Crooked Bough News Round-up

— Make Army Futures Command Great Again

 

at 11/22/24 9:25pm

Make Army Futures Command Great Again Authored by Michael McInerney via RealClearWire, When President Trump takes office in January, his Army Secretary will need to refocus and re-energize the Army while eliminating bureaucratic waste. Among the many complex tasks ahead, one move is simple and clear: return Army Futures Command (AFC) to the purpose it was created for during the first Trump administration. Restore its authority, restore its power, and let AFC do what it does best—modernize the U.S. Army for the battlefields of tomorrow. Established in 2018, AFC was envisioned as the spearhead of Army modernization. Backed with budget authority, AFC wielded real influence over investment decisions. Then-Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley created AFC to break free from two decades of failed modernization efforts. Years of over-budget, underperforming development projects prompted McCarthy and Milley to create a streamlined, fast-moving command able to dodge bureaucratic bottlenecks, cut through “analysis paralysis” and deliver next-generation capabilities. An empowered AFC began immediately to eliminate unnecessary programs and deliver the Army that we need—one equipped with state-of-the-art technology and ready to deter future adversaries. But in late-2021, AFC’s momentum ground to a halt. The Biden administration issued two memos that stripped the command of its budget authority and effectively neutered its mission. The argument? That this move would restore “civilian control” over military spending. In reality, it threw AFC back into the tangled arms of the Pentagon’s infamous “acquisition blob”—a web of civilian bureaucrats, entrenched contractors, and out of touch acquisition officers. AFC’s loss of budget authority meant it no longer had the power to influence Army modernization decisions. Its voice—one that had cut through the red tape to make real progress—was practically silenced. Without budgetary control, AFC became a figurehead, forced to provide unwanted advice from the sidelines while Army modernization returned to the same slow, bloated, and ineffective Pentagon bureaucracy it was meant to disrupt. Returning AFC’s authorities is not about rolling back civilian control. Before 2022, AFC’s 4-star Commander shared acquisition budget authority with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisitions, Logistics, and Technology, a civilian leader. Additionally, the civilian Secretary of the Army maintained final say over the Army’s annual budget request. This was a balanced system that empowered uniformed operationally focused military leaders while keeping civilian oversight intact. Revoking budget authority left AFC’s role in the acquisition process up in the air, leaving it unable to execute its original vision. This was not what visionary leaders during Trump’s first administration had in mind. The bottom line? Restoring AFC’s authority means restoring the voice of uniformed leaders in Army modernization. The stakes couldn’t be higher. As threats around the world multiply, from an aggressive Russia to a rising China, the U.S. Army must be ready. AFC was designed to deliver the weapons, technology, and capabilities needed for future conflicts. But without real authority, AFC remains little more than an advisory body—a high-level think tank when what we need is a lean, capable, and empowered modernization engine. The incoming Trump administration has an opportunity to revive its original vision. Reinstating AFC’s budget authority would re-arm it in the battle against bureaucratic inertia and give it the tools needed to shape the Army of the future. Let’s make AFC great again, and in doing so, make our Army a force to be reckoned with for decades to come. The future of U.S. military superiority depends on it. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 23:25

— Who Is Stockpiling Anti-Personnel Mines?

 

at 11/22/24 9:00pm

Who Is Stockpiling Anti-Personnel Mines? After authorizing Ukraine to use ATACMS long-range missiles on Russian territory Sunday, the outgoing Biden Administration has announced that it will be sending anti-personnel landmines to the country. As Statista's Katharina Buchholz reports, the U.S. and Russia are non-signatories of the International Mine Ban Treaty and are among the world's largest stockpilers of anti-personnel mines, while Ukraine is a signatory. You will find more infographics at Statista Russia specifically has more than 26 million landmines in its stockpile, the newly released Landmine Monitor by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines shows, and has used them on its front line with Ukraine "liberally." Ukraine has so far only used improvised anti-personnel mines. The U.S. stocks 3 million anti-personnel mines, according to the publication. The Biden Administration has intensified its push to aid Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. Anti-tank mines had been sent to Ukraine previously. While anti-personnel mines have been condemned internationally due to their destructive effects on civilians, the U.S. will be sending non-persistent mines which have batteries and stop functioning after a short time span. The country's decision was still called into question by international organizations, as was the decision not to join the aforementioned 1999 treaty. The White House said that the mines were necessary for Ukraine to stop Russian advancements in smaller, less heavily armoured ground units. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 23:00

— Flood Of Chinese Goods Into North America Earns Mexico "Backdoor" Label

 

at 11/22/24 8:35pm

Flood Of Chinese Goods Into North America Earns Mexico "Backdoor" Label By Riley Donovan of The Epoch Times Amid the threatening specter of tariffs and trade tensions after Donald Trump’s re-election, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says all premiers are aligned in calling for Mexico to be kicked out of the Canada-U.S. free trade deal because it functions as a “backdoor” for Chinese goods. “If Mexico won’t fight transshipment by, at the very least, matching Canadian and American tariffs on Chinese imports, they shouldn’t have a seat at the table or enjoy access to the largest economy in the world,” Ford said in a statement on Nov. 12. He added on Nov. 20, “All the premiers, we know Mexico is bringing in cheap Chinese parts, slapping made-in-Mexico stickers on, shipping it up through the U.S. and Canada, causing American jobs to be lost, and Canadian jobs.” According to a report by the Descartes Systems Group, Mexico increased its exports to the United States by 54 percent from 2016 to 2022. During this same six-year period, Mexico’s imports from China skyrocketed by a whopping 138 percent. In 2022, Chinese goods accounted for a significant portion of Mexico’s exports to the United States: an estimated 15.7 percent of furniture and related products, 28 percent of electronics, 35.7 percent of plastic products, and 32.6 percent of rubber products. While those figures are striking, the ramping up of trade between the two countries was only just getting started in 2022. From January 2023 to January 2024, Chinese container exports to Mexico rose nearly 60 percent. Mexico-China trade is increasing at a dramatic rate, with annual growth rate reaching 34.8 percent in 2023—up from just 3.5 percent the year before. The concern among critics is that Mexico can be used by China as a loophole to avoid high American tariffs. This trade practice is known as transshipment: producing goods, sending them to an intermediate destination, and then presenting the products as having come from that second country. “They’re slapping a Made in Mexico sticker on and shipping it up,” Ford said. China has faced allegations of transshipment in many cases before. This includes, for example, China cheaply producing honey cut with cheap sugar like corn syrup or rice syrup in the eastern province of Zhejiang and exporting it to neighbouring countries before sending it onward. Transshipment of goods allowed China to avoid the tariffs slapped on thousands of products by the first Trump administration, which were largely left in place by the Biden administration. As long as Chinese goods undergo “substantial transformation” after they are brought into Mexico, they qualify for the preferential tariff rates of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, or CUSMA in Canada). This barrier is not as high as it sounds. Qualifying as substantially transformed can be as simple as bringing in component parts and then assembling them. It’s not as easy as slapping on a new sticker, but it’s not all that much more difficult than that. The “backdoor” described by Ford includes a major source of worry for the auto manufacturing industry in both the United States and Canada: a surge in Chinese car assembly plants in Mexico. The USMCA waives tariffs on cars in the North American market provided that at least 75 percent of the parts are made in North America. This is up from 62.5 percent in the previous North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The concern is if China is making use of this provision by ramping up auto manufacturing in Mexico. From 2019 to 2023 alone, 12 new Chinese auto part companies set up shop in Mexico. A report from the Alliance For American Manufacturing published in February of this year warned that China’s routing of cars through Mexico constitutes an “existential threat to America’s auto industry.” The report argues that the import of large numbers of remarkably cheap Chinese cars—some selling for as low as US$14,000—“threaten the jobs of millions of American manufacturing workers” and bring about “an extinction-level event for the U.S. auto sector.” The threat of China routing goods through Mexico has been written about by analysts for several years, but Trump’s re-election on Nov. 5 provided the impetus for premiers to start ringing the alarm bells. In Canada, worries are starting to swirl over the prospect of the new Trump administration enacting an assertive economic policy that may even feature a 10 percent across-the-board tariff on all products, including American imports from Canada. Canada joined the United States earlier this year in imposing 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, and 25 percent tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum. Mexico has so far not followed suit. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland said last week that she shares Washington’s concerns about whether Mexico is “aligned” with the other two North American partners when it comes to the issue of China’s unfair trade practices. “I’ve heard … some real concerns about whether Mexico is fully aligned when it comes to its policies vis-a-vis China,” Freeland said on Nov. 13. “I think those are legitimate concerns for our American partners and neighbours to have. Those are concerns that I share.” ‘We’ve Got to Stand Up’ Ontario Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli affirmed in an interview with CBC News that Trump’s re-election was the reason why Ford chose this moment to call for Mexico to be cut out of the USMCA. “We know that the president-elect talks about China and the transshipments, and so we’ve got to stand up,” he said. By taking a firm stance against Mexico’s rerouting of Chinese goods, the premiers of Ontario and Alberta are aligning themselves with the new Trump administration’s economic worldview, thereby seeking to ensure that Canada is seen as a friend of the Americans with mutually beneficial economic interests. The potential goodwill from this alignment of interests will be particularly relevant when the USCMA comes up for review—and potentially for renegotiation—in 2026. At that time, Ontario, which has a major auto manufacturing industry, will benefit immensely if Canada is shielded from tariffs on cars. Alberta’s government, for its part, will be lobbying against tariffs that may hurt its extensive energy industry. Besides setting up Canada as an economic ally of the United States, Ontario’s government in particular has a direct interest in stemming the flow of Chinese goods through Mexico. Fedeli expressed particular concern over the backdoor import of Chinese cars. “This tariff-jumping that they’re doing is really going to hurt Ontario, and it’s going to hurt Canada, but it’s primarily going to hurt Ontario because we are the only automaker,” he said in the CBC interview. Ontario’s automotive industry employed an estimated 160,800 workers in 2019. Ford’s government is aiming to maintain the support of these workers, their families, and the communities in southern Ontario that depend on the industry—especially if rumours of an early provincial election are true. Given Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s views on China, it’s not surprising that she was the first premier to echo Ford’s concern that Mexico has become a backdoor for Chinese goods. Smith has expressed strong suspicion of the Chinese Community Party (CCP), including in an interview with The Epoch Times where she warned against putting too much trust in China as a geopolitical partner. “I think we now have to make sure that we understand what an adversary China is, and make sure that we’re not playing into our own demise,” she said. She went on to warn against becoming too economically reliant on China. “Chinese cheap production has hollowed out our manufacturing sector, not just in the United States but also in Canada,” she said. Continue reading on Epoch Times Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 22:35

