URGES CITIZENS IN QATAR TO AVOID AL UDEID AIR BASE

Qatar has already been shutting down airspace, and importantly that is home to the US 5th Fleet.

JUST IN: Iran is moving missile launchers into place for a potential attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East in response to the surprise American strike on three nuclear sites over the weekend, according to U.S. officials.

DOD tracking a “credible” threat to U.S. forces in the…

— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) https://twitter.com/laraseligman/status/1937185509211505028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"Iran is moving missile launchers into place for a potential attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East in response to the surprise American strike on three nuclear sites over the weekend, according to U.S. officials," the breaking reports say.

S&P 500 ERASES GAIN

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* * *

Update(1125ET): Iranian state media sources are reporting that Iran is likely to attack US military facilities in the Mideast region 'in the coming hours'.

There are an estimated 40,000 American troops throughout the whole region, including at bases and on warships in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

On Sunday the NY Times had cited US officials to say anonymous US military and intelligence officials had detected signs that Iran-backed groups are preparing hostile action against US forces in places like Syria and Iraq. There's also the possibility of direct Iranian ballistic missile launches on bases in Iraq, just as happened in the wake of Soleimani's assassination during the first Trump administration.

But is this response being telegraphed or even coordinated with the US so as to avoid uncontrollable escalation? Israeli journalist Amit Segal https://x.com/AmitSegal/status/1937147608373367109

Senior Israeli officials assess that Iran will, in one way or another, coordinate its attack on the United States — similar to how it acted following the assassination of Qassem Soleimani. This is intended to avoid an unplanned escalation and out of hope to contain the incident. Perhaps in this context come the reports suggesting that the U.S. already knows the attack will take place within the next 48 hours.

Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel started out fierce and sustained, but have waned in the last days. Tehran is not expected to go after US assets with such intensity, fearing that Washington could launch a full war of regime change targeting the Ayatollah.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic continues to get pummeled by now daily and nightly Israeli airstrikes, particularly over unprotected airspace in Western Iran...

The end of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters https://t.co/s5FEB4a0AT

— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) https://twitter.com/AmitSegal/status/1937156845841559925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

* * *

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said in a fresh interview that the US administration is 'confident' that Saturday’s bombings of three key Iranian nuclear sites accomplished the job of dismantling Tehran’s alleged nuclear ambitions. She also https://www.yahoo.com/news/gabbard-standing-trump-world-comes-160000184.html

Trump made the decision "based on his own instincts and the US intelligence that he saw."

"This strike on Saturday did make our homeland safer because it took away Iran’s ability to create a nuclear bomb. This is a regime that threatens ‘death to America,’ and ‘death to Israel, and they no longer have the capability to build this nuclear weapon and threaten the world," she https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5363949-iran-nuclear-sites-strikes-confidence/

ABC News on Monday morning while making media rounds.

At a moment White House officials have been trying to downplay that this is a conflict of regime change in Iran, Leavitt did say the US is seeking to "Take away the power of this incredibly violent regime."

Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz were hit with huge bunker-buster bombs over the weekend, after which President Trump late Sunday declared on Truth Social: “Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term!”

However, UN inspectors at the IAEA currently have no access to the impacted sites of Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz - and the country remains essentially a warzone, also with airspace closed- as the region braces for potential Iranian response against US bases and assets. And of course, satellites can't assess damage underground, where the enrichment facilities and stockpiles are located.

Press Secretary on FOX: "why shouldn't the Iranian people take away the power of this incredibly violent regime?"

.https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937129550510772321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Also interesting is that Leavitt repeated the US administration talking point that the intel on Iran that Trump was provided made clear that Iran was 'weeks' from a nuclear weapon.

It remains that once again the American people are being led into supporting another US war and quagmire in the Middle East based on 'trust us!' from this administration, citing vague 'intel reports' on WMD, which sounds suspiciously like the faulty Bush-Cheney case against Saddam Hussein.

Still, the White House official narrative remains that Trump is not seeking full regime change in Iran, and this is also how Israeli media is presenting it in recent https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-june-23-2025/

“The President’s posture and our military posture has not changed,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tells reporters.

“The president was simply raising a question that I think many people around the world are asking: if the Iranian regime refuses to give up its nuclear program or engage in talks… if they refuse to engage in diplomacy moving forward, why shouldn’t the Iranian people rise up against this brutal terrorist regime?”

So we are already in the 'Iranian people should rise up' phase of this war.

Below are all the latest headlines and developments of the last 24-48 hours...

* * *

Israel-Iran Latest Highlights

US President Trump confirmed the launch of “Operation Midnight Hammer”, which involved targeted strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The operation used 125 aircraft, including seven B-2 bombers, alongside submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles. Fourteen GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators ("bunker busters") were deployed to penetrate deeply buried targets, notably Fordow.

Satellite imagery shows significant damage at all facilities. Trump described it as a joint effort with Israel.

IAEA say the damage assessment is pending; no signs of radiation leak.

In retaliation, Iran's parliament has approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the US launched strikes against the country’s nuclear facilities. Iran’s security body will make the final decision on whether to proceed with the plan, state television reported.

Iran retaliated by missile strikes on Israel. Has said future action could target over 20 US bases or naval assets. Iran's Military Central Command says powerful operations with heavy consequences for the US are to be expected. US entering the conflict expands the list of legitimate targets for Iran.

The European morning has seen a slew of geopolitical updates (see section below). Some additional USD strength on: an Iranian provincial official says Israel is targeting the Fordow nuclear facility, via Tasnim. Israel struck Fordow's access road, to prevent certain elements from approaching the area, according to Journalist Stein.

Iran's Military Central Command says powerful operations with heavy consequences for the US are to be expected. US entering the conflict expands the list of legitimate targets for Iran.

Iran's Army Chief says they are now free to take action against US interests, via IRNA.

Iranian city Karaj has been targeted by Israeli missiles, according to Fars; reports of large explosions being heard in Tehran.

Russian Kremlin says President Putin will receive the Iranian Foreign Minister later today. Communication channels remain open with the US, a call between US President Trump and Putin can be "quickly organised if required"; no current plans for a call. Iran can share its proposals later today.

Israel-Iran Weekend News

US Strike Operations

Fourteen GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators ("bunker busters") were deployed to penetrate deeply buried targets, notably Fordow.

Satellite imagery confirmed significant infrastructure damage at all three nuclear sites, with Fordow showing six fresh craters.

All targets were reportedly struck between 23:40 BST (Saturday) and 00:05 BST (Sunday). Iran’s air defence systems failed to detect or intercept the incoming attacks.

Trump described the attack as a joint effort with Israel, saying they “worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before.”

Axios quoted officials as saying that Whitkov told Araqchi during the operation that “the strike is only once.” He confirmed that Washington was still seeking a diplomatic solution and wanted Tehran to return to negotiations.

US President Trump did not want to continue striking Iran, but he would do so if US bases were targeted, according to Sky News Arabia citing Axios.

US President Trump reportedly directed staff to announce a two-week window in order to conceal plans for the Iran attack, according to CNN sources.

Damage Assessment & Nuclear Risk

IAEA Director General Grossi said craters are visible at Fordow, Natanz suffered direct hits, and tunnel entrances at Isfahan were struck. Full underground damage assessment remains pending. A special IAEA board meeting is scheduled for Monday.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine stated it is “too early” to assess whether Iran’s nuclear capability was fully neutralised.

US intelligence officials have raised concerns Iran may have relocated enriched uranium stockpiles in advance.

US Secretary of State Rubio urged Iran to surrender its enriched uranium stockpiles, claiming they remain buried under Isfahan and likely were not moved before the strikes.

The IAEA reported no signs of a radiation leak. Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority confirmed no radioactive effects were detected in Gulf states.

Strait of Hormuz & Oil Flow Threat

The Iranian parliament has approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the US launched strikes against the country’s nuclear facilities. Iran’s security body will make the final decision on whether to proceed with the plan, state television reported.

US Secretary of State Rubio warned such a move would be “economic suicide” for Iran but remains a credible escalation vector.

NOTE: Market contacts have suggested OPEC+ have not had any calls, with no talks of an emergency meeting yet amid no signs of supply disruptions, yet.

Iranian Military Response

Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Tel Aviv and Haifa, Israel, resulting in at least 86 reported injuries.

Iranian officials have warned that future actions could target over 20 US bases or naval assets in the region.

Iran stated that its military would determine the timing, nature, and scale of its response, according to Reuters.

Signs have emerged of Iran‑backed militias preparing to attack US bases in Iraq and Syria, according to Sky News Arabia citing The New York Times.

Iranian air defences reportedly activated in Isfahan, targeting hostile Israeli aircraft.

Iranian forces reported that Israeli airstrikes killed nine personnel — seven Revolutionary Guards and two conscripts — in Yazd province.

Iranian Messaging

Iran is weighing its response — with its Foreign Minister saying “all options” are on the table after Washington proved “they only understand the language of threat and force”, according to CNN.

Supreme Leader Khamenei warned that US strikes would “result in irreparable damage” to the US.

Iran’s President Pezeshkian warned of a “more devastating” retaliation if Israel’s bombing campaign continued.

Iranian regime sources denied any major nuclear material loss from the strikes, implying the sites had been pre-emptively evacuated.

Iran’s Crisis Management HQ stated there was “no danger” to civilians near Fordow; state media reported the site had “long been evacuated.”

An adviser to Khamenei claimed Iran still retains its enriched uranium, indigenous nuclear knowledge, and political will, despite facility damage.

Iran’s Foreign Minister condemned the strikes as a violation of international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation called the attacks “a barbaric act” breaching international law.

International Reactions

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting at 20:00 BST on Sunday in response to the strikes. US Ambassador Dorothy Shea defended the operation; China, Russia, and Pakistan called for an immediate ceasefire and accused the US of breaching the UN Charter.

The UN and EU called for de-escalation, with Secretary-General António Guterres warning of a “dangerous escalation.”

The E3 (UK, France, Germany) released a joint statement urging Iran to return to nuclear negotiations and warning against further destabilising actions.

Gulf Arab states including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait condemned the US strikes, calling for restraint and diplomatic resolution.

