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  1. Site: Fr Hunwicke's Mutual Enrichment
    0 sec ago
    S Paul loved his fellow Jews, his 'kinsmen' and believed "the gifts and call of God are irrevocable". He believed that at the End, those among them who had rejected Christ would be brought in to the chosen people. He believed that they were like olive branches which had been cut off so that the Gentiles, wild olive branches, could be grafted in. But, when the fulness of the Gentiles had entered Fr John Hunwickehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17766211573399409633noreply@blogger.com3
  2. Site: Fr Hunwicke's Mutual Enrichment
    0 sec ago
    Lex orandi lex credendi. I have been examining the Two Covenant Dogma: the fashionable error that God's First Covenant, with the Jews, is still fully and salvifically valid, so that the call to saving faith in Christ Jesus is not made to them. The 'New' Covenant, it is claimed, is now only for Gentiles. I want to draw attention at this point to the witness of the post-Conciliar Magisterium of theFr John Hunwickehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17766211573399409633noreply@blogger.com13
  3. Site: Fr Hunwicke's Mutual Enrichment
    0 sec ago
    We have seen that the Two Covenant Theory, the idea that Jewry alone is guaranteed Salvation without any need to convert to Christ, is repugnant to Scripture, to the Fathers, even to the post-Conciliar liturgy of the Catholic Church. It is also subversive of the basic grammar of the relationship between the Old and the New Testaments. Throughout  two millennia, in Scripture, in Liturgy, in her Fr John Hunwickehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17766211573399409633noreply@blogger.com7
  4. Site: Fr Hunwicke's Mutual Enrichment
    0 sec ago
    The sort of people who would violently reject the points I am making are the sort of people who would not be impressed by the the Council of Florence. So I am going to confine myself to the Magisterium from the time of Pius XII ... since it is increasingly coming to be realised that the continuum of processes which we associate with the Conciliar and post-Conciliar period was already in operationFr John Hunwickehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17766211573399409633noreply@blogger.com0
  5. Site: Fr Hunwicke's Mutual Enrichment
    0 sec ago
    In 1980, addressing a Jewish gathering in Germany, B John Paul II said (I extract this from a long sentence): " ... dialogue; that is, the meeting between the people of the Old Covenant (never revoked by God, cf Romans 11:29) and that of the New Covenant, is at the same time ..." In 2013, Pope Francis, in the course of his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, also referred to the Old Fr John Hunwickehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17766211573399409633noreply@blogger.com10
  6. Site: Fr Hunwicke's Mutual Enrichment
    0 sec ago
    Since the Council, an idea has been spreading that Judaism is not superseded by the New Covenant of Jesus Christ; that Jews still have available to them the Covenant of the old Law, by which they can be saved. It is therefore unnecessary for them to turn to Christ; unnecessary for anybody to convert them to faith in Christ. Indeed, attempting to do so is an act of aggression not dissimilar to theFr John Hunwickehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17766211573399409633noreply@blogger.com11
  7. Site: Henrymakow.com
    0 sec ago
    gates-coupon.jpeg
    During a trip to Hong Kong, the billionaire duo decided to grab lunch at McDonald's. To Gates' amusement, when Buffett offered to pay, he pulled out a handful of coupons.
     


    Warren Buffett is a billionaire. He gets his meaning from making or saving a dime. Most of the super-rich suffer from spiritual poverty.




    Whether we are poor or rich, money holds us prisoner. The rich feel poor because of GREED. No matter how much they have, their identity ("feeling good, important, secure") was forged by a society dedicated to making and spending more money. 



    Money is supposed to free us from material concerns. Paradoxically it does the opposite. We become its prisoners.





    "Enough is a little more than one has."    Samuel Butler


    Updated from May 4, 2022 and Oct. 6 2023
    by Henry Makow PhD

     
    Few people take a rational approach to money. 

    This would involve calculating how much money they need in relation to how much money they have, and how much money they make.

    Rather, people tend to focus on their last 2%. Did their "net worth" increase or derease on a given day?

    Depending on their tax bracket, this may involve their last $100, $1000, $10,000, $10 million or $10 billion. They ignore their big bank balance or stock portfolio. They always feel poor. 

    Money is supposed to free us from material concerns. Paradoxically it does the opposite. We become its prisoners.

    We are satanically possessed. This means we identify with money rather than our Divine soul. We are money rather than God's personal representative on earth. The more money we have, the bigger and better we feel. These values are inculcated by our satanist-controlled mass media.

    I am addressing the roughly 50% of my readers who, according to my Gab poll, have enough or more money than they need. I don't fault the other 50% who don't have enough or are broke for feeling oppressed.

    henry-david-thoreau-wealth.jpg


    Paradoxically the rich suffer from a spiritual impoverishment.

    The more they identify with their money, the smaller they are. The more money they have, the smaller they are.

    In the case of the Illuminati bankers, this inner poverty is toxic. They are a cancer that threatens to destroy mankind.

    They want to "absorb" (their word) all the world's wealth leaving nothing to support humanity. They want it all!

    We're indoctrinated to seek money. Within limits, money is a great motivator and measure.

    I know someone who doesn't have to work. He works because he has nothing else to do, and it makes him feel productive and rewarded.

    Another friend is independently wealthy from investments. He retired a couple of years ago but is returning to his old profession out of sheer boredom.

    PERSONAL

    I am as satanically possessed as anyone. I have had a lifelong struggle with greed. At age 74, I am just starting to master this demon.

    Recently I did the calculation above and realized that I have more money than I'll ever spend.

    My spending habits were formed during eight years as a graduate student living on roughly $10,000 per year. I really don't need or care about material things.

    Paradoxically, this lack of concern for money did NOT stop me from developing a gambling addiction. When I didn't have much money, I didn't care about it. When I sold Scruples to Hasbro in 1986, I became a money manager and thought my game smarts would extend to the stock market. MISTAKE.

    Scruples had been a labor of love. I did it because It was a workshop on everyday morality.

    After my windfall, I became satanically possessed (i.e. GREED.)  If someone asked how I was, I said, "I'll ask my broker."  

    We have to be on guard constantly because the voice in our head often is the devil!

    Then another voice arises from our soul and says, "Cool it, you greedy moron."


    You gamble with money you'll never spend. More or Less. What is the point? You don't even know your balance.

    We have a Mexican cleaning woman who supports an extended family. I have never met a woman whose smile exudes such warmth.

    Surely, these human qualities represent our true riches.

    Money is the lowest common denominator. People today are consumed by money. They are charmless. 

    YouTube is packed full of "how I got rich" stories.

    While the world descends into Communist tyranny or faces a nuclear catastrophe,  they act like money will save them.

    For people who have enough, freedom lies in eschewing money. Just not caring about it.

    Can you do that?

  8. Site: LifeNews
    3 hours 4 min ago
    Author: Karen Ingle

    A physician who faced the specter of losing his license over his helping women try to save their unborn children exhorted pregnancy help professionals at the 2024 Heartbeat International Annual Conference to stay the course in doing the right thing when it come to standing for life.

    “Never, ever get tired of doing what is right,” Dr. Dermot Kearney said. “It can be discouraging. There will be opposition. Sometimes you’ll fall and fail, but just get back up and never, ever get tired of doing what is right.”

    Kearney, a cardiologist practicing in northeast England and president emeritus of the Catholic Medical Association (UK), addressed the Heartbeat Conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 24-26.

    Kearney was blocked by the UK medical authorities from providing Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) treatment and faced false charges of misconduct. Kearney withstood the suppression and eventually prevailed, as there was no evidence for the claims against him. Following this, another colleague in the UK who’d faced similar repression was also allowed to resume offering APR.

    Click here to sign up for pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com

    Heartbeat is the largest network of pregnancy help in the U.S. and globally and manages the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN). Kearney was administering APR through the APRN.

    Despite facing tremendous opposition of his own, Kearney said he and other UK providers have saved at least 61 babies so far—with more on the way—since 2020, when he began administering abortion pill reversal, the proven progesterone treatment to counteract mifepristone, the first abortion pill.

    “I’ve been practicing medicine since 1989 and in those 35 years I’ve done various things in cardiology and general medicine and emergency medicine,” he said as photos of him with babies he’s saved covered the big screens beside him. “But this far and away is the most rewarding aspect of medical practice that I can obviously say that I’ve enjoyed.”

    Kearney reported at least a 50% success rate (i.e., continued pregnancy and live birth) for his own patients who receive progesterone after taking only mifepristone. He compared this to a 1-2% survival rate when women take both mifepristone and misoprostol (the second pill in the abortion regimen), and a below-20% survival rate if women take only mifepristone but do not receive progesterone.

    “On the basis of the data that we have managed to collect, if they go ahead with the abortion rescue treatment, we can more than double the rate of survival of the babies,” Kearney said. “I have found that if we can get to 15 weeks there’s a very good chance that their baby will be okay.”

    (In the U.S., success rates tend to be closer to 64-68%, he noted, due in part to easier ultrasound access.)

    On the occasions when he was unable to restore a pregnancy, he drew encouragement from his colleague Dr. Eileen Reilly, the first UK doctor to attempt abortion pill reversal, who reminded him, “Even if you save one life, it’s all worthwhile.”

    Opposition to saving lives

    Kearney’s success in saving lives, however, drew fire from the UK medical establishment.

    Before implementing the protocol himself in 2020, Kearney had approached the National Health Service, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Royal College of General Practitioners, hoping they would get behind this life-saving treatment, given the accumulating evidence of its effectiveness. They did not.

    Instead, unbeknownst to him, an investigation by the General Medical Council, UK’s medical licensing authority, began in January 2021 after the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, along with the pro-abortion organization Marie Stopes International, accused him of professional misconduct. In all, 10 allegations and charges were brought against him.

    On May 12, 2021, Dr. Kearney was taken before the medical tribunal and there prohibited from prescribing, administering, or recommending progesterone for Abortion Pill Reversal treatments—a step back from the General Medical Council’s call to completely suspend his license.

    “The result is that I’m the first doctor in history, I think, to be banned from saving lives,” he said.

    Ironically, on May 11, just one day before this decision, another baby he had saved with progesterone was born.

    A legal team from Christian Concern’s Christian Legal Center took Kearney’s case out of the hands of the medical tribunal—where only the charges were being evaluated, not the evidence—and carried it to the High Court in London. Kearney was scheduled to appear on February 24, 2022. A mere six days beforehand, he learned that all charges were dropped.

    “The words they used were, ‘there was no prospect of obtaining any evidence to support the allegations of professional misconduct,’” Kearney said.

    Coercion, misinformation, and pressure to abort continue for UK women

    Peppering his Conference presentation with a mix of statistics from his practice and stories of his patients’ desperate search for a way to save their pregnancies, Kearney pointed out that women in the UK are often pressured to pursue abortion.

    One woman with the pseudonym “Victoria,” depressed by her boyfriend’s abandonment, was told by her family doctor that she wasn’t ready to parent and should abort her baby. Following that advice, she took the first abortion pill and immediately regretted her choice. She contacted Kearney, who successfully sustained her pregnancy with progesterone.

    Later in that preserved pregnancy, her psychiatrist again recommended abortion. Instead, she went on to deliver a healthy baby boy several months later. However, social services took her newborn away from her, apparently because she had refused to follow her psychiatrist’s advice. Only after a legal battle was she able to regain custody of her son.

    Dr. Dermot Kearney/Lisa Bourne

    “Sarah,” already raising a daughter, considered abortion out of fear of financial difficulties. Though she cried hysterically in her doctor’s office, the doctor handed her mifepristone and a glass of water and said, “Well, are you going to take it or not?” Sarah swallowed the pill, convinced she had no other option.

    As she left the office with misoprostol in hand for later use, “Sarah” wished she could vomit up the pill she had taken. She rushed home and searched online for help, found the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, and a nurse connected her with Kearney. After treatment with progesterone, she went on to deliver a baby boy.

    In December 2023, Kearney received a call from another woman who had heard of his success with “Sarah” and needed the same help. Her rescued baby is due within a few months of this writing.

    “Sometimes we get these new cases that come to us when there’s no other way, because the women now go to abortion providers to be actively told, ‘If you change your mind—you shouldn’t—but if you do, do not seek abortion reversal,’” Kearney said.

    “There was a time in 2020, early 2021, I was getting six calls a week, three some days, weekends especially,” he said. “But now it’s down to two or three a month. With the other providers, it is more or less the same. So, the numbers have dried up largely because of the opposition.”

    Hope through a window of opportunity

    Kearney estimated that in 2023 there were about 250,000 abortions among a population of 60 million people in the UK, “and close to 90% are carried out by drug-induced means.”

    “That gives a window of opportunity,” he said.

    “When surgical abortion takes place, once that instrument is introduced there’s no going back,” said Kearney. “But there is a slight window of opportunity, at least in some cases, if the mother changes her mind after she’s taken that first abortion pill. That’s where the Abortion Pill Rescue Network comes into play.”

    As part of the Network, Christa Brown, Heartbeat International’s Director of Medical Impact, spoke of Kearney’s remarkable determination to help women save their babies.

    She said, “There are very few who would tell a team of hotline nurses, ‘Call me anytime day or night because women deserve the right to abortion pill reversal.’”

