I’m categorically against self-checkout.

I mean I’m already doing all the work. But it’s even worse, the machines are so theft-avoidant that you’ve got to follow a specific routine, not only scanning the item, but placing it on a platform to register its weight, grocery shopping is frustrating enough already.

And every time I’m forced into using self-checkout there’s a snafu, and I have to wait for a clerk to come along to reset the machine and…

It’s my own personal protest. And as a matter of fact, many retail stores are eliminating self-checkout because of the shrinkage problem.

Which means I have to wait in line and…

I need to plan to go to Costco. It’s an adventure, not a ramble around the block. I’ve got to find a parking space, navigate the people and their carts and hope what I want is in stock and wait to check out, but…

I needed more Vitarain Zero. There’s nothing worse than running out of a staple. Like Chobani coffee yogurt.

I’ve got a formula, encompassing Chobani and a skyr not to be named, it’s hard enough to find as it is. As a matter of fact, I bought in excess of twenty when I went to Gelson’s last Saturday. But they had no Chobani, never mind blueberries. Is there another blueberry shortage? There was one a couple of years back.

So instead of driving home I went to Ralphs.

But I’ve got to ask you, how long can refrigerated items sit in your car, especially during the summer? I was contemplating this, but then I remembered Ralphs’s parking is in a covered garage, so I drove further away from home and they were overloaded with Chobani coffee, I ended up buying sixteen. And they had blueberries too!

But I won’t buy VitaminWater Zero there, it’s too much of a rip-off. Funny how I’ll spend so much money on a restaurant meal and then haggle over a few dollars, but I hate being ripped-off, it’s an insult. I’ll pay full price for what I want, but don’t f*ck me in the ass.

So I calculated my Vitarain Zero stock and my coming obligations and realized today was the day, I had to go to Costco.

Now I thought of getting gas there. Aren’t the prices dropping? But the cars were stacked six or seven deep, it wasn’t worth the wait.

But I went into the store and…

I told myself only to buy that which I needed, to not dilly-dally, but I had to look at the TVs.

They’re selling an 83″ Samsung OLED for $3999. EIGHTY THREE INCHES! And you wonder why people don’t want to go to the movie theatre.

And I found my Vitarain Zero and couldn’t resist the chopped fruit, it’s summer after all, and then, lo and behold, they had Grillo’s pickles! So I bought a bucket of them.

And then it was off to the poke. They make this sriracha ahi… And it’s very hot. In reality, I should not be eating it, I pay the price afterward, but it’s so damn good! It’s rare that you can find store bought stuff with enough heat.

And they had a salmon mango ceviche too…

And a spicy tuna ahi salad…

But how much fresh fish could I buy?

I contemplated this question and then decided on just the sriracha ahi and the salmon mango ceviche and then…

After sampling a few things that did not float my boat, I had to strategize my exit.

Like I said, I refuse to use self-checkout. If for no other reason than the other people tend to get flummoxed and not be so fast.

So…

I’ve analyzed the checkout at this store. And my plan is to go to the lane closest to the entrance. You see most people tour the store in a U, and end up on the opposite side. But I’ve had good luck going back crosstown in the store and using the far left lane.

And I’m racing a guy with liquor. Did you know you don’t need to be a member to buy liquor in a California Costco?

And when I get to the registers, each one has four people ahead of me.

Oh well…

I decide I’m going to time my exit. It’s 12:27. How long is it going to take me?

Turns out Costco has in-store wifi, so I fire that up and am just starting to peruse Instagram Reels when a woman comes up to me with a handheld scanner. What’s up? I’m way back in line.

She asks me for my membership card.

I guess they’re rooting out fraud.

But then she starts scanning all the items in my cart. What exactly is going on? Why is she doing this?

And then she walks away, to do the same in the next line over.

So I leave my basket and go over to her and ask what is going on.

She said just to show my Costco card at checkout.

Huh?

Yup, she already scanned all my items, they were in the system, and when the clerk scanned my membership card the bill would come right up and I could pay, no extra scanning necessary.

Now I was confused when the clerk scanned my card and then started checking out the items in my cart. So I asked him why he was doing this. He was counting the merchandise, to make sure there was no stealing involved.

And then I scanned my ATM card, got ahold of my cart and checked my phone.

It was 12:29!!!! I’d been checked out in two minutes!

And now I’m starting to smile, feeling so good. Like I’ll come back more often on smaller runs.

But what I really felt good about was Costco. They were doing every little thing to enhance the consumer experience.

At Ralphs, it was like the clerk was stoned. Going through the motions, seemingly wanting to be anywhere but there.

It was like she was encased in molasses while she was bagging my stuff. There was no separate bagger, that would cost too much!

But at Costco? They know me and want to keep me as a customer. They just don’t see it as a store, but a religion. I believe in Costco like I used to believe in bands, because they’re not doing it the same way as everybody else, they’re not resting on their laurels, they’re constantly innovating.

And when I get to my car…

Those flats of Vitarain Zero are heavy, so I want to get as close to my machine as possible.

However, not too close. I remember my 2002 getting a scratch in the door from an errant grocery cart, it always bugged me.

And the cart looked steady, but just when I was done loading my car, I saw it resting against the rear bumper.

Oh no… The bumper is plastic, but still…

So I leaned in close to investigate.

Turns out the Costco carts have rubber bumpers, for this express reason, so they don’t damage your automobile!

Now maybe they have these bumpers at other grocery stores, but I’ve never encountered them.

So this is where we are today. We’re enamored of brands more than people. Because they understand the relationship is everything.

Apple… You pay a fortune, but it looks good and it just works. And you have recourse if it doesn’t, you can call or go to an Apple store.

Of course there are Android fanatics, but I read in today’s “Wall Street Journal” that the iPhone has more than 60% market share in the U.S., and it’s the most expensive handset, except for a few rivals. And Apple has four of the five best selling smartphones worldwide, and over sixty percent of the profits.

We’ve got a relationship with Apple. You may not, but many do. And when we see that dreaded green bubble, we wonder why that user didn’t get the memo.

Costco doesn’t complain.

That’s what today’s entertainers are doing constantly, complaining. About not making enough money, getting ripped-off, getting dissed. But Costco is above it all, just preaching to the choir, its choir, which is not everybody, but a hell of a lot of people.

Costco is thinking about ME!

As for Apple and its prices… No one is forcing you to buy an iPhone, and none of them are cheap. Where else do we see this? With concert tickets! But in that sphere the acts won’t own the value of a ticket to their show, there’s endless finger-pointing, someone is at fault. But the bottom line is people are lining up to pay, they’re dying to go to the show and they’re willing to pay for it!

But all we’ve got is ill will.

Ain’t that America, someone is at fault, someone is holding you back, ripping you off.

But not at Costco.

~~~

Visit the archive:   http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/

@Lefsetz  http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
–
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter

~~~

Originally published by Bob Lefsetz at the Leftsetz Letter

The post Lefsetz on Costco appeared first on The Big Picture.

US State Department Issues Travel Advisory For Belgium

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

The U.S. Department of State has updated the travel advisory for Belgium, warning about risks to American travelers due to terrorism, crime, and unrest.

Police's forces blocked the area around the parliament at a protest gathering of teachers in front of the Federation Wallonia-Brussels parliament in Brussels, on June 4, 2026. Emile Windal/Belga Mag/Belga/AFP via Getty Images

Outfits inspired by terrorist organizations "are intent on attacking U.S. citizens abroad," including in Europe, the department said in a July 23 update. Belgium had been designated with the "Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution" classification earlier, with the latest update retaining the classification, while adding in risks of crime and unrest.

Terror operatives can use knives, vehicles, and firearms to target crowds. They typically aim their attacks at vulnerable and unprotected targets, such as places of worship, schools, shopping malls, public transportation systems, hotels and restaurants frequented by tourists, and high-profile public events, according to the advisory.

Low-level street crime, such as purse snatchings, robberies, and pickpocketing, is common, especially in major cities, trams, train stations, at the Brussels metro at night time, and in public areas such as restaurants, the department said. Criminals may operate as teams, targeting people by bumping or shoving into them, especially in crowds, the advisory said, while warning Americans to remain alert to distractions.

Theft from vehicles is also common, while theft of bags from trains has increased, especially along the Brussels-Amsterdam route, according to the advisory. The department asked Americans visiting Belgium to avoid wearing expensive jewelry and watches, and to carry only a minimal amount of cash and credit cards.

As for unrest-related risks, the department warned that demonstrations occur frequently in Belgium. It advised U.S. citizens to avoid areas around demonstrations and protests. Such activities can end up disrupting transportation and other essential services.

For instance, a demonstration in June against Belgium's education reforms turned violent, with clashes breaking out between protestors and police in the capital city of Brussels.

Another protest back in December, headed by farmers against an EU trade agreement, also turned violent, with Belgian police firing tear gas against the protestors.

Other European countries for which the State Department issued travel advisories include France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. All four have been given a "Level 2-Exercise increased caution" designation since May 2025, warning about various risks including terrorism and unrest.

In May 2025, the United Kingdom's travel advisory was updated, citing the risk of terrorist violence.

Meanwhile, the State Department issued a "Worldwide Caution" security alert on July 22 for U.S. citizens due to heightened tensions in the Middle East. The security environment remains complicated, with a potential for "unforeseen escalation."

America's diplomatic facilities, both within and outside the Middle East, have been targeted by rivals. Iran and groups supportive of the Iranian regime may target other U.S. interests overseas. Targets can also include locations linked to the United States and Americans anywhere in the world, including U.S. businesses and institutions, the department said.

"Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions," the alert said.

"Some airlines in the region have postponed resumption of earlier flight schedules; others have cancelled some routes," the alert said. U.S. citizens outside the Middle East were asked to reconsider travel through and to the region.

The alert advised Americans planning to travel in or through the Middle East to check with their air carriers and ensure that flights are still scheduled. It advised people to monitor for consular and embassy security alerts.

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/26/2026 - 11:40

France Recorded 5,000 Excess Deaths During Heat Wave: Officials

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,

France recorded more than 5,000 more deaths than normal during a heat wave that started on June 17, the country's public health agency said on July 22.

Children cool off under a misting system on the Champs Elysees during a severe heat wave in Paris, France, on July 14, 2026.Djoudi Hamani / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images

Public Health France estimated that 5,764 excess deaths from all causes occurred from June 17 to July 2. More than half took place between June 25 and June 27, and people aged 75 and older accounted for two-thirds of the estimated death toll.

Temperatures broke records on multiple days, including reaching nearly 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.8 degrees Celsius) in Saintes and 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40.1 degrees Celsius) in Paris, during the heat wave.

The excess mortality was higher in regions with higher temperatures, according to Public Health France. Nearly 2,000 were recorded in Île-de-France, which includes Paris.

