'War Industry' Silenced Democrat Opposition On Iran Strikes: Sen. Murphy

A leading Democratic senator has offered a frank and rare explanation for why many in his party are disconnected from everyday Democratic voters when it comes to foreign policy, which for a brief spell during the Bush years was dubbed 'anti-war'—a platform which pretty much disappeared during the Obama years and later Biden admin.

Senator Chris Murphy was on MSNBC this week to talk about President Trump's strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, which was not so much as debated much less formally approved by Congress. Murphy pointed out to Chris Hayes that an overwhelming 87% of Democrats expressed disapproval, according to a recent poll, and that 56% of Americans overall opposed the military action.

Source: Reuters

"I gotta say, if you just looked at elected Democratic members of Congress I don’t think you would think the voting members of the party were as overwhelmingly against this strike as they are compared to the people they send to go represent them in Congress," Hayes told Murphy in the Tuesday interview, asking, "Do you feel like there's a pretty big distance on these kinds of issues, between Democratic voters and democratic electeds?"

"I mean yes," Murphy responded without hesitation. "That's because, listen, there is a war industry in this town. There just is. There's a lot of people who make money off of war.

"The military, I love them, they're capable. But they are always way overly optimistic about what they can do," the senator added.

"So the American people get it," Murphy then said. "This town, you know, has, like I said, a degree of optimism and hubris about military action that is derivative of the fact that the war industry spends a lot of money here in Washington telling us that the guns and the tanks and the planes can solve all of our problems." Watch:

Murphy noted at one point the American public are increasingly aware of the fact that US military interventions from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan to Yemen—have consistently failed to produce 'success' and instead have sown instability and blowback.

We should add that the decade-long plus proxy war in Syria has also continued destabilizing the Mideast region, and with a supposedly 'former' Al-Qaeda leader (Jolani) now in charge. Libya too still lies in shambles and fragment, amid two competing governments at war, following the 2011 regime change war against Gaddafi by US-NATO.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 19:40

The Legitimacy Of South Korea's Election Called Into Question

Authored by Mina Kim via AmericanGreatness.com,

South Korea held its presidential election on June 3. The leader of the left-wing Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, was declared the winner with 49.42% of the vote over the right-wing People’s Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo. There are valid reasons for both Koreans and Americans to question whether this was a truly free and fair election.

There are numerous instances of suspected fraud and strong reasons to believe that the electronic voting system administered by Korea’s National Election Commission (NEC) was subject to interference by South Korean actors, North Korea, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Four profound problems with this election call its legitimacy into question.

First, the NEC operates with complete opacity and lacks accountability, raising the critical question: “Who guards the guardians of the election?” The NEC is not subject to oversight by the South Korean National Assembly, the president, or the media. Accordingly, it is impossible to accept this result with the fidelity necessary to merit the declaration that this was an open and transparent election. The election system is vulnerable to cyber intrusion, as was demonstrated in 2023, when the National Intelligence Service successfully breached it as part of a white-hat operation to test the system’s security. The PRC and North Korea have formidable cyber capabilities and a great interest in the outcome of the election to ensure the victory of their preferred candidate, Lee. If the NEC were open and accountable, there would be stronger grounds for international confidence in the election results. As it stands, however, serious concerns remain about whether the election was truly free and fair.

Second, there was a great disparity between early voting and election-day voting results. Lee received 37.96% of the election-day vote (June 3) but only 63.72% in early voting (held from May 26 to May 30). Kim won 53% on election day but only 26.44% in early voting. Their total vote shares were 49.42% and 41.15%, respectively. Kim won election day votes by 15%; he lost the early vote by more than 37 points, resulting in an overall defeat by 8.27 points. A disparity of up to 27.28 points between two voting periods just days apart, involving the same electorate, is a statistical anomaly seldom seen in democratic elections.

Third, exit polls conducted by South Korea’s main traditional media broadcasters overstated support for Lee and understated support for Kim, with even greater discrepancies when compared to election day votes alone. These exit polls were released just before the counting began, heavily influencing public perception and potentially affecting voter behavior. Broadcasters and the NEC must disclose their methodologies, respondent samples, and statistical processing methods, as transparency is essential to ensuring free and fair elections.

Fourth, numerous web postings, videos, photographs, and field reports from civic observers and watchdog groups revealed consistent patterns across the country. Notable allegations include inflated official turnout figures, tampering with or obstruction of ballot seals, pristine unfolded ballots that suggest ballot pre-stuffing, suspected instances of duplicate voting and false identification, and reports of CCTV being disabled or observers being obstructed. These issues point to potential systemic flaws or coordinated interference in the electoral process. The NEC should initiate immediate and independent investigations into these credible reports.

Democracy depends on free and fair elections. That is the ground truth of South Korean democracy, just as it is for the United States. Just as sunlight is the best disinfectant, openness and transparency are essential conditions for any commission entrusted with the enormous responsibility of conducting an election, ensuring that it is free and fair, and ensuring that malevolent actors like North Korea and the PRC do not exert influence or manipulate the outcome.

When official election commissions lack transparency and dismiss legitimate concerns as mere “conspiracy theories,” public confidence in electoral integrity is undermined. In such cases, the international community must focus on protecting those intrepid individual whistleblowers, concerned citizens, and others who call attention to corruption and violations of law.

The U.S. suffered about 140,000 killed and wounded during the Korean War, while South Korea endured about 600,000 casualties. Built on that foundation of sacrifice, the ROK-U.S. alliance has remained strong and prosperous.

In a dangerous world—where surrounding nations seek to undermine this great alliance—free, fair, and transparent elections are not only the first line of defense against such threats but also what distinguishes the ROK from those tyrannical regimes.

South Korea won its freedom at tremendous cost and with the strong support of its ally, the United States.

Election integrity is essential for sustaining that freedom.

The international community must come together to ensure that this free nation can continue to defend its liberty, as South Korea’s freedom stands as a decisive geopolitical force in safeguarding the liberal order in East Asia.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 19:15

More Fetal Losses Than Expected After Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccination In Israel: Study

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

A higher-than-expected number of miscarriages and other forms of fetal loss were associated with COVID-19 vaccinations in Israel, a new study has revealed.

A medic prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Netanya, Israel, on Jan. 5, 2022. Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

Researchers found 13 fetal losses—four more than the nine expected—for every 100 pregnant women who received a COVID-19 vaccine during weeks eight to 13 in pregnancy, according to the study, which was published as a preprint on the medRxiv server.

Most people in Israel, including pregnant women, received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Pfizer did not respond by publication time to a request for comment.

The team behind the study includes Retsef Levi, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher who was recently named to the committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines, and Dr. Tracy Hoeg, who works for the Food and Drug Administration.