    There are very few who would ask a patient, ‘Do you have a way to get to the pharmacy?’ and if not, send a taxi on their own dime,” Brown said. “There are very few who would ask the woman, ‘Do you have funds to pay for this prescription?’ and if not, send their dear wife Mary with a credit card to pay for that life-giving progesterone.”

    “There are very few who,” continued Brown, “when their very livelihood and medical licensing and professional reputation are threatened and they’re under investigation and faced with restrictions for months on end, when colleagues turn their backs and all they’ve worked so hard for is at risk, will stand strong and say, ‘I work for the Lord, not man.’

    “Today there’s a call to courage for all of us, just as in the days of the Underground Railroad and the times of the midwives who were ordered by law to end the lives of the baby boys,” Brown said. “This is not a time for retreat. This is a time for courage.”

    Heartbeat International presented Kearney with it’s Servant Leader Award following his address, Kearney unaware he would be receiving the honor. The Servant Leader Award honors those who, in the example of Christ, lead and serve concurrently.

    LifeNews Note: Karen Ingle writes for PregnancyHelpNews, where this originally appeared.

    The post Pro-Life Doctor Shares How He Saved Babies From Death in the Middle of the Abortion appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  9. Site: The Remnant Newspaper - Remnant Articles
    3 hours 8 min ago
    Author: robert.t.morrison@gmail.com (Robert Morrison | Remnant Columnist)
    As profitable and enlightening as it is to reflect on how Mirari Vos condemns the specific novelties of Vatican II, though, we might draw greatest value from the encyclical if we can truly appreciate what it said about the permissibility of novelties in general.
  10. Site: PeakProsperity
    3 hours 16 min ago
    Author: Chris Martenson
    The bird flu threat cropped up of late and it has some surprises for us to examine. But also some echoes of Covid in terms of involving labs and the same shady crew of international virologists who used their positions to deflect from Covid inquiry and truth.
  11. Site: PeakProsperity
    3 hours 17 min ago
    Author: Chris Martenson
    Something is very 'off' in this bird flu story. I have only suggestive coincidences and odd timings to point to, but I'd put money down on the idea that the circulating variant does not have an entirely natural origin. Now why would they do this again?
  12. Site: LifeNews
    3 hours 25 min ago
    Author: Laura Echevarria

    Pro-abortion groups have become bolder and more aggressive since the Dobbs decision was handed down in June 2022.

    The latest pro-abortion messaging says it all: “Roe was always the floor, not the ceiling.”

    We know that pro-abortion groups and their allies are bent on making abortion available on demand until birth so it’s not surprising that they have shifted from saying abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare” to “Roe was always the floor, not the ceiling.”

    Roe was not enough and has never been enough for pro-abortion groups.

    The latest PR campaign by pro-abortion groups is to muddy the water by claiming that abortion is “health care” and that women will die without it. The go-to arguments from pro-abortion groups involve rage, misinformation, rage, lies, and more rage.

    Abortion groups have a lot of sympathizers and allies – everyone from the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to the editorial board at the New York Times. Pushing back against the pro-abortion agenda can feel like we are rolling a boulder uphill only to have it slide down again at the end of the day.

    SUPPORT LIFENEWS! To help us fight Joe Biden’s abortion agenda, please help LifeNews.com with a donation!

    It can feel frustrating, tiring – even fruitless.

    But you can help and make an impact by doing three things:

    Be knowledgeable

    Know the facts about abortion statistics, the number of women seeking abortions and why. Learn about the development of the preborn baby and how she is growing at every stage of development. Read NRL News cover-to-cover and subscribe to NRL News Today. There is no greater way to learn accurate information in one place—unless you are planning on attending the National Right to Life Conference in June!

    Be compassionate

    Many of us respond on social media to comments made by family and friends on everything from someone’s new haircut to their new job. However, on issues that can be deeply painful and personal, we all know how cutting remarks and harsh words can come across. When responding to family and friends who may be pro-abortion, we need to respond with compassion. Social media can hinder communication because we can’t see facial expressions or gestures. People can gauge intent only by reading the words we choose. Even when dealing with reporters, we have to remember that they, too, may have had an abortion and will write a story through the lens of personal experience.

    Be bold in your response

    Don’t hesitate to respond to things you see in the news. While newspapers still publish op-eds and letters to the editor, the majority also allow comments directly below an article. Getting an op-ed or a letter published can delay a response to mean not getting one in at all if your op-ed doesn’t make the cut. However, responding in the comments section with concise and compassionate arguments can make a difference by addressing errors in reporting and winning hearts and minds.

    We have truth on our side, but we need to present it and let people see it. They need to see the pro-life movement as it is—wonderful caring individuals who love and cherish life for both mother and child.

    LifeNews.com Note: Laura Echevarria is the Director of Media Relations and a spokesperson for the National Right to Life Committee.

    The post They Don’t Just Want Roe v. Wade, They Want Abortions Up to Birth Nationwide appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  13. Site: LifeNews
    4 hours 20 min ago
    Author: Carol Tobias

    One of my favorite classes in high school was typing. Our teacher said piano players are usually the fastest typers as their fingers were already used to moving around on a keyboard. That certainly was the case in my class as most of the fastest typists were, indeed, pianists. That led to a healthy, but friendly, competition to see who among us was the fastest typist each week. That friendly rivalry still brings back fun memories.

    And many years later, I still remember one of our first sentences to type: Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. When actual typewriters were used, not computers and laptops, that sentence filled up one line on a sheet of paper which, for some reason, made for a good typing lesson.

    While I don’t understand the magic of that one sentence for typing purposes, that phrase still strikes a chord in me– one of patriotism, love of country, and pride in America.

    This year, more than ever, I am urging all good men (and women) to come to the aid of their country.

    Precious, innocent human life is being weighed on a scale this year. Will the scale tip in favor of life? Or will it tip towards death, with laws and leaders determined to end as many lives as possible?

    Click here to sign up for pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com

    We have elections to select leaders for the next two or four years. We have ballot measures in some states that will determine whether state constitutions stand for life or are amended to promote death.

    I am pleading with you. If you believe in the dignity of human life; if you believe preborn children deserve to be protected as the most vulnerable members of the human family; if you believe the elderly and those with disabilities should be cared for rather than encouraged to end their lives by assisted suicide, now is the time to speak up.

    Let’s review what has happened in just the last three years under pro-abortion President Joe Biden.

    • The Biden administration announced support for a national law that would remove any and all protections for unborn children. The so-called Women’s Health Protection Act would legalize abortion for any reason up to the moment of birth.
    • The Biden administration has called for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of tax dollars from being used to pay for most abortions in the US.
    • The Biden administration is sending millions of dollars to organizations that perform or refer for abortions as a method of family planning and is giving our tax dollars to organizations that promote and/or perform abortion in other countries.
    • The Department of Defense is using tax dollars to provide transportation and expenses for military personnel to obtain an abortion. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is using tax dollars to pay for abortions in its hospitals.
    • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed most regulations on mifepristone, the abortion pill, even allowing pharmacies to mail the dangerous drug directly to a woman for a do-it-yourself abortion.
    • The Biden administration is using the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), a 38-year-old law, to attempt to force all hospital emergency rooms nationwide to provide abortion on demand.

    These are all in progress.  What will our country look like if this continues for another four years?

    What else could go wrong? We could very well see a change in our judicial system.

    It is common to see comments on-line, even from members of Congress, arguing for an expanded U.S Supreme Court. The goal is to add four more justices to override the judges already on the court who honor the Constitution.

    There is increasing pressure on pro-abortion Justice Sonia Sotomayor to resign now so President Biden is able to nominate a pro-abortion radical to the court to replace her while he is still president.  Even though she’s only 69, there is great fear among abortion supporters that Justice Sotomayor will become another Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—hanging on until her death—which allowed President Donald Trump to nominate her replacement.

    Who knows where this country will be if President Biden has another four years to remake the judicial system in his image?

    There are efforts to add two more pro-abortion Democrat senators to the U.S. Senate by making the District of Columbia a state. This would make a pro-life filibuster even tougher, perhaps even eliminating the filibuster altogether in the Senate.

    Are you concerned about increasing efforts to encourage those who have disabilities, are elderly, or have received a grim prognosis from the doctor, to end their lives prematurely?  Do you think all life has value—even those who are considered “different,” or who face more challenges than most of us?

    There are efforts underway to “allow” these individuals to end their lives—paid for through Medicaid and Medicare. While some would argue this is a “compassionate” societal response, if we look at where assisted suicide is already legal, we can see people being pushed into that decision because “it’s best for your family.”

    Several states will have measures on the ballot to amend state constitutions to remove any and all protections for preborn children. These must be stopped.

    I realize I’m painting a very bleak picture, but we all must understand the seriousness of the elections this fall. There is so much that could go wrong—or could go right—depending on what happens and who wins.

    And that is why YOU are needed!  Whether it be your time, talent, or treasure, every individual who believes that human life has value is needed.

    When 2024 ends, will you be able to look back and say, “I made a difference!” or will you say, “I wish I had done more”?

    Get involved. Do something to make a difference. Now is the time to come to the aid of your country.

    LifeNews Note: Carol Tobias is the president of the National Right to Life Committee.

    The post Joe Biden is the Most Radical Pro-Abortion President Ever, We Must Defeat Him appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  14. Site: Catholic Conclave
    4 hours 51 min ago
    Tomorrow is her feastday"The day on which she was to die came closer and closer. It was a day unknown to us, but You were fully aware of it. I firmly believe that in Your inscrutable ways You had arranged that she and I were alone at the window and looking out into the inner garden of that house on the Tiber at Ostia. Away from the crowds, we had retired there after a long and tiresome journey toCatholic Conclavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.com0
  15. Site: LifeNews
    5 hours 18 min ago
    Author: Liberty Counsel

    The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) issued a pair of emergency rules this week regarding emergency medical treatments, including treatments of ectopic pregnancies, which the rules state are not abortions under the state’s new six-week Heartbeat Law. The AHCA published the rules one day after the Heartbeat Protection Act took effect to combat what it stated to be “disinformation” from a “deeply dishonest scare campaign” by the media, the Biden administration, and abortion advocacy groups about the new law.

    The Biden administration has vocally opposed and condemned the Heartbeat Protection Act in the last few weeks as “extreme” and dangerous for the health and safety of women. However, the AHCA stated this type of opposition misinforms the public and puts women in danger even though the law actually protects women in life-threatening emergencies while also protecting the life of the unborn.

    The rules read, “The agency finds there is an immediate danger to the health, safety, and welfare of pregnant women and babies due to a deeply dishonest scare campaign and disinformation being perpetuated by the media, the Biden administration, and advocacy groups to misrepresent the Heartbeat Protection Act and the state’s efforts to protect life, moms, and families.”

    Click here to sign up for pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com

    “The agency is initiating rulemaking to safeguard against any immediate harm that could come to pregnant women due to disinformation,” stated the AHCA.

    The rules stipulate that “when a physician attempts to induce the live birth of an unborn baby, regardless of gestational age” during “preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), ectopic pregnancies, trophoblastic tumors, and other life-threatening conditions,” and “the unborn baby does not survive,” then the situation “does not constitute an abortion.”

    “This rulemaking will ensure health care providers establish medical records procedures that will adequately protect the care and safety of both mothers and their unborn babies during medical emergencies,” the AHCA rules stated.

    The rules apply to hospitals and clinics and do not require these treatments to be included in the state-mandated reporting requirements for abortions.

    The AHCA also published a “Myth vs. Fact” information sheet that dispels seven different “myths” about the Heartbeat Law and states that “Florida does not restrict lifesaving care for women.”

    The implementation of the Heartbeat Law, titled SB300 – Pregnancy and Parenting Support, follows the Florida Supreme Court which recently ruled 6-1 that there is no right to abortion in the Florida Constitution. The Heartbeat Law also provides $30 million in reoccurring state funding to support pregnant women and their families.

    For more information on Florida’s Heartbeat Law, visit Liberty Counsel’s website here.

    Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “The Heartbeat Protection Act protects the health and lives of both the unborn child and the mother and provides a wide range of options and support for women. The disinformation campaigns that say pregnant women can’t receive emergency health care in Florida are patently false. This disinformation puts women in jeopardy while the Heartbeat Protection Act protects them. Florida is a sanctuary for life.”

    The post Florida Heartbeat Law Doesn’t Limit Medical Care for Pregnant Women in Any Way appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  16. Site: LifeNews
    6 hours 37 min ago
    Author: Sarah Holliday

    A Florida bill, the Heartbeat Protection Act (HPA), went into effect on Wednesday, which increases protections for the unborn after six-weeks, as opposed to the state’s previous 15-week rule. The HPA initially became law in April 2023 as part of the Florida Supreme Court’s decision that abortion is not a given right under the Constitution. That decision was key in upholding the 15-week law, and only a month later, proved relevant to the six-week law.

    Several Democrats have made their opposition to the bill known. For instance, Vice President Kamala Harris claimed the law was “extreme,” blaming former President Donald Trump for the so-called “harmful state abortion bans.” Additionally, Planned Parenthood Vice President of Communications Michelle Quesada sent an email to WORLD Magazine that “claimed the new law is devastating for Floridians.” But as Family Research Council President Tony Perkins highlighted on Wednesday’s episode of “Washington Watch,” the bill is far from devastating for most Floridians.