The estimate was drawn from administrative data and did not include information on the cause of death.

"This excess mortality from all causes underscores the health impact linked to the remarkable intensity and duration of the population's exposure to heat across mainland France, although it did not reach the levels of 2003," Public Health France stated, referring to a heat wave that killed an estimated 14,802 people.

"These data constitute an initial estimate of the heat wave's impact on all-cause mortality, compiled and published three weeks after the end of the heat wave, and are therefore preliminary. They will need to be confirmed by more detailed analyses of the end-of-summer monitoring period report in the autumn."

EuroMOMO, a network that monitors mortality across participating European countries, recently reported that more than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during the heat wave. Some 90 percent of the deceased were 65 years of age or older.

The organization, which is supported by the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said that no other factors appeared present besides the extreme heat that would account for the spike in deaths.

During the last week of June, France and Belgium logged very high excess mortality, the organization said, while Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands noted moderate excess mortality and England, Wales, Italy, and Germany reported low excess mortality.

Sciensano, Belgium's public health institute, said recently that 1,747 more people died than expected during the heat wave, including some younger adults.

Alpinists train in the shade on the side of an exposed portion of the Mer de Glace glacier during a Europe-wide summer heat wave near Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France, on June 27, 2026. Sean Gallup/Getty Images Tyler Durden Sun, 07/26/2026 - 10:30

Meet Britain's New Cabinet Of Fakers, Fraudsters And Hangers-On

Authored by Bruce Newsome The New Nuisance,

Britons are struggling to characterize their new Cabinet, following the arrival of a new prime minister on Monday. The Cabinet is not as northern or female as Andy Burnham signaled. Most members have certainly changed. Most are not loyalists to Keir Starmer, even less so to Tony Blair. Like Burnham, many hark back to a mythical golden age of socialism in the 1970s. Like him, most are alarmingly deficient in popular mandate, external qualifications, and even political trust for their new responsibilities.

Let's start with Burnham himself, a man born in Liverpool who pretended to be Mancunian to win the mayoralty of Manchester. He claims to represent the north but has not lived north or east of Manchester. At best, he represents a narrow part of west-central England, just north of the Midlands.

Burnham has always looked south while talking up the north. Burnham was most newsworthy for agitating for changes in national government, despite sharing a party with Starmer.

As Starmer continued to trip himself up with both feet, Burnham was one of the Labourites who prevailed on ministers to brief against their PM. After Starmer blocked Burnham's candidacy for an accidental by-election in February, Burnham prevailed on a local MP to resign from Makerfield to force a by-election in June, which Burnham won easily, to return to Parliament, which would allow him to challenge Starmer for the leadership (less than two years into Starmer's five-year term). Starmer initially vowed to fight on but announced his intent to quit this month. No MP stepped up to challenge Burnham's presumptive run.

Thus, Burnham has no popular mandate to be PM, even within the party, except in the form of pledges by more Parliamentary partisans in support than against. Opposition parties rightly called for a general election to confirm his premiership, but the constitution does not oblige him.

Burnham's supporters pretend that his easy rise proves the strength of his candidacy. In reality, it proves the weakness of his party. It could not find a new leader within its own MPs, despite a whopping majority. It triggered an expensive by-election and a more expensive mayoral election to reach outside of Parliament. Meanwhile, Burnham unwittingly poured scorn on that same Parliamentary party by criticizing normal politics and the London elite. (Since then, he has aired the idea of moving the Cabinet from London to Manchester. His current plan is to spend at least one day per work week there. That's neither efficient nor effective.)

In the many weeks that Burnham enjoyed as rising PM, he remained vague about his Cabinet and his policies.

On Monday, he spent hours appointing just the highest roles in the Cabinet. The other appointments look set to continue for days.

Of the first day's picks, I must start with the only selectee who can be coded as qualified and mandated (although not loyal).

John Healey becomes Chancellor of the Exchequer, the second most powerful position in government. He had quit as defense secretary six weeks ago, over Starmer's procrastination on filling a hole in defense spending. Healey said that Britain should spend 3 percent of GDP on defense by 2030, which means he will need to find a couple dozen billion pounds per year. Previously, he advocated issuing "war bonds," but who would buy them when the government is running record debt? He will need to cut other departments or raise taxes (probably both). On Monday, Healey said "fiscal control" would be his "first duty." You could see the markets' confidence decline immediately.

Healey's resignation suggests a certain loyalty to Burnham, but otherwise they barely know each other. More usefully, he was a minister in the Treasury under Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Yes, Healey is actually qualified by experience! This is remarkable given that his predecessor, Rachel Reeves, falsified her CV, couldn't add, and quickly became the most U-turn-prone and hated chancellor ever, as well as the most tearful.

Healey remains constrained by record government debt and his party's suicidal unwillingness to cut spending. Remember that Starmer increased spending on welfare and benefits, after backbenchers rejected his proposal to cut them. (That was within Starmer's first year of premiership.)

Burnham is an out-and-proud socialist who had already signaled that his government would spend and tax more. By Tuesday, his administration revealed plans to cut VAT (a sales tax) on electricity, to be funded by cutting the Starmer administration's planned digital ID. But the minister responsible for that plan, Darren Jones, revealed, after being fired by Burnham, that digital ID was never funded. So Burnham is either ignorant or dishonest. This . . . doesn't . . . bode . . . well.

In any case, scrapping VAT on electricity doesn't make much difference to a household electricity bill in which most of the pricing goes to fund green initiatives, debt, stealth taxes, and administration.

Burnham already looks unprepared and unreliable.

Confirmation comes in the form of his deviation from his team's prior briefings that he would appoint either Ed Miliband or Shabana Mahmood to the Treasury.

Red Ed goes to the Foreign Office, for which he is woefully unqualified and an undoubted liability. He infuriated the U.S. (and most Britons) as energy secretary, with his absolutism about reaching net-zero carbon by 2030, at whatever cost to the consumer. Ed also, by the way, reminds everybody of the weakness of the party's leadership selection. He was leader from 2010 to 2015, when he literally and metaphorically stumbled at every election husting. Yet Burnham thinks Miliband is the best person to articulate British interests abroad? This won't last long.

Miliband is already hurt. He has been denied the job he wanted, even though he was the first senior minister to call for Starmer to go, and he helped Burnham with an economic plan. (Some plan: it remains as vague as ever, except for the Soviet-style time horizon of 10 years.)

Meanwhile, Mahmood stays at the Home Office. Under-informed (or biased) souls read this as confirmation of her competence in pushing through controls on illegal immigration in the face of majority opposition from civil servants and backbenchers. In fact, she is hurdling a low bar after decades of government failures to control immigration, despite popular demands and almost every party's commitments to lower net immigration.

Worse, Mahmood is duplicitous. She tells the right wing that her tweaks to the benefits and the timeline of asylum applications will dramatically control immigration. She tells the left wing that she will make the refugee route easier (which is the route by which almost all illegal immigrants get residency, with more privileges than citizens). Also concerning is Mahmood's long history of Islamocentrism, which is bizarrely ignored by mainstream media. She tars normative Britons as racists (whites and Jews in particular: isn't that racist?), campaigned against Israel, played up her status as the first Muslim home secretary, promised that her promotion would serve "her" community, and railed against supposedly routine experiences of racism in her hometown of Birmingham, where her demographic is the largest.

I doubt Mahmood will last much longer than Miliband within Team Burnham. He favors the left of the party, which has characterized her (ridiculously) as a Nigel Farage in Labour colors. For now, Burnham needs to be seen to reward her, if only because one of her allies in Parliament, Josh Simons, was the MP who resigned from Makerfield to make way for Burnham.

So the highest three officers in the land will not last as long as normal, in my estimation. Burnham's administration will not bring the stability that Britons crave, let alone the competencies that the markets and foreign governments crave.

Talking of high ministers who won't last long, we must go next to Wes Streeting, who had resigned as health secretary (the poisoned chalice of all ministerial appointments anyway), to build support for a challenge against Starmer. Yet after the by-election, Streeting said he wouldn't run against Burnham, who now must reward him. Streeting becomes defense secretary. During the weekend's rumor mill, the former chief of the British Army, Lord Dannatt, said that Streeting "knows the square root of nothing about defence." Indeed. He's one acquisition scandal away from a sacking. And that sort of scandal leaks every few months from Britain's MOD.

From a turncoat Starmerite, we now turn to the loyal Starmerites who remain in government on borrowed time.

The highest-profile survivor is Pat McFadden, who will remain as work and pensions secretary - which is strange given that the government has decreased neither worklessness nor liabilities. Excuses abound for his early dismissal. And since Burnham is committed to the so-called triple lock on pensions and to increasing welfare (he talks about social care as the neglected component, but he's not talking about cutting anything), McFadden has no obvious options except to increase spending. That's the vicious cycle that these monkeys refuse to see, hear, or speak.

Jonathan Reynolds was Starmer's chief whip, a role that Burnham talks about deleting (he must think that everybody will love him forever without whipping). Reynolds will take over the merged departments for Science and Technology, and Business and Trade. Burnham has a short-term interest in Reynolds. Reynolds was an ineffective whip, but in his previous role, as business secretary, he temporarily solved the collapse of British Steel by forbidding more foreign ownership and investing in government ownership. Burnham has always liked public ownership of heavy industry and transportation and has already confirmed a policy to fully nationalize British Steel. But once that process is complete, Reynolds-the-Starmerite won't be needed. The backbenches are full of untested socialists who think closer to Burnham on public ownership.

For similar short-term reasons, Burnham kept Heidi Alexander as transport secretary and kept Lisa Nandy as secretary of state for digital, culture, media, and sport. The latter is one of the departments with its own unit for countering "disinformation" (i.e., criticism of government) by spreading disinformation. It's also led the lawfare to punish social media companies for "harmful" content, to restrict children under 18 years of age from accessing social media (an age that makes a mockery of the same government's plans to lower the voting age to 16), to restrict everybody's access to VPNs, and to censor information during election season. Burnham supports such authoritarianism. His hopes for the general election in 2029 depend on it.

Yvette Cooper has been demoted from foreign secretary to health secretary, which seems designed to set her up for further failure. Ironically, she is the most qualified minister by experience, having served through the Blair and Brown administrations, but that experience is to the right of Burnham's ideological bent. (Always strange to describe a Labourite as to the right of anything.) She already has a reputation for indecisiveness, invisibility, and foot-in-mouth disease. She must immediately deal with yet more strikes by medical unions unless exorbitant demands for pay raises are met. These have been going on for years. She won't last years.

Another poisoned chalice is the Ministry of Justice, given mainstream recognition of two-tier justice, increasing political violence, and overcrowded prisons (to be relieved in September by, er, releasing prisoners early, including murderers and rapists). The new justice secretary is Alex Norris, who spent a year as minister for border security. And look how border security improved.