UK PM Keir Starmer backed the US strike, describing it as a response to a “grave threat.”

Israeli PM Netanyahu praised the US action, calling it a display of “awesome and righteous might” that could “change history.”

Saudi Arabia, Oman, and India expressed concern and urged all sides to pursue diplomatic solutions.

US Political & Legal Fallout

Congressional response to the strikes was mixed. Most Republicans expressed support, with Senator Ted Cruz praising the operation. However, some dissent emerged within the party, notably from Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who stated, “Not our fight.” Democrats strongly criticised the move; Senator Bernie Sanders labelled it “grossly unconstitutional” and accused President Trump of bypassing Congress.

US Department of Justice said President Trump had the authority under Article II to order Iran strikes without congressional approval, but a prolonged conflict might require Congress’s involvement, according to CNN.

US President Trump to meet with National Security team at 13:00 EDT/18:00 BST on Monday, according to Bloomberg.

Trump on Truth Social

US President Trump posted on Sunday "The damage to the Nuclear sites in Iran is said to be “monumental.” The hits were hard and accurate. Great skill was shown by our military. " Trump added that "if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change", and that "The GREAT B-2 pilots have just landed, safely, in Missouri."

President Trump later posted "Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term!... The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!"

US Homeland Security & Domestic Threats

The US is on high alert for Iranian-backed terrorist attacks, especially in the 48 hours following the strike. FBI, DHS, and local law enforcement have increased security presence at places of worship in major cities including New York and Washington, DC.

DHS warned of a heightened domestic threat environment, including potential for cyberattacks or lone-wolf incidents inspired by religious rulings.

The White House is monitoring potential Iranian sleeper cells inside the US.

VP Vance stated the administration is watching known terror watch list individuals who entered during the Biden era.

Regional Axis Responses/Headlines

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi arrived in Moscow to consult with President Putin. Russia condemned the US strikes as a “flagrant violation of international law.”

Iran's Foreign Minister Araqchi said he would discuss tackling common challenges and threats with Russian President Putin, according to Iranian news agency SNN.

Hezbollah condemned the US strikes, calling them a violation of international and humanitarian law and warned the conflict could spiral globally.

A Yemeni Houthi official warned retaliation for the US attack was “only a matter of time.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/white-house-press-secretary-hints-iran-regime-change-claims-intel-said-weeks-nuclear

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 03:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/stealth-bombers-reportedly-deploying-americas-unsinkable-carrier

Force Posturing: Six B-2 Stealth Bombers En Route To Indo-Pacific Ahead Of Trump's Intel Meeting

As the Israel–Iran conflict enters Day 9, President Trump has publicly stated he will wait https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/oil-pushed-lower-after-trump-gives-two-weeks-decide-iran-strikes-newsquawk-us-market-open

before deciding whether to authorize U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure. In parallel, U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers are being repositioned to forward operating bases in the Indo-Pacific—possibly Andersen Air Force Base in Guam or Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago—indicating a deliberate show of force and strategic signaling of U.S. readiness for multi-theater operations.

Fox News confirmed six B-2 stealth bombers have taken off from Whiteman AFB in Missouri and are likely to be staged at Andersen AFB in Guam.

🚨BREAKING: 6 U.S. B2 stealth bombers appear headed towards Guam

— Fox News (@FoxNews) https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1936391786697511283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Plus air tankers.

BREAKING: U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bombers appear to have taken off from their base in Missouri. These are the exact aircraft needed to hit the heavily fortified Iranian Fordow Nuclear Site.

Eight tankers are in flight, headed the same direction, refueling the B-2 bombers… https://t.co/an8Z2xlKJJ

— Hunterbrook (@hntrbrkmedia) https://twitter.com/hntrbrkmedia/status/1936287708105654616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

There is no official confirmation regarding the current force posture or final destination of the stealth bombers. For months, the USAF has staged these nuclear-capable bombers at Diego Garcia (in range of Iran)—often referred to as America's "unsinkable aircraft carrier"—located between Africa and Indonesia, approximately 1,000 miles south of India.

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"President Donald Trump, who has said he will make a decision on U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, is expected to return to the White House on Saturday afternoon. The president is expected to receive intelligence briefings with the National Security Council on Saturday and Sunday as he considers possible actions against Iran," https://www.foxnews.com/world/b-2-stealth-bombers-appear-move-hours-before-trump-expected-white-house

noted.

The island provides strategic access for stealth bombers to the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and across the Indian Ocean.

?itok=g9GAN1Yw

Previous staging of B-2s at Diego Garcia:

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/satellite-imagery-confirms-stealth-bomber-buildup-americas-unsinkable-carrier

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/if-everything-going-be-okay-why-are-us-eu-feverishly-preparing-world-war-iii

Staging B-2s at Guam or Diego Garcia is a clear signal of deterrence to adversaries, whether that's Iran in the Middle East or China and North Korea in Asia. The mere presence of these stealth bombers can be both preemptive and psychological.

More force posture: This week, the USAF has repositioned additional fighter aircraft and https://www.zerohedge.com/military/wave-usaf-tankers-depart-america-and-deploy-east-amid-escalating-israel-iran-conflict

across key regional bases in Europe, coinciding with Israel's Operation Rising Lion targeting Iranian assets. The moves come amid growing speculation that President Trump may authorize direct U.S. military involvement within the next two weeks unless Tehran makes a deal with the U.S.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/force-posturing-six-b-2-stealth-bombers-en-route-indo-pacific-ahead-trumps-intel

Sat, 06/21/2025 - 12:15

https://stylman.substack.com/p/the-cowards-bargain

The Coward's Bargain: How We Taught A Generation To Live In Fear

Everyone's Afraid to Speak

Someone our family has known forever recently told my sister that they've been reading my Substack and that if they wrote the things I write, people would call them crazy. I got a kick out of that—not because it's untrue, but because it reveals something darker about where we've ended up as a society. Most people are terrified of being themselves in public.

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My sister’s response made me laugh: "People do call him crazy. He simply doesn't care.” The funniest part is that I don't even write the craziest stuff I research—just the stuff I can back up with sources and/or my own personal observations. I always try to stay rooted in logic, reason and facts though—I'm clear when I'm speculating and when I'm not.

This same guy has sent me dozens of private messages over the last 4 or 5 years challenging me on stuff I share online. I'll respond with source material or common sense, and then—crickets. He disappears. If I say something he doesn’t want to hear, he vanishes like a child covering his ears. Over the last few years, I’ve been proven right about most of what we’ve argued about, and he’s been wrong. But it doesn’t matter—he’s got the memory of a gnat and the pattern never changes.

But he'd never make that challenge publicly, never risk being seen engaging with my arguments where others might witness the conversation. This kind of private curiosity paired with public silence is everywhere—people will engage with dangerous ideas in private but never risk being associated with them publicly. It's part of that reflexive "https://stylman.substack.com/p/that-cant-be-true

" mindset that shuts down inquiry before it can even begin.

But he's not alone. We've created a culture where wrongthink is policed so aggressively that even successful, powerful people whisper their doubts like they're confessing crimes.

I was on a hike last year with a very prominent tech VC. He was telling me about his son's football team—how their practices kept getting disrupted because their usual field on Randall's Island was now being used to house migrants. He leaned in, almost whispering: "You know, I'm a liberal, but maybe the people complaining about immigration have a point." Here's a guy who invests mountains of money into companies that shape the world we live in, and he's afraid to voice a mild concern about policy in broad daylight. Afraid of his own thoughts.

After I https://x.com/jstylman/status/1490056217661779973

, a coworker told me he totally agreed with my position—but he was angry that I'd said it. When the company didn't want to take a stand, I told them I would speak as an individual—on my own time, as a private citizen. He was pissed anyway. In fact, he was scolding me about the repercussions to the company. What's maddening is that this same person had enthusiastically supported the business taking public stands on other, more politically fashionable causes over the years. Apparently, using your corporate voice was noble when it was fashionable. Speaking as a private citizen became dangerous when it wasn’t.

Another person told me they agreed with me but wished they were "more successful like me" so they could afford to speak out. They had "too much to lose." The preposterousness of this is staggering. Everyone who spoke out during COVID sacrificed—financially, reputationally, socially. I sacrificed plenty myself.

But I'm no victim. Far from it. Since I was a young man, I've never measured achievement by finance or status—my benchmark for being a so-called successful person was owning my own time. Ironically, getting myself canceled was actually a springboard to that. For the first time in my life, I felt I'd achieved time ownership. Whatever I’ve achieved came from being raised by loving parents, working hard, and having the spine to follow convictions rationally. Those attributes, coupled with some great fortune, are the reason for whatever success I've had—they're not the reason I can speak now. Maybe this person should do some inward searching about why they're not more established. Maybe it's not about status at all. Maybe it's about integrity.

This is the adult world we've built—one where courage is so rare that people mistake it for privilege, where speaking your mind is seen as a luxury only the privileged can afford, rather than a fundamental requirement for actually becoming established.

And this is the world we're handing to our children.

We Built the Surveillance State for Them

I remember twenty years ago, my best friend's wife (who's also a dear friend) was about to hire someone when she decided to check the candidate's Facebook first. The woman had posted: “Meeting the whores at [company name]”—referring to my friend and her coworkers. My friend immediately withdrew the offer. I remember thinking this was absolutely terrible judgment on the candidate's part, however it was dangerous territory we were entering: the notion of living completely in public, where every casual comment becomes permanent evidence.

Now that danger has metastasized into something unrecognizable. We've created a world where every stupid thing a fifteen-year-old says gets archived forever. Not just on their own phones, but screenshot and saved by peers who don't understand they're building permanent files on each other—even on platforms like Snapchat that promise everything disappears. We've eliminated the possibility of a private adolescence—and adolescence is supposed to be private, messy, experimental. It's the laboratory where you figure out who you are by trying on terrible ideas and throwing them away.

But laboratories require the freedom to fail safely. What we've built instead is a system where every failed experiment becomes evidence in some future trial.

Think about the dumbest thing you believed at sixteen. The most embarrassing thing you said at thirteen. Now imagine that moment preserved in high definition, timestamped, and searchable. Imagine it surfacing when you're thirty-five and running for school board, or just trying to move past who you used to be.

