Distinction Matter - Subscribed Feeds

  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: Public Discourse
    1 hour 10 min ago
    Author: Daniel B. Murphy

    After his nomination of Linda McMahon as the new Secretary of Education, President Trump told reporters that he wanted her to put herself out of a job. The following month, on March 20th, Donald Trump signed an executive order with the promising title “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities.” The order instructs the Secretary of Education to dismantle the federal Department of Education and return authority over children’s education to parents, states, and local communities.

    The Department of Education was already dismantled once before, but through the efforts of the National Education Association (NEA) it returned. The NEA has also lobbied for federal spending on education, which has dramatically increased without improving student outcomes. Trump’s executive order is a step in the right direction, certainly improving government efficiency, but it is not enough.

    Education in the Hands of the Federal Government

    The Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Since the Constitution does not delegate power over education to the federal government, this power is reserved to the States or to the people. States and individual people are free to decide how to handle education.

    The Department of Education does not directly regulate education, but it exercises powerful indirect influence through its grant-giving ability. In 2022, the Department of Education provided 13.7 percent of the funding for K-12 education. The department gives grants to districts and schools based on their adherence to its specific guidelines. The federal government also gives grants to teachers for professional development and training programs, like National Board Certification or TEACH. The more money available to the Department of Education, the greater its power, a power that should be reserved to the states.

    Thomas Jefferson was the Founding Father who spoke most extensively about education. He is often misrepresented as one of the early pioneers of the public school system, but he advocated for a very limited version of state-regulated public schools. In 1779, Jefferson successfully passed “A Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge” in the Virginia state legislature. This bill provided free education for three years in reading, writing, and arithmetic to all citizens. In an 1817 bill proposed by Jefferson, he encourages local control of public school funds and warns that with control at the level of state government, “they would be badly managed, depraved by abuses, and would exhaust the whole literary fund.”

    For many years, the role of the federal government in education, as described in the 1785 Land Ordinance, was simply to ensure land grants for public schools. Government involvement expanded with the establishment of the federal Department of Education in 1867.

    History Repeats Itself: The Department of Education and the NEA

    The NEA has played an instrumental role in molding federal education policy, though it began with different aims. The NEA was founded as the National Teachers Association (NTA) in 1857. Thomas Valentine, President of the New York Teachers Association, invited forty-three other educators to a National Teachers’ Convention in Philadelphia to discuss the formation of a national teachers’ union. Valentine told these educators that the NTA would gather and disseminate education information to teachers across the country. Valentine assured those present that the NTA would perform the duties of a much-needed federal department of education which, once established, would remove the necessity of the NTA. Other speeches at the first meeting of the NTA also called for a Department of Education in the federal government, including that of Zalmon Richards, voted to be the first president of the NTA. Speakers at subsequent NTA meetings year after year called for a federal Department or Bureau of Education.

    Finally, in 1867, the United States Congress passed an Act to Establish a Federal Department of Education. The following year, however, Congress abolished the department and replaced it with an “Office of Education,” due to questions about its constitutionality and fears that a federal department might exert too much control over local education policies in the states. Nevertheless, the Office of Education remained part of the federal government, a long-term victory for the NTA.

    In 1870, the NTA merged with the American Normal School Association, the National Association of School Superintendents, and the Central College Association. Upon this merger, the National Teachers Association changed its name to the National Education Association (NEA).

    Writer and educator Samuel Blumenfeld details the lobbying efforts made by the NEA in his book NEA: Trojan Horse in American Education. In 1889, a committee of the NEA urged legislators that “the Bureau of Education should be restored to its original position as an independent department.” In 1918, the NEA set up its headquarters in Washington and created a “Legislative Commission” (now the “Legislative Program”) for drafting legislation proposals to Congress. In 1921, the Journal of the National Education Association  started running a column in every issue that detailed the status of legislation related to education, urging members to write to their legislators for support. By 1964, the NEA was sponsoring weekend “Teacher-In-Politics” training workshops with the purpose of inspiring and aiding teachers to become active in politics at the service of NEA-driven goals.

    After years of NEA lobbying, in 1965, Congress approved the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), with an initial appropriation of $1.3 billion. This act granted a yearly payout to be administered to schools based on the school meeting certain requirements (in 2023, the ESEA appropriated $29.3 billion).

    The success of the 1965 ESEA did not satisfy the NEA. NEA president Sam Lambert said the following in his 1965 inaugural speech as executive secretary:

    NEA last year had 1,030,000 members; and by the end of this year we will have at least 1,100,000. . . . We are already four times as large as any other professional organization in this country. Within a few years we will be six or seven times as large. And, beginning now we are going to put our power and influence to work for the things that are most important:

    NEA will become a stronger and more influential advocate of social changes long overdue.

    NEA will become a political power second to no other special interest group.

    NEA will have more and more to say about how a teacher is educated, whether he should be admitted to the profession, and depending on his behavior and ability whether he should stay in the profession.

    And, finally, NEA will organize this profession from top to bottom into logical operating units that can move easily and effectively and with power unmatched by any other organized group.

    In 1975, the NEA published a report entitled “Needed: An Education Department.” In 1976, for the first time in 119 years of its existence, the NEA endorsed a presidential candidate: Jimmy Carter. In 1979, Jimmy Carter repaid the favor by signing a bill re-establishing the Department of Education.

    Just two years later, Ronald Reagan announced plans to dismantle the Department, threatening a historical repeat of the first establishment and disestablishment of the department in 1867. The NEA voiced strong disapproval, and Reagan was ultimately unable to get the legislation passed by Congress.

    Spending without Results

    The Department of Education website states the following:

    In the 1860s, a budget of $15,000 and four employees handled education fact-finding. By 1965, the Office of Education had more than 2,100 employees and a budget of $1.5 billion. As of mid-2010, the Department has nearly 4,300 employees and a budget of about $60 billion.

    How did the “Office of Education” grow its budget so much from 1867 to 1965? Clearly, the power of the “Office of Education” was not limited during its time as a mere “office.” Even considering inflation, the education budget grew by a factor of 40,000. From 1965 until 2024, the growth in budget was not nearly as significant, only growing by a factor of between seven and eight.