Bridget Phillipson has been sacked as education secretary, having decimated private schools by abolishing their charitable status (one liability is VAT, at 20 percent). She keeps her job as minister for women and equalities, but I don't expect that to last long. At some point she must be sacrificed to protect the administrative state from its foot-dragging over decades of rapes of mostly white children by gangs of mostly Muslim immigrants and second-generation immigrants (with the awareness and sometimes participation of local police, social workers, and politicians, mostly from the Labour Party).

So let's get to high offices that will last, despite lack of qualifications. Get this one. The effective deputy PM goes by the titles of first secretary of state and chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Burnham gave the titles to Louise Haigh. She is a strong Burnham ally, which isn't a compliment in my book, although it is some justification for deputizing. Her penchant for dyeing her hair blood-red perhaps helps. Otherwise, she isn't qualified. Her highest prior role was transport secretary, which Burnham loves (he's always banging on about subsidizing public transport and has already announced a cap on bus fares). But she held that role for just a few months in 2024, before resigning after revelations that she was convicted of fraud in 2014. Funny she hid that history on the campaign. (The irony.) So the effective deputy PM is a convicted fraudster. She's also privately educated but opposed to private education. Only in Britain … and other tinpot democracies.

We're not done with (alleged) fraudsters in government. Angela Rayner is back as housing, communities, and local government secretary, having resigned from the same role when she failed to pay a tax ("stamp duty") on her third house. It was an oversight, she said . . . even though she was the minister administering the tax.

Another promotion is Lucy Powell, the new education secretary. Does she claim any expertise in education? No. Except that she is female, which is qualification enough for most progressives of our time, and she is a close ally of Burnham, and she is from "the north" (self-declared). See the pattern?

Alas for her, the Titanic education secretaryship is heading for an iceberg that few in government are willing to admit: blowback for the government's manipulation of safeguarding doctrine to hide information (such as transgender dysphoria) from parents whom teachers think won't be supportive enough, and for a new policy of screening boys for the pre-crime of violence against women and girls, and for decades of politicized, racialized indoctrination of children, at the expense of real knowledge and skills. Is it any wonder that one in six Britons aged 16 to 24 years is not in employment, education, or training? Well, it's still a wonder to the government, conveniently.

A sort-of-incumbent is the new energy secretary. Miatta Fahnbulleh had served as Miliband's undersecretary before she quit in late 2024 when Starmer's administration cut payments to most pensioners for their winter fuel expenses. (Starmer U-turned but didn't recall her to government.) Don't expect her to permit drilling for North Sea oil and gas. Do expect her to stick slavishly to net-zero madness. The inflationary effects on the Consumer Price Index alone are enough to guarantee the defeat of this government in 2029.

In a related portfolio, Dame Angela Eagle is the new secretary of state for environment, food, and rural affairs, coming from the Home Office. Should you have heard of her? No. Her claim to fame is challenging Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership back in 2016, which gives her sort of centrist standing. Anyway, she failed. She withdrew to support Owen Smith - who also failed. It's an inspiring bench.

A surprisingly relevant portfolio to this government's failed economics is Wales. Let me explain. Burnham has asked Stephen Kinnock to replace Jo Stevens as Welsh secretary. Stephen's qualifications are: he is Welsh, and he is the son of Neil Kinnock, who led the Labour Party through general election defeats in 1987 and 1992 and yet is Burnham's ideal of the prime minister we should have had.

Stephen is the exemplar to end with - the exemplar of the terminal mess the Labour Party has got itself into:

• inherited glory within a party that rails against privilege;
• failed politicians lauded as greats;
• doubling down on an unadmitted socialism that has already been rejected by the public multiple times, across nearly half a century;
• the appointment of professional politicians to roles for which they have few non-political qualifications;
• the promotion of ministers based on political ideologies and loyalties rather than functional merits; and
• the retention of incumbents for short-term political purposes, to the neglect of long-term stability.

Strap in: the Burnham administration will be even more calamitous and self-defeating than the Starmer administration.

The silver lining is that it will be entertaining, so far as you can look on the funny side of outcomes that will be very bad for most Britons and catastrophic for some (such as the thousands being imprisoned for tweets, or raped or knifed to death by illegal immigrants).

Yes, Britons must suffer through three years of a premiership even worse than Starmer's before they get a chance to vote it down.

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/26/2026 - 09:30

Two Drones Shot Down Over NATO Airspace In Less Than 24 Hours

This week has witnessed more dangerous Ukraine war spillover aerial activity in Eastern Europe. In a fresh instance, Romania's defense ministry is reporting that two drones entered the country's airspace in less than 24 hours.

The military said that radar systems had earlier picked up a drone "operating in the vicinity of the Ukrainian border" Saturday morning - after which F-16 fighter jets were scrambled and successfully shot it down.

Source: Romanian Air Force

The NATO member state's defense ministry continued by describing that two of the F-16s "safely shot down in an unpopulated area near the border."

A very similar situation played out Friday over an unpopulated area near Padina, northeast of the capital, Bucharest. In that case a pari of Italian air force Eurofighter Typhoon jets were deployed and shot it down.

Authorities did not immediately identify the drone's origin but that are pointing to the Russian military. Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta was cited in national media as saying "the impact site and the drone wreckage are currently being analyzed" but that "the pattern is consistent with previous confirmed flights by Russian drones."

Early indicators say these were likely Shahed-type drones used by Russian forces; however, there have also been past instances of Ukrainian projectiles entering friendly neighboring countries' airspace.

These types of breaches have been happening with increasingly regularity over the past couple years. In prior incidents, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of deliberately orchestrating provocations against NATO countries.

He previously said on X during a past incident, for example, that "The Russian military knows exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air. Their routes are always calculated."

In prior recent instances of drones entering neighboring airspace, particularly in Baltic countries and also Poland, NATO jets were scrambled - and in some cases drones are safely brought down via electronic intercept means.

But each instance creates new tensions between Russia and NATO, and the typical accusations and threats then fly. The Kremlin has of late been especially alarmed at the Trump administration transferring 5,000 US troops from Germany to Poland, near Russia's doorstep.

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/26/2026 - 09:00

France Orders Largest Peacetime Evacuation Since WWII As Wildfires Rage

Thousands of firefighters are battling fast-moving wildfires spreading across Spain and France as extreme heat and strong winds forced more than 300,000 people to evacuate or shelter in place near Madrid, Valencia and Bordeaux.

Via @PCarterClimate

Socialist Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said fires burned about 20,000 hectares over the past 24 hours, with more than 105,000 people affected and two deaths reported so far. France evacuated more than 220,000 people in the Gironde region and mobilized 1,500 troops as roughly 30 fires spread near Bordeaux.

FRANCE: France has evacuated more than 220,000 people as the country’s largest wildfire continues to spread across the southwest, threatening Bordeaux. Officials said the blaze in Gironde has become so intense that it is generating its own winds. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez…

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) July 26, 2026

Europe is burning. France + Spain: 250,000+ people evacuated this weekend alone. France: 98,000 hectares destroyed, a new national record. Worst wildfire crisis in the country’s history.

Even the Tour de France had to cut its final stage. When wildfires cancel the Tour de… pic.twitter.com/DOXFbJj8bZ

— France Safety Travel (@francesafetytra) July 26, 2026

CNN reporter Max Saltman spoke with wine expert Nicolle Croft, who said the 2026 vintage across Bordeaux is safe for now, but there are mounting concerns.

Saltman continued:

As wildfires burn west of Bordeaux, one of France's most famous wine-producing regions, concerned oenophiles have called wine expert Nicolle Croft to voice concern over the fate of 2026 vintage.

"A lot of people are contacting me from around the world hearing all these terrible stories, but actually the vineyards are not impacted at the moment," Croft, a tour guide based in Bordeaux, told CNN. "But we're all very upset because there are people losing homes."

Croft said at this time of year, the grapes aren't yet large enough to absorb wildfire smoke – a phenomenon known in winemaking as "smoke taint."

"We won't be harvesting until the beginning of September," Croft said, "so there's still time."

Dr. Phil Crews, a winemaker and chemist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, explained that unripe grapes aren't as vulnerable to smoke taint. Young grapes lack sugars that would otherwise bind with bitter-tasting phenols in wildfire smoke.

Fire Map

 

CNN noted, "Forecasts also indicate no rain in fire-ravaged areas, as officials in France mount the largest peacetime evacuation since WWII."

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/26/2026 - 08:35

Russia Blasts Ukrainian Drone Mass Casualty Attack On Holiday Camp In Zaporizhzhia

Russia has blamed Ukraine for a mass casualty event at a 'holiday camp' in the partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region on Saturday.

Local Russian officials overseeing Zaporizhzhia have said twelve people were killed and at least 19 more wounded due to a major Ukrainian drone attack. Ukraine did not immediately issue any statements acknowledging the deadly strikes.

Via Sputnik 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that "Striking civilians is the method used by terrorists" in a press briefing.

ABC News later reported that "Four children were among 11 people killed in the attack on the resorts in Zaporizhzhia, Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-installed regional head, said, adding that 16 others were wounded." Russia's RT in an update stated the official number at 12 deceased.

Pro-Russian regional Governor Evgeny Balitsky was cited in Russian media as saying:

“The enemy knew exactly who they were targeting and deliberately struck civilians,” Balitsky said in a statement on Max. “This is a blatant crime and a hallmark of the Ukrainian regime. Unable to confront us on equal terms, they instead target civilians – women and children.”

He said that among the wounded being treated by emergency medical teams are five children.

Zaporozhye Region came under formal Russian control in September 2022, after a 'popular referendum' - following the Russian military ground onslaught across eastern and parts of southern Ukraine.

Overnight, Russian drones unleashed death in Ukrainian towns as well:

Sumy regional head Oleh Hryhorov said on Saturday three people were killed when a large fire broke out after a Russian drone struck a “civilian facility,” adding that the victims were drivers for private Ukrainian postal and courier service Nova Poshta.

Russia’s defense ministry said it attacked a “storage and launch site” for Ukrainian drones in the Sumy region.

Footage of the aftermath shows extensive damage and destruction at the camp:

❗️Consecuencias del ataque ucraniano a campamentos turísticos rusos

12 personas murieron y 19 resultaron heridas en un ataque de las Fuerzas Armadas ucranianas contra campamentos turísticos en la provincia rusa de Zaporozhie. pic.twitter.com/yJQVsaqBQY

— RT en Español (@ActualidadRT) July 25, 2026

Russian regions bordering Ukraine have also been coming under heavy attack from Ukraine, including Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk. These oblasts have frequently been targeted throughout the years-long war.

Currently, Ukraine has been especially targeting not only energy sites deep inside Russia, but logistics hubs and warehouses of the large company Wildberries, which is often called the 'Amazon of Russia'.