    “[T]he reality,” he stated, “is the American people are not where the Democratic Party and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are at on this issue.” He added that Democrats “want abortion until birth with taxpayer funds. That’s what they’re calling for,” whereas Florida at large is a proponent of life. In addition, Florida State Rep. Mike Beltran (R) pointed out, “Florida is well in line with the rest of the region of the country.”

    Beltran recalled how Florida’s 2022 15-week bill coincided with the Dobbs decision, which ultimately led to an increase in “the number of abortions in Florida.” Why? Because, as he explained, Dobbs allowed states to pass stronger pro-life laws which caused people seeking abortion in the surrounding area to go to Florida, where the threshold was more moderate. For Beltran, “the idea that Florida is some sort of an outlier, I think is absurd.”

    Click Like if you are pro-life to like the LifeNews Facebook page!

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    Even so, Perkins noted that the Democrats are still trying to “paint Florida as extreme.” But as Beltran pointed out, Florida’s bill is “still more lenient than much of the rest of the deep … mid-South and parts of the Midwest.” Ultimately, he urged, “I think that [pro-abortion] folks in the rest of the South and maybe people in the North are aggrieved that it’s going to be a little bit harder to practice abortion tourism.”

    He added, “And I make no apology for that. We have beaches, and we have parks, and we have good weather. Abortion is not part of what we’re marketing for tourism to the rest of the country.”

    Despite the good news of HPA taking effect, Perkins raised the concern that this fall “… the pro-abortion crowd has put onto the ballot initiative” a measure that “would enshrine abortion into the Constitution at the point of viability.” He asked, “How does that stand, and what do pro-life voters in Florida need to be doing?”

    Beltran answered, “People need to understand just how extravagant this proposed constitutional amendment is. It gets rid, up until viability … all restrictions on abortion.” It gets “rid of mandatory ultrasounds, waiting periods, health and safety regulations, informed consent laws — even parental consent is going to go out the window.”

    “[W]e need to get the word out,” he insisted. The abortion activists’ ballot measure is “not a moderate thing. It’s not just targeted at our heartbeat bill. … It … completely gets rid of all our [pro-life efforts].”

    LifeNews Note: Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand, where this originally appeared.

    The post Florida’s Heartbeat Law Now Protects Babies, But We Must Stop Amendment 4 and Abortions Up to Birth appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  17. Site: Zero Hedge
    7 hours 4 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    "Is This China Rally For Real?" - Goldman's Flows Guru Says 'Yes'

    On Jan 24th, we posted a recommendation on our Premium-Subscriber twitter feed, suggesting subscribers: "Get Long FXI here..."

    Like many of the reccs on this exclusive feed, it has done rather well...

    (Subscribe to Premium ZeroHedge here)

    The question is, after gaining 30%, do we stay with the trade - or as Goldman Sachs flow of funds guru asks (and answers) today: "Is This China Rally for Real?"

    His answer is simple:

    "Yes. TCT (The China Trade) is back."

    We have seen our most China activity on the desk this week in 2024 via a mix of investor types. We think is more than just short covering as there are green shoots developing. We have had notable Long Only demand, this is new. I will be spending time on this over the weekend, so sharing the trade thesis more broadly.

    The Chinese equity market is breaking out on high volume, including when southbound connect is on holiday. Why? Catalysts in the coming weeks/months include the long-delayed Third Plenum and more specific policies related to the overall guidance of the Nine measures.

    Full Checklist of catalysts, flows, and macro ideas below for TCT: 

    I. GS Research presents several possible catalysts that could potentially turn the entrenched negative expectation and sentiment around. 

    1.  a comprehensive and forceful easing package

    2. demand-side-focused stimulus

    3. confidence boosting policy targeting the private economy

    4. government backstop in the housing and stock markets 

    5. improvements and predictability in US-China relations

    II. The new “Nine Measures” 

    a. GS Research triangulates the potential policy-driven upside through the lens of shareholder returns, corporate governance standards, and institutional investor ownership. 

    b. GS Research analysis suggests that A-shares could rise ~20% if they could narrow the gaps with international averages along these dimensions, and could re-rate as much as 40% if they catch up with global leaders in our blue-sky scenario.

    III. Positioning is currently short and underweight and FOMO is on the rise. 

    1. Hedge Fund Positioning:

    a. Both Gross and Net allocations to China increased in April, but continue to stay close to 5-year lows. Gross allocation to China increased to 5.1% (7th percentile five-year), while Net allocation increased to 7.5% (10th percentile five-year).

    b. The 5 year low of gross exposure was 4.7% on March 27th and low net exposure in January of 6.2%. (for context the 5 year high gross was 9.1% in Jan 2021 and net of 15.3% in July 2020).

    c. Chinese equities were moderately net bought (+0.5 SD) in April and are now net bought in four of the past five months.

    d. Chinese domiciled equities (onshore and offshore combined) were net bought with long buys exceeding short covers in a ratio of 5 to 1. Flows were risk

    Trading Flows: China (Onshore + Offshore)

    Source: Goldman Sachs

    Positioning: China (Onshore + Offshore):

    Source: Goldman Sachs

    Source: Goldman Sachs

    Source: Goldman Sachs

    2. Global Mutual Funds (as of Mar-end):

    Based on EPFR data, mutual funds globally in aggregate have 5.2% allocation in Chinese equities as of end-March, which represents 1st percentile over the past decade .

    Source: Goldman Sachs

    On asset-weighted basis, active mutual fund mandates remain underweight Chinese equities by 320bps vs. benchmark.

    Source: Goldman Sachs

    Global, EM, and AEJ long-only mandates modestly increased their allocations in Chinese equities in March. 

    Source: Goldman Sachs

    3. Southbound/Northbound Trading Flows:

    A-shares have seen US$10.3bn Northbound inflows ytd, surpassing the US$8.1bn for full-year 2023.

    Southbound saw strong buying of US$27bn ytd.

     

    Source: Goldman Sachs

    4. Options - During NYC Macro trading, we are seeing hedge fund buyers of call options and ETF’s. 

    We’re now witnessing a strong chase for HK/China upside (outsized call option volumes yesterday in both FXI and KWEB).

    Source: Lee Coppersmith, Goldman Sachs

    FXI 1month put-call skew is now back near all-time lows following this week’s rally, signaling increased demand for upside exposure.

    (Subscribe to Premium ZeroHedge here)

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 13:45
  18. Site: LifeNews
    7 hours 6 min ago
    Author: Missouri Right to Life

    Today the “Committee for Constitutional Freedom” (to kill babies and harm women) has delivered signed petitions to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. The signatures must be from six of eight Congressional districts and must equal 8% of the votes that were cast in the last Gubernatorial election in each district, so the total number needed varies depending on the districts in which they collected signatures.

    This process, which began a year ago in March, started with the filing of multiple pro-abortion petitions. Secretary of State Ashcroft wrote truthful ballot language which was challenged by the abortion advocates and ultimately ended with the court using the pro-abortion ACLU language as the deceptive ballot language. To read the truth about this deceptive initiative petition go to Devastating-Impact-of-Pro-Abortion-Initiative-Petition-2024-086-MRL-Legal-Analysis.pdf (missourilife.org).

    The next step in this process will be the Secretary of State’s office verifying all signatures.

    In our Decline to Sign Campaign, Missouri Right to Life has educated and activated countless Missourians to fight the battle to “Keep Missouri Pro-Life!” We have done polling, hired trusted political consultants to develop messaging, done major gifts fundraising and continue to engage more and more people to fight this battle. We have developed a network of pro-life organizations from across the state as partners in this effort and this network will grow as we work together in the days ahead.

    We thank everyone who has worked to get the truth out about the extreme pro-abortion initiative petition. We will continue to work to protect innocent babies and their moms from the lies of the abortion industry.

    To join our efforts go to: Donate – Missouri Right to Life (www.missourilife.org).

    The post Missouri Pro-Life Group Will Fight Amendment to Legalize Abortions Up to Birth appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  19. Site: AsiaNews.it
    7 hours 16 min ago
    A year ago, violence broke out between ethnic Meitei and Kuki, tearing apart the northeastern state, with at least 220 deaths. In a situation that remains tense and painful, Archbishop Linus Neli called for three days of fasting and prayer. '[W]e know only too well the present scenario of ethnic segregation,' but we 'pray for the day when people of all ethnicities and religious communities can live together'. ...
  20. Site: Zero Hedge
    7 hours 24 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Behavioral Traits That Are Killing Your Portfolio Returns

    Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmetntAdvice.com,

    Investor psychology is one of the most significant reasons individuals consistently fall short of their investment goals. While one of the most common truisms is that “investors buy high and sell low,” the underlying reason is the behavioral traits that plague our investment decision-making.

    George Dvorsky once wrote that:

    “The human brain is capable of 1016 processes per second, which makes it far more powerful than any computer currently in existence. But that doesn’t mean our brains don’t have major limitations. The lowly calculator can do math thousands of times better than we can, and our memories are often less than useless — plus, we’re subject to cognitive biases, those annoying glitches in our thinking that cause us to make questionable decisions and reach erroneous conclusions.

    Behavioral traits and cognitive biases are anathemas to portfolio management as they impair our ability to remain emotionally disconnected from our money. As history all too clearly shows, investors always do the “opposite” of what they should when it comes to investing their own money. They “buy high” as the emotion of “greed” overtakes logic and “sell low” as “fear” impairs the decision-making process.

    In other words:

    “The most dangerous element to our success as investors…is ourselves.”

    Here are the top five most insidious behavioral traits keeping us from achieving our long-term investment goals.

    Confirmation Bias

    Probably one of the most insidious behavioral traits is “confirmation bias.” Confirmation bias is a term from cognitive psychology that describes how people naturally favor information that confirms their previously existing beliefs.

    “Experts in behavioral finance find that this fundamental principle applies to investors in notable ways. Because investors seek out information that confirms their opinions and ignore facts or data that refutes them, they may skew the value of their decisions based on their cognitive biases. This psychological phenomenon occurs when investors filter out potentially useful facts and opinions contradicting their preconceived notions.” – Investopedia

    In other words, investors tend to seek information that confirms their beliefs. If they believe the stock market will rise, they tend only to read news and information that supports that view. This confirmation bias is a primary driver of individuals’ psychological investing cycles. As shown below, there are always “headlines” from the media to “confirm” an investor’s opinion, whether it’s bullish or bearish.

    As investors, we want “affirmation” that our current thought process is correct. That is why we tend to join groups on social media that confirm our thoughts and ideals. Therefore, since we hate being wrong, we subconsciously avoid contradicting sources of information.

    For investors, it is crucial to weigh both sides of each debate equally and analyze the data accordingly.

    Being right and making money are not mutually exclusive.

    Gambler’s Fallacy

    The “Gambler’s Fallacy” is another of the more common behavioral traits. As emotionally driven human beings, we tend to put tremendous weight on previous events, believing that future outcomes will be the same.

    At the bottom of every piece of financial literature, Wall Street addresses that behavioral trait.

    “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.”

    However, despite that statement being plastered everywhere in the financial universe, individuals consistently dismiss the warning and focus on past returns, expecting similar results in the future.

    This particular behavioral trait is a critical issue affecting investors’ long-term returns. Performance chasing has a high propensity to fail, pushing individuals to jump from one late-cycle strategy to the next. The periodic table of returns below shows this. Historically, “hot hands” last 2-3 years before going “cold.”

    I highlighted the annual returns of both Emerging and Large-Cap markets for illustrative purposes. Importantly, you should notice that whatever is at the top of the list in some years tends to fall to the bottom in subsequent years. 

    “Performance chasing” is a significant detraction from investors’ long-term investment returns.

    Probability Neglect

    Third, when it comes to “risk-taking,” there are two ways to assess the potential outcome.

    There are “possibilities” and “probabilities.” 

    When it comes to humans, we tend to lean toward what is possible, such as playing the “lottery.” The statistical probabilities of winning the lottery are astronomical. You are more likely to die on the way to purchasing the ticket than winning it. However, it is the “possibility” of being fabulously wealthy that makes the lottery so successful as a “tax on poor people.”

    As investors, we neglect the “probabilities” of any given action. Such is specifically the statistical measure of “risk” undertaken with any given investment. As individuals, our behavioral trait is to “chase” stocks that have already shown the largest increase in price as it is “possible” they could move even higher. However, the “probability” is that the price reflects investor exuberance, and most gains have already occurred.

    Probability neglect is another contributory factor as to why investors consistently “buy high and sell low.”

    Herd Bias

    Though we are often unconscious of this particular behavioral trait, humans tend to “go with the crowd.” Much of this behavior relates to “confirmation” of our decisions and the need for acceptance. The thought process is rooted in the belief that if “everyone else” is doing something, I must do it also if I want to be accepted.

    In life, “conforming” to the norm is socially accepted and, in many ways, expected. However, the “herding” behavior drives market excesses during advances and declines in the financial markets.

    As Howard Marks once stated:

    “Resisting – and thereby achieving success as a contrarian – isn’t easy. Things combine to make it difficult; including natural herd tendencies and the pain imposed by being out of step, since momentum invariably makes pro-cyclical actions look correct for a while. (That’s why it’s essential to remember that ‘being too far ahead of your time is indistinguishable from being wrong.’

