GOV/MIL Main "Great Reset" Thread

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjb9XEJZ0KI
1:29 min

The Fed launched a DIGITAL CURRENCY while YOU weren’t watching​

Glenn Beck

Nov 28, 2022
Right before Thanksgiving, our trusted leaders in D.C. did what they did best: They pushed forward controversial policies while YOU weren’t watching. In this clip, Glenn details how the Fed began its ‘Central Bank Digital Currency’ program last Wednesday afternoon, while Americans were busy preparing for the holidays. Plus, Glenn explains another, big decision the Biden administration made that very same day...

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8EIkgd55Nc
32:35 min

MASSIVE Protest Erupt In China Over Covid Lockdown, Protesters DEMAND END To Xi Jinping Reign​

Tim Pool
3 hours ago
MASSIVE Protest Erupt In China Over Covid Lockdown, Protesters DEMAND END To Xi Jinping Reign. Biden and The White House Condemned Chinese crackdown on protests. …

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHAq5s2EWC8
5:39 min

They Lied About Black Friday ( Crazy Truth To Come Out )​

The Economic Ninja
3 hours ago

(Black Friday was a bust - no crowds)

^^^^^

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsszvlhl5lY
32:51 min

Protests In China Are Not What You Think​

The Economic Ninja
Streamed 9 hours ago

(No summary given. He does talk about the lockdown but then goes into CIPS and their gold-backed yuan and the BRICS+ initiative. China is preparing for a transformation in the global trade system.)

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

Sen. Mitch McConnell got some financial help from FTX

One of the things revealed when FTX, a huge cryptocurrency exchange, collapsed is that its owner, Sam Bankman-Fried, was a major Democrat party donor. Not long after, we learned that he also donated money to House minority leader Kevin McC...

www.americanthinker.com

November 28, 2022

Sen. Mitch McConnell got some financial help from FTX​

By Andrea Widburg


One of the things revealed when FTX, a huge cryptocurrency exchange, collapsed is that its owner, Sam Bankman-Fried, was a major Democrat party donor. Not long after, we learned that he also donated money to House minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who used that money to defeat MAGA candidates. Now news has broken that FTX also donated to a super-PAC associated with Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who's also been no friend to the MAGA movement.
In 2020 and 2022, Sam Bankman-Fried, following in his mother's footsteps, was incredibly generous to Biden and the Democrat party:

Biden's second-biggest donor, cryptocurrency billionaire wunderkind Sam Bankman-Fried, a k a SBF, saw his business file for bankruptcy days after the election, but not before pumping $40 million into the Democratic Party to spend on "get-out-the-vote" and other shadowy ballot-harvesting mechanics for the midterms.
The shambolic 30-year-old whiz kid, once said to have been worth $16 billion, had spent $10 million helping get Biden elected in 2020.
SBF's mother, Stanford law professor Barbara Fried, also is co-founder of left-wing political action committee Mind The Gap, which has raised a reported $140 million to help Democrats win elections through the same "get-out-the-vote" grift.

Like all good corporate donors, though, Bankman-Fried and FTX were careful to show a little love to Republicans. That's always a good policy to ensure continued access to helpful politicians. What's unpleasant about the way FTX money got sprinkled around is that money from an obviously hard-left source found its way into the pockets of two prominent Republican politicians: House minority leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.

The news about McCarthy already broke in September, in the Washington Post, which reported that McCarthy used the money to defeat Madison Cawthorn and other MAGA candidates:

Targeting Cawthorn was part of a larger behind-the-scenes effort by top GOP donors and senior strategists to purge the influence of Republican factions that seek disruption and grandstanding, often at the expense of their GOP colleagues. The political machine around McCarthy has spent millions of dollars this year in a sometimes secretive effort to systematically weed out GOP candidates who could either cause McCarthy trouble if he becomes House speaker or jeopardize GOP victories in districts where a more moderate candidate might have a better chance at winning.
[snip]
Most of the rest of the money, $700,000, came from Ryan Salame, an executive at crypto currency exchange FTX U.S., a major donor both to McCarthy's own operation and to other groups backing McCarthy's favored candidates. West Realm Shires Services, the corporate name used by FTX U.S., gave $750,000 to CLF in August. Advisers to Salame and FTX declined to comment.

But Mark Wetjen, the head of public policy and regulatory strategy at FTX, was invited with his family to McCarthy's August donor retreat in Wyoming.

It's now emerged that a PAC associated with Mitch McConnell also made use of FTX-related funds to destroy MAGA candidates:

The now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX donated $1 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, a Super PAC associated with Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), two weeks prior to declaring bankruptcy. FTX first filed for Chapter 11 protection two weeks ago.
[snip]
The Senate Leadership Fund was the top spending Super-PAC in the 2022 midterm elections, reportedly giving out over $200 million in political donations, the organization Open Secrets found.

Moreover, according to Politico, it seems that McConnell refused to use the Senate Leadership Fund to fund viable MAGA candidates:

According to the outline, Mitch McConnell has withdrawn spending of the Senate PAC funds from MAGA senate candidates. McConnell is telling his senators who are more favorably aligned with President Trump, to push the Trump PAC to spend more on them if Trump wants to see them win in 2022.

I will be forever grateful to McConnell for keeping Merrick Garland off the Supreme Court. It's one of the finest things McConnell has ever done. However, his machinations during the civil war in the Republican Party certainly dim his luster and indicate that he believes that his political wisdom is greater than the collective wisdom of American voters.

And of course, we're seeing — again — that big money runs Washington, D.C., and it doesn't matter how dirty that money may be.

 

[WOS]

Netherlands to close up to 3,000 farms to comply with EU rules

Government tries to cut down on nitrogen pollution in a move set to reignite tensions with farmers who say the industry is unfairly targeted

www.telegraph.co.uk

​

Netherlands to close up to 3,000 farms to comply with EU rules​

Government tries to cut down on nitrogen pollution in a move set to reignite tensions with farmers who say the industry is unfairly targeted

ByJames Crisp, EUROPE EDITOR28 November 2022 • 4:02pm

The Dutch government plans to buy and close down up to 3,000 farms near environmentally sensitive areas to comply with EU nature preservation rules.
The Netherlands is attempting to cut down its nitrogen pollution and will push ahead with compulsory purchases if not enough farms take up the offer voluntarily.
Farmers will be offered a deal “well over” the worth of the farm, according to the government plan that is targeting the closure of 2,000 to 3,000 farms or other major polluting businesses.
Earlier leaked versions of the plan put the figure at 120 per cent of the farm’s value but that figure has not yet been confirmed by ministers.
“There is no better offer coming,” Christianne van der Wal, nitrogen minister, told MPs on Friday. She said compulsory purchases would be made with “pain in the heart”, if necessary.

Biodiversity under threat​

The Netherlands needs to reduce its emissions to comply with EU conservation rules and agriculture is responsible for almost half the nitrogen emitted in the proud farming nation.
The Dutch environment agency has warned that native species are disappearing faster in the Netherlands than in the rest of Europe and that biodiversity is under threat.
But the new plan looks set to reignite tensions with farmers over nitrogen reduction.
Dutch farmers have staged mass protests, burnt hay bales, dumped manure on highways and picketed ministers' houses over the last three years.
In 2019 a ruling by the Dutch Council of State meant every new activity that emits nitrogen, including farming and building, needs a permit.
That has prevented the expansion of dairy, pig and poultry farms, which are major sources of nitrogen from ammonia in manure mixed with urine. This can be harmful for nature when it washes into rivers and the sea.
Last month, an army of thousands of tractors took to the roads in protest and caused the worst rush hour in Dutch history with 700 miles of jams at its peak.
Farmers fear that the plan to slash emissions by 2030 will cost them their livelihoods, oppose any compulsory purchases and argue farming is unfairly targeted while other sectors such as aviation are not.

‘Restrictions without perspective’​

Farmers’ lobby group LTO Nederland said trust in the government “has been very low for a long time”. It accused the Government of drafting “restrictions without perspective”.
Sjaak van der Tak, chairman of LTO, said: “Of course it is positive that a good voluntary stop scheme is being promised. But the stayers who are central to us will have many additional restrictions imposed.”
Agractie, another farmers’ organisation, said the voluntary closure scheme was welcome but must not be applied with the threat of compulsory purchase.
Ministers will decide if enough farms have come forward voluntarily to close in the autumn. They say the plan will help biodiversity recover, building could resume and farms without proper nitrogen permits could be legalised.
They are also looking at eventually taxing nitrogen emissions to encourage more sustainable practices, the Dutch News website reported.
The Dutch cabinet also wants to draw up a long term plan for the future of agriculture with farmers, environmental groups and local government.
The voluntary buyout scheme was “the only way to finally create opportunities for the construction of homes, the construction of new infrastructure and for projects to make the Netherlands more sustainable in the shortest possible time,” said Ingrid Thijssen, chairman of VNO-NCW, an employers’ federation in the Netherlands.
Last month, the Netherlands Assessment Agency said other buyout schemes over the last 25 years had failed to substantially cut the number of cattle.

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_biRHslh_Q
10:43 min

Chinese Women TIED UP Because of COVID???​

China Uncensored

Nov 28, 2022
Two Chinese women in Guangzhou were tied up after violating Covid restrictions and not backing down when authorities caught them. In this episode of China Uncensored, we look at what the girls were cited for, how the event played out on Chinese social media, and why people are now blatantly flouting Covid restrictions.

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

The coup-attempt party

A political light bulb went on regarding Adam Schiff's remark on CNN's State of the Union as reported by Breitbart's Pam Key. In the interview, Schiff again mentioned the Russia hoax he has promoted for five years, if...

www.americanthinker.com

November 28, 2022

The coup-attempt party​

By David Zukerman


A political light bulb went on regarding Adam Schiff's remark on CNN's State of the Union as reported by Breitbart's Pam Key. In the interview, Schiff again mentioned the Russia hoax he has promoted for five years, if not longer. (Note that Dana Bash did not call Schiff on this huge lie.) With Schiff continuing to assert this gross falsehood, the Democrat party has, for years, switched from being a loyal opposition party to priding itself as a party of the permanently attempted coup.

How dumb of me not to have taken seriously the Democrat cries of "Resistance," as of the Trump inauguration, January 20, 2017 — but I then understood such cries to be figurative and fanciful references of a politically romantic nature.

But where were the Republican political experts like House speaker Paul Ryan back in early 2017, when the "Resistance" was gearing up? Alas, the anti-Trump Ryan was silently supporting the Resistance. How could the Democrats have succeeded with the Mueller probe if Ryan had spoken out forcefully against what was apparently a coup attempt to oust the legitimately elected president?