The researchers analyzed electronic health records from Maccabi Healthcare Services, one of four organizations that provide health care to Israelis. They looked at 226,395 pregnancies that occurred between March 1, 2016, and Feb. 28, 2022. The primary analysis looked at fetal loss for pregnant women after dose one or dose three of a COVID-19 vaccine, with fetal loss including miscarriage, abortion, and stillbirth.

The researchers came up with an expected number of fetal losses based on a model that drew from data before the COVID-19 pandemic, then compared the expected number of fetal losses with those that occurred from week eight of pregnancy onward.

They identified 13,214 fetal losses after the COVID-19 pandemic started, compared with 12,846 fetal losses in the reference period, finding that women who received a COVID-19 vaccine during weeks eight to 13 in pregnancy experienced a higher-than-expected number of fetal losses.

“If you believe this result ... every 100 women that you would vaccinate during weeks eight to 13, you are going to see close to four additional fetal losses,” Levi told The Epoch Times.

The researchers cautioned that more information is required to say for sure that the vaccines cause fetal losses.

They also noted that when they carried out the same analysis for pregnant women who received a COVID-19 vaccine during weeks 14 to 27, the number of fetal losses was lower than expected.

An additional analysis of pregnant women who received an influenza vaccine from March 1, 2018, to Feb. 28, 2019, also found a lower-than-expected number of fetal losses.

The researchers said those results could stem from what is known as healthy vaccine bias—the data could be skewed because people who receive vaccines are typically healthier than those who do not.

Maccabi Healthcare Services did not return an inquiry by publication time. Dr. Yaakov Segal, head of obstetrics and gynecology medicine at the organization, is one of the paper’s co-authors.

Israel’s Ministry of Health and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which encourages pregnant women to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in any trimester, did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.

“Generally, medical advice to pregnant women follows the precautionary principle and is based on sound and careful research,” Josh Guetzkow, researcher with Hebrew University of Jerusalem and another study co-author, told The Epoch Times via email. “Our study shows just how irresponsible it was for our health authorities to abandon these core principles.”

COVID-19 vaccination was recommended for pregnant women in Israel and the United States early in the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the clinical trials for the vaccines excluded pregnant women.

Moderna’s clinical trial for pregnant women was ultimately terminated, while Pfizer ended its trial early after enrolling just 175 women. The latter found slightly lower COVID-19 incidence among the vaccinated when compared with those who received a placebo.

Some observational studies have determined that pregnant women benefit from COVID-19 vaccination.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently narrowed its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and no longer advises COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.

The new paper was published as a preprint, without peer review. Levi said the paper had been rejected by two journals, and the authors decided that the implications were too important to continue to not release it to the public.

Guetzkow said the researchers are going to keep trying to get the paper published by a journal.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 18:25

Big Data Centers Are Booming, But Secret Deals Draw Local Opposition

Authored by John Haughey via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

From Georgia to Oregon, New England to New Mexico, data center projects are drawing opposition in local government hearings by residents concerned about the voracious demand for electricity, water consumption, and noise. Critics also argue that data centers don’t produce the jobs other land uses generate.

In an aerial view, the IAD71 Amazon Web Services data center is seen in Ashburn, Va., on July 17, 2024. Northern Virginia is the world’s largest and fastest-growing data center market, with Ashburn known as “Data Center Alley” for its dense cluster of facilities. But rising concerns over energy use and land availability have sparked debate among local communities. Nathan Howard/Getty Images

In Texas, people in small towns question data center development in the broader context of rapid rural industrialization.

In Pennsylvania, ad hoc groups say data centers are tapping into nearby natural gas fields, increasing the frequency of fracking, and straining water supplies.

In Indiana, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, and across the country, residents say the scale and proximity of these high-tech campuses degrade their neighborhoods and devalue properties.

Objections vary, depending on proposal and site, but a common complaint is state and local governments offering data center projects tax incentives that are often shielded from public scrutiny through nondisclosure agreements.

Companies say these pacts shield proprietary corporate intelligence, but the perceived lack of transparency fosters suspicion and anger when residents realize local planners are set to approve a proposal they knew little to nothing about until it appeared to be a done deal.

“Just from our experience, it seems like one of the big concerns is that, yeah, there is no community outreach,” Kamil Cook, Public Citizen’s Texas climate and clean energy associate, told the Epoch Times. “There’s no method by which the community can be informed in a way that actually makes it seem like their voice is valued and that they have a choice in these matters.”

Much of this local opposition appears rooted in the complaint that people “weren’t informed to begin with, were ignored at some point,” said Joe Warnimont, who co-authored a February HostingAdvice.com survey. The survey of 800 people in 16 states found that 93 percent agreed that “cutting-edge AI data centers are vital to the United States,” but only 35 percent want one in their town.

“The main insights are there is clearly a disconnect between what the local residents experience and what is being sold to these communities from developers,” Warnimont told The Epoch Times.

Protect PT executive director Gillian Graber said her western Pennsylvania nonprofit had no idea that planners in Westmoreland County’s Upper Burrell township were considering TECfusions’ bid to build a data center at a former Alcoa site, until reading a local newspaper article.

“We were, like, ‘What is this thing? What’s happening? What does that mean for the community in Upper Burrell?’” she told The Epoch Times.

Construction continues on phases three through five of a Facebook data center in Eagle Mountain, Utah, on Oct. 5, 2021. As artificial intelligence drives demand for greater data processing, data center projects nationwide are facing local pushback. George Frey/Getty Images

When residents contacted local planners and officials “early on” to get project details, they wouldn’t discuss specifics, or “they didn’t really seem to know a lot about it,” Graber said.

Protect PT, which stands for Protect Penn-Teller, was founded in Graber’s Harrison City living room a decade ago to challenge fracking and other industrial development some residents say are degrading the area’s environment, she said.

They haven’t won many battles, but they continue to show up.

“Like with everything we work on, it’s always larger corporations and large industries that come into rural communities and think they can just do whatever they want,” Graber said. “We don’t want to see that happen again ... but I see history repeating itself again, and again, and again.”

A cursory Facebook search finds dozens of ad hoc local groups with pages where similar claims are aired.

Texans in Granbury say “working-class residents living next to giant, loud, environmentally-destructive data centers are the ones paying the price for Texas’s crypto boom.” Minnesotans call on state legislators to impose more restrictions because “these developments are reshaping our communities.”

The 3,500 members of the Stop Duneland and Valpo/Wheeler Data Centers Facebook group in Indiana express frustration that a planning commission has threatened to waive public hearings on a proposed data center project. The page is rife with comments such as, “We have no voice anymore? Seems like that’s a dictatorship in my opinion.”

Tax Revenue Boon

The Data Center Coalition, which represents 36 “hyperscalers”—corporations including Meta, AWS, and Microsoft—and co-location companies that own data centers leased to operators, such as Equinix, acknowledged data center projects are drawing resistance in some areas, but noted most criticism is standard for any development proposal.