— Trump Names Billionaire Scott Bessent As Treasury Secretary

 

at 11/22/24 8:30pm

Trump Names Billionaire Scott Bessent As Treasury Secretary After Trump appointed Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary and Kevin Warsh was clearly being groomed as Powell's replacement at the Fed, it was just a matter of time before the most important appointment in the Trump admin was made. That happened late on Friday when president-elect Donald Trump nominated Scott Bessent to lead the Department of the Treasury, ending days of speculation after other names emerged as competitors to the reported favorite. Scott Bessent speaks at the National Conservative Conference in Washington “Scott is widely respected as one of the world’s foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists. Scott’s story is that of the American Dream,” Trump said in a statement on the nomination. Bessent, 62, is a Wall Street veteran who once worked for George Soros, and founder of international macro investment company Key Square Group. He served as a key economic adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign. Others contenders for the role included Howard Lutnick, the chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Partners. He co-chairs the Trump–Vance transition team, which is in charge of selecting administration candidates, vetting personnel, and crafting policy. Lutnick was ultimately chosen on Nov. 19 to lead the Department of Commerce. Kevin Warsh, 54, a former Morgan Stanley banker and former Federal Reserve Board governor, likewise entered the conversation. He became the leading candidate for treasury secretary on the betting website Polymarket after reports emerged that the president-elect was expanding his search to fill the position. In his statement on Bessent’s nomination, Trump said that economic policy under his administration would maintain the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency status, fortify the United States’s position as the world’s strongest economy, and invigorate the private sector. “As a lifelong champion of Main Street America and American industry, Scott will support my policies that will drive U.S. competitiveness, and stop unfair trade imbalances, work to create an economy that places growth at the forefront, especially through our coming world energy dominance,” Trump said. The president-elect also noted Bessent’s deep family roots in South Carolina, saying that he belongs to a historic French Huguenot Church, which members of his family founded in the 1680s, in the port city of Charleston. Like his predecessors, Bessent will now oversee a vast portfolio to employ the president’s economic agenda. As the Epoch Times notes, the two immediate issues Bessent will grapple with will be averting a default as the national debt ceiling limit will expire on Jan. 1, 2025, and extending the Trump-era Tax Cuts and Jobs Act due to expire at the end of next year. More importantly, Bessent will also be tasked with the delicate, if not conflicting, job of championing Trump's trade proposals, including across-the-board tariffs, on one hand, while keeping the debt and deficit in check and preventing bond yields and the dollar from rising too high, too fast, as an even more rapid tightening in financial conditions will surely tip the US economy into recession. Bessent previously told CNBC he preferred trade levies to be imposed gradually to ensure higher prices appear over time and allow disinflationary policies to offset tariffs. Additionally, the hedge fund manager has professed support for broad-based tariffs that he believes are “more effective than microeconomic interventions like industrial policy that generally rely on the government to pick winners and losers,” as he wrote in an opinion published by The Economist in October. Cryptocurrency could be another area that Bessent - and Trump who has transformed from a rabid crypto skeptic into one of the most ardent fans of bitcoin - will home in on. “I have been excited about the president’s embrace of crypto and I think it fits very well with the Republican Party, crypto is about freedom and the crypto economy is here to stay,” he stated in an interview with Fox News earlier this year. Here are the full comments on #crypto and #bitcoin Bessent made on @FoxBusiness in July. https://t.co/3O09jKZLJD pic.twitter.com/ggeLHs5JVc — Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) November 12, 2024 If confirmed by the Senate in January, Bessent will succeed Janet Yellen. Steven Mnuchin served as Trump’s Treasury secretary during his first term. Following Trump’s victory earlier this month, Bessent wrote in The Wall Street Journal that the financial markets were celebrating “the Trump 2.0 economic vision.” “Markets are signaling expectations of higher growth, lower volatility and inflation, and a revitalized economy for all Americans,” Bessent wrote. Bessent has received support from several prominent Wall Street individuals, including Kyle Bass, the founder of the Dallas-based Hayman Capital Management. “He has a masterful knowledge of the architecture of the global financial system and its players,” Bass told The Epoch Times. The hedge fund investor, Bass said, has invested across the globe, formed relationships with global finance ministers and central bankers, and understands financial markets. “Scott is by far the best candidate for the job as Secretary,” Bass said. Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller recently told Axios that Bessent is “not only a market participant but very fluent and comfortable in academic circles.” The announcement of the Treasury secretary role was one of the most eagerly awaited decisions among Trump’s cabinet picks, sparking a wide range of reactions on social media platform X. Eric Wallerstein, chief markets strategist at Yardeni, praised Scott Bessent, stating, “Bessent is the only candidate who specifically addresses Treasury’s faulty debt management strategy. the best candidate for the job.” Even warhawk neocon Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) expressed support on X, saying, Trump’s economic agenda is “in good hands with Scott Bessent.” “He is a great combination of being academically gifted and real world tested,” Graham wrote. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 22:30

— Seattle EV Drivers Panic For Charging Stations After Bomb Cyclone 

 

at 11/22/24 8:10pm

Seattle EV Drivers Panic For Charging Stations After Bomb Cyclone  A "bombogenesis," commonly known as a "bomb cyclone," pounded the Pacific Northwest earlier this week with destructive winds and torrential rain. At higher altitudes, heavy snow and strong winds unleashed blizzards. This once-in-a-decade storm caused widespread power outages across the Seattle metropolitan area, leaving electric vehicle owners in a panic. At the peak of widespread outages, more than 600,000 customers across Washington State lost power due to the powerful storm; most outages were in King County and Snohomish County.  The ongoing power outage map for the Eastside of Seattle is just brutal. ? https://t.co/AmO7NcE6Pn pic.twitter.com/9V9eX9X0p9 — Steven Sinofsky (@stevesi) November 22, 2024 GeekWire reports that in the last several days, EV drivers who lost power at their homes flooded public EV charging networks across the metro area. "We've seen some chargers that are almost never used that are fully being used," FlexCharging CEO Brian Grunkemeyer told the tech media outlet. The startup provides charging software services for EV charging operators, including Electrify America.  Grunkemeyer provided a screenshot showing that Electrify America stations on Wednesday were all full, and long lines continued into Thursday.  A video shared on X showed the panic...  Byproduct of the wind storm’s power outages: Nick Abrams said “dozens of Teslas” were lined up trying to get a charge in the Northgate parking lot tonight. ? #WAwx pic.twitter.com/XACClNY0vG — Shannon O'Donnell (@ShannonODKOMO) November 21, 2024 The lesson for EV drivers in an apocalyptic situation is very clear: have a full-house natural gas or diesel-powered generator system or a lightweight 8kW portable generator with 220V capability. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 22:10

— Heat Is Radiating From A Huge Mass Under The Moon

 

at 11/22/24 7:45pm

Heat Is Radiating From A Huge Mass Under The Moon Via The Mind Unleashed, The Moon, often seen as a cold and lifeless neighbor, holds secrets that continue to intrigue scientists and stargazers alike. Its surface, marked by craters and barren plains, gives little hint of the mysteries beneath. But recent discoveries have revealed something extraordinary: a massive heat-emitting feature buried deep within the lunar crust. This enigmatic finding, hidden beneath the Moon’s far side, defies expectations. It involves a rare material, typically associated with Earth, and raises fascinating questions about the Moon’s past. What could cause such heat on a body long thought to be geologically dormant? And what does this mean for our understanding of the Moon—and perhaps even other planets? The Discovery: Uncovering Lunar Heat In a groundbreaking revelation, scientists have identified a substantial heat-emitting granite mass beneath the Moon’s surface, specifically near the Compton and Belkovich craters on its far side. This discovery was made possible through data collected by both Chinese and American lunar orbiters, which utilized microwave frequency observations to detect subsurface temperatures. Dr. Matt Siegler of the Planetary Science Institute explained, “We used an instrument that observes microwave wavelengths, longer than infrared, sent to the Moon on both the Chinese Chang’E 1 and 2 orbiters. We found that one of these suspected volcanoes, known as Compton-Belkovich, was absolutely glowing at microwave wavelengths.” The data revealed a silicon-rich surface feature approximately 20 kilometers wide, believed to be the caldera of an ancient volcano. This area exhibited temperatures about 10°C warmer than its surroundings. Notably, this heat is not due to current volcanic activity, as the last eruption occurred around 3.5 billion years ago. Instead, the heat emanates from radioactive elements trapped within the granite mass. Dr. Siegler noted, “We interpret this heat flux as resulting from a radiogenic-rich granite body below the caldera.” This finding is significant because granite formation typically requires water and plate tectonics—conditions absent on the Moon. The presence of such a large granite deposit suggests that the Moon’s geological history may be more complex than previously understood. Dr. Siegler remarked, “If you don’t have water, it takes extreme situations to make granite. So, here’s this system with no water, and no plate tectonics—but you have granite.” The discovery was detailed in a study published in the journal Nature on July 5, 2023. The research team utilized microwave frequency data to measure heat below the surface of the Compton-Belkovich volcanic complex, leading to the identification of the granite mass. This revelation not only enhances our understanding of the Moon’s volcanic past but also opens new avenues for exploring similar geological features on other celestial bodies. The presence of granite on the Moon challenges existing theories about its formation and suggests that other areas of the Moon, and possibly other parts of the solar system, may harbor similar features. What Makes Granite Unique? Granite is a coarse-grained igneous rock predominantly composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica. On Earth, its formation is closely linked to the presence of water and the dynamic processes of plate tectonics. These conditions facilitate the melting of the Earth’s crust, leading to the creation of large magma bodies that cool slowly beneath the surface, crystallizing into granite. The discovery of a substantial granite mass beneath the Moon’s surface is particularly intriguing because the Moon lacks both water and active plate tectonics—key elements in granite formation on Earth. This raises compelling questions about the geological processes that could have led to the formation of granite in such an environment. As Dr. Matt Siegler of the Planetary Science Institute noted, “If you don’t have water, it takes extreme situations to make granite. So, here’s this system with no water, and no plate tectonics—but you have granite.” The presence of granite on the Moon suggests that alternative mechanisms may be at play. One possibility is that the Moon’s interior experienced localized heating events, potentially from radioactive decay, leading to partial melting and the formation of granite. This hypothesis is supported by the detection of heat emanating from the granite mass, attributed to radioactive elements trapped within the rock. Dr. Siegler explained, “We interpret this heat flux as resulting from a radiogenic-rich granite body below the caldera.” Radioactive Heat: The Cause of the Glow The unexpected heat emanating from the granite mass beneath the Moon’s surface is primarily due to radioactive decay within the rock. Granite is known to contain higher concentrations of radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium compared to other rocks. As these elements decay, they release heat—a process known as radiogenic heating. This phenomenon is well-documented on Earth, where the decay of radioactive isotopes contributes to the planet’s internal heat budget. In the context of the Moon, the detection of a heat anomaly beneath the Compton-Belkovich volcanic complex suggests the presence of a radiogenic-rich granite body. Dr. Matt Siegler of the Planetary Science Institute explained, “We interpret this heat flux as resulting from a radiogenic-rich granite body below the caldera.” The presence of such a heat source indicates that the Moon’s interior once contained sufficient radioactive material to sustain prolonged volcanic activity. This challenges previous assumptions about the Moon’s thermal evolution and suggests that its interior was more geologically active than previously thought. Understanding the role of radiogenic heating on the Moon not only provides insights into its volcanic history but also offers a comparative framework for studying other celestial bodies. For instance, the internal heating of terrestrial planets, including Earth, is significantly influenced by the decay of radioactive isotopes. Implications for Lunar Geology The discovery of a substantial granite mass beneath the Moon’s surface, particularly in the Compton-Belkovich region, has profound implications for our understanding of lunar geology. Granite formation typically requires specific conditions, such as the presence of water and plate tectonics—factors absent on the Moon. This finding challenges existing theories about the Moon’s geological processes and suggests that its interior may have been more complex and dynamic than previously thought. Dr. Matt Siegler of the Planetary Science Institute highlighted the significance of this discovery, stating, “This is more Earth-like than we had imagined can be produced on the Moon, which lacks the water and plate tectonics that help granites form on Earth.” The presence of granite indicates that the Moon’s crust may have undergone processes leading to the differentiation and evolution of its interior, resulting in the formation of silica-rich rocks. This challenges the traditional view of the Moon as a geologically inactive body and opens new avenues for research into its thermal and magmatic history. What It Means for Future Exploration The discovery of a substantial granite mass beneath the Moon’s surface, particularly in the Compton-Belkovich region, has profound implications for future lunar exploration. This finding challenges existing theories about the Moon’s geological processes and suggests that its interior may have been more complex and dynamic than previously thought. Granite formation typically requires specific conditions, such as the presence of water and plate tectonics—factors absent on the Moon. The presence of granite indicates that the Moon’s crust may have undergone processes leading to the differentiation and evolution of its interior, resulting in the formation of silica-rich rocks. This challenges the traditional view of the Moon as a geologically inactive body and opens new avenues for research into its thermal and magmatic history. Understanding the Moon’s geological history is crucial for future exploration missions. Identifying areas with unique geological features, such as the granite mass beneath Compton-Belkovich, can help prioritize landing sites for robotic and human missions. These sites may offer valuable insights into the Moon’s evolution and provide access to resources that could support sustained lunar exploration. Moreover, the detection of heat emanating from the granite mass, attributed to radioactive decay, suggests that the Moon’s interior contained sufficient radioactive elements to sustain prolonged volcanic activity. This finding aligns with the hypothesis that the Moon experienced a complex volcanic history, with localized heating events leading to the formation of diverse rock types. A New Chapter in Lunar Exploration This discovery of a heat-emitting granite mass beneath the Moon’s surface is not just a scientific curiosity—it’s a paradigm shift in our understanding of the Moon’s geological history. It challenges previous assumptions about the Moon’s evolution, revealing a dynamic and complex interior far removed from the barren and inert image we once had. Beyond its scientific intrigue, this finding holds significant implications for the future of lunar exploration. It highlights the Moon as a repository of untapped mysteries and resources, offering opportunities for new missions to probe deeper into its geological secrets. By understanding these processes, we can better prioritize landing sites, refine exploration strategies, and expand our search for similar features across other rocky bodies in the solar system. As we look to the future, this discovery is a reminder that even familiar celestial neighbors can surprise us with their hidden depths. Each revelation on the Moon brings us closer to unraveling the broader mysteries of planetary formation and evolution, reinforcing why space exploration remains as vital as ever. The Moon, it seems, has much more to teach us. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 21:45