CNN published a list of Democrats who announced that they would boycott the Trump administration. The late Rep. John Lewis, citing, in effect, the Russia hoax, refused to accept President Trump's legitimacy. Rep. Zoe Lofgren accepted the fact that Trump was president but still would not attend his inaugural and went on to become one of the Nine Members of the phony-baloney House Select Committee Against President Trump.

If the GOP House leadership did not recognize, five years ago, that it was opposed by the coup-attempt party, the leadership has no excuse now for failing to see the Democrats for the permanent coup-attempt party they have become. And how well to understand, now, that when the Democrats accused Russia of "sowing chaos and discord" in the U.S., the Democrats were (falsely) projecting their own bad conduct.

The best antidote to the permanent coup attempts waged by the totalitarian Democrats is commitment, dedication, and devotion to the MAGA principles, which harken back to the work of the liberty-loving Founders. Long live the American spirit of liberty — and may the Republican leadership in Congress declare its commitment to the American spirit of liberty by defending MAGA, in word, thought, and deed.

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmykNsfPoZE
2:51 min

Biodiversity as an Asset Class Ep 1: Removing Barriers to Action​

World Economic Forum
Nov 28, 2022
Extractive practices, short term profit maximization and shareholder capitalism are accelerating the extinction of life on Earth. What measures must be taken to end such destructive processes? Andre Hoffmann the Chairman of Massellaz explores how a stakeholder approach underpinned by a new accounting system with a long term outlook is essential to safeguarding biodiversity and natural systems. Biodiversity as an Asset Class is a five episode series that profiles leading global thinkers on how we must reconstruct our economic system in order to protect nature and the future of life on Earth. [Ecosystem-Services]

Episodes explore topics that include removing barriers to action, the valuation of natural capital, a nature-positive business approach, and the role of philanthropic capital. Learn more about the work of the World Economic Forum’s financial and monetary platform here: https://www.weforum.org/topics/global...

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSK5V5GOkYg
35:10 min

WEF Says China a Model in ‘Systematic Transformation of the World’; CCP Builds Massive COVID Camps​

Crossroads with JOSHUA PHILIPP
Streamed live 9 hours ago
Watch the full live HERE https://ept.ms/ChinaModelYT (pay wall)

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nffOJfzW1pI
2:56 min

Disgraced "Disinformation Czar" Is Now a Foreign Agent | @Pat Gray Unleashed​

BlazeTV
Nov 28, 2022
Nina Jankowicz was Joe Biden's former disinformation czar and she recently registered as a foreign agent.

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaKKZQR-2Ck
.29 min

UN recommends Great Barrier Reef be listed as a World Heritage site 'in danger'​

Sky News Australia
Nov 28, 2022
The United Nations has recommended the Great Barrier Reef be listed as a World Heritage site “in danger”. A UNESCO report following an official visit to monitor the reef in March advises the federal and Queensland governments adopt stronger emissions reductions policies. The report found plans to protect it lack “clear climate change targets and implementation measures”.

^^^^^
(This conflicts with a recent article on how the Coral reefs had the greatest cover ever. Two-thirds of Great Barrier Reef boast highest coral cover ever recorded despite previous reports of looming extinction of Australia's natural wonder

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is flourishing despite previous reports sounding the alarm about the looming extinction of Australia's natural wonder.

According to new findings reported on Thursday, a majority of the thriving Great Barrier Reef boasted the highest coral cover ever recorded. Two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef had the largest amount of coral cover in the 36 years that it has been monitored.)

 

[marsh]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d_QnoaNy2k
4:09 min

Green Germany​

Tony Heller
Nov 28, 2022
I sometimes wonder if our leaders are very smart and just putting us on, or very stupid and mean it.” ― Mark Twain

(Germany is self-destructing over useless virtue signaling.)

 

[marsh]

Are Progressive "Experts" Fallible? Yes, But Don't Tell Them That | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

Are Progressive "Experts" Fallible? Yes, But Don't Tell Them That

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 04:40 PM
Authored by Claudio Grass via The Mises Institute,

It can be argued that the world has reached the sorry state it’s in today largely because academics, politicians, “distinguished experts,” and “recognized authorities” did not have the humility to admit their own mistakes or to at least recognize the limits of their knowledge. Of course, this is far from a new affliction in societies and political systems. Hubris was among the most terrible sins that the ancient Greeks warned against, and there have been too many narcissists in positions of power to count since the emergence of the first organized societies.

People who believe they know best, not just for themselves, but everyone else too, are naturally attracted to roles that would allow them to impose their will, their morality, and their values on their neighbors.

However, one also can argue that the problem is much more prevalent today than at any other time in our history. The modern news landscape, both mainstream and social media, the supercharged propaganda machines of all developed nations, and our public education system, ensure that dangerous figures will hardly be challenged by anyone once presented to the public as de facto, “recognized,” and “widely accepted” authorities. This is also true of politicians, but things are infinitely more perilous when it comes to science.

The average citizen can more easily question a political stance directly, whereas it can be impossible to judge the merits of a scientific one without detailed and specific knowledge.

Therefore, it is much easier to “sell” any academic, from professors to junior researchers, as an “authority,” one that must be obeyed and never questioned.

They can freely give us all advice on how to live our lives, and they can even dictate policy, despite the fact that usually that kind of thing tends to have side effects in areas they have absolutely no clue about. Once placed on their pedestals, they become “anointed.” They don’t even have to share their qualifications, their accomplishments, or any testimonies from their peers.

Their professional records are irrelevant; well, their failures, at any rate. After all, how could you, average Joe, even begin to use your untrained, unspecialized brain to judge the particulars of their CVs or their research?

After all, what do you know about climatology, about infectious diseases, or about macroeconomics? Isn’t it hubris on your part to dismiss the decades of dedication and work that someone else invested in a single subject and to believe that you know better?

These would be fair arguments if we lived in an unbiased world where open debate and independent thinking were actually encouraged. In that world, multiple experts would engage in public exchanges and challenge each other by presenting relevant, contradictory findings and evidence for different theories. And every viewpoint would be explored and scrutinized, in a grand competition of ideas. Those hypotheses and models that matched real-life observations and had more accurate predictive value would be promoted to theories, and only then could we base our policy making upon them. But just as easily, old ideas would be consigned to the ash heap of history once better ideas came along. This is the scientific method, the product of reason; everything else we see today is the product of a cult mentality.

And it yields the results one would expect: catastrophically wrong “theories” with devastating consequences for entire nations, even the entire world. We’re seeing much of this play out in real time today. The demented fanaticism of the West and its leaders’ monomaniacal obsession with the “green” agenda have led to an energy crisis like no other. In Europe, guided by “expert advice,” the policies of the last decade and the premature transition away from fossil fuels have left most countries almost entirely dependent on imports.

Skyrocketing electricity bills have already crippled countless households and this self-inflicted crisis even has the potential to cost actual lives this winter.

Another area where this phenomenon is painfully obvious is the “dismal science.” The field of economics has arguably produced some of the most dangerous “authorities” the world has ever seen. Once placed in a position of power, in a central bank or in a finance ministry, for instance, the chaos they can wreak is frightening and truly lasting. This is because the general public really has no understanding of even the most basic economic principles and no grasp of monetary history, and it is justifiably intimidated by the jargon used. This is why central bankers can deflect the blame so easily each time their policies go awry and why “respected economists” can sell nonsensical but popular ideas as “fact,” just as we saw with “modern monetary theory.”

A rare exception can be found in Austrian economics. Economists of this school understand very well that the economy is an extremely complex, living organism and that there is no such thing as a homo economicus or a perfectly rational actor that behaves exactly as a model predicts. No, there are no such creatures, we only have humans to work with, for better or for worse. As Walter E. Block put it in a recent article:

I think the steadfast refusal of Austrians to engage in economic predictions is consonant with our limited powers. We can explain economic reality and understand quite a bit of it, but unless “all else is constant” which it never is, we cannot predict, at least not qua economists. Intellectual modesty is of great value. Do I predict that one day mainstream economists will come to see the error of their ways in this regard? I hope so, but, as an Austrian economist, I make no predictions either way.​

 

[marsh]

Wallowing In Welfare-Warfare State Prison | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

Wallowing In Welfare-Warfare State Prison

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 03:20 PM
Authored by Jacob Hornberger via The Future of Freedom Foundation,

A reader recently sent me an email pointing out that many ex-convicts commit new crimes with the intent of being sent back to prison. They actually feel more comfortable in prison than they do in the outside world.

This phenomenon shouldn’t surprise us. In prison, the state takes care of prisoners and, by and large, keeps them safe. It provides their food, healthcare, and clothing. In some prisons, prisoners are even given a paying job. Much of the time, prisoners are free to lie around, relaxing in their cells or watching television. Sometimes prisoners are even provided a formal education. And the best part is that all of this is free.

In other words, with prison the state provides you with security. In the minds of some convicts, that’s a lot better than freedom. When the state casts convicts out of prison, they become responsible for themselves and their well-being. That’s not easy. They need money to buy food, housing, a car, and other things. That means finding and keeping a job. Moreover, outside prison they are faced with an array of choices on a daily basis, which contributes to their anxiety. Better to trade liberty for security.

The reason that this phenomenon shouldn’t surprise us is that this is no different from what the American people have done with their adoption of a welfare-warfare state way of life.

They have traded their liberty for security - or at least what they are convinced is security.

The purpose of government in a welfare state is to take care of the citizenry, not only by providing them with government doles, but also by restricting their range of choices, so that they don’t have to experience excess anxiety.

That’s what Social Security and Medicare are all about. The government takes care of people when they reach older age. They don’t have to worry about starving to death or dying in the street from some illness, which is what government officials have convinced people would happen in the absence of these two big socialist programs.

It’s also what public schooling is all about — to provide the education of young people, thereby relieving families of the responsibility of making educational decisions for their children.

It’s what education grants and loans are all about — to help young people get a college education.

There is the FDIC, to ensure that people don’t lose their money in the event of a bank failure.

Public housing provides low-cost housing for the poor. Food stamps ensure that the poor don’t go hungry. Medicaid ensures that the poor are able to get healthcare.

Farm subsidies help out needy farmers. Corporate bailouts help out needy corporations.

Taking care of people is what drug laws are for. These laws ensure that people will be punished if they possess, ingest, or distribute drugs that have not been approved by the government. That keeps people healthy. If someone gets caught breaking the rules, he is sent to his room, which is located in a state or federal penitentiary.

Immigration controls. They protect us from immigrant invaders.

Trade wars and trade restrictions. They protect us from foreigners who would dump cheap products in our laps.

And then there is the massive national-security establishment.

The Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA keep us safe from the terrorists, the drug dealers, the illegal immigrants, the Muslims, the communists, and all those foreign nations that are hell-bent on invading the United States and conquering our country.

Moreover, the military provides vast amounts of military welfare for Americans all across the country.