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/26/2026 - 07:35

UK Cities Roll Out More Diversity Barriers; Vehicle-Ramming Threat Now The Norm

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

A family summer beach event in the UK city of Nottingham now sits behind portable anti-ram steel barrier, the latest admission that open borders have turned public spaces into soft targets.

Local authorities across Britain are quietly installing more of what critics now call "diversity barriers" - heavy portable steel devices designed to stop vehicles being driven into crowds.

The annual artificial "Nottingham Beach" event opened this week behind a line of bright red Husson H-Stop units.

Meanwhile in the UK Local authorities are installing more and more 'Diversity Barriers'. Why? Because as regularly seen throughout Europe - Radical Islamist Terrorists like to murder innocent people by driving their vehicles into crowds of people. pic.twitter.com/hq7tRKYcbW

— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) July 22, 2026

About 15 of the barriers now block the four main entrances. They tip upward on impact, changing a vehicle's trajectory and generating enough friction to halt a three-and-a-half-tonne truck travelling at 30 mph.

Councillors and organisers insist the move is simply a precaution. The multi-agency safety group that approved them included counter-terrorism officers.

Councillor Neghat Khan, leader of Nottingham City Council, described them as an "additional safety measure" installed "following advice from the multi-agency events safety advisory group, which includes counter-terrorism colleagues."

Event organiser James Mellors was more blunt: "I don't think they look very pretty. But the Market Square is a very high footfall area. It's not always about how things look, it's about keeping people safe."

A regular visitor, Amanda Hose Hawley, said she was "not surprised" and called the barriers "a sign of the climate we live in."

The language is careful, the justification technical. Yet the reason these barriers exist is no mystery.

Before uncontrolled mass immigration we did not need diversity barriers.

— Edward Oakenfull (@EdwardOakenfull) July 22, 2026

Across Europe, radical Islamists have repeatedly turned vehicles into weapons against ordinary people gathered in public spaces. Britain is simply catching up with the physical reality already visible on the Continent.

Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a country where the problem got resolved rather than putting in precautions for the problem!

— Kate leigh 86 (@KateLee86) July 22, 2026

Last winter German towns were forced into even more extreme measures. In the small Bavarian community of Külsheim, officials resorted to recycled anti-tank barriers pulled from old military barracks.

Four massive concrete blocks, each 1.4 metres wide and weighing several tonnes, were painted red and white and placed around the Christmas market.

The town's mayor, Simone Hickl-Seitz, explained the grim arithmetic: "They know exactly that all cities need this. But the coffers are empty."

Bollards that once cost €800 had risen tenfold in price because demand had exploded. The anti-tank relics saved the town €30,000.

That was not an isolated improvisation. Security spending on German Christmas markets rose 44 percent in three years, according to the Federal Association of City and Town Marketing.

Some towns simply cancelled their markets rather than meet the new requirements. The pressure intensified after the December 2024 Magdeburg attack, in which a Saudi national living in Germany for nearly two decades drove a vehicle through a Christmas market, killing six and injuring hundreds.

AfD politician Ulrich Siegmund cut through the official euphemisms: "Why do we need to protect Christmas markets? Go to Czech Republic, Poland - they haven't opened borders... We are losing our freedom bit by bit."

The same pattern has been documented in footage that circulated widely at the time. One widely viewed report showed Berlin's markets ringed by the same style of heavy concrete barriers once intended to stop invading armies, not shoppers buying Glühwein.

Britain's new portable barriers are lighter and more mobile, but they serve the identical purpose. Hostile vehicle mitigation has become standard guidance from the National Protective Security Authority.

Official documents now list crash-rated bollards, vehicle barriers and stand-off distances as core measures against "vehicle as a weapon" attacks.

Maybe enforcing the barriers called BORDERS and keeping the terrorists out of the country would be the more intelligent effort.

— Renomanz (@Renomanz) July 22, 2026

The threat is no longer theoretical. In October 2025 a man who pledged allegiance to Islamic State used a vehicle and a bladed weapon outside a Manchester synagogue, killing three. Other plots and attacks across Europe have followed the same method: low-skill, high-impact, directed at soft civilian targets.

The Nottingham installation is being described as a trial. Organisers say there was no specific intelligence of an imminent attack. That claim misses the larger point.

Permanent or semi-permanent barriers are appearing at markets, festivals, high streets and public squares precisely because the background risk has become chronic.

Before the era of mass, uncontrolled immigration from regions where Islamist ideology remains mainstream, British towns did not need steel ramps that can stop a truck.

Children played in squares without negotiating "filter" gaps between anti-ram devices. Christmas markets did not require military surplus concrete painted in festive colours.

Now the physical landscape of everyday life is being redesigned around the assumption that someone may try to drive a vehicle into a crowd of shoppers, holidaymakers or beachgoers. The barriers are painted bright red and labelled H-STOP so no one can claim they are invisible. Their very visibility is the admission.

The cost is not only financial. Every barrier is a quiet confession that the post-1990s experiment in open borders has produced a security environment European cities once associated with conflict zones.

Politicians continue to speak of "community cohesion" and "diversity as strength" while the practical response is to harden every public gathering against the most predictable form of attack.

Nottingham's beach will close at the end of the summer and the portable barriers will be stored away. The underlying problem will not. The same devices, or heavier permanent versions, will reappear at the next festival, the next market, the next Christmas period.

Local authorities are not inventing a threat; they are reacting to one that has already left bodies in European streets and forced democratic societies to turn festive spaces into fortified zones.

The choice facing Britain and the rest of the West remains the same one German politicians have already faced: continue importing the conditions that make these barriers necessary, or finally reverse the policies that created the danger in the first place. Concrete and steel can stop a truck. They cannot restore a country that no longer feels safe enough to gather without them.

Tyler Durden Sun, 07/26/2026 - 07:00

Avert your eyes! My Sunday morning look at incompetency, corruption and policy failures:

• Trump and prediction markets are building a society of suckers: The gamification of everything — politics, policy, sports — is producing a population that confuses betting with understanding. Prediction markets aren’t wisdom; they’re spectacle with a price tag.  The convicted felon in the White House loves shadowy financial schemes that benefit insiders (Stop The Presses)

• For Taylor Swift, Madison Square Garden’s Controversial Cameras Briefly Went Dark: MSG’s facial recognition system was quietly turned off for Swift’s concerts. The question of who gets surveillance and who gets privacy is now a celebrity perk. (Wired) see also Madison Square Garden Kept a List of Gay Celebrities: Wired’s investigation into MSG’s surveillance archives — including a list categorizing celebrities by sexual orientation. (Wired) see also The Shocking Secrets of Madison Square Garden’s Surveillance Machine: The full investigation — Jim Dolan built one of the most sophisticated private surveillance systems in the country. (Wired)

• A Brief History of the Internet’s Favorite Scam: MIT Press traces the evolution of the Nigerian prince email through three decades of internet fraud — from crude spam to AI-powered social engineering. The scam evolved; the psychology it exploits didn’t. Fraudsters have long told stories of imprisoned nobles and hidden fortunes, with desperate pleas for help. Email simply gave their messages a perfect medium. (The MIT Press Reader)

• What just happened to TheNumbers.com should worry us all: A major film industry data site was quietly acquired and gutted. What happens when public knowledge infrastructure gets bought and switched off.  The inside story of how one of film data’s most trusted sites vanished overnight, and why every website you rely on is more fragile than you think. (Stephen Follows)

• The false claims, chaos and coverups behind the Trump administration’s killing of two American citizens: “Someone’s going to get killed.” The warning, from an agent of the federal Homeland Security Investigations division, sent a chill through the other officials in the room. It was early January 2026.  The HSI agent explained how the team was afraid about what was coming, about what seemed preordained as the Trump administration sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Customs and Border Protection officers, Border Patrol agents and controversial Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino into Minneapolis for what the administration called Operation Metro Surge. (CNN) see also ICE is lying about body cams. These documents prove it. “As soon as they had funding they bought them” (Popular Information)

• U.S. measles cases hit 35-year record with months left in 2026: Data from Johns Hopkins University’s U.S. measles tracker shows the nation reported 2,295 cases as of Tuesday. That count surpasses last year’s total of 2,289. (Washington Post) see also Hospitals See Diseases Resurge as Vaccinations Decline: Measles, whooping cough, and other diseases we’d essentially conquered are coming back because vaccination rates have cratered. This is what happens when you let misinformation win. (NYT)

• At the Tour de France, One Family Wins Every Year: The Amaurys of Paris own the race, but won’t share any of the $170 million in media revenue. Sponsors and riders say their resistance is dooming the sport. (New York Times)

• Senior Living Facility in Distress as Immigrant Caregivers Are Forced Out: Retirement communities already grappling with labor shortages are being forced to terminate caregivers at a time when more Americans are living longer.  Senior Living Facility in Distress as Immigrant Caregivers Are Forced Out Retirement communities already grappling with labor shortages are being forced to terminate caregivers at a time when more Americans are living longer.. ](New York Times)

• Mary L Trump: The Trump Family War Grift: They are not even hiding it anymore. (Mary L Trump)

• Suspicion and Doubt at the National Civics Contest: America’s finest young scholars competed tomark their country’s birthday. It led to a disputed finish in the age of mistrust.  (Notus)

Video of the day: David Dunning Presentation and Conversation – 2025 Induction Weekend American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Be sure to check out our latest Masters in Business interview with Lori Heinel, Global Chief Investment Officer of State Street Investment Management, the money management arm of investing giant State Street. She oversees over $5.7 trillion in assets (as of year-end 2025), which includes everything from index funds and ETFs to active strategies, multi-asset solutions, and alternatives. She was named to Forbes’ 2025 “50 Over 50” list.

 

How much of Reddit is AI-written? 20,000 long-form posts scored with an AI detector

Source: Reddit

 

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The post 10 Sunday Reads appeared first on The Big Picture.

The United Nations Has Run Out Of Alibis

Authored by Pierre Rehov via The Epoch Times,

Institutions built to prevent atrocities eventually face the question of what they actually protect. For the United Nations, voting patterns, internal investigations and its own decisions this year no longer support the fiction of neutrality. An UNRWA school in Gaza sat above a Hamas tunnel shaft and three anti-tank positions, and its own principal was on the payroll of both institutions at once - a fact that American investigators, not the UN, brought to light.

Israeli soldiers inspect the entrance to a Hamas terror tunnel directly outside an UNRWA compound in Gaza City on Feb. 8, 2024. Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

The pattern is old: during the oil-for-food scandal, a mid-level program director faced US prosecution while the officials who managed the program from above kept their positions. When UN failures surface, line staff absorb the exposure. The people who set the policy rarely do.