— "Volvo, The Anti Jaguar"

 

at 11/22/24 7:20pm

"Volvo, The Anti Jaguar" While pronoun-wielding Jaguar Managing Director Rawdon Glover went on damage control on Friday, appearing in an interview with corporate media after the iconic British sports car manufacturer obliterated its 90-year legacy with a cringeworthy 30-second ad posted on X, Guillaume Huin, McDonald's senior marketing director, took to X to praise a "fucking fantastic" Volvo ad produced by Hoyte van Hoytema, the cinematographer behind Interstellar and Oppenheimer. "Volvo posted a 3 min and 46-second ad on Instagram, shot by Hoyte Van Hoytema, the cinematographer of Interstellar and Oppenheimer. It goes against every single rule you can think about as a social lead. Length. Format. Over-produced. Every comment under the ad said it immediately put Volvo in their consideration set. It's fucking fantastic," Huin wrote on X.  Volvo posted a 3 min and 46 second ad on Instagram, shot by Hoyte Van Hoytema, the cinematographer of Interstellar and Oppenheimer. It goes against every single rule you can think about as a social lead. Length. Format. Over-produced. Every comment under the ad said it… pic.twitter.com/wkmghuP4ye — Guillaume Huin (@HuinGuillaume) November 21, 2024 Volvo's pro-parenting ad was featured on Instagram and YouTube. The video's subtext reads, "100 years of work, one split-second moment. The culmination of countless hours of development, research, engineering, testing, and data collection, the new fully electric EX90 is designed to be the safest Volvo car ever made."  Huin's X post with the Volvo ad embedded within received nearly 12 million views in a day and comes in the wake of Jaguar blowing up a century of its brand in a 30-second woke ad.  "I hope Jaguar take notes... For real though, this is excellent," one X user wrote.  I hope Jaguar take notes... For real though, this is excellent. — ZUBY: (@ZubyMusic) November 21, 2024 The ad brought many to tears: A FATHER wrote this. Not a sperm donor. Not some workaholic provider disconnected from his family. A FATHER, true to the word in every detail. This sells cars because Volvo has something true to sell, good for every customer, true to purpose, true to quality. That's what this… — Dan Gingerich (@dangitman50) November 21, 2024 As a father of a daughter to be, I'm crying at 10:07 in the morning. Fantastic ad. — FroggyThickLeg (@FWIF58) November 21, 2024 It's not often a car ad makes you teary eyed ? I imagine way more people will relate to this than the garbage put out by Jaguar. — Race Fan Gamer (@RaceFanGamer) November 21, 2024 Compare it with Jaguar’s pathetic new rebrand. Great storytelling, beautiful craft and treating the consumer like smart people. It also stays true to Volvo’s legacy built around security. Not a revolutionary ad, but somehow compared to the garbage out there it becomes one. — Pixie of Mischief (@Truthforeversi) November 21, 2024 Whoa! Did a car ad just bring me to tears? Yup! — Believer in Truth, Justice and Freedom (@LagerthaMuadDib) November 21, 2024 Volvo, The Anti Jaguar Who would have thought — Flaggpole (@LoganFlagg) November 21, 2024 Bro… why am I crying over a Volvo ad ? So well done, such a simple message of saving one life, and the ripple effect it could have through history and others’ lives. Coca Cola and Jaguar are losing it right now ? — Nerd Dumb (@NerdDumb23) November 21, 2024 Jaguar should fire their entire brand & marketing teams along with their ad agency! — Dot (@Dot2TrotBlog) November 21, 2024 An awakening has already begun in the US, and perhaps across the West, focusing on the future, family, children, optimism, health, and wellness. The era of toxic wokeism is coming to an end. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 21:20

— Building Frenzy In The South China Sea - Who Is Fortifying Islands?

 

at 11/22/24 6:30pm

Building Frenzy In The South China Sea - Who Is Fortifying Islands? Countries surrounding the South China Sea have built more than 90 military outposts in around 70 locations in the highly disputed area, at times turning semi-submerged reefs or plain rocks into inhabitable islands in an attempt to establish control over the territory. This is according satellite images analyzed by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. You will find more infographics at Statista As Statista's Katharina Buchholz reports, oil reserves and fishing grounds make the waters of the South China Sea desirable and claims over islands (but not rocks and reefs) have been hoped to create rights to exploit these resources. Additionally, important shipping lanes crisscross the area and China equals control of them with regional and even global power. While returning President-elect Donald Trump has been known for its tough stance on the Asian superpower, he has also rejected military deployments abroad, making the issue of a potential escalation in the South China Sea more contentious for U.S. allies Taiwan and the Philippines. The conflict around the South China Sea is centuries old but has recently been receiving lots of attention in connection with China-Taiwan relations. However, the idea that China could start a potential invasion of Taiwan by attacking its two outposts in the area is just a small part of a much bigger, multilateral conflict. China is usually more at loggerheads with other countries in the South China Sea, including ones that are usually considered its allies, like Vietnam. At the same time, Taiwan actually mirrors many of China's claims in the area as it historically sees itself as the rightful ruler over all of Chinese territory, thereby appearing as a defender as well as an aggressor in the region by laying claim to islands quite far removed from its territory, just as China does. Despite its very murky origins on British naval maps, Chinese claims in the South China Sea are sweeping and extend to localities within other countries' Exclusive Economic Zones. For the Philippines, this includes Second Thomas Shoal, which it controls but China nevertheless claims, and Scarborough Shoal, which has been de-facto controlled by China by a continuous coast guard presence despite no structures having been built. China also lays claims to areas in the Western Spratlys that Vietnam considers its exclusive grounds and has disrupted the country's oil exploration and fisheries there. It has done the same in the Paracel Islands, which it controls since a military victory in the 1970s and where a 2014 standoff over China's attempt to install an oil drilling platform made international headlines. Both countries' shores are within 200 miles of that second island group. China has built installations on 20 features in the Paracels. Vietnam has built on 21 features in the Spratly Islands—the largest number by far—and is feuding with China, who occupies seven built-up reefs there, over who has controlled the island group in the past. According to the BBC, it is Vietnam who is more likely to prove the above. In its feud with China over a portion of the Spratlys, the Philippines won a landmark victory in 2016 in international court, but the success hasn't had much real-life consequences. Malaysia, finally, is occupying five built locations in the Spratlys close to its territory, while Brunei also lays claim to some, but hasn't built up any. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 20:30

— Finding Shelter From Monetary Racketeers

 

