Distinction Matter - Subscribed Feeds

  1. Site: Novus Motus Liturgicus
    1 day 6 hours ago
    Chant Camp for Singers Ages 8-17, August 4-8, at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California.Early bird pricing through June 25th | Discounts available for multiple children from the same family.More information and registration available here. Discover the joy of singing the Church’s sacred music!The Catholic Institute of Sacred Music launches its choral program for young singers with an Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0
  2. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 6 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    US, China Gear Up For High-Stakes Meeting In London

    U.S. and Chinese delegations have arrived in the U.K. for talks aimed at patching up a fraying truce in an ongoing trade war between the world's two biggest economies. The US team leby The U.S. team led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are due to meet with a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng in London in a renewed effort to break the deadlock after last month’s Geneva talks failed to produce meaningful results.

    The high-stakes meeting follows President Donald Trump’s call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on June 5, after which Trump announced that the dispute over China’s rare earth export restrictions—a key obstacle in trade talks—had been resolved.

    “There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products,” Trump said on Truth Social following the call. “Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined.”

    The hour-and-a-half-long conversation came after Trump publicly expressed frustration over Beijing’s negotiating tactics, calling Xi “very tough” and “extremely hard to make a deal with” in a Truth Social post the day before.

    As Emel Akan reports for The Epoch Times, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the U.S. trade officials will press their Chinese counterparts to fully comply with the terms of the May 12 trade agreement reached in Geneva, which included reciprocal tariff reductions. Under the deal, both countries agreed to reduce tariffs by 115 percent while maintaining an additional 10 percent levy.

    “The administration has been monitoring China’s compliance with the deal, and we hope that this will move forward to have more comprehensive trade talks,” Leavitt told Fox News on June 8.

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will lead the American delegation in London.

    Rare Earths Still in Focus

    Despite Trump’s declaration that the rare earths dispute has been resolved, his officials remain cautious.

    According to National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, while rare earth exports have resumed, they are still below the levels previously agreed upon.

    “Those exports of critical minerals have been getting released at a rate that is higher than it was but not as high as we believe we agreed to in Geneva,” he told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on June 8.

    “We want the rare earths, the magnets that are crucial for cell phones and everything else, to flow just as they did before the week of April, and we don’t want any technical details to slow that down, and that’s clear to them.”

    In response to Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs, Beijing introduced export restrictions on critical rare earth elements, metals, and magnets effective April 4. Beijing has tightened export controls on seven rare earth elements—samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium—straining supply chains critical to America’s defense, aerospace, and automotive sectors.

    The latest restrictions follow a December 2024 export ban on three key minerals—antimony, gallium, and germanium—imposed in retaliation for former President Joe Biden’s technology curbs targeting the Chinese communist regime.

    China dominates global rare earths supply chains, accounting for nearly 60 percent of worldwide production and almost 85 percent of processing capacity. The Chinese regime has turned that dominance into a strategic weapon against other countries in recent years.

    While the terms of the deal are still being worked out, Hassett expressed optimism about the London meeting.

    “I’m very comfortable that this deal is about to be closed,” he said.

    Deeper trade issues continue to loom over the talks.

    China’s Longstanding Trade Violations

    In May, the U.S. Commerce Department issued a new rule banning the use of Huawei Technologies’ Ascend computer chips worldwide, arguing they were developed in violation of American export controls.

    The move drew backlash from Beijing, which urged the U.S. government to undo the action.

    The recent dispute reflected broader U.S. concerns over Beijing’s long-standing abusive trade practices that disadvantage American businesses and workers.

    Communist China’s rise since joining the World Trade Organization in 2001 has been mainly fueled by such controversial trade policies, which include stealing intellectual property, attacking foreign firms operating in the country, manipulating its currency, and massively subsidizing domestic companies.

    Some China hawks in Washington believe that Beijing is determined to maintain these mercantilist trade practices.

    Even if Beijing comes to the negotiation table, it’s unwilling to bargain on these core problems that the United States wants resolved, according to Robert Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a science and technology think tank.

    “They’ve never been willing to even acknowledge that these are problems,” he told The Epoch Times in an April interview.

    It remains unclear to what extent Beijing’s unfair trade practices will be addressed or resolved during the London talks.

    Beijing initially denied having violated the Geneva trade agreement on May 30. The regime escalated its rhetoric on June 2, when a spokesperson for the Chinese Commerce Ministry issued a statement through state media attacking Washington’s decision to revoke visas for Chinese students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

    “The United States and China have strategic interests in one another’s markets, and the President is always going to put American workers and industries first,” Leavitt said during the Fox News interview. “And the talks in Geneva really set the table for that, but we need China to comply with their side of the deal. And so that’s what the trade team will be discussing tomorrow.”

    The U.S. team will issue a readout after the meeting, she said.

    Tyler Durden Mon, 06/09/2025 - 07:45
  3. Site: AsiaNews.it
    1 day 6 hours ago
    There are over 300,000 young people from the subcontinent studying in the United States, a number almost double that of ten years ago.What drives them towards the US are the shortcomings of a university system that is still uncompetitive also because it is excessively centralised.Thus in contrast with their government (and to avoid competition from Europe) some US universities are starting new partnerships to open campuses in India.
  4. Site: La Salette Journey
    1 day 6 hours ago

    Make no mistake about it, what's happening in Los Angeles is a far-left insurrection. See here.




    I have written before that Revolution is coming. But it will only come when the social order has been sufficiently destabilized, and then, the opportunity for a new political order is possible. 

    That destabilization is the goal of the radical left. Far from a speculation, several popes have been warning for decades that such a revolution has been the intention all along of secret societies working parallel to governments...Leftists know that with the collapse of the United States, the door will be open for a new super-power—or super-world government—to assert a mode of governance that does not place the intrinsic freedom and dignity of the human person at its center, but instead profitability, efficiency, ecology, the environment, and technology as its primary goal."


    Make no mistake about it, these people hate America.  They hate what she stands for. These socialists are waiting for the most opportune moment to overthrow this government and to install a tyrannical regime. 

    It was Pope John Paul II who reminded us that, "..the fundamental error of socialism is anthropological in nature. Socialism considers the individual person simply as an element, a molecule within the social organism, so that the good of the individual is completely subordinated to the functioning of the socioeconomic mechanism. Socialism likewise maintains that the good of the individual can be realized without reference to his free choice, to the unique and exclusive responsibility which he exercises in the face of good or evil. Man is thus reduced to a series of social relationships, and the concept of the person as the autonomous subject of moral decision disappears, the very subject whose decisions build the social order. From this mistaken conception of the person there arise both a distortion of law, which defines the sphere of the exercise of freedom, and an opposition to private property. A person who is deprived of something he can call 'his own,' and of the possibility of earning a living through his own initiative, comes to depend on the social machine and on those who control it. This makes it much more difficult for him to recognize his dignity as a person, and hinders progress toward the building up of an authentic human community." (Centesimus Annus, No. 13).


    "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." - Winston Churchill.

    "Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." - Alexis de Tocqueville.

    "Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it." - Thomas Sowell.

    Related reading here
  5. Site: AsiaNews.it
    1 day 6 hours ago
    Founder of Radio Jyoti (Light), the first Catholic radio station in the country, he was 75 years old.The funeral took place in Natore, his hometown.Author also of plays, he was director of the Christian Communication Centre of the Bangladesh Bishops' Conference.Fr Dilip S. Costa: "He used every means to proclaim the Gospel".
  6. Site: Mises Institute
    1 day 6 hours ago
    Author: Frank Shostak
    Modern macroeconomic theory claims that government spending, taxation, and monetary creation is essential for economic growth. Austrian Economists, however, note that government stifles the economy.
  7. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 7 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    US Electric Vehicle Adoption Plummets

    Authored by Tsvetana Paraskova via OilPrice.com,

    • EV interest among U.S. drivers has dropped to 16%, the lowest since 2019.

    • Key deterrents include high upfront costs, limited charging infrastructure, and concerns over long-distance suitability.

    • Hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles are gaining favor as more practical alternatives.

    Just 16% of American drivers say they are likely to buy an electric vehicle (EV) as their next car—the lowest share recorded in AAA’s annual surveys since 2019.

    High battery maintenance costs, high purchase prices, and concerns about range continue to be major deterrents for U.S. consumers to consider buying an EV, according to AAA’s latest survey released earlier this month.

    These key barriers have remained more or less the same in recent years.

    But this year three other factors have also played a role to result in the smallest share of American drivers considering an EV purchase—lower gasoline prices, the increasingly uncertain future of EV incentives such as tax credits and rebates, and politics.

    Only 16% of U.S. adults reported in AAA’s 2025 survey that they are “very likely” or “likely” to purchase a fully EV as their next car. This compares to 25% in 2022, when gasoline prices of $5 per gallon incentivized more buyers to consider an EV purchase.

    This year, the percentage of consumers indicating they would be “unlikely” or “very unlikely” to purchase an EV rose to 63%, up from 51% last year.

    “While the automotive industry is committed to long-term electrification and providing a diverse range of models, underlying consumer hesitation remains,” said Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering for AAA.

    Consumers cited high battery repair costs and purchase prices as key barriers to go fully electric, at 62% and 59%, respectively. Other top concerns identified in this year’s survey were the perceived unsuitability of EVs for long-distance travel (57%), a lack of convenient public charging stations (56%), and fear of running out of charge while driving (55%).

    Other barriers cited by the Americans unlikely to buy an EV include safety concerns cited by 31%, challenges installing charging stations at their residences for 27%, and 12% who are concerned that the tax credits and rebates will be reduced or eliminated.

    Saving on gasoline costs is a key reason for interest in EVs this year—77% of Americans likely to buy an EV cited gas savings as their top motivation to purchase.

    The reason, of course, is quite simple. Gasoline prices this spring hit their lowest level ahead of Memorial Day weekend in four years. A large part of the strong demand over Memorial Day weekend was due to the fact that the typical seasonal spike in the spring didn’t materialize, because oil prices – the single-biggest driver of gasoline prices—have lingered in the low $60s per barrel for weeks.

    Uncertainty about incentives for EV purchases has started to play a larger role in drivers’ hesitancy to consider fully-electric vehicle purchases. Interest in EVs to take advantage of tax credits and rebates has plummeted—from 60% of those saying last year they are likely to buy an EV to 39% this year, per the AAA survey.

    Moreover, fewer Americans now believe that most passenger cars would be EVs within a decade. The share of U.S. drivers who believe that most cars will be electric within the next ten years has plunged from 40% in 2022 to 23% this year.

    Despite the fact that the availability of EV models in the U.S. market has soared in recent years, with many legacy carmakers seeking to compete with Tesla, Americans remain hesitant about purchasing electric cars.

    Public perception about the future of EVs remains uncertain, AAA says, despite the more than 75 EV models introduced in the past four years.

    For many drivers, hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicles could be more appealing than full battery EVs as they combine the advantages of traditional internal combustion engines with electric power, reducing range anxiety while providing an environmentally friendly alternative, AAA says. 

    Tyler Durden Mon, 06/09/2025 - 06:30
  8. Site: Rorate Caeli
    1 day 7 hours ago
     Live now:New Catholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04118576661605931910noreply@blogger.com
  9. Site: Catholic Conclave
    1 day 8 hours ago
    Traditionalist Pentecost Pilgrimage: "A Church is not a liturgical self-service facility," according to the Bishop of ChartresThe Bishop is a member of the Emmanuel CommunityA few days before its launch, the traditionalist Pentecost pilgrimage, which will take place between Paris and Chartres from June 7 to 9, is already causing controversy. The Bishop of Chartres is asking the organizers to Catholic Conclavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.com0
  10. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 8 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    US Manufacturing By State: Who Gains Most From 'Made In America'?

    President Trump has championed the idea that a key part of making America great again is bringing back industries that left the country in recent decades. With his tariff-driven trade policy, the White House has promoted “Made in America” as a way to create jobs and boost the economy.