If there was a record of everything I did when I was sixteen, I would have been unemployable. Come to think of it, I'm way older than that now and I'm unemployable anyway—but the truth still stands. My generation might have been the last to fully enjoy an analog existence as children. We got to be stupid privately, to experiment with ideas without permanent consequences, to grow up without every mistake being archived for future use against us.

?itok=7RgKEZKH

I remember teachers threatening us with our "permanent record." We laughed—some mysterious file that would follow us forever? Turns out they were just early. Now we've built those records and handed the recording devices to children. Companies like Palantir have https://stylman.substack.com/p/the-invisible-leash

We're asking children to have adult judgment about consequences they can't possibly understand. A thirteen-year-old posting something stupid isn't thinking about college applications or future careers. They're thinking about right now, today, this moment—which is exactly how thirteen-year-olds are supposed to think. But we've built systems that treat childhood immaturity as a prosecutable offense.

The psychological toll is staggering. Imagine being fourteen and knowing that anything you say might be used against you by people you haven't met yet, for reasons you can't anticipate, at some unknown point in the future. That's not adolescence—that's a police state built out of smartphones and social media.

The result is a generation that's either paralyzed by self-consciousness or completely reckless because they figure they're already screwed. Some retreat into careful blandness, crafting personas so sanitized they might as well be corporate spokespeople for their own lives. Others go scorched earth—if everything's recorded anyway, why hold back? As https://stylman.substack.com/p/the-pattern-recognition-era-a-manifesto

likes to say, there's Andrew Tate and then there's a bunch of incels—meaning the young men either become performatively brash and ridiculous, or they retreat entirely. The young women seem to either drift toward fearful conformity or embrace monetized exposure on platforms like OnlyFans. We’ve managed to channel an entire generation’s rebellion into the very systems designed to exploit them.

The COVID Conformity Test

This is how totalitarian thinking takes root—not through jackbooted thugs, but through a million small acts of self-censorship. When a venture capitalist whispers his concerns about immigration policy like he's confessing to a thought crime. When successful professionals agree with dissenting views privately but would never defend them publicly. When speaking obvious truths becomes an act of courage rather than basic citizenship.

Orwell understood this perfectly. In 1984, the Party's greatest achievement wasn't forcing people to say things they didn't believe—it was making them afraid to believe things they weren't supposed to say. "The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake," O'Brien explains to Winston. "We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power." But the real genius was making citizens complicit in their own oppression, turning everyone into both prisoner and guard.

History shows us how this works in practice. The Stasi in East Germany didn't just rely on secret police—they turned ordinary citizens into informants. By some estimates, one in seven East Germans was reporting on their neighbors, friends, even family members. The state didn't need to watch everyone; they got people to watch each other. But the Stasi had limitations: they could recruit informants, but they couldn't monitor everyone simultaneously, and they couldn't instantly broadcast transgressions to entire communities for real-time judgment.

Social media solved both problems. Now we have total surveillance capability—every comment, photo, like, and share automatically recorded and searchable. We have instant mass distribution—one screenshot reaching thousands in minutes. We have volunteer enforcement—people eagerly participating in calling out "wrongthink" because it feels righteous. And we have permanent records—unlike Stasi files locked in archives, digital mistakes follow you forever.

The psychological impact is exponentially worse because Stasi informants at least had to make a conscious choice to report someone. Now the reporting happens automatically—the infrastructure is always listening, always recording, always ready to be weaponized by anyone with a grudge or a cause.

We saw this machinery in full operation during COVID. Remember how quickly "two weeks to flatten the curve" became orthodoxy? How questioning lockdowns, mask mandates, or vaccine efficacy wasn't just wrong—it was dangerous? How saying "maybe we should consider the trade-offs of closing schools" could get you labeled a grandma-killer? The speed at which dissent became heresy was breathtaking.

History has shown us governments can be terrible to citizens. The hardest pill to swallow was the horizontal policing. Your neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family members became the enforcement mechanism. People didn't just comply; they competed—virtue-signaling their way into a collective delusion where asking basic questions about cost-benefit analysis became evidence of moral deficiency. Neighbors called police on neighbors for having too many people over. People photographed "violations" and posted them online for mass judgment.

And the most insidious part? The people doing the policing genuinely believed they were the good guys. They thought they were protecting society from dangerous misinformation, not realizing they had become the misinformation—that they were actively suppressing the kind of open inquiry that's supposed to be the foundation of both science and democracy.

The Ministry of Truth didn't need to rewrite history in real time. Facebook and Twitter did it for them, memory-holing inconvenient posts and banning users who dared to share pre-approved scientific studies that happened to reach unapproved conclusions. The Party didn't need to control the past—they just needed to control what you were allowed to remember about it.

This wasn't an accident or an overreaction. This was a stress test of how quickly a free society could be transformed into something unrecognizable, and we failed spectacularly. Anyone who actually followed the science understood the only pandemic was one of cowardice. Worse, most people didn't even notice we were being tested. They thought they were just "following the science"—never mind that the data kept changing to match the politics, or that questioning anything had somehow become heretical.

The beautiful thing about this system is that it's self-sustaining. Once you've participated in the mob mentality, once you've policed your neighbors and canceled your friends and stayed silent when you should have spoken up, you become invested in maintaining the fiction that you were right all along. Admitting you were wrong isn't just embarrassing—it's an admission that you participated in something monstrous. So instead, you double down. You disappear when confronted with inconvenient facts.

Raising Prisoners

And this brings us back to the children. They're watching all of this. But more than that—they're growing up inside this surveillance infrastructure from birth. The Stasi's victims at least had some years of normal psychological development before the surveillance state kicked in. These kids never get that. They're born into a world where every thought might be public, every mistake permanent, every unpopular opinion potentially life-destroying.

The psychological impact is devastating. Research shows that children who grow up under constant surveillance—even well-meaning parental surveillance—show higher rates of anxiety, depression, and what psychologists call https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3330159/

They never develop internal locus of control because they never get to make real choices with real consequences. But this goes far deeper than helicopter parenting.

The ability to hold unpopular opinions, to think through problems independently, to risk being wrong—these aren't just nice-to-haves. They're core to psychological maturity. When you eliminate those possibilities, you don't just get more compliant people; you get people who literally can't think for themselves anymore. They outsource their judgment to the crowd because they never developed their own.

We're creating a generation of psychological cripples—people who are practiced at reading social cues and adjusting their thoughts accordingly, but who have never learned to form independent judgments. People who mistake consensus for truth and popularity for virtue. People who have been so thoroughly trained to avoid wrong-think that they've either lost—or never developed—the capacity for original thought entirely.

But here's what's most disturbing: the kids are learning this behavior from us. They're watching adults who whisper their real thoughts, who agree privately but stay silent publicly, who confuse strategic silence with wisdom. They're learning that authenticity is dangerous, that having real convictions is a luxury they can't afford. They're learning that truth is negotiable, that principles are disposable, and that the most important skill in life is reading the room and adjusting your thoughts accordingly.

The feedback loop is complete: adults model cowardice, children learn that genuine expression is risky, and everyone becomes practiced at self-censorship rather than self-examination. We've created a society where the Overton window isn't just narrow—it's actively policed by people who are terrified of stepping outside it, even when they privately disagree with its boundaries.

This is the architecture of soft totalitarianism. Just the constant, gnawing fear that saying the wrong thing—or even thinking it too loudly—will result in social death. The beauty of this system is that it makes everyone complicit. Everyone has something to lose, so everyone stays quiet. Everyone remembers what happened to the last person who spoke up, so nobody wants to be next.

The technology doesn't just enable this tyranny; it makes it psychologically inevitable. When the infrastructure punishes independent thinking before it can fully form, you get psychological arrested development on a mass scale.

It’s already baked into education and employment through DEI and ESG. Wait till it's https://brownstone.org/articles/covid-to-cbdc-to-full-control/

We're passing this pathology down to our children like a genetic disorder. Except this disorder isn't inherited—it's enforced. And unlike genetic disorders, this one serves a purpose: it creates a population that's easy to control, easy to manipulate, easy to lead around by the nose as long as you control the social rewards and punishments.

The Price of Truth

I don't share my opinions because I "get away with it"—I don't get away with anything. I've paid socially, professionally, and even financially. But I do it anyway because the alternative is spiritual death. The alternative is becoming someone who messages critics privately but never takes a public stand, someone who's perpetually annoyed by others' courage but never exercises their own.

The difference isn't ability or privilege. It's willingness. I'm open-minded and open-hearted. I can be convinced of anything—but show me, don't tell me. I'm willing to be wrong, willing to change my mind when new information comes to light or I gain a different perspective on an idea, willing to defend ideas I believe in even when it's uncomfortable.

There are a lot of us right now realizing something isn't right—that we've been lied to about everything. We're trying to make sense of what we're seeing, asking uncomfortable questions, connecting dots that don't want to be connected. When we call that out, the last thing we need is people who haven't done the work standing in our way, carrying water for the establishment forces that are manipulating them.

Most people could do the same thing if they chose to—they just don't choose to because they've been trained to see conviction as dangerous and conformity as safe.

https://www.cato.org/blog/new-poll-62-say-political-climate-prevents-them-sharing-political-views

found that 62% of Americans say the political climate prevents them from sharing their political beliefs because others might find them offensive. Majorities of Democrats (52%), independents (59%), and Republicans (77%) all agree they have political opinions they are afraid to share.

When adults who lived through COVID saw what happens when groupthink becomes gospel—how quickly independent thought gets labeled dangerous, how thoroughly dissent gets suppressed—many responded not by becoming more committed to free expression, but by becoming more careful about what they express. They learned the wrong lesson.

What we're creating is a society where authenticity has become a radical act, where courage is so rare it looks like privilege. We're raising children who learn that being yourself is dangerous, that having real opinions carries unlimited downside risk. They're not just careful about what they say—they're careful about what they think.

This doesn't create better people. It creates more fearful people. People who mistake surveillance for safety, conformity for virtue, and silence for wisdom. People who've forgotten that the point of having thoughts is sometimes to share them, that the point of having convictions is sometimes to defend them.