    The figure below maps a timeline of the spending in billions of dollars by the department of education together with the NAEP reading results from 1970 to 2022. The spending dollars are inflation-adjusted to represent constant 2022 dollars.

    Chart 1

    Chart created using data from the Digest of Education Statistics

    The National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP), sometimes called “The Nation’s Report Card,” is a nationwide test administered to students to get an idea of how well students are learning various subjects. Despite an increasing Department of Education budget, reading scores on the NAEP have hardly budged for fifty years. The NAEP defines each corresponding to a numerical cutoff score on the NAEP. “Basic” indicates partial mastery of the subject. “Proficient” level indicates “solid academic performance and competency,” and “Advanced” is anything beyond this. In 2024, 69 percent of fourth graders and 62 percent of eighth graders performed below “Proficient” and 40 percent of fourth graders and 33 percent of eighth graders performed below the NAEP “Basic” level of reading. The grade level averages in reading (graphed above) have never risen beyond the “Basic” level in the history of the NAEP.

    The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) provides data on the performance of students worldwide. In 2019, the United States spent 38 percent more per student than the average of other participating countries, yet PISA reading scores for the US are very similar to the average of other countries and have not changed significantly since 2000. In 2022, the United States spent roughly twice the amount per student compared to Japan, yet Japan’s PISA results far surpass our own. The percentage of our government spending dedicated to education is also roughly twice that of Japan’s.

    Chart 2

    Chart created using data from the OECD

    The poor performance on literacy tests has not gone unnoticed by the federal government. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), passed in 2001, appropriated more funding for districts and schools whose NAEP performance was significantly lower than the US average. NCLB increased federal funding for education by about 25 percent, or about $13 billion. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was passed in 2015, appropriating more federal money for education and requiring all states to submit annual education goals and plans to the Department of Education. These are just a few of the acts Congress has passed over the last fifty years to address concerns about the status of education in the United States. Clearly, they are not working.

    Closing the Department Is Not Enough

    Closing the Department of Education won’t be enough. Organizations like the NEA do not want it to happen. Even if it does happen, they will lobby it back into existence just as they did before. The NEA sued the government this year for what they claim is an unconstitutional executive order.

    In 1983, Congressman John Ashbrook explained the NEA’s deep interest in federal funding for education:

    An integral part of the NEA design is to siphon ever more control of public education from the grass roots to Washington, closer to its own powerful lobbying influence, farther from the parents and taxpayers who elect the school boards and pay the bills.

    The NEA, originally intended to be an organization for teachers to discuss education, is now a lobbying powerhouse. In 1920, the headquarters were moved to Washington, DC and a “Representative Assembly” for discussing policy issues was attached to the annual meeting. With the NEA Legislative Program, the political influence that this organization wields will pose a challenge to the free education of American citizens, even if the federal Department of Education is dismantled. The NEA also advises all three million of its members on various bills in the Congress. The NEA, like the Department of Education, also provides grants to individuals and schools. Many of the grants provided to individuals are to occupy positions in local politics. Last year, when Trump announced his intention to appoint Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education, NEA voiced strong disapproval. The NEA is concerned that power will be returned to the states and the people.

    The Trump administration has demonstrated an emphasis on federalism, moving power and authority from the federal government to local control. In 2016, Gerard Robinson, in an article for the American Enterprise Institute, suggested a federalist “encouragement philosophy” to guide the role of federal involvement in education. In 2020, Lindsey Burke and Jonathan Butcher wrote a policy report for the Heritage Foundation, suggesting the dissolution of the Department of Education. But if action is limited to the political sphere, the public education system will not improve.

    Work needs to be done in the private sector to eradicate organizations like the NEA that exercise such enormous lobbying power and sway members’ political activism. Rachel Greszler and James Sherck of the Heritage Foundation have written about how large unions like the NEA frequently fail to serve the needs of workers, instead focusing on political lobbying. Nevertheless, the suppression of a union like the NEA by the federal government would be unnecessarily authoritarian, not to mention a violation of the constitution.

    The laws of our beautiful nation provide for and facilitate a grass-roots effort to dismantle bloated unions like the NEA. Legally dismantling the NEA would require a “decertification election.” A union can be decertified if, after 30 percent of its members petition the National Labor Regulations Board for a decertification election, a majority of union members vote in favor of decertification. The National Right To Work Committee has explained that the purpose of a decertification election is to remove a union as the “exclusive representative” of the workers. The NEA is the largest labor union in the country with 3 million members. In 2016, roughly 70 percent of all public school teachers in the US were members of the NEA, the same percentage of teachers nationwide that were members of unions. The NEA does have exclusive representation for teachers, and it should be decertified.

    For long-term success in protecting local control of public education, the National Education Association must go.

    Image by Tada Images and licensed via Adobe Stock.

  8. Site: LifeNews
    2 hours 16 min ago
    Author: Steven Ertelt

    The Satanic Temple plans to open an abortion center in Maine on June 14, 2025, named “The President’s Yuge Most Beautiful Tremendous Satanic Abortion Clinic” in a mocking nod to President Donald Trump’s birthday.

    “We hope he receives this clinic’s distinguished title as the magnificent, regal birthday present it is intended to be,” said Satanic Temple executive director Erin Helian in a press release.

    The facility, part of the temple’s TST Health network, will sell dangerous abortion-inducing drugs by mail and instruct women to perform a “Satanic Abortion Ritual” involving chants that pro-life advocates denounce as evil and morally repugnant.

    The abortion biz, announced on June 6, 2025, will offer free medical consultations and prescriptions for mifepristone and misoprostol, costing patients approximately $91, according its website.

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

    The ritual requires women to recite tenets emphasizing bodily autonomy and scientific reasoning, culminating in a personal affirmation: “By my body, my blood; by my will, it is done.”

    The Satanic Temple, a nontheistic organization based in Salem, Massachusetts, claims its ritual is a protected religious practice under the First Amendment and state Religious Freedom Restoration Acts. Since the 2022 Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, the temple has opened similar clinics in New Mexico and Virginia, named to taunt Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and pro-life principles. In Maine, where abortion is legal throughout pregnancy, the abortion center aims to expand access to abortions with mifepristone up to 11 weeks gestation.