    Based on April 2025 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this map, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, highlights the U.S. states leading and lagging in manufacturing employment.

    California Leads in Manufacturing

    Manufacturing remains geographically diverse across the U.S., with major hubs on both coasts and in the interior.

    In terms of absolute numbers, California leads the nation, with 1.22 million manufacturing jobs. Texas follows with 970,600 jobs, while Ohio and Michigan maintain their traditional industrial strength with 687,500 and 597,600 jobs, respectively.

    State Manufacturing Jobs Jobs per 100k California 1,222.9K 3094.0 Texas 970.6K 3101.9 Ohio 687.5K 5785.4 Michigan 597.6K 5893.2 Illinois 574.7K 4521.6 Pennsylvania 561.5K 4293.2 Indiana 523.3K 7557.5 Wisconsin 462.8K 7763.8 North Carolina 459.3K 4158.1 Florida 434.6K 1859.5 Georgia 426.5K 3814.5 New York 412.0K 2073.8 Tennessee 364.3K 5040.3 Minnesota 323.5K 5584.2 Alabama 287.5K 5574.2 Missouri 283.9K 4545.7 Washington 274.2K 3445.5 South Carolina 263.0K 4800.3 Kentucky 260.6K 5679.6 New Jersey 255.4K 2688.2 Virginia 243.5K 2763.5 Massachusetts 229.8K 3220.2 Iowa 217.2K 6700.6 Arizona 193.8K 2555.9 Oregon 181.7K 4252.9 Kansas 173.0K 5823.7 Arkansas 165.0K 5342.7 Utah 155.3K 4432.6 Connecticut 154.2K 4195.8 Colorado 150.1K 2519.5 Louisiana 143.8K 3127.6 Mississippi 140.8K 4784.2 Oklahoma 139.5K 3406.3 Maryland 110.4K 1762.7 Nebraska 103.3K 5150.9 Idaho 77.4K 3866.9 New Hampshire 68.2K 4840.2 Nevada 67.7K 2071.9 Maine 51.7K 3679.7 West Virginia 46.7K 2638.4 South Dakota 44.3K 4790.9 Rhode Island 40.1K 3605.1 New Mexico 29.5K 1384.8 North Dakota 27.9K 3502.5 Vermont 27.2K 4194.3 Delaware 26.7K 2538.2 Montana 20.8K 1829.0 Hawaii 13.1K 905.9 Alaska 11.9K 1607.8 Wyoming 10.6K 1803.9 District of Columbia 1.2K 170.9

    Several Southern states have also built strong manufacturing bases. North Carolina (459,300), Georgia (426,500), and Tennessee (364,300) each rank among the top states, supported by industries such as automotive, aerospace, and food processing.

    Wisconsin, ranked in the top 10 for total manufacturing employment, stands out for outperforming its size. Although it’s only the 20th most populous state, its manufacturing base remains strong, thanks in part to food and dairy processing. In per capita terms, it’s number one in the nation with 7,763.8 manufacturing jobs for every 100,000 people.

    Florida, another top 10 state, has emerged as a growth story. Between 2019 and 2023, the state’s manufacturing employment grew by nearly 10%, highlighting the sector’s expansion in one of the country’s largest economies.

    At the other end of the spectrum, Wyoming (10,600 jobs), Alaska (11,900), and Washington, D.C. (1,200) recorded the lowest levels of manufacturing employment. The latter (D.C.) also has the lowest numbers per capita.

    To learn more about Trump’s impact in his first 100 days, check out this graphic that compares S&P 500 returns during post-WWII presidents’ first 100 days.

    Tyler Durden Mon, 06/09/2025 - 05:45
  11. Site: Catholic Conclave
    1 day 8 hours ago
    Scroll down for today'sSaint of the Day/ FeastReading of the MartyrologyDedication of the MonthDedication of the DayRosaryFive Wounds Rosary in LatinSeven Sorrows Rosary in EnglishLatin Monastic OfficeReading of the Rule of Saint BenedictCelebration of MassReading from the School of Jesus CrucifiedFeast of Blessed Anna-Maria TaigiAnna Maria Taigi (née Giannetti; 29 May 1769 – 9 June 1837) was an Catholic Conclavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.com0
  12. Site: Crisis Magazine
    1 day 8 hours ago
    Author: Robert B. Greving

    Translation is a tricky thing, especially if you’re translating a word that has a seemingly direct equivalent in English. Sometimes the equivalent translation fits, sometimes it doesn’t. Often, it’s a mixed bag. That brings me to the Third Person of the Trinity. I don’t know when and why the Latin phrase Sanctus Spiritus switched from being translated as “Holy Ghost” to “Holy Spirit.

    Source

  13. Site: Crisis Magazine
    1 day 9 hours ago
    Author: John M. Grondelski

    A lot of ink has been spilled over the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) and whether Traditionis Custodes might be modified under Pope Leo XIV. While not necessarily a partisan of the TLM—though I believe the Novus Ordo should be modified to adopt an ad orientem posture—let me share some tidbits of liturgical history regarding the Roman Canon that have analogical bearing on the TLM question.

    Source

  14. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 9 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    The Fed Is Very Worried About Tariff Passthrough Onto Prices

    Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

    The Fed, businesses, and consumers are all concerned over price hikes.

    Worried About Prices?

    Please consider the Atlanta Fed research article Worried about Tariff Passthrough onto Prices? So Are Business Execs.

    Over the past couple of months, newswires have focused on the potential for elevated tariff rates to feed through into higher inflation and potentially affect output growth as well. Indeed, Chair Powell, in his last post-FOMC meeting press conference said, “What looks likely, given the scope and scale of the tariffs, is that…the risks to higher inflation, higher unemployment have increased.

    Recent research from economists at the Atlanta Fed suggests that if firms are able to pass through all the costs of tariffs, retail prices would increase significantly―as much as 1.6 percent (depending on how effective tariff rates evolve from here).

    And even at a 50 percent passthrough rate, the impact on prices would be large enough to be felt in the aggregate (0.8 percent increase in retail prices). How plausible is full passthrough? Going back to the last episode with rising tariffs in 2018, research icon denoting destination link is offsite showed that the cost of the tariffs was almost entirely passed through onto domestic prices.

    In this environment, where policy changes lead to sharp increases in costs for many firms, we were curious about how firms would respond, especially in light of a potential reduction in demand that typically accompanies a price hike. So, we turned to the Atlanta Fed’s Business Inflation Expectations survey (BIE), a monthly survey of Sixth District firms that is well positioned to ask timely questions on economic conditions facing firms. In gathering information for the April 2025 BIE survey, we asked firms about their ability to pass through increased costs caused by a new economic policy without a resulting reduction in demand.

    The interesting twist in this line of questioning is the inclusion of the phrase “Based on current levels of demand.” The interpretation here is that firms are telling us how much of the cost increase they would be able to pass through to customers before it had a negative impact on demand for that good or service.

    Although a diversity of views is apparent, on average firms tell us they expect to be able to pass through 51.1 percent of a 10 percent cost increase, and 47.3 percent of a 25 percent cost increase, without reducing current levels of demand. 

    In sum, firms with about normal or greater-than-normal sales expect to be able to pass through more of the cost increases while maintaining the same levels of demand for their goods or services. And figure 3 shows us that those firms are more likely to be larger firms, due to their smaller sales gap compared to “normal.” In the aggregate, business executives see their current sales levels as about 8 percentage points below “normal,” which is much weaker than firms’ relative position entering 2018. In this environment, firms on average anticipate passing through a little more than half of a 10 percent cost increase without damaging demand. It’s not yet clear where the average tariff rate will ultimately settle, or how firms’ passthrough rates will evolve from here. However, it does appear that most firms anticipate sacrificing demand should they choose to fully pass a tariff-related cost increase on to customers.

    Only Three Things Can Happen

    1. Corporations can pass on the tariffs

    2. Corporations can eat the cost

    3. A combination of the above

    The Results

    • To the extent corporations pass on the costs, consumers will pay the tariff. That means consumers will cut back somewhere else, exhaust savings, or go into debt.

    • To the extent corporations eat the costs, that’s a direct hit on corporate profits.

    • If corporations misjudge how much they can pass on, they will also take a hit on profits.

    Corporate Profits

    If you are thinking tariffs are a huge drain on aggregate corporate profits, then you are thinking correctly.

    Fed Beige Book Shows Only 3 of 12 Regions Growing, 6 Declining

    On June 5, 2025, I noted Fed Beige Book Shows Only 3 of 12 Regions Growing, 6 Declining

    This report reeks of stagflation, defined as rising prices and recession simultaneously.

    Prices

    Prices have increased at a moderate pace since the previous report. There were widespread reports of contacts expecting costs and prices to rise at a faster rate going forward. A few Districts described these expected cost increases as strong, significant, or substantial. All District reports indicated that higher tariff rates were putting upward pressure on costs and prices. 

    ISM Services Dips Into Contraction as New Orders and Backlogs Plunge

    On June 4, I noted ISM Services Dips Into Contraction as New Orders and Backlogs Plunge

    “The Prices Index registered 68.7 percent in May, a 3.6-percentage point increase from April’s reading of 65.1 percent; the index has elevated 7.8 percentage points in the last two months to reach its highest level since November 2022 (69.4 percent). This is the first time the index has recorded this high of a two-month increase since a 9.2-percentage point gain in February and March 2021. The May reading is also its sixth in a row above 60 percent.”

    What caught my eye was a plunge in new orders and backlog of orders, yet prices rose 96 consecutive months and just accelerated.

    Should the Fed Cut? Hike? Do Anything?

    Many say the Fed should cut because jobs are slowing and so is inflation.

    But on the basis of tariffs and general disagreement about the rate of inflation, many others stating the Fed should hike rates.

    Those who are open to either stagflation or economic collapse don’t think the Fed should do anything.

    I am in that camp with the side note the free market should set rates, not the Fed, not Congress, not the President.

    Is the Fed in a Good Spot?

    That’s what the Fed says. I am not in that camp.

    The economy can tip either way suddenly and severely. And Trump’s tariff whipsaws don’t make the Fed’s life easy.

    Fear of Making Mistakes

    The Fed does not want to make a policy error in the wrong direction especially after blowing the massive inflation response to Congressional free money coupled with inane QE by the Fed.

    So, the Fed cannot be proactive now, even if it wants to, due to FOMMtm

    Trumpian Howls

    The Fed has its Covid mistake in the back of its mind but a howling Trump in the foreground.

    Trump howled about Jerome Powell again on June 4, as noted in Trump Demands Fed Rate Cut After Weakest ADP Payroll Report in 2 Years

    ADP reported a slim 37,000 private payroll rise for May.

    The payroll report on Friday temporarily halted the howls.

    For discussion, please see Nonfarm Payrolls Rise by 139,000 Employment Declines by 696,000

    The Fed may easily overreact or underreact. Right now the Fed looks like a deer in headlights.

    Finally, the Fed will take a lot of criticism no matter what it does. And it will still have its recent policy mistakes in mind, while also having to deal with Trump.

    Is this really a good place for the Fed?

    Tyler Durden Mon, 06/09/2025 - 05:00
  15. Site: OnePeterFive
    1 day 9 hours ago
    Author: St. Augustine

    Above: Jesus Christ and Nicodemus by Matthias Stom (c. 1600 – after 1652) From the Roman office. ℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing. Benediction. May the Gospel’s holy lection Be our safety and protection. ℟. Amen. Reading 1 Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to John John 3:16-21 At that time, Jesus said unto Nicodemus: God so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son…

    Source

  16. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 9 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    'No ID, No Nudes': Pornhub Pulls Out Of France In Spat Over Age Checks

    Vive la resistance - in reverse. Pornhub and its sister sites YouPorn and RedTube have gone dark in France, yanking access to their content Wednesday in a dramatic protest over a government crackdown on underage users.