at 11/22/24 6:05pm

Finding Shelter From Monetary Racketeers Authored by George Ford Smith via The Mises Institute, Henry Hazlitt said that to cure inflation, stop inflating, but surprisingly, most economists and politicians don’t want a cure. They believe a little inflation is not only good, but necessary. According to this view the real boogeyman is deflation—“a general decline in prices,” per Ben Bernanke—and government’s monopoly money-manager is dedicated to doing everything possible to keep prices forever rising. Not everyone cherishes having their money driven into the abyss of worthlessness by the deliberate actions of others, but given its overwhelming fear of deflation, along with the profit for a connected few in counterfeiting, the Fed goes ahead and ruins our money anyway. Admittedly, when your job is to print paper mandated as legal tender at almost no cost, in such a manner that the general public is made unaware of the pain yet to come, who likely have no idea even what your job is other than making muddled public pronouncements, things can occasionally get out of hand. In the extreme, this can lead to inflationary disasters such as those that occurred in Germany, Hungary, China, Greece, Israel, Zimbabwe (twice), Yugoslavia, Peru, Argentina, Venezuela, and most recently Lebanon. By 2018, for instance, the annual inflation rate in once-prosperous Venezuela hit one million percent. Zimbabwe, having achieved an estimated annual inflation rate of 89.7 sextillion percent in November 2008, cooled down then re-ignited again to 737 percent by July 2020. Hidden behind these percentages was pain most Americans can’t imagine. A former Lebanese entrepreneur, who lost everything during his country’s monetary meltdown, reflected on his experience: Watching ordinary people resort to crime and violence just to feed their children and care for sick relatives is the inevitable conclusion of a currency collapse. People are never prepared for it and the desperation leads to severe consequences. In the US, Fed chairman Paul Volcker, appointed by President Carter in 1979 to put a brake on inflation that would peak at 11.6 percent the following year, took a cold-blooded approach and simply stopped printing money rather than directly raising interest rates. In response to questions during his Senate confirmation hearing, Volcker told them, . . .the [money] supply had been “rising at a pretty good clip,” and there was no evidence the nation was “suffering grievously from a shortage of money.” What happens when someone on a bender stops cold turkey? By late 1980, the pain had arrived, as the federal funds rate hit 20 percent and the mortgage rate 18.45 percent but only for people with good credit. As the Proverb says, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly,” and so the printing presses have been rolling since the Volcker episode. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, in response to pandemic shutdowns in 2020, the Fed switched to industrial grade inflation, boosting M1 from $1.5 trillion in January 2020 to $7.3 trillion by January 2022. Conflicting Monetary Histories Alan Greenspan, who followed Volcker as Fed chair in 1987, reflected on the Fed’s performance as a guardian of monetary stability over the decades, telling the Economic Club of New York in 2002 that, . . .in the two decades following the abandonment of the gold standard in 1933, the consumer price index in the United States nearly doubled. And, in the four decades after that, prices quintupled. Monetary policy, unleashed from the constraint of domestic gold convertibility, had allowed a persistent overissuance of money. More revealing still was what he said before the passage above: Although the gold standard could hardly be portrayed as having produced a period of price tranquility, it was the case that the price level in 1929 was not much different, on net, from what it had been in 1800. (emphasis mine) You might want to read that last part over. Consider what the period 1800-1929 included: devastating wars, slavery and its termination, the explosive growth of industrialization, railroads, inventions, and population, especially from immigration, and a decrease in agricultural employment due mostly to technology. Thomas Edison alone received a record 1,093 patents. Tesla-Westinghouse AC electrification projects transformed factories and cities and spurred the invention of household appliances such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators. Cars, radios, and to some extent, airplanes—the science fictions of their day—became accessible to the middle class. Prosperity during this period, especially during the latter part of the 19th century, skyrocketed. Even under a government-controlled gold standard, prices in 1929 were only 1.36 times higher than they were on average in 1800. Sounds like more of a period of deflation rather than inflation. And we find that prices in 2024 are 18.44 times as high as average prices in 1929. Greenspan was correct—by unleashing the constraint of “domestic gold convertibility,” Fed inflationists have devastated the value of the dollar and redistributed the wealth of dollar users. Yet Bernanke—scoring a near-perfect SAT score during his high school days in Dillon, South Carolina, earning a PhD in economics from MIT, awarded Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2009, and winning the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2022 for his work on the Great Depression—mustered this comment about inflation: Since World War II, inflation—the apparently inexorable rise in the prices of goods and services—has been the bane of central bankers. Economists of various stripes have argued that inflation is the inevitable result of (pick your favorite) the abandonment of metallic monetary standards, a lack of fiscal discipline, shocks to the price of oil and other commodities, struggles over the distribution of income, excessive money creation, self-confirming inflation expectations, an “inflation bias” in the policies of central banks, and still others. (emphasis mine) He suggests that the cause of inflation is subjective, a matter of opinion (“pick your favorite”), but whatever it is, it’s “apparently inexorable.” How did the economy somehow avoid a significant rise in prices during the period Greenspan mentioned—1800-1929? Nothing inexorable there, other than long-term price stability. Then again, unlike today, most of that period was constrained by “gold convertibility.” If a gold miner introduces his product into the economy it thereby increases the money supply (assuming gold is accepted as money) but is it fair to call that inflation? Gold’s limited quantity is one reason it’s been accepted as money. Nor has the miner violated anyone’s property rights by extracting and exchanging it for goods or services. He’s actually engaged in barter when he trades it for something else. That it happens to be universally-accepted in trade and is called money sometimes obscures this fact. Paper money that rolls off the presses without a commodity behind it has never been accepted without government fiat. It derives its power from the guns behind it in the form of legal tender laws. Central banks like the Fed are the state’s private counterfeiters. Since the state still prevents us from using gold, many people—including the Lebanese entrepreneur previously mentioned—are finding monetary security in Bitcoin. Though I personally have reservations about money that only exists in cyberspace, without physical manifestation, it nevertheless has properties that make it suitable for a medium of exchange and preferable to fiat money. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 20:05

— These Are The World's 10 Most Powerful Supercomputers

 

at 11/22/24 5:40pm

These Are The World's 10 Most Powerful Supercomputers According to the latest supercomputer ranking from TOP500, El Capitan is the world’s most powerful system, capable of achieving 1,742 petaflops. In this graphic, Visual Capitalist's Marcus Lu visualizes the performance and power consumption of the world’s top 10 supercomputers. Data and Key Takeaways The data we used to create this graphic is listed in the table below. Figures come from TOP500’s November 2024 ranking. This ranking highlights America’s position as a global leader in computing power. For instance, the top three supercomputers are located in the U.S., and all of them are classified as exascale systems. This is a significant change from the 2021 ranking, in which Japan’s Supercomputer Fugaku held the top spot. The winner of this year’s ranking is El Capitan, which became operational in 2024 and is the third exascale system deployed by the United States. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, El Capitan was manufactured by HP Enterprise Cray and features an unknown number of AMD Instict MI300A accelerated processing units (APUs). What’s An Exascale Computer? An exascale computer is capable of performing at least 1 exaflop (1 quintillion operations per second). Note that in this ranking, performance is measured in petaflops (1 quadrillion). 1,000 petaflops is equal to 1 exaflop. In realistic terms, exascale computers can handle massive datasets and solve problems at unprecedented speed. Use cases include: Simulating molecular interactions Predicting climate change Advancing nuclear research China’s Exascale Systems Remain a Mystery Since 2021, reports have suggested that China does indeed have its own exascale systems, but is simply withholding information about them from global rankings such as the TOP500. It’s a well known situation that China has these computers, and they have been operating for a while. They have not run the benchmarks, but [the community has] a general idea of their architectures and capabilities. - Jack Dongarra, co-founder of TOP500 China’s silence is likely related to its geopolitical strategy. Publicly announcing it has built its own exascale systems could result in further U.S. trade restrictions. Want to learn more? Check out the Technology category on Voronoi to see more data visualizations like this. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 19:40

— Pennsylvania County Official Apologizes For Controversial Comments On Ballot-Counting

 

at 11/22/24 5:15pm

Pennsylvania County Official Apologizes For Controversial Comments On Ballot-Counting Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The commissioner of a Pennsylvania county at the center of a weeks-long ballot-counting controversy issued an apology on Wednesday after the state’s Supreme Court ruled to block the counting efforts. Bucks County Commissioner Dianne Ellis-Marseglia speaks during a board meeting in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 20, 2024. Bucks County government At a Wednesday Bucks County Board of Elections meeting, Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia—one of two county commissioners who had voted to count undated and misdated ballots for the Nov. 5 election—issued a public apology on a comment she had made last week. Their decision had gone against a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling. Last week, Ellis-Marseglia said that “people violate laws any time they want,” drawing controversy and criticism from local Republican officials. “I think we all know that precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country and people violate laws anytime they want,” she said in last week’s hearing. “So for me, if I violate this law, it’s because I want the court to pay attention to it.” A week later, on Wednesday, the commissioner said that her comment was taken out of context. However, she also apologized, saying, “The passion in my heart got the best of me, and I apologize again for that.” “That was a hearing, and we were talking about provisional ballots. We were specifically talking about the fact that there were certain provisional ballots where a judge of elections did not sign and did not make sure that a voter signed on the outside envelope,” Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat, said according to a video feed of the Bucks County commissioners’ meeting. Elaborating, the official said that, to her, it is “frustrating and unconscionable that we would have to take away somebody’s vote” after an employee “didn’t know what to do or forgot or made a mistake.” “That issue that I spoke on has now gone viral from my comments. It was genuinely not the best words. I would do it all again. I feel terrible about it. I should have been more clear, please, I will be more clear in the future,” she said. Her county was one of several across Pennsylvania that voted earlier this month to count the ballots. On Monday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reiterated its ruling and blocked Bucks County, a Democrat-controlled suburb of Philadelphia, from counting those votes. “This order shall be deemed authoritative and controlling in all such matters and as to all county election board members,” the court wrote. The order stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee and the Pennsylvania Republican Party on Nov. 14 that sought to block officials from counting those ballots. The order has significant implications for the U.S. Senate race. The Associated Press and Decision Desk have called the race in favor of Republican candidate Dave McCormick over incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), whose votes differed by only a few thousand ballots. The state Supreme Court responded on Nov. 1 with an order that halted the appeals court decision while clarifying that its decision didn’t apply to the general election on Nov. 5. Multiple Republican groups were critical of Ellis-Marseglia’s comments, with some calling for her resignation or impeachment. The Pennridge Area GOP called for locals to sign a petition to impeach both Ellis-Marseglia and Commissioner Robert Harvie, who also voted to count the ballots, accusing them of civil rights violations, contempt of court, and negligence. Earlier this week, Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a statement siding with the state Supreme Court in its decision to halt ballot counting, emphasizing upholding the rule of law. “The court has now ruled on the counting of these ballots specific to the Nov. 5, 2024, election, and I expect all county election officials to adhere to this ruling and all the applicable laws governing our elections,” he said. As of Thursday morning, Casey has yet to concede to McCormick in the Senate race. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 19:15

— US Declares Opposition Leader Who Lives In Spain As Venezuela's President-Elect

 

at 11/22/24 4:50pm

US Declares Opposition Leader Who Lives In Spain As Venezuela's President-Elect Authored by Kyle Anzalone via The Libertarian Institute, Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared on X that Edmundo González won the Venezuela presidential election several months ago. It is unclear if Washington’s position will make a difference as González lives outside Venezuela.  On Tuesday, Blinken posted, "The Venezuelan people spoke resoundingly on July 28 and made [González] the president-elect. Democracy demands respect for the will of the voters." González is currently living in Spain.  Getty Images/AFP In August, about a week after the election, Blinken made a similar statement, saying that González won the election by an "insurmountable margin." The Secretary based that conclusion on a report by the Carter Center. Blinken claimed the institution is "independent." That claim is false as the Carter Center is funded by multiple US government agencies, including the State Department. At that time, it was not clear if Blinken’s statement represented administration policy as NSC Spokesman John Kirby said the White House would withhold judgment until "the electoral authorities publish the full, detailed tabulation of votes." Additionally, a State Department spokesman said Washington was not ready to declare a winner of the Venezuelan election.  The US has attempted to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and his predecessor Hugo Chávez, several times. However, Caracas foiled Washington’s coup attempts.  During the first Donald Trump administration, Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams led a similar effort to overthrow Maduro by recognizing Juan Guaido as president. That scheme also failed. The second Trump administration may make a similar attempt at regime change in Caracas as Marco Rubio, the nominee to be Secretary of State, is a long-time supporter of overthrowing Marduo. The Venezuelan people spoke resoundingly on July 28 and made @EdmundoGU the president-elect. Democracy demands respect for the will of the voters. — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 19, 2024 Following the July election, Rubio called for the military to overthrow the sitting president. "The military must stand up and defend the people against the regime," he posted on X.  CNN reports, "Gonzalez, who fled to Spain in September fearing for his safety, has previously said he intends to return to Venezuela in the coming weeks for the presidential inauguration set for January 10." Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 18:50

— Terrifying Infographic Shows Reach Of Russia's New Hypersonic Missile: 'London In 20 Minutes'