    Pro-life advocates argue the temple’s provocative branding and ritualistic approach trivialize the gravity of abortion. The temple’s Maine clinic has drawn ire for its timing and name, with posts on X from users  labeling it a “satanic” affront to Maine’s values.

    The temple has not disclosed its Maine staff but partners with Honey Bee Health for delivery of the dangerous abortion pills.

    The post Satanic Temple Opens Abortion Clinic in Maine, Tells Women to Do Evil Chants Celebrating Killing Babies appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  9. Site: Catholic Conclave
    2 hours 31 min ago
    From June 7 to 9, between Paris and Chartres, nearly 30,000 pilgrims, aged 21 on average, journeyed in faith, despite the headwinds of a materialistic society indifferent to spiritual impetus, rejoices Ambroise Tournyol du Clos, a history professor.That He reigns on earth, as He does in Heaven"Morning star, inaccessible queen,Here we are marching towards your illustrious court,And here is the Catholic Conclavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.com0
  10. Site: LifeNews
    2 hours 52 min ago
    Author: Right to Life UK

    Kim Leadbeater has refused to distance herself from the Sarco gas chamber assisted suicide pods after she failed to back an amendment to her Bill, which would ban the use of the portable gas chambers.

    Sarco inventor Philip Nitschke, who is nicknamed “Dr Death” and “the Elon Musk of assisted suicide”, said he is “absolutely” keen on bringing his Sarco suicide machine to the UK if the assisted suicide Bill passes, and described his machine as a “stylish” and “elegant” option for assisted suicide.

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

    A person ends their own life inside the 3D-printed Sarco pod by pushing a button that injects nitrogen gas into the sealed gas chamber. The nitrogen causes them to suffocate to death.

    Tory MP Greg Stafford tabled an amendment to Kim Leadbeater’s Bill to ban the use of portable gas chambers. Stafford, whose amendment “requires the Secretary of State to forbid the use of medical devices which cause death by the administration of a gas”, told The Independent “The inventor of the Sarco death pod has stated that he would like to introduce his gas pods to this country. The assisted dying Bill, as drafted, would allow the Sarco pod to come to these shores”.

    “If accepted, my amendment would remove this possibility by requiring that regulations prohibit any device used for the self-administration of gas”.

    Stafford added “We know that the public is uneasy with the Sarco pods. I very much hope that the Bill sponsor takes the opportunity to accept my amendment and makes it clear that she doesn’t support the introduction of these suicide pods in the UK”.

    Despite Stafford’s words, Leadbeater declined to back the amendment, with her spokesman saying “I think it’s highly unlikely to be accepted for debate or vote if it hasn’t gone down yet”.

    “We know that the public is uneasy with the Sarco pods”

    The danger of the Sarco machines being made available in the UK has been highlighted by the fact that Nitschke has said people from the UK have already shown significant interest in his new device, and by leading legal academics confirming with The Telegraph that the assisted suicide pods will be legal under the proposed legislation.

    Professor of law and constitutional government at St John’s College, Oxford, Richard Ekins KC, said “If Kim Leadbeater’s Bill passes, and if the Secretary of State approves liquid nitrogen as an approved substance, then the Sarco death pod would be a lawful means to assist suicide in Britain”.

    Nitschke heavily criticised by both supporters and opponents of assisted suicide

    Leadbeater’s refusal to back the amendment may raise concerns as Nitschke, who believes “troubled” teenagers should be able to access suicide pills, is a controversial figure whose  ‘Sarco machine’ has been dogged by controversy. In July 2024, prosecutors in Switzerland banned its use because they were concerned not only about the legality of its use in the country but also potential ethical issues surrounding its implementation.

    In a letter obtained by the Swiss media, Public Prosecutor, Peter Sticher said “There is no reliable information about the method of killing. It is completely unclear who has control over which mechanical process during the dying process”.

    Nitschke has also been heavily criticised, both by those for and against assisted suicide. Journalist Emily Lawford highlighted the fact that an Australian coalition of voluntary assisted dying societies, Your Last Right, has “specifically opposed” Nitschke’s platforms, whilst Rodney Syme, founder of Dying with Dignity Victoria, referred to Nitschke’s views as “aberrant”.

    James Mildred, Director of Engagement for Christian Action Research and Education (CARE), said “Philip Nitschke’s device has been condemned by a broad range of commentators. Many people feel that it trivialises, and even glamourises, suicide. We believe that suicide is a tragedy that good societies seek to prevent in every circumstance. There are ethical ways to help human beings that don’t involve the destruction of life”.

    Further blows for Leadbeater Bill

    Stafford’s amendment came on the same day the Leadbeater Bill was dealt further blows. First, reports emerged that a letter signed by around 1,000 doctors was sent to MPs urging them to vote against the assisted suicide Bill. The doctors criticised the “deeply flawed bill”, saying “This bill will widen inequalities, it provides inadequate safeguards and, in our collective view, is simply not safe”.

    “This is the most important piece of healthcare legislation for 60 years and we urge you to listen to the doctors who would have to deliver the consequences of this deeply flawed Bill”.

    The doctors added “It is our opinion that this Bill poses a real threat to both patients and the medical workforce, and we urge you to vote against it”.

    Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Greg Stafford is right to try and prevent Nitschke’s horrendous Sarco suicide pods from being allowed in the UK. This bizarre killing machine has no place in civilised society and should be destroyed immediately”.

    “It is hugely worrying that Kim Leadbeater did not take the opportunity to distance herself from Nitschke and his destructive ideas. She should be listening to the growing number of credible organisations, including the Royal College of Physicians, the British Geriatrics Society, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and around 1,000 doctors, who have expressed grave concerns about this reckless legislation”.

    “We urge MPs to pay attention to these concerns and to vote against this dangerous Bill at Third Reading”.

    LifeNews Note: Republished with permission from Right to Life UK.