    A screen displays a “no under-18s” sign in front of the logo of a pornographic website as regulators consider requiring such sites to ensure they are preventing minors from being exposed to their content. Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images

    The move comes after Aylo - the firm behind the trio of X-rated titans - hit pause on its French operations rather than comply with a new law requiring porn platforms to verify users are 18 or older.

    I can confirm that Aylo has made the difficult decision to suspend access to its user-uploaded platforms... in France,” a Pornhub spokesperson said Tuesday. “We will be using our platforms to directly address the French public tomorrow.”

    Aylo, which operates some of the world’s most trafficked adult sites, is now in a standoff with France’s digital watchdog, Arcom, which has the power to block sites and fine operators who fail to screen out minors.

    French officials aren’t exactly begging them to stay.

    If Aylo would rather leave France than apply our laws, they are free to do so,” Clara Chappaz, France’s junior minister for artificial intelligence and digital technology, posted bluntly on X.

    According to Arcom, some 2.3 million minors access porn sites every month in France - a clear violation of laws requiring age gating. The government has demanded stricter controls, like government ID or verified digital passports.

    But Aylo claims the measures would compromise user privacy and create security risks, setting up a classic clash between data protection and content regulation.

    Now, French users clicking over to Pornhub are getting nothing but a cold shower - a sudden blackout that leaves millions of adults scrambling for alternatives.

    Whether the blackout is a temporary gambit or a long-term exit remains unclear. But one thing’s for sure: in France, the liberté to browse adult content just got a whole lot harder to come by.

    Tyler Durden Mon, 06/09/2025 - 04:15
  17. Site: southern orders
    1 day 9 hours ago

     


    Pope Francis would not do it, but Pope Leo has corrected the situation!

    Press title for Crux article:

    Vatican website removes pictures of artwork created by priest accused of abuse

  18. Site: AsiaNews.it
    1 day 10 hours ago
    Today's news: Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning entersJapan's exclusive economic zone;Thailand and Cambodia movetheir border troops back to their previous positions;Malaysia has restricted travel for a cartoonist;More than half of mobilised population from one Siberian city killed onUkraine front.
  19. Site: AsiaNews.it
    1 day 10 hours ago
    The Berdymukhamedov government is mobilising to counter 'foreign centres of ideological sabotage' which, in its view, are fuelling protests. Public officials will have to go door to door in villages to gather stories about how well people live in the country. They will be accompanied by artists who will demonstrate their skills by singing or playing traditional instruments.
  20. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 10 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Bulgaria Set To Join Eurozone In 2026

    Authored by RFE/RL staff via OilPrice.com,

    • The European Commission has given Bulgaria the green light to adopt the euro as of January 1, 2026, following a positive assessment of the country's economic convergence.

    • Bulgaria's approval to join the eurozone represents a significant milestone in its broader integration into the European Union, following its recent entry into the Schengen Agreement.

    • Despite facing political and economic challenges, Bulgaria has met the necessary criteria for euro adoption, with final decisions to be made by the Council of the EU.

    The European Commission has given Bulgaria the go-ahead to join the eurozone single currency region as of January 1, 2026, the country's second major step in just one year on its path to full integration into the European Union.

    The commission, which met on June 4 to convey its decision on the issue, said Bulgaria fulfils the four nominal convergence criteria that are used to evaluate whether a country is ready for euro adoption.

    "The euro is a tangible symbol of European strength and unity," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

    The European Central Bank (ECB) also gave a positive assessment of Bulgaria's application, saying it met the criteria of currency stability, inflation, public finances, and interest rates.

    “This positive assessment of convergence paves the way for Bulgaria to introduce the euro as of 1 January 2026 and become the 21st EU Member State to join the euro area,” Philip Lane, a member of the ECB Executive Board, said.

    “I wish to congratulate Bulgaria on its tremendous dedication to making the adjustments needed.”

    The Council of the EU will take the final decisions on euro adoption for Bulgaria, basing its decision on the opinions of the EC and the ECB, as well as from talks with the Eurogroup and European Council.

    While adoption of the euro was a condition for joining the European Union, legislative failures, including reforms to combat money laundering, concerns over inflation, and political gridlock -- Bulgaria has had seven elections in the past four years -- have made the path difficult for the country.

    Mass protests took place in Sofia and other cities across the country last week, and politicians said after the decision that the task now is to make sure adoption provides benefits, not disruption.

    Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said the government would work to make "the process of introducing the euro smooth, predictable, predictable" and to dispel "the fears that are instilled in people and that are used for political abuse."

    Added Boyko Borisov, leader of the GERB party and a former prime minister: "A huge amount of work lies ahead, especially next year, because Bulgarians should feel the benefits of the eurozone."

    The decision in favor of adoption is Bulgaria’s second big step in just one year on its path to full integration into the European Union.

    In January, Sofia became a full member of Schengen agreement -- and Bulgaria’s borders with neighboring Greece and Romania are now fully open.

    Tyler Durden Mon, 06/09/2025 - 03:30
  21. Site: Mises Institute
    1 day 10 hours ago
    Alex Pollock has questions for the Federal Reserve in the Financial Times.
  22. Site: Mises Institute
    1 day 10 hours ago
    Author: Jim Cox
    Critics of the Free State Project should direct animosity, not at those moving to their state, but to the other 49 states for failing to be freer. The Free State Project migrants are not moving to New Hampshire to exert coercion on the existing population, but to live under less coercion.
  23. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 11 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    73% Of Indonesian Men Smoke...

    In 2025, smoking remains a persistent public health concern, with sharp disparities visible not only across countries but also between genders.

    The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco use causes over 8 million premature deaths each year. Of these, more than 7 million are due to direct tobacco use, while around 1.3 million non-smokers die from exposure to second-hand smoke.

    The graphic below, via Visual Capitalist's Marcus Lu, highlights the male and female smoking rates in ten major countries. The data is based on projections compiled by Statista.

    Gender Disparities in Global Smoking Rates

    The most striking contrast is seen in Indonesia, where nearly three-quarters (72.8%) of men are smokers, while just 1.8% of women partake.

    This gender gap is also present in China (44.4% vs. 1.4%) and India (10.9% vs. 0.9%), reflecting cultural norms and targeted marketing practices.

    In contrast, countries like France and Germany show much narrower disparities. France stands out with almost equal smoking rates among men (35.2%) and women (34.0%), suggesting a more gender-neutral culture around tobacco use.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. and Japan fall in the mid-range, with moderate gender gaps and relatively lower overall smoking prevalence compared to Asian and European counterparts.

    In Russia, 31.4% of men and 5.7% of women smoke, while in Brazil, smoking rates are lower, with 14.1% of men and 8.1% of women who smoke.

    Raw tobacco production is a huge industry. In 2022 alone, around 5.8 million tons of tobacco were produced worldwide, roughly a third of which was in China. Learn more about tobacco production in this graphic on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

    Tyler Durden Mon, 06/09/2025 - 02:45
  24. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 12 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    EU Farmer Protests Far From Over As They Battle Threats From Mercosur Trade Agreement And Ukraine

    Via Remix News,

    Farmers in Spain and France were again protesting agricultural imports from Ukraine and South America under the Mercosur trade agreement ahead of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visiting France and the expiration of a free trade agreement with Ukraine, writes TopAgrar.pl.

    Da Silva wants to convince President Emmanuel Macron to drop his opposition to the EU-Mercosur Agreement, and at a press conference with the French head of state, told press that he would not “leave the Mercosur presidency without having concluded the trade deal,” a position he will be taking up in a few weeks. 

    Meanwhile, the French Federation of Agricultural Unions (FNSEA) has once again called on Macron to take action to create a minority in the EU to block the ratification of the Mercosur Agreement by the Council of the European Union.  

    In a statement quoted by Reuters, the French organization warned that the agreement will be “devastating for the beef, poultry and sugar industries and compromise the EU’s ambitions in terms of food sovereignty.” 

    “We are raising the alarm!” said Alain Carre, head of the French sugar industry group AIBS. 

    If an agreement with Mercosur is reached, the French are demanding clear trade rules: “Our demands (for an EU-Mercosur deal) are simple: reciprocity of regulations, traceability of products abroad and much clearer labeling,” said Jean-Michel Schaeffer, head of French poultry industry group Anvol. 

    In Spain, hundreds of farmers gathered in Madrid to protest excessive grain imports from Ukraine, which have resulted in grain prices below production costs.

    “Spanish farmers will lose €1 billion this year,” Javier Fatas, leader of the farmers’ union COAG from the Aragon region in northeastern Spain, said. 

    Spaniards also refuse to import genetically modified grain from Mercosur, which is cheaper than Spanish grain, into the EU.  

    Similar sentiments are prevalent in Poland. In June, farmers took to the streets again to express opposition to trade liberalization with Ukraine, the Mercosur agreement, and the Green Deal, reminds TopAgrar.

    “Our position should be firm and clear: the customs and limits from before the war must return. Otherwise, we will not be able to compete on the European market, and especially in Poland,” said Stanisław Barna from the grassroots All-Poland Farmers’ Protest.

    At the protest in Krążkowy in Wielkopolska, another OOPR representative, Krzysztof Olejnik, called the provisions of the EU-Mercosur Agreement a “spit in the face” of farmers: “If we are talking about Mercosur, we still do not have detailed information about the terms of this agreement. We assume that the terms of this agreement will probably not be favorable for us,” said Krzysztof Olejnik.

    The lack of hope for economic improvement in agriculture is combined with a sense of lack of action on the part of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Government and the European Commission. Maciej Zawadzki from the Association of Farmers of Southern Wielkopolska said, “We decided to take to the streets because our issues that were supposed to be resolved are still unresolved. The government remains passive. (…) Unfortunately, we do not see any actions that would improve our position and situation. Quite the opposite: what is happening is working to our disadvantage.”

    Stanisław Barna says the only option for farmers now is to put pressure on decision-makers via protests. 

    “We want to work with dignity, have a stable situation. Have a decent salary for our work (…) This is what we are reduced to, to make our farms fail. If you do not fight for yourselves, no one will do it for you! Thank you and God bless you for your determination and showing strength today. Let the government see, and Minister Siekierski will finally get down to work, because he has been talking to us for a year and a half, saying that he will prepare a position, but let him finally come to West Pomerania and talk,” he said.

    Farmers also hope the newly elected president, Karol Nawrocki, will come through for them. “Mr. President, we are here, we are watching, we are waiting for your decision,” Barna added. “We farmers would like these promises to be fulfilled and not forgotten.”

    Macron and Lula did not appear to make much headway on EU-Mercosur trade deal. Macron clearly wants to boost trade and relations with Brazil but he also made clear that he cannot accept the deal in its current form, emphasizing the need for “either mirror clauses or safeguard measures” to ensure Brazilian products conform with EU production standards.

    Read more here...