    Given the uncertain nature of the future, and thus the difficulty of being confident your position is the right one – especially as price moves against you – it’s challenging to be a lonely contrarian.

    Investors generate the most profits in the long term by moving against the “herd.” Unfortunately, most individuals have difficulty knowing when to “bet” against the stampede.

    Anchoring Effect

    Lastly, “Anchoring,” also known as the “relativity trap,” is the tendency to compare our current situation within the scope of our limited experiences. For example, I would be willing to bet that you could tell me exactly what you paid for your first home and what you eventually sold it for. However, can you tell me exactly what you paid for your first soap bar, hamburger, or pair of shoes? Probably not.

    The reason is that the home purchase was a major “life” event. Therefore, we attach particular significance to that event and remember it vividly. If there was a gain between the purchase and sale price of the home, it was a positive event, and therefore, we assume that the next home purchase will have a similar result. We are mentally “anchored” to that event and base our future decisions around very limited data.

    When it comes to investing, we do very much the same thing. If we buy a stock that goes up, we remember that event. Therefore, we become anchored to that stock instead of one that lost value. Individuals tend to “shun” stocks that lost value even if they were bought and sold at the wrong times due to investor error. 

    After all, it is not “our” fault that the investment lost money; it was just a bad stock. Right?

    Make Better Bad Choices

    My nutrition coach had a great saying about dieting; “make better bad choices.”

    We are all going to make bad choices from time to time. The goal is to try and make bad choices that don’t have an outsized effect on our plan. When it comes to dieting, if you eat a burger, order it without cheese and mayonnaise.

    If you make speculative bets in your portfolio, do it in smaller amounts. Or, if you are leaning towards “panic selling” everything, start by selling some but not all of your holdings.

    Importantly, focus on the rules and your investment discipline.

    • Do more of what is working and less of what isn’t. 

    • Remember that the “Trend Is My Friend.”

    • Be either bullish or bearish, but not “hoggish.” (Hogs get slaughtered)

    • Remember, it is “Okay” to pay taxes.

    • Maximize profits by staging buys, working orders, and getting the best price.

    • Look to buy damaged opportunities, not damaged investments.

    • Diversify to control risk.

    • Control risk by always having pre-determined sell levels and stop-losses.

    • Do your homework.

    • Not allow panic to influence buy/sell decisions.

    • Remember that “cash” is for winners.

    • Expect, but do not fear, corrections.

    • Expect to be wrong, and will correct errors quickly. 

    • Check “hope” at the door.

    • Be flexible.

    • Have the patience to allow your discipline and strategy to work.

    • Turn off the television, put down the newspaper, and focus on your analysis.

    Importantly, keep your market perspectives and behavioral traits in check. Our goal is to ensure that our decisions are influenced by reliable data and psychological emotions.

    Most importantly, if you don’t have an investment strategy and discipline you are stringently following, that is an ideal place to begin.

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 13:25
  21. Site: Zero Hedge
    7 hours 44 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Watch Live Tonight: The Great Gold Vs Crypto Debate

    Proponents of gold and bitcoin often hail from the same ideological background: Austrian economists, dollar bears, Libertarians tired of State manipulation of fiat currencies and, generally, the anti-Fed crowd. Yet shared principles have not eased the age-old rivalry between the two assets.

    Relative to Bitcoin, gold lost considerable value last year, only to rebound somewhat in the last month amid a flood of Chinese institutional and retail buying. However, as Benjamin Graham said: “In the short run, the market is a voting machine, but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.” So we are more interested in the fundamentals:

    • Does Bitcoin’s instant transferability and infinite portability make it the superior asset/security? Or is it a worthless string of numbers with infinite substitutes?

    • Will gold’s thousand-year history as the preferred monetary commodity continue in the digital age? Or does its reliance on third-party custodians (at least at scale), and significant bulk, make it inferior to BTC?

    We’ll answer these questions, and more, tonight, at 7pm ET, when ZeroHedge is partnering with Crypto Banter to bring together top macroeconomic minds to debate.

    In the anti-crypto corner is the man whose name is synonymous with “gold”, infamous crypto bear Peter Schiff. Alongside Schiff will be “Dr. Doom”, renowned economist Nouriel Roubini.

    Arguing in favor of crypto will be Anthony Scaramucci - wealth manager with over $10 billion in AUM - as well as day-one crypto veteran Erik Voorhees, founder of ShapeShift and torch-bearer for the asset class’s libertarian roots.

    The debate will be moderated by Ran Neuner, founder and host of Crypto Banter, one of the largest digital asset news channels on YouTube.

    ZeroHedge would also like to thank our sponsors for this debate: Preserve Gold and BITLAYER — “Layer 2. The future of Bitcoin.” Whether you’re a fan of gold or Bitcoin, you probably see the wisdom in diversifying away from U.S. dollars. Do so by visiting their websites and checking out their products.

    ZeroHedge Goldbugs can access a special offer from Preserve Gold by texting “ZERO” to 50505.

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 13:05
  22. Site: LifeNews
    7 hours 44 min ago
    Author: Dale Bartscher

    Yesterday, May 1st, the Pro-Abortion Group “Dakotans for Health” held a press conference in Sioux Falls to unveil their Abortion Constitutional Amendment’s 55,000 petition signatures.  They have now turned them into the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office in their hopes of placing this Abortion Constitutional Amendment on the ballot this November.

    Across the street from the press conference Pro-Life SD Friends stepped up to the plate in opposition of this Amendment and for the Sanctity of Human Life (see photo below).

    The deceptive language of the Abortion Amendment not only inserts cruel abortion up to birth into our state’s constitution but eliminates a parent’s right to know if an abortion is going to be performed on their minor daughter.

    On top of this, the so-called “Dakotans for Health” organization used such underhanded tactics to secure signatures that the Attorney General issued a warning. Matters did not improve.

    South Dakota Right to Life, along with the Life Defense Fund, and our many Pro-Life Allies, will make every effort in protecting our constitution, the rule of law, and the well-being of South Dakota’s women and children.”

    In response to the submission of the Abortion Amendment Petition, Jon Hansen and Leslee Unruh, Co-Chairs of Life Defense Fund, said they will challenge the legitimacy of the Abortion Amendment Petition. They issued the following statement.

    HELP LIFENEWS SAVE BABIES FROM ABORTION! Please help LifeNews.com with a donation!

    Despite clear warnings from the Attorney General, thousands of signatures were collected by Rick Weiland’s organization in violation of South Dakota law.

    If you signed this petition, did they tell you the Abortion Amendment would legalize late-term abortion after the baby is viable outside the womb and up to birth? Did they tell you the Abortion Amendment endangers women by banning safety standards for most abortions? Did they tell you the Abortion Amendment takes away parents’ right to know when their minor daughter is seeking an abortion?

    In response to the unlawful and misleading actions of Rick Weiland and his paid petition circulators, Life Defense Fund will challenge the legitimacy of the Abortion Amendment petition in court.

    Background: Life Defense Fund has collected evidence showing that Rick Weiland’s paid Abortion Amendment petition circulators failed to distribute the required circulator handout information to petition signers, failed to personally witness petition signatures, and even told citizens to sign the Abortion Amendment petition twice–all serious violations of South Dakota petition law. Moreover, Life Defense Fund has documented numerous instances where members of the public, upon asking to sign the petition to repeal the tax on groceries, were handed the Abortion Amendment petition to sign instead.

    A copy of the letter from Attorney General Marty Jackley to Rick Weiland admonishing Rick Weiland over these violations–and also for misleading the public about the extent of the Abortion Amendment–can be found on the Attorney General’s website HERE.

    LifeNews Note: Dale Bartscher is the Executive Director of South Dakota Right to Life

    The post South Dakota Voters Should Oppose Radical Abortion Amendment to Make Killing Babies a “Right” appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  23. Site: Mises Institute
    7 hours 49 min ago
    Author: Alex J. Pollock
  24. Site: Novus Motus Liturgicus
    7 hours 49 min ago
    In the mid-15th century, the Italian painter Piero della Francesca (1416-92) did a remarkable series of frescoes in the choir of the Basilica of St Francis in Arezzo, known as The History of the True Cross. Although a few sections of the paintings are completely lost, most of it is in very good condition; the entire cycle was beautifully restored in the 1990s. Arezzo is a lovely city, but it Gregory DiPippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295638279418781125noreply@blogger.com0
  25. Site: Zero Hedge
    7 hours 54 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    The Cold Hard Truth About Renewable Energy Adoption

    Authored by Haley Zaremba via oilprice.com,

    The future of the global energy sector is caught up in a messy and misleading ideological debate. Depending on which politically informed echo chamber one inevitably finds themself confined to on social media, they are either told that the energy transition is a dangerous myth that will end in economic disaster and permanent rolling blackouts, or that clean energy is going to save the world overnight – as soon as conservatives get out of the way. As usual, the truth lies somewhere in between. 

    The energy transition is strictly necessary. But it’s going to be very, very hard. It’s damaging to deny that there will almost certainly be shocks, missteps, and setbacks as we undergo one of the most disruptive chapters in industrial history. In large part we’re relying on untested and in many cases as-yet unproven technologies to emerge in the nick of time. 

    There’s a temptation to sugar-coat the scale of the imperative to make the energy transition more palatable and less daunting. But there’s no denying it – it’s a very uncomfortable, and even frightening, petition to be in. And there will be winners and losers as economic priorities shift – the energy transition is good for humanity as a whole, but it certainly isn’t good for everyone. Acknowledging these difficult truths is essential to properly planning for and managing humanity’s greatest cooperative project. 

    “There’s a lot of lying to ourselves,” Jason Grumet, the head of the American Clean Power Association (ACP), was quoted by Harvard’s Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability. “We don’t want to grapple with a very, very tough issue: How do we think about the extent to which some communities have been fundamentally antagonized and disadvantaged, which is absolutely true, and the fact that the world is going to boil if we don’t speed things up?”

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) highlights five major challenges standing between humanity and its ideal clean energy future: the uncertain pace of technological advancement and deployment, disagreement over how fast we can transition without creating major disruption, the balance of future and current energy security, the widening clean energy gap between rich and poor countries, supply chain obstacles for clean energy components.

    The pace of transition is a major sticking point. Move too slow and we risk climate catastrophe. Move too fast and risk major systemic log jams, economic hardship, and energy shocks. By transitioning away from coal alone, as the G7 just agreed to do by 2035one million workers around the world will lose their jobs. The United States alone is home to 1.7 million fossil fuel workers. Without adequate security nets from the government, as well as sufficient time to properly deploy them, the loss of such industries is a looming tragedy for entire communities. The same goes for entire nations who will need to find alternative economic sectors to support their GDP. 

    In addition to these economic costs, there are considerable logistical barriers to pushing the energy transition through too quickly. Already, the clean energy sector is struggling with huge delays in permitting, major issues securing land rights, and woefully unprepared and aging power grids that have no hope of supporting total electrification in their current state. While clean energy projects charge ahead with funding from initiatives such as the Inflation Reduction Act, major bottlenecks face those projects just down the road. This supports the notion that doing things well takes time. Ironing out those kinks should not be an afterthought. 

    The same goes for balancing current energy security with future climate security. The global energy crisis that emerged after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine revealed that the world preemptively underinvested in oil and gas, leading to critical energy shortages which plunged communities and countries around the world into energy poverty and even caused food insecurity due to fertilizer shortages among other interrelated shocks.

    These vulnerabilities are far more pronounced in developing countries, which are falling far behind in the clean energy transition despite having contributed the least to climate change and standing to lose the most from it. One of the biggest challenges for global decarbonization is the financial support of such nations–but so far wealthy countries have broken their promises to finance the global south’s energy transition.

    Finally, as to the last point of the IMF’s five key challenges, there are also major snags in terms of sourcing all the raw materials needed to make the huge amount of clean energy technology components – wind turbines, solar panels, electrical wiring, batteries, and so on – that the energy transition depends on. Already, the sector is marred by geopolitically volatile monopolies and environmentally destructive mining and extraction practices.  

    Plus, just when we think we’ve got a plan in place for the transition, supply and demand shifts in unpredictable and unprecedented ways. The rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence and data centers, as well as the ever-expanding energy footprint of Bitcoin, have majorly increased global demand for energy. And that demand will continue to grow at a much more rapid pace than clean energy deployment could ever hope to. Making AI a friend of the energy transition instead of a foe will be absolutely essential to the energy transition going forward. 

    We’re talking about an unprecedented upending of the global industry at a speed that the world has never seen. There’s just no way that every step will be smooth. “Every sector of the economy will have to switch to new technologies, consumers will have to change behaviors, new supply chains will have to be built, and all this has to happen in every major economy, in just a few decades, and at the cost of a whole generation’s savings,” BloombergNEF’s Michael Liebreich wrote in 2023. “What could be harder?”

    Well, a business-as-usual scenario would be harder. In a trajectory where the world does not curb its greenhouse gas emissions, climatic conditions would soon become untenable for much of the world, leading to major food shortages and dangerous levels of political unrest, among other crises. Decarbonization is going to be brutal, but a failure to act has resulted in a ‘code red for humanity.’ Ultimately, we can make it easier for ourselves. We should start by being realistic about the challenges we face so we can plan together how to overcome them. 