    The post UK Bill Would Allow Horrific Suicide Machines People Use to Kill Themselves appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  11. Site: Catholic Conclave
    3 hours 25 min ago
    She spent 20 years within the Institute of the Incarnate Word, which she joined at just 18 years old. She changed her name to "Esposa Fidelis" and was a faithful "servant" until she had had enough and left the order, which is now under investigation by the Vatican. She left with nothing, as she stated in an interview with Colpisa. She hadn't been paid into Social Security, she had no right to Catholic Conclavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.com0
  12. Site: Catholic Conclave
    3 hours 44 min ago
    On June 14 and 15, 2025, the JUBILEE OF CREATION promoted by the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val D’Elsa-Montalcino and the Diocese of Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza will be celebrated. The meeting is at the historic Church of Abbadia San Salvatore starting at 3:00 pm on June 14, 2025. The slogan that has been chosen for this event is “Protecting creation, generating hope”.There will be two days. Catholic Conclavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.com0
  13. Site: LifeNews
    4 hours 3 min ago
    Author: Dave Andrusko

    The Montana Supreme Court on Monday struck down three pro-life laws passed in 2021, upholding  District Court Judge Kurt Krueger’s 2024 decision that concluded the laws violated the state’s right to privacy.

    “The laws have been on hold since 2021 after a preliminary injunction was granted in Planned Parenthood’s favor,” John Riley reported.

    According to the Attorney General’s office, here are the three commonsense laws struck down:

    HB 136 prohibited abortion in the case of babies who can feel pain, generally defined as a baby 20 or more weeks old.

    HB 140 required that a pregnant woman be afforded the opportunity to view an active ultrasound and listen to a baby’s heartbeat before undergoing an abortion.

    HB 171 established a protocol for the prescription of abortion-inducing drugs to protect the health and welfare of mothers, requiring in-person visits for prescribing and dispensing of chemical abortion drugs.

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

    The Montana Attorney General’s office and Gov. Gianforte blasted the decision, written by Justice Beth Baker. “This isn’t surprising. It’s another rubber stamp for Planned Parenthood from their allies on the Montana Supreme Court” said Emilee Cantrell, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice. “And as the dissenting opinion correctly points out, ‘the State’s vital role in protecting and preserving human life,’ was ignored.”

    Gov. Gianforte hammered the justices for striking down the three laws that were aimed at protecting the life, health, and welfare of mothers and their babies,

    “Activist justices on the Montana Supreme Court continued their series of attacks on commonsense measures to protect the life, health, and welfare of mothers and their babies. Clinging to a shaky, outdated ruling and failing to account for the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions, these activist justices aren’t interpreting the law. They’re overreaching, making law from the bench and rejecting the will of Montanans’ duly-elected representatives who make laws.

    “These activist justices rejected modern medicine and are instead clinging to medical care available more than 50 years ago. Ultimately, they have failed the lives, health, and welfare of mothers and their babies, and they should be ashamed.

    Gov. Gianforte concluded

    “As a pro-life governor, I believe all life is precious and must be protected. I will continue to defend the lives of those who cannot speak for themselves. I’ll also pray for changed hearts as we work to bring nabout a culture of life for every Montanan, born and unborn.”

    In her 69 page decision, Justice Baker “cited the Montana Supreme Court’s 1999 ruling, commonly known as the Armstrong decision, which stated that the state constitution’s right to privacy protected access to abortion before a fetus is viable,” Riley reported.

    Wrote Justice Baker, “Armstrong thus explicitly and unequivocally acknowledged that the right of individual privacy—encompassing the right to personal and procreative autonomy—is protected separately under Montana’s right to privacy, a broader provision independent of federal law.”

    Gov. Greg Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen “have argued the Armstrong case was wrongly decided, and the state again made that argument in this case,” according to Riley.

    In January 2022, Knudsen told the state Supreme Court that “All three laws unquestionably enhance the health and safety of Montana women. And they represent basic regulations of the practice of medicine—bread-and-butter exercises of (state government).” He added that the reasoning in Armstrong

    is a deeply flawed tribute to unrestrained judicial activism. Nowhere in Montana’s constitutional text is there a right to elective abortion. Instead, the framers intentionally excluded abortion from the Constitution and left to the Legislature the prerogative to permit, prohibit, or regulate it.

    LifeNews.com Note: Dave Andrusko is the editor of National Right to Life News and an author and editor of several books on abortion topics. He frequently writes Today’s News and Views — an online opinion column on pro-life issues.

    The post Montana Supreme Court Strikes Down 3 Pro-Life Laws, Claims Unlimited Right to Abortion appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  14. Site: Novus Motus Liturgicus
    4 hours 10 min ago
    Here is another wonderful discovery from the website of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, an illuminated psalter from the beginning of the 13th century. (Département des manuscrits. NAL 1392) The manuscript begins with 13 pages of images of the life of Christ, each within a circular medallion, two per page, enclosed in a rectangular decorative border; these cover all the major feasts of Gregory DiPippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13295638279418781125noreply@blogger.com0
  15. Site: Fr. Z's Blog
    4 hours 24 min ago
    Author: frz@wdtprs.com (Fr. John Zuhlsdorf)
    I unbox – open the package – of the newly reprinted Pre-55 Missal from the Benedictines of Norcia which just arrived. The monks forewarned that they don’t have many at the time I made this video. They will eventually have … Read More →
  16. Site: Henrymakow.com
    5 hours 16 min ago


    Trump-Jeffrey-Epstein.jpg
    Please send links and comments to hmakow@gmail.com


    In a world that embraces lies as long as they are big enough, and repeated often, 
    we're supposed to forget the Trump was a pedophile. We are supposed to believe 
    that Musk's confirmation that Trump is in the Epstein file, (why it is being withheld,)
    was a smear caused by a clash of egos. Now the two men can make up and go on as usual.

    Trump was a nasty pedophile.   I doubt he is one now. He should not allow Mossad blackmail to 
    influence life-and-death decisions. He should confess to his disgusting past and resolve to take the high road. Don't you think he would be forgiven? 

    More serious is the fact that Trump (and Putin and Netanyahu) belong to Chabad, a Jewish supremacist cult that conjures up world wars to kill the goyim (defined as anyone who reject Chabad as God.) They believe that a "social catastrophe" will summon the Jewish "Messiah." Trump must denounce Chabad and its genocidal goals. 

    Meanwhile, he could admit that Fort Knox is empty and the CIA murdered JFK. Imagine how his credibility and popularity would explode!