The solution isn't to abandon technology or retreat into digital monasteries. But we need to create spaces—legal, social, psychological—where both kids and adults can fail safely. Where mistakes don't become permanent tattoos. Where changing your mind is seen as growth rather than hypocrisy. Where having convictions is valued over having clean records.

Most importantly, we need adults who are willing to model courage instead of strategic silence—who understand that the price of speaking up is usually less than the price of staying quiet. In a world where everyone's afraid to say what they think, the honest voice doesn't just stand out—it stands up.

Because right now, we're not just living in fear—we're teaching our children that fear is the price of participation in society. And a society built on fear isn't a society at all. It's just a more comfortable prison, one where the guards are ourselves and the keys are our own convictions, which we've learned to keep safely locked away.

Whether it's experimental medicine or the masters of war lying again to drag us into what might become World War III—it's https://stylman.substack.com/p/welcome-to-psyop-season

—it's never been more important that people find their conviction, use their voice, and become a force for good. If you're still scared to push back against war propaganda, still getting swept up in manufactured outrage cycles, still choosing your principles based on which team is in power—then you may have learned absolutely nothing from the last few years.

These days, friends are starting to confide in me that maybe I was right about the mRNA vaccines not working. I don't gloat—in fact, I appreciate the openness. But my standard reply is that they're four years late to the story. They'll know they've caught up when they realize the world is run by a bunch of satanic pedophiles. And yeah, I used to think that sounded crazy too.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/cowards-bargain-how-we-taught-generation-live-fear

Fri, 06/20/2025 - 21:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/chokepoint-watch-gps-jamming-impacts-tankers-across-strait-hormuz

Strait of Hormuz Disruption Fears Surge After Former Iranian Minister Threatens Transit Restrictions

JPMorgan's forecast of triple-digit Brent crude prices could soon be a reality as conflict risk in and around the Strait of Hormuz intensifies. The waterway, which handles roughly 20% of global oil trade, remains one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. Any disruption, particularly amid growing military escalation between Iran and Israel, could impact energy flows worldwide and send prices soaring.

The most concerning sign of potential maritime disruption in the Strait of Hormuz emerged in the overnight hours via a https://x.com/Khandoozi_se/status/1935052780219118000

by former Iranian Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi. While unofficial, the timing and seniority of the comment may reflect broader regime sentiment—or serve as a warning of what's to come.

"Starting tomorrow, for 100 days, no oil tankers or LNG cargoes will be able to pass through the strait without Iran's approval," Khandouzi said.

He stated, "This policy is decisive if it is implemented "in a timely manner." Any delay in its implementation means enduring more war inside the country. Trump's battle must be ended with a combination of economy and security."

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Such messaging, especially when paired with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval activity in the region, raises the increasing probability of IRGC actions targeting commercial shipping lanes in the strait. This escalation could serve as the catalyst that turns https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/oil-could-hit-130-worst-case-scenario-jpmorgan

Brent crude forecast from a scenario into a market reality.

Some more excerpts from the https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/oil-could-hit-130-worst-case-scenario-jpmorgan

A blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—the world's busiest oil-shipping channel—would shut down the region's oil trade, supercharging oil prices.

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The skinny waterway—at its narrowest point it is only 21 miles (33 km) wide— separating the UAE, Oman and Iran, connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean, and facilitates the movement of some 30% of the world's seaborne oil trade and 20% of the world's LNG supply (Table 1).

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Widespread GPS jamming has been reported across the strait for the last several days:

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Which unfolded into a maritime disaster early Tuesday when crude oil tanker Front Eagle slammed into the port quarter of the tanker Adalynn, sparking a massive fire on Adalynn, and concerns about a potential ecological disaster have surged.

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/tanker-collision-near-strait-hormuz-amid-gps-signal-degradation

⚠️ Harrowing images of dark fleet tanker ADALYNN (IMO #9231767) post collision. https://t.co/Y1FUBNNtis

— Ed Finley–Richardson (@ed_fin) https://twitter.com/ed_fin/status/1934958125766856897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

All in all, the world's most critical maritime chokepoint appears to be in the crosshairs of the Iranian regime. On Tuesday, President Trump met with his national security team for over an hour to discuss the Middle East and later held a call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The key question now is whether the U.S. will enter the conflict. If it does, a shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is almost guaranteed—setting the stage for global energy markets to be thrown into turmoil.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/strait-hormuz-disruption-fears-surge-after-former-iranian-minister-threatens-transit

Wed, 06/18/2025 - 07:20

https://off-guardian.org/2025/06/14/impervious-to-suffering/

Impervious To Suffering

Can I be so bold as to say I may have figured something out? It is probably something all of you already know, as I can be a bit slow on the uptake. I keep hearing from the sheep-types that they really don’t care if we lose all of our freedoms. They don’t care about losing privacy because they don’t have anything to hide, they don’t care about losing free speech because people should be punished for saying bad and/or dangerous things (and they have nothing to say that would be considered bad and/or dangerous).

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They have no fear of the government getting too much control because there will never be a reason the government would want or need to control them.

They don’t fear communism or fascism primarily because they don’t know what those two ideologies clearly mean, and besides, that would never happen in a free society—which they are ready to give up anyway.

Of course, to all of us shrew-types, we practically lose our cookies thinking about living in a society where basic freedoms have been stripped away, or where the government, or any other authority, has power over our movements, our money, and our fundamental existence.

When we hear someone say, “I don’t care how much control the authorities have, I have nothing to hide, and I do nothing wrong, therefore it is not something to worry about for me,” we blow a gasket.

Don’t they know?

Don’t they know that when the control over the masses surely does take effect it won’t matter a tinker’s damn if they “have nothing to hide” or “don’t do anything bad.” Oppression comes in many flavours, and its primary purpose is not to punish wrongdoing, but rather to keep people, in a very general way, compliant and under control.

Control sets the tone of the behaviour of a society. A good example of this came about during the Canadian Trucker’s Convoy. People who donated to that cause ran the risk of having their bank accounts frozen. (I was one that this happened to.) Was donating to a “cause” such as the Trucker’s Convoy a “bad thing”—was it against the law, was it criminal? In a free society, protesting (peacefully) and standing up against any sort of injustice an individual finds abhorrent is one of our fundamental rights as citizens of a free country.

However, punishing people who do something the government does not approve of sets a bar that indicates what is acceptable and what is not. People seeing friends and family being punished for contributing to a cause such as the truckers convoy, will categorize their activity as the activity of “a bad person”—whereas before the punishment was laid upon them (the freezing of their bank accounts) these same people would have had no trouble wearing a pussy hat and marching against Donald Trump.

They find what the government did (freezing accounts) as “reasonable” and they tell themselves that whoever contributed was a “bad person” and deserves to be reprimanded.

There is no better word for this than indoctrination: people are being taught what is right and wrong, and being taught what the punishment is for being wrong. It is much like training a dog, but not with positive reinforcement (although there is a lot of that going on as well) but with negative reinforcement.

Needless to say this negative punishment starts out mildly. And this is the thing I figured out—people don’t know yet what the real punishment is going to be for wrongdoing, and for straying away from the desires of the agenda. They have never experienced real suffering at the hands of their captives, so they don’t know what is in store for them. None of them have lived in North Korea, or Soviet Russia, or Nazi Germany, or Mao’s China. None of them know what it means to live a life in any of these environments where you don’t have to be a criminal to be seriously persecuted and physically punished for just being.

Well, neither have the shrews (more than likely anyone reading this is a shrew). So, what gives? This is the part I have not yet figured out. I have a few theories, but most of them are rather lame. One theory is that shrews are more aware of history and world events than their sheep brethren. I can’t imagine that this is as true as it would need to be to have any sort of impact. But I have noticed that the shrews I have met are very well informed about totalitarian regimes—current ones and past ones. Shrews seem to be more well-read than the sheep-types—history (as mentioned), philosophy, psychology, biography, classic literature, etc. Maybe there are a few Nora Roberts romances in there, but not many.

I am sure there are lots of shrews who haven’t read a book since High School, but that doesn’t seem to be the truth. It isn’t book reading altogether either, it is just information, awareness, and understanding that seems to be prevalent. Combine that with common sense and critical thinking, and you may have a viable formula there for shrew-ness.

Like I said, I don’t think I have that one figured out yet. But I do think there is some viability to the idea that the sheeple don’t really know what they are handing over to the agenda. They don’t know what politically inflicted pain feels like. And they are rather certain that this sort of pain is not down the pike.

Of course, there are always strange anomalies to these theories.

Why are the same people obsessed and terrified that Trump is going to make this oppressive, fascist, totalitarian world for them, where they will all, if they are lucky, writhe in pain on the streets, deprived of food, water, and any sort of decency in life?

This is strange, for sure, as it makes no sense that if they are so terrified of this happening with Trump, they can’t see it with Carney in Canada, Merz in Germany, Macron in France, Xi Jinping in China, and Starmer in the UK. Of course, they have no problem seeing it in Putin of Russia. But Zelenskyy of Ukraine is the hero of all time. Go figure.

So, I guess I was wrong. I haven’t figured this out at all. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Todd’s new book The View of the Shrew launches later this month, and is available for pre-order, or you can enter a draw to win a free copy by signing up to his mailing list https://theviewoftheshrew.com/

https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/notypist

Tue, 06/17/2025 - 23:25

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/impervious-suffering

https://off-guardian.org/2025/06/14/chronocide-how-technocracy-is-erasing-the-past-present-and-future/

Chronocide: How Technocracy Is Erasing The Past, Present, & Future

The past is another country, according to LP Hartley’s opening line of The Go-Between. Nowadays, we may say the same of the present, as the pace of technological and demographic change quickens.

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As for the future, what confidence and certainties can we have for our children and grandchildren?

Countries might not exist in any recognisable form as a new world order is cemented. But it is not only borders that are being undrawn. When Francis Fukuyama declared the ‘end of history’ on the fall of communism, perhaps he was inadvertently priming for the globalists’ most dramatic impact on humanity: the erasure of time. As warned by David Fleming, whose philosophy of continuism offers a unifying rationale for preserving humanity against the technocratic onslaught, ‘chronocide’ is a strategy.