Think of all of the cities and towns that are dependent on military bases and military installations. Supposedly, they would dry up and die without all that military welfare. And don’t forget all those weapons manufacturers who existence necessarily depends on feeding at the public trough.

Why should it surprise anyone that some convicts readily trade liberty for security? Isn’t that what the American people have done with their adoption of the welfare-warfare state way of life?

 

[marsh]

Canadian Banks Slammed For Continued Fossil Fuel Investments | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

Canadian Banks Slammed For Continued Fossil Fuel Investments

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 04:00 PM
Authored by Irina Slav via OilPrice.com,

Canadian banks are receiving backlash from investors for their continued investments in fossil fuels.

All Canadian banks were revealed to have increased their exposure to fossil fuels between 2020 and 2021, by between 25 percent - TD and BMO - and 132 percent for CIBC.

The report is the latest example of investor pressure on financial institutions to reduce their lending to fossil fuel companies.

An investor group has criticized Canadian lenders for investing heavily in fossil fuels despite the Paris Agreement, noting that all of the largest Canadian banks still need to be ready for net zero.

In a report titled Net Zero Policy Report Card, Investors for Paris Compliance graded Canada’s largest banks on several indicators, including fossil fuel investments, climate targets, and emissions reporting.

In fossil fuel investments, all banks were revealed to have increased their exposure between 2020 and 2021, by between 25 percent—TD and BMO—and 132 percent for CIBC.

According to the report, RBC invested $48.5 billion in fossil fuels last year, up 101 percent on 2020, and Scotiabank increased its exposure to the sector by 87 percent to $38 billion.

TD’s fossil fuel investments rose to $26.4 billion, and BMO’s went up to$23.5 billion. CIBC invested $27.8 billion in fossil fuels in 2021, Investors for Paris Compliance said, noting that the sixth bank under review, National Bank, had no data published on its fossil fuel industry exposure.

The report is the latest example of investor pressure on financial institutions to reduce their lending to the fossil fuel sector and focus on emission reporting and reducing measures in line with international Paris Agreement commitments.

This, however, stands in stark contrast with warnings, including from the IEA, that not enough is being invested in the new supply of fossil fuels, including coal, which this year saw a real renaissance.

Despite this growing pressure from investors, banks around the world increased their exposure to fossil fuels last year. Earlier in 2022, a report produced by a group of climate nonprofits said that the world’s biggest banks had invested $742 billion in the fossil fuel industry, almost unchanged on 2020.

The level of financing was higher than in 2016 and 2017 despite the fact that the global economy was still in recovery mode after the pandemic, the report, released in March, said.

 

[marsh]

California Food Stamps Costs Soar To Record Highs (Despite Record Low Unemployment) | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

California Food Stamps Costs Soar To Record Highs (Despite Record Low Unemployment)​

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 02:20 PM

California's participation in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in 2022 peaked at 4.9 million people as of July (and then dropped to 4.6 million in August). That was higher than California's previous highest food stamp participation of 4.8 million people in June 2020.

What is more confusing is that the last time food stamp participation was this high, the Golden State's unemployment rate was over 16%. Currently, it is at 3.8% - the lowest level since at least 1976.



As JustTheNews.com reports, California has approved funding in the 2022-23 budget to allow undocumented immigrants ages 55 and over to get food assistance under the state-funded California Food Assistance Program, which is separate from the federally-funded SNAP program.

California has given extra SNAP money to recipients due to COVID-19.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in October that the COVID-19 state of emergency would end Feb. 28, 2023.

The per-person cost of the SNAP program has increased from $123.22 per month in March 2020 before the state of emergency declaration to $277.12 as of August 2022.

That $277.12 August 2022 benefit is the state's highest ever for the federal SNAP program.

Perhaps what is even more interesting about the latest slew of state-based data is that the number of individuals receiving food stamps in Tennessee has dropped to the lowest levels since November 2003.

Gov. Bill Lee did not renew a COVID-19 state of emergency in November 2021, which had been in effect for 20 months. Additional emergency SNAP benefits authorized by the federal government ended Dec. 31. The SNAP benefits cost per person was $256.66 in December and dropped in January to $166.82.

The state's unemployment rate during the pandemic peaked at 15.9% in April 2020 and dropped to 3.4% as of September 2022.

Lee also signed a law that took effect in May that added a work requirement to receive food assistance.



Can you spot the difference?

 

[marsh]

WaPo Tells Americans To Eat Bugs As They Can No Longer Afford Traditional Seasonal Dinners | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

WaPo Tells Americans To Eat Bugs As They Can No Longer Afford Traditional Seasonal Dinners

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 02:00 PM
Authored by Steve Watson via Summit News,

The Washington Post advised Americans Sunday that instead of a traditional season dinner, which now is unaffordable for a quarter of families, they should instead look to eating bugs.

Yes really.

In an article headlined Salted ants. Ground crickets. Why you should try edible insects, the Post stated “Consumers can already find foods like salted ants on Amazon and cricket powder protein bars in Swiss grocery stores.”


Yummmmm, ants.

The piece quoted a six year old girl in Pennsylvania who was supposedly given a rousing ovation by onlookers for eating fried worms.

The piece states “It’s not that bad!” she exclaimed. “It kind of tastes like kettle corn!”

There’s the usual crap about crickets having more protein than beef and everyone in third world countries already eating them, so why are you any better… etc

“Watching others enjoy insects may also help break down barriers,” the piece states under a sub headline “Creating a new norm.”

It further states “before insects can become common fare, more diners must be convinced that six-legged critters are, in fact, food. Through tasting experiments, surveys and educational demos, researchers, entrepreneurs and educators are delving into consumers’ psychology and finding that resistance to insect-eating can be strong.”

You don’t say.

We’re not eating ****ing bugs.

This is the latest in a growing trend of pushing bug eating on the masses as a way of ‘saving the planet’.

View: https://youtu.be/TjsPpRZVrzQ
7:40 min
(Caution: This video has some disturbing references to sexual stimulation with earth worms.)

A major supermarket chain in the UK is finalising plans to stock insects on its shelves and market them as a cheap food source for people struggling to afford to feed their families amid soaring inflation and the cost of living crisis.

The Daily Mail reported recently that Aldi is considering stocking ‘edible’ bugs and providing recipe kits for parents to prepare worms and crickets for their hungry children.

Potential products in the range include ‘sustainable’ cricket burgers, as well as ‘nuggets’ and ‘mince’.



Just when you thought this couldn’t get any more more dystopian, the supermarket is involved with a TV game show in which insect ‘farmers’ will pitch the bugs as the ‘next big thing’ for Aldi, according to the report.

Recently, Canadian company The Aspire Food Group pledged to produce 9000 tons of insects per year for human and pet consumption after completing construction of the world’s biggest cricket food processing centre.

In addition to crickets, worms and maggots are also big in Europe.

View: https://youtu.be/0dhCNSODN6A
3:25 min

View: https://youtu.be/X3lbh7rFzL0
3:01 min

There are even proposals to feed them to school kids:

View: https://youtu.be/faztj1qvZRI
3:00 min

How about a weed side salad? And why not wash down your worm food with a tall refreshing glass of sewage?

in 2020, the World Economic Forum published two articles on its website which explored how people could be conditioned to get used to the idea of eating weeds, bugs and drinking sewage water in order to reduce CO2 emissions.

A separate article published on the WEF website outlined how people can be conditioned to enjoy consuming ‘food’ which on the surface sounds disgusting.

View: https://youtu.be/faztj1qvZRI
4:59 min

The ‘Great Reset’ is about enacting a drastic reduction in living standards for the plebs which will force them to put bugs, weeds and sewage on the menu while the Davos elites continue to feast on the finest cuisine in their ivory towers.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufcDoegDNsk&feature=emb_rel_pause
2:28 min

* * *

 

[marsh]

Ron Paul Urges Separation Of Tech & State | ZeroHedge

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Ron Paul Urges Separation Of Tech & State

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 12:09 PM
Authored by Ron Paul via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity,

Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) recently got in touch with his inner mobster and threatened Elon Musk - the new owner of Twitter and the CEO of electric car company Tesla and space ventures company SpaceX. He told Musk, “Fix your companies” or “Congress will.”

As part of this threat, Markey referred to an ongoing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into Tesla’s autopilot driving system and Twitter’s 2011 consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Markey has done more than make threats: He is one of a group of Democratic senators who wrote to the FTC urging an investigation into whether Musk’s actions as the new owner of Twitter violated the consent decree or consumer protection laws. Since FTC Chair Lina Khan wants to investigate as many businesses as possible, it is likely she will respond favorably to the senators’ letter.

President Biden has also endorsed an investigation into the role foreign investors played in financing Musk’s Twitter purchase. Biden may be concerned that Musk is not likely to ban tweets regarding Hunter Biden’s business deals.

Concerns that Musk would allow tweets containing information embarrassing (or worse) to the Biden administration point to the real reason many Democratic politicians and progressive writers and activists are attacking Musk. They support efforts to suppress conservative, libertarian, and other “non-woke” speech on social media. They view the prospect of a major platform refusing to silence those who dissent from the woke mob or the Democratic Party establishment as a threat to their power. Musk further angered the left by committing what, to many Democrats (and Liz Cheney), is the ultimate hate crime — allowing Donald Trump back on Twitter.

The threat against Musk shows the threat to liberty is not just from big tech; it is from the alliance between big tech and big government.

Some conservatives think that increasing government’s power over social media is the correct way to make big tech respect free speech.

However, increasing the US government’s power over social media can just end up putting more power behind government threats like those from Rep. Markey. Expanded government control over how social media companies conduct their business can also further incentivize the companies to work with the federal government to shut down free speech.

Once the government steps in with increased regulation, the risk is that greater government control over what is communicated on social media will follow. The question will just be who is calling the shots on the exercise of that control. Will the result be an increase of the liberal or “woke” pressure on social media companies to silence conservatives, libertarians, opponents of teaching critical race theory and transgenderism in schools, and those who question the safety and effectiveness of covid vaccines? Alternatively, will a new sort of pressure become dominant, maybe pressure to comply with conservative or Republican preferred limits on speech? Either way, liberty loses.

Big tech companies silence their users to curry favor with politicians and bureaucrats, often after “encouragement” from politicians and bureaucrats. Therefore, to end big tech’s censorship, Americans should demand that all government officials — including the president — not violate the First Amendment. We must work to put an end to government officials pressuring or even “encouraging” social media platforms either to silence any American citizen because of his opinions or to downplay or suppress any news story. The way to protect free speech online is to separate tech and state.

 

[marsh]

Twitter Suffers From "Ridiculous" Number Of "Psy Ops", Elon Musk Says | ZeroHedge

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Twitter Suffers From "Ridiculous" Number Of "Psy Ops", Elon Musk Says

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 12:45 PM
Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,

Twitter owner Elon Musk said Monday that the platform suffers from a “ridiculous” number of professional psychological operations (or, “psy ops”), a concept that typically refers to the dissemination of propaganda or, when used by state actors like the military, psychological warfare tactics meant to manipulate one’s enemies.