 

at 11/22/24 4:30pm

Terrifying Infographic Shows Reach Of Russia's New Hypersonic Missile: 'London In 20 Minutes' Update(1830ET): Soon after warning that Russia's newly deployed 'Oreshnik' nuclear capable hypersonic missile is able to reach any European capital, at a top speed of Mach 10+ —which is significantly faster than a bullet—Russian state media issued the below ominous infographic. It touts that Eastern European capitals could be hit in a matter of a few minutes, and that Berlin is reachable in only 15. It lists capitals as far away from the Kapustin Yar rocket launch complex like London and Paris as reachable by the Oreshnik in just 20 minutes. This means if proverbial all hell broke loose and WW3 came to Europe, these populations would have very little time to reach shelter. Russian media released a new graphic showing Oreshnik missile flight times to major cities in Europe pic.twitter.com/Ry7yLymK2n — Preston Stewart (@prestonstew_) November 22, 2024 On Thursday Moscow had shocked the world after six independent war heads of a new intermediate range ballistic missile were launched on the Yuzhmash missile plant in Dnipro Ukraine. Thus Putin has demonstrated that the West has crossed his 'red lines' after its long-range attack authorization granted to Kiev. According to more via a war monitoring site: Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) provided further details, stating that “Oreshnik” refers to a research project, while the operational missile system is named “Kedr.” Its known specifications include: Six warheads, each carrying six submunitions. A terminal phase speed exceeding Mach 11. If this is indeed a medium-range ballistic missile, as Putin suggests, its range could extend up to 5,500 kilometers. This would violate the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed by the US and the Soviet Union to eliminate such missiles. Developing Kedr would thus signify Russia’s breach of this agreement. Vladimir Putin warned back in July, "Today, the development of such systems in Russia is nearing completion. We will take mirror measures to deploy them, taking into account the actions of the United States, its satellites in Europe and in other regions of the world." * * * A day after Russia's attack on Ukraine with what were clearly big, very fast and new intermediate-range missiles, which many outlets initially reported to be an ICBM, the Kremlin is touting that it launched a cutting-edge hypersonic missile for which there is no defensive intercept capability. Russia says that Washington has now understood and been able to grasp Putin's warnings and red lines more clearly following the missile strike a Ukrainian defense industry facility in Dnepropetrovsk Thursday morning. The new hypersonic weapon, dubbed 'Oreshnik' is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. "We have no doubt that the current administration in Washington has had the opportunity to familiarize itself with this announcement and understand it," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Putin had said the West's escalation, seen this week in authorizing Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russia with US/UK-made weapons, makes Ukraine a "global" conflict. Illustrative file image via Unsplash He strongly hinted that this global aspect to the war means attacks on Western targets can't be ruled out. The same day, the foreign ministry said a US missile base in Poland is a prime target. Peskov further called Putin's message following the hypersonic attack "comprehensive, clear and logical." The Russian leader has authorized the new missile to enter mass production. "The key message is that the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries — which produce missiles, supply them to Ukraine and subsequently take part in carrying out strikes on Russian territory — cannot go unanswered," Peskov continued. On Friday Russian state media sources have begun publishing specs for the Oreshnik missile, claiming it flies at Mach 10, and can reach 5,500km in distance, or 3,400+ miles (as a medium-range weapon). Russia's missile command has also informed Putin that the projectile is capable of reaching any European target... ❗️‘Oreshnik’ IRBM is capable of reaching any European target – Russian missile forces chief pic.twitter.com/v50HHAafIc — RT (@RT_com) November 22, 2024 "The unique feature of the Oreshnik missile system is that, firstly, it is a medium-range missile – it flies to a distance of 1,000 km to 5,500 km – and secondly, it is hypersonic, flying at a speed of Mach 10," a retired Russian Army colonel and military analyst, identified as Viktor Litovkin, told Sputnik. "The West does not have missiles that fly at such a speed or hypersonic missiles at all," he continued. "Although the US has repeatedly boasted that it has such missiles, it has never demonstrated a missile flight. They appeared to show missiles that flew at a supersonic speed of 5.5 times the speed of sound or Mach 5.5. However, hypersonic speed begins at Mach 6-7." Independent geopolitical site Moon of Alabama agrees, and calls it a huge game-changer [emphasis ZH]: Launched from Russia the missile can reach any target in Europe in less than 20 minutes. On reentry into the atmosphere the warheads of the missile reach hypersonic speeds of 3-4 kilometer per second. There is no air defense system in the world that could stop them. The surprising and successful demonstration of such an enormous capability is a wake-up call for European strategists. Lulled in by neoconservative talk of western supremacy and presumed Russian inabilities the Europeans were eager to connect their fate to a proxy war against Russia. Having been defeated in the fight for the commodities of the Donbas region they have pushed for extending the reach of their weapons into Russia. The results are now in. Europe is defenseless against new Russian weapons which can reach every political and industrial center of Europe with devastating power and with just minutes of notice. ⚡️ Statement by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin Watch herein in full (dubbed in English) pic.twitter.com/mF5SCJdlq1 — MFA Russia ?? (@mfa_russia) November 21, 2024 And Putin reminded the West yesterday: "We believe that the United States made a mistake by unilaterally destroying the INF Treaty in 2019 under a far-fetched pretext." The United States was notified shortly in advance of the launch via nuclear risk reduction channels, which underscores the seriousness of the event. The Pentagon has confirmed that the US was warned in advance about the "Oreshnik" missile attack via nuclear security channels. NOTICE: they did not warn the EU, so the pucker factor in the EU watching that ICBM launch must have been intense. Can you imagine?? pic.twitter.com/mfKfY58bn2 — Old Lion (@OldLion1965) November 21, 2024 Below is a review and paraphrasing of Putin's main points from his Thursday address and warning to the West via RT. * * * Deployment of the new Hypersonic Missile ‘Oreshnik’ Putin confirmed that Russia has used its latest hypersonic ballistic missile system, nicknamed ‘Oreshnik’ (Hazel in English), during a strike on a Ukrainian defense industry facility in Dnepropetrovsk on Thursday morning. The missile is part of Moscow’s new generation of medium-range weapons and reportedly travels at speeds of up to Mach 10 (2.5-3 kilometers per second). Putin emphasized that no existing air or missile defense systems, including those deployed by the US in Europe, are capable of intercepting the Oreshnik. “There are no means of countering such weapons today,” he said, adding that the strike successfully hit one of Ukraine’s largest Soviet-era industrial complexes producing rocket technology. The Americans are making the Ukraine conflict global Putin accused the US and NATO of deliberately escalating the crisis by providing Kiev with long-range, high-precision weapons capable of striking Russian territory. This week, Ukraine used American-made ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow systems to strike targets in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk Regions.  Putin said these attacks demonstrate the West’s intent to transform the Ukraine conflict into a global war. He stressed that these weapons could not be used without the direct involvement of US and NATO military specialists. “This regional conflict provoked by the West has now acquired global elements,” the president declared. US defenses helpless against Russian hypersonic weapons Putin highlighted the strategic advantage of Moscow’s new missile technology, stating that Western defense systems, including those at US bases in Europe, are powerless to intercept them. He framed the deployment of the Oreshnik system as a response to NATO’s increasingly aggressive actions, including Washington’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. “Missiles like Oreshnik are our answer to NATO’s plans to deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific,” he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Thursday’s strike against a weapons factory in Dnepropetrovsk was an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), dubbed Oreshnik (‘Hazel’). Oreshnik flies at Mach 10 and carries multiple warheads, making it impervious to air defenses. pic.twitter.com/awK9at6lwh — RT (@RT_com) November 22, 2024 Americans destroyed the system of international security The Russian president placed blame squarely on Washington for dismantling global arms control agreements and eroding international security.  “It was not Russia but the United States that destroyed the system of international security,” Putin said, referring to the collapse of the INF Treaty and other agreements. He accused the US of clinging to its “hegemony” at the expense of global stability, stating that the Americans are “pushing the whole world toward a global conflict.” Russia’s position on the deployment of missiles Putin announced that while Russia has refrained from deploying medium- and shorter-range missiles globally, it would reassess this policy in response to US actions. He warned that future targets for Russia’s advanced systems would be chosen based on perceived threats to national security. As a “humanitarian” gesture, he stated that civilians in targeted areas would be warned in advance to evacuate. A call for Peace, and a warning to the West Despite his tough words, Putin reiterated that Russia remains open to talks, but warned of decisive retaliation against escalating aggression. “We have always preferred, and are still ready, to resolve all disputes through peaceful means,” the president said. However, he cautioned Western leaders, particularly in Washington, to take Russia’s warnings seriously. “There will always be an answer,” to attacks on Russia, he concluded. zh: ...hopefully Trump and Putin can broker peace before it's too late. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 18:30

— Things That Are Over...

 