    Tyler Durden Mon, 06/09/2025 - 02:00
  25. Site: The Unz Review
    1 day 13 hours ago
    Author: Paul Craig Roberts
    I have never understood why rioters, protestors, whatever you want to call them, burn people’s cars. Insurance seldom covers such events. Violent protests harm innocents. I also don’t understand why the National Guard is called out as they are not permitted to use their weapons. Try to imagine the National Guard using deadly force to...
  26. Site: The Unz Review
    1 day 13 hours ago
    Author: Mike Whitney
    President Donald Trump is threatening to launch air strikes on Iran for activities that are approved under the terms of Iran's treaty obligations. This is not a matter on which there should be any debate. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) explicitly grants all parties, including Iran, the “inalienable right” to develop,...
  27. Site: AntiWar.com
    1 day 13 hours ago
    Author: Medea Benjamin
    Recent reports say that US AID is considering giving $500 million to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – an “aid” initiative launched at Israel’s request. At first glance, that might sound like a generous effort to help desperate Palestinians in Gaza. But peel back even one layer, and you’ll find a deadly political scheme masquerading … Continue reading "Don’t Fund the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: It’s a Genocidal Smokescreen"
  28. Site: The Unz Review
    1 day 13 hours ago
    Author: Paul Craig Roberts
    Putin avoided the dire consequences mandated by Russian war doctrine by labeling the attack on Russia’s strategic triad a “terrorist act,” not an act of war. This has delayed, but not prevented a wider and more dangerous war, because what Putin has actually done is to eviscerate Russian war doctrine. If the President of Russia...
  29. Site: The Unz Review
    1 day 13 hours ago
    Author: Alastair Crooke
    The silence of the bears will soon be ended and we will know more about Russian resolve. Russia’s leadership is in ‘conclave’ determining its riposte. Trump has been silent for two days. Unprecedented. In the last days, Ukraine and its facilitators attempted a massive attack on Russia’s strategic nuclear bomber-force; succeeded in collapsing two bridges...
  30. Site: The Unz Review
    1 day 13 hours ago
    Author: Ron Unz
    About a year ago, I first began exploring the powerful new AI systems that had been receiving so much public attention, and incorporated some of their features into our website. For myself and many of our other writers, I added focused chatbots that used the corpus of the written works hosted on our website to...
  31. Site: AntiWar.com
    1 day 13 hours ago
    Author: Ted Snider
    The European Union thought the 2023 election of Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland solved their Poland problem. But the June 2 election of Karol Nawrocki as President shows they were wrong. Nawrocki is a Euro-skeptic who has aligned himself with U.S. President Donald Trump’s agenda more than with the EU’s agenda. He is … Continue reading "Does Ukraine Now Have a Poland Problem?"
  32. Site: AntiWar.com
    1 day 14 hours ago
    Author: Scott Horton
    Scott Horton’s speech to the Tbilisi Summer Forum on June 6th No offense, but Georgia’s interests are just none of my affair. It’s such a long way from here. I know my government has been messing around there since the 1990s, picking winners and losers, making big promises and causing lots of trouble. Keeping Russia … Continue reading "A Message to Georgians: America Will Not Protect You"
  33. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 14 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Restoring American Maritime Dominance: A National Imperative

    Authored by Andy Thaxton via RealClearWire,

    As a career Naval intelligence officer, I spent years observing China’s maritime ascent. Briefing after briefing warned of China’s increasingly aggressive intentions of seapower, and yet, all that analytical churn has had negligible impact on U.S. naval posture. Now, watching from the sidelines, I remain alarmed by the widening gap between the naval and shipbuilding capabilities of the United States and the People’s Republic of China. What once was a slow, methodical buildup by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has accelerated into a rapidly growing strategic threat to U.S. maritime supremacy—both commercially and militarily. Without exaggeration, the United States is facing an urgent national security crisis.

    While the U.S. rested on the laurels of its past naval dominance, China has systematically executed a comprehensive, state-directed maritime strategy that is now reshaping the global balance of naval power.

    If the U.S. fails to respond with urgency and scale, we risk ceding control of the seas—and with it, the geopolitical influence that flows from maritime power.

    The data is staggering. According to the April 2025 Report to Congress on Chinese Naval Modernization, China’s navy currently operates over 370 battle force ships, a number projected to grow to 435 by 2030. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy is struggling to maintain around 290 ships, with ambitions—still largely unfunded—of reaching 316 by 2053. Equally alarming, China’s shipyards possess more than 230 times the shipbuilding capacity of the U.S. According to a recent report by The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), China “built more commercial vessels by tonnage in 2024 than the entire U.S. shipbuilding industry has built since the end of World War II.” You might want to read that sentence again.

    But the disparity is not merely in tonnage or hulls. China’s state-supported shipbuilding industry benefits from over 150 shipyards, including eight major naval production sites capable of building large warships, aircraft carriers, and amphibious assault ships in parallel. In stark contrast, the U.S. Navy is dependent on just seven private shipyards, several of which are overburdened, outdated, and struggling with workforce shortages. Further, the Congressional Report on U.S. Navy Force Structure indicated that nearly every major U.S. shipbuilding program is behind schedule and over budget.

    Meanwhile, China’s maritime ambitions have expanded beyond the Indo-Pacific. As documented in the December 2024 U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, China’s global maritime reach now spans 10,000 miles beyond Taiwan, including permanent naval bases in Djibouti and increasing influence in ports across Pakistan, Cambodia, and Equatorial Guinea. The foundation of this expansion is China’s merchant fleet—the world’s largest—which can be rapidly converted to military use in a real-world shooting war. Again, by contrast, the U.S. merchant fleet has dwindled to fewer than 180 international trading ships, severely limiting sealift capacity in a contested environment.

    Taken together, this paints a picture of a maritime balance that is tipping rapidly and dangerously toward Beijing. Initiatives such as President Trump’s Executive Order on Restoring Maritime Dominance and the reintroduction of the SHIPS Act signal a growing recognition of the problem, but they are insufficient in both scale and urgency. Rebuilding a competitive naval force cannot be done incrementally or through bureaucratic half-measures.

    The United States must enact a modern-day Marshall Plan for shipbuilding, one rooted in the understanding that maritime supremacy is the backbone of American global power. The plan must be bold, multifaceted, and sustained. Five critical priorities stand out:

    1. Massive Industrial Investment: As proposed in the SHIPS Act, Congress must allocate $20–30 billion over the next decade to modernize and expand U.S. shipyards—revitalizing dry docks, increasing capacity, and restoring tiered supplier networks. Geographic diversification of shipyards is also critical to ensure resilience in a conflict.

    2. Workforce Development: The U.S. faces a massive shortage of skilled labor in shipbuilding. The government should launch a unified Maritime Workforce Initiative, partnering with trade schools, unions, and community colleges to train tens of thousands of welders, electricians, engineers, and naval architects.

    3. Procurement Reform: The Navy’s acquisition system must be radically—let me repeat, radically—overhauled. The complex, inefficient cost-plus contract system has made U.S. shipbuilding painfully slow and expensive. The Navy should adopt simpler, modular designs that speed up production, reduce costs, and make the fleet more adaptable.

    4. Dual-Use Shipbuilding: The U.S. should incentivize the construction of commercial ships—tankers and container vessels—at domestic yards. This will boost shipyard throughput, maintain a steady workforce, and provide an auxiliary fleet in times of war.

    5. Strategic Messaging and Public Buy-In: Maritime security is fundamental to national prosperity and defense. A public campaign, similar to the WWII-era “Victory Ship” program, could make shipbuilding a patriotic endeavor and reinvigorate public support for maritime dominance.

    This is not hyperbole; the situation is dire. U.S. naval leaders have privately acknowledged a “worst-case scenario” in which the Navy may not be able to reliably contest Chinese aggression in the Western Pacific within the next five years. If the U.S. fails to act now, or fails to act boldly, we will not only lose our naval edge but forfeit our ability to shape the international order.

    The oceans have always been the lifeblood of American power. In the 20th century, our shipbuilding might help win world wars and deter Soviet aggression. In the 21st century, it will determine whether we remain on the field as a superpower, or, like me, retire to the sidelines as an observer, in an era defined by Chinese maritime dominance. The time for incremental fixes is over. The clock is ticking—and only an “all-hands-on-deck” national response will suffice.

    Tyler Durden Sun, 06/08/2025 - 23:20
  34. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 15 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Washington DC Dominates The US Gun-Deaths League

    Gun violence remains one of the most pressing public health issues in the United States.

    But as Visual Capitalist;s Bruno Venditti shws in the following chart, according to data from USAFacts as of December 2023, gun-related deaths vary significantly across states, reflecting long-standing regional and demographic differences.

    Preliminary numbers show that between January and August 2024, an estimated 30,100 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S., 5% fewer than during the same period in 2023.

    The rate of gun-related deaths in the U.S. has shifted over time. In the early 1990s, the rate fluctuated between 14.5 and 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people. From 2000 to 2014, however, that figure declined and remained below 10.5 deaths per 100,000.

    By 2023, the rate rose again to 13.7 per 100,000—still 8% lower than its peak in 1993.

    States With the Highest Gun Death Rates

    Washington, DC recorded the highest rate in the country in 2023, with 28.5 deaths per 100,000 residents, more than 60% above the next highest state.

    States With the Lowest Gun Death Rates

    At the other end of the spectrum, several states reported significantly lower rates. Those include Hawaii, Utah, and Nebraska.

    Although they receive less public attention than gun-related homicides, suicides have consistently made up the majority of gun deaths in the United States. In 2023, suicides accounted for 58% of all gun-related fatalities, totaling 27,300 deaths, according to CDC data. By comparison, 38% were classified as murders (17,927 deaths).

    The U.S. has more guns than people, with nearly 400 million in civilian possession. In this map, we rank states by the highest percentage of gun ownership for adults.

    Tyler Durden Sun, 06/08/2025 - 22:45
  35. Site: Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
    1 day 15 hours ago
    Alex Schadenberg
    Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

    New York, assisted suicide Bill A136/S138 passed in the New York Assembly by a vote of 81 to 67 on April 29 and may soon be debated in the state Senate. We have urged supporters to contact the members of the New York State Senate.

    The New York bill is particularly loose in it's language. But what makes New York's bill even more egregious is that:
    1. The bill does not have a reflecton period. A person's bad day can be their last day.
    The bill requires the person to have the assessor confirm that there is a "terminal condition" with a 6 month prognosis to die. "Terminal condition" includes diabetes and eating disorders. Without a reflection period, there is no opportunity to rethink the deadly irreversible decision.

    2. There is no residency requirement. The New York bill allows anyone from anywhere to die by assisted suicide in New York.
    The New York assisted suicide bill may come up as early as TOMORROW (Monday) for a floor vote.
    Senator Name                               Email                                                 Albany Office                   
    Andrea Stewart-Cousins      scousins@nysenate.gov                     518-455-2585
    Andrew Gounardes               gounardes@nysenate.gov                 518-455-3270
    Brian Kavanagh                     kavanagh@nysenate.gov                   518-455-2625
    Jamaal Bailey                         senatorjbailey@nysenate.gov           518-455-2061
    John Liu                                  liu@nysenate.gov                                 518-455-2210
    Joseph Addabbo                    addabbo@nysenate.gov                      518-455-2322
    Kevin Parker                           parker@nysenate.gov                         518-455-2580
    Patricia Fahy                          Fahy@nysenate.gov                             518-455-2225
    Shelley Mayer                         smayer@nysenate.gov                         518-455-2031
    Toby Ann Stavisky                 stavisky@nysenate.gov                       518-455-3461
     
    Tell them that you oppose assisted suicide and this assisted suicide bill is particularly dangerous because it lacks a reflection period and there is no residency requirement.

    Because the New York bill does not have a residency requirement, all of our loved ones are at risk from the dangers of assisted suicide passing in New York State even if they don't live there. Remember, when assisted suicide bills pass, it is often by just one or two votes. Your voice really does make a difference! 

    As bad as the New York assisted suicide bill is the assisted suicide lobby has expanded existing assisted suicide legislation in nearly every state that has legalized assisted suicide. 

    Oregon allows physicians to wave the waiting period and Oregon has also eliminated the residency requirement. Vermont is permitting assisted suicide by telehealth, they are forcing medical practitioners who oppose assisted suicide to refer patients and they eliminated the residency requirementWashington stateCaliforniaColorado and Hawaii have also expanded their assisted suicide laws.

    Once assisted suicide is legal, the assisted suicide lobby will work to further expand the law. The original assisted suicide bill is designed to pass in the legislature, once passed incremental extensions will follow.

  36. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 17 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    AI Is Taking Thousands Of Jobs; Is Yours At Risk?

    Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times,

    Just as the internet radically changed how America conducts business, artificial intelligence (AI) is also making waves in the workplace by taking thousands of jobs. It’s an outcome that industry experts have warned would happen, and professionals across multiple employment sectors have already been affected.