“I think that sometimes gets lost in media coverage,” Jon Hukill, communications director of the Washington-based coalition, told The Epoch Times. “Data centers want to be good neighbors. They communicate with HOAs [home owners associations] and citizens and local and state governments before, during, and after the permitting process.”

“The data center industry is not monolithic. There are a wide variety of companies,” Hukill said.

Data centers are expensive to build and plan to be operating in a community for many years, he said, so developers and operators strictly follow laws, zoning, and land-use regulations.

Read the rest here...

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 17:40

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Could Soon Become A World Traveler (Again)

Federal prosecutors informed a judge earlier today that they intend to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia—an illegal alien and suspected human trafficker—again, following his imminent release from a Tennessee jail, this time to a country other than El Salvador. In response, his attorneys urgently petitioned a federal judge in Maryland to order his transfer back to the far-left sanctuary state, where his wife is suing the Trump administration over what they claim was a wrongful deportation in March.

AP News reports that U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes ruled that Kilmar Abrego Garcia has the right to be released while awaiting trial. However, she decided to keep him in custody for several more days due to concerns that immigration agents might attempt to deport him before legal proceedings concluded.

Federal immigration agents are preparing to deport the illegal alien to an as-yet-unidentified "third country"—a continuation of the Trump administration's broader mission to restore national security in the Homeland after the Biden-Harris regime facilitated a mass illegal alien invasion.

Garcia could soon become a world traveler, jet-setting to Libya, South Sudan, or another third-world country destination. This follows his recent deportation to El Salvador, where he spent time in the notorious Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) before being flown back to the U.S. to face federal human trafficking charges.

BREAKING: We just got our hands on the bodycam footage of the “Maryland dad.” Kilmar Abrego Garcia was a suspect in a human trafficking operation in 2022. WATCH WHAT HAPPENED… pic.twitter.com/Cot5ZHTUGz

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) May 2, 2025

"If this Court does not act swiftly, then the Government is likely to whisk Abrego Garcia away to some place far from Maryland," Abrego Garcia's attorneys wrote in their request to Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland. 

"Our plan is that he will be taken into ICE custody and removal proceedings will be initiated," Jonathan Guynn, a deputy assistant attorney general at the Department of Juice's civil division, told the court.

"To El Salvador or a third country?" Judge Xinis asked.

He responded: "To a third country is my understanding." 

In mid-April, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) traveled—on likely the taxpayers' dime—to visit Garcia at what appeared to be a resort-like facility. A widely circulated image of Van Hollen alongside the illegal alien and suspected gang member gave the impression they were casually sipping margaritas. 

Kilmar Abrego Garcia had a history of violence and was not the upstanding “Maryland Man” the media has portrayed him as.

According to court filings, Garcia’s wife sought a domestic violence restraining order against him, claiming he punched, scratched, and ripped off her shirt,… pic.twitter.com/FpSV0k3i90

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) April 16, 2025

The optics didn't sit well with some Maryland residents, who began questioning whether their senator's priorities lie with foreigners or with their own constituents. 

"He will get due process, but make no mistake about it. Abrego Garcia is back in the U.S., but it's no homecoming," Jonathan Turley penned in an opinion piece in Fox News earlier this month.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 17:20

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

Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us

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

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

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

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

I recently came across an article in the New York Times which explains the decline in western relationships in a way that is both hilarious and depressing. The essay is titled ‘Men, Where Have You Gone? Please Come Back’. The author (a 50-something woman from Chicago) recalls the old days of dating when men were easy targets for exploitation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recent surveys reveal that 63% of young men ages 18-29 are single. Around 30% of men have not been sexually active for a year or more. In 1980, 60% of adults were married by the age of 25. Today, only 20% are married by age 25. Men are exiting relationships and marriage at record pace, and because men are the initiators of relationships (men are biologically designed to take risks and pursue), women are starting to feel the pinch.

The latest data predicts that 45% of women ages of 25 to 44 will be single and childless by the year 2030, and not necessarily by choice. If a woman is single and childless by the time she reaches her mid-30s, her chances of creating a family drop exponentially along with her fertility.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 17:00

Homan Reveals ICE Rescuing Migrant Children Trafficked To Pedos Under Biden, Lives Apart From Wife Due To Death Threats

President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, revealed that ICE has rescued migrant children sex-trafficked under the Biden administration, while noting he’s been separated from his wife due to death threats tied to enforcing Trump’s immigration policies.

“There were 300,000 missing children under the last administration,” Homan told Miranda Devine’s “Pod Force One” podcast. "We rescued victims of sex trafficking [and] two weeks ago, we rescued a 14-year-old that was already pregnant, living with adult men.”

“We rescued some victims of forced labor. We found children working on ranches and chicken farms, not going to school, but enslaved labor in the United States of America,” Trump’s border czar continued.

“Some of the children we found [were] perfectly fine with their families. They just didn’t respond to call-ins [because they] didn’t want to face the consequences of immigration court,” he added.

ICE officers previously disclosed to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General that thousands of migrant children were handed over to non-family sponsors, with HHS releasing over 14,500 in 2023 and 9,600 in 2024 to unrelated individuals or distant relatives, according to the New York Post. Additionally, only 1,000 of 2,400 kids in one November 2023 week went to parents or legal guardians.

“Although these relatives may have been appropriately qualified, [one ICE officer] noted the UACs most at risk for trafficking or forced labor are those released to an unrelated sponsor,” an IG report said.

Homan also told Devine DNA testing showed up to 30% of supposed families were unrelated.

“A lot of parents paid a smuggling organization to bring their kids [over the border]. Some of these children were trafficked. We know HSI [Homeland Security Investigations] had several investigations where a child was rented by the criminal cartel to an adult male or female, crossed the border [and] when you’re done, you send the kid back [and] re-rent them,” Homan said.

Later in the interview, Homan told Devine that living apart from his wife due to death threats he has received.

Homan has revealed that he’s living away from his wife because of death threats he’s receiving.

“I spent a lot of time with my boys growing up, but as I got more and more — climbed the ladder of what I’ve done with ICE director and now back — I don’t see my family very much,” Homan said. “My wife’s living separately from me right now, mainly because I worked for many hours, but mostly because of the death threats against me.

“She’s someplace else. I see her as much as I can, but the death threats against me and my family are outrageous,” he added.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 16:40

 

“One of the most bullish things that can happen to any market is for it to reach new multi-year highs.“   Bloomberg, March 5, 2014

 

Markets closed at a new all-time high today.

The usual suspects have already proffered their litany of horrors – valuations are too high, gains are too narrow, we havbe market concentrated and a toppy feel, to say nothing about all of the new geopolitical risks that continue to accumulate in tariffs war and oil prices.

The problem is that the data simply does not back up their fears:

“Consider the actual historical data. New highs occur very regularly during bull markets. This makes the crash insistency much less compelling. Indeed, we tend to see many more new highs during the secular bull markets than we do during the bear cycles.”