at 11/22/24 4:25pm

Things That Are Over... via Financial Preparedness substack, The re-election of Donald Trump was the largest political revolution of my lifetime. As I've listened to him and his nominees talk about their priorities and plans since the election, I have realized that his administration will bring about dramatic and fundamental changes that will have profound effects in many domains, both globally and through time. I now understand why the Left and Deep State were so obsessed with stopping him “using any means necessary” since 2016. If he can get the Senate to confirm his nominees, I predict that the following will soon be over: Perpetual War and the Military-Industrial-Complex: In 1961, outgoing president Eisenhower (no peacenik himself) warned about the MIC: “...we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions....This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience....Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications....In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” Trump will quickly bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end and prompt Iran and its proxies to go dormant. China, Russia and North Korea will behave themselves and the U.S. won't enable NATO's recent reckless military adventurism. Many American troops will come home and the U.S. will only get involved if its vital national interests are at risk. Illegal Immigration: ICE will deport many millions of illegal aliens (queue lots of sob stories by what's left of the Legacy Media), starting with known criminals. The Trump administration will immediately stop the secret flights of aliens into the U.S., defund the many NGOs that facilitated the Soft Invasion, enforce existing immigration laws, and probably complete the border wall. But I think undocumented people who have lived in the U.S. for many years and are contributing to society will be left alone. The Deep State: Since 2016, hundreds of high level government officials have abused their power in many ways to prevent the American people from having the president they voted for (also known as democracy). Most of these people are guilty of crimes. At a minimum, they will be fired and stripped of any security clearances and will have to find an honest way to make a living. Some will write books about Orange Man Bad. The Intelligence-Industrial-Complex: This is who have really run the country to an increasing degree since 1963. This is probably the greatest current threat to our (dying) republic. Since 9/11, with the collusion of Big Tech and the governments of allied countries, it has vacuumed up every possible bit of communication and information about American citizens (a flagrant violation of the Fourth Amendment) and stored it for perpetuity (for who knows what purposes in the future) at the Utah Data Center. It also sponsors coups against democratically elected foreign governments, conducts disinformation and false flag operations to sway public opinion, runs secret prisons in foreign countries where people are tortured, etc. Wresting power away from this beast will be one of Trump's greatest challenges. The Administrative State: The vast majority of federal bureaucrats serve no useful purpose, yet enjoy compensation packages and job security that far exceed what's available in the private sector. Entire departments (such as Education), bureaus, offices and commissions will be eliminated. Thousands of regulations will be repealed, rendering millions of bureaucrats suddenly redundant. Those whose jobs aren't eliminated will have to come in to the office every day after a four-year “work at home” vacation. The Democratic Party (in its current form): The party is in disarray, with no current leaders (after their failed coup, the Obamas are finished) or good potential future leaders and virtually no policy proposals that appeal to the average voter. Their platform consisted of two planks: Get Trump and Abortion on Demand. Ironically, their presidential candidate wasn't even elected in a Democratic process, and their presidential primaries have been rigged for years. As they've lost touch with Americans in Flyover Country, the party has largely become one of university-educated bicoastal elites and the lowest of Low Information Voters. After years of demanding censorship, de-monetization, de-platforming, doxing and canceling of people they disagree with, it's no surprise they show a remarkable lack of self-awareness, introspection, empathy and curiosity about the “garbage.” They will wander in the political wilderness until this changes. Congressman Seth Moulton (D, MA) bravely pointed out some of his party's insanity after the election but was quickly condemned. Ironically, he represents Salem. The Legacy Media: The sudden post-election implosion of the Legacy Media is the most stunning and far-reaching since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since 2016, the media has become increasingly apoplectic about the “racist,” “fascist,” “existential threat to our democracy” Trump, making the case for the Thomas Matthew Crooks and Ryan Wesley Rouths of the world to save humanity from the “literal Hitler” before the world suffered the same fate. Yet their ratings tanked even as their warnings about a dictatorial Trump became more shrill and frantic. Why? Because after promoting hoaxes (such as Hunter Biden's laptop, Trump's collusion with Russia, the COVID “pandemic,” an armed insurrection on January 6, etc.) for years, they have no credibility left. Americans trust the media less than any other political or civic institution. This rotted out tree began to fall even before the election. Editors and employees at The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times freaked out when their editorial page was not allowed to endorse Kamala. Because otherwise, how would readers know that these papers supported her, right? The most stunning development was how after years of trashing Trump perhaps more than anyone else, the hosts of “Morning Joe” went to Mar-a-Lago to make up with him (he was gracious enough to meet with them). They did so for economic survival, to remain relevant, because their show is at risk of being canceled. Comcast is about to spin off MSNBC and CNBC. CNN is also on the ropes, and “The View” is planning to add another conservative commentator. Elen DeGeneres has fled the country, vowing never to return. Censorship: The publication of the Twitter Files (for which some Democrats threatened the reporter with prison) helped expose how Big Tech and the Legacy Media have colluded with the federal government in recent years to censor facts “misinformation” from the American people. Ironically, at this time in human history when it should be easier and faster than ever before to discover the truth, we have to deal with this bullshit. Tyrants have no need to censor falsehoods, which can easily be disproved. It's the truth they fear. And the way to get to the truth is for everyone to be allowed to say what they want, even though some of it will be uninformed or false. The truth will always out itself eventually. This is the essence and beauty of the Scientific Method. No one person, government, website or group of “fact checkers” could possibly know what the Truth is. So let's have an open, ongoing debate where everyone is allowed to make their case, which will allow us to avoid error and prevent tyranny. The Free Speech party won the election, and the Season of Reveal is about to ramp up. Expect the release of files related to JFK's assassination, the CIA, UFOs, Jeffrey Epstein and Diddy's parties. Lawfare: As far as I know, all of the lawfare cases against Trump are dead, though Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan are threatening to delay his sentencing until 2029, leaving a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head. Using the justice system to target a political opponent simultaneously (and obviously) with a number of absurd charges in politically hostile jurisdictions is profoundly un-American. It's something that a desperate tyrant in a Third World country would do. This strategy backfired on Democrats, as it made many voters even more likely to vote for Trump. Lady Justice is blindfolded for a reason. Identity Politics and DEI: (Marxist) Critical Race Theory is out and meritocracy and a colorblind society are back. Tens of millions of people (including blacks, Hispanics and women) voted for Trump not because of his race or gender but because they thought he was the best candidate. Ethnicity-based tribalism is toxic to society and inevitably leads to an outcome like what happened in Rwanda between the Hutus and the Tutsis. Now corporations and even the Pentagon are scrambling to shutter their DEI programs. Americans generally want the best; they will figure out who should do the job. Big Pharma, Big Food and Medical Tyranny: As the secretary of Health & Human Services, RFK Jr. will (hopefully) dramatically change the direction of the FDA, CDC, NIH, etc. away from processed food and pharmaceutical products towards natural (and often low-cost) food and health remedies. A ban on advertising by Pharma will hasten the demise of the Legacy Media and end their symbiotic relationship. Watch for a number of long-overdue investigative reports about the Pharma industry. Due to the obvious ineffectiveness of and many injuries and deaths due to the unproven COVID vaccines, I would imagine Americans' faith in vaccines has never been lower. They now realize that the government doesn't have all of the answers and one must remain an independent, critical thinker. ESG: I would expect that in the Trump administration, the SEC will require investment managers (including Blackrock, State Street and Vangaurd) to explain how forcing the management of publicly traded companies to pursue ESG policies fulfills their legal fiduciary duty to maximize the return of their customers. I look forward to hearing that explanation. There will be much more of a focus on profits, free cash flow and dividends, which will help boost returns and reduce risk. The Great Reset: If a major country such as the U.S. refuses to participate in Klaus Schwab's tyrannical fantasies, it more or less pulls the rug out from the whole program, because the countries that do participate won't be able to compete, and their citizens will be able to see that life is better in a freer and more decentralized country. Trumpism is a global movement, because people are sick and wary of people like Schwab, Bill Gates, George Soros and the rest of the .01% ruling elite. Closet Trump Supporters: One reason Trump's victory in 2016 was such a surprise to nearly all pollsters is because many voters were embarrassed or fearful to admit that they supported Trump. Not any more. Trump has never been more popular. MAGA hats now top Amazon's best seller list. I've seen athletes in several sports celebrate by doing a Trump dance. Part of Trump's genius (I'm sure his decades of experience in hospitality and entertainment helped with this) is that he made politics fun and funny. Americans want to laugh and be of good cheer after years of having to sit through mandatory DEI training and being told that they're inherently and irreversibly racist because of the color of their skin. The Silent Majority have spoken, and instead of being identified by their race, gender, etc. now just want to get back to being Americans. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 18:25

— What Ceasefire? 'Heavy Clashes' In South Lebanon As Beirut Buildings Leveled

 

at 11/22/24 4:00pm

What Ceasefire? 'Heavy Clashes' In South Lebanon As Beirut Buildings Leveled Despite all the recent talk of a potential ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in the works, regional reports say that some of the fiercest ground fighting is currently taking place in southern Lebanon on Friday. Heavy Israeli aerial bombardments of the southern suburbs of Beirut have also continued with intensity. On Friday an Israeli missile completely leveled a residential multi-story in the neighborhood of Chiyah. Israel's military reportedly issued a civilian evacuation alert shortly before, and terrifying video from the scene suggests locals knew it was about to be struck. More strikes by #Israel's IDF against #Hezbollah positions today after it issued an evacuation warning in the southern suburbs of Beirut. pic.twitter.com/G9xGxisfMR — Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) November 22, 2024 In the south of Lebanon, near the border, UN peacekeeping forces say they are monitoring "heavy clashes" on Friday, saying most of the fighting is centered in the coastal town of Naqoura as well as the village of Chamaa. There are also emerging reports which say four Italian soldiers were injured after two rockets hit a UNIFIL base in Chamaa. Italy's deputy prime minister has said Hezbollah was likely behind the rocket firing: "There were believed to be two missiles, from what it appears, they are believed to have been launched by Hezbollah." Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a statement of "deep indignation and concern" over "new attacks suffered by the Italian headquarters of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon." "These attacks are unacceptable," she stated, adding that "the parties on the ground to guarantee, at all times, the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and to collaborate to quickly identify those responsible." "We are aware of heavy shelling in the vicinity of our bases," UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti has said, saying that since the incident all UN troops appear to be safe "for the moment". Up until now, the UNIFIL has claimed its command posts came under attack by Israeli forces, including IDF tanks, several times. This appears to be the first time that Hezbollah fired on UN locations. IDF forces earlier this week reached their deepest point into Lebanon since the ground invasion began, in the countryside vicinity of the port city of Tyre, which has been pummeled by airstrikes. UNIFIL base (in the background) in Chamaa, Lebanon. Wiki Commons Israel has repeatedly demanded that the UNIFIL troops withdraw - requests which have been refused. This puts the UNIFIL outposts in the direct line of fire as the war encircles their positions. "UNIFIL strongly urges combating parties to avoid fighting next to its positions. Inviolability of UN premises and personnel must be respected at all times," a Friday statement said. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 18:00

— Colorado To Pay $1.5 Million To Christian Web Designer After Losing Supreme Court Case

 

at 11/22/24 3:40pm

Colorado To Pay $1.5 Million To Christian Web Designer After Losing Supreme Court Case Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times, Colorado has agreed to pay $1.5 million in lawyers’ fees to a Christian website designer after she won her case over a state anti-discrimination law at the U.S. Supreme Court. The payment agreement dated Nov. 19 comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in June 2023 in favor of Lorie Smith, who said Colorado’s law requiring her to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings infringed on her constitutional rights. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority that Colorado tried to compel “an individual to speak in ways that align with its views but defy her conscience about a matter of major significance.” “The First Amendment’s protections … belong to all, including to speakers whose motives others may find misinformed or offensive,” he wrote. Smith complained she was being singled out by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission because her religious faith does not support nontraditional marriage. Smith said she won’t promote messages that condone violence or encourage sexual immorality, abortion, or same-sex marriage. Smith took legal action when she discovered she was forbidden under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act to post a statement online explaining what content she was, and was not, willing to create. After the Supreme Court reversed the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, the case found its way back to the federal district court in Colorado. On Nov. 19, Smith and the state filed a notice of settlement in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis with the district court. The notice did not specify how much the state agreed to pay Smith, but the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represents Smith, said the amount was more than $1.5 million to cover attorneys’ fees. “The government can’t force Americans to say things they don’t believe, and Colorado officials have paid and will continue to pay a high price when they violate this foundational freedom,” ADF CEO and President Kristen Waggoner said in a statement. “For the past 12 years, Colorado has targeted people of faith and forced them to express messages that violate their conscience and that advance the government’s preferred ideology,” she said. The Supreme Court’s ruling in the case has been cited almost 1,000 times in court opinions, legal briefs, and in legal publications, according to the law firm. Colorado lost a related case before the Supreme Court six years ago. In Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018), the justices sided with Jack Phillips, a Christian baker whom a gay couple had asked to create a custom cake to celebrate their union, finding the state commission had violated his First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. Smith said she was pleased with the monetary settlement. “This is a win not just for me but for all Americans—for those who share my beliefs and for those who hold different views,” she said in a statement. “For me, it’s always about what message is requested, never the person making the request. I hope that everyone will celebrate the court’s decision upholding this right for each of us to speak freely,” she said. The Epoch Times reached out for comment to Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser but had not received a reply as of publication time. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 17:40