As social animals, human beings create society. Over generations, each community establishes and maintains its customs, beliefs, roles and relationships. While ideologically progressive humanists emphasise that we have more in common than our differences in race, religion or region, a person from one culture cannot simply move to a place of different culture and expect life to go on as normal.

The crucial component of society is time, measured in lifetimes of immersion. Indeed, human beings + time = culture.

In this equation, important factors may be understood as nature or nurture in the human-temporal complex, such as terrain, resources, climate, commerce, conflict and technology. Each society writes and curates its history.

In the classic dystopian novels of Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World, the past was deleted by design. Winston’s job is to revise records of events to comply with the current narrative, as it evolves. In Aldous Huxley’s futurism, babies are born by machine, and the idea of a woman giving birth is disturbing.

As the Marxists of the Frankfurt School realised in the 1920s, and as every management consultant knows, nothing really changes unless the culture changes. Social bonds and traditions are bulwarks against radical plans imposed from above. Piecemeal, incremental policies are prone to regression to norms, but major restructuring or other shocks to the system break social connections and shatter stability. The more dramatic and sudden the change, the more readily resistance is overcome.

Year Zero wipes the slate of our human story clean. For uncompromising totalitarians such as Pol Pot in Cambodia, this was a necessary means of shifting the people from a traditional agrarian existence to a communist order. Anyone harbouring relics or attitudes of the past was exterminated. While schoolchildren are taught (uncritically) about the Holocaust, generally they are uninformed on the trauma of extreme collectivisation.

Chronocide is the deliberate slashing and burning of everything in our culture – both the visible stem and branches above ground, and the underlying roots. We are being deprived of our continuity as families and fraternities, because such human connections are an obstacle to the technocratic mission. An atomised society is literally taking time out, in the following ways.

1. An Orwellian information war is being waged against the ordinary people. Facts derived from experience, common sense or critical thinking become ‘misinformation’ or ‘hate’. Knowledge handed down through generations is denigrated as unscientific old wives’ tales or prejudice from an intolerant past. The young, most heavily targeted by propaganda, are encouraged to reject time-honoured truths.

2. State-led behavioural psychology operations (‘psy-ops’) bewilder and frighten people, detaching them from settled knowledge and understanding. Placing the populace in uncharted territory, as in the Covid-19 pseudo-pandemic, puts them at the mercy of the powers-that-be. A worldwide deadly contagion could not be remembered by any living person, as the Spanish influenza outbreak was over a hundred years ago. In emergencies the authorities take control, and life is never the same again afterwards.

3. Safetyism suffocates culture, by replacing festivities steeped in heritage with managed events. Bonfire nights are cancelled if there’s any wind blowing, village fetes are stopped if there’s a risk of someone having an allergic reaction to homemade jam, and vigorous children’s games such as ‘British Bulldog’ are banished from the school playground. The insurance industry, through high cost of cover, helps to curtail activities that displease the authorities.

4. Dehumanising architecture proliferates on the skyline. On a scale much greater than in the social engineering of the 1960s, when swaths of terraced housing were replaced by concrete blocks and communities were moved en masse to new towns, construction is ever-upward. The physical landscape may retain remnants of the past, but churches, banks and pubs have closed, and the high street is in creeping desolation. Lessons from the recent past about the problems of high-rise living have been discarded. Smart Cities are being developed, with forests of steel-and-glass apartment blocks.

5. Expropriation of people’s property and assets is transferring all wealth to the elite. The World Economic Forum tells us that ‘you will own nothing and be happy’, but someone must own the capital. Generational inheritance will end, as shown by the extortionate tax on farms that have stayed in family ownership for centuries, forcing landowners to sell.

6. Mass migration has led to many people of the host country feeling marginalised and alienated. Despite the platitudes about multiculturalism, social cohesion has declined as the identity and loyalty of recent incomers is tied to their kith and kin, with little sense of shared belonging. That’s what our rulers want. Rootless cosmopolitans (the ‘Anywheres’ described by David Goodhart) always prefer things foreign or exotic to the predictable and homely, but now shire folk and the indigenous working class (‘Somewheres’) are finding themselves in a timeless Nowhere.

7. Rapid technological development is displacing people from physical to virtual reality. While the present is most visibly changing in demographic transformation, the near future poses an existential threat to humanity, making inter cultural tensions seem like a picnic in the park. The future, if the technocrats get their way, is transhumanism.

The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948) defines genocide as the killing of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. But there is also the concept of cultural genocide, as devised by Raphael Lemkin, entailing ‘systematic and organized destruction of the cultural heritage’.

A culture can be wiped out without a shot being fired. The technocrats have been playing a long game, preparing for a post-cultural, post-temporal future. Chronocide is a crime against humanity.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/chronocide-how-technocracy-erasing-past-present-future

Mon, 06/16/2025 - 23:25

https://disinformationchronicle.substack.com/subscribe

NIH Nixes Fauci Pet Project As Scripps' Kristian Andersen Fixes To Flee The Country

Senior officials inside the NIH are working to shut down a https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/niaid-establishes-centers-research-emerging-infectious-diseases

called the Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases or “CREID.” Meanwhile, attorneys inside the Justice Department have launched initial inquiries into one of the CREID grants awarded to Scripps Research Institute researcher Kristian Andersen, who is now in the process of fleeing the United States for a position being created for him at the University of Oslo.

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NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya did not respond to repeated requests for comment, but an NIH spokesperson confirmed the agency is shutting down the CREID grants. “Though the grants have been properly terminated, money will be released to the grantees to assure safe shutdown of these programs in terms of biosafety and security,” said an NIH spokesperson, adding that pandemic preparedness remains important but the dangers of health comorbidities in infectious disease outbreaks was further underlined during COVID. “Strengthening overall health through proactive disease prevention offers a more resilient foundation for responding to future health threats—beyond reliance on vaccines or treatments for yet-unknown pathogens.”

Tony Fauci announced the formation of CREIDs in 2020, awarding 11 grants worth around $17 million, with https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/niaid-establishes-centers-research-emerging-infectious-diseases

in succeeding years. NIH did not explain how much of the $82 million slated for CREID had already been spent. Two CREID grantees have been the focus of intense scrutiny since Fauci’s announcement: Peter Daszak of the nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance and Kristian Andersen of Scripps.

Daszak was later discovered to have undisclosed ties to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), having provided an NIH subaward to WIV researcher Shi Zhengli. At the close of the Biden Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finally https://oversight.house.gov/release/breaking-hhs-formally-debars-ecohealth-alliance-dr-peter-daszak-after-covid-select-reveals-pandemic-era-wrongdoing/

” EcoHealth Alliance had not provided WIV records.

Andersen also faced close inspection for his CREID grant. Some months before Fauci gave final sign off on Andersen’s CREID award, Andersen and other researchers published a paper in Nature Medicine titled, “Proximal Origin” that dismissed the possibility of a Wuhan lab accident. Andersen’s paper was widely hailed by scientists as proof, at the time, that discussions of a COVID lab accident was a conspiracy.

Nature Medicine’s editor-in-chief, Joao Monteiro, tweeted that the “Proximal Origin” paper “put conspiracy theories” about the pandemic’s possible lab origin to rest.

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Andersen echoed Monteiro’s statement days later, associating “conspiracy theorists” worried about a possible lab accident with people who doubt the Moon landing.

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The paper would go on to become one of the most heavily cited scientific papers in 2020. However, emails made public through freedom of information act requests and by congressional https://disinformationchronicle.substack.com/p/will-the-biden-administration-investigate

had run it past funders—Collins and Fauci at the NIH, as well as with Jeremy Farrar, then at the Wellcome Trust and now with the World Health Organization.

Congressional Republicans later charged that https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/investigating-the-proximal-origin-of-a-cover-up/

that concluded Farrar helped “organize and facilitate” and “led the drafting process of the paper.”

The group BioSafety Now https://biosafetynow.org/open-letter-to-nature-medicine/

had not been previously reported.

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Justice Department officials opened the inquiry as they suspect the paper may have been a quid pro quo, published by the authors to dismiss the possibility of a lab accident in exchange for the Fauci CREID grant. Andersen addressed these bribery allegations two years ago during a congressional hearing.

“There is no connection between the grant and the conclusions we reached about the origin of the pandemic,” https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Dr.-Kristian-Andersen-Written-Testimony-Corrected-Version-1.pdf

in July 2023. “We applied for this grant in June 2019, and it was scored and reviewed by independent experts in November 2019.”

The Intercept later reported that Andersen “https://theintercept.com/2023/07/21/covid-origin-nih-lab-leak/

.” NIH records show the Fauci CREID grant to Andersen wasn’t finalized until May 21, 2020, two months after Andersen published “Proximal Origin” in March 2020.

Misleading intelligence agencies

Justice Department officials are also likely to examine Andersen’s possible role in misleading US intelligence agencies. A week after Nature Medicine published “Proximal Origin,” the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) published an intelligence report that circulated inside security agencies. First reported by The DisInformation Chronicle, the INR report is marked “https://disinformationchronicle.substack.com/p/the-wuhan-road-show-forming-a-band

.”

The INR report documents a briefing that non-government scientists gave to State Department officials, downplaying the possibility of a Chinese lab accident and citing the “Proximal Origin” paper. The names of the scientists who briefed State remained unknown until a couple years ago, when emails found that one of the scientists was Kristian Andersen, who is apparently a citizen of Denmark, not the US.

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“Did we have a foreign national parading into the intel agencies and convincing senior officials to not look into a matter?” said a State Department official who is not cleared to speak to the media. “That’s a counter intelligence matter. We need a professional law enforcement investigation.”

Andersen’s involvement came to light in a late 2020 email sent by State Department official David Feith in which Feith wrote that Andersen had briefed State for their March 2020 INR report. “In fact, I'm told that in a briefing organized by INR earlier this year, [Andersen] said that several features that had initially raised questions in his mind were subsequently put to rest by more detailed analysis,” https://usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FL-2022-00062-June-2023-Production-Andersen-and-State-INR.pdf

. “Notably, it was that subsequent follow-on analysis, referred to by Anderson in the INR discussion….”