“The amount of pro psy ops on Twitter is ridiculous!” Musk wrote in a post on Twitter.

He added jokingly that “at least with new Verified, they will pay $8 for the privilege—haha.”

Musk later qualified his statement, responding to a Twitter user’s comment that the psychological operations are “mid”-level rather than professional. Musk conceded that “it’s mostly basic.”

While it’s not clear what, specifically, Musk was referring to in his post on the prevalence of “pro psy ops,” Twitter has, in the past, struggled to deal with foreign state-linked information operations on the platform, including activity it has deemed malicious.

‘Foreign Interference in Political Conversations’
In 2018, Twitter stated in a blog post that it had identified thousands of accounts that made more than 10 million tweets associated with “foreign interference in political conversations” on the platform.

“It is clear that information operations and coordinated inauthentic behavior will not cease. These types of tactics have been around for far longer than Twitter has existed—they will adapt and change as the geopolitical terrain evolves worldwide and as new technologies emerge,” the company said at the time.

Later, in December 2021, Twitter announced it had removed more than 3,000 accounts that were operating as foreign state-linked information operations, including from China, Russia, and Venezuela.

Twitter said that, in most cases, the accounts were suspended for various violations of its platform manipulation and spam policies, which include prohibitions against using Twitter in ways that “artificially amplify or suppress information or engage in behavior that manipulates or disrupts people’s experience” on the platform.

Prohibited actions include artificially inflating followers or engagement by, for instance, buying “likes” or coordinating to exchange “follows,” in what’s known as “reciprocal inflation.”

‘Widely Diverse Viewpoints’
The company also said it would launch the Twitter Moderation Research Consortium (TMRC), a program that lets outside researchers tap into Twitter data to study trends and study platform governance issues.

While there have been questions about the fate of the research consortium since Musk took over Twitter in late October, he later announced he was ordering the establishment of a “content moderation council” that would represent “widely diverse viewpoints.”

Musk, who has labeled himself as a “free-speech absolutist,” has vowed to make the platform more welcoming to various viewpoints while insisting he wouldn’t allow it to become a “free-for-all hellscape.”

At the time, former President Donald Trump praised Musk for succeeding with his takeover bid of Twitter and praised the tech mogul’s moves to open Twitter up to diverse views.

“I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country,” Trump said in post on Truth Social, though he indicated that he might not return to Twitter even if Musk were to reinstate his account, which at the time was suspended.

Musk has since restored Trump’s account on Twitter, along with a series of other banned accounts, including that of satirical site Babylon Bee and Jordan Peterson, a controversial professor of psychology.

Trump hasn’t posted anything on Twitter since his account was reinstated, with his last post being from Jan. 8, 2021, when the former president said he wouldn’t be going to the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden.

Musk said recently he’s “fine” with Trump not posting on Twitter, adding that the social media giant had made a “grave mistake” when it banned the former president from the platform.

“Deplatforming a sitting president undermined public trust in Twitter for half of America,” Musk said.

Since Musk took over Twitter, he has vowed to reduce the number of bots on the platform and curb inauthentic activity.

Twitter paused its recently announced $8 verified blue check subscription service after a wave of blue check accounts appeared on the platform, impersonating big brands and making embarrassing posts.

Musk said recently that the verified check service would be returning on Dec. 2, adding that Twitter would also be rolling out gold and gray checks in addition to blue ones, and that all verified marks would be manually authenticated.

 

[marsh]

Very Serious Shortages Of Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Tamiflu, Albuterol, & Tylenol Have Erupted All Over The US | ZeroHedge

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Very Serious Shortages Of Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Tamiflu, Albuterol, & Tylenol Have Erupted All Over The US

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 10:31 AM
Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

Hospitals are filling up all across America, and there are extremely alarming shortages of some of our most important medications.

Health authorities are warning that RSV, the flu and COVID are combining to create a “tripledemic”, and there are simply not enough medications to go around. Personally, I am most concerned about RSV. It is spreading like wildfire from coast to coast, and we are being told that very young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable. I wrote an entire article about the RSV outbreak earlier this month, and since that time things have gotten even worse. Our medical system is being absolutely flooded with sick kids, and this has caused very serious shortages of amoxicillin, augmentin, tamiflu and albuterol…

America is facing a shortage of four key medications used for common illnesses in children as virus season comes back in full force.​

​

Officials have declared a shortage of first-line antibiotics amoxicillin and Augmentin, which are used to treat bacterial infections. Tamiflu, the most common flu medication in the US, and albuterol, an inhaler for asthma and to open airways in the lungs, are also in short supply, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.​

But we haven’t even gotten to the heart of flu season yet.

In fact, the beginning of winter is still about a month away.

So what will things look like by the time we get to the middle of January?

At this point, things are already so bad that we are also starting to see a very serious shortage of tylenol…

A children’s Tylenol shortage currently affecting Canada has carried over into the United States, pharmacists in multiple American cities have warned.​

​

The drug’s short supply, experts say, stems from a recent spike in pediatric sickness as seasonal bugs come back with a bang after being suppressed during COVID-related lockdowns.​

This is nuts.

In all my years, I have never heard of a shortage of tylenol in the United States.

Unfortunately, we now have millions of people with compromised immune systems all over the country, and so RSV and the flu are hitting us extremely hard.

One doctor told CNN that “I’ve never seen anything like this”…

“In my 25 years of being a pediatrician, I’ve never seen anything like this,” pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Stacene Maroushek of Hennepin Healthcare in Minnesota told CNN. “I have seen families who just aren’t getting a break. They have one viral illness after another. And now there’s the secondary effect of ear infections and pneumonia that are prompting amoxicillin shortages.”​

​

The reason for shortages is due to increased demand, especially with a surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu cases. The combination of RSV, flu and COVID circulating has been called a “tripledemic.”​

This is going to be one long winter for our medical system.

As I mentioned earlier, hospital beds are rapidly filling up all over the nation…

These surges have filled children’s hospitals across these states. The Children’s Hospital of Alabama, the state’s largest pediatric hospital located in Birmingham – 91 per cent of beds are filled, according to official figures.​

​

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which includes the largest children’s hospital in Tennessee, is at 98 per cent capacity as of Tuesday.​

And as I discussed in my article about RSV earlier this month, there are some hospitals that have already filled up all of their beds.

Of course most children that get sick don’t end up in the hospital.

Most of them just stay home and are cared for by their parents until they recover.

In October, more Americans missed work to take care of sick children than ever before…

More than 100,000 Americans missed work last month – an all time high – because of child-care problems, many of which come down to sick children and sick daytime caregivers.​

Sadly, we will almost certainly set another new all-time record this month.

It sure would be nice if the federal government would step in and help to ensure that everyone has enough medications to give to their children during this medical emergency.

But instead of doing that, the Biden administration has decided to give another 4.5 billion dollars to Ukraine…

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and in coordination with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of State, is providing an additional $4.5 billion in direct budgetary support to the Government of Ukraine. The funding, which will help alleviate the acute budget deficit caused by Putin’s brutal war of aggression, was made possible with generous bipartisan support from Congress. The Government of Ukraine will receive the funding in two tranches before the end of 2022.​

In addition, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has just announced that the Ukrainians will be receiving another 400 million dollars in military aid…

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new $400 million military aid package to Ukraine on Wednesday.​

​

The package will include “additional arms, munitions, and air defense equipment from U.S. Department of Defense inventories,” Blinken said in a statement, which didn’t provide many specifics on the weapons heading to Ukraine. It is the 26th time the administration is using the presidential drawdown authority, which allows the United States to take from its stockpiles and provide those weapons to Ukraine.​

Rather than giving so much money to the Ukrainians, why can’t we spend it on some antibiotics for our children?

It seems to me that our priorities are really messed up.

The RSV outbreak that we are witnessing right now is really serious. If you have young children, you will want to closely monitor developments in your local area.

After a couple of really tough years, a lot of people had been hoping that we would experience a “return to normal” in 2022.

But as I keep warning my readers, we have now entered an era of great pestilences.

This year we have seen the bird flu kill tens of millions of our chickens and turkeys, a global monkeypox epidemic has spread all over the globe, and now RSV and the flu are ripping across the nation.

We really are living in unprecedented times, and the challenges that we are facing are only going to get even greater as the months roll along.

 

[marsh]

BlockFi Files For Widely Anticipated Bankruptcy, Cites FTX Collapse | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

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BlockFi Files For Widely Anticipated Bankruptcy, Cites FTX Collapse​

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 09:31 AM

Crypto lender BlockFi will file for a widely anticipated bankruptcy on Monday, as the fallout from FTX's implosion continue to spread, a source at the company tells Decrypt.

The New Jersey-based company will "will focus on recovering all obligations owed to BlockFi," but that "recoveries from FTX will be delayed" due to ongoing bankruptcy proceedings at the failed crypto exchange, reads an official statement.

"With the collapse of FTX, the BlockFi management team and board of directors immediately took action to protect clients and the Company," said Mark Renzi, the company's financial adviser.

According to the filing, BlockFi has between 1 and 10 billion in liabilities.



Creditors - of which there are an estimated 100,000 or more, include FTX (second-largest) and the SEC.

(h/t @tier10k)

The filing also confirms that the company has $256.9 million in cash on hand.

BlockFi allows users to earn a yield for depositing (or 'staking') idle cryptocurrencies on the platform. The firm first halted withdrawals on November 11, the day FTX filed for bankruptcy.

"We, like the rest of the world, found out about this situation through Twitter," BlockFi said at the time. "We are shocked and dismayed by the news regarding FTX and Alameda."

Around a week later, a source at BlockFi told Decrypt that it was considering bankruptcy.

As Bitcoin Magazine notes, This filing is yet another example of lenders facing insolvency in recent months in the wake of industry-wide collapse. In July of this year, Celsius filed for bankruptcy, and just recently, Genesis halted withdrawals, forcing Gemini Earn to as well.

According to a source that spoke with Decrypt, alongside the bankruptcy proceedings, BlockFi will also be laying off a “large portion” of its staff.

BlockFi was bailed out by FTX in June of 2022 as a result of contagion from the collapse of cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, and was shortly acquired by FTX.

With the recent implosion of FTX and the connected Alameda Research hedge fund, questions about BlockFi’s ability to cover customer assets began to surface. These only increased after BlockFi confirmed they did not have further clarity on the situation surrounding FTX and began limiting customers on their platform, including halting withdrawals.

In a blog post, BlockFi included additional resources for customers with questions about the proceedings.