The arithmetic alone dismantles the pretense of balance. In 2025 the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted 15 resolutions targeting Israel, and only 11 addressing the rest of the planet combined - a tally covering North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, Russia and the United States together. From 2015 through 2024, the total reached 173 resolutions against Israel, compared to 80 for all other member states combined. The UN Human Rights Council has run comparable numbers since 2006, adopting 112 resolutions against Israel compared to 45 against Syria, despite a civil war there that killed hundreds of thousands.

On Nov. 20, 2025, the UNGA's Fourth Committee passed six resolutions condemning Israel while producing not a single resolution on Sudan, where fighting has killed more than 150,000 people and driven 12 million from their homes. The bloc that commands the UNGA's automatic majority sets these priorities; the scale of actual human suffering has nothing to do with it.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) supplies the starkest illustration. After October 7, the agency's own internal review found that nine employees may have taken part in the massacre - a figure that American investigators have since made look negligible. According to USAID:

"The USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID OIG), a statutorily independent law enforcement and oversight entity, has referred for suspension/debarment consideration the names of 101 current or former staff at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) for participation in the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks and/or affiliation with the military wing (al-Qassam Brigades) of Hamas. Among the individuals referred were UNRWA school principals, teachers, security personnel, attendants, psychosocial counselors, and medical professionals, including:

- A deputy school principal serving as an al-Qassam deputy company commander in the Ain Gallout/5th infantry battalion.
- A deputy school principal serving as squad leader for the Khan Younis Brigade/2nd infantry battalion.
- A teacher serving as squad leader in Hamas' military security department/intelligence unit who tracked assignment of explosive devices.
- A teacher serving as a platoon commander of the Central Brigade/Al Quds 2nd Battalion.
- A math & computer teacher with ties to an al-Qassam intelligence squad.
- A teacher with expertise as a sniper for Hamas.
- A teacher and Hamas soldier with orders to bring two anti-tank missiles to a prescribed location during the October 7 terror attacks.
- A deputy school principal serving as a platoon commander in Hamas' Nuseirat battalion with communications responsibilities on October 7th.
- A school principal assigned to the chemical department of a Hamas military manufacturing unit whose school had three anti-tank positions and a tunnel shaft located under the facility."

One of those referred, Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa, coordinated with fellow operatives during the Oct. 7 massacre while running an UNRWA school, and became the first person affiliated with a UN humanitarian agency ever debarred by the US government for terrorism. Under mounting pressure, UNRWA itself dismissed 70 staff linked to terrorist organizations in Gaza in the weeks before the referral was published, an admission that followed the release of evidence rather than the agency's own vetting. Groups tracking UNRWA's personnel put the true scale of Hamas penetration considerably higher, closer to 1,500 employees still drawing a UN salary.

The reckoning caught up with the agency in public on July 1, 2026, when the "Board of Peace," the body now overseeing Gaza's postwar administration, announced that UNRWA "has no place in the new Gaza" and described continued dependence on the agency as an obstacle to recovery rather than a form of relief.

Washington's ambassador for UN reform, Jeff Bartos, told the annual pledging conference the same day that member states funding UNRWA had spent years choosing incitement, terrorism and stagnation over an alternative, and warned that history would remember the choice. Within hours, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League rejected the announcement and insisted that UNRWA's mandate cannot be dissolved by an administrative statement.

Whatever the outcome of this dispute, an institution long marketed as irreplaceable is being dismantled in real time by the very coalition managing the territory it was built to serve.

This state of affairs is not new behavior wearing new language. The UN's largest financial scandal, the oil-for-food program, saw then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein extract $1.8 billion in kickbacks starting in 1996, with help from more than 2,000 companies, while the Volcker inquiry found that weak UN oversight and Security Council paralysis had made the scheme possible. The program's own director was later indicted in the United States for bribery; senior UN officials mostly walked away untouched.

UN peacekeeping missions have produced a smaller, steadier version of the same pattern: a procurement task force documented more than $630 million in tainted contracts and two dozen confirmed corruption schemes, only to be shut down in 2008 after member states with implicated nationals refused to renew its mandate.

Sexual exploitation by peacekeepers followed an identical script, with nearly 2,000 allegations accumulated over 12 years and only a fraction of the accused ever serving prison time.

The historical ledger is worse than the bureaucratic one. In 1994, UN representatives and peacekeepers watched as more than 800,000 people were murdered in Rwanda over roughly 100 days, while its own commander in the field begged for reinforcements and was refused. A year later, the UN declared the Bosnian town of Srebrenica a protected zone, then denied the air support its peacekeepers requested as 8,000 men and boys were murdered under the UN flag. In Haiti, UN peacekeepers introduced cholera into a country that had been free of the disease for a century; nearly 10,000 people died before the organization admitted any responsibility - six years after the outbreak began. The zero-tolerance policies announced afterward changed little about how missions were run or how misconduct was punished.

Rwanda, Bosnia, Haiti and Gaza share the same organizational reflex: investigate quietly, discipline the lowest-ranking staff available, and leave the people who set policy in place.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council after October 7 that the Hamas attacks "did not happen in a vacuum," a formulation he has since echoed on UNRWA's failures - careful language built to avoid naming the agency's own culpability.

The United Nations was founded to make atrocities costly for those who commit or enable them. It has instead built a machine that absorbs those costs internally, so long as the people responsible sit inside the institution or represent the states that control its votes.

Even the coalition now running Gaza's transition has concluded that one of the UN's flagship agencies does not belong there. This verdict came from the "Board of Peace," the body tasked with cleaning up what the war left behind - not from Jerusalem or from Washington's harshest critics of the UN. The record speaks plainly enough on its own. What remains open is how much longer the rest of the world intends to keep paying for it.

Originally published by the Gatestone Institute. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 23:20

19 Million Eggs Pulled As Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 98 Across 17 States

The FDA and CDC have tied a growing Salmonella outbreak to eggs produced by Texas-based Midwest Poultry Services, which recalled roughly 1.5 million cartons - more than 19 million eggs - after the contamination surfaced. As of July 24, 98 people across 17 states had been sickened, according to the FDA, which said the recalled eggs are "a likely source of illnesses in this outbreak" and that its investigation is ongoing.

The recall itself went out through an FDA notice on July 22, before the illness count was attached. The eggs may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, a subtype that can cause serious and occasionally fatal infections in young children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised.

"Midwest Poultry Services identified the issue on its two Texas farms through proactive environmental monitoring practices and root cause analysis," the company said, adding that it "is not distributing fresh eggs produced on its Texas farms at this time." The company said it began diverting eggs to a breaking plant, where they would be pasteurized to kill any pathogens, and characterized the recall as precautionary. It did not respond to a request for more detail on how it detected the possible contamination.

There is a wrinkle worth noting. The recalled eggs were produced between June 6 and July 3, but the outbreak's illness onsets stretch from Nov. 21, 2025 all the way to June 30, 2026 - a seven-month span far wider than the production window. That is why the FDA is describing the eggs as a likely source "in part" and says it is still investigating whether other foods are involved.

How To Check Your Carton

The eggs carried "sell by" or "best by" dates ranging from July 20 to Aug. 17. The recalled cartons carry an identifying code of P-1950 or 0840962 with a Julian date between 157 and 184, printed in date-coding ink on the side of the carton. No other Midwest Poultry Services products are affected.

The eggs were available at Kroger stores in Louisiana and Texas and Brookshire Grocery stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as smaller retailers not named in the notice. They were also shipped to foodservice customers in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Kroger and Brookshire Grocery did not respond to requests for comment.

People who bought the eggs can return them for a full refund. Salmonella infection typically sets in 12 to 72 hours after exposure, with symptoms - diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps - usually lasting four to seven days.

Full list of recalled eggs:

• Kroger Large 12 eggs
• Kroger Large 18 eggs
• Kroger Large 60 eggs
• Kroger Extra Large 12 eggs
• Kroger Medium 12 eggs
• Kroger Medium 30 eggs
• Kroger Jumbo 12 eggs
• Simple Truth Cage Free Medium Brown 12 eggs
• Simple Truth Cage Free Large Brown 12 eggs
• Simple Truth Cage Free Large Brown 18 eggs
• Simple Truth Cage Free Large Brown 24 eggs
• Brookshire's Large 6 eggs
• Brookshire's Large 12 Eggs
• Brookshire's Large 18 Eggs
• Brookshire's Large 36 Eggs
• Brookshire's Large 60 Eggs
• Brookshires Extra Large 18 Eggs
• Brookshire's Jumbo 12 Eggs
• Country Morning Large 12 Eggs
• Country Morning Large 18 Eggs
• Country Morning Large 2 ½ Dozen
• Country Morning Extra Large 12 Eggs
• Country Morning Medium 12 Eggs
• Country Morning Jumbo 12 Eggs
• Sunups Medium 2 1/2 Dozen
• Grade AA Large Bulk X 30 DOZEN
• Grade A Large Bulk X 15 DOZEN
• Grade A Large Bulk - TICTAC
• Grade A Large Bulk - BROWN - TICTAC
• Grade A Medium Bulk X 30 DOZEN
• Grade A Medium Bulk X 15 DOZEN
• Grade A Extra Large Bulk X 15 DOZEN
• Grade A Jumbo Bulk 20 eggs

h/t Epoch Times 

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 21:35

Young Middle-Income Buyers Frustrated As US Home Costs Rise Faster Than Incomes

Authored by Mary Prenon via The Epoch Times,

Stealers Wheel's 1973 hit "Stuck in the Middle with You" could well become the theme song for today's middle-income, first-time home buyers who don't qualify for affordable housing programs yet cannot afford market-rate homes.

The current housing shortage suggests pent-up demand is building among young homebuyers. Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

The household income required to purchase a starter home, currently priced under $350,000 in the United States, has surged more than 80 percent to $78,000 from $43,000 in 2019, according to a July 20 report from Realtor.com.

By contrast, the median household income was $83,730 in 2024, representing an increase of under 22 percent from $68,703 in 2019, according to the latest Census Bureau estimates.

This gap in growth between home prices and household incomes has made it increasingly difficult for even middle-income households to own a home, real estate professionals, economists, and recent research say.

Caught In The Middle

Vlora Sejdi, an associate broker with HomeSmart in White Plains, New York, recently told The Epoch Times about the challenges her young clients face in buying a home.

She is currently working with a childless couple under 40 who are living with parents while saving for a down payment on a home in Westchester County, an affluent suburb north of New York City, which had a median home price of $867,398 in May, according to Redfin.

"Home prices here just keep going up and up," she said. "It's a seller's market and people who can afford to buy are willing to go above and beyond. We're still seeing bidding wars."

"They're very unhappy with the current situation, and I think there's also a shock factor for what their monthly payments will be with mortgage, taxes, and insurance," she said.