Based on the briefing by Andersen and colleagues, https://disinformationchronicle.substack.com/p/the-wuhan-road-show-forming-a-band

there was no evidence the virus originated in a lab. “U.S. scientists said that while they cannot completely rule out that scenario, it was improbable and not supported by available evidence.”

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But on April 16, 2020, a month after briefing the State Department, https://www.public.news/p/top-scientists-misled-congress-about

to his “Proximal Origin” co-authors. This message contradicts what scientists told the State Department.

“I’m still not fully convinced that no culture was involved,” Andersen wrote his co-authors, a month after briefing State that a lab accident was not supported by evidence. “We also can't fully rule out engineering (for basic research).” Andersen added that a critical part of the virus called the furin cleavage site “still could have been inserted” into the virus.

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Researcher Andreas Martin Lisewski with Germany’s Constructor University https://bmcgenomdata.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12863-024-01290-2

that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was not natural at a World Health Organization meeting last February.

“I don’t see how this not a criminal misleading and counterintelligence matter,” said the State Department official. “This is way beyond the threshold needed for a grand jury.”

During a https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023.06.16-Andersen-Transcript.pdf

, Andersen testified that he also briefed the CIA and FBI, although the nature and timing of those discussions is unclear.

As the noose continues to tighten on Andersen, he has been looking to move outside the United States and has apparently found a new home at the University of Oslo. The move would be a precipitous fall in status for Andersen, as Scripps Research Institute has been ranked as one of the https://education.scripps.edu/graduate/about-the-graduate-school/rankings/

in the world.

Andersen did not respond to questions and repeated requests for comment sent to his Scripps email.

Finding refuge

“I have heard from several sources that there is an ongoing effort from a group of scientists at the University of Oslo to recruit Andersen, and that this might be finalized in the near future,” https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7462-8920

The campaign to find a position for Andersen at the University of Oslo apparently began last October when professors Anne Spurkland, Rein Aasland, and Nils Christian Stenseth invited Andersen to give a lecture on the Oslo campus. Nelseth has long trumpeted Andersen’s research. In 2021, he https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8365337/#B7

that dismissed the possibility of a Wuhan lab accident, citing Andersen’s “Proximal Origin” paper.

Covering the “facts and the fiction” of the COVID pandemic, Andersen claimed https://norwegianimmunology.org/guest-lecture-with-prof-kristian-andersen-the-origin-of-a-pandemic-the-facts-and-the-fiction/

that critiques of his research were mere political attacks that had been spread by conspiracy theorists, naming two Oslo researchers sitting in the audience: Sigrid Bratlie and Gunnveig Grødeland, a professor at the University of Oslo.

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Andersen’s Oslo talk was https://norwegianimmunology.org/guest-lecture-with-prof-kristian-andersen-the-origin-of-a-pandemic-the-facts-and-the-fiction/

which later released an apology. “Kristian Andersen’s lecture concluded by asserting that, based on his findings, SARS-CoV-2 necessarily originated from an animal at the Wuhan wet market,” the statement reads. “In retrospect, unfortunately, it seems the purpose of his lecture was just as much about stopping the free debate in Norway on this topic.”

Undeterred, Stenseth, Spurkland and Aasland then helped nominate Andersen for membership in the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. https://dnva.no/detskjer/2025/03/akademiet-har-fatt-nye-medlemmer

, the Academy accepted Andersen’s nomination.

The exact position being created for Andersen at the University of Oslo is unclear. Stenseth, Spurkland, and Aasland did not respond to questions and repeated requests for comment sent by email. University of Oslo officials also contacted by email did not reply.

Andersen’s arrival in Oslo is likely to be greeted with some trepidation. Last week, Bratlie published a book to positive reviews in Norway titled, “https://www.nrk.no/anmeldelser/anmeldelse_-_mysteriet-i-wuhan_-av-sigrid-bratlie-1.17425249

.” Bratlie’s book argues that the pandemic likely started from a lab accident in Wuhan, evidence that was then covered up by international scientists to protect reputations, jobs, and funding. This cover-up, she argues, impedes society’s ability to prepare for future pandemics.

Bratlie said that scientists have legitimate worries about the current climate for research in Trump’s America, but these concerns should be balanced with the need to protect democratic principles and academic integrity.

“I would be absolutely devastated on behalf of Norwegian academia if this recruitment happens,” Bratlie said of the University of Oslo’s bid to bring Andersen to her country. “If Andersen has contributed to a cover-up of the origins of the pandemic, potentially extending to criminal acts, he should be held accountable and not be given amnesty or academic shield in Norway.”

* * *

If you haven't subscribed to Paul Thacker's The DisInformation Chronicle yet, we highly recommend https://disinformationchronicle.substack.com/subscribe

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/nih-nixes-fauci-pet-project-scripps-kristian-andersen-prepares-flee-country

Tue, 06/10/2025 - 23:05

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/thomas-massie-introduces-bill-to-audit-americas-gold-reserves-5870148?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge

Thomas Massie Introduces Bill To Audit America's Gold Reserves

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced legislation on June 6 to audit gold reserves held by the United States.

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Earlier this year, President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-says-were-going-to-go-into-fort-knox-to-make-sure-the-gold-is-there-5813304

that the administration would investigate Fort Knox, the Kentucky-based facility that stores U.S. gold reserves.

“We’re going to go into Fort Knox to make sure the gold is there,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One in February. “You know that we’re going to go into Fort Knox? Did you know about that?”

Several months later, the White House has not announced a formal investigation.

Rep. Massie submitted a bill—titled the https://massie.house.gov/uploadedfiles/gold_reserve_transparency_act.pdf

—mandating the comptroller general to conduct and publish a full audit of the nation’s gold reserves.

Co-sponsored by Reps. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Addison McDowell (R-N.C.), and Troy Nehls (R-Texas), the bill would grant the Government Accountability Office and third-party independent auditors access to any public or private depository where gold reserves and records are stored. This would include deep storage locations such as Fort Knox.

The bill would also require full disclosure of all gold-related transactions, such as leases, loans, sales, and swaps, over the past 50 years.

If the legislation is signed into law, the audit is projected to take up to one year and will be conducted every five years.

“Americans deserve transparency and accountability from the institutions that underpin our currency,” Massie said in a https://massie.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=395725

“In February, President Trump said ‘We’re going to Fort Knox ... to make sure the gold is there.’ The Gold Reserve Transparency Act of 2025 will provide the full disclosure President Trump seeks and the American public deserves.”

Gold is also stored at the Denver Mint, West Point Mint, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Fort Knox is typically at the epicenter of the conversation since it accounts for approximately half of the total U.S. gold reserves. Estimates suggest that out of America’s 261 million troy ounces of gold, Fort Knox holds more than 147 million.

The yellow metal has captured headlines this year.

Last month, gold prices reached an all-time high of $3,500 per ounce before paring their gains. As of June 10, an ounce of gold is trading at about $3,350.

At the state level, there have been initiatives to make gold, as well as silver, legal tender.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation—https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2025/governor-ron-desantis-signs-six-bills

—that would recognize gold and silver coins as legal tender. The bill also exempts gold and silver coins from sales tax. Every coin must be marked with its weight, purity, and mint of origin.

Auditing Audits

CEO of Money Metals Depository Stefan Gleason said Massie’s legislation is good news.

“It’s been literally decades since actual inventories and assays have been conducted with respect to U.S. gold reserves, and the Department of the Treasury has lost records as well as failed to account for many occasions when vault compartments were inexplicably opened and resealed without new audits,” Gleason said in a statement.

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Three 1-kilogram gold bullion bars at a gold dealer's shop, in Birmingham, England, on Dec. 13, 2023. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The last full audit of Fort Knox’s gold holdings was in September 1974. A physical inspection was performed by then-Treasury Secretary William Simon, who also invited congressional officials and the media to tour the location and inspect reserves.

Independent organizations have stated that the audit conducted more than 50 years ago did not compare serial numbers against official records, examine the gold bars for purity, or perform a final tally of the gold bullion.

“The history of the ‘audits’ reveals red flags: lost records and broken compartment seals without explanation or reauditing,” Jp Cortez, the executive director of the public policy group Sound Money Defense League, told The Epoch Times. “As Money Metals gold researcher Jan Nieuwenhuijs has meticulously documented, these practices wouldn’t pass muster at a private depository.”

U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have pushed back against claims that domestic gold holdings are not subject to audits.

In an https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZBGsMmyf3o

with Bloomberg Television, Bessent said that the U.S. government performs an annual audit of the country’s gold reserves.

“We do an audit every year. ... I can tell the American people on camera right now, there was a report, Sept. 30, 2024, all the gold is there,” Bessent said in February. “Any U.S. senator who wants to come visit it can arrange a visit through our office.”

The Treasury’s Office of Inspector General published a https://oig.treasury.gov/system/files/2024-11/OIG-25-003.pdf

in October containing its audit findings.

“In our opinion, the Schedules present fairly, in all material respects, the balances of the Department’s United Gold Reserves Held by Federal Reserve Banks as of September 30, 2024 and 2023, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles,” the report stated.

Cortez said that Bessent might be mistaken or misled regarding the audits.

“An audit of the schedule of seals isn’t an audit of what’s inside, especially since there were issues before those compartment seals were placed. Audits are never [a] one-and-done affair anyway,” he said.

The U.S. Mint released an account summary of U.S. monetary gold reserves in September.

Other officials have informed lawmakers that the U.S. government is aware of all the nation’s gold holdings.

“And we know where it is. We know how much it is. And we know that it is there and none of it has been removed,” former Treasury Inspector General Eric Thorson https://financialservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/112-41.pdf

at a 2011 Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology hearing.

The Epoch Times reached out to the White House and Massie’s office for comment.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/thomas-massie-introduces-bill-audit-americas-gold-reserves

Tue, 06/10/2025 - 18:55

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/10/zelenskyy-russian-strikes-kyiv-ukraine-moscow

Overnight Russian Strikes On Ukraine's Capital Lasted 5-Hours, Hit Seven Districts

Ukraine's capital was subject of an hours-long, immense barrage of Russian airstrikes in the overnight and early morning hours, which spanned across seven of Kyiv's ten districts. It may have been the largest single aerial assault operation in over three-years of war.