A column I wrote for Bloomberg in 2014 pointed out that the Dow made 492 new all-time highs from 1982-1999; in the 12 years covering 1952 to 1965, it made 279. Admittedly, the last all-time high always takes place before a bear market. But the data shows that if you invest during all time highs, you do better than you would if you’re investing randomly on any other day in a market cycle (see chart at top).

You might be wondering when to skip an all time high, but making that bet seems like a fool’s errand. Note we were having this same discussion 11 years ago; consider howe disastrous selling the 2014 all-time highs 9pandemic and all) would have been.

Yes, it’s true: To avoid that very last all time high, the 479th ATH, you would have had a miss a substantial number of the 478 prior highs that preceded it over the prior 16 years or so.

That seems like a terrible bet to me…

 

 

Previously:
No, Market Highs Are Not a Bad Sign (March 5, 2014)

 

See also:
All-Time Highs in the Stock Market are Usually Followed by More All-Time Highs (A Wealth of Common Sense, February 8, 2024)

Nothing is More Bullish than All-Time Highs (The Irrelevant Investor, February 03, 2024)

Should You Buy An All-Time High? (Dollars & Data December 29, 2020)

 

 

The post All Time Highs Are Bullish appeared first on The Big Picture.

Hollowed Out

Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog,

The status quo has pushed everything to an extreme of hollowed-out instability to maintain a superficial appearance of normalcy and stability. But it's all fake.

The phrase that best describes the present era is hollowed out. By hollowed out I mean the exterior facade still looks pretty much the same as it did in the past, but the internal structure has corroded / eroded to the point that little remains of what provided strength and stability. What's left is the illusion of stability.

Our spectacles have been hollowed out, lifeless, rote repeats of past performances, reduced to unintentional parodies of what was once vibrant.

Our entertainment has been hollowed out, dominated by remakes, retreads, threadbare extensions of tent-pole franchises and sound-alike songs.

Even our outrage has been hollowed out, perfunctory displays phoned in from afar, as we all know outrage has been exhausted along with everything else.

Our "innovation" has been hollowed out, with toys such as flying motorcycles and self-driving taxis presented as "solutions" to phantom "problems," "solutions" that boil down to hype, clickbait or another reach for higher corporate profits. The most visible result of AI is AI Slop:

AI Slop: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (29 min) (via Richard M.)

Our incentives have been hollowed out, leaving only the most perverse extremes. The motivation to flood social media with AI Slop is the faint hope of creating a viral link that earns a pittance for the AI Slopper.

Our realm of romance has been hollowed out, leaving a hellscape of dating sites and the wreckage left by ubiquitous online porn.

Our food has been hollowed out, ultra-processed slop remorselessly worked into "new" "innovative" products that are parodies of quality and innovation: you've just got to try the new jalapeno-yuzu-crawfish bagel...

Our politics have been hollowed out, with the only useful reform--requiring politicians to wear the logos of their corporate campaign donors--nixed because it would have made obvious what everyone knows: politics is now an open auction for favors and influence.

It would be far more honest if we conducted the passage of congressional bills as open auctions on eBay for all to bid and all to see: Buy Now for only $500,000: a tax break hidden deep inside the untouchable Defense Appropriations Bill.

Our economy has been hollowed out in virtually every sector, from Higher Education to Healthcare to housing. Much of what passes for "growth" is either waste (BS work, planned obsolescence, fraud), statistical trickery or artificial stimulus.

The shell remains standing but it now requires massive injections of borrowed money to prop up the rotted facade. Consider Higher Education. Before it was hollowed out, millions of college students were educated without needing to enter debt-serfdom to pay tuition and fees. As this chart shows, student loans were zero in 1993.

Now there's $1.5 trillion in student loans. The number of administrators quadrupled, while federal legislation made student debt the one form of debt that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy, effectively legalizing debt-serfdom.

The Higher Ed / student loan industry's relentless hype machine drummed the idea that doom awaited any young person without a university degree, or better yet, a graduate degree or MBA. The net result, as we all know, is a vast over-supply of MBAs, graduates of law schools and computer programmers, all fields currently being decimated as AI tools do to white-collar work what industrial robots did to blue-collar factory work.

Meanwhile, back in the real economy, the nation has a severe shortage of skilled trade workers--yup, the kind of work denigrated by the "you gotta go to college" machine. Yes, the kind of work AI and robots can't do: What AI Can't Do Faster, Better, or Cheaper Than Humans (June 2, 2025)

The housing and mortgage sectors have also been hollowed out, creating overpriced facades propped up by $2+ trillion in Federal Reserve purchases of mortgage-backed securities (MBS). How did millions of households manage to buy homes from 1946 to 2001 without the Fed nationalizing the mortgage sector and inflating one housing bubble after another in the process?

Private-equity and corporations with bottomless credit lines courtesy of the Fed have feasted on housing, pushing valuations to extremes of unaffordability while jacking rents to the stratosphere to maximize shareholder value at the expense of the workforce.

The status quo has pushed us into extremes of hollowed-out instability to maintain a superficial appearance of normalcy and stability. But it's all fake. If Higher Education now requires students to become debt-serfs, that is not a system worth propping up. It should be allowed to be obsoleted by much more effective and cheaper alternatives, for example what I proposed 13 years ago in my book The Nearly Free University and the Emerging Economy.

Everything has been hollowed out by insiders being enriched by a system that must be propped up with trillions in borrowed money lest it collapse under its own bloated weight. Insiders, grifters and apologists always trot out rationales which boil down to transparent self-serving excuses cloaked by piteous bleating. Garsh, it wasn't our greed, it was a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon...

Now that everything's been hollowed out, nobody is accountable or takes responsibility for any of it. Disconnecting self-serving greed from consequences is the key dynamic in hollowing out once-functional institutions and sectors.

Our experience of the real world has been hollowed out, too, something I explore in my new book Ultra-Processed Life, which is available at a 25% discount (ebook edition) and 19% discount (print edition) through Friday, June 27.

*  *  *

Become a $3/month patron of my work via patreon.com.

Subscribe to my Substack for free

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 16:20

New Texas Law Prevents Land Sales To CCP Members

Authored by Dorothy Li via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

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

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks with the Jewish Republican Coalition in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 5, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Gov. Greg Abbott announced on June 23 that he signed Senate Bill 17 into law, restricting the foreign ownership of residential property, agricultural land, mineral deposits, and water rights across Texas.

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

With the new law, Texas is joining a growing number of states that regulate foreign ownership of their land. From January 2023 to July 2024, a total of 22 states have enacted similar laws limiting or banning foreign ownership of land, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service released in August 2024.

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

“I believe that, from the very bottom of my heart, we are protecting our land and our minerals,” the Republican senator said at a press conference on May 31 following the bill’s passage in the Texas Legislature.

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

In November 2022, Kolkhorst first introduced the bill, which was killed in the state’s lower chamber at the time.