    Trump's role in history is the same as Hitler's was - to provide false Fascist opposition to Rothschild Communism. 
    He must realize that he will be reviled as much as Hitler if he leads the US to world war.




    JD Vance prevaricates when asked about Trump's raping underaged girls


    Zionist errand boy demands Iran give up nuclear energy - it won't happen. If he wanted peace, he would ensure that Iran has nuclear weapons. 



    tulsi-gabbard.png
    Tulsi Gabbard posts "bizarre" video: 'Closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation'


    Gabbard used the story to suggest leaders should not provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin over his war in Ukraine.

    "This is the reality of what's at stake, what we are facing now," she said. "Because as we stand here today, closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before, political elites and war mongers are carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers."
    --

    The COLOR REVOLUTION MASTERMINDS Behind LA's RIOTS & the WAR ON TRUMP



    "Barbara Boyd uncovers the true orchestrators behind the ongoing riots in Los Angeles. Discover how these events are linked to broader geopolitical strategies stretching from Ukraine to the US, and orchestrated by Anglo-American (Rothschild) intelligence networks. Explore the deep dive into the color revolution against Trump, understand the role of British intelligence, and learn how the destabilization of America is part of a greater agenda. Get informed on what steps need to be taken to dismantle this apparatus and protect our republic." 


    Simpsons creators shill for migrant invasion - past episode predicts social breakdown due to expelling freeloaders


    --

    bbb.png
    How the LA Riots Fit Perfectly Into Agenda 2030's Plan


    -

    RFK Jr. Removes All Members of CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel
    The health secretary says 'A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science.'

    --






    Gaza: Aid Trucks Lure the Starving and then Opened Fire on Them

    -


    id5801672-Kash-Patel-KASH-PATEL_2-1080x720.png
    China Is Deliberately Using Fentanyl to 'Kneecap' the US, FBI Director Says
    China's long-term plan is to use fentanyl to 'take out generations of young men and women' in the United States, FBI Director Kash Patel said.


    -
    IAEA an 'instrument for Israel,' secret documents seized by Iran reveal

    Iranian media says the documents show that Tehran's confidential letters to the IAEA were passed on to Israel


    "These documents clearly show that instead of playing a neutral role, the IAEA has become an instrument serving the objectives of the Zionist regime," Fars news agency cited an informed source as saying on 10 June. 

    The documents prove that "Iran's official and confidential letters to the IAEA - containing sensitive information - were channeled to the espionage agencies of the Zionist regime through covert conduits," the report added. 

    The report also notes that several top Iranian nuclear scientists ended up getting assassinated due to their names being disclosed by the IAEA."



  17. Site: LifeNews
    5 hours 26 min ago
    Author: Steven Ertelt

    The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-10 on June 10, 2025, to advance a bill to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. That’s the 1994 law Joe Biden’s administration used to put pro-life Americans in prison for peacefully protesting abortion.

    The FACE law was weaponized by the Biden administration to target and imprison peaceful pro-life activists, including elderly women. The legislation, led by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, aims to prevent future administrations from using the law to punish pro-lifers for exercising free speech and religious freedoms outside abortion clinics.

    The FACE Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, prohibits the use of force, threats, or physical obstruction to interfere with abortion businesses and pro-life pregnancy centers. However, pro-life groups argue it has been disproportionately enforced against their advocates.

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    Data cited by Roy’s office shows that 97% of FACE Act prosecutions from 1994 to 2024 targeted pro-life activists, including cases against elderly women like 89-year-old Eva Edl, a wheelchair-bound Soviet concentration camp survivor convicted for praying and singing hymns outside a Michigan abortion clinic in 2020.

    “This vote is a victory for the unborn and for the free speech of Americans who stand for life,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, which has championed the repeal effort. “The FACE Act was twisted into a tool to jail grandmas and peaceful protesters while ignoring attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers. It’s time to end this injustice.”

    Under the Biden administration, the Justice Department prosecuted 55 pro-life activists in 24 cases, securing 34 convictions, according to congressional testimony.

    Notable cases include Paul Vaughn, arrested by FBI agents at his Tennessee home in 2022 for a 2021 nonviolent sit-in, and Edl, who faced up to 11 years in prison for her role in a peaceful blockade.

    Pro-life advocates argue these prosecutions, often paired with “conspiracy against rights” charges to inflate penalties, represent a double standard, as attacks on pro-life facilities post-Dobbs—such as vandalism and firebombings—rarely faced federal charges.

    “Joe Biden’s DOJ turned the FACE Act into a weapon against everyday Americans who believe in the sanctity of life,” Roy said in a statement. “With a Republican-led Congress and President Trump’s support, we can repeal this law and protect free speech for all.”

    The bill’s passage through the Judiciary Committee marks a significant step, though it faces hurdles in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster.

    Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has introduced companion legislation, and pro-life groups are hopeful that President Donald Trump, who pardoned 23 FACE Act convicts in January 2025, will sign the repeal if it reaches his desk. Trump’s Justice Department has already limited FACE Act enforcement to “extraordinary circumstances,” leaving most cases to state and local authorities.

    The bill now heads to the House Rules Committee before a potential floor vote. If passed, it would end a law that pro-life groups say has been used to silence their message and imprison their supporters, including vulnerable elderly activists.

    The post House Committee Passes Bill to Repeal Law Biden Used to Put Pro-Life Grandmas in Prison appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  18. Site: Catholic Conclave
    5 hours 47 min ago
    Irene Montero,  the socialist-communist government minister responsible for a law that freed a multitude of rapists, did not receive when she was in government the victims of ecclesiastical sexual abuse with whom she demonstrated yesterday.Cathcon: Along with the synodalists, someone else politically instrumentalising the abuse crisis for their own ends.  The person responsible forCatholic Conclavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.com0
  19. Site: LifeNews
    5 hours 58 min ago
    Author: Steven Ertelt

    A federal investigation has concluded that Ascension Seton Williamson Hospital in Texas violated federal law by failing to promptly treat Kyleigh Thurman’s life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, resulting in severe health consequences, including the loss of a fallopian tube.

    Pro-life advocates argue the case highlights hospital mismanagement, not Texas’ pro-life laws, which explicitly permit treatment for ectopic pregnancies.