— Matt Gaetz Says He's Not Returning To Congress Next Year

 

at 11/22/24 3:20pm

Matt Gaetz Says He's Not Returning To Congress Next Year Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz on Friday responded to speculation that he could return to the U.S. House after he withdrew his name from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for attorney general. Then-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) speaks during the Turning Point Action conference in West Palm Beach, Fla., on July 15, 2023. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Gaetz on Thursday said in a social media post that he would be withdrawing his name because he does not want to become “a distraction” for the Trump transition team’s work, although he had “excellent meetings” with senators, he said. A day later, he told podcaster and conservative activist Charlie Kirk that he would not be going back to the House of Representatives. While Gaetz resigned from his current term in office, he won his reelection bid on Nov. 5, prompting speculation that he could still serve out his forthcoming term. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch,“ Gaetz said on Friday. ”I do not intend to join the 119th Congress; there are a number of fantastic Floridians who’ve stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service.” “And I’m actually excited to see Northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation,” he said, referring to Florida’s First Congressional District, which he had represented. Based on historical data and trends, it appears unlikely that the First District will be flipped by a Democratic candidate. Gaetz won his reelection bid by more than 30 points, and a Democrat hasn’t represented the area since 1995. “I’m going to be fighting for President Trump. I’m going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have,“ he told Kirk, echoing a comment he wrote in his Thursday announcement. ”But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.” Other than Gaetz, Trump has tapped several other Florida politicians to serve in his Cabinet in some capacity, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as his secretary of state and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) as his national security adviser. Hours after Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration, Trump named Republican former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, also his former personal attorney, to become the U.S. attorney general. In response, Gaetz wrote on X that Bondi is a “stellar selection” who will “bring the needed reforms” to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last week announced a special election to fill the congressional seats that will soon be vacant, later saying he would be making a decision in early January on who will serve out Rubio’s term in the Senate. There has been media-driven speculation that DeSantis, a Republican, could tap Gaetz to take Rubio’s seat, although the governor, Gaetz, and Rubio have not made any public remarks on whether that could be a possibility. “We have already received strong interest from several possible candidates, and we continue to gather names of additional candidates and conduct preliminary vetting,” DeSantis said in his statement about Rubio’s seat. “More extensive vetting and candidate interviews will be conducted over the next few weeks, with a selection likely made by the beginning of January.” Before withdrawing his name, Gaetz faced intense media and congressional scrutiny over various allegations of misconduct while he was a congressman. The House Ethics Committee announced in 2021 that he was under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and other matters. Gaetz has categorically denied the allegations, saying that the DOJ had informed him that a related investigation was closed and resulted in no criminal charges against him. Gaetz again refuted the allegations while speaking to Kirk. He decried the allegations within the House Ethics panel report as part of a “smear campaign” against him, describing the claims as “false” and “clickbaity.” “Those allegations were coming from sources that Merrick Garland’s DOJ had already deemed not credible,” he said, referring to the current attorney general. “Like if the things that the House Ethics report were true, I would be under indictment and probably in a prison cell.” Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 17:20

— RFK Jr.'s Plans For Reshaping HHS Draw Strong Reactions

 

at 11/22/24 3:00pm

RFK Jr.'s Plans For Reshaping HHS Draw Strong Reactions Authored by Jeff Louderbeck via The Epoch Times, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to “make America healthy again” through his platform as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The possibility of that happening has drawn praise from many Republican lawmakers and vaccine and food safety advocates. Multiple Democratic legislators and public health officials have criticized President-Elect Donald Trump’s nomination, calling Kennedy a “danger” to public health. Fighting chronic disease, improving children’s health, and addressing corporate influence on government agencies were vital parts of Kennedy’s campaign platform when he ran for president as a Democrat and then an independent. Kennedy suspended his presidential campaign and backed Trump in August. He previously told The Epoch Times that it was a “heart-wrenching decision” and a necessary step toward achieving his mission of saving Americans from the chronic disease epidemic. Under the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, Kennedy aims to curtail what he calls the chronic disease epidemic by addressing the so-called “corporate capture” of federal health agencies and removing toxic chemicals from the nation’s food supply, among other objectives. Trump’s naming Kennedy as his HHS secretary has drawn strong reactions. Donna Shalala, who was HHS secretary under former President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001, said Kennedy is not qualified for the position. “The nomination of RFK Jr. for HHS by President-elect Trump is shocking. ... He is dangerous to the health and well being of every American,” Shalala wrote on X. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on X that Kennedy would be the person to “detox the place after the Fauci era,” in reference to former NIH director Dr. Anthony Fauci. Kennedy and Paul have both been outspoken critics of Fauci’s policies related to vaccines and the public health response to COVID-19. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a medical doctor, recently told reporters that Kennedy has “championed issues like healthy foods and the need for greater transparency in our public health infrastructure.” “I look forward to learning more about his other policy positions and how they will support a conservative, pro-American agenda,” Cassidy said. Cassidy, the ranking member of the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is expected to chair the committee in the next Congress. Awaiting Senate Scrutiny Kennedy must receive majority support from the Senate to gain confirmation and officially take the lead of HHS, which manages 13 separate agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Kennedy will face confirmation hearings with the Senate Finance Committee, which is scheduled to be led by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). The full Senate will vote on his nomination if he is approved by that panel. When the Senate convenes in January, Republicans will hold at least 52 seats compared to 48 by the Democrats. The number could increase to 53 if David McCormick defeats incumbent Bob Casey in Pennsylvania. That race is currently in the midst of a recount. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks behind a bulletproof glass during the Rescue the Republic rally in Washington on Sept. 29, 2024.Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times Kennedy has said that he will urge Trump on day one to declare a national emergency for chronic disease. Kennedy said he believes little will change until the influence of giant or private corporations on the FDA, the CDC, and the Department of Agriculture is addressed. At a roundtable organized by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) in September, Kennedy said these agencies “advance the mercantile and commercial interests of the pharmaceutical industry that has transformed them and the food industry into sock puppets for the industry they’re supposed to regulate.” Kennedy has vowed to dismiss the officials who lead those agencies and appoint replacements. “FDA’s war on public health is about to end,” he wrote on X on Oct. 25, adding his support for raw milk, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, foods with healing properties, and natural remedies such as sunshine. In September, Kennedy told The Epoch Times that he would revamp the NIH to focus on the causes of autism, autoimmune diseases, and neurodevelopment diseases instead of developing drugs and serving as an incubator for pharmaceutical products. He has also vowed to lead efforts to address the issue of chemicals in ultra-processed foods. He told Fox News he would “get processed food out of school lunch immediately” and said federal food assistance such as food stamps should not go toward junk food. “These agencies, the FDA, the USDA, the CDC, all of them are controlled by giant for-profit corporations,” Kennedy said. “With President Trump’s backing, I am going to change that. We are going to staff these agencies with honest scientists and doctors free from industry funding. We will make sure that the decisions of consumers, doctors, and patients are informed by unbiased science,” he said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to reporters at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times Earlier this week, Trump announced that Dr. Mehmet Oz was selected to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is managed by HHS. Kennedy is an outspoken opponent of Medicare or Medicaid covering weight-loss drugs like Ozempic or Zepbound. There has been some bipartisan support for that to happen. In September, Kennedy told a congressional roundtable that it could cost the U.S. government trillions of dollars if it supported Medicare or Medicaid paying for weight-loss drugs. “For half the price of Ozempic, we could purchase regeneratively raised, organic food for every American, three meals a day and a gym membership, for every obese American,” Kennedy said. Kennedy has also called for a review of advertising rules for pharmaceutical companies and has also urged Trump to ban pharmaceutical advertising on TV. He also believes in eliminating liability protections for drug companies. As for vaccines, he has advocated for safety and informed consent. “I’ve never been anti-vaccine. People should have choice, and that choice should be informed by the best information possible,“ he said. ”I’m going to ensure that there are science-based safety studies available and people can make their own assessments about whether a vaccine is good for them.” Is Kennedy Anti-Vaccine? Some critics opposed the nomination of Kennedy because they considered him to be anti-vaccine or anti-science. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) called Kennedy a conspiracy theorist and suggested that “he will destroy our public health infrastructure and our vaccine distribution systems.” “This is going to cost lives,” Garcia wrote. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) speaks to press members in the spin room after President Joe Biden and former President Donald J. Trump's presidential debate in Atlanta, Ga., on June 27, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times Peter G. Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in a statement that the center “opposes this nomination and any other nominees who are a direct threat to science and evidence-based solutions.” “Nominating an anti-vaxxer like Kennedy to HHS is like putting a Flat Earther at the head of NASA,” he wrote. Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, said in a statement that Kennedy “is a clear and present danger to the nation’s health” and should not be “placed in charge of the nation’s public health agency.” Others think Kennedy has been misunderstood or misrepresented. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the first Trump administration, told NewsNation on Nov. 17 that “Kennedy is not antivaccine.” “I’m probably one of the biggest advocates for vaccines,” Redfield said, adding that vaccines are “the greatest gift of science to modern medicine.” “Kennedy is about transparency about vaccines, honest discussion about vaccines, asking for the data to show that these vaccines are safe and they’re efficacious,” Redfield said. Anna Matson served as a volunteer for Kennedy’s presidential campaign and runs a website called Kennedy Debunked. She believes that the public perception of Kennedy is “not remotely accurate” and is formed by “widespread lies and misrepresentations from mainstream media and Democratic Party organizations.” “Kennedy is not loyal to big pharma, and as an attorney who has successfully sued government agencies and big corporations like Monsanto, he knows how to address the issues he talks about. He’s a man of actions, and we need that in whoever leads the HHS,” Matson told The Epoch Times. Matson has spent the last year debunking the “myths” about Kennedy. “Anyone who calls him a conspiracy theorist and an anti-vaxxer has never taken the time to listen to him uninterrupted for more than a 30-second clip on mainstream media,” Matson said. “When people take the time to listen to him, more often than not they realize what the mainstream media and the DNC (Democratic National Committee) say about him is just not true.” Lauren Lee is a strategist for American Values 2024, a PAC aligned with Kennedy. She praised Trump’s decision to task Kennedy with heading the HHS. “It’s a huge sigh of relief for all the independents who took a chance on Trump when Kennedy backed him. Many of us were nervous. We didn’t know if Trump was going to keep his promise and stay true to his word. We now feel like our vote didn’t go to waste,” Lee told The Epoch Times, referring to Kennedy supporters who voted for Trump in the November election. Lee said if Kennedy is confirmed by the Senate, there will be “a massive change in the way that Americans eat, and the way that Americans are educated about nutrition and health.” “Hopefully, we will see a ripple down effect to the poor communities and the less fortunate who are suffering because they’re not able to get access to organic foods, or they live in a food desert,” Lee said. “And hopefully, this spurs corporations to take accountability and remove that poison out of their foods, and government incentives for companies to poison their food is removed.” Dr. James Lyons-Weiler is an advisor to Kennedy who is assisting in finding candidates to “take part in helping shape policies” for the MAHA movement. “I think that any topic in medicine that you might care to pick, manufacturers of medical products are represented [in health agencies], but consumers and the physicians are underrepresented,” Lyons-Weiler told The Epoch Times. “A shift I think we will see is a fair representation of the interests of society’s true stakeholders, the safety and efficacy of medicines, and an emphasis on informed consent.” Lyons-Weiler told The Epoch Times that so many people believe Kennedy is a risk to public health because of “mischaracterization” from the press. “He’s not anti-pharma. He’s anti-fraud. He’s not anti-vaccine. He’s anti-vaccine injury,” Lyons-Weiler said. “I believe we’re going to see the most substantial positive increase in overall health among Americans that we’ve ever seen, and we will see the end of narrative-based science. “Science will be done for the sake of knowing, so scientists will be free to be scientists. Medicine will be done for the sake of healing, so doctors will be allowed to become healers,” he said. Then Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at a Turning Point Action campaign rally at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Ga., on Oct. 23, 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Scott Shoemaker, the president of Health Freedom Ohio, told The Epoch Times that he is “ecstatic” that Kennedy brought the subjects of medical freedom, vaccine safety, and informed consent to a national audience in a presidential election. “I never thought I would see these become political issues that a candidate would carry and truly care about,” Shoemaker said. A father of vaccine-injured children, Shoemaker said many parents like him “have been gaslighted and made to feel like the reason for their children’s conditions are not because of vaccines.” “[Kennedy] believes in presenting fact-based science and in-depth study of vaccines and results. It’s shocking that anyone would stand up against that,” Shoemaker said. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 17:00