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

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

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

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

The bill passed in the state Senate by a vote of 25–6 on May 30, a day after receiving approval from the House with an 85–57 vote.

Among the four targeted nations—which collectively hold less than 1 percent of total foreign-held agricultural land—investors from China own the most U.S. forest land and farmland at 277,336 acres, according to the Department of Agriculture’s most recent report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 15:45

What this means: On a weekly basis, Realtor.com reports the year-over-year change in active inventory and new listings. On a monthly basis, they report total inventory. For May, Realtor.com reported inventory was up 31.5% YoY, but still down 14.4% compared to the 2017 to 2019 same month levels. 
Here is their weekly report: Weekly Housing Trends: Latest Data as of June 21

• Active inventory climbed 27.5% year over year

The number of homes actively for sale remains on a strong upward trajectory, now 27.5% higher than this time last year. This represents the 85th consecutive week of annual gains in inventory. There were more than 1 million homes for sale again last week, marking the eighth week in a row over the threshold and the highest inventory level since December 2019.

• New listings—a measure of sellers putting homes up for sale—rose 3.5% year over year

New listings rose again last week on an annual basis, up 3.5% compared with the same period last year. ... This will be an important trend to watch, especially as regional real estate dynamics diverge and the market gradually shifts back in favor of buyers.

• The median list price was up 0.9% year over year

The median list price climbed again this week, but it’s still down 0.3% year to date. The median list price per square foot—which adjusts for changes in home size—rose 0.7% year over year. With inventory growing and 1 in 5 sellers slashing prices, the pendulum is swinging back toward a balanced market, as price growth slows and buyers gain more leverage.

With inventory climbing, and sales depressed, months-of-supply is at the highest level since 2016 (excluding the start of pandemic) putting downward pressure on house prices in an increasing number of areas.

Trump Demands Cancelation Of 'Hero' Netanyahu's Graft Trial: 'US Saved Israel, Now It's Going To Save Bibi'

Despite earlier reporting during Trump's opening months in office to the contrary, the US President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now seem closer than ever. They are partners in war, and now apparently partners in looking out for each other in legal cases.

In something unprecedented, Trump has issued a statement being viewed as a brazen attempt to intervene in Israel's judicial system, at a moment that a high court cross-examination of Netanyahu is set to resume after it was paused due to the judiciary operating in emergency mode during the war with Iran.

Trump wrote on Truth Social: "BREAKING NEWS… I was shocked to hear that the State of Israel, which has just had one of its Greatest Moments in History, and is strongly led by Bibi Netanyahu, is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister!"

The lengthy post described that he and Netanyahu "just went through HELL together, fighting a very tough and brilliant longtime enemy of Israel, Iran, and Bibi could not have been better, sharper, or stronger in his LOVE for the incredible Holy Land."

"Anybody else would have suffered losses, embarrassment, and chaos! Bibi Netanyahu was a WARRIOR, like perhaps no other Warrior in the History of Israel," Trump claimed further. "The result was something that nobody thought was possible, a complete elimination of potentially one of the biggest and most powerful Nuclear Weapons anywhere in the World, and it was going to happen, SOON! We were fighting, literally, for the Survival of Israel, and there is nobody in Israel’s History that fought harder or more competently than Bibi Netanyahu."

The Netanyahu trial goes back to 2020, and Trump further called the whole saga "politically motivated" and asserted that the prime minister been through a "Horror Show".

"Such a WITCH HUNT, for a man who has given so much, is unthinkable to me," Trump further wrote. "Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State."

The trial focuses on three corruption cases - including charges of fraud and breach of trust, as well as charges of bribery. The allegations range from illegally receiving expensive gifts based on political favors, to quid pro quo agreements with some Israeli media sources for more favorable coverage, to authorizing telecom-related regulatory decisions to benefit friends and allies.

Trump's very strong words on the case have caused alarm in Israel due especially to how much foreign aid and military assistance Washington has historically given Israel.

Told @piersmorgan that Netanyahu was very upset about Trump forcing a ceasefire on him because after finally having succeeded in getting the US into war with Iran, he was hoping the US would keep attacking Iran for some time rather than cutting it short after only one attack. pic.twitter.com/XBQc662AfA

— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) June 26, 2025

Such direct pressure by the sitting US president could cause judicial decision makers to soften their approach and thus impartiality, many fear. It also will certainly create unease among Netanyahu's political opposition, to say the least.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 15:25

The Next Energy Revolution Is Coming. Is The DOE Ready?

Authored by Drew Bond via RealClearEnergy,

The last energy revolution that changed the world — natural gas fracking — happened in part thanks to the Department of Energy (DOE). Early R&D funding, support for horizontal drilling, and key public-private partnerships helped fracking get off the ground and turn America into an energy powerhouse.

Now, we are on the cusp of another energy revolution, this time focused on the clean technologies of advanced nuclear, geothermal, natural hydrogen, and fusion. Fortunately, the United States is rich in these energy resources. The challenge with these technologies isn’t a lack of supply; it’s the speed and scale at which we can bring this energy online. 

American innovators and entrepreneurs are ready to deliver solutions, but outdated bureaucracy and inefficiency within the DOE threaten to delay progress. With a leader like Secretary Chris Wright, who brings real-world experience from the private sector, the DOE has an opportunity to once again become a force multiplier for energy innovation — if it embraces smart, structural reforms.

Here’s where the DOE can start.

1. Streamline Contracting and Applications

The DOE’s current application and contracting process is burdensome and redundant. Companies often face unnecessary delays just trying to navigate paperwork, such as being required to secure community benefits agreements or labor partnerships before the technology in question is even commercially viable. To make matters worse, organizations must submit separate applications for each DOE program or office, even when pursuing similar goals.

The DOE can address this issue by standardizing applications across the department, eliminating duplicative requirements, and leveraging modern tools like AI to automate non-critical aspects of the process. These changes would increase efficiency, lower barriers to new entrants, and accelerate the introduction of transformative technologies to market.

2. Cut NEPA Red Tape — Where DOE Has Authority

While protecting the environment and holding polluters accountable is an essential role for the government, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has been weaponized to stall or block critical energy projects. While the DOE does not have full control over NEPA’s broader structure, and Congress should seriously consider repealing this outdated law, DOE does have discretion over how NEPA is applied to its programs and supported projects.

One key opportunity is for DOE to expand the use of categorical exclusions — designations for projects that do not significantly impact the environment and therefore do not require full-scale environmental assessments. This is especially important for new energy technologies that haven’t yet reached commercial scale or environmental risk.

DOE can also streamline internal review timelines, accelerate grant negotiations, and release funding as soon as projects meet agreed-upon milestones. These kinds of administrative reforms are entirely within DOE’s control and could make a real difference in the pace of deployment.