Other regions of Ukraine also saw drone and missile attacks, including the key southeast port city of Odessa, and in total three people were killed. Ukraine's military https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/world/europe/ukraine-russia-drones-missiles-attack.html

that some 500 projectiles were fired in the fresh early Tuesday attack.

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The military said that Ukrainian air defenses intercepted seven Russian missiles and 213 attack drones, and many others were brought down by electronic means.

writes of the fresh assault, "The unrelenting night-time raid stretched over five hours and will be seen as part of a continuing response by the Kremlin to Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, which struck Russia’s nuclear-capable bombers on Monday last week."

Reuters is https://www.reuters.com/world/russias-latest-drone-strikes-hit-kyiv-maternity-ward-odesa-ukraine-says-2025-06-10/

that despite deaths being low in comparison to the huge numbers of drones and missiles sent against Ukrainian cities, the Russian military struck a maternity ward in Odessa, resulting in casualties.

This is also a response to the record-number of drones sent by Ukraine on Russian territory the night prior, which had involved around 400 UAVs, some of which severely damaged a major electronics production factory deep inside Russia, tied to the military.

Terrifying moment that a suicide drone struck a central city area:

Kyiv last night. This is terrorism https://t.co/o1GCyPnXCu

— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) https://twitter.com/BohuslavskaKate/status/1932403773898457454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Ukraine's culture minister, Mykola Tochytskyi, indicated that missiles hit the historic heart of the capital city, which damaged the iconic St. Sophia Cathedral, a Unesco world heritage site.

"The enemy struck at the very heart of our identity again," Tochytskyi said in a written statement, calling the cathedral "the soul of all Ukraine."

The clearly intensifying aerial assaults by Russia have meanwhile resulted in more frustration issued by President Volodymyr Zelensky who is calling on President Trump for more "concrete actions" rather than "silence".

Overnight, Russia launched what is likely to be the largest drone attack in history against the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv as well as the coastal city of Odesa, with hundreds of one-way attack drones targeting primarily homes, apartment buildings, and other civil infrastructure… https://t.co/CXlJEdb6U4

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1932267585074278624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Zelensky said Tuesday in a Telegram statement, "Russian strikes with missiles and Shaheds [suicide drones] are louder than the efforts of the United States and others in the world to force Russia to peace. Every night, instead of a ceasefire, there have been massive strikes with Shaheds, cruise missiles and ballistics. Today was one of the largest strikes on Kyiv. Odesa, the Dnipro region and Chernihiv region were also targeted."

He added: "Ordinary houses and urban infrastructure were damaged, and even a maternity hospital in Odesa became a Russian target. Thirteen people were injured. Unfortunately, there are fatalities. My condolences to the relatives."

That's when he called out Washington, despite that Ukraine continues to benefit from US arms and ammunition transfers:

"It is important that the response to this and other similar Russian strikes is not the silence of the world but concrete actions. Actions by America, which has the power to force Russia to peace. The actions of Europe, which has no alternative but to be strong. The actions of others in the world who have called for diplomacy and an end to the war and who have been ignored by Russia. Hard pressure is needed for peace."

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As for Europe, the EU is busying preparing its 18th package of anti-Moscow sanctions on Tuesday, including an imposed price cap at which Russian oil can be sold - reportedly from $60 (£44) a barrel to $45. So far these measures have done little to dent Russia's military onslaught, which is now seeing the ground war move west beyond the Donetsk.

Russia and Ukraine have confirmed that Monday saw another successful prisoner swap, involving the return of severely wounded and seriously ill soldiers, which was the second phase of the agreed-to terms of the last Istanbul talks. By the end of it, another 1,000 total POWs are expected to be returned.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/overnight-russian-strikes-ukraines-capital-lasted-5-hours-hit-seven-districts

Tue, 06/10/2025 - 13:00

Redburn Slaps McDonald's With Rare Downgrade As GLP-1 Drugs Reshape Consumer Habits

As we've previously noted, the shift toward "https://www.zerohedge.com/food/maha-working-goldman-finds-better-you-consumption-shift-underway

" consumption is well underway, whether fueled by the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement or the increasing adoption of miracle weight-loss drugs suppressing appetites. Either way, the inflection point for U.S. restaurants has arrived.

Redburn Atlantic analyst Edward Lewis became the first in recent memory to downgrade McDonald's, cutting the stock from "Buy" to "Sell" on the premise that GLP-1 weight-loss drugs will suppress consumer appetites.

Lewis now stands alone among the 41 analysts tracked by Bloomberg with a bearish stance on McDonald's. He set a Street-low price target of $260, well below the $332 average and the stock's most recent close of $304.78.

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Key reasons for the downgrade:

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are curbing appetites and pose a long-term structural threat to the fast-food industry.

Lewis argues these drugs will trigger broad behavioral shifts, impacting group dining and reducing habitual demand, especially among lower-income consumers.

He warns that what looks like a "1% drag" today could compound into a 10%+ hit over time.

Additional concerns:

U.S. consumers are fatigued after years of menu price inflation.

Rising tariffs are squeezing brands with limited pricing power.

Also noted:

Initiated coverage on Domino's Pizza with a sell rating.

Rated Chipotle as neutral.

Upgraded Yum Brands to buy, citing a more reasonable valuation, conservative expectations, and strong international exposure.

Separately, last month, we reported that Goldman analysts Leah Jordan and Eli Thompson informed clients that early indications suggest consumers are shifting and seeking "https://www.zerohedge.com/food/maha-working-goldman-finds-better-you-consumption-shift-underway

" at the supermarket.

"Softer snacking demand with outperformance in better-for-you options," Jordan said.

On Monday, Jordan downgraded General Mills and Conagra Brands due to several headwinds, "including increasing cost pressures (raw materials, tariffs, A&P investments) along with tepid volume demand amid ongoing consumption shifts toward fresh and increasing competition from private label and smaller brands."

Let's hope these healthy consumer shifts are here to stay amid a nationwide health crisis.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/redburn-slaps-mcdonalds-rare-downgrade-glp-1-drugs-reshape-consumer-habits

Tue, 06/10/2025 - 06:55

Newsom Nightmare: CA Governor Faces 'Criminal Tax Evasion' Warning Amid LA Riot Chaos

As Los Angeles grapples with escalating riots targeting ICE agents conducting immigration enforcement operations, California Governor Gavin Newsom faces a mounting cascade of crises.

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Over the weekend, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/bessent-condemns-newsoms-dangerous-threat-withhold-80b-federal-taxes-amid-trans-athlete-controversy

Newsom of threatening criminal tax evasion after the Democrat governor suggested withholding tens of billions of dollars in state payments to the federal government.

Newsom issued the threat after reports emerged saying that President Donald Trump plans major funding cuts to California while readying with costly fines for allowing a biological male to compete in girls' sports and win multiple state titles.

"A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so," Trump recently wrote on Truth Social last week. "As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!”

Newsom responded to Trump’s post, writing on X: "Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it’s time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump.”

Californians pay the bills for the federal government.

We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back.

Maybe it’s time to cut that off, https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1931087538565054849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Secretary Scott Bessent fired back at Governor Newsom’s threats, warning that the governor’s actions could constitute criminal tax evasion. The top Trump administration official then said that Newsom’s plan would defraud American taxpayers and leave California residents liable for any unpaid federal taxes.

"I am certain most California businesses know that failing to pay taxes owed to the Treasury constitutes tax evasion and have no intention of following the dangerous path Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening," Bessent said on X. "I would warn state officials, including payroll managers, that federal law attaches personal liability to an attempt to evade or defeat tax."

"Instead of committing criminal tax evasion, Governor Newsom should consider a tax plan for California that follows the Trump Tax Cuts model and reduces the onerous state tax burden to allow families to keep more of their hard-earned money,” the Treasury secretary added, branding the governor's plan "extremely reckless."

I am certain most California businesses know that failing to pay taxes owed to the Treasury constitutes tax evasion and have no intention of following the dangerous path Governor https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

is threatening.

I would warn state officials, including payroll managers, that federal…

— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent/status/1931763601741635816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Just days before President Trump’s social media post https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/bessent-condemns-newsoms-dangerous-threat-withhold-80b-federal-taxes-amid-trans-athlete-controversy

California’s policies on transgender athletes, AB Hernandez, a transgender junior from Jurupa Valley High School, dominated the girls’ state track and field championships in Clovis. Hernandez secured gold in the high jump (5 feet, 7 inches, with no failed attempts) and triple jump (sharing first place), while earning silver in the long jump. This sparked controversy, as Hernandez shared the podium with female competitors who placed just behind her during Saturday’s finals, fueling debates over fairness in competition.

- the daily newsletter that cuts through the chaos of Tech, Markets, and Freedom with raw, unfiltered truth.

Violent anti-ICE protests https://www.zerohedge.com/political/marxist-linked-unrest-worsens-los-angeles-amid-coordinated-color-revolution

in downtown Los Angeles as radical demonstrators clashed with police, set vehicles ablaze, and blocked a major freeway, marking a third day of unrest on Sunday.

🚨The streets in LA officially belong to the rioters https://t.co/de8eGGAH4p

— Cam Higby | America First 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) https://twitter.com/camhigby/status/1931879927768559775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The turmoil surged nationwide over the weekend, with far-left agitators storming the streets of Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago to denounce ICE’s intensified immigration raids aimed at securing the border. Undeterred, these protesters unleashed havoc, challenging law and order in America’s cities.

🚨🚨BREAKING: LAPD just threatened to make arrests at the LA federal building but were overwhelmed by the riot mob.

They threw glass bottles and even smashed a police cruiser windshield.

I am on the ground now | LA riots https://t.co/kiI4FpJFZf

— Cam Higby | America First 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) https://twitter.com/camhigby/status/1931831909111468529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In Los Angeles, authorities arrested 27 individuals on Saturday as approximately 300 National Guard troops were deployed to restore control, with the first units arriving Sunday morning. Late Saturday, LAPD officials reported 10 additional arrests—including a dangerous suspect accused of hurling a Molotov cocktail—while three courageous officers sustained injuries but avoided hospitalization in the line of duty.