    Beyond artists and content creators, AI is also impacting professionals in marketing, technology, translation, various levels of administration, and management. It has been a silent and ongoing trend for two years, but tech insiders say this is just the beginning.

    A senior software engineer at Microsoft, Nandita Giri, shared her thoughts with The Epoch Times on what kind of near-term changes Americans can expect as a result of ramped-up workplace AI integration.

    “AI is particularly effective at replacing routine, predictable tasks ... jobs in data entry, customer support, transcription, and logistics are the most vulnerable,” Giri said. “In software engineering, even some junior [developer] testing roles are being replaced or reshaped with AI-driven tooling. Back-office operations across health care, finance, and legal are also at high risk.”

    Giri has observed a shift away from human workers in favor of AI in enterprise software development, where she said companies are quietly removing what they call “coordination overhead.” She said this is happening as AI tools become more reliable for things like task triage, scheduling, and summarization.

    “AI agents have enabled a single engineer to manage what used to be a multi-person workflow, especially in automation pipelines and internal support tasks,” she said.

    Restructuring Workflow

    Cahyo Subroto, founder of the AI-powered data extraction platform MrScraper, agrees with this perspective.

    “I’ve spent the last few years building systems that automate work, so I’ve seen firsthand where AI adds value and where it quietly pushes people out of the picture,” Subroto told The Epoch Times.

    Like Giri, Subroto said that the jobs most in danger of AI replacement are those that rely heavily on structured, repetitive digital labor.

    “That includes early-stage analysts, junior QA [quality assurance] testers, data entry staff, and even support roles in HR and customer service,” he said.

    Subroto explained that when AI can learn workflow patterns, it can perform them faster and without the payroll cost. “At my last company, I watched a client eliminate three QA positions after switching to a tool that could auto-generate test cases and report bugs in real time.”

    These decisions are based strictly on efficiency, he added. “That’s what makes this shift so difficult to stop.”

    In January, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released a report that estimated 92 million jobs would be displaced by AI by 2030. The think tank surveyed more than 1,000 of the world’s largest employers, accounting for 22 industry groups and more than 14 million workers.

    There is a silver lining, however. The WEF—and many others—predict that AI will also create new jobs and reshape existing positions, allowing current employees in various sectors to focus on more high-value tasks instead of routine work.

    A robot sprinkles cheese over a pizza at the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of the University of Bremen, Germany, on March 8, 2017. Ingo Wagner/dpa/AFP via Getty Images

    Jobs with declining demand include customer service representatives, claims adjusters, bank tellers, graphic designers, accountants, and auditors, the WEF report said.

    Subroto believes much of the shift toward AI will be subtle. “Instead of replacing people, we’re restructuring the workflow to rely on AI for the mechanical parts, while humans take on broader accountability.”

    “That’s a harder conversation because it’s not about job loss. It’s about job transformation, and not everyone will be equipped and ready to make that jump,” he said.

    Big Changes Ahead

    In May, Microsoft announced plans to lay off 3 percent of its employees across the board, affecting roughly 6,000 people. In a statement to CNBC, a spokesperson for the tech giant said, “We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace.” The spokesperson confirmed that the job cuts weren’t related to worker performance.

    It’s reportedly the largest series of layoffs at Microsoft since 2023.

    This arrives on the heels of reported cuts at Amazon, which in January said it would lay off what it called a “small number” of its communications and sustainability employees. It followed that by announcing in March plans to eliminate 14,000 managerial positions by early next year.

    Among those who lost their job at Microsoft is former senior data scientist Tatiana Teppoeva, founder and CEO of One Nonverbal Ecosystem. She told The Epoch Times that increased tech layoffs alongside the rise of AI integration is an industry red flag.

    “This has sparked genuine concerns over the future need for human programmers and signals a real, accelerating shift in how companies evaluate which human roles are essential,” Teppoeva said.

    Like Giri and Subroto, Teppoeva identified industries that have a lot of unchanging, rules-based tasks like back-end software development, data entry, finance, and logistics as areas with a high probability of AI job replacement.

    “The most realistic near-term disruption is task-level automation, not full job replacement,” she said. “For example, in sales, AI tools can draft outreach emails or analyze deal data, but they cannot replicate the human-to-human trust, nonverbal signals, and presence that close high-ticket deals.”

    Teppoeva said the human-AI gap is now a point of focus for her business. “Helping sales teams, executives, and companies align their human communication, body language, voice, [and] nonverbal presence [is] what advanced AI tools still can’t do,” she said, then added, “At least not yet.”

    On June 2, a Midwest-based web content manager for a major U.S. company—who asked to be identified only as “Tom”—was laid off with the rest of his department and most of the company’s marketing staff. Tom requested the company not be identified out of fear it could affect his severance.

    Having worked in web development for more than 15 years, Tom said he saw the “AI blitz” coming and had a gut hunch it would only be a matter of time before he was made redundant.

    “The worst part is the lack of honesty,” Tom said. “Companies aren’t being straight with people, they’re just saying things like ’sales are down‘ or ’we need to improve efficiency,' but the reality is it’s about increasing profit by any means.”

    Tom said he has a friend who spent nearly two decades working in marketing and kept up with changing industry trends before being laid off a year ago because of AI integration.

    “There are entire careers with university degrees behind them that are ending now,” Tom said.

    “It’s not necessarily a one-to-one ratio,” he added. “Maybe an AI tool automates half of a department’s workload. That means you can redistribute the remaining work amongst a smaller team.”

    Since the Hollywood writers’ strike in 2023, the potential for AI to disrupt careers has been under a microscope, and it’s easy to see why. Out of more than 80,000 jobs cut in May 2023, nearly 4,000 were due to AI, according to a layoffs report from the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, Inc.

    The trend continued last year. In 2024, the Society of Authors surveyed 12,500 workers in different creative industries, revealing many had already lost work to AI. According to the survey, 26 percent of illustrators and 36 percent of translators had already lost work because of generative AI.

    Tesla co-founder Elon Musk also shared his views on AI job replacement during the Viva Technology conference in Paris in 2024, following news that Tesla planned to lay off 10 percent of its workforce.

    A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and the Tesla logo are seen in this image from Jan. 23, 2025. Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters

    “If the computer and robot can do everything better than you, what meaning does your life have? ... In a negative scenario ... we’re in deep trouble,” Musk said.

    Other tech insiders share this point of view. During an episode of “The Artificial Intelligence” show, Marketing AI Institute founder Paul Roetzer said AI is fundamentally reshaping the human workforce.

    “It’s not like we’re drawing some difficult-to-find conclusion here,” Roetzer said when discussing Microsoft’s most recent layoffs. “If the CTO [chief technology officer] of the company is saying that within five years we expect 95 percent of all code to be written by AI, then what do you need a bunch of engineers for?”

    Subroto used an example from his work, describing the use of AI for “task sequencing and code generation,” which allowed his company to launch features faster and fix bugs before users even saw them. However, he said the improved work efficiency came at the cost of no longer needing manual testers checking outputs line by line.

    “These were smart, capable people, and yet the structure of the work changed so much that their role no longer made sense,” he said.

    The current phase-out of human work roles due to increased AI efficiency is nuanced, but some don’t think it will stay that way for much longer.

    A McKinsey Global Institute analysis from July 2023 predicted that 30 percent of total hours worked could be absorbed by generative AI by 2030. Researchers estimated that 11.8 million employees working in sectors with shrinking demand may need to shift into other departments, while roughly 9 million may need to change careers entirely.

    Tyler Durden Sun, 06/08/2025 - 21:00
  37. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 17 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Lost To History: The Forgotten Thermonuclear Near-Disaster On Big Savage Mountain

    Six decades ago, in a near-nuclear disaster erased from public memory, a U.S. Air Force B-52D Stratofortress—carrying two thermonuclear bombs—was torn apart six miles above the Appalachian Mountains. The aircraft's vertical stabilizer snapped off mid-flight, sending the bomber into an uncontrollable dive before it slammed into Big Savage Mountain in Western Maryland. The crash marked one of the closest nuclear near-misses on U.S. soil during the Cold War.

    On January 13, 1964, a B-52D Stratofortress took off from Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts en route to Turner Air Force Base in Georgia as part of a Strategic Air Command mission called "Operation Chrome Dome." On board were five crew members and two thermonuclear bombs.

    A heavily redacted USAF report on the mid-air accident of the nuclear-laden B-52D specified that a bulkhead structural failure occurred during severe turbulence that caused the vertical fin to separate. 

    As the bomber broke up in mid-air, the pilot, Major Thomas McCormick, and co-pilot Captain Parker Peedin ejected and survived. However, three other crew members perished:

    • Major Robert Townley (died in the crash)

    • Tech Sgt. Melvin Wooten (died from injuries and exposure)

    • Major Robert Payne (died from exposure after ejecting)

    The crash drew national attention and mobilized hundreds of local volunteers for search and rescue efforts despite dangerous blizzard conditions across the Big Savage Mountain.

    In 2014, Politico interviewed Gerald Beachy of the Grantsville Community Museum, which amassed a collection of crash memorabilia and wreckage from the bomber, who said it took USAF salvage operations several days to recover the thermonuclear bombs from the remote crash site.

    The incident in the remote mountains of Western Maryland has been largely erased from public memory. It occurred at the height of the Cold War—just two years after the Cuban Missile Crisis. This wasn't merely an air crash; it stands as one of the most serious nuclear weapons-related accidents on U.S. soil, even though the warheads were unarmed.

    Reminders of the past are crucial as the nation braces for the 2030s—a decade in which the world is expected to fracture into a dangerous bipolar state, accelerating at an unprecedented pace.

    Meanwhile, Europe is unleashing massive efforts to rebuild weapons stockpiles and scale up war readiness amid the ongoing war in Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Trump administration is accelerating plans to expand defense capabilities and bolster hemispheric defense. The arms and technology race with China is no longer in snail mode—it's in full-blown hyperdrive, and with that comes many risks.

    Tyler Durden Sun, 06/08/2025 - 20:25
  38. Site: Public Discourse
    1 day 17 hours ago
    Author: Peter Copeland

    We’ve seen it all before. The Canadian Conservative Party squanders a commanding lead as the liberals quietly adopt its core economic policies—lower taxes, modest spending restraint, skepticism toward the carbon tax—while taking a slightly more moderate tack on social issues. Donald Trump was a key factor in the election outcome this round, but the reality is that Liberal Party leader Mark Carney’s platform mirrored the core of what the right typically campaigns on, and as has been the case in the past, a slight nod in that direction is often enough to see the conservatives’ distinctiveness evaporate. The shallowness of the conservative offering becomes painfully apparent. As John Ibbitson recently noted, the parties ended up looking like Tweedledee and Tweedledum. This reality has been borne out in the first few actions of the new liberal government, both in the mandate letter (whose priorities include balancing the budget, reducing immigration levels, and eliminating interprovincial trade barriers) and the Speech from the Throne, which committed to meeting NATO’s 2 percent defense spending target, to public safety messaging, and to enhancing national sovereignty through military and Arctic investments. It shows that the so-called conservative position was never deeply conservative at all—it is merely a variation on liberalism, as it was ten or twenty years ago.  

    If Canadian conservatism is to become anything more than a periodic managerial alternative, it must cultivate a long game to change culture and the courage to offer a truly differentiated vision; otherwise it will continue to be seen by Canadians for what it is: liberalism with a lag. 

    Liberalism in Conservative Clothing: A Century of Failed Imitation 

    Canada’s century-long political trajectory proves the point. Conservatives in Canada have never been natural cultural or political leaders. From free trade and multiculturalism to same-sex marriage, from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to enthusiastic support for high levels of immigration and qualified endorsement of diversity initiatives, conservatives have not resisted liberal ideas but merely endorsed them after a delay.  