(Scribd doc on website)

Download this PDF

In related crypto news, Japanese social media firm Line will shutter Bitfront, its US crypto exchange, next year, in order to focus on other blockchain ventures.

"Despite our efforts to overcome the challenges in this rapidly-evolving industry, we have regretfully determined that we need to shut down BITFRONT in order to continue growing the LINE blockchain ecosystem and LINK token economy," reads a Monday notice from the company.

 

[marsh]

20 NATO States "Pretty Tapped Out" After Weapons Transfers To Ukraine | ZeroHedge

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20 NATO States "Pretty Tapped Out" After Weapons Transfers To Ukraine

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 09:01 AM
Authored by Kyle Anzalone via The Libertarian Institute,

Two-thirds of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have depleted their stockpiles by sending weapons to Kiev, according to an alliance official. Even larger NATO states are struggling to meet the demands of Ukraine’s war effort.

The New York Times reported on Sunday the North Atlantic alliance is struggling to meet Kiev’s battlefield needs. According to one NATO official, 20 out of 30 members are "pretty tapped out" regarding their ability to supply Ukraine with additional weapons. While larger states like the US, France, Germany, and Italy have the ability to arm Ukraine, those governments have also resisted sending specific weapons systems requested by Kiev.

ATACMS missile, via Yahoo News
Ukraine has sought long-range surface-to-surface missiles known as ATACMS from Washington. However, the White House has rebuffed the request out of concerns the munitions could be used to hit Russian territory.

Part of the cause of the dwindling arms supply is the massive demand for artillery. Currently, Ukrainian forces are firing thousands of rounds daily, but the US can only produce 15,000 rounds per month. Camille Grand, a defense expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told NYT, "[a] day in Ukraine is a month or more in Afghanistan."

The increased demand for weapons has been a significant boon for the Western arms industry. "Taking into account the realities of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the visible attitude of many countries aimed at increased spending in the field of defense budgets, there is a real chance to enter new markets and increase export revenues in the coming years," said Sebastian Chwalek, CEO of Poland’s PGZ, an entity that owns multiple arms manufacturers.

US arms makers are also profiting off the war. In May, during a visit to a Lockheed Martin plant, President Joe Biden said Washington would increase the number of weapons the US would produce. The President said his plan to ramp up production would not come cheap.

The American arms profiteering has upset some Europeans. According to POLITICO, one European official said, "the fact is, if you look at it soberly, the country that is most profiting from this war is the US because they are selling more gas and at higher prices, and because they are selling more weapons."

Mark F. Cancian, a former White House weapons strategist and current senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, agreed it would take a multi-year effort to ramp up the production of key weapons. "If you want to increase the production capability of 155mm shells. It’s going to be probably four to five years before you start seeing them come out the other end," he said.

Multiple US and NATO officials have said the alliance is committed to Kiev for the long term, as they are preparing to fight a multi-year proxy war against Moscow. In October, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the US and its allies would "boost Ukraine’s defensive capabilities for pressing urgent needs and for the long term."

^^^^
(COMMENT: One wonders whether this was intentional to limit defense against CCP action in the south Pacific.)

 

[marsh]

Deeper Than Expected Black Friday Discounts Stoke Retailer Margin Angst | ZeroHedge

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Deeper Than Expected Black Friday Discounts Stoke Retailer Margin Angst​

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 08:40 AM

Deeper than expected Black Friday discounts have shifted the focus to profit margins, adding insult to injury to a sector that was already headed into year-end as one of the worst-performers in the S&P 500, with companies such as Target and Best Buy having shocked investors by slashing forecasts in recent weeks

To be sure there was some good news: while the traditional Black Friday scenes of shoppers trampling each other for flatscreen TVs and Playstations were nowhere to be found, online sales set a new record at $9 billion (up from $8.92 billion last year, and $9.03 billion in 2020) due to deeply discounted items ranging from apparel to electronics.

In a nutshell, in-store sales were nothing special, online sales were outstanding, but deep inventory-liquidating discounts - the kind we warned about back in May when discussing the reverse bullwhip effect - aimed at stimulating spending have raised analyst concerns about margins.

As far as in-store traffic goes, Goldman made the following observations in the Northeast, Texas and Utah;

1. Overall traffic still appeared muted relative to 2019 at most "traditional" Black Friday weekend destinations, but was still higher than 2021.
2. Consumer electronics, toys, and sporting goods had the most traffic.
3. Promotions are back, as expected.
4. Stores looked very well stocked (which again is no surprise, see our preview more than six months ago about the 'reverse-bullwhip' effect leading to an oversupply of inventory which retailers have struggled to pare down).

Goldman further notes that according to Shopify data released Sunday there was a 19% increase in Black Friday sales vs. 2021, with the best performing categories being apparel & accessories, health & beauty, and home & garden.
The online sales blowout vs. muted in-store traffic comports with what we noted yesterday, as major shopping centers saw light activity despite the discounts.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1596330507390046208

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1596330507390046208
.13 min

As the Financial Times notes:

The retail industry expects weaker growth over the course of the peak shopping season, with the National Retail Federation forecasting sales will advance 6-8 per cent during November and December. That would barely keep pace with inflation, which was running at 7.7 per cent in October.​

As noted above, online sales set a record on Friday - with retailers such as Urban Outfitters observing that shoppers were putting record amounts of goods in their online shopping carts.The biggest discounts this year were for toys, which averaged 34% off listed prices, while electronics saw discounts peak at 27% according to Friday figures released by Adobe Analytics. Goldman also noted that online promotional activity began earlier in the week, with retailers using various promotional tactics - including targeted discounts and free shipping - to move products.

That said, it now appears that Black Friday discounts were so deep that some analysts have expressed concern over margins. Here is a snapshot of sellside takes from the start to holiday spending:

• Jeffries' Rondal Konik notes that a record number of companies offered higher promotions compared to last year.
• Morgan Stanley's Alex Straton says Black Friday traffic appeared "mixed," and "sees further margin risk if consumers hold out on spending and force retailers to offer deeper discounts."
• KeyBanc's Noah Zatkin says Black Friday weekend played out largely in-line with his expectations, with traffic 'solid, but not strong,' with in-store traffic for apparel and footwear brands softer relative to other categories. While Baird analyst Colin Sebastian said that online sales saw a solid weekend, and that significant discounting stimulated higher spending rates beginning early last week.

Companies to watch include Etsy, Wayfair, EBay, Chewy, Target, Costco and Best Buy, as well as sportswear brands such as Nike, Lululemon and Under Armour.

Now to see what Cyber Monday brings...

 

[marsh]

"Recession Is Coming" As Fed "Is Going Too Crazy" - Dallas Fed Respondents Slam US Economic Outlook | ZeroHedge

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"Recession Is Coming" As Fed "Is Going Too Crazy" - Dallas Fed Respondents Slam US Economic Outlook​

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 08:10 AM

While the headline Dallas Fed Manufacturing survey did not weaken as much as expected, the production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, fell five points to near zero - its weakest level since the COVID lockdowns in 2020...



Under the hood, several other measures of manufacturing activity indicated contraction this month. The new orders index plummeted to -20.9 - its sixth month in a row in negative territory and lowest reading since May 2020. The growth rate of orders index dropped seven points to -19.9. The capacity utilization index turned negative, falling from 9.1 to -3.4, and the shipments index posted a second consecutive negative reading at -7.5, down from -1.6 in October.

Additionally, perceptions of broader business conditions continued to worsen in November. The general business activity index posted a seventh consecutive negative reading but moved up five points to -14.4. The company outlook index pushed down further, from -9.1 to -15.2.



However, it was the comments from respondents that offer the most prescient insight into US economic conditions:

• Customers are illiquid. Demand is there; there is just no cash to buy food. There is increased tension in terms of demand for skilled workers and retaining them. [Food Manufacturing]
• Business is slow and slowing. Our outlook for January is hopeful. [Paper Manufacturing]
• There is less panic buying going on. Inventories are beginning to go down. Lead times we are able to give to our customers are beginning to decrease as input of new orders slows. The slowdown is consistent with normal seasonal factors but way below last year’s very high fourth-quarter order level. We are beginning to see the end of the dislocations caused by the pandemic. [Printing and Related Support Activities]
• Recession is coming! We are just waiting for the backlog to evaporate. Then layoffs start. [Primary Metal Manufacturing]
• We are very concerned about the volume of future business activity. We see our customers pulling back their plans for expansion but still planning for the future. This has put us in a position to be very competitive to win every order possible to ensure our cash flow and ability to pay our employees and bills. [Machinery Manufacturing]
• We are still running strong; however, we believe that it is inevitable that the economy will contract within the next six months. [Machinery Manufacturing]
• [The Federal Reserve] is going too crazy—that is really affecting the industrial equipment industry and stalling infrastructure spending as I have never seen before. Millions of jobs are at risk in manufacturing. [Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing]
• The cost of capital is unbearable for small businesses and will delay or reduce expenditures or hiring unless business drives change. [Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing]
• The outlook is troubling and unsettling. Caution is the strategy. The Federal Reserve is too aggressive. Let what’s been done materialize in the economy before piling on. [Transportation Equipment Manufacturing]

Does any of that sound like an economy that is "strong as hell"?

 

[marsh]

It's Time For Congress To File A Lawsuit Against President Biden Over Student Debt | ZeroHedge

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It's Time For Congress To File A Lawsuit Against President Biden Over Student Debt

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 07:10 AM
Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

Does Congress have standing to file suit over student debt discharges? I think there is an easy way to prove the case one way or the other.

First, let's recap how we got here and why this is a big issue.

On August 24, President Biden's Fact Sheet announced a student debt forgiveness plan that will cost in the neighborhood of $420 billion.

That is fiscal authority the President just does not have.

Biden's plan went unchallenged for weeks, presumably because no one had the standing to sue.

The plan must adversely impact someone who claims to have been injured. Taxpayers do not count.

Three Standing Requirements

• First, there must be a concrete injury in fact that is not conjectural or hypothetical.
• Second, there must be causation, a fairly traceable connection between a plaintiff’s injury and the conduct of the defendant.
• Third, there must be redressability, a likelihood that the requested relief will redress the alleged injury.

The struggle to find standing hinged on finding someone who was monetarily damaged by Biden's free money handout other than taxpayers.

Enter Myra Brown and Alexander Taylor who both have student loans. They claim to have been harmed because they were ineligible to obtain the full benefit of debt forgiveness under the Program flows due to the program’s eligibility requirements.

That argument seems more than a bit of a stretch, but on November 11, District Judge Mark T. Pittman made a Student Debt Cancellation Ruling in favor of the plaintiffs.