3. Focus on Acceleration, Not Picking Winners and Losers

DOE should not be in the business of picking technological winners and losers. The private sector is far better suited to determine what solutions work best in the real world. The federal government should not also be financing projects that can secure private financing. What the DOE should do, however, is utilize its considerable resources, such as the Loan Programs Office, to bridge funding gaps and accelerate promising technologies to market on a global scale.

This means supporting a diverse range of innovations — from next-generation nuclear to long-duration storage and advanced grid software — not because of ideological preferences, but because we need all of the above to meet growing demand. The key is to level the playing field, provide support where market gaps exist, and let the best technologies rise to the top based on merit and scalability.

4. Support Transparency and Talent

DOE should publicly track and report application processing times to hold itself accountable. Additionally, it should foster a culture of excellence by rewarding employees based on talent and performance, rather than just tenure. Reform should also include the ability to swiftly remove employees who consistently undercut the department’s mission of advancing U.S. energy leadership.

The next energy revolution won’t be unleashed because of a single reform. But together, these changes would transform the Department of Energy from a slow-moving bureaucracy into a dynamic catalyst for American energy innovation.

The private sector is ready. The resources are available. With the right reforms, DOE can help unlock the full potential of American energy, reasserting our leadership at a time when energy security, economic growth, and technological competitiveness depend on it. The time to act is now.

Drew Bond is the Co-Founder, President & CEO of C3 Solutions. 

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 15:05

DOGE'd? IRS Sheds 26% Of Staff As Federal Workforce Pared Down

Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,

A new report from the head of the IRS’s Taxpayer Advocate Service shows that the agency has lost more than one-quarter of its workforce since President Donald Trump assumed office.

The overhaul is consistent with the administration’s effort to slim down the federal government, but it raises questions about the agency’s readiness for the 2026 tax season.

According to the June 25 report, the IRS workforce has dropped from 102,113 employees to 75,702 since January—a roughly 26 percent reduction. The majority of those departures came through voluntary exit programs rolled out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump administration initiative to shrink the federal workforce, boost bureaucratic efficiency, and reduce deficits.

Of the 26,411 employees who left the agency since Jan. 25, more than 17,500 took buyouts through the DOGE-related “fork in the road” resignation offer, formally known as the Deferred Resignation Program.

Another 1,475 exited through early retirement or voluntary separation incentives, while nearly 3,000 departed through standard attrition such as resignation, termination, or death.

National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins, who heads the Taxpayer Advocate Service, which produced the report, praised the IRS for delivering one of its smoothest filing seasons in recent memory this year. But she warned that the sharp reduction in personnel—particularly in areas such as taxpayer services, IT, and small business operations—could strain the agency in the year ahead.

“The 2025 filing season was one of the most successful filing seasons in recent memory,” Collins said in a statement. “But with the IRS workforce reduced by 26 [percent] and significant tax law changes on the horizon, there are risks to next year’s filing season. It is critical that the IRS begin to take steps now to prepare.”

The report noted that many of the agency’s most experienced leaders were among those who left, compounding operational challenges. Some key preparatory steps—such as hiring and training seasonal workers—had yet to begin as of mid-year, raising concerns about potential gaps when the filing season opens in January 2026.

The staffing reductions are part of a broader Trump administration push to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. A February executive order called for a “critical transformation” of the civil service and instructed agencies to root out what it described as “waste, bloat, and insularity.”

A subsequent memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget laid out plans for deep workforce cuts across non-defense agencies.

Critics Assail Downsizing

While proponents of the downsizing initiative argue that it will foster a more efficient and accountable federal bureaucracy, critics say the cuts could hollow out government services.

“The IRS is underfunded, understaffed, and underappreciated,” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said at a June 25 Capitol Hill briefing on the Trump administration’s IRS cuts.

Former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen also criticized the downsizing, calling it “nonsensical” to weaken the agency responsible for collecting revenue needed to run the government—particularly amid calls for deficit reduction.

The watchdog report also flagged potential upcoming budgetary pressures. The Trump administration’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal calls for a 20 percent cut to IRS appropriations, and a total reduction of 37 percent when accounting for the expiration of Inflation Reduction Act funds, the report noted.

“A reduction of that magnitude is likely to impact taxpayers and potentially the revenue collected,” Collins wrote.

Collins urged the administration to lift its hiring freeze and grant direct hiring authority so that the IRS can bring on essential staff in time to prepare for next year’s tax filing season. Without swift action, she warned, taxpayers could face longer wait times, service delays, and greater frustration.

Looking ahead more broadly, the administration’s fiscal blueprint envisions cutting a net 107,000 jobs across non-defense agencies next year—a more than 7 percent reduction relative to current staffing levels. The proposed cuts include both executive actions that can be implemented without legislation and broader proposals that require congressional approval.

Actual reductions may be even steeper. Several agencies, including the Department of Defense, have announced planned cuts that were not included in the June budget documents. The White House has acknowledged that the published staffing figures “may not reflect all of the management and administrative actions underway or planned in federal agencies.”

Some of the Trump administration’s workforce reduction efforts have been challenged in court. Judges have blocked implementation of certain cuts, including downsizing initiatives at the State Department and the Department of Education.

Meanwhile, the latest government jobs report, released on June 6, shows that, since January, the federal government workforce is down by 59,000 workers. The federal government employed about 3 million people as of November 2024, according to USAFacts.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 14:25

Indian Politician Calls For Bitcoin Reserve Pilot As US Embraces Crypto

Authored by Ezra Reguerra via CoinTelegraph.com,

The national spokesperson for India’s ruling party called on the country to consider launching a Bitcoin reserve pilot, saying that it would be a strategic step toward economic resilience. 

In an article for India Today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the US strategic Bitcoin reserve and Bhutan’s state-led mining operations signal that global finance is shifting toward crypto. 

He added that India, with an expanding renewable energy infrastructure, is positioned to create a sovereign Bitcoin strategy.

“This isn’t a reckless pivot,” Bhandari wrote. “It’s a calculated step toward embracing digital assets’ legitimacy.”

Crypto assets are taxed but unregulated in India 

India’s crypto tax policy remains in limbo. Bhandari pointed out that in India, crypto is heavily taxed but unregulated.

The government has imposed a 30% flat rate tax on virtual digital assets (VDAs) like BTC and Ether. However, it has yet to establish a regulatory framework for digital currencies. 

Under Section 115BBH of the country’s Income Tax Act, profits from selling crypto are taxed at 30%. While purchase costs can be deducted, there are no provisions for other expenses or losses.

In addition, a 1% Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) applies to all crypto transactions above $115, deducted from either the buyer or seller. 

During India’s G20 presidency in 2023, Bhandari noted, the government helped coordinate a crypto working group with the International Monetary Fund. However, other nations are already racing ahead. 

Bhandari said that while recommendations will take their due course, jurisdictions like Russia, China, Brazil and other G20 nations led by the US are not pausing their crypto efforts to wait for a consensus.