    According to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) report, Thurman, 36, sought emergency care in 2023 for symptoms including vaginal bleeding and cramping. Despite clear signs of an ectopic pregnancy—where a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, posing a risk of rupture and death—the hospital discharged her without treatment or transfer to another facility.

    Days later, after continued bleeding, she returned, but the hospital again delayed care until her fallopian tube ruptured, necessitating emergency surgery that compromised her future fertility.

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    The CMS investigation found the hospital violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) by failing to provide a proper medical screening or stabilizing treatment.

    This tragedy stems from hospital failures, not pro-life protections. Blaming Texas’ abortion ban misrepresents the truth and distracts from holding hospitals accountable for neglecting women in crisis.

    Thurman’s case, detailed in a complaint filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, underscores the dangers of ectopic pregnancies, which account for up to 10% of first-trimester maternal deaths nationwide. Her initial visit showed low hormone levels and a blocked fallopian tube, but staff sent her home with a miscarriage pamphlet. Only after her OB-GYN’s urgent pleas on a third visit did the hospital act, too late to prevent the rupture.

    Pro-life groups argue that Texas’ abortion ban, enacted after the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, includes clear exceptions for ectopic pregnancies and other medical emergencies. They contend that fearmongering by abortion advocates has sown confusion among providers, leading to hesitation in cases where treatment is legally permitted.

    Hospitals must train staff to follow the law and prioritize women’s lives. Pro-life laws protect both the mother and her unborn child, and ectopic pregnancy treatment aligns with that mission.

    The CMS report noted multiple hospital deficiencies, including failure to consult an OB-GYN during Thurman’s initial screening. Ascension Seton Williamson issued a statement denying the allegations but offered no further comment.

    For pro-life advocates, Thurman’s ordeal reinforces the need for accountability in healthcare, not the dismantling of laws protecting unborn life.

    The post Hospital Failures, Not Abortion Ban, Caused Failure to Treat Woman’s Ectopic Pregnancy appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  20. Site: LES FEMMES - THE TRUTH
    6 hours 1 min ago
    Author: noreply@blogger.com (Mary Ann Kreitzer)
  21. Site: AsiaNews.it
    6 hours 15 min ago
    Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are investing billions in artificial intelligence and data centres in a two horse race followed with attention and some fear in Washington and Beijing who are trying to boost their partnerships. Gulf states have energy and money, but still lacks qualified talents and brilliant minds. In the first quarter, Saudi GDP boomed, driven by the non-oil sector.
  22. Site: Catholic Conclave
    6 hours 38 min ago
     Scroll down for today'sSaint of the Day/ FeastReading of the MartyrologyDedication of the MonthDedication of the DayRosaryFive Wounds Rosary in LatinSeven Sorrows Rosary in EnglishLatin Monastic OfficeReading of the Rule of Saint BenedictCelebration of MassReading from the School of Jesus CrucifiedFeast of Saint BarnabasSeen here with Saint Paul contesting with pagansFrom the Golden Catholic Conclavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.com0
  23. Site: 4Christum
    7 hours 15 min ago

     Gay activism in the diocese of apostate Timothy Dolan


    Archdiocese New York: Apostate Parish Celebrates Homosexual March – Gloria.tv


    The Apostate Parish Priest is Brian Jordan, OFM

    St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Manhattan plans to celebrate its annual "United In Love Pre-Pride Festive Mass" on June 28.



    This homosexual propaganda Eucharist coincides with a so-called "WorldPride" event in the city that weekend.




    The Catholic parish is notorious for homosexual activism. The prelate responsible for the scandal is "conservative" Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York.




    Across state lines, in Hoboken, New Jersey, Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church is planning to celebrate its seventh annual homosexual propaganda Eucharist on the same weekend.







    Gay activism in the diocese of apostate Joseph Tobin




    Hoboken's apostate church, Our Lady of Grace, engages in gay activism in rebellion against God's natural law and Catholic moral doctrine, using Bergoglio's photo.

    Apostate and gay activist Alexander M. Santora





    The names of the apostate churches St. Francis of Assisi and Our Lady of Grace are on the list of dissident gay activists New ways Ministry






  24. Site: AsiaNews.it
    7 hours 24 min ago
    The Asian Development Bank is investing US$ 1.5 billion to promote more efficient farming that increases productivity while reducing the environmental impact of growing the main staple in the Asian diet. Rice farming alone generates 1.5 per cent of greenhouse gases. New irrigation systems and the use of drones are among the tools to cut the amount of methane released into the atmosphere.
  25. Site: Catholic Conclave
    7 hours 32 min ago
    Images of Marko Rupnik's mosaics have been removed from the Vatican news site Vatican news. The decision represents a first sign of acceleration by the Holy See on the case of the former Jesuit accused of having abused, over a period of thirty years, numerous religious women during his career as a world-renowned artist and theologian. His was a particularly controversial case, not least because Catholic Conclavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.com0
  26. Site: LifeNews
    7 hours 46 min ago
    Author: Steven Ertelt

    A North Texas man faces capital murder charges after slipping abortion drugs into his pregnant girlfriend’s drink, resulting in the death of her unborn child and her hospitalization.

    The case has sparked outrage among pro-life advocates, who say it underscores the sanctity of unborn life and the dangers of unregulated abortion drugs.

    Justin Anthony Banta, 38, an information technology staffer for the U.S. Department of Justice, was arrested June 6, 2025, by the Parker County Sheriff’s Office following a months-long investigation. According to a sheriff’s office press release, Banta intentionally added “Plan C,” a commonly known abortion drug known as mifepristone, to his girlfriend’s drink without her knowledge or consent in September 2024. The incident occurred at a Tarrant County coffee shop, where the victim, whose identity remains confidential, met Banta and later suspected he had tampered with her beverage.

    The victim, who was six weeks pregnant, informed Banta of her pregnancy and expressed her desire to keep her baby, authorities said. Despite her wishes, Banta allegedly encouraged an abortion, offered to cover the cost, and suggested ordering the drugs online.

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

    When she refused, he took matters into his own hands, purchasing the abortion pills and secretly adding them to her drink, according to investigators. The act led to the loss of her unborn child and required her hospitalization for medical complications.