Sejdi said another of her clients, a woman in her 20s, also from Westchester County, is currently renting while searching for a co-op, a type of housing in which residents purchase shares in a cooperative corporation that owns the building, rather than own individual units, according to Apartments.com.

Co-ops tend to be much less expensive than condos or single-family homes. According to OneKey MLS, in Westchester County, the median sales price for co-ops was $223,750 in May, compared with $576,500 and $1,200,000 for condos and single-family homes, respectively.

However, these properties are controlled by a co-op board of directors that can set stringent financial requirements for anyone seeking to purchase an apartment.

"My client actually had one accepted offer, but the board would not approve her, despite the fact that she now pays significantly more in monthly rent than she would for monthly maintenance at the co-op," Sejdi said.

Sejdi will continue to search for other possibilities but admits the journey has been challenging for both of them.

"There's definitely a lack of attainable housing for the middle class in Westchester," she said. "These are people who make too much money to qualify for affordable housing, but don't have enough to afford market-rate homes."

Sejdi's clients requested anonymity.

The Pew Research Center classifies households earning between 67 percent and 200 percent of the overall median household income, adjusted for household size, as "middle-income" households.

Based on the Census Bureau median of $83,730, this means those households had annual incomes of between $56,100 and $167,460.

In Westchester County, the median household income was $118,596 in 2024.

According to Westchester County government documents, the county's affordable housing programs include developments for households earning up to 120 percent of the area median income (AMI), though the income limits vary by development.

The current 120 percent AMI income limits for one-person and two-person households in the county are $162,800 and $142,450, respectively.

The situation is not limited to high-priced markets like New York. Middle-income, first-time buyers in more affordable areas, such as Texas, also face affordability challenges.

"North Texas is still considerably more attainable than markets like New York or California, but affordability has become one of the biggest challenges facing first-time buyers here as well," Johnny Mowad, associate broker with Ebby Halliday Realtors in Dallas, told The Epoch Times.

At the end of May, Redfin reported that the median sales price was $498,702 in Dallas and $337,798 in Fort Worth.

As in many other parts of the country, Mowad noted that wages have not kept pace with housing costs, and the demand in Northern Texas remains high as more people relocate to the area.

"That puts more pressure on inventory," he added.

Housing Mismatch

A joint May report by NAR and Realtor.com indicates that the much-needed housing recovery is not reaching the people who are most likely to restart the market.

"Buyers earning about $75,000 can afford only 23 percent of active listings nationwide," the report states. In a balanced market, they would be able to access about 44 percent.

The report notes that the gap represents about 311,000 missing listings priced below their maximum purchase point, which is estimated at $261,000.

"Too much of the inventory available today remains concentrated at higher price points, leaving a shortage of options for entry-level and middle-income buyers," Nadia Evangelou, NAR principal economist, said in the report.

According to a June 24 Pew Research Center survey, 89 percent of America's adults younger than 40 said it's harder for them to own a home than for their parents' generation.

The report attributes the perception primarily to rising housing costs and a challenging job market, which have made homeownership feel out of reach for many young adults.

The Harvard Joint Center's June 17 State of the Nation's Housing report states that, with a nationwide median price of about $417,400 for new single-family homes in 2025, most new housing was unaffordable for median-income households based on the standard affordability threshold of 30 percent of income.

Existing homes were less attainable. With the median price rising 54 percent since 2020 to $419,300, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), a typical single-family home sold at five times the median household income in 2025, the Harvard report notes. By contrast, the report said the average price-to-income ratio was 3.2 in the 1990s.

The median existing home price rose further to $440,600 in June, reaching an all-time high, the NAR said on July 9.

Using first-quarter data, a May 12 analysis by HSH Associates, a private mortgage and housing finance information company, found that U.S. households needed an annual income of $103,419 to afford a median-priced home. The calculation assumed buyers obtained a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20 percent down payment, while taking into account principal, interest, property tax, and insurance payments.

Of the 50 largest metropolitan areas analyzed, only 12 had required incomes below the national average for buying a median-priced home, the report shows. For high-priced markets such as San Jose, California, and New York City, the required incomes were $477,409 and $197,521, respectively. The median home prices of these cities were $2,030,000 and $750,000, respectively. In Dallas, households needed $105,798 to afford a median-priced home, according to the HSH Associates report.

Millions Of Adults Living At Home

With housing costs and a challenging job market, the Harvard report says, "Many young adults cannot afford to form new households, instead doubling up or living with family."

The report shows that household growth, a primary driver of housing demand, slowed for the third straight year to 1.1 million in 2025, down from an average annual growth of 2.0 million in 2020 and 2021.

A mid-June report from Realtor.com indicates that one in three adults under the age of 35 - about 25.2 million people - lived with their parents in 2025, as they were priced out of the housing market.

"The adults living with their parents today are largely employed, and many hold college degrees. What's holding them back isn't a lack of qualifications, but rather, at least in part, a lack of housing they can actually afford," Realtor.com senior economist Hannah Jones said in the report.

The data show that about nine in 10 adults aged 25 to 34 living with parents have never been married and about one in three aged 25 to 29 hold a four-year college degree. Men comprise the majority of this group at every age level.

Meanwhile, according to a June 25 report from the Census Bureau, the nation's fertility rates have dropped almost every year since 2007, although they have risen in certain counties throughout the country.

The Year Of 'Starter Homes'

Robert Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), recently told Siyamak Khorrami, the host of EpochTV's "Market Insider," that a decade and a half of underbuilding, especially of entry-level housing, is a key factor contributing to the housing affordability issue Americans are facing.

While Realtor.com estimated in March that the United States was short by about 4.03 million homes in 2025, NAHB put the number at about 1 million using different methodology.

Dietz said the current housing shortage suggests pent-up demand is building among young homebuyers - there are just not enough homes on the market that fit their budgets.

"One really interesting data point that we track is the number of young adults who live with their parents. Right now, one out of five of those 25- to 34-year-olds live with their parents. Back 20 years ago it was one out of 10, so that share has doubled," he said, citing a May NAHB analysis.

A northern California-based developer, Chris Duffy, founder and CEO of Hummingbird Development, agrees that the nation needs more entry-level housing, but providing that is very difficult due to rising construction costs.

"The cost of construction has gone up so much over the past 20 years," he told The Epoch Times. "With land, materials, labor, permits, architect costs, and other regulatory fees, the economics of building less expensive homes just doesn't work. Most new developments have to go with luxury housing to make a profit."

Duffy noted that depending on where they decide to build, it can take years to jump through all of the local government regulations.

In the organization's July 9 report, NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun warned that home prices could accelerate if housing inventory continues to stagnate.

The solution, noted Dietz, is to build more housing of all types, including single-family and multifamily for both sale and rent. He noted that construction of more multifamily options can help builders adapt to the challenges of creating more affordable homes.

"For example, we've seen a big rise in townhouse construction," he said. "These are homes that are connected; they require less land."

In its June 30 Housing Market Indicators report, the American Enterprise Institute called 2026 "the Year of 'Starter Homes' and 'Small Lot, Small Lot, Small Lot.'"

The institute said 188 housing bills had been introduced so far this year, including 26 pending, enacted, or passed bills in 15 states that align with the AEI Housing Center Playbook. The Playbook outlines policy recommendations to increase the supply of naturally affordable housing.

AEI projects that enacted, passed, and pending bills aligned with the Playbook's three policy options - smaller lots for new homes, greater flexibility on existing residential lots, and more housing near jobs and amenities - could add about 281,000 homes annually.

Because land prices are more affordable in the Sun Belt and Midwest, Dietz said new home construction has experienced growth in those areas. Demand for lower-entry-home price points continues to be strong throughout the nation, he said.

Mowad said while home purchasing remains challenging for younger buyers, starter homes do come up in the market, though they may not represent someone's dream home. He noted that younger, middle-income buyers who are determined to make a purchase may start with a condo or townhome.

"While affordability has certainly tightened over the last several years, I'd much rather be a first-time buyer in Dallas than in many coastal markets," he said. "In many parts of the Northeast, buyers are competing against housing costs that simply don't align with middle-income salaries."

Mowad said the region has been attracting many new residents due to a lower cost of living relative to other major metropolitan areas, a large concentration of Fortune 500 company headquarters, and no state income tax.

"People aren't just moving here for cheaper homes; they're moving here for careers and long-term opportunities," he said.

Meanwhile, Sejdi is serving on the newly created Westchester County Board of Legislators' Affordability and Economic Development Task Force that will address how to bring more affordable and middle-income housing into one of America's most expensive areas.

"We are hopeful that together we can develop some solutions that will help people in the lower and middle-income brackets be able to afford to make their homes here," she said.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 21:00

India's Education Minister Resigns, Delhi Protests End As Modi Caves To 'Cockroach' Youth Movement's Demands

India's education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, resigned on Saturday and the government agreed to every demand raised by youth demonstrators, bringing weeks of protests - the gravest political crisis of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term - to a jubilant close.

Pradhan's exit was the core demand of the self-styled Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the youth movement that has camped at Delhi's Jantar Mantar since late June over the leak of medical school entrance exam papers. The May leaks forced the cancellation of results and a retest for some 2 million students, and have been linked to several student suicides.

Word of the resignation set off celebrations at the protest site, where thousands of young people danced, chanted victory slogans and handed out sweets as the national anthem played over loudspeakers. "We have done it," CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told the crowd. Roads around the neighbouring Connaught Place business district were shut as revellers poured in.

In a post on X announcing his decision, Pradhan said he had sent his resignation to the prime minister so that forces hostile to the country could not take advantage of the situation, and voiced deep respect for the aspirations and legitimate expectations of India's young people.

Supporters of India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) celebrate after India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following days of protests demanding his resignation over National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination paper leaks, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, July 25, 2026. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavi

Hours later, Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh, a junior minister in the prime minister's office, held a joint press conference with CJP representatives following a further round of talks. Nadda confirmed the government had accepted the movement's full list of demands, which included an overhaul of the examination system, the withdrawal of police cases filed against protesters, and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide after the leaks.

CJP spokespeople formally declared the agitation over and urged supporters across the country to head home peacefully.

The settlement prompted a swift unwinding of the security clampdown that had paralysed parts of central Delhi through the week. Mobile data services around the protest site - which the government had ordered telecom companies to switch off, leaving shopkeepers, vendors and restaurants unable to take digital payments for much of the week - were restored on Saturday. The 16 Delhi Metro stations shut in and around the area, closed for most of the past four days, reopened.

The outcome amounts to a rare climbdown for Modi, who is known for standing firm under public pressure. Pradhan, 57, the son of a veteran Bharatiya Janata Party politician and himself a senior figure once floated as a possible party president, had held the education portfolio since 2021. He is just the second minister in Modi's 12 years in power to leave office amid a scandal, after M.J. Akbar stepped down as junior foreign minister in 2018 during India's #MeToo movement.