He also cited the US government’s plan to expand its BTC reserves with budget-neutral purchases and pointed to three US states that already authorized Bitcoin as a reserve asset. 

Bhandari says Bitcoin reserve pilot could enable innovation

Bhandari said India’s path forward should include regulatory clarity, starting with a sovereign BTC reserve initiative.

He added that clear regulation could bring transparency and oversight to the emerging asset class and enable innovation while protecting investors. 

“India stands at a pivotal juncture,” Bhandari wrote. “A measured Bitcoin strategy —perhaps a reserve pilot — could strengthen economic resilience and project modernity.” 

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 13:45

Stellar 7Y Auction Stops Through After Jump In Foreign Demand

After two mixed coupon auctions this week (a solid 2Y, a subpar 5Y) moments ago the Treasury concluded the week's final coupon auction when it sold $44 billion in 7Y paper in a well-received sale.

The auction stopped at a high yield of 4.022%, down from 4.194% in May and the lowest since last September.  The auction also stopped 2bps thru the 4.024% When Issued, the second consecutive stop through in a row and 8th in the past 10 auctions.

The bid to cover was ugly: it dropped from 2.695 to 2.531, the lowest since August 2024 and obviously well below the six-auction average of 2.637.

The internals were most solid, with Indirects rising to 76.7%, up from 71.5% in May and the highest since December. And with Directs taking just 11.62%, the lowest since December's record low 2.85%, Dealers were left with 11.6%, up from May's record low of 4.85%.

Overall, this was a solid auction, arguably the best of the week, and one which came with yields across the curve already near session lows so there was little movement: the 10Y was down at 4.257% after the auction broke for trading, barely changed from where it was earlier. 

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 13:22

Trump Admin Will Encourage All Americans To Use Wearables, Says RFK Jr.

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will soon start a massive advertising blitz to encourage uptake of wearables such as fitness trackers among Americans, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on June 24.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 24, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

“We’re about to launch one of the biggest advertising campaigns in HHS history to encourage Americans to use wearables,” Kennedy said on Capitol Hill in Washington during a congressional hearing.

Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) spoke positively about what he described as innovative wellness tools and asked Kennedy to describe how the government is promoting access to such tools. Balderson noted that research suggests that increased patient engagement can result in improved health.

“It’s a way people can take control over their own health, they can take responsibility, they can see what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates, and a number of other metrics as they eat it, and they can begin to make good judgements about their diet, about their physical activity, about the way they live their lives,” Kennedy said.

“We think that wearables are a key to the MAHA agenda, Making America Healthy Again. My vision is that every American is wearing a wearable within four years.”

Balderson also asked about concerns over keeping data from wearables private. Kennedy declined to address that aspect of the matter.

In addition to his role as health secretary, Kennedy is chairman of the MAHA Commission, established by President Donald Trump to study ways to improve the health of Americans.

The commission, in its first report, published in May, only mentions wearables once. It says that electromagnetic radiation is “an exposure due to the proliferation of cell phones, WiFi routers, cell towers, and wearables,” with some studies linking exposure to the radiation to issues such as reduced sperm count.

Other research has found that wearable trackers can lead to skin irritation and other dermatologic problems, although many user issues were resolved, and they continued using the trackers.

Two divisions of HHS said separately in May that they would be utilizing information from wearables for research, trying to discern the causes of autism.

Kennedy said some of his friends have experienced profoundly positive impacts from wearables.

They “utterly changed their lives just from wearing a glucose meter,” he told members of Congress on Tuesday.

He then indicated that the administration is looking into making sure the costs of wearables are covered, bringing up the weight loss drug Ozempic.

“It’s a miraculous impact on health in our country,” he said. “It’s $80 a month, we’re exploring ways of making sure that those costs can be paid for. Ozempic is costing $1,300 a month. If you can achieve the same thing with an $80 wearable, it’s a great thing for the American people.”

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 13:00

Treasury Sanctions 3 Mexican Financial Institutions For Aiding Cartels In Fentanyl Trade; Sheinbaum Denies

Update (1100ET): Mexican President Sheinbaum has commented on the sanctions, denying any fraud and claiming the Mexican banking system is 'sound':

• *SHEINBAUM: NO EVIDENCE OF MONEY LAUNDERING IN MEXICAN BANKS

• *SHEINBAUM SAYS MEXICO ONLY FOUND ADMINISTRATIVE FLAWS IN BANKS

• *SHEINBAUM: MEXICO ASKED US TREASURY MONEY LAUNDERING EVIDENCE

• *SHEINBAUM: MEXICAN FINANCIAL SYSTEM SOUND, ACCUSED FIRMS SMALL

• *MEXICO TRANSFERS TO CHINA COS 'NOT MONEY LAUNDERING': SHEINBAUM

Just a coincidence?

*  *  *

As Naveen Athrappully detailed earlier via The Epoch Times, The Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) sanctioned three financial institutions based in Mexico for allegedly laundering money for cartels involved in the illegal trade of fentanyl, the Treasury said in a June 25 statement. The institutions are CIBanco S.A., Intercam Banco S.A., and Vector Casa de Bolsa S.A. de C.V.

CIBanco and Intercam are commercial banks with assets worth more than $7 billion and $4 billion, respectively. Vector is a brokerage company managing almost $11 billion in assets.

FinCEN has determined that the entities launder money in connection with illicit opioid trafficking, and have “collectively played a longstanding and vital role in laundering millions of dollars on behalf of Mexico-based cartels and facilitating payments for the procurement of precursor chemicals needed to produce fentanyl,” the statement said.

CIBanco facilitated illicit opioid trafficking by Mexican cartels such as Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Beltran-Leyva Cartel, and Gulf Cartel. Intercam was linked to CJNG, and Vector with the Sinaloa Cartel and Gulf Cartel, said the statement.

FinCEN said that between 2021 and 2024, CIBanco processed more than $2.1 million in payments from Mexico-based companies to entities in China that shipped precursor chemicals to Mexico. Intercam processed over $1.5 million during the same period.

As for Vector, the institution processed more than $1 million between 2018 and 2023.

The sanctions prohibit financial institutions in the United States from engaging in the transmission of funds from or to CIBanco, Intercam, or Vector. The prohibition also applies to any account or convertible virtual currency address administered by the three institutions.

In a June 25 statement, CIBanco said it does not maintain illegal business relationships. The bank “reiterates its compliance with all guidelines established by the competent authorities,” it said.

“CIBanco maintains constant communication with the relevant Mexican and U.S. authorities and reaffirms its full willingness to cooperate,” it said.

Intercam said they “categorically deny” any links between the institution and illicit activity, specifically money laundering, according to a June 25 statement. The institution reiterated its “firm commitment to transparency and legality.”

In a June 25 statement, Vector said it “categorically rejects any accusation that compromises its institutional integrity.” The institution has operated under strict rules, auditing, and supervision of national financial authorities, it said.