    Banta faces additional charges of tampering with physical evidence, and the Texas Rangers have filed the capital murder charge in Tarrant County. If convicted, he could face life in prison or the death penalty, reflecting Texas’ legal recognition of the unborn as victims in cases of intentional harm.

    Pro-life advocates point to this case as evidence of the risks posed by the availability of abortion drugs like mifepristone, often marketed as “Plan C.” They argue that such drugs, accessible online with minimal oversight, can be misused to harm women and end unborn lives against a mother’s will.

    The victim’s condition remains undisclosed, but her ordeal has drawn sympathy from pro-life communities across the state.

    Banta is being held in the Parker County Jail. His arraignment is pending, and the investigation remains ongoing as authorities review additional evidence.

    The post Texas Man Faces Murder Charge After Killing His Girlfriend’s Unborn Baby appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  27. Site: Mises Institute
    8 hours 8 min ago
    Author: Wanjiru Njoya
    Marxism has infected not only our body politic but also most of our institutions from higher education to religious organizations, as Marxists insist that human action is determined by class and racial affiliations. Ludwig von Mises had a more accurate understanding of how humans act.
  28. Site: AsiaNews.it
    8 hours 24 min ago
    South Korea's new president and the Chinese leader spoke on the phone for about 30 minutes. China insists on the importance of 'multilateralism' against the backdrop of Trump's tariffs. South Korea calls on Xi to play a 'constructive role' in the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
  29. Site: LifeNews
    8 hours 28 min ago
    Author: Alliance Defending Freedom

    Free speech and religious freedom advocates, groups speaking out on the harms of radical gender ideology, and 22 states have filed friend-of-the-court briefs in support of two Vermont families who had their foster-care licenses revoked by Vermont because of their religious beliefs. On May 30, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing the families filed their opening brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in Wuoti v. Winters.

    Despite a track record of success and high praise from social workers who knew Brian and Katy Wuoti and Bryan and Rebecca Gantt, Vermont’s Department for Children and Families revoked their foster-care licenses after the couples expressed their religiously inspired and widely held belief that girls cannot become boys or vice versa. The state applies this policy categorically—prohibiting families with these views from caring for any child, even if they sought to care for a relative, provide respite care for an infant for just one day, or care for a child who shared their faith.

    “Vermont’s foster-care system is in crisis: There aren’t enough families to care for vulnerable kids,” said ADF Senior Counsel Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse. “As numerous states have attested, religious families play a critical role in the foster-care system. Yet instead of inviting families from diverse backgrounds to help care for vulnerable kids, Vermont is shutting the door on them, putting its ideological agenda ahead of the needs of suffering kids. When it comes to finding kids a loving home, everyone should be able to recognize that the needs of kids should come first. And even Vermont agrees that the Wuotis and the Gantts are loving and caring parents willing to open their door to any child.”

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    The state’s foster-care system has more kids in need than families willing to care for them, and officials have had to place some kids in institutions and unlicensed placements, including hospitals and police stations, to fill the gap. To help meet this need, the Wuotis became foster parents in 2014 and adopted two brothers from foster care. The Gantts became foster parents in 2016 and focused on caring for kids born with drug dependencies or with fetal alcohol syndrome. The Gantts have since adopted three kids.

    Vermont officials described the couples as “amazing,” “wonderful,” “kind,” and “welcoming.” Yet the state revoked both families’ licenses when they expressed their religious belief that a person should live consistent with their sex and marriage is the union of one man and one woman. According to the state, that made them “unqualified” to parent any child regardless of the child’s age, beliefs, or identity. Vermont will not license these families to provide any type of foster care or even respite care. ADF attorneys say this exclusion burdens constitutional rights as much as it needlessly deprives kids of loving homes.

    “Foster parents represent the best of society: local citizens who give back to their community by helping the State raise children that have fallen into its care,” explains the multi-state brief led by Florida and the Arizona legislature. “Unfortunately, foster-care systems are in crisis across the nation as states deal with a shortage of foster homes. Vermont’s brusque approach to foster care has only exacerbated that crisis…States like Florida, Oklahoma, and Idaho, whose foster systems are highlighted in this brief, employ foster-care programs that achieve the same interests through means that do not disqualify scores of good-hearted citizens with genuinely held religious and political views: by matching like-minded parents with like-minded children.”

    In a brief filed by The Conscience Project on behalf of prospective foster families in Vermont, attorneys further detail the discrimination by state officials. “Despite the clear desire and ability to provide a safe and loving home for children in need, the Crams were denied a license to foster. According to the denial letter sent to the Crams in June of 2021 by Vermont’s Department for Children and Families, the Crams’ ‘fundamental belief’ of ‘God’s plan for all of us,’ would ‘not meet the emotional or developmental needs of children.’”

    The post 22 States Support Couple Who Lost Foster Care License in Vermont Because They’re Christians appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  30. Site: LifeNews
    8 hours 49 min ago
    Author: Melissa O'Rourke

    A George Soros-backed political action committee (PAC) is launching a multimillion-dollar effort to flip Texas blue, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

    Democrats haven’t won a statewide election in the Republican stronghold in decades. However, Texas Majority PAC, which has received millions of dollars in funding from Soros, hopes to change that trend with its new “Blue Texas” initiative, according to the WSJ.

    Soros and his network of political spending outfits have poured hundreds of millions into supporting Democratic candidates and causes in recent election cycles. Soros donated $2.1 million to Texas Majority PAC in 2024 and $1 million in April, WSJ reported.

    The Blue Texas initiative aims to boost candidate recruitment, organize volunteers, and increase voter turnout, with the goal of turning Texas into a battleground state by 2032, according to the WSJ. Texas Majority, along with state and county Democratic parties, spent about $35 million during the 2024 election cycle, and the new initiative’s price tag is expected to surpass that amount.

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    In addition to backing state and national Democrats, the Soros family has poured millions into local races and initiatives to push a left-wing agenda. Soros-backed groups spent heavily in 2022 and 2024 to pass ballot measures enshrining abortion as a right in state constitutions, and have routinely supported soft-on-crime prosecutors and judges in major American cities.