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 12:55
  26. Site: Mises Institute
    7 hours 59 min ago
    Author: Aaron Sobczak
    Congress claims to have targeted TikTok because China's government allegedly uses it to spy on Americans. Besides dealing with a nonexistent threat, the bill gives the federal government vast new powers to misuse.
  27. Site: LifeNews
    8 hours 24 min ago
    Author: Steven Ertelt

    In a new book, retired neurosurgeon and former Housing Secretary Ben Carson condemns abortion and says everyone’s right to life should be protected.

    Carson’s book, The Perilous Fight: Overcoming Our Culture’s War on the American Family, will be published later this month.

    In the book, Carson praises the Supreme Court for its Dobbs decision that finally overturned Roe v. Wade and the fictional right to abortion.

    Carson writes: “I’m grateful that in my lifetime I was able to hear these incredible words established by the supreme court of the United States: “Held, the constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”

    “The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v Jackson was a crucial correction to the error of Roe v Wade, and I am certainly grateful for that correction. However, we must not stop there,” he added.

    But, he said that is just the beginning point for protecting babies from abortions.

    HELP LIFENEWS SAVE BABIES FROM ABORTION! Please help LifeNews.com with a donation!

    “We must not stop there … the battle over the lives of unborn children is not yet finished. Many states have made abortion illegal because of the Dobbs decision, yet the practice continues in many more states,” Carson said.

    Carson apparently favors a federal law or amendment to fully protect unborn children.

    “What is needed is legislation that guarantees the right to life for all American citizens, including those still in the womb. Therefore, we must be boldly vocal about saving our fellow human beings through the legislative process. They are counting on us,” he said.

    The post Ben Carson Condemns Abortion: “We Must Guarantee the Right to Life For Those in the Womb” appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  28. Site: Zero Hedge
    8 hours 34 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Republicans Move To Prevent Biden Resettling Palestinian Refugees In The US

    Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Modernity.news

    Republican lawmakers are moving to prevent the Biden administration resettling Palestinian refugees in the United States, asserting that it represents a “national security threat” since large numbers of them support Hamas.

    Earlier this week, it was revealed that the White House is considering using the United States Refugee Admissions Program to hand Palestinians permanent residency and “resettlement benefits like housing assistance and a path to American citizenship.”

    Although CBS News reported that the “eligible population is expected to be relatively small,” European natives were given similar assurances before the 2015 refugee crisis that ended up with millions of migrants flooding the continent.

    In a letter to House Appropriators, Reps. Andy Ogles (R-TN), Tom Tiffany (R-WI), and Scott Perry (R-PA) have asked that a provision be included in the Fiscal Year 2025 spending bill that prevents expenditures “of any funds to issue a visa or grant parole to any alien holding a passport issued by the Palestinian Authority.”

    “Whatever fanciful leftist notion to the contrary, the United States of America cannot be expected to absorb the rest of the world’s problems. It would make much more sense for states in the region to take in those in need. If the administration is indeed working in concert with our allies in the region to pave the way for peace, that should come with the expectation that those allies are working in good faith to “do their part,” states the letter.

    35 Senate Republicans are also demanding more specifics on the resettlement program, asserting that it represents “a national security risk to the United States.”

    “With more than a third of Gazans supporting the Hamas militants, we are not confident that your administration can adequately vet this high-risk population for terrorist ties and sympathies before admitting them into the United States,” said the Senators.

    A leaked Israeli intelligence document revealed in late October last year revealed a plan to ‘expel’ 2.2 million Palestinian refugees and send them to Europe, Canada and the United States.

    The document, produced by Israel’s Intelligence Ministry, stated that one of the goals of the war with Gaza was to encourage western countries to facilitate the “absorption and settlement” of Gazan refugees.

    Back in March, Jared Kushner said it was “unfortunate” that Europe isn’t taking in more Palestinian refugees, suggesting that the “cleaning up” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip should be accelerated.

    Meanwhile, as we highlight in the video below, while Americans could be set to see yet another influx of migrants thanks to Israel’s destruction of Gaza, criticizing the Middle Eastern country could technically become illegal under the draconian Antisemitism Awareness Act.

    *  *  *

    Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 12:15
  29. Site: Henrymakow.com
    8 hours 47 min ago


    sleeping-goy.jpeg
    (left, This announcement was premature.)

    Please send links and comments to hmakow@gmail.com


    Caitlin Johnstone--The 'Antisemitism' Moral Panic Has Officially Jumped The Shark






    Antiwar's Dave DeCamp reports: "The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bill that conflates criticism of the modern state of Israel with antisemitism and will mandate that definition be used by the Department of Education when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.

    "The bill could be used to crack down on pro-Palestine protesters at college campuses across the country, who have been falsely labeled 'antisemitic' despite Jewish students participating in the protests.

    "The legislation adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which lists 'drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis' as an example of antisemitism.

    "The IHRA also defines antisemitism as applying 'double standards' to Israel by 'requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation' and 'denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination' by 'claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.'"

    --

    Over 10,000 people buried beneath rubble in Gaza, will take years to retrieve all of the bodies


    The UN Aid Coordination Office warns that it might require up to three years to recover the bodies with the current 'primitive' tools available in the Strip. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said that over 10,000 people remain buried under the rubble in the Strip, seven months into the ongoing genocidal war launched by the Israeli occupation last October.

    The UN Aid Coordination Office, OCHA, stated that 'with the current primitive tools available, it might require up to three years to recover the bodies,' warning that rising temperatures are expected to accelerate the decomposition of bodies, heightening the risk of disease transmission and increasing concerns about public health.

     --
     
     
    branco-soros-jewish-hamas.jpeg
    "WE ARE IN THE THROWS OF A MARXIST TAKEOVER OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" - GENERAL FLYNN ON WAR ROOM
     

    -
    Darkness Visible Over America
    "Uglification" takes command amid the abortion holocaust  by MICHAEL HOFFMAN


    In the April 26 edition of the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan wrote, "I wish to protest the current ugliness. I see it as a continuing trend, 'the uglification of everything." She proceeds to briefly itemize it:

    Makow- It's called satanic possession Michael

    -
    Pastor Chuck Baldwin- College Kids Are Putting Clergymen To Shame



    "What we are watching before our very eyes is a glaring indictment against the religious/governmental/media/educational establishments, whose machinations are enforced via 1984-esque police-state campaigns, and the inevitable mushrooming political/societal/cultural and even religious resistance that is obligatory for any nation that wishes to be free.

    What we are witnessing is HUGE! It is so much larger than most people in my generation realize. I call my generation the "Wilderness Generation," because it has allowed itself to be controlled by the forces of subjugation and is wandering aimlessly in a wilderness of blindness, indifference, self-absorption and pride. The result is an American nation that is but a shell of itself. It is a nation controlled by criminals, gangsters, thieves, murderers and god-makers.

    Natural Law requires that such a condition MUST be challenged and resisted. Jefferson put it this way: "The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

    -

    wolf-haters.jpeg
    Joachim Hagopian, New Antisemitism Law Turns Critics against Israeli Genocide into Criminals



    As Tucker Carlson admitted recently to Joe Rogan, politicians are afraid to not vote in line with these intimidation tactics imposed by foreign agent operatives, that threaten kiddie porn on their computers or truth exposing pedo-blackmail activity, to ensure that Zionist Israel always gets what it wants with total impunity. With this kind of captured control over politicians, and now with this latest antisemitism law, dare criticize Israel or Zionism or Jewish power, it can now get us locked up under antisemitic hate speech. Zionist bloodline moneychangers like the Rothschilds and Rockefellers would not want it any other way 

    -------

    Türkiye suspends all trade with Israel
    The Jewish state has responded by branding the Turkish leader a 'dictator' amid an escalating dispute over Gaza


    Türkiye has been one of Israel's fiercest critics since the conflict with Hamas broke out in October. The suspension of all export and import operations has been introduced in response to the Jewish state's "aggression against Palestine in violation of international law and human rights," the statement read.

    --

    New Study Finds Gender Dysphoria Caused by Vaccinations

    Doctors Ordered To Euthanize MILLIONS of Vaxxed to Cover-Up 'Disturbing' Side Effects

    Fully Vaccinated About To See "Tsunami" of Illness and Death, Warns Virologist


    ...
  30. Site: AsiaNews.it
    8 hours 54 min ago
    A year after his first historic visit to Beijing, the cardinal and a group of aides held meetings in local churches in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, two metropolises in southern China on, like Hong Kong, the Pearl River Delta. He also encouraged meetings among the laity to feel 'that we belong to one family'.
  31. Site: Zero Hedge
    8 hours 54 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Here Comes Obesity Drug Competition: Amgen Shares Soar On "Very Encouraging" Clinical Trial Update

    Amgen's shares soared in premarket trading in New York following the drug maker's announcement of "very encouraging" clinical trial results for its new injectable weight-loss drug, "MariTide."

    Amgen's MariTide is poised to compete with Eli Lilly & Co's Zepbound and Novo Nordisk A/S' Wegovy, both blockbuster drugs in the weight-loss market.

    Bloomberg Intelligence published a recent note that estimated the weight-loss drug market will exceed $80 billion in annual sales by 2030. 

    On Thursday evening, Amgen CEO Robert Bradway told investors during an earning call, "We recognize the significant interest in obesity." 

    "We are confident in MariTide's differentiated profile and believe it will address important unmet medical needs," Bradway said. 

    Amgen expects data from the ongoing Phase 2 study to be released later this year and plans a "comprehensive" Phase 3 trial next. 

    If MariTide is approved, the pharmaceutical company expects patients to inject themselves with the medication once a month, or possibly even less frequently than current weight-loss drugs on the market. It discarded plans to develop an oral form of the weight-loss drug. 

    Shares of Amgen jumped nearly 15% to $319 - near a record high - in premarket trading. 

    If the premarket gains hold during the cash session, a 15% increase would mark the largest intra-day move since the 15.10% rise on July 20, 2005. If the gains exceed this level, it would become the largest single-day gain since October 30, 1987.

    Meanwhile, Barclays Plc analyst Emily Field said it's too early to judge the competitive threat between Eli Lilly and Novo. 

    However, traders dumped Novo shares in Copenhagen, down 4% on Friday. 

    "As of today, we see no cause for concern regarding the competitive dynamics versus the market leaders," Field wrote in a note. "We really will need to see the data," Field wrote in a note. 

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 11:55
  32. Site: Zero Hedge
    9 hours 3 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    April Payrolls Debacle: Biggest Miss Since 2021 As Unemployment Rate Rises

    Ahead of today's payrolls report, in our preview we said that while we knew we would get a slowdown, the question was how big it would be (and before that we also asked if Yellen had leaked the weaker number to Japan ahead of their multiple interventions this week to prevent them from wasting tens of billions in intervention dry capital for nothing).

    So the question is: did Yellen leak to the BOJ what the next NFP and CPI prints will be? https://t.co/ugDVXhDvOq

    — zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 1, 2024

    We got the answer moments ago when the BLS reported that in April the US added just 175K jobs, a nearly 50% drop from the upward revised 315K (was 303K), the lowest print since October 2023...

    ... and a two-sigma miss to estimates of 240K.

    In fact, as shown below, this was the biggest miss since Dec 2021 

    As usual, prior data was net revised lower, with the change in total nonfarm payroll employment for February revised down by 34,000, from +270,000 to +236,000, and the change for March was revised up by 12,000, from +303,000 to +315,000. With these revisions, employment in February and March combined is 22,000 lower than previously reported. 

    What was behind the unexpected payrolls plunge? Blame government, which added just 8,000 jobs in April the least since Dec 2021, almost as if the government itself was goalseeking the final result.

    Remarkably the result would have been even worse had it not been for a massive 363K addition from the birth death model.

    It wasn't just the Establishment survey: the Household survey showed that in April, the US added just 25K jobs, a huge drop from the 498K in March...

    ... which means that the already record divergence between the number of people employed and those who have jobs expanded by another 150K.

    The weakness was pervasive, and while payrolls were a huge miss, the unemployment rate also rose more than expected, from 3.8% to 3.9%, - the highest since January 2022 - versus estimates of an unchanged print.

    The unemployment rate for Blacks (5.6 percent) decreased, offsetting an increase in the prior month. The jobless rates for adult women (3.5 percent), teenagers (11.7 percent), Whites (3.5 percent), Asians (2.8 percent), and Hispanics (4.8 percent) showed little change over the month

    Despite the increase in unemployment, the participation rate was unchanged at 62.7%

    Wages also eased back with average hourly earnings rising 0.2% MoM, below the expected 0.3% increase and down from last month's 0.3% print. On an annual basis, earnings rose 3.9%, down from 4.1% last month and below the 4.0% estimate.

    Looking at the composition of the April job gains, the BLS notes that job gains occurred in health care, in
    social assistance, and in transportation and warehousing, offset by a big slowdown in government hiring.