In this country, we are not ruled by an all-powerful executive with a pen and a phone. Instead, we are ruled by a Constitution that provides for three distinct and independent branches of government. As President James Madison warned, “[t]he accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.”​

​

THE FEDERALIST NO. 47. The Court is not blind to the current political division in our country. But it is fundamental to the survival of our Republic that the separation of powers as outlined in our Constitution be preserved. And having interpreted the HEROES Act, the Court holds that it does not provide “clear congressional authorization” for the Program proposed by the Secretary.​

Correct Conclusion
Pittman's bottom line conclusion is undoubtedly correct. Even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Biden did not have the power to do cancel hundreds of billions of dollars of debt.

Biden's rationale was more than a bit flimsy. Despite having stated the pandemic was over, the alleged decision was under the Heroes Act dealing with the Covid pandemic.

Biden did not care. Of course, once he made the move Pelosi backed Biden.

But What About Standing?
Correct conclusion aside, it is questionable if the Supreme Court would agree with Pittman's ruling regarding standing, no matter how logical his conclusion.

Moreover, Pittman's ruling did not end President Biden's shenanigans.

With his $420 billion cancellation in the legal dock, The Wall Street Journal noted Biden’s Eternal Emergency.

“It isn’t fair to ask tens of millions of borrowers who are eligible for relief to resume their student debt payments while the courts consider the lawsuit,” President Biden said.

So, with the stroke of another unconstitutional announcement, the Education Department extended its pandemic payment pause through next August.

A Better Challenge
There is a far better way forward than running though a torturous maze seeking monetary standing.

I suggest Congress has standing, individually and collectively.

How so?

Although no member of Congress was monetarily harmed by Biden's action, they were harmed by a President usurping their constitutional rights.

The constitution, as Pittman chastised, is "not ruled by an all-powerful executive with a pen and a phone."

Logically, this line of thought applies to every state. Voters elected representatives to make fiscal decisions for their states and Biden took that power away.

This is a real, provable loss, with an easy remedy.

On those grounds, I suggest a lawsuit in every district court in the country.

Even if there is precedent against Congressional filings of this nature, Roe v Wade and Dobbs shows the Supreme Court is not adverse to acting against precedent.

Eventually, and perhaps quickly, the case will get to the Supreme Court where the logical ruling would be against Biden, hopefully with a strong admonishment.

Let's return fiscal matters to Congress where they constitutionally belong.

 

[marsh]

US Bank Deposit Flight Not A Sign Of Higher Rates To Come | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

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US Bank Deposit Flight Not A Sign Of Higher Rates To Come​

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 06:42 AM
Authored by Simon White, Bloomberg macro strategist,

Bank deposits at US commercial banks are starting to decline. This is an early warning sign of a weakening US economy – not of higher spending and rising inflation – and so does not necessitate tighter Fed policy than is currently priced.

Total deposits at US banks swelled almost $5 trillion through the pandemic to peak at over $18 trillion, taking the bank loan-to-deposit level to the lowest in at least 50-years at under 60%. Deposits -- driven by the checkable deposits of households -- rose, primarily as stimulus checks were paid into people’s accounts while consumer spending plummeted.

But now, deposits are beginning to fall from their high level.

To see why, we have to drill down into the data. The chart below shows that main driver of the fall is a decline in household savings deposits. Some of this drop may be reflected in the rise in household’s checkable deposits, as people shift money out of their savings account into their current account, but overall the fall in savings deposits is larger than the rise in checkable ones.



This represents a drawing-down of pre-pandemic savings, as savings deposits did not rise through the pandemic (all the government stimulus went into checkable accounts).

If we drill down further, we can see it is those in the 50th to 99th percentile income groups who have driven this fall in household savings deposits, which is approximately those households who earn $70k to $570k.



A reasonable inference to make is it is those at the lower end of this range who are experiencing the most hardship from the rising cost-of-living -- the so-called squeezed middle, who face rising costs but miss out on government help -- and are eating into savings to maintain their standard of living.

This a sign of a weakening economy, not one that is about to face an imminent and renewed inflationary impulse. In fact, falling deposit growth is empirically a sign of declining inflation. This is counter-intuitive on first glance, but banks create deposits when they create loans, so at the margin deposit growth is driven by loan growth.



Loan growth is starting to ease back, which along with a weakening economy points to inflation continuing to weaken. This is not an environment where the Fed is likely to up its rate-tightening ante.

 

[marsh]

Pressure Builds On Biden For Ukraine Weapons Tracking & Oversight | ZeroHedge

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Pressure Builds On Biden For Ukraine Weapons Tracking & Oversight

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 02:45 AM

Pressure has continued building for the Biden administration and Pentagon to provide stricter oversight and accounting for the massive military assistance and weaponry sent overseas to Ukraine, at a moment total defense aid is about to hit the $20 billion mark.

GOP leaders have warned the Biden administration to expect greater restrictions and oversight during the next Congress. This as the kind of enthusiastic support for the Ukrainians among the broader American public seen in the opening months of the war appears to have turned to frustration at the spectacle of open-ended amounts of taxpayer funds being poured into a conflict which has no end in sight...

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1596320883534356480

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1596320883534356480
4:30 min

Despite the State Department and Pentagon recently presenting plans to ensure greater oversight, Republicans who will soon enjoy a slim majority in Congress are readying to press for more, reports The Washington Post.

"Yet the reckoning could begin before the Republican takeover. A series of provisions on offer in the House-passed version of this year’s annual defense authorization bill would require a web of overlapping reports from the Pentagon and the inspectors general who police transfers of articles of war, plus the establishment of a task force to design and implement enhanced tracking measures," The Washington Post writes.

Among the most dangerous and ambitious of these efforts so far was reveled weeks ago. American troops are said to be performing "inspections" of US weapon caches on the ground in Ukraine, but significantly away from frontline fighting. There have already been several inspections overseen by a US Defense attache and a US Office of Defense Cooperation team based out of the Ukrainian capital.

Yet as the new Washington Post reporting details, a growing number of Democrats are joining skeptical Republicans:

"The taxpayers deserve to know that investment is going where its intended to go," Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a veteran-turned-lawmaker, said in an interview.​

​

Crow led an effort in the House Armed Services Committee to include in the defense bill instructions to the Defense Department Inspector General to review, audit, investigate and otherwise inspect the Pentagon’s efforts to support Ukraine. He called the directive "necessary," even if he does not count himself among the critics insinuating the Defense Department and the Ukrainians have failed to take the matter seriously enough.​

Recently there have even been documented instances of large amounts of US weaponry falling into the hands of Russian forces. And perhaps even more alarming is that Western-provided arms are ending up on the black market, and even make their way outside the country to criminal gangs, as the government of Finland recently admitted.

"We’re not playing a mission of perfection here. This is a brutal, large-scale land war — house to house, street to street, trench to trench. There will be things lost," Rep. Crow said further. "We’re not trying to prevent every single piece from falling into the hands of the Russians, but we want to make sure it’s not happening at a large scale."

 

[marsh]

Size Of British Army To Hit 200-Year Low, Only Sufficient To "Stay At Home & Tootle Around" Warns SecDef | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

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Size Of British Army To Hit 200-Year Low, Only Sufficient To "Stay At Home & Tootle Around" Warns SecDef

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 01:15 AM
Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,

The current size of the British Army is only sufficient if its goal is to “stay at home and tootle around,” Britain’s Defense Secretary Ben Wallace warned on Thursday.

Speaking to The Times newspaper following a meeting in Oslo with Allied counterparts on-board the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, the U.K. defense minister urged for the country’s defense to be properly funded amid concerns of future cutbacks of personnel.

“If we just want to stay at home and do a bit of tootling around, we’ve got an armed forces big enough,” Wallace told the newspaper, explaining that Britain’s “international alliance of 30 people,” otherwise known as NATO, continued to act as Britain’s military deterrent.​

He added, however, that measuring the sufficiency of the British Army is dependent on what the new government’s foreign policy objectives look like.

“We get in trouble when governments promise things without backing them up – they want to be everywhere… but they don’t fund it,” he told the newspaper.​

With Army numbers dwindling and expected to drop by around 10,000 troops after cost-cutting measures were approved by ministers last year, Wallace, who has served as Britain’s defense minister under three separate Conservative administrations since 2019, vowed to “design an armed forces to fit the threat and to fit the ambition of the prime minister.”

The once-feared British Army will soon consist of just 72,500 soldiers, a 200-year low dating back to the Napoleonic Wars.

Wallace was tipped by many to be a front-runner to succeed Boris Johnson when he stepped down in July, but ruled himself out of the top job.

 

[marsh]

The European Union's Misguided Energy Price Cap Proposal | ZeroHedge

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The European Union's Misguided Energy Price Cap Proposal​

SUNDAY, NOV 27, 2022 - 11:00 PM
Authored by Daniel Lacalle,

Only 15 years ago, the European Union produced more natural gas than Russia exported, according to the EIA. Repeating past mistakes and maintaining a failed energetic interventionist policy would only worsen what is already a structural disaster.

The prohibitive cost of electricity and gas in Europe is not a result of market flaws, but of a completely unsustainable cost structure where consumers are forced to pay escalating taxes, a hidden CO2 tax, subsidies, and other rising regulatory costs. More than 60% of an average euro area country household bill is made up of taxes and regulated costs, according to Eurostat.

Brussels cannot turn water into wine, and, similarly, the European Union cannot “cap” the price of natural gas and oil. It is almost ironic, but European leaders are spending days debating whether to impose a cap on Russian oil that would be set above the current Urals price and significantly above the five-year average levels.

The only thing that these so-called “caps” would achieve in a global energy market is to provide a massive subsidy that would then have to be repaid with higher tariffs or taxes afterwards. In Spain they already made the horrifying mistake that led to what was called the tariff deficit: Putting a cap on a tariff and passing the difference with the actual price to the following year with added interest charges. What the tariff deficit mechanism did was perpetuate higher tariffs even in periods of low commodity prices as the tariff deficit ballooned. The proposed gas cap would produce a comparable tariff deficit but at an enormous level if implemented throughout Europe.

Additionally, in a globalized and international market, the cap would create enormous arbitrage incentives that would only benefit China, which would continue purchasing cheap Russian commodities and exporting to Europe its more competitive goods.

We must not forget that the natural gas “cap” in Spain has been a genuine catastrophe. Elevating it to Europe would be worse.

According to Enagas data, natural gas demand in Spain soared while it declined in the rest of Europe, due to the disguised subsidy that the “cap” entails. Additionally, the cost of the measure for the country has increased to 13 billion euros, according to the power sector, which all citizens will pay with higher taxes, and this has led to a massive transfer of funds to France, which benefits from purchasing subsidized energy from Spain at a discount price while Spanish consumers pay the cost in higher bills.

The total cost of exports to France has exceeded 715 million euros (from 15 June to 4th November, according to sources of the power sector). Additionally, a significant increase in tariffs (+98 €/MWh) is added for clients with fixed contracts, converting their fixed contracts into variable ones due to the subsidy of natural gas prices.