    This is not a criticism of the party’s performance in this election, as it earned its highest share of the popular vote as the modern conservative party. And regardless of how you feel about any of these issues, the point is that if you zoom out, you can see the problem is more systemic.  

    Part of the failure stems from an excessive emphasis within conservatism on libertarian social freedom—the exaltation of personal choice and autonomy as supreme goods. Postwar “fusionism” attempted to combine these instincts with traditional moral foundations but never fully resolved their contradictions. Friedrich Hayek—a hero to many conservatives—is illustrative of this tension; he insisted that he was not a conservative and warned of the inherent difficulties in combining such principles. In “Why I Am Not a Conservative,” Hayek wrote that the conservatives’ respect for and deference to established authority troubles him, and that conservatives must feel as though someone is supervising change and keeping it orderly. He writes that they often rely on figures like Tocqueville, Lord Acton, and Burke to justify their positions—who themselves would have “shuddered” to be seen as Tories. Indeed, this heavy liberal influence is all too common among self-described conservatives, although often unbeknownst to them. 

    Liberalism’s Logical End: From Autonomy to Alienation 

    Unchecked liberalism has frayed civic and family life. It’s contributed to declining birth rates, splintered social fabric, and lower social trust from excessive immigration and unwieldy diversity, widespread loneliness, and a moral relativism that corrodes the pursuit of a coherent common good. After a century of emphasizing autonomy, the human person is today rootless and atomized. 

    Some argue that the solution is a more serious classical liberalism. But classical liberalism grew up within a thick cultural matrix—shared faith, strong family and social ties, a communitarian environment, and common national identity—that it has since eroded. Without that rich cultural soil, liberalism alone morphs into relativism. Moreover, what we are seeing today is not a betrayal of liberalism by “wokeness,” but liberalism arriving at its logical endpoint. A political and moral order that treats individual autonomy as the highest good must continually validate ever more divergent and incompatible lifestyles. If not properly balanced by other values, liberalism’s internal logic inevitably leads not to stable pluralism, but to balkanization and the dilution of shared principles and common life.  

    Focusing myopically on winning elections by tacking either more socially progressive or conservative guarantees only minor, temporary adjustments. Without cultural strategy, conservatism merely manages liberal decline without changing the long-term trajectory. 

    It is beyond question that the cultural excesses we see today are not failures of liberalism, but its logical conclusions. Hyper-individualism, instantaneous, unfiltered and constant communication, uninhibited social mores, postmodern relativism, and celebration of selfish desire—all of these were promised by progressives as paths to liberation and fulfillment. Instead, they have become sources of alienation, confusion, and cultural decay.  

    Without cultural strategy, conservatism merely manages liberal decline without changing the long-term trajectory.

     

    Decadent Status Quo: When Progressivism Becomes the Establishment 

    This is not just a Canadian problem. Hyper-individualistic liberalism is now the dominant culture across the West. Conservatives are no longer conserving traditional values and a more conservative society—they are conserving the remnants left behind by an overemphasis on some of liberalism’s core tenets, without appropriate balance from values equally important to human well-being: loyalty, reverence, moral vision, patriotism, and social trust rooted in shared commitments and beliefs.  

    Ironically, Donald Trump—a lifelong Democrat, a Manhattan social liberal on nearly every issue—is himself a product of this cultural milieu. He embodies rather than rejects the post-1960s order. His persona, rooted in self-promotion, celebrity, and the rejection of norms, mirrors the very values the cultural left has celebrated for decades.  

    In many ways, Trump represents the culmination of postmodernism’s ethos: the triumph of subjectivity over truth, power over principle, and narrative performance over moral integrity. He is not a conservative; he is the logical product of a culture that treats all identities, impulses, and truths as equally valid. And while his administration achieved more in 100 days than decades of lukewarm conservatism, that is more a testament to the failures of establishment conservatism and Trump’s outsider and entrepreneurial instincts than to his philosophical coherence. 

    Demographic shifts, such as the working-class realignment and the rightward movement of younger voters, point to the fact that we are undergoing a social shift, an inversion of what’s been typical. Defending the status quo—a procedurally conservative action—is a now a vote for liberalism and liberals. Those who favor the status quo are the wealthy, established, and older demographics, and those on the outside (the working class and younger voters) advocate change, which is now, paradoxically, to advocate conservative principles and likely to vote Conservative.  

    Traditionally non-conservative classes of people are waking up to the fact that the status quo is not working for them, due to the excesses of hyper-individualistic liberalism. The time is ripe for change. A conservatism of ideals must reject Trump-style decadent cultural populism just as it rejects the ideological excesses of progressive liberalism. It must be rooted not in personality or performance, but in truth, virtue, and the common good. 

    The Case for a Conservatism of Ideals 

    First, conservatives can strive to emulate serious long-term cultural efforts, like the Federalist Society’s reshaping of legal philosophy in the United States, Britain’s Policy Exchange, or France’s Cercle Aristote. These institutions patiently shaped professions, policy, and national narratives, not just electoral wins. In Canada, there is an opportunity in existing organizations like the Canada Strong and Free Network, which consistently underperforms in this regard. It could make much more of its “Conservative values tomorrow” mentoring program that I helped start, to have long-term, multigenerational impact. 

    Second, this conservatism must be communitarian and virtue-oriented. It must affirm the family as the first polity, the neighborhood as the beginnings of solidarity, and virtue—not just credentials and quantified results—as the currency of trust. People are profoundly hungry for these things, as antidotes to rootlessness, anomie, and increasing social isolation and loneliness. 

    Third, it must be genuinely progressive in the true sense: aiming to fulfill the unrealized human potential to live well, according to objective norms that we know are good for people—things like seeking transcendent experiences through faith and philosophy, cultivating family and friendships, balancing work and life, and imbuing both with a sense of vocation. It must recognize not an endless array of choices and diversity, but that there are certain things that are conducive to our well-being, and that, conversely, other things are objectively damaging to both individuals and communities. Liberalism’s attitude of “to each their own” leaves us in a dark place when people want to overdose on opioids, instruct a doctor to take their life, or mutilate their undeveloped body. In contrast to these plainly destructive policies springing out of the excesses of liberalism, conservatism should show that human life has a clear and understandable purpose, meaning, and a telos beyond itself.  

    This is the conservatism we need: not nostalgia and anachronistic social conservatism, not progressive liberalism with better branding, but a bold conservatism of clearly articulated ideals for human flourishing. Canada—and the West—desperately need such a vision. The only question is whether conservatives will have the courage to embrace it, and the wherewithal to see it through in the long term. 

    Image licensed via Adobe Stock.

  39. Site: Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
    1 day 18 hours ago
    Alex Schadenberg
    Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

    Roger Foley lives at the LHSC
    Last week, a friend and I visited Roger Foley, who has been living at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) for more than 9 years. Roger lives with cerebellar ataxia, a degenerative neurological condition.

    Living in a hospital means that Roger lives in a small room without the freedom to control his environment. To make matters worse, the hospital staff have asked him, on several occasions, about MAiD and they have regularly broached the topic of suicide.

    Roger, who I have been communicating with for several years, does not want to live in the hospital. Roger has served his time and deserves to be sent home. The catch is that based on his disability he needs significant care.

    Roger proposed, from the beginning, that he be sent home with self-directed care, meaning that Roger would hire the care team to provide for his needs. Self-directed care is a program that exists in Ontario, but Roger has been denied access to the program.

    Roger was offered care that would be provided through a "care agency". In the past when Roger's care was provided by a care agency he was not in control of his care team which resulted in several horrific experiences including food poisoning and a care giver falling to sleep while he was in the bath, to name a few. Remember, he can't get out of the bath without assistance.

    Further to that, when you do the math, self-directed care is the least expensive and preferable option for care.

    The hospital is an incredibly expensive place to care for Roger and he does not want to be there. "Care agencies" bill the government for the cost of the care and the costs associated with the agency.

    Self-directed care, whereby Roger would hire his own care team, is the least expensive and the preferable option since most of the cost is limited to the cost of the care team.

    It is time to release Roger from the confinement of the hospital room and send him home with self-directed care. Roger has already created a proposed model of care that outlines the requirements of his team and the cost associated with his care.

    Roger deserves to be sent home and be approved for self-directed care.

    Previous articles about Roger Foley: 
    • UN disability envoy demands protection for people with disabilities from euthanasia in Canada (Link).
    • People with disabilities oppose expansion of MAiD in Canada (Link).
    • Canada is getting comfortable with killing people with disabilities (Link).
  40. Site: non veni pacem
    1 day 18 hours ago
    Author: Mark Docherty

    Traveling relentlessly all weekend. But Pentecost at St James, West End (SSPX) was glorious. Happy feast!

  41. Site: Zero Hedge
    1 day 18 hours ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    We Need A 'Kill Switch' On Foreign Powers Tampering With Our Electric Grid

    Authored by Gary Abernathy via The Empowerment Alliance,

    It has long been acknowledged that the United States’ energy infrastructure isn’t particularly secure, a concern exacerbated by the lack of a central planning process for our nation’s piecemeal electric grid. Presidential administrations and Congress have been slow to address the problem, apparently daunted by the mere size and scope of the challenges the needed upgrades would present.

    That needs to change now. The recent news that China apparently installed hidden “kill switches” in solar equipment sold to the U.S. was the latest in a long list of reasons to be concerned about our electricity infrastructure and the foolhardy rush to replace traditional energy sources with so-called “renewables” using technology that is often sourced from China.

    As Reuters reported, “Rogue communication devices not listed in product documents have been found in some Chinese solar power inverters by U.S experts who strip down equipment hooked up to grids to check for security issues … Using the rogue communication devices to skirt firewalls and switch off inverters remotely, or change their settings, could destabilize power grids, damage energy infrastructure, and trigger widespread blackouts, experts said.”

    As one source summarized it, “That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid.” Or, to put it in even simpler terms, the U.S. is purchasing Chinese equipment complete with a “kill switch” that would allow China to disable the U.S. power grid at any moment.

    Even more concerning, the problem is not relegated to the United States. Britain’s GB News reported, “Chinese companies dominate the market for power inverters, with firms like Huawei and Sungrow controlling more than half the market in 2023, according to Wood Mackenzie research. The European Solar Manufacturing Council estimates that more than 200 gigawatts of European solar power capacity relies on Chinese-made inverters.” (One gigawatt is equal to one billion watts.)

    As Christoph Podewils, the council’s secretary general, put it, “This means Europe has effectively surrendered remote control of a vast portion of its electricity infrastructure.”

    The Chinese embassy in Washington dismissed the allegation.

    The relatively sparse news coverage of this startling discovery is evidence of either the mainstream media’s complacency, or its intentional effort to downplay any development that might contradict its radical climate change narrative. Surely, this item led the evening newscasts on ABC, CBS and NBC, right? Sadly, no.

    If ever there was a wakeup call regarding the urgent need for the U.S. to be even more committed to energy independence, it has arrived in the form of China’s ability to remotely turn off the U.S. power grid.

    Fortunately, President Trump is working hard to reverse the Biden administration’s disastrous mandates that would have replaced affordable, reliable and increasingly clean traditional energy sources with untrustworthy and costly alternatives. Trump’s early declaration of a national energy emergency defined the dangers of relying on foreign sources of energy and spelled out several needed steps, including upgrades to our energy infrastructure.

    But the added knowledge of Chinese subterfuge embedded within crucial components being installed in the U.S. electric grid adds even more urgency to the need to not only produce more domestic energy, but also to domestically develop more technology and manufacture more of the parts we currently import from outside U.S. borders.

    While U.S. security experts should be lauded for discovering the Chinese “kill switches,” how many security threats have gone undetected? So-called “renewable” technologies like wind and solar were already suspect in regard to their reliability, as evidenced by the recent massive grid failure in Spain, Portugal and parts of France. We should be all the more wary of “alternatives” when the parts used to connect them to our power grids are sourced from foreign adversaries.