    • Health care added 56,000 jobs in April, in line with the average monthly gain of 63,000 over the prior 12 months. In April, employment continued to increase in ambulatory health care services (+33,000), hospitals (+14,000), and nursing and residential care facilities (+9,000). 
    • Employment in social assistance increased by 31,000 in April, led by a gain in individual and family services (+23,000). Social assistance had added an average of 21,000 jobs per month over the prior 12 months.
    • In April, transportation and warehousing added 22,000 jobs, with gains in couriers and  messengers (+8,000) and warehousing and storage (+8,000). Over the prior 12 months, employment in transportation and warehousing had shown little net change.
    • Employment in retail trade continued to trend up in April (+20,000). Over the prior 12 months, the industry had added an average of 7,000 jobs per month. In April, employment increased in general merchandise retailers (+10,000), building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (+7,000), and health and personal care retailers (+5,000). Electronics and appliance retailers lost 3,000 jobs. 
    • Construction employment changed little in April (+9,000), following an increase of 40,000 in March. Over the prior 12 months, construction had added an average of 22,000 jobs per month. 
    • Employment in government changed little in April (+8,000). Over the prior 12 months, government had added an average of 55,000 jobs per month. In April, local government employment was  unchanged, following an increase of 51,000 in March. 

    And visually:


     

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 11:46
  33. Site: Zero Hedge
    9 hours 14 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    There's 'Widespread' Belief Among US Officials Israel Can't Eradicate Hamas

    Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

    There is a "widespread belief" among US officials that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal of "eradicating" Hamas in Gaza is unattainableThe New York Times reported on Thursday.

    Throughout the past seven months, there have been multiple signs that the US doesn’t believe Israel could achieve its goals in Gaza, yet the Biden administration has continued to support the slaughter of Palestinians in the Strip.

    via Reuters

    In March, the US intelligence agencies released their annual "threat assessment," and it said Israel will face "lingering armed resistance" for "years to come" and that the Israeli military would struggle to destroy Hamas’s underground infrastructure.

    The Washington Post also reported in March that the US didn’t think Israel had clear or attainable goals as far back as October. "We never had a clear sense that the Israelis had a definable and achievable military objective," a source familiar with an October 27 Biden administration meeting on the situation in Gaza told the Post.

    "From the very beginning, there’s been a sense of us not knowing how the Israelis were going to do what they said they were going to do."

    The Times report focused on Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Israel and the difference in messaging from the administration and Netanyahu. Blinken said the US was still opposed to Israel invading Rafah without a clear plan for civilians, but Netanyahu’s message was that an invasion will happen no matter what.

    Blinken also called on Hamas to accept Israel’s latest proposal for a hostage deal and temporary ceasefire, but Netanyahu signaled that he wasn’t interested. The Israeli leader vowed to invade Rafah "with or without" a deal with Hamas.

    The Times report said US officials were "taken aback" by the timing of Netanyahu’s comment because they think Hamas would only accept a deal if they believed releasing hostages could lead to a permanent ceasefire, which has been the Palestinian group’s demand for months. Netanyahu also told Blinken that he wouldn’t agree to end military operations in Gaza for a hostage deal.

    Despite the difference in public messaging, there’s no sign the Biden administration is putting any real pressure on Netanyahu to prevent an invasion of Rafah as US military aid continues to flow. So far, the US-backed Israeli slaughter has reportedly killed 34,596 people, including over 14,000 children, according to the latest numbers from Gaza’s Health Ministry.

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 11:35
  34. Site: The Orthosphere
    9 hours 21 min ago
    Author: JMSmith

    “The extraordinary Red stress on confession betrays the extreme importance they attach to it . . . . Something intrinsic in communism makes this confession phenomenon indispensable to it; it can’t exist without it.” 

    Edward Hunter, Brainwashing (1956)

    We normally associate the word confession with an admission of guilt, as when a criminal confesses to his crime, or when a Catholic unburdens himself in the confessional.  We may however begin to suspect that there is more to confession that this when we consider that many Christian churches use the word confession as a synonym for creed.  Thus, we have the Westminster Confession, or the Augsburg Confession.

    This second usage is much closer to the original meaning of the word, which was to admit some truth together. Con (together) + fateri (to admit) = confession.

    The Christian confessions are described as “confessions of faith,” so that a “confessor” is one who agrees with every article in the public declaration of faith—the confession—with which he agrees.  With this in mind, we can see that, strictly speaking, a wrongdoer confesses only when he is confronted with an accusation and, rather than deny it, he agrees that it is true.

    As noted in my epigraph, confession was an important part of Communist mind control, and confession remains an important element in contemporary Leftism.  We see this when a public assembly opens with collective acknowledgement of an “historic injustice,” such as slavery or the Holocaust, or with the avowal that the assembly is taking place on “stolen land.”  Participants in these rituals do not, so far as I know, thump themselves on the chest in the manner of penitent Catholics, but their public confessions tell us that they are engaged in ritual behavior.

    Confession is ultimately submission to the authority with which one joins in admitting the truth of the confession, and it becomes a double submission when that truth is that one has one’s self been bad.  If a policeman accuses me of speeding and I confess, I am agreeing that the officer is not only correct about the velocity of my vehicle, but that he is also correct in thinking that the velocity of my vehicle is the concern of the police and the politicians who tell him what to do.

    When I admit the crime, I submit to the officer and the official world of which he is a part.  I acknowledge their authority and place myself in their power.

    Once we see the connection between confession, submission, and power, we will begin to understand why confession is so central in mind control.  If I, for instance, confess to whiteness, transphobia, and a preference for plastic straws, I submit to the official world that proscribes whiteness, transphobia, and a preference for plastic straws.  I confess that that world is the correct world, and that I, myself, have wronged.

    To confess a truth is submission.  It is a double submission when the truth I confess is that I have wronged.  It is a triple submission—an absolute humiliation or abasement—when the wrongs that I confess are preposterous and absurd.

    “I confess to almighty Gaia,
    And to you, my brothers and sisters,
    That I have greatly sinned;
    Through my unprogressive thoughts,
    And in my non-inclusive words,
    In carbon footprints I have made,
    And reparations I have failed to pay,
    Through my fault, through my fault,
    Through my most grievous fault;
    Therefore I ask blessed Harriet Tubman,
    All BIPOCs and queers,
    To pray for me to Mama Earth and the Arc of History.

    Humiliation and abasement are preparations for instruction, for one acutely feels the need for instruction when one has just confessed to gross errors and preposterous wrongs.  Propaganda is combined with confession because the ego is naturally proud, and therefor resistant to instruction and correction.  Rites of Leftist contrition confess, most essentially, a desperate and crying need for instruction.

    “‘Learning’ and confession are inseparable from brainwashing . . . . Learning in this sense means only political teaching from the communist standpoint.  Confession is an integral part of the rites.”**

    Propaganda is also combined with confusion because confusion creates a feeling of helplessness, and hence intense craving for help.  Confession plants the idea of moral inferiority; confusion plants the idea of intellectual inferiority.  The means is to set the mind a puzzle that cannot be solved, and to thereby break the thinker’s confidence in his independent power to make sense of the world.  This is done by battering his brain with mumbo-jumbo, false logic, and contradiction.

    “Brainwashing is a system of befogging the brain so a person can be seduced into acceptance of what otherwise would be abhorrent to him.”***

    Curiously, the effectiveness of confusion positively correlates with the intelligence of the one who is confused.  A stupid man is confused most of the time, so he is hardly discouraged by the discovery that there is one more thing in this world that he does not understand.  His brain has been befogged since birth.  It is the intelligent man whose will can can be broken on the rack of confusion.

    Communists learned this from Pavlov’s experiments, although wily men have understood the demoralizing power of mumbo-jumbo for a very long time.  What Pavlov first discovered is, of course, that a dog can be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell.  This conditioning is accomplished by repeatedly ringing a bell when the dog is fed, until the dog at last reacts to the sound of the bell as it reacts to the presence of the food.  What Pavlov next discovered is that a dog thus conditioned will be demoralized, perhaps even suffer a nervous breakdown, if the sound of a bell is sometimes accompanied by food, and sometimes is not.

    The demoralizing effect is worse in an intelligent dog that had figured out the old bell-chow connection, and was therefore proud to think it had figured out how the world works.†. This dog feels the defeat of its intellect when it fails to find the hidden meaning in a new pattern, which is not in fact a pattern, and which has in fact no meaning.   This may be why intelligent men are so often sedated and seduced by preposterous theories.

    *) Edward Hunter, Brainwashing: The Story of the Men Who Defied It. (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Cudahy, 1956), p. 237.
    **) Hunter, Brainwashing, p. 222.
    ***) Hunter, Brainwashing, p. 223.
    †) John B. McConaughy, “A Review of Soviet Psychological Warfare,” Military Review, 40.9 (Dec. 1960), pp. 3-13.

  35. Site: Zero Hedge
    9 hours 34 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    "Massive Fraud": SEC Shuts Down 'Prolific' Auditor BF Borgers, Whose Clients Include Trump Media

    The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shut down auditor BF Borgers, described by the Financial Times as "one of the most prolific auditors of US public companies," over allegations of "massive fraud" that affected more than 1,500 SEC filings, the agency announced on Friday.

    Borgers agreed to a $12 million civil penalty, while owner Benjamin Borgers agreed to pay $2 million to settle the SEC's charges. The company has also agreed to permanent suspensions from practicing as accountants on SEC filings, effective immediately.

    According to the SEC, a "significant" number of listed companies will have to switch accountants in the coming days due to the enforcement action.

    Clients include Trump Media.

    "Trump Media looks forward to working with new auditing partners in accordance with today's SEC order," a spokesperson for Trump's media company told Reuters in an email.

    Borgers has also acted for fintech and crypto companies, and many other small issuers, SEC filings show.

    According to the SEC, Borgers did not properly prepare and maintain audit documentation, fabricated audit planning meetings, and in some cases simply passed off previous audits for the current audit period.

    Of 369 BF Borgers clients whose filings from January 2021 through June 2023 incorporated BF Borgers's audits and reviews, at least 75% incorporated audits that did not comply with the SEC's rules.

    According to SEC Enforcement Division Director Gurbir Grewal, "Ben Borgers and his audit firm, BF Borgers, were responsible for one of the largest wholesale failures by gatekeepers in our financial markets."

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 11:15
  36. Site: LifeNews
    10 hours 3 min ago
    Author: Steven Ertelt

    Donald Trump has reminded pro-life voters at recent rallies that there are important consequences on abortion for not voting for him for president over Joe Biden.

    Trump says pro-life Americans need to vote for him because Joe Biden will push abortions up to birth if he is elected for another four year term.

    Biden has repeatedly said he would sign measures to put Roe v. Wade back in place, overturn every pro-life law nationwide and appoint radically pro-abortion judges to the Supreme Court to overturn the Dobbs decision. In addition he’s already push abortion funding, turning VA clinics into abortion clinics and fought in court to force pro-life states to kill babies in abortions.

    On the other hand, Trump crafted the most pro-life record of any president since Roe v. Wade.

    But, as Trump reminds voters, he can’t stop Biden’s abortion agenda if he’s not elected.

    Trump said at one point during a recent speech that “getting elected is also important … a lot of bad things will happen beyond abortion if you don’t win.”

    SUPPORT LIFENEWS! To help us fight Joe Biden’s abortion agenda, please help LifeNews.com with a donation!

    Trump also told supporters that abortion is a risky issue for Republican candidates, and “you have to get elected” in order to get anything done about protecting more babies from abortions.

    The Biden administration has employed a whole-of-government approach to promoting abortion, using every lever of power at its disposal to make abortions more available and more common, with no thought of the innocent unborn children who will die or the mothers who could be harmed.

    “This administration has done more to bring harm to mothers and their unborn babies through abortion than any other administration,” said Carol Tobias of National Right to Life.

    The post Trump: Vote for Me to Stop Biden From Pushing Abortions Up to Birth appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  37. Site: Zero Hedge
    10 hours 40 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    ISM Services Survey Slumps In April - First Contraction Since 2022 But Prices Are Accelerating

    After the disappointing Manufacturing survey data, the signals from the Services side are not great either - even as 'hard' data has improved.

    • S&P Global's Services PMI dropped to a five month low at 51.3 (better than the expected/flash at 50.9, but still falling).

    • ISM Services PMI was worse, tumbling to 49.4 (from 51.4 and expected to rise to 52.0) - the weakest print (and first contraction) since Dec 2022

    Source: Bloomberg

    Under the hood was worse with Prices Paid rebounding strongly while New Orders and Employment both slowed...

    Source: Bloomberg

    Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said:

    "Service sector growth slowed in April to point to a sluggish start to the second quarter for the US economy. Alongside a concomitant cooling in the rate of growth of manufacturing output, the weaker service sector performance means overall business activity grew in April at the slowest rate seen so far this year. At current levels, the PMI indicates that GDP is expanding at a modest annualized rate of approximately 1.5% so far in the second quarter.

    "Demand has weakened, as signaled by the first fall in new orders for goods and services for six months, in part a reflection of both businesses and households adjusting to higher costs and the prospect of higher for longer interest rates.

    Business optimism has likewise cooled, dropping to the lowest since November, and companies are taking a more cautious approach to staffing levels."

    So Prices Paid UP, Orders DOWN, Optimism COOLED

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 10:08
  38. Site: LifeNews
    10 hours 54 min ago
    Author: Steven Ertelt

    Abortion supporters falsely claim that abortion bans cause higher maternal mortality. But, new data from the CDC shows that maternal mortality is down in 2023 even after 20 states passed abortion bans to protect moms and babies.