Illicit Transactions

In a June 25 statement, Mexico’s Ministry of Finance and Public Credit said it had asked the U.S. Treasury for evidence of CIBanco, Intercam, and Vector having links to illicit activities that could be corroborated by Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) or the National Banking and Securities Commission. “However, no substantiating information was received,” it said.

“The only information provided by the Treasury Department that Mexico can verify contains data on some wire transfers made through the aforementioned financial institutions to legally incorporated Chinese companies. However, thousands of these transactions are made through Mexican financial institutions.”

“The UIF found transactions made to these Chinese companies by more than 300 Mexican companies through 10 Mexican financial institutions. This is because Mexico has thousands of regular transactions with legally incorporated Chinese companies, with annual trade totaling $139 billion,” according to the statement.

The ministry clarified that if it receives “conclusive information” proving that CIBanco, Intercam, and Vector engaged in illicit activities, it will “act to the fullest extent of the law.” However, the ministry has not received any such information to date, it added.

According to the June 25 Treasury statement, the sanction orders against the Mexican financial institutions were made pursuant to the Fentanyl Sanctions Act and the FEND Off Fentanyl Act.

The two Acts provide the Treasury with additional powers to target money laundering linked with the trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. These are the first actions taken by FinCEN under the two Acts, according to the Treasury.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said that “financial facilitators like CIBanco, Intercam, and Vector are enabling the poisoning of countless Americans by moving money on behalf of cartels, making them vital cogs in the fentanyl supply chain.”

“Today’s actions affirm Treasury’s commitment to using all tools at our disposal to counter the threat posed by criminal and terrorist organizations trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics,” he said.

In a June 26 post on social media platform X, Bessent said both the United States and Mexico are committed to ensuring that financial systems have “strong anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism controls.”

China’s Long Game

In an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan on June 6, FBI Director Kash Patel said that China’s plan was to weaken the United States over the long term using the fentanyl crisis.

The Chinese Communist Party did not make much money off the drug trade by supplying precursor chemicals. The plan is to “take out generations of young men and women” who could have taken on jobs such as a police officer, a soldier, or a teacher, he said.

“That’s what they [China] are doing, when you wipe out tens of thousands of Americans a year. It’s a long-term plan for them,” he said.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were an estimated 48,422 deaths in the country involving synthetic opioid fentanyl in 2024.

The Chinese communist regime’s ongoing supply of illegal drugs to the United States was one of the reasons stated by the Trump administration for imposing 20 percent additional tariffs on Chinese imports earlier this year.

Following a recent trade agreement, China has announced new controls for two fentanyl precursors.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 12:20

Toxic Fallout: NC Lawmakers Face Fire Over Monsanto 'Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free' Provision

In a move that has ignited fierce backlash, North Carolina lawmakers attempted a “gut and stuff.” By inserting a last-minute "de facto immunity provision" into an unrelated House bill, agrochemical giants like Monsanto-Bayer will be given a free pass from accountability for its products linked to cancer and infertility, depending on what happens next. 

A highly controversial policy, Monsanto-Bayer has been seeking state level labeling exemptions amid bankruptcy exploration, as the company faces over 67,000 lawsuits nationwide for its product Round Up.

Lawmakers are trying to slip a de facto immunity provision into another bill! Don’t let them subvert the democratic process by skipping testimony and debate!! Agrochemical Corporations do not need a liability shield! Take a moment and send an email to the house! Link in comments pic.twitter.com/6WPP9vvoWt

— Alexandra Muñoz (@amtoxicology) June 25, 2025

The revelation, brought to light by molecular toxicologist Dr. Alexandra Muñoz, set off alarm bells among health advocates and concerned citizens alike, who quickly lit-up the phone lines. 

They are at it again today! Call, Share, and demand chemical companies be held accountable. No Immunity https://t.co/v9DwZ4ABJm

— Shawn Hendrix (@TheShawnHendrix) June 25, 2025

In a bipartisan vote [21-13], the House voted “Nay” to the gut and stuff amendment, passing the bill without the immunity language after the committee reconvened yesterday morning. 

According to Muñoz, this tactic aimed to circumvent the democratic process by skipping critical testimony and debate. 

Due to the fact that the North Carolina Senate already passed SB 401 - a version of the House bill with the immunity language - the Senate will now be faced with striking the language from its version, or going into overtime. 

Unlike basketball, the legislative form of OT is called a Conference Committee. Composed of House and Senate leadership, both chambers could face-off over which form of the bill to adopt during the conference. 

Given the 50/50 odds of a conference, opponents of the bill are calling on Senate leadership to drop its unpopular fight for Monsanto-Bayer. 

Muñoz's urgent call to action has mobilized constituents to flood legislative leadership with emails, as sources indicate a conference committee could be convened by the end of the week, unless the Senate agrees with the House. 

The stakes are high. Passing this bill would remove North Carolina residents’ right to sue for “failure to warn,” by asserting that federally regulated warning labels preempt state rights.

This type of legislative sleight of hand is part of a disturbing trend where industries seek to evade responsibility. Critics, like Dr. Meryl Nass, have pointed out the similarities to the 1986 National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program—another liability shield that's created far-reaching consequences.

Meanwhile, Monsanto-Bayer is hard at work attempting to expand federal preemption laws in D.C. A move that critics argue will undermine both legislative and judicial integrity, prioritizing corporate interests over public welfare. 

As the battle lines are drawn, the outcome of this legislative tug-of-war could have profound implications for the health and safety of North Carolinians and beyond. 

The question remains: will the voices of the people prevail, or will the agrochemical lobbyists silence them once again?

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/26/2025 - 12:00

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Inflation Adjusted House Prices 1.7% Below 2022 Peak

Excerpt:

It has been 19 years since the housing bubble peak, ancient history for many readers!

In the April Case-Shiller house price index released Tuesday, the seasonally adjusted National Index (SA), was reported as being 78% above the bubble peak in 2006. However, in real terms, the National index (SA) is about 11% above the bubble peak (and historically there has been an upward slope to real house prices). The composite 20, in real terms, is 2% above the bubble peak.

People usually graph nominal house prices, but it is also important to look at prices in real terms. As an example, if a house price was $300,000 in January 2010, the price would be $442,000 today adjusted for inflation (47% increase). That is why the second graph below is important - this shows "real" prices.

The third graph shows the price-to-rent ratio, and the fourth graph is the affordability index. The last graph shows the 5-year real return based on the Case-Shiller National Index.
...
The second graph shows the same two indexes in real terms (adjusted for inflation using CPI).

In real terms (using CPI), the National index is 1.7% below the recent peak, and the Composite 20 index is 1.8% below the recent peak in 2022.

Both the real National index and the Comp-20 index decreased in April.

It has now been 35 months since the real peak in house prices. Typically, after a sharp increase in prices, it takes a number of years for real prices to reach new highs (see House Prices: 7 Years in Purgatory)

There is much more in the article!