The protests were the biggest youth revolt Modi has faced since taking office in 2014, and they had intensified sharply over the past week. Tens of thousands marched on parliament on Monday, where police responded with tear gas and cane charges; on Wednesday night, a crowd of more than 10,000 gathered at Jantar Mantar and some protesters pelted police with stones and bottles. Solidarity rallies spread to cities including Ranchi, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata, while opposition parties, echoing the students' demands, held up the monsoon session of parliament all week.

Modi's first public attempt to calm the unrest - a pledge on Thursday to create special courts to try those behind paper leaks, alongside his declaration on X that "Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth!" - was dismissed by the CJP, which countered that punishing culprits after the fact did nothing to address why papers keep leaking in the first place.

Beyond the exam scandal, the movement tapped deeper frustration among young Indians over scarce jobs and official accountability - discontent that carries echoes of the youth uprisings that toppled governments in neighbouring Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh in recent years. With young voters a key constituency for the BJP and major state elections due next year, the political stakes for Modi were considerable.

Among those marking the moment was activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had spent 26 days on hunger strike in support of the students and hailed the outcome as proof of what peaceful persistence can achieve.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 20:25

US To Resume Mexican Cattle Imports After Yearlong Screwworm Ban

Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times,

The United States said on Friday it will end a ban on imports of Mexican cattle implemented more than a year ago to combat the New World screwworm (NWS), a flesh-eating livestock pest that has already made it into Texas and New Mexico.

Cattle are herded in a stable in Hamilton, Texas, on June 5, 2026. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

In its announcement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it would coordinate a phased reopening of southern cattle ports beginning Aug. 24.

USDA officials said the United States will first start taking Mexican cattle again at Douglas, Arizona, with two more ports in New Mexico to follow.

The reopening will be staged and depends on Mexico sticking to its New World screwworm control plan. Officials called the move safe to begin now.

Ports in Arizona and New Mexico sit farther from the heaviest infestations in Mexico, livestock traders noted, which lowers the immediate risk compared with Texas crossings.

"Every animal entering the United States through these ports will undergo a full USDA inspection to ensure it is free of any signs of New World screwworm (NWS)," the USDA said.

The United States suspended imports of live Mexican cattle and related livestock on May 11, 2025, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the parasite.

Also on Friday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that she had directed local authorities to speed preparations for the reopening.

"I have instructed that we accelerate our work and collaboration with the United States even further to have everything ready as soon as possible to restart the movement of cattle," she said in a post on X.

"Exports will resume starting in the last weeks of August through Agua Prieta, Sonora, followed shortly thereafter by two additional points in the state of Chihuahua."

The USDA said it has identified Sonora and Chihuahua as the lowest-risk Mexican states for New World screwworm due to their strong, well-established inspection programs and their geographic distance from southern Mexico, where most cases are concentrated.

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said, "The closure of the Southern ports of entry for the last year has been a tough but necessary action to control the spread of NWS in Mexico and protect the American livestock industry."

The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly whose females lay eggs in open wounds or mucous membranes of any warm-blooded animal. The hatched larvae burrow into living flesh and can kill the host if left untreated.

The pest has pushed north through Central America. It appeared in June on Texas farms and in New Mexico, representing the first confirmed U.S. cases since 2017. One early case involved a 3-week-old calf in south Texas, with others found in goats, calves, and a dog.

Beef Industry In Turmoil

The United States typically imports more than 1 million head of cattle from Mexico each year, roughly 5 percent of the animals that go through American processing plants. Those calves usually head to U.S. feedlots for finishing, and prices spiked.

The decision also comes after domestic cattle supplies in the United States fell to a 75-year low. Beef prices rose to records this year, with meat processors struggling; Tyson Foods closed a large processing plant in Nebraska in January, and JBS said it would shutter one in Pennsylvania in mid-August.

The $100 billion U.S. beef industry contracted most sharply in Texas, the nation's top cattle state.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called the reopening the right thing for ranchers and consumers, though he said it should have happened earlier.

"While I'm pleased to see this important trade relationship restored, the prolonged closure has already taken a toll on producers, disrupted supply chains and created uncertainty that could have lasting consequences for the cattle industry," Miller said.

He added that while action has moved in the right direction, "the pace and scale of the screwworm response have not gone far enough."

USDA has invested in sterile-fly production, which is the main tool used to push the pest back in past decades. It has renovated facilities in Mexico and activated dispersal sites in Texas.

Yet production remains under the hundreds of millions of sterile flies needed weekly to push the infestation south, as the pest entered the country despite the ban.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 19:50

War Zones Converging? Zelensky Says Ukraine Hit Ship "Transporting Military Cargo" From Iran

Ukraine has rapidly expanded its one-way attack-drone campaign from the Sea of Azov into the Black Sea, claiming strikes against more than 180 vessels and maritime targets around the Crimean region over the past three weeks, according to Reuters. The widening maritime offensive follows a summer campaign in which Ukrainian drones struck dozens of Russian energy assets, warehouses and logistics hubs.

The risk of the Russia-Ukraine conflict merging with the US-Iran conflict seems plausible, but remains low at this point, despite overnight signals from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on X that Ukrainian forces had hit "military cargo shipments involving Iran."

Zelensky noted, "We also have very good results from long-range strikes in the waters of the Caspian Sea. In particular, these are vessels that were involved in transporting military cargo from Iran, and a warship."

In August 2025, Ukraine struck the Russian cargo ship Port Olya-4 at a Caspian Sea port, saying it was loaded with Iranian Shahed drone components and ammunition.

An Estonian-born blogger on X, who goes by "WarTranslated," cited Iranian Telegram channels claiming that Tehran is "threatening ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine after Zelensky said they hit a military vessel carrying cargo between Russia and Iran."

Iranian Telegram channels are threatening ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine after Zelensky said they hit a military vessel carrying cargo between Russia and Iran. pic.twitter.com/t6TXWAaoUQ

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) July 25, 2026

The Ukrainian drone strike on the Iran-linked vessel points to deeper Russia-Iran military cooperation, likely centered on Tehran's transfer of Shahed drone technology, components and munitions to Moscow.

More or less, this is just noise from both sides. Still, the two Eurasian war zones remain connected through Russia-Iran military cooperation, creating an ongoing risk that any escalation could cause the conflicts to converge into a broader confrontation. That risk remains low, but it cannot be dismissed.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 19:15

$139 Million Drug Bust Exposes Broker-Style Cross-Border Trucking Operation

By Phil Brink of FreightWaves

Canadian and U.S. agencies uncovered a broker-style operation using commercial transportation connections to move illegal drugs.

Authorities display evidence seized during Project Bay, including suspected cocaine, methamphetamine and opium. The operation recovered nearly 1.7 metric tons of drugs and 17 firearms. (Photo: Ontario Provincial Police) 

Canadian authorities seized nearly 1.7 metric tons of illegal drugs during a cross-border investigation named Project Bay. The haul included suspected cocaine, methamphetamine and opium. Authorities estimated the products’ street value above $139 million. Investigators called it one of Ontario’s most significant seizures from a single case.

Traffickers used broker-style transportation model

Windsor Police launched the investigation in January 2025. The Canada Border Services Agency joined the effort the following month. Investigators worked to identify a trafficking network with connections to the international border. Ontario Provincial Police later supported the cross-border and interprovincial portions.

Investigators found a broker-style model operating within the commercial transportation sector. The organization used established connections to arrange cross-border drug movements. Drivers knowingly transported the illegal products within legitimate supply chains, according to the release. Authorities continue investigating the network’s source and full scope.

U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted with international aspects. Toronto Police and Peel Regional Police also provided operational and investigative support. Several specialized Canadian units participated during the searches. Those agencies included local, provincial and federal law enforcement partners.

Searches uncover drugs, firearms and cash

Police teams executed 18 search warrants on June 25. The locations included Windsor, Corunna, LaSalle, Brampton and Kleinburg. Authorities conducted two additional searches in Markham and Caledon on July 14. Investigators then carried out two more in Brampton on July 20.

Authorities seized 973 kilograms of suspected cocaine and 660 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine. They also recovered 49 kilograms of suspected opium and 230 oxycodone tablets. Officers found 17 firearms, including an anti-tank rifle. The haul also contained ammunition, brass knuckles, magazines and a baton.

Investigators recovered C$80,000 and US$10,000 during the operation. Officers also took one vehicle as offense-related property. Additional items included high-end jewelry, money counters, 43 cellphones and six laptops.

Twenty-one people face 104 offenses

Authorities charged 21 people with 104 offenses under two Canadian laws. Those statutes include the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Police arrested 19 defendants during the operation. Two others remain wanted under outstanding arrest warrants.

The OPP Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit joined the case. Its investigators will examine possible offenses involving criminal proceeds. The unit will also assist with taking property connected to alleged crimes. Project Bay’s broader investigation remains active.

“This seizure reflects the scale of criminal activity that crosses borders and impacts communities across Ontario,” OPP Chief Superintendent Mike Stoddart said. He credited cooperation among municipal, provincial, federal and international partners. “We have significantly disrupted the flow of harmful substances,” Stoddart said. He also said authorities removed substantial profits from the criminal economy.

“This investigation began as the result of information obtained by the Windsor Police Service,” Chief Jason Crowley said. He said the operation later expanded across several Ontario jurisdictions. Crowley credited law enforcement partners with dismantling the network. He said the organization moved dangerous drugs and firearms into communities across the province.

CBSA’s Southern Ontario region has seized 5,555 kilograms of illegal drugs at land ports this year. Officers there have also seized 206 firearms during that period. Regional Director General Michael Prosia credited cooperation among domestic and international agencies. He specifically thanked Ontario Provincial Police and Windsor Police for their work.

Project Bay remains an active investigation. Before publication, FreightWaves contacted OPP for additional information about the transportation operation. OPP did not provide a response before publication. FreightWaves will update this article as officials release more details.

Why it matters

The case shows how criminal networks can place illegal products inside legitimate commercial supply chains. Transportation professionals can use these details to recognize how traffickers may exploit industry connections.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 18:40

Rand Paul Should Make Fauci Answer For Wuhan And BeagleGate Lies

Authored by Anthony Bellotti via American Greatness,

Fauci no longer faces any realistic risk of criminal exposure for perjury or other past federal offenses covered by the pardon.

Next week, Dr. Anthony Fauci is scheduled to testify before Sen. Rand Paul's Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. After years of stonewalling, evasions, carefully parsed denials, and outright lies, this hearing presents a rare opportunity to get answers from America's most notorious mad scientist, who recklessly funded dangerous animal experiments that likely caused COVID-19 and financed beagle torture in labs worldwide.

This time is different.