    The episode again highlights the vital need for tougher regulations to ensure our nation’s energy security. The Empowerment Alliance’s model legislation – the Affordable, Reliable and Clean Energy Security act (ARC-ES) – would require “energy sources that are primarily produced within the U.S. and infrastructure that will reduce our reliance on foreign nations for critical materials and manufacturing.”

    The time has passed for any reasonable argument suggesting that such legislation is not urgently needed, both at the federal and state levels. The notion of attacks from foreign adversaries on America’s energy infrastructure has often been the stuff of fantasy and “what-if” scenarios. Those have now been replaced with concrete evidence of nefarious, embedded components from a foreign superpower, just waiting for someone in Beijing to flip a switch and send Americans hurtling into a powerless abyss.

    Let it sink in: China was secretly embedding technology in components shipped to the U.S. that could have triggered a massive power outage.

    It’s time for Congress to embed a “kill switch” of its own on the ability of foreign countries to disable the U.S. power grid. That assurance can only come when we take America’s energy independence from being a worthy goal to a mandated reality.

    Tyler Durden Sun, 06/08/2025 - 19:50
  42. Site: Unam Sanctam Catholicam
    1 day 18 hours ago


    Happy Feast of Pentecost to one and all! On this holy day upon which we commemorate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the Church, may the same Spirit dwell richly in your hearts, that through His goodness you may abound in the fruits of grace and every good work. Amen.

    On the day of Pentecost, the Church, by a singular miracle of God, spoke to the nations in one speech. By this manifestation of the Spirit was undone the sundering of peoples begun at Babel. By this miracle did God demonstrate the catholicity of the Church, which was birthed to embrace people of every tribe and tongue. As Augustine memorably wrote:
    Whoever has the holy Spirit is in the Church, which is speaking in all the languages. Whoever is outside this Church, does not have the holy Spirit. For that reason indeed the holy Spirit deemed to reveal itself in the languages of all the nations, so the one that perceives to have the holy Spirit itself, that person is sustained in the unity of the Church, which is speaking in all the languages. (Sermon 268)
    In today's Church, the subjects of language, unity, and catholicity undoubtedly call to mind the issue of the Western Church's universal tongue, Latin, and the sad state of liturgical Latin within the Catholic Church. It is a tragedy that Latin has been all but banished from the Latin rite, the latest example coming from Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte, whose leaked draft of a planned pastoral letter would have banned the use of Latin entirely in the Diocese of Charlotte's liturgies.

    The opinon of Martin and those like him is grounded in a slavish adherence to the principle of "active participation," one of the sacred cows of the Second Vatican Council. In Martin's letter, for example, he begins his broadside against liturgical Latin by implying that liturgical Latin hinders active participation. He says:
    ...the faithful's full, conscious, and active participation is hindered wherever Latin is employed. Most of our faithful do not understand and will never comprehend the Latin language...It is fallacious to think that if we employ Latin more frequently, the faithful will get used to it and finally understand it. Our ancestors “heard” the Mass in Latin every Sunday but never understood it...I find it disturbing that so many pastors and celebrants are inclined to force an unknown language on their congregation when the Lord’s mission is to engage the lost. The Church’s teaching on evangelization and missionary efforts cry to us for sensitivity on the part of pastoral leaders to engage people where they are to bring them to Christ. Full, conscious, and active participation in a liturgy that uses Latin would require each person to learn the Latin language, which is an impossible request. So many of our faithful simply walk away when they don’t understand the language and then miss out on the other beautiful aspects of the liturgical celebration. 
    The bolded sections demonstrate that Bishop Martin, like most progressives, interprets "active participation" narrowly, in a manner that is excessively cerebral—in other words, unless the faithful can literally translate Latin word for word in their head in real time, they are not actively participating. It is a strange thing to insist on, but not surprising, as for progressives the Mass is primarily didactic (about teaching), and even then under the dullest, most tiresome form: talking. Everything is explained away; nothing is left implicit. We have to be told what everything represents, told what everything means, told what the priest is doing at every moment. We can't appreciate the symbol as symbol; it has to be instructional, turned into a teaching lesson. There's no place for anything that creates ritual opacity, certainly not a sacred language like Latin. The current ecclesial zeitgeist is obsessed with the liturgy as pedagogy. It is so prevalent I am not sure some clergy can even think of it otherwise. I am reminded of the late Pope Francis's story about the Cardinal who forbade his priest from learning Latin because Latin didn't have a plain pedagocial value. (see "Our Barren Garden of Symbols," USC, Nov. 3, 2024) I found it telling that Martin's letter prohibits the use of Latin because it is too opaque, but allows the installation and use of projectors and massive screens. Any idiot could tell you that the presence of a massive screen is an eyesore and distraction from the integrity of the liturgy, but Martin doesn't care; the screen serves a pedagogical purpose and therefore it is permitted, regardless of how destructive it is to the liturgy in other ways. 

    Ultimately, progressives have an impoverished view of what it means to understand the liturgy. If you reread Martin's comments, you will see that his conception of the faculty of understanding is purely verbal; i.e., one can only "understand" the liturgy if they can accurately interpret every word. He assumes that people who don't know Latin can't possibly fathom what is going on. He literally believes that the Latin liturgy is completely inaccessible to someone without degrees in Latin (he states as much in the document: "A place for using Latin in the liturgy would be, to name a few examples, a specific gathering of scholars, clergy, or those trained in classical music").

    Obviously, this is not how human understanding works. A great deal of our understanding comes from contextual clues that are spatial and non-verbal. If I watch footage of a primitive tribe celebrating a successful hunt, dancing around a fire and waving their spear aloft in festive joy, it is not necessary for me to understand their language nor each gesture of the ritual to get what's happening; I understand that what's going on is a celebration of a successful hunt. If I observe a traditional Japanese wedding performed according to Shinto rites, I need not understand the Japanese language nor the particularities of Shinto mythology to figure it out; I understand what is happening—two people are getting married. And there's plenty of particulars I can tease out from context, decorum, and ritual alone. This occurs on the extra-rational plane, through perception and intuition, but it is no less a form of authentic understanding. Most ceremonies—at least those with ritual integrity—are highly accessible to people through context. This is why anecdotes suggest that even the homeless prefer the Traditional Latin Mass.

    Bishop Martin and those like him take an extremely narrow view of understanding that neither reflects human psychology nor grasps the purpose of ritual. To suggest that pre-Vatican II Catholics attending the Traditional Latin Mass "never understood" the Mass is ridiculous. They may not have understood it on a word for word basis, but they certainly understood what was going on. They knew what was most important (but even on the didactic level, progressives seem to forget that people had access to prayer books, cards, and materials that gave side by side vernacular translations, much like today's prayer books). And even if one does not know the literal word for word translation of certain prayers, one can still know what they mean. Even today, most Novus Ordo Catholics know what liturgical prayers like the Agnus Dei or Gloria mean.

    I have been attending liturgies in Latin for almost two decades now, both in the Ordinary and Extraordinary Form, and while I have studied Latin a bit, I certainly don't "know" it. But I, like many millions of Catholics today and throughout history, have found great solace in the Latin liturgy. I'm not stupid; I don't want a liturgy that talks to me like I'm a baby and thinks I am too much of a dullard for symbol and ritual opacity. For all the bloviating progressives do about the laity rising up, it's telling that they don't even trust us to understand our own cultural patrimony. That's because progressives don't actually care about the spiritual growth of the laity, our aspirations, or our struggles . They treat us the way Democrats treat black voters—as a monolithic bloc whose invocation gives justice and cover to all their abominations. 

    Let ruin come upon them unawares! And let the net which they hid ensnare them; let them fall therein to ruin! Then my soul shall rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his deliverance. (Ps. 35:8-9)
  43. Site: The Orthosphere
    1 day 19 hours ago
    Author: JMSmith

    “At length corruption, like a general flood,
    (So long by watchful Ministers withstood,)
    Shall deluge all; and avarice creeping on,
    Spread like a low-born mist, and blot the sun;”

    Alexander Pope, Moral Essays (1731-1735)

    To corrupt is literally to break, break down, or decompose; but in use the word most often denotes the degradation and destruction of a person, an office, an institution, by its being turned from its natural purpose or proper end.

    It has been said, for instance, that luxury corrupts a young man because it removes the conditions that would otherwise impart to him the manly virtues of diligence, hardihood, resilience and a capacity to remain cheerful under discomfort and deprivation.  Here, for example, is a line from Henry James in which a tycoon resolves that his wealth will not turn his son from that son’s proper end of growing into a manly man.

    “He remembered the fruit had not dropped ripe from the tree into his own mouth, and determined it should be no fault of his if the boy was corrupted by luxury.”*

    The corruption of a girl was historically understood as a chain of events that lured, lead, or forced her into prostitution.  Her natural feminine modesty and virtue was broken down by corrupting precepts, examples, and experiences.  The pioneering sociologist Jane Addams for instance described the corrupting cultivation of unchastity in young girls by the experience familial rape:

    “A surprising number of little girls have first become involved in [sexual] wrongdoing through the men of their own households.  A recent inquire among 130 girls living in a sordid red light district disclosed the fact that a majority of them had thus been victimized at the wrong had come to them so early that they had been despoiled at an average age of eight years.”**

    Addams said that poor young women in cities were also easily corrupted because they were surrounded by dazzling treats they greatly desired but could by no legitimate means afford.

    “Because they [twelve- to fourteen-year-old girls] are childishly eager for amusement and totally unable to pay for a ride on the scenic railway or for a ticket to an entertainment, these disappointed children easily accept many favors from the young men who are standing near the entrances for the express purpose of ruining them. The hideous reward which is demanded from them later in the evening, after they have enjoyed the many ‘treats’ which the amusement park offers, apparently seems of little moment.”**

    Any relaxation of individual probity is a species of personal corruption, but personal corruption becomes social corruption because the example of relaxed probity is contagious.  We are most of us satisfied to think ourselves slightly above the moral average, so when the average relaxes we tend to relax with it.

    * * * * *

    An office is corrupt when it is turned away from performance of its official purpose or proper end by jobbery or bribery. Jobbery is use of a public office primarily to benefit the purse and position of the office holder. This very often involves the officeholder performing or neglecting to perform his official duties in exchange for bribes of one sort or another.  It may also involve the outright theft or misuse of public property and funds.

    An office is also corrupt when it is obtained by fraud, intrigue, or purchase.  The historic corruption of Christian churches was often tied to the sale of benefices, bishoprics, and even St. Peter’s throne (Benedict VIII, John XIX, Benedict IX).  Tocqueville tells us that purchase of office is the typical corruption of aristocratic government, where the officers are wealthy men who use their riches to obtain political power (and the voters they must bribe are not numerous).  Jobbery and bribery on the other hand are the typical corruption of democratic government, where the officers are poor men who use their political power to obtain riches (and the voters they would have to bribe are numerous indeed.

    “In aristocracies, as those who are desirous of arriving at the head of affairs are possessed of considerable wealth, and as the number of persons by whose assistance they may rise is comparatively small, the government is, if I may use the expression, put up to a sort of auction.  In democracies, on the contrary, those who are covetous of power are very seldom wealthy . . . . If, then, the men who conduct the government of an aristocracy sometimes endeavor to corrupt the people [by offering bribes], the heads of a democracy are themselves corrupt [because of their bribe-taking].”***

    The larcenous legislators of Southern states under Reconstruction offer a chastening epitome of the corruption of office under democracy.  In the words of the great jurist James Bryce:

    “Such a saturnalia of robbery and jobbery has seldom been seen in any civilized country, and certainly never before under the forms of free government.”†

    * * * * *

    An institution is likewise corrupt when it has been usurped and turned away from its founding purpose or proper end, so that it overtly or covertly serves some other purpose and new master.  A church is thus corrupt when it has been usurped by the state and turned into an instrument of political control.  A university is corrupt when it has been usurped by the state and turned into an instrument of propaganda and power.  A representative assembly is corrupt when it has been usurped by the permanent bureaucracy (the “deep state”), or by oligarchs, or by demagogues, or by political gangsters.