— Money-Market Fund Assets Tumble Most In 5 Months After Trump Win; Loan Volumes Surge

 

at 11/22/24 2:40pm

Money-Market Fund Assets Tumble Most In 5 Months After Trump Win; Loan Volumes Surge Money market funds saw the largest net outflow since June last week (-$22.2BN) as stocks soared after Trump's election win... Source: Bloomberg On the bank deposit side of the cash conundrum, total deposits fell for the second week in a row (though a very small $3.5BN SA)... Source: Bloomberg However, on a non-seasonally-adjusted basis, total deposits surged almost $60BN... Source: Bloomberg The banks continue to unwind their Fed Bank Bailout positions, with that facility down to just $21BN now... Source: Bloomberg Excluding foreign deposits, the picture for US banks was just as mixed with deposits up $46.8BN NSA and down $5.7BN SA... Source: Bloomberg On the other side of the ledger, loan volumes shot up last week (after a big decline the prior week). The post-Trump elation prompted loans to rise at the fastest pace since March 2023... Source: Bloomberg Finally, bank reserves at The Fed are on the rise again... Source: Bloomberg But to fill that gap with stocks will take a tsunami... Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 16:40

— In The Weeds Of The Swamp

 

at 11/22/24 2:20pm

In The Weeds Of The Swamp Authored by James Howard Kunstler via substack, “The National Security Divisions of the DOJ and FBI are the greatest domestic threats to the American people and the concept of Constitutional rule of law today.” - Scott Ritter Okay, you’ve had enough post-election euphoria. Time to wake TF up. Rats from inside the walls of the Deep State are trying to gnaw their way into the Trump cabinet. Ever hear of an outfit called Cipher Brief? Of course not. Cipher Brief is sort of the McKinsey of blob-world (a.k.a. the “national security” network), a combination Human Relations / Public Relations firm, totally spooked-up with former CIA officers. Quite a few of the spooks who signed the infamous letter in October 2020 that said Hunter Biden’s laptop was “Russian disinformation” are contractors there. They all knew the heinous laptop was genuine, though, and they did it anyway to queer the election for “Joe Biden.” Why? Because. . .  Trump. One Cipher Brief operative is a character named Dan Hoffman, a retired CIA “clandestine service” officer who ran the agency’s Middle East Bureau, among other things. He’s now a sometime talking head on Fox News. Hoffman has scuttled his way to the sidelines of the Trump transition team, trying to punk them on personnel. I received my own intel about Dan Hoffman and his current operations. “Hoffman talks the talk,” I’m informed. “He was involved in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. He is 100-percent Deep State. They think he is a brother-in-arms. He is not. Hoffman and the people around him are in direct contact with Tulsi Gabbard [DNI-designate] and John Ratcliffe [CIA Director-designate]. Remember, agency ops officers are trained to be all things to all people, to manipulate them, detect their vulnerabilities, and exploit them. Their game vis-a-vis Donald Trump? To kneecap his attempts to lower tensions world-wide, stop efforts to reduce and reform the intel and defense communities, push a generally Globalist policy agenda, keep the American ‘empire game’ running so they can cash out, and keep non-Beltway Americans from having any say in our foreign policy. “Hoffman is not a minor figure. He is heading up the cabal trying to co-opt Ratcliffe and Gabbard. Understand that [this group] essentially took over Agency operations during the so-called Global War on Terror [GWOT] after 9/11. Not only did these assholes lead America into the quicksand of the Middle East, they feathered their own nests and those of their buddies with hundreds of millions in ‘contracts’. . . they cooked up the Ukraine War . . . . Nobody associated with Cipher Brief should be anywhere near Ratcliffe or Gabbard, period. They should be blacklisted. They are the people who worked to take down Trump, and now they are trying to cover their tracks and sneak into the new administration.” Dan Hoffman, remember the name. And thus, the chatter this week about former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Mike Rogers (a.k.a. Admiral Michael S. Rogers) floated as the next Director of the FBI. Oh, really? Not a joke (har har)? Mike Rogers was DNI throughout the first years (2016-17) of the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” op to take down the then-new president Donald Trump using Hillary Clinton’s concocted “Steele Dossier,” known to be utter bullshit by all involved at the highest levels, but used anyway. Mike Rogers was in office when the FBI took down new National Security Advisor Mike Flynn in February, 2017, for talking to the Russian ambassador. (Since when are high US officials not allowed to speak with foreign diplomats?) By the way, Mike Rogers was endorsed for the FBI job this week by former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, one of the chief managers of the RussiaGate op, which included “Crossfire Hurricane,” and the FBI’s programmatic lying to the FISA court. RussiaGate is starting to look like ancient history to many, but it is a giant slime trail of sedition and treason involving many people who are still very much alive, and some who are still in positions of power (Christopher Wray). It is going to be re-litigated in the new administration, but many other crimes just as sinister, carried out under color-of-law by the FBI and its parent, the Department of Justice (DOJ), have followed since then. For instance: the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol instigated by “confidential human resources” (FBI plants) and actual FBI agents — labeled “the insurrection” by blob publicists. It was engineered by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, General Mark Milley, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, and others to prevent a public review of election irregularities in the joint session of Congress convened to certify the electoral vote. It succeeded splendidly, and was promptly converted into one of the worst national mind-fucks in US history. Debate over dubious vote-counts was squelched and objections were never allowed to be heard. From that sprung the “Big Lie” that anyone voicing skepticism over the 2020 election is a criminal — and thus, the two preposterous federal cases (plus the Fulton County, GA, case) cooked up against Mr. Trump three years later. There is also the matter of the pipe bomb op at the DNC and RNC headquarters blocks away from the US Capitol the same hour of the same day, 1/6/21, when, for no good reason, Vice-president-elect Kamala Harris hid-out in the DNC building. (Why would she not have been attending the joint session of Congress in the Capitol at that hour when the signal achievement of her life to-date was to be grandly announced in front of all her colleagues?) I will tell you why: because the pipe bomb was supposed to be Plan-A for disrupting the electoral vote certification — to set off wild alarms about “terrorism” and scatter the lawmakers. It just happened that the riot at the Capitol (Plan-B) successfully stole the show and Nancy Pelosi got what she said she was “waiting for” — the means to permanently knock Donald Trump off the game-board. After that, the FBI did everything possible to botch and bury the pipe bomb investigation, including failure to identify the culprit despite plenty of cell phone tracking info and other evidence. As late as last week, the FBI claimed that the phone data provided by telecom companies, which could potentially help identify the suspect who planted the pipe bombs, was corrupted or incomplete. But major cell carriers told Congress that they had provided the FBI with intact, uncorrupted phone usage data from the areas where the bombs were placed. There are also reasons to believe that the character who planted the crude, probably fake, bombs was an FBI contractor. These are the kinds of things that a new FBI Director needs to open up to good faith scrutiny. Every foul deed stuffed down the national memory hole will just further pervert and derange the nation’s tattered ethos. It must be obvious that a Mike Rogers would never allow sunlight to illuminate these matters. And now Matt Gaetz has been shoved out of the AG spot on account of a cooked-up sex scandal that the FBI investigated and tossed with no charges brought. But the RINO squad in the Senate did their assigned job blocking his path to office by sheer numbers, and that was that. No clever recess appointment moves. Despite “resigning” from his House seat, Gaetz could conceivably turn up on Jan 3 and ask to be sworn in — after all, he was reelected a few weeks ago. Or Ron DeSantis could appoint him to the Senate seat to be vacated by Marco Rubio. Meanwhile, he is replaced in the AG slot by Pam Bondi, experienced as anybody for that role, but dragging some baggage from the grotesque Trayvon Martin case in Florida when she was Attorney General there. She did happen to ably defend Mr. Trump in Impeachment No.1 among a team of other lawyers, and Mr. Trump, renowned for his loyalty, considers her “a friend.” She’ll surely pass through the gauntlet of Senate confirmation and then we’ll see if she has the fortitude to drain that precinct of the DC swamp. A lot depends on it. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 16:20

— McDonald's Revamps Meal Deal As QSRs Fight Over Cash-Strapped Consumers

 

at 11/22/24 1:40pm

McDonald's Revamps Meal Deal As QSRs Fight Over Cash-Strapped Consumers About six months ago, McDonald's launched a meal deal targeting working-class and middle-class customers who could no longer afford soaring Big Mac prices due to the inflation storm sparked by failed 'Bidenomics.' The meal deal ignited a value menu war with other major quick-service restaurants. Now, the burger chain is planning a complete overhaul of its value menu in early 2025. A press release from MCD on Friday morning stated the new McValue menu, consisting of $5 meal deals, will launch on January 7. The "highly anticipated new value platform" will unlock value for working poor customers nationwide by offering "current fan-favorites like the $5 Meal Deal, exclusive in-app offers, and local food and drink deals – plus, a brand new Buy One, Add One for $1 offer on popular items for breakfast, lunch and dinner," MCD explained.  Joe Erlinger, President of MCD USA, wrote in a statement, "When it comes to value, we know there's no one-size-fits-all. We've worked closely with our franchisees to create a new platform that will let our customers define value on their own terms," adding, "From deals on their personal go-to order to universal favorites like the $5 Meal Deal, we're excited to give fans more ways to save every time they visit one of our restaurants." Bloomberg noted, "McDonald's new value format will replace another platform with items sold for $1 to $3 that launched in 2018. These days, items on the lower end of the range are hard to come by, following inflation-fueled price increases."  In October, MCD Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski told the audience at the Boston College Chief Executives Club that challenging macroeconomic headwinds will persist for low-income customers.  "We're starting to talk about 2025, and my message to our teams has been: 'We need to be preparing for another challenging year,'" Kempczinski told the audience, adding, "We need to be making sure that we've got a really strong value proposition in all of our markets." In markets, MCD shares have failed three times to break above $300 handle...  MCD's reintroduction of the value menu earlier this year directly responded to sluggish US sales as cash-strapped consumers dialed back on pricey Big Macs. Tyler Durden Fri, 11/22/2024 - 15:40

As of 11/22/24 11:28pm. Last new 11/22/24 10:52pm.