The creation of a tariff deficit, which is what the current proposal would do to Europe, implies higher future costs and a larger debt burden. Short-term price “cuts” on gas and oil disguise the reality, incentivize demand while also creating an overcharge whose financing will result in higher prices and taxes in the future.

A European gas and oil cap causes no harm to Russia at all. We should have learned by now and that through exports to China, India, and other Asian countries, Russia continues to set trade surplus records.

A European “cap” on Russian gas and oil would be a subsidy to China at the expense of European taxpayers.

Additionally, by short-term subsidizing the price, the gas cap would create an artificial demand and a perverse incentive. More natural gas consumption and the long-term reliance on fossil fuels is maintained.

A cap on natural gas prices leads to higher consumption of fossil fuels, higher taxes, and bills while it penalizes renewable investment and a competitive energy transition.

What should the European Union do then?
The European Union needs a competitive energy policy that makes use of all available technologies. Eliminating, delaying, and placing bureaucratic barriers to investments in supply-chain security is a luxury no nation can afford.

• Use the EU’ extraordinary tax receipts from the sale of CO2 emission rights, which are estimated at more than twenty billion euro in the EU for 2022, to lower tariffs for the neediest families.
• Reduce the taxes on gasoline and gasoil that are more than 50% of the final price for the least fortunate and small businesses. The same for natural gas, where taxes add up to more than 30% of the tariff.
• Reduce the regulated costs burden included in consumer tariffs. Most of those regulated costs and subsidies have nothing to do with energy consumption and ought to be included in each country’s budget.
• Extend the life of nuclear plants and invest in new reactors.
• Support renewable energy eliminating the regulatory risk that negatively impacts capital attraction.
• Supporting renewable energy means securing the necessary amounts of lithium, copper, and cobalt.
• Facilitate investments in natural gas development and lifting the ban on the exploration and exploitation of unconventional gas.
• Reach long-term contracts with the major producers of liquefied natural gas, as China did when it closed its 27-year contract with Qatar.
• Eliminate taxes imposed on energy companies. They are the key to invest in security of supply.
• Strengthening the security of supply and stability provided by hydroelectric energy through contract extensions and investments in mini hydro.
• Provide tax benefits for investing in cogeneration.
• Supporting long-term investments in grid and networks and energy sources like green hydrogen with tax benefits.

The most important lesson is that the European Union will not solve an energy crisis created by interventionism by adding more bureaucracy, legal and regulatory instability and penalizing with higher taxes those that can invest in energy security.

The energy crisis, which was already a high-cost issue for European citizens in 2019, will become a price and supply issue soon if the European Union disregards these measures and continues to impose interventionist policies, raising taxes and imposing idealistic and industrially unviable models.

If the necessity of securing supply and mining of copper, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth metals is not understood, together with the need to strengthen nuclear, natural gas and hydro, the European Union will switch from being dependent on Russia to being dependent on Russia and China.

 

[marsh]

404 | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

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Conrad Black: Is America In Decline?​

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 07:20 PM
Authored by Conrad Black via The Epoch Times,

Gloom is always annoying and almost never the best response to even the most upsetting developments. It’s always psychologically better and a more efficient response to negative facts to try to design around them and get back to a positive sequence of objectives, no matter how tortuous and challenging.

Sometimes reflexive and uninformed cheerfulness is useful as a momentary palliative, but it swiftly descends into a make-believe optimism that is bound to be disappointed. That seems to be where much of the Republican response to the midterm elections has settled.

Those of us who are appalled by the weakness, incoherence, corruption, and hypocrisy of the Biden administration would do better to recognize the implications of the disaster in the midterm elections and the extent of the task that confronts those—apparently a significant majority—who believe that Bidenism is a straight boulevard to catastrophe.

Whatever else may be said of Donald Trump, he represented a shaped-up Western alliance fully armed and determined to prevent continued Chinese advance at the expense of the West; effective opposition to North Korea and Iran as nuclear powers; and a determination to reverse the erosion of America by the admission of countless millions of migrants partly masking the smuggling in with them of unfeasible quantities of lethal drugs. He also represented the celebration of the unifying American nationality over atomizing inflamed groups protesting multifarious forms of victimhood: self-serving nihilists gnawing at the bowels of America and denigrating virtually all of its characteristics and traditions.

Trump supported rational limits to the treatment of climate change: He continued to compel the reduction of environmental pollution while eliminating oil imports and recognizing the economic insanity of excessive and over-hasty promotion of energy sources that are deemed to be sustainable but are, in fact, inadequate in themselves and economically profoundly unsustainable. America has apparently chosen Biden over Trump twice, a grievous self-issued verdict.

It was widely believed prior to the midterm elections that the fact that three-quarters of Americans believed the country was headed in the wrong direction under the current administration, and disapproved of that administration by a substantial majority, would assure that a sharp course correction would be imposed by the voters.

The principal fact to emerge from these elections was that the well-founded disapproval of this hapless and, at times, malevolent administration was effectively equaled by a confected, defamatory fear that a return of Donald Trump would plunge the country into chaos, violence, racism, and intolerable indignities.
...
It seemed a reasonable hope that the failures of the Biden administration in almost every field and the alarming trend of the most obvious indicators—economic breakdown and soaring crime rates—would motivate the country to seek a different result in the event of a presidential election rematch between Biden and Trump. The evidence of the midterm elections is otherwise, and the Republicans have only managed to accustom themselves to the dangerous practices of ballot harvesting in some states and not in others.

Unless Trump can, as he gave some indication of doing in his announcement of his campaign for renomination, convince a substantial number of voters that he’s a seriously renovated and less erratic political personality, there’s no reason to think he will do better in 2024 than he has in the last two elections.

He can still meet these criteria, but it will require diligence and self-discipline.
...
For the majority who still believe in the traditional America, sensibly updated and cleansed of discrimination, the country is entering mortally perilous times. The midterms were a wake-up call, but has anyone awakened?
Read more here...

 

[marsh]

Only 28% Of Americans Are Worried About COVID Anymore; New Poll Finds | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

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Only 28% Of Americans Are Worried About COVID Anymore; New Poll Finds​

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 05:20 PM
Authored by Steve Watson via Summit News,

A Gallup poll has found that fewer than a third of Americans remain worried about COVID.

“Twenty-eight percent of Americans say they are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat worried’ they will get COVID — the lowest percentage Gallup has recorded since the summer of 2021,” the pollster notes.



The survey also found that 78% believe the pandemic to be “over,” a new high, with most people saying that everyone should “lead their normal lives as much as possible and avoid interruptions to work and business.”



Gallup further notes that “The same poll finds the smallest percentages of Americans yet reporting they are steering clear of specific situations because of the coronavirus, including avoiding large crowds (24%), avoiding travel by plane or public transportation (19%), avoiding going to public places (16%) and avoiding small gatherings (13%).”

“Use of face masks remains fairly common, but the 40% saying they have worn one in the past week when outside their home is also a new low during the pandemic,” the pollster adds.

Most Americans are not bothering with social distancing anymore either, according to the poll.



“About six in 10 Americans (59%) say they have made no attempt to isolate themselves from people outside their household in the past 24 hours — the most eschewing social distancing since the beginning of the pandemic,” Gallup explains.

“Sixteen percent, similar to the level in April, now say they have completely or mostly isolated themselves from people outside their household, while 25% — the lowest reading since April 2020 — say they have isolated themselves partially or a little,” the report further notes.

Despite the findings, along with all the recent revelations about vaccines and vaccine mandates, globalist technocrats appear to be planning to bring back vaccine passports for the “next pandemic.”

View: https://youtu.be/kMT1bdGLxfw
9:39 min

 

[marsh]

NYISO Warns New Yorkers About "Sharp Rise" In Winter Electricity Prices | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

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NYISO Warns New Yorkers About "Sharp Rise" In Winter Electricity Prices​

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 06:20 PM

Readers have been well-informed that the global energy crisis is finally coming to America this winter as energy bills soar. The latest sign of soaring power costs is a warning from New York's grid operator.

In a press release, New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) wrote that millions of New Yorkers would have enough electricity supplies this winter to meet forecasted peak demand conditions.

While that's a relief NYISO won't have to resort to power blackouts this winter, the grid operator warned customers would face "a sharp rise in wholesale electricity prices expected this winter due to several economic and geopolitical factors that continue to impact the cost of natural gas used in the production of electricity."



Bloomberg pointed out that NYC natural gas prices for January delivery were more than 60% higher than a year ago. Plus, diesel prices are through the roof as fuel supplies in the Northeast are dangerously low. Combine higher inputs to generate power, which means the added costs will be passed onto consumers.



For months we have pointed out, "The Average US Household Pays 47% More For Electricity Than A Year Ago" and "American Energy Bills Are Set To Soar This Winter" and "Your Next Pain Will Be Soaring Electricity Costs As Energy Crisis Comes To America."

And just as the cold season begins, there are 20 million households behind on their power bills. Now power companies are renegotiating power contracts with households, increasing the price per kilowatt substantially.
Winter is coming...



Americans will increasingly burn firewood this year to offset soaring electricity costs, just like millions of Europeans -- as the energy crisis sends the western world back to the 'medieval' days of using stoves and fireplaces to heat homes because of failed sanctions against Russia and terrible energy policy by western politicians pushing ESG garbage.

 

[marsh]

"Instructions From Kiev": Ukraine Propaganda Messaging | ZeroHedge

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"Instructions From Kiev": Ukraine Propaganda Messaging​

MONDAY, NOV 28, 2022 - 06:40 PM
Authored by Yves Smith via NakedCapitalism.com,

Below we are reproducing a post from Ukraine Telegram, along with an assessment from Colonel Douglas Macgregor. A long-standing military colleague sent the material to Macgregor, who deems it to be authentic.

One thing that is striking about the text of Ukraine gaslighting messaging points is the focus on creating dissent in the military with the intent of achieving regime change in Moscow. One thing I have inferred despite my considerable distance from Russian Telegram is the degree to which it seems to be highly critical of the Russian government’s conduct of the war. This seems to go beyond possible self-selection. Yes, ex-soldiers and other war nerds can no doubt come up with mistakes made, as well as having a general hankering for more aggressive action. Mind you, Russia is now moving into that footing with its dissection of Ukraine’s electrical grid. That is presumably be followed sometime in the winter with an increase in the tempo of the war. But Surovikin promised a grinding war. If that translates into grinding in more places, and faster loss of Ukraine/Western men and materiel, will that be kinetic enough to make these armchair generals happy?

What has struck me with my limited contact with Russian Telegram is that its members seem too often to become overwrought about minor setbacks, like the loss of three Russian helicopters at an airbase due to apparent sabotage.