    Here is a nice passage from Frank Norris’s novel The Octopus (1901) describing the last gasp of an honest legislature before it is usurped and perverted into something worse and new.  Magnus is an honest senator of the Old School who with magnificent futility has just denounced the snaky skullduggery of the New Order of Things.

    “In that brief instant of silence following upon Magnus’s outburst, and while he held them subdued and overmastered, the fabric of their scheme of corruption and dishonesty trembled to its base. It was the last protest of the Old School, rising up there in denunciation of the new order of things, the statesman opposed to the politician; honesty, rectitude, uncompromising integrity, prevailing for the last time against the devious maneuvering, the evil communications, the rotten expediency of a corrupted institution.”††

    An institution is also corrupt when its primary function is to ensure its own survival, defend its own perquisites, and furnish its officers with generous salaries, pompous titles, and genteel status.  This sort of corruption flourishes in bloated state bureaucracies,  in obsolete organizations underwritten by large private endowments, and in any outfit armored and haloed with historic prestige (e.g. toy armies that cannot fight wars, dotard churches that cannot fill pews).  William James described this sort of entrenched and elegant corruption in a letter

    “Millionaires and syndicates have their immediate cash to pay, but they have no intrenched prestige to work with, like the church sentiment, the army sentiment, the aristocracy and royalty sentiment, which here [in Europe] can be brought to bear in favor of every kind of individual and collective crime — appealing not only to the immediate pocket of the persons to be corrupted, but to the ideals of their imagination as well . . .”†††

    Or as James puts it in another letter

    “Talk of corruption! We don’t know what the word corruption means at home, with our improvised and shifting agencies of crude pecuniary bribery, compared with the solidly intrenched and permanently organized corruptive geniuses of monarchy, nobility, church, army, that penetrate the very bosom of the higher kind as well as the lower kind of people in all the European states . . ∞

    In the century since James wrote these lines, this sort of entrenched and elegant corruption crossed the Atlantic and penetrated the very bosom of this land.

    *) Henry James, Roderick Hudson (Boston: J.R. Osgood, 1876), p. 11.
    **) Jane Addams, A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil (New York: Macmillan, 1912), pp. 109-110.
    ***) Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, trans. Henry Reeve (New York: Colonial Press, 1899), vol. 1, p. 228.
    †) James Bryce, The American Commonwealth, third ed., two vols. (New York: Macmillan, 1895), vol. 2, p. 476.  In the 1888 edition, Bryce wrote: “The lowest point was reached in some of the Southern States shortly after the war, when, the negroes having received the suffrage, the white inhabitants were still excluded as rebels, and the executive government was conducted by Northern carpet-baggers under the protection of Federal troops.  In some States the treasury was pilfered; huge State debts were run up; negroes voted farms to themselves; all kinds of robbery and jobbery went on unchecked. South Carolina, for instance, was a perfect Tartarus of corruption, as much below the Hades of Illinois or Missouri as the heaven of ideal purity is above the ordinary carth of Boston and Westminster.! In its legislature there was an old darkey, jet black and with venerable white hair, a Methodist preacher, and influential among his brother states- men, who kept a stall for legislation, where he dealt in statutes at prices varying from $100 to $400.”
    ††) Frank Norris, The Octopus: A Story of California, two vols. (Leipzig: B. Tauchnitz, 1901), p. 122.
    †††) Letter of William James to William M. Salter, Sep. 11, 1899, in Henry James, ed., The Letters of William James, two vols. (Boston: The Atlantic Monthly Press, 1920), vol. 2, pp. 100-101.
    ∞) Letter of William James to Mrs. Francis R. Morse, Sep. 17, 1899, in Henry James, ed., The Letters of William James, two vols. (Boston: The Atlantic Monthly Press, 1920), vol. 2, pp. 102.

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  48. Site: southern orders
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  50. Site: Zero Hedge
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    Author: Tyler Durden
    Where Are We Now?

    By Peter Tchir of Academy Securities (full pdf available here)

    Just last weekend, we discussed Confusion versus Uncertainty. We have a long list of potential market moving-events, many of which might be at pivotal moments.

    • The Big Beautiful Bill. Not letting tax cuts expire is crucial. Additional targeted tax cuts would also be helpful – especially anything that would drive growth and innovation.
       
      • The new “twist” here was the apparent falling out, played out via social media, between President Trump and Elon Musk. It seems to have quieted down, which is a good thing. While we are correct to worry about the deficit, at this point in time, moving the bill along seems more important. Will Thursday’s “social media storm” be a one-time event, or do we need to think about potential ramifications for the Trump agenda without Musk’s support? I don’t think so, but it is a concern.
         
    • Tariffs.
       
      • With July 8th approaching rather quickly, and only the U.K. deal signed, it seems unlikely that many more fully done deals will be inked before the deadline. On the other hand, the market is pricing in a “worst” case of extensions on the pause. We get some deals announced with a few countries and we get a pause extension on countries where there has been some initial negotiating. That seems reasonable for the markets to assume, given everything that has gone on.
         
      • A deal with China seems to have become the top priority.
         
        • The Geneva Deal doesn’t seem to be working as either side expected.
        • The President is apparently getting directly involved with Xi, which is what the President wanted all along, though I’m not sure that is the best approach, given China has known this all along.
        • We fully expected the administration to try to isolate China. We were wrong. While it is encouraging to see how the policy is being portrayed, there is a real concern, especially amongst the Geopolitical Intelligence Group, that we might not get the international cooperation against China that many think is necessary for the plan to succeed.
        • Short-term wins versus longer-term risks. If the purpose of the deal is to buy time to prepare for more separation, then we have to structure the deal very carefully. China has the resources and global integration to also work aggressively during any “cooling off” period. Protecting IP and National Security Interests should remain an integral part of any deal. There is a real struggle on this front between short-term and longer-term needs.
        • The processing of rare earths and critical minerals. The one “card” that China seems to have immense control over is the processed/refined rare earths and critical minerals. While Greenland and Ukraine might help get access to these raw materials (though we don’t see that as the major problem), they don’t do much for us in terms of processing/refining where China continues to dominate the market. We don’t know just how big of a card this is (quite large if they are actually willing to use it broadly for an extended period), but getting these businesses up and running domestically should be the biggest priority of the admin once Budget 2025 is passed. It still would have made sense, according to the GIG, to also include close allies in this crucial supply chain, but that ship may have sailed.
           
      • Are tariffs tools to negotiate, there to generate revenue, or designed to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.? Recently Japan cited some uncertainty, from their perspective (on the U.S. side) regarding what the goal is.
         
        • It seems reasonable to expect that after the Big Beautiful Bill is passed (I’m assuming that it will be passed), we will get more clarity on the direction the admin is headed in on tariffs. The President, even working almost 24/7, can only focus on so much, so getting the budget passed is likely taking his attention away from other things (and the bizarre “feud” on Thursday certainly doesn’t help). We should also learn whether the revenue was an artifice to pull in some votes to get approval for the bill (arguing that tariff revenues will offset some costs, until growth kicks in). The “revenue” side of tariffs might be less important after the bill gets passed. On the other hand, maybe the administration doesn’t want to “upset the apple cart” and risk not getting the bill passed? So, after the bill is passed, will we go back to being more aggressive on tariffs?


          This chart might be a bit simplistic (data centers and AI still play a huge role in the movements of the market, but it isn’t too far off).
           
    • National Production for National Security. If that has the sound of something that might have been said in a Communist country, I’m okay with it. Prioritizing what is needed and pushing the agenda as aggressively as possible is key for our success and ability to compete with China down the road. Subsidies would help, but they don’t seem to be on the agenda with the urgency many of our National Security experts think is needed. On the other hand, deregulation is also a crucial step and that is something we have argued, since day 1, that Trump has specialized in. Why he didn’t start with deregulation and fighting NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) is a question I would love to have answered (the chart above would look a LOT different if the admin had come out of the gates focused on this front rather than tariffs). Treasury Secretary Bessent talks about this as being one of the “legs of the stool” and the more we turn our attention to this, the better. While it is also designed to take jobs away from elsewhere and bring them to the U.S., it seems less aggressive than using tariffs and is far more in our own control.
       
    • When, or if, will the impact of existing tariffs, policy uncertainty, or even confusion hit the economic data and the markets? We discuss this in our NFP Reaction, and remain convinced that the market, at these levels, has become too complacent with risks on the economic front. While backing off on tariffs has been great, and has greatly reduced the risk of recession, that is still a risk as the global economy takes time to adjust to the level of uncertainty (and even confusion) that has been set in motion since Inauguration Day. I completely believe the worst is behind us on the tariff headlines, but the impact has not been felt in the real world, and while 10% (or just higher) is “manageable,” there are likely going to be costs.
       
    • Peace. While we argued peace in a short timeframe was achievable (peace in a single day seemed impossible), that has stalled, at least in Russia. We published a Drone Attack SITREP on Monday. The mix of carrots and sticks was confusing to many of the GIG members, and maybe it is surprising we are here. The geopolitical situation is different than the economic situation, but if I had to be cautious about something right now – it is the growing difference between how confidently the President predicted peace, and where we are now. It is “different” than tariffs with China, right? Maybe not?

    Bottom Line

    I still like rates. Friday’s move could have pushed the Fed’s second cut out to next year, while, for me, the jobs data solidified the chance of a July cut, with 3 to 4 for the year. 10s back to 4.5% is a buying opportunity, though a range of 4.2% to 4.6% seems about right. A bit of a wide range, but the volatility around so many of the topics listed above, especially the bill, still needs to be considered.

    Credit boring. Crypto exciting.

    Credit, which I think I understand, should do okay here. So far the calendar hasn’t slowed much, but credit has held in very well. Across the globe, anyone looking for corporate credit risk needs to come to the U.S. as the market is the only place big enough to offer diversification across industries, ratings, and maturities. Also, the companies issuing corporate debt are often global in nature, so the exposure isn’t confined to the U.S.

    On Crypto, I don’t understand the rush for governments to get involved, but it seems that is the trajectory we are on. So long as corporations can add crypto to their balance sheets and see their stock valuations rise more than the amount of crypto they bought, I can understand why they would do that. However, I cannot understand that relationship, which is driving the process. I do understand anxiety around FX globally and deficits globally, but I’m still not sure how that translates into owing crypto – but certainly I am more tempted to jump back on the bandwagon than fight it here.

    Equities. Maybe not “priced to perfection” but getting close. When we examine the list of risks, uncertainties, or even things to be confused about, the market seems positioned to the optimistic side. That could be proven correct, but the risk/reward has definitely shifted with the recent legs of this rally (China, chips, and deficit spending). The IPO market is wide open and that could be a big benefit not just to markets, but also for the economy as new and innovative companies are brought to the forefront of daily market headlines!

    It has been great being on the road a lot (on the road again this week) and talking to so many of our clients, colleagues, and members of the Geopolitical Intelligence Group.

    • There is a decent amount of concern about small and midsize businesses, especially related to tariffs.
    • A blind faith that the consumer keeps consuming (which has been the correct call).
    • A more optimistic outlook for dealing with China from most people, than generally expressed by our Geopolitical Intelligence Group. We had a great outing with two GIG colleagues from the CIA last week, demonstrating how we are moving deeper into national security and policy.

    Today, I just wanted to conclude by thanking all of those who take time out of their hectic schedules to meet with, talk to, or even just respond to Academy Securities as it helps us grow and get better!

    If we go back to today’s question “Where are We Now?” the answer is at some pivotal moments for some major drivers to kick into gear, or stumble, as they near the goal line.

    Tyler Durden Sun, 06/08/2025 - 12:50

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