LA RIOTERS ATTACK HORSES WITH PROJECTILES & EXPLOSIVES https://t.co/qG9r40kpgd

— Cam Higby | America First 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) https://twitter.com/camhigby/status/1931967732523676113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/newsom-nightmare-ca-governor-faces-criminal-tax-evasion-warning-amid-la-riot-chaos

Mon, 06/09/2025 - 13:07

Tech blog https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/wwdc-2025-live-updates-from-apples-keynote-including-new-ios-ipados-apple-intelligence-and-more-141640595.html

UBS Warns On Slumping iPhone Demand As WWDC 2025 Kicks Off

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference has kicked off, where the tech giant will roll out the usual updates to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS.

One year ago, CEO Tim Cook unveiled "Apple Intelligence." Since then? A total flop...

One year ago, the "experts" confused the post WWDC surge in AAPL stock with excitement over Apple AI (which was a completely disaster) when it was just a flood of stock buyback orders. Expect the same this year. https://t.co/X6ldA3fRfb

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) https://twitter.com/zerohedge/status/1932110820860944386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

offered insights on what to expect from today's event:

One of the big things we expect Apple to announce later today, based on the rumors, is a new naming standard for its various platforms. The company might move to a year-based identifier instead of an arbitrary generation number. That means instead of iOS 19, iPadOS 19 and watchOS 12, we could see iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and watchOS 26 to indicate the year most people will be using the latest software.'

. . .

As has become the norm, there is already plenty of reporting and rumors out there on what we can expect to hear from Apple later today. Some of the more intriguing include a major update to iPadOS that would make it more Mac-like and better for productivity, multi-tasking and app window management. Some less functional but still noteworthy changes, according to the rumors, include a possible visual refresh and new naming method.

Engadget's Nathan Ingraham noted, "Should we have an over/under bet on how many times we hear the words "Apple Intelligence" today?"

?itok=Qs23ALRQ

Will rainbows translate into more iPhone sales?

?itok=Nv7-MW6b

On Sunday, UBS analyst David Vogt shared new survey data with clients based on responses from 7,500 smartphone users across the U.S., U.K., China, Germany, and Japan. The survey data painted a bleak picture of iPhone demand.

Key Survey Findings:

U.S. and China Intent Drops: iPhone purchase intent in the U.S. dropped to 17%—the lowest in five years—while China fell from 22% to 16% year-over-year, hitting its weakest level in nearly a decade.

Other Markets Mixed: The UK and Germany saw flat or slight declines, while Japan was the only country with a modest improvement (13%, up from 11%).

Average iPhone Age Climbs: The average iPhone in use is now 22.9 months old, the highest ever recorded by UBS, indicating delayed upgrade cycles.

?itok=yJDq3UhX

Vogt noted that Apple's new GenAI suite, branded as Apple Intelligence, has failed to spark any meaningful upgrade cycle outside China.

Watch live here:

. . .

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/ubs-warns-slumping-iphone-demand-wwdc-2025-kicks

Mon, 06/09/2025 - 13:05

Greta Thunberg Claims She's Been 'Kidnapped' By Israeli Forces

Authored by https://headlineusa.com/author/ksilva

Climate alarmist turned humanitarian activist https://headlineusa.com/tag/greta-thunberg

said Sunday that she’s been “kidnapped” after she and the rest of the crew aboard the The Madleen, a sailboat that’s trying to break Israel’s starvation blockade on Gaza, was intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces.

?itok=nNnmRt2f

‘My name is Greta Thunberg and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,” she said. “I urge all my friends, family and colleagues to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me as soon as possible. ”

"My name is Greta Thunberg and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel." https://t.co/Ku7QILHpfd

— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) https://twitter.com/prem_thakker/status/1931876499352920513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

According tohttps://news.antiwar.com/2025/06/08/israeli-defense-minister-orders-military-to-stop-gaza-aid-boat/

, including Thunberg.

“I have instructed the IDF to act to ensure that the hate flotilla ‘Madleen’ does not reach the shores of Gaza—and to take all necessary measures to achieve this,” Katz wrote on X, as reported by DeCamp.

“A senior Israeli official https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/senior-israeli-official-if-greta-thunbergs-boat-reaches-gaza-wave-of-flotillas-will-follow/

that if the boat doesn’t turn around, it would be boarded by Israeli Navy commandos and brought to the port of Ashdod,” DeCamp reported.

Israel supporters in the U.S. have suggested Israel should sink the Madleen, including sports gambling mogul Dave Portnoy and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

“Hope Greta and her friends can swim!” https://libertarianinstitute.org/foreign-policy/israel-threatens-aid-flotilla-will-not-be-allowed-to-dock-in-gaza/

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/greta-thunberg-claims-shes-been-kidnapped-israeli-forces

Mon, 06/09/2025 - 09:25

Drone Stocks Soar On Trump eVTOL Executive Order

President Donald Trump on Friday https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/unleashing-american-drone-dominance/

three executive orders aimed at jumpstarting the development, domestic manufacturing, integration, and global export of U.S.-made drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, reversing the previous four years of stalled progress under the Biden-Harris regime, during which China leapfrogged in the sector. Now, the U.S. is in a race to catch up.

The three orders direct the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expedite rules allowing companies to operate eVTOL aircraft beyond visual line of sight, while also tightening restrictions to address national security threats. U.S. officials have expressed concern over foreign adversaries using drones to surveil military bases and other sensitive locations.

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"The United States must accelerate the safe commercialization of drone technologies and fully integrate UAS into the National Airspace System," one of the orders said.

It continued, "The time has come to accelerate testing and to enable routine drone operations, scale up domestic production, and expand the export of trusted, American-manufactured drone technologies to global markets."

"Building a strong and secure domestic drone sector is vital to reducing reliance on foreign sources, strengthening critical supply chains, and ensuring that the benefits of this technology are delivered to the American people," the order noted.

In addition to bolstering safety and security, the new EOs will also spur greater innovation across the aerospace and drone sectors.

In the markets, air mobility stocks rose early in premarket trading following the EOs.

Archer Aviation +9%

Joby Aviation +9%

Vertical Aerospace +8%

Blade Air Mobility +2%

Earlier this year, billionaire investor Marc Andreessen—co-founder of the influential Silicon Valley venture firm Andreessen Horowitz—told Uncommon Knowledge host Peter Robinson (a former Reagan speechwriter) that the https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/turns-out-president-matters-marc-andreessen-calls-us-strategy-address-chinas

had stifled the U.S. drone industry, while China's eVTOLs soared.

🚨 NEW: Marc Andreessen on China's manufacturing dominance

"There's three industries that follow phones that the Chinese own the global market at:

1) Drones

Something over 90% of all the consumer drones are made in China. Which is what the US Military also uses. It's the whole… https://t.co/e94C927MMU

— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) https://twitter.com/AutismCapital/status/1879396919107313836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The previous administration's drone policies sparked serious concern—why throttle a sector so vital to the https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/goldmans-china-tech-tour-underscores-one-message-america-must-reclaim-these-supply

and national security, especially as China raced ahead?

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/drone-stocks-soar-trump-drone-executive-order

Mon, 06/09/2025 - 06:55

https://brusselssignal.eu/2025/06/uk-makes-solar-panels-mandatory-on-most-new-homes/

UK Makes Solar Panels Mandatory On Most New Homes

The “vast majority” of new homes in England will soon be fitted with solar panels as standard, UK energy secretary Ed Miliband has confirmed.

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Developers warned of added costs and bureaucratic hurdles.

The announcement, part of the forthcoming Future Homes Standard set for release this autumn, aimed to slash household energy bills and nudge the UK closer to its net-zero ambitions.

Miliband, speaking to the BBC on June 6, called the plan “just common sense,” claiming solar panels could save homeowners around £530 (€629) annually, based on current energy price caps

The British Government’s proposal mandated solar panels on almost all new builds, with “rare exceptions” for homes shaded by trees or otherwise impractical for solar generation.

Unlike the previous Conservative Party government plan, which required panels to cover 40 per cent of a building’s ground area or none at all, the ruling Labour Party’s approach insisted on at least some solar coverage, even if the 40 per cent target was not met.

Miliband insisted this flexibility would ensure near-universal adoption without letting developers off the hook.

We’re kickstarting a solar rooftop revolution.

All new-build houses will come with solar panels as standard.

Delivering lower bills, energy security, and tackling the climate crisis.https://t.co/wXHwZolpiO

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) https://twitter.com/Ed_Miliband/status/1930880837395829130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

According to the Home Builders Federation, which indicated support for solar integration, “burdensome” paperwork could slow down the government’s ambitious target of 1.5 million new homes by 2029.

Neil Jefferson, head of the Home Builders Federation, told the BBC that an estimated two in five new homes had solar panels and that the industry was “getting increasingly used to incorporating solar panels within the building of new homes”.

“The government just needs to take care to make sure that it does not prescribe and mandate to much on rooftops.

“If every single home needs to be applied for on an exemption basis that will slow up the delivery of desperately-needed new homes, that administration will be burdensome,” he said.

Solar Energy UK’s CEO Chris Hewett said there was a need for more trained installers to meet demand, a point echoed by industry voices calling for investment in skills to sustain this “rooftop revolution”.

Meanwhile, the government’s own figures suggested solar power, while growing from 42 per cent since 2024 and 160 per cent over the past decade, remained a minor player, trailing gas, wind and nuclear in the UK’s energy mix.

Developers estimated solar installations could add £3,000 (€3,560) to £4,000 (€4,750) to construction costs per building.

Miliband dismissed concerns that these would be passed onto buyers, claiming house prices would not rise.

The policy dovetailed with Labour’s broader green agenda, including relaxed planning rules for heat pumps and a £13.2 billion (€15.68 billion) insulation scheme.

The Climate Change Committee insisted near-total decarbonisation of housing was essential for the 2050 net-zero target, a goal Labour inherited from the Conservatives who appeared to have turned against it.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said it was “impossible” without tanking living standards, while Reform UK wanted it scrapped entirely, citing higher energy bills.

Supporters, including Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson, hailed the move as a win for both wallets and the planet.

Industry figures including Octopus Energy’s Nigel Banks claimed smart tech and storage could slash energy costs by up to 90 per cent for some households.