In one of his final acts in office, in January 2025, President Joe Biden granted Fauci a sweeping pardon that conspicuously covered a decade-long period starting when he first funded the infamous grant that paid the Wuhan lab, which was first exposed by White Coat Waste in early 2020 and cut days later by President Donald Trump.

This means that Fauci no longer faces any realistic risk of criminal exposure for perjury or other past federal offenses covered by the pardon. So, the usual Fifth Amendment justification for refusing to answer questions about potentially self-incriminating conduct is largely off the table.

Paul should press Fauci on three false statements he has repeatedly made to Congress, the press, and the American people about the Wuhan lab and BeagleGate - claims debunked by evidence obtained by White Coat Waste.

First, Fauci needs to finally fess up about funding gain-of-function animal experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In multiple Senate hearings in 2021, Fauci categorically told Paul and others that "the NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology." He repeated essentially the same claim during a House Oversight Committee hearing in 2024.

But White Coat Waste has receipts. Our Freedom of Information Act investigations uncovered damning internal government emails from 2016 showing that NIH officials told EcoHealth Alliance that its Fauci-funded animal experiments with the Wuhan lab "appear to involve" gain-of-function research that was banned at the time.

Instead of stopping the experiments, NIH worked with disgraced EcoHealth president Peter Daszak to skirt the ban. Daszak gleefully celebrated the decision, writing, "This is terrific! We are very happy to hear that our Gain of Function research funding pause has been lifted."

In May 2024, then-acting NIH Director Lawrence Tabak finally admitted to the House Oversight Committee that NIH did, in fact, fund gain-of-function in Wuhan.

Paul should ask a simple question: Does Fauci still stand by his testimony, or will he finally acknowledge that his previous statements to Congress were false or misleading?

Second, Fauci should answer for his testimony denying that he used his personal email for official NIH business.

During House testimony in 2024, Fauci declared to Chairman James Comer, "To the best of my recollection and knowledge, I have never conducted official business via my private email."

Yet White Coat Waste's FOIA investigations uncovered official NIH emails showing Fauci telling a Washington Post reporter covering the BeagleGate scandal, "I will send you an email via my Gmail account."

Records have also emerged showing that David Morens, Fauci's longtime advisor who was indicted in April for FOIA violations, told Daszak and others in 2021, "I can either send stuff to Tony on his private Gmail or hand it to him at work. . . He is too smart to let colleagues send him stuff that could cause trouble."

Will Fauci come clean?

Finally, Paul should revisit BeagleGate - the viral dog testing scandal first exposed by White Coat Waste that Fauci and his allies spent years falsely dismissing as a conspiracy.

In a 2021 Washington Post cover story written by the same reporter Fauci said he would contact through his personal Gmail account, he called the dog testing claims "ridiculous accusations and outright lies." In his 2024 memoir, Fauci again dismissed the story as "lies," "lunacy," and "off-the-wall accusations" and defended himself by awkwardly saying, "I am a passionate animal lover, especially of dogs."

But government documents obtained by White Coat Waste prove that Fauci funded countless dog labs, including the infamous experiments in Tunisia, where beagles were drugged and had their heads locked in mesh cages full of biting sand flies. After reviewing these records, even the Washington Post, which had aggressively defended Fauci and smeared White Coat Waste, finally acknowledged in 2024 that it published NIH disinformation, acknowledging that "NIH was not fully transparent as it tried to handle a public-relations nightmare."

Paul was one of the lawmakers who led the charge with White Coat Waste to hold Fauci accountable for funding beagle abuse and lying about it.

Americans deserve answers.

Next week's hearing may be Congress's last meaningful opportunity to confront Anthony Fauci directly and finally set the record straight on Wuhan and BeagleGate. Paul should seize it.

* * * [ZH]: Not everyone is convinced Rand can bring the heat. What say you?

Fuck this guy too. He’s a powerless loser who is essentially a blow off valve for the disaffected pic.twitter.com/XJJb4PUnBo

— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) July 23, 2026

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 17:30

Democrats Are Worried The GOP's Cash Advantage Could Hurt Their Chances In The Midterms

The Democratic Party heads into the midterms with generic congressional ballot polling and historical precedent on its side. It is nevertheless worried that the majorities it so desperately wants could still slip away.

Politico reported this week that Democratic strategists increasingly fear their favorable political environment could be overwhelmed by a Republican cash stockpile that dwarfs their own.

Federal Election Commission filings through the end of June show the three main GOP national committees and their affiliated congressional super PACs sitting on a combined $657 million. Their Democratic counterparts held $334 million. Add President Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC, which reported more than $400 million on hand several weeks earlier, and the Republican reserve runs to more than three times what Democratic Party committees and congressional super PACs can muster between them.

That gap matters more this cycle than it would have in any previous one. On June 30, the Supreme Court ruled in NRSC v. FEC that federal limits on coordinated party spending violate the First Amendment, overturning a 2001 precedent and freeing national party committees to spend without ceiling in direct coordination with their candidates. Committee money that once had to be routed through independent expenditures can now be aimed straight at a race.

Democratic strategist Morgan Jackson, an adviser to former Gov. Roy Cooper's Senate campaign in North Carolina, calls the imbalance the central threat to his party's hopes this cycle.

"What is putting the House majority and the Senate majority, nationally, in danger is the Republicans' massive stockpile of resources that they're putting together to push back," Jackson said.

He warned that the spending gap could erode the advantage Democrats have built everywhere else. "If you get outspent five to six to eight to one, that can alleviate the environmental advantage that Democrats have this cycle," Jackson said.

The committee-level numbers are lopsided almost everywhere. The Republican National Committee reported $128 million in cash against $16 million for the Democratic National Committee, which is also carrying $18 million in debt. The National Republican Senatorial Committee held $55.9 million to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's $41 million. The National Republican Congressional Committee held $92.7 million to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's $79 million.

The super PAC gap is wider still. Senate Leadership Fund, the leading Republican Senate super PAC, reported roughly $112 million more on hand than the Democratic-aligned Senate Majority PAC. Congressional Leadership Fund, its House counterpart, held about $51 million more than House Majority PAC.

The national totals obscure a more complicated picture in the marquee Senate races, where the money runs the other way. Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff holds roughly $40 million more on hand than Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico has nearly $20 million more than Attorney General Ken Paxton. In North Carolina, Cooper is about $17 million ahead of former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. In several of the contests that will decide both chambers, individual Democratic candidates are burying their opponents even as the national party apparatus falls behind.

The picture inside the party gets messier once primary season is factored in. A wave of insurgent challengers aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America has forced sitting Democratic incumbents into costly primary fights this cycle, draining accounts well before anyone gets near a Republican opponent.

Senate Majority PAC spokeswoman Lauren French rejected the idea that the committee gap tells the whole story. "Republicans can crow all they want about getting massive checks from donors and businesses and billionaires, but we're going to win because we have the actual support from people who are voting," French said.

Other Democratic strategists are less confident that grassroots enthusiasm can offset a structural disadvantage. Jesse Ferguson argued that the media environment itself has made the shortfall more expensive than it would have been in past cycles. "Too many people think that fragmentation of media meant more efficiency and spending less. Wrong - it means you have to spend more," Ferguson said. The proliferation of streaming platforms, social media, and other digital outlets has driven up the price of political advertising, strategists say, raising the stakes for whichever side can deploy the deepest reserves of outside money.

What should worry Democrats most is that the Republican advantage has barely been touched. Trump political director James Blair said last month that Republican spending would begin "very soon," without offering a timetable. The fear on the Democratic side is that the bulk of MAGA Inc.'s $400 million war chest is being held back deliberately, to be dumped into competitive House and Senate races in the closing weeks - at the exact moment undecided voters start paying attention and Democratic committees have the least room left to answer.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 16:55

Trump Orders Signs Outside Smithsonian Museum To Warn Of Inaccurate Exhibits

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on July 24 directing signs to be placed outside one of the Smithsonian Institution’s history museums warning visitors that some exhibits contain inaccurate information.

The order references a July report by the White House Domestic Policy Council, which alleges that the National Museum of American History “cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.”

Trump said in his order that the report shows that “the Smithsonian leadership does not present American history as a shared national inheritance to be taught and celebrated, but instead views American history as a ‘prime tool’ to advance ideas of social justice and the radical transformation of our society.”

The president directed his administration to use “all available authorities” to encourage the Smithsonian Institution to correct the issues identified in the report and ensure compliance with the laws, funding requirements, and contract conditions.

The order instructs the Interior Department to place temporary signage along the sidewalks and walkways that are maintained by the National Park Service and used by the public to access the museum, informing visitors of the report’s findings.

The signage will direct visitors to locations and resources presenting what the president deems accurate information regarding America’s history, according to the order.

The Smithsonian Institution did not return a request for comment by publication time.

The National Museum of American History, located in Washington, was originally named the National Museum of History and Technology when it was opened in January 1964. The museum was renamed in October 1980.

The museum’s collection includes more than 1.7 million objects representing the nation’s heritage in the areas of science, technology, society, and culture, according to its website.

Anthea Hartig, director of the National Museum of American History, defended the museum during a July 21 congressional hearing, saying its work is guided by the Smithsonian’s standards of scholarship and independence.

“The museum does not take sides in America’s political debates,” Hartig said. “We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all of its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions.”

The White House report followed Trump’s March 2025 executive order directing the Interior Department to ensure that public monuments “do not contain descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”

The report said the museum has not established any exhibit specifically dedicated to the Founding Fathers, the Second Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolutionary War, or the nation’s path to independence and the establishment of constitutional rule of law.

“Our central finding is not that the museum has simply added overlooked stories, corrected perceived errors, or broadened its historical scope,” the report stated.

“Rather, it is that museum leadership has explicitly adopted an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens.”

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 16:20

Private Forecasters Warn "New Heat Event" Will Target US East Coast

Folks across the Mid-Atlantic are enjoying a welcome stretch of mild weather today, with temperatures in the 70s following several rounds of extreme heat earlier this month that sent temperatures into the 90s and even into the triple digits. Enjoy the comfortable nights in the 60s and low 70s over the next few days, because another heat wave is already on the horizon.

"New heat event potentially targets East Coast Aug 5-7," private forecaster Commodity Wx Group wrote on X.

New heat event potentially targets East Coast Aug 5-7. pic.twitter.com/GTwfR5pVrY

— Commodity Wx Group (@commoditywx) July 24, 2026

Bloomberg forecast data show temperatures beginning to climb by the middle of next week, with highs peaking in the mid-to-upper 90s during the first week of August. The incoming heat wave is not expected to match the intensity of the two earlier this month, when temperatures surged well into the triple digits.

Notably, temperatures in the Lower 48 have reached their seasonal peak and will begin trending downward.

Peak summer is a welcome relief for customers across the PJM grid, who are facing some of the highest power costs in the nation.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/25/2026 - 15:45