    In fact, the new CDC numbers show that the maternal mortality rate was cut almost in half from 2021 before the Supreme Court issued its Dobbs ruling until last year when 20 states had passed abortion bans.

    If claims from pro-abortion groups were true the maternal death rate would be higher.

    Here’s more:

    The agency on Thursday released a report detailing the final maternal mortality data for 2022.

    About 680 women died last year during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth, according to provisional CDC data. That’s down from 817 deaths in 2022 and 1,205 in 2021, when it was the highest level in more than 50 years.

    The CDC counts women who die while pregnant, during childbirth and up to 42 days after birth from conditions considered related to pregnancy. Excessive bleeding, blood vessel blockages and infections are leading causes.

    REACH PRO-LIFE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE! Advertise with LifeNews to reach hundreds of thousands of pro-life readers every week. Contact us today.

    There were about 19 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2023, according to the provisional data. That’s in line with rates seen in 2018 and 2019.

    Experts confirm that higher maternal mortality is not linked to pro-life laws or abortion bans.

    The former director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Julie Louise Gerberding, demonstrated that a comparison between the two statistics is inappropriate. In 2004, she wrote that maternal mortality ratios and abortion mortality rates “are conceptually different and are used by CDC for different public health purposes.”

    In fact studies show that childbirth is better for women than abortion. Studies from countries with good data show that a woman is at least three times as likely to die from any cause following abortion than after childbirth.

    Dr. Monique Chireau Wubbenhorst, a senior research associate at the DeNicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame and a board-certified OB-GYN, told a U.S. House committee that legalized abortion does not help reduce maternal mortality. On the contrary, countries with pro-life laws have some of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world, she said.

    “… until recently in countries where abortion was criminalized and prohibited, I’m thinking particularly of Chile, Ireland and, I think, Cyprus had the lowest rates of maternal mortality in the world. For several years consecutively, Ireland had zero maternal mortality at a time when abortion was completely illegal,” Wubbenhorst said at the time.

    Many studies suggest the widespread legalization and availability of elective abortions harm women as well as their unborn babies. In a column at The Federalist in October, Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, a radiology specialist in Florida, said some researchers have found that abortions are more dangerous than childbirth for mothers.

    Pro-life laws save lives: mothers and babies. In Texas alone, a new study by Johns Hopkins found that nearly 10,000 more babies were born after its heartbeat law went into effect in 2021. In the past year since the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, researchers believe tens of thousands more babies also have been saved.

    Meanwhile, there have not been any reports of pregnant mothers dying because of pro-life laws. Every abortion ban or restriction includes clear language that protects pregnant mothers as well as their unborn babies. Pro-life laws include exceptions to save the life of the mother and allow miscarriage care.

    The overturning of Roe v. Wade will lead to more lives being saved – a fact that abortion activists want Americans to ignore.

    The post Maternal Deaths Fall From Pre-Dobbs High as Almost 20 States Ban Abortions appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  39. Site: AsiaNews.it
    10 hours 55 min ago
    The "Dambana ng Paghilom" is in the Laloma Cemetery in Caloocan City. Diplomats, men and women religious, as well as victims' families attended the site's ceremonial blessing. A woman says she was forced to sign a waiver, saying that her bullet-ridden husband had died of "pneumonia'.
  40. Site: Zero Hedge
    10 hours 59 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    ICC Threatens Action Over 'Intimidation' Tactics As Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Looms

    The government of Israel is now essentially in a full diplomatic war with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the possible impending arrest warrants which could be issued anytime for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his top officials, including the defense chief. 

    The back-and-forth rhetoric has grown so heated that the Hague-based ICC has issued a new Friday statement warning against 'intimidation' of the court. While not naming Israel or any specific officials or actions, the statement warns that legal action could be take against those "threatening to retaliate" or else trying to "impede or intimidate" its officials and the world court's work.

    ICC Prosecutor Karim Asad Ahmad Khan: ICC-CPI

    The ICC prosecutor’s office said that any threats against the court or its personnel could "constitute an offence against the administration of justice under Art 70 of the Rome Statute."

    "The office insists that all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence its officials cease immediately," the statement posted to X continued. It said it rejects any scenario where the court's "independence and impartiality are undermined."

    Axios reported Monday that the Israeli government is growing "increasingly concerned" over the possible action, while Walla news has written that Netanyahu is "under unusual stress" over what will be a largely symbolic, albeit still deeply embarrassing reputational black eye for his government at a moment he's facing immense domestic pressure at home to bring back the hostages.

    Israel has been warning that an ICC warrant could blow up a hostage deal being mediated by Egypt and Qatar. Additionally Netanyahu has been issuing personal appeals condemning the ICC case which focused on alleged human rights violations, war crimes, and alleged genocide on the part of IDF troops in Gaza.

    This unusual ICC response follows on the heels of Netanyahu days ago saying he "expects the leaders of the free world to stand firmly against" any ICC arrest warrants for Israeli government officials.

    "We expect them to use all the means at their disposal to stop this dangerous move," Netanyahu said. It's also been widely reported that he personally asked President Biden to pressure the ICC to halt its proceedings related to Israeli war crimes.

    Statement of the #ICC Office of the Prosecutor pic.twitter.com/Cw331pMcDm

    — Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) May 3, 2024

    Geopolitical analyst Lisa Daftari has noted that "If the ICC eventually charges anyone in Israel, the defendants will probably not see any hearings because it is up to the associated states to make arrests for the court."

    However, Daftari has pointed out that "The practical effect of such a measure would be to limit the travel options of any indicted person to countries that did not ratify the Rome Treaty." Russia's Putin currently faces this dilemma, and it will be a new day when Netanyahu faces the same restrictions. This is what the Israeli and US governments are currently lobbying against.

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 09:50
  41. Site: Zero Hedge
    11 hours 14 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Ukraine's Biggest Problem Isn't Weapons, It's Lack Of Fighting Men

    Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

    Now that Congress rammed through a huge weapons package for Ukraine, what will Ukraine do with the weapons and how long will they last?

    Ukraine’s Real Bottleneck

    Ukraine touts Russian casualties, no doubt exaggerated, while Russian published accounts of Russian losses are no doubt understated.

    But what about Ukraine’s losses? Those are a military secret.

    Despite a full understanding of how bad the situation is in Ukraine, we do know that it’s not a pretty setup. Please consider Ukraine’s Bottleneck.

    The main reason why opinion in Washington has shifted over Ukraine is the assessment that the country will lose the war because it does not have enough troops on the ground.

    We saw a story in Bild yesterday that would confirm this story line. Of all German newspapers, Bild has been the strongest supporter of Ukraine, so we don’t think we are dealing with a case of news selection bias. We know about shortages. This story goes further. Ukrainian commanders are saying that the bottleneck is no longer western weapons, but people who can use them.

    We should not extrapolate that information. They may overstate their case to force a change in policy. For all we know, Russia may have the exact same problems, or worse.

    Many young Ukrainian men have left the country to avoid the draft. President Volodymyr Zelensky has been hesitant to order a general draft of all Ukrainians. His government recently suspended consular services for Ukrainian males aged 18 to 60 years old, and reduced the age for the draft from 27 to 25 years. There is clearly more they can do. Only 15% of its male population is in active service.

    But what made us listen up is the assertion about bottlenecks. It quoted one brigadier general as saying that he used to think that the lack of artillery shells was the biggest problem, but now it was the lack of human resources. The question is whether the general mobilization has been delayed for too long. The problem is not only the headline numbers. If you started a general mobilisation today, you would still not have the numbers of people trained to use the weapons.

    Bild quoted Roderich Kiesewetter, a CDU defence expert and a former Bundeswehr general, as saying that the best-trained soldiers in Ukraine had been killed or injured, and those still active have been deployed without a break for two years. Exhaustion is becoming a factor in this war. He said Ukraine was lacking a predictable recruitment strategy. Another expert, from the Munich Security Conference, also believes that the right response is to start the draft immediately.

    We are more sceptical. Young Ukrainians men who live abroad have means to resist a draft. EU countries cannot just deport them without recourse to legal processes. Nor will all EU countries want to do that. An army of draft dodgers who experienced the comfortable life abroad, and who are recruited against their will, are not going to win this war. Zelensky could lower the age of the draft to 18. But you would be training an essentially new army from scratch in the middle of a war.

    So then, we ask, what is the strategy? That is also a question for the western countries that support Ukraine, who don’t have any strategy whatsoever

    No US Strategy, No US Goals

    No strategy and no goals are two things I have been writing about for months.

    The US has no goals or strategy, except perhaps perpetual war.

    Ukraine’s Goal

    Zelensky has a ridiculous goal, 100% of all territory lost including Crimea.

    And Ukraine will badger the US and Europe forever to achieve them. So how much are we willing to pay?

    Biden is unwilling to say. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is unwilling to say, and he cast the deciding vote for a massive $61 billion weapons delivery to Ukraine.

    The total to date is $175 billion. But where does that money really go?

    What Is in the Ukraine Aid Package

    The Center for Strategic and International Studies explains What Is in the Ukraine Aid Package

    Q4: Where will this money be spent?

    A4: The notion of “aid to Ukraine” is a misnomer. Despite images of “pallets of cash” being sent to Ukraine, about 72 percent of this money overall and 86 percent of the military aid will be spent in the United States. The reason for this high percentage is that weapons going to Ukraine are produced in U.S. factories, payments to U.S. service members are mostly spent in the United States, and even some piece of the humanitarian aid is spent in the United States. The major element of funding going to Ukraine is the economic support to the Ukrainian government, which the World Bank handles.

    Is it any wonder why Johnson was pushed so hard by military intelligence to vote for the deal? Here’s another interesting Q&A.

    Q7: How long will the $61 billion last?

    A7: Until funding started to dry up, the United States had been spending about $5.4 billion per month as a result of the war. At that spending rate, $61 billion would last for nearly a full year. Indeed, the original intention was that the funding would last through fiscal year 2024 and run out in September or October. However, half the fiscal year has passed, and the money may last until about January 2025 as a result. Because most of the appropriations are multiyear, the administration can use the money into FY 2025.

    That suits the political calendar. The administration will not want to send another aid request to Congress in the fall when the presidential election campaign is in full swing. If the Biden administration wins reelection, it will send a request to Congress either during the lame duck session or, if Democrats do well, after the new Congress takes office. If the Biden administration loses, it may send a request anyway to make a political statement, not expecting Congress to take action. The Republicans would want to wait until the new president took office.

    How Does This End?

    I can tell you how this will end, and I have already several times: A negotiated settlement in which Ukraine loses territory in return for being allowed to join NATO, perhaps with some restrictions.

    No one will be happy, especially those who would prefer perpetual war. But it won’t be perpetual war because Ukraine will eventually run out of men.

    Zelensky may be willing to kill them all, but can he stay in power long enough to do that?

    Mike Johnson Goes Full Neocon

    On April 18, I commented Mike Johnson Goes Full Neocon, Nikki Haley May as Well Be House Speaker

    “I really do believe the intel and in the briefings that we’ve gotten,” Johnson said. “I believe Xi [Jinping] and Vladimir Putin and Iran really are an axis of evil,” warning that Russia could march west across Europe if not stopped now. “To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.”

    That is a false dichotomy.

    One does not have to make a choice between sending bullets or men to Ukraine. One could easily do neither or both.

    Sending bullets does not preclude further stupidity such as sending troops.

    No Skin in the Game

    Since the critical shortage is really manpower, not weapons, I have a suggestion: Mike Johnson and everyone who voted for this package should be forced to serve in Ukraine.

    Skin in the game should be a prerequisite for all of these war fundings.

    Lindsey Graham Tells Ukraine to Force More Young Men Into War With Russia

    On March 19, I commented Lindsey Graham Tells Ukraine to Force More Young Men Into War With Russia

    I’ve Changed My Mind on Aid to Ukraine

    I now support aid to Ukraine if Senator Graham and all the Senators who support aid personally lead the charge.

    I suggest we put Graham on horseback with a sword and a Ukrainian flag to lead the other Senators into battle.

    What is the Best Way to Help Israel and Ukraine?

    On April 16, I asked What is the Best Way to Help Israel and Ukraine?

    See if you agree with my answer.

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 09:35
  42. Site: Voltaire Network
    11 hours 23 min ago
    We publish Voltaire, International Newsletter every week, summarizing the facts and arguments of each side. We started in the summer of 2022 and have gradually built up a team of specialists covering the entire world. Although still perfectible, this newsletter is already unmatched. This wealth of information is only accessible by subscription: Yearly subscription: €150 Monthly subscription: €15 By subscribing you not only receive in-depth information, but you also support our (...)
  43. Site: LifeNews
    11 hours 30 min ago
    Author: Kurt Mahlburg

    Planned Parenthood made use of $699 million in United States taxpayer funds to perform over 390,000 abortions last year, according to the organisation’s recent annual report.

    The number represents a 5 percent increase from the previous year.

    “It’s been nearly two years since the U.S. Supreme Court took away our right to control our own bodies and lives by overturning Roe v. Wade,” declare the opening lines of the report, which reads more like a woke manifesto than a sober accounting of what the behemoth “non-profit” does with its $2.2 billion in assets.

    Peppering the report’s pages are testimonies from “trans women”, boasts about its “gender-affirming hormone therapy” services, and glossy photographs of eclectic staff members who look different but almost certainly think alike.