Yes, this is bad and suggests not enough care was taken to prevent such an event (although one could easily argue given the ferocity of Ukraine intent that the level of successful terrorist operations has been comparatively modest). But the level of upset on Telegram seemed wildly disproportionate, and hence not organic…particularly given that the Western press also flogged the story.

Some of the messaging in the Western press is also so uniform as to raise questions about how so many journalists can suddenly be thinking the same thing. For instance, now that they can’t not mention Russia’s destruction of Ukraine’s electrical grid, the spin is that this move is an act of desperation by Russia, a last-ditch effort to salvage its failing campaign….which will clearly fizzle into nothing when they run out of missiles.

Now to Macgregor, who I hope you will thank for letting me publish his finding. Hoisted from e-mail:

I am indebted to XXXX who sent this material to me this morning. The material is very revealing.

The instructions below from the Kiev Government to its propaganda organs read like talking points for the Washington Post, New York Times, and most of the major western media. These points were lifted from a Ukrainian telegram channel. The stories that appear in Western media begin with the utterly false and misleading assertions on the list below. Encouraged by Western Governments, Western Journalists eagerly adopt them and present the fairy tales that proceed from them as factual.

Trotsky who distinguished himself during the Russian Civil War and the Russian Invasion of Poland with the creation of similarly effective lies and fabrications would be enormously proud of Zalenskiy and the work he and his apparatus are doing.

From XXX:

According to the source, this is a conditional training manual for a week from the functionaries of the Office of the President and CIPSO for their bot farms and social media to work in the RU segment.

Media plan, November 21-27​

Topic: Problems of mobilization

• Search and creation of materials about the problems of providing mobilized weapons, equipment, mistakes in managing on the battlefield and during training.
• Use authentic videos from the mobilized, published in Russian news and military Telegram channels.
• Obtaining, creating and disseminating insider information about problems in the regions. Detailed coverage, generalization of problematic incidents for the entire mobilization process.
• The direct accusation of the Russian high command and leadership of the Ministry of Defense of corruption, low qualifications and neglect of the lives of their subordinates.

Topic: Losses in manpower and equipment

• Use of numerical data of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ISW, CIT, Oryx and other approved sources.
• Emphasize high casualties among mobilized, not professional Russian military. The task is to create a conflict between the career military and those called up for mobilization for further development and consistent updating.
• Calls to lay down arms and surrender – saving lives is more important than war for undefined goals and the Kremlin regime. Involvement of youth opinion leaders and organizations to disseminate such appeals.
• Losses in technology – translate the assessment into financial indicators. Emphasis: the money spent on the war, the Kremlin should have distributed among the population, so that it becomes richer.
• Emphasize the losses of the economy from the war and the imposed sanctions.

Topic: Internal conflicts in power

• Key line: to strengthen the basis for the revolt of the military against the Kremlin in case of a crisis.
• Return to theses about conflicts in the Russian elite, among the “Kremlin towers”. The task is to undermine the trust of civil officials and security forces in each other.
• The accusation of officials of the Presidential Administration and the government of disagreeing with the actions of the military, in parallel to disseminate information about the violent dissatisfaction of the military with the political decisions of the Kremlin. Task: to launch information about the next conflict between the civilian and security forces of the regime.
• The use of defector speakers to launch information about conflicts between law enforcement agencies – the military, the FSB, the National Guard.
• Continuing the line: discrediting past referendums on joining Russia. The key thesis is that among the Russians, the annexation of regions does not enjoy support, their preservation as part of Russia is not considered important following the results of the war.

Topic: Russia is a terrorist state

• Key line: The whole world considers the Russian regime to be terrorist in its essence, punishment for its crimes is inevitable.
• Active coverage of Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure. Emphasize the suffering of the civilian population from the power outage, the victims of the civilian population from shelling.
• Accents in coverage: The European Parliament recognizes Russia as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism”. The Dutch Parliament will vote on a resolution recognizing the Russian Federation as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism”. Emphasize European unity on the issue of recognizing the Putin regime as a terrorist one.”

 

[marsh]

'Gaslighting' is Merriam Webster's 2022 word of the year 1:20 min

'GASLIGHTING' IS MERRIAM WEBSTER'S 2022 WORD OF THE YEAR​

• WATCH

“Gaslighting” — mind manipulating, grossly misleading, downright deceitful — is Merriam-Webster's word of the year. Searches for the word on merriam-webster.com increased 1,740% in 2022 over the year before Associated Press 11/28/2022

 

[marsh]

Why China's COVID protesters hold up blank paper 1:40 min

WHY CHINA'S COVID PROTESTERS HOLD UP BLANK PAPER​

• WATCH
• Chinese protesters have turned to blank sheets of paper to express their anger over COVID restrictions in a rare, widespread outpouring of public dissent Blank sheets of paper become symbol of defiance in China protests Reuters 11/27/2022

 

[marsh]

Ep. 2935a - The People Are About To Learn The Truth About The [CB] & The Economy 18:46 min (starts at 1:29 min)

Ep. 2935a - The People Are About To Learn The Truth About The [CB] & The Economy​

X22 Report Published November 28, 2022

EU is preparing for this winter, it's going to be a disaster and the [CB] will be in the spotlight. The UK is already preparing for blackouts. The people of the US are now seeing the true [CB] economy, each day it gets worse and worse and when the people reach the point of no return they will be pointing the finger at the [CB].

^^^^
Ep. 2935b - Evidence Already In, The [DS] Got Caught, It’s Perfectly Documented For All To See 1:12:37 min (starts at 1:36 min)

Ep. 2935b - Evidence Already In, The [DS] Got Caught, It’s Perfectly Documented For All To See​

X22 Report Published November 28, 2022
The [DS] is panicking, they are not in the drivers seat, they are now reacting to everything the patriots are doing. Elon is now producing information about Twitter and the [DS] is trying to stop him, but nothing can stop this. Trump is letting everyone know that he has all the evidence and it is all documented and this information is going to be produced for the public.

 

[marsh]

CHINA IS EXPLODING!!! 10:54 min

CHINA IS EXPLODING!!!​

Dr Steve Turley Published November 28, 2022

(No summary given. Did not watch.)

^^^^
Elon Musk To EXPOSE Twitter's Hunter Biden COVER UP!!! 8:51 min

Elon Musk To EXPOSE Twitter's Hunter Biden COVER UP!!!​

Dr Steve Turley Published November 28, 2022

(No summary given. Did not watch.)

 

[marsh]

They Would Have Dominion Over Earth by Elon Musk 8:39 min

THEY WOULD HAVE DOMINION OVER EARTH BY ELON MUSK​

• WATCH

(AI, super computers and the Singularity)

 

[marsh]

Michael Yon @MichaelYon
Nov 28, 2022 at 7:21pm
Cancer Note from Texas
28 November 2022
Dripping Springs, Texas

FROM A FRIEND TODAY IN TEXAS:

I tried to schedule a routine mammogram for the wife today. I found out that medical imaging companies are 'experiencing record call volumes'. Their offer to leave a number and receive a call-back promised a return call. Next week.

Why the explosion in imaging requests? Apparently the COVID-19 kill shot is driving cancer vertical, per a discussion I had with an MD friend. In fact, the gigantic Rockefeller cancer industry is being overwhelmed worldwide. The doc told me, "I'm seeing an explosion of cancers in my patients who decided to take the clot shot. It's going crazy. Like nothing I've ever seen in 40 years of medical practice. The exception appears to be someone who took the clot shot and did not get cancer. Yet."

They wanted me to PAY IN ADVANCE to book the appointment. When I asked what that cost, she gave me three different price points, for a 2-D mammogram, a 3-D mammogram and some other odd thing. When I asked how I would decide which would be best, without any knowledge of medicine, she said she'd ask the doctor (how does even the doctor know, without first seeing the patient?) then she just hung up.

 

[marsh]

Why Biden & Global Elites Are Shamefully Quiet On China

West must accelerate re-shoring strategic industries from China to U.S.

michaelshellenberger.substack.com

Why Biden & Global Elites Are Shamefully Quiet On China​

West must accelerate re-shoring strategic industries from China to U.S.

Michael Shellenberger
8 hr ago


Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden (left); World Economic Forum Founder Klaus Schwab and President Xi (right). (Getty Photos). Young woman protests in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province on November 27, 2022. The blank page signifies a protest against censorship. (Source: Twitter.com/whyyoutouzhele)

Women and girls in China and Hong Kong are risking their lives for freedom. Citizen journalism has eclipsed mainstream news reporting, with even The New York Times citing tweeted videos.

In one video a young woman marches stoically through a public alleyway holding up a blank piece of paper. She is wearing chains around her arms.

In another, a young woman refuses to move while filming police with her smart phone. She is assaulted by the police who hand her to a group of people wearing white protective gear, presumably to protect themselves and others from covid.

And in another, men shoo cameras away from a woman holding a blank piece of paper in protest.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1596875660529917959

View: https://twitter.com/whyyoutouzhele/status/1596875660529917959?s=46&t=Av6_-41lM2vbFF9dflKBHw
.15 min

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1596835624132411392

View: https://twitter.com/hellojixian/status/1596835624132411392?s=20&t=gYB78yAx9sKbGxkBWXXUOXUOwt8O9ciaRsH669flD_k
.25 min

The government is using covid as justification for sweeping repression.

Another video shows Chinese police beating a BBC journalist. In a statement, BBC protested the reporter’s assualt and criticizes the government’s claim that the police who were beating the reporter were simply trying to protect him from covid.

Instead of saying anything about them the Secretary-General of the United Nations warned of the impact on women and girls from… climate change.

“Violence against women and girls is exacerbated by the intersecting crises of climate, conflict and economic instability,” tweeted Antonio Guterres. “We need #ClimateAction, and a more peaceful & equitable world to ensure the well-being of women & girls everywhere.”

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1597043598712791041

View: https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1597043598712791041?s=20

President Joe Biden has been shamefully quiet, tweeting about small businesses and the economy but saying nothing about the protests in China, with the White House issuing a perfunctory statement affirming the right of people to protest.

Others, like World Economic Forum’s founder, praised China just a few days ago on state television. “China is a model for many nations,” said Klaus Schwab on November 19, 2022. Schwab was seen participating actively in the G-20 meeting in Indonesia two weeks ago.

Defenders of Biden, the UN, and other global elites will say that it can speak on many issues at once. The Secretary-General of the UN and Biden are unlikely to write their own tweets. They may not even see them. And there is still plenty of time for them to speak up.

But world leaders have had plenty of time to speak up and haven’t. They are perfectly capable of ordering their staffs to retweet the videos of young women risking their lives.

Some China experts took to Twitter to explain that the world should not get its hopes up for freedom and democracy in China. Such defensive pessimism is understandable but should not be used as an excuse for Western leaders to remain silent. What, then, explains the passivity of Western leaders?