    Flouting the law

    A major theme of the report was how Planned Parenthood has upped its efforts to help pregnant women access services across state lines, as jurisdictions around post-Roe America shore up protections for the unborn.

    LifeNews is on GETTR. Please follow us for the latest pro-life news

    “In the year after the decision, 90 patient navigators across 41 Planned Parenthood affiliates helped more than 33,000 people get the transportation and travel support, financial assistance, and referrals they needed to get abortion care,” according to the report.

    What’s missing, of course, are the tragic details behind each of those 33,000 stories (not to mention the 357,000 other women who accessed Planned Parenthood abortions locally). How many of these women were victims of prostitution, underage sexual abuse, or human trafficking? Given the moral landscape of America today and the nation’s wide-open borders, we can be certain the answer is not zero.

    In a just world, Planned Parenthood’s probable complicity in human trafficking at the taxpayer’s expense should be headline news.

    Global reach

    Further down the report, there’s a story that could easily be missed but that should concern every taxpaying American: Planned Parenthood’s international expansion.

    “Leveraging well-established partnerships spanning 80 organisations across nine focus countries, Planned Parenthood Global harnesses extensive technical expertise and flexible funding to incubate, convene, and defend brave individuals, organisations, coalitions, and movements for sexual and reproductive health and rights globally,” the report gloats.

    Among the stats provided as evidence of Planned Parenthood’s global reach are “28,000 people received training in sexual and reproductive health and rights”, “112 policy wins in 8 countries” and “500,000 sexual and reproductive health services provided by partners”.

    In other words, Americans are paying to abort brown babies overseas, and to recruit and indoctrinate local pro-abortion activists all across the Global South.

    Exploiting the poor

    Writing for The Washington Stand, pro-life advocates Arielle Del Turco and Mary Szoch provide additional details on the tax-exempt titan’s abortion imperialism:

    Notably, 90% of Planned Parenthood’s global efforts focus on countries where unborn babies have strong legal protections from abortion… In one example, Planned Parenthood worked to chip away complete protections for the unborn in Mexico. The abortion giant claimed that due to its efforts, unborn babies in Quintana Roo can now be killed through abortion up to 12 weeks gestation.

    They continue:

    This is a perfect example of ideological colonialism. It’s abusive for a powerful and well-funded organization like Planned Parenthood to enter poor, vulnerable countries with legitimate needs and coercively work to dismantle pro-life protections instead of offering practical help.

    And sadly, Planned Parenthood’s target countries are places where women actually need real health care. According to the U.N., improvements in maternal mortality have stagnated in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 70% of all maternal deaths are located in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Nor are these efforts a well-meaning but misguided attempt at humanitarianism. As Del Turco and Szoch explain, Planned Parenthood has a naked profit motive:

    They are a direct service provider, which means that they can make money from the abortions that happen when pro-life policies are reversed. When Planned Parenthood reports 112 policy victories, that is 112 places that they can rake in more money. Planned Parenthood may paint its efforts as benevolent humanitarian work, but make no mistake: this is a business — a deadly one that should not be exported abroad.

    Far more helpful for Planned Parenthood’s target countries would be improved sanitation, clean water, food and actual health care. As the pair write, “pregnancy isn’t a disease, and abortion isn’t a cure”.

    Given that recent polling has found two-thirds of Americans opposed or strongly opposed to the use of tax dollars for abortions abroad, it shouldn’t be a hard ask to see these efforts banned by Congress — pending the outcome of November’s election, of course.

    LifeNews Note: Kurt Mahlburg is a writer and author, and an emerging Australian voice on culture and the Christian faith. He has a passion for both the philosophical and the personal, drawing on his background as a graduate architect, a primary school teacher, a missionary, and a young adult pastor. This column originally appeared at MercatorNet.

    The post Planned Parenthood is Using Your Tax Dollars to Push Its Abortion Agenda Worldwide appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  44. Site: Zero Hedge
    11 hours 32 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    'Buy All The Things' - Poor Payrolls Sends Rate-Cut Hopes Soaring

    'Bad' news is back to being good news for markets as a disappointing rise in payrolls pushed rate-cut expectations higher. 2024 is now fully pricing in two rate cuts and 2025 an additional three rate-cuts...

    Source: Bloomberg

    As Academy Securities' Peter Tchir writes, this report should be very good for bonds.

    Establishment survey of 175k.

    The Household report showed an increase of 949k full time jobs (while part time jobs declined by 914k). Great news even as the overall net total was “only” 25k.

    The weaker data is in line with what we’ve been seeing in other reports. If anything, NFP still looks high, relative to other bits of employment data we get (most noticeably the JOLTS quit and hire rates, which are below where they were at any time in 2019 or 2018).

    Average hourly earnings declined a smidge. Hours worked down a touch. Both good for those looking for Fed cuts.

    The participation looks unchanged, buy maybe the labor force overall grew, as we saw a small uptick in the Unemployment Rate to 3.9%. Far from a bad number, but moving in the right direction if you are hoping for Fed cuts.

    Normally as you parse through the data, you find some mixed signals, but so far, the report seems to be universally, good enough for the economy AND good enough for the Fed.

    Who Wins?

    Those still clinging to two cuts as their base case (I’m in that camp). Though markets are pricing in Sept/Dec rather than June/July (which I might have to move on).

    The market has pulled forward expectations for the first cut to September...

    Bond yields. Though with the 10 year already down to 4.47% I’d start reducing position size. I still like 4.4% to 4.6% as a “range” and think deficits and supply will weigh on the longer end of the yield curve once the initial wave of optimism passes.

    Maybe stocks? The initial reaction if for stocks to do well. Makes sense if stocks still really seemed to move with bonds. As we’ve seen, time and again, the correlation between low yields and higher stocks is not particularly strong. This number is “good enough” that both stocks and bonds can rally, but what will hold and what will rise further from here?

    I think it is a good opportunity to buy value, small cap and banks. Toss in some commercial real estate. I think we will see relief spread to those sectors at the expense of sectors with valuation concerns.

    The dollar is tumbling...

    Gold and crypto are rallying...

    While on Fox Business yesterday, with Charles Payne, he told me not to tell people I’m invested in China (jokingly at the end of the segment) I can’t resist showing this chart. The Nasdaq 100 really hasn’t done much since the end of January, and while this chart doesn’t capture the rally in futures this morning, I don’t think we are out of the woods yet, unless it can retake the 50 day moving average.

    Good luck, but I don’t think this data will stand the test of time as helping all markets.

    While it is strong enough to keep any sort of “economic slowdown” noise very low, that noise will start increasing, as NFP finally joins a list of other jobs data not moving in the right direction.

    Tyler Durden Fri, 05/03/2024 - 09:17
  45. Site: Voltaire Network
    11 hours 42 min ago
    At the beginning of the State of Israel, Hungarian Jew Rezső Kasztner (aka "Rudolf Ysrael Kastner") was appointed spokesman for the Minister of Trade and Industry. However, it turned out that during World War II he had negotiated with the Nazis for the flight of Hungarian Jews. According to some, he was a hero, according to others a Nazis collaborator. A Hungarian journalist accused him of saving only his family, friends, and wealthy personalities who could pay their ransom. It is (...)
  46. Site: LifeNews
    12 hours 2 min ago
    Author: Mary Margaret Olohan

    A CNN report on the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Kristen Clarke, is drawing accusations that the outlet sought to curry favor with President Joe Biden’s DOJ through its framing.

    After The Daily Signal published a report on Tuesday highlighting evidence that Clarke had not disclosed an arrest and an expungement during her nomination process to the DOJ—and then explicitly denied ever having been arrested to Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton—CNN published a report on Wednesday headlined “DOJ civil rights leader says she was a victim of abuse in extraordinary statement.”

    CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz framed the story around an “exclusive” statement from Clarke to the outlet, in which Clarke confirms that she did not disclose her arrest and expungement and alleged that her ex-husband, Reginald Avery, had domestically abused her for years. Avery, who previously said that Clarke attacked him with a knife in 2006 while they were married, denied his ex-wife’s allegations in a statement to The Daily Signal on Thursday. He also called CNN’s story “a hit piece.”

    “Clarke’s now-expunged arrest, which reportedly occurred during a domestic dispute, quickly became a cause célèbre among right-wing media and lawmakers who claim she lied during her 2021 Senate confirmation hearing, with some calling for her resignation,” wrote Rabinowitz, who did not clarify to The Daily Signal why she did not link to the original Daily Signal report.

    LifeNews is on GETTR. Please follow us for the latest pro-life news

    CNN did not immediately respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment on the story.

    Commentator Stephen Miller called out Rabinowitz in a tweet Wednesday evening.

    “To be clear what happened here,” he tweeted. “1. Kristen Clarke, the head of Biden’s DOJ Civil Rights Division, did not disclose an arrest from a domestic fight 2. CNN took the original report, omitted that fact she lied under oath, did not link to the original story, and framed Clarke’s own statement.”

    The Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway similarly accused Rabinowitz of running cover for the DOJ: “CNN propagandist Hannah Rabinowitz was asked by DOJ to spread this info op and she complied, hiding the explosive journalism which provoked it.”

    Author Steve Krakauer, the executive producer of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” said it was “outrageous journalistic malpractice for CNN leadership to hang a young reporter out to dry like this, slapping her byline on propaganda spin of an administration, and diminishing actual journalism in the process.”

    Chuck Ross, an investigative reporter at The Washington Free Beacon, also weighed in on CNN’s framing.

    “Amazing,” said Ross. “After @MaryMargOlohan reports that DOJ’s Kristen Clarke lied about being arrested, Clarke runs to CNN with a claim that she lied only because she was the victim of domestic abuse. And CNN spins it with the typical ‘conservatives pounce’ framing.”

    “Domestic abuse is never okay,” said Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee, in response to the CNN story. “U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said ‘no’ when asked by the Senate Judiciary Committee whether she had ever been arrested for a violent crime. That wasn’t true.”

    New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush quickly criticized Lee for the remark, appearing to defend Clarke without acknowledging her omission to the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Clarke said she was subjected to years of abuse by her ex-husband—and her arrest for slashing his finger was expunged,” he wrote, in response to Lee. “She said she’s still ‘terrorized and traumatized.’ The senator, who initially presented this incident without that context now makes this statement.”

    Ross followed up on Thrush’s remark, challenging him: “Come on. She lied to the Senate about ever being arrested. DOJ didn’t reply to the reporter who broke this story, @MaryMargOlohan. The White House mocked her when she asked for comment. Then Clarke goes to CNN with a defense of her arrest that may or may not be true.”

    Clarke deceived the Senate too many times during her confirmation regarding her position on defunding police and writing anti-white essays in college for anyone, much less an NYT reporter, to take her claims at face value,” Ross added.

    LifeNews Note: Mary Margaret Olohan writes for Daily Signal, where this article originally appeared. 

    The post CNN Covers for Biden Staffer Kristen Clarke, Radical Abortion Activist Who Lied Under Oath appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  47. Site: Saint Louis Catholic
    12 hours 20 min ago
    Author: thetimman

    I just learned today that the great convert and Catholic priest, Fr. John Hunwicke, passed away yesterday. In your charity please pray for the repose of his soul.

    Eternal rest grant unto him, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

  48. Site: AsiaNews.it
    12 hours 29 min ago
    This move follows the imposition of compulsory military service in February on men up to 35 years and women up to 27. In the last three months, 100,000 men have applied for expatriation and many others have fled to Thailand to avoid the draft.
  49. Site: LES FEMMES - THE TRUTH
    12 hours 29 min ago
    Author: noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann Kreitzer)
  50. Site: PaulCraigRoberts.org
    12 hours 30 min ago
    Author: pcr3

    Israel Relocates to Washington, D.C.

    Paul Craig Roberts

    The US Congress has become an extension of the Israeli government. We don’t need a president. We have the Israel Lobby.

    The US House of Representatives just passed a bill that means prison for any Christian or anyone for that matter who quotes the Bible that says Jesus was handed over by Jews to Pontius Pilate to be scourged and crucified by the Romans.

    The bill, which passed 320-91, criminalizes all criticisms of Israel and Jews as anti-semitism. If the Senate passes this bill, I suppose it will end up in book-burning of many works of literature including Shakespeare.

    Clearly the majority of the House of Representatives is so much in thrall to the Israel Lobby that there is no hesitancy about normalizing genocide and setting the scene for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

    This bill is such an obvious violation of Constitutionally-protected free speech that it tells us that Congress will not come to the aid of free speech as it is closed down everywhere. Will the Supreme Court be too fearful of its own destruction to rule against the bill’s violations of free speech and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment?

    https://www.rt.com/news/596891-jews-jesus-us-israel/

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-house-advances-bill-to-codify-contentious-and-popular-antisemitism-definition/

    Glenn Greenwald’s report is very important. Protest has become a criminal act. Freedom in America is dead. The US is a police state, and the police, presstitutes, Christian Zionists, and House of Representatives are very proud of it.
    https://rumble.com/v4spxgi-system-update-264.html
    You have to wait through an ad twice before you have the option to cancel ad, and you have to wait for the program to begin. It is a mistake for Greenwald and Rumble to delay his program in this way.

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