    The group is particularly focused on the 2026 Senate race, in which former Democratic Rep. Colin Allred — who lost to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024 — is expected to run again. On the Republican side, Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton are vying for the GOP nomination.

    A recent Texas Southern University poll showed Cornyn with a 4-point lead over Allred in a hypothetical general election matchup, and Paxton with just a 2-point lead.

    “If a win is on the table in 2026, we don’t want to leave it there by not being organized,” Katherine Fischer, the deputy executive director of Texas Majority PAC, told WSJ.

    Democrats have funneled massive sums into Texas in recent elections. Allred raised nearly $100 million, while former Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s failed 2018 bid to unseat Cruz brought in over $80 million compared to Cruz’s $38 million.

    Despite significant spending in the state in 2024, Democrats failed to win key races. Former Vice President Kamala Harris lost Texas to President Donald Trump by nearly 14 points, and Cruz defeated Allred by 8.5 points.

    The flight for the White House in 2032 will be particularly consequential in Texas given that the state is expected to add electoral votes after the 2030 reapportionment, while Democratic strongholds such as California and New York are projected to lose them, The American Redistricting Project estimated in December 2023

    “There is no choice for Texas or for anyone else in the country who wants to see a Democrat in the White House after 2032 but to find a pathway through Texas,” Fischer told the WSJ.

    Texas Majority did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

    LifeNews Note: Melissa O’Rourke writes for Daily Caller. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience

    The post George Soros Group Spending Millions to Try to Make Texas a Blue State appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  31. Site: Henrymakow.com
    8 hours 53 min ago
     


    KERup.oq1b.2-small-Why-Dont-Men-Approach-me-Mo.jpg

    YouTube is full of videos of women complaining that men are no longer

     interested in forming relationships. 

    Heterosexuality is based on the exchange of female worldly power for male protection & love.

    Most men love a woman because she sacrifices power. She trusts his leadership.

    Feminism has taught women to seek power instead of love, and compete with men. This has effectively neutered them. Power = penis.

    (Feminism is a Communist depopulation program aimed at undermining marriage and the family.)

    Feminism taught men to seek a woman's approval above his own (i.e. transference, idealizing a woman instead of obeying his best Self.)
     
     

     
    (Disclaimer - This template has worked for centuries. That's why the usual suspects are trying to destroy it.) 
     
     
     Possession is the Essence of Marriage
    (Updated from Dec. 2009 and April 1, 2018)
     
    by Henry Makow Ph.D.


    My wife recently asked me why I loved her. 
     
    Rather than enumerate her good qualities, I answered honestly: "Because you are submissive."

    At the risk of being politically incorrect,  many men do not seek strong independent women. They do not seek great beauty, brains or sex, but the simple feeling of "possessing" a woman. In other words, what they seek is a degree of ownership or power. This is part of masculine identity.

    submissive-wife (1).jpg
    And many women have the complementary desire, to be possessed, to totally "belong" to their husband.  
     
    In a blog post, Joseph William, in his thirties, claims he has slept with 100 women and nearly all of them wanted to be dominated in bed.  They wanted the man to take charge. This has a general application.  Women need men to take the initiative. They acquiesce or reject. 
     
    The essence of heterosexuality is the exchange of female power for male power expressed as love. This is the heterosexual contract. If a woman is not submissive or a man unloving, the contract has been broken, and they must consider separation. 

     
    When a woman surrenders to her husband, she gives him the power to grant her wishes, or not. He does not exploit, control or dominate. He respects her individuality and freedom. 
     
    He wants her to want to be his. He consults and nurtures.  He makes the final decision.  

    Every family needs a head. A creature with two heads is a monster. 

    INTIMACY 
     
    We have a powerful hunger to become one with another person. Two people only can become one when a woman surrenders to her husband. This is how women love. Two people cannot become one if they have competing agendas.  
     
    The greater a woman's acceptance of her husband's leadership, the greater his love for her. When the issue of worldly power is settled, a husband's sense of self expands to encompass his wife. She becomes part of his ego. He knows that her child is his.
     

    first-pos.jpeg

    He loves her passionately because she has given herself to him. She has given him everything he wants. 
     
    Women were designed to crave a man's constant passionate and exclusive love. But feminism ensures they will never get it because it teaches them to be "independent." 
     
    In "The Power of Sexual Surrender" psychiatrist Marie Robinson writes that femininity is based on "an essential female altruism" i.e. putting husband and children first.  Real women do not seek power. They seek love. They are cherished because they dedicate themselves to husband and children.
     
    Women express love in terms of surrender, i.e. trust. She empowers her husband by submitting to him.  Thus, she inspires him to sacrifice for her and their children. Women domesticate men and give them purpose. 
     
    Of course, this surrender applies only to the man she loves, the man who has courted her and won her love. If she gives her trust to the wrong man, that is her responsibility.
     
     

     

    THE BEST WAY TO IMPRESS A WOMAN? DON'T TRY
     
     
    Women have about 20 years of peak sex appeal. They have to seal a deal before they lose it. They are the sellers. Men are the buyers.
     
    When men treat women as sex goddesses, sex objects or prey, as society teaches, they are doomed to fail.
     
    Men need to approach women as they are, fallible human beings with normal human desires.
     
    They need to get to know a woman as friends and decide if they want a deeper relationship.
     
    Women need sex but they want love (an honest human relationship) more. Take an enema and purge everything Hollywood has taught you about love and sex. It is bullshit.
     
     Lasting love is not based on sex appeal or sparkling repartee. You can have great sex with a woman who is not conventionally beautiful. All women are beautiful in the sex act. Lasting love is based on mutual dependence.
     
    A man must decide what he wants to do with his life, and then find a woman who will help him achieve his goal.
      
     
    CONCLUSION
     
    Because the Illuminati bankers control the media and nearly everything else, most of us are ignorant of how egregious and criminal their social engineering is. 
     

    submissive.jpg

    Men are active by nature; women are passive. This is the basic yin-yang of nature.  By messing with this dynamic, Illuminati social engineers (black magicians?) are throwing a spanner in the gears of human reproduction and happiness. Their promotion of homosexuality to heterosexual children is criminal. They should be charged with child abuse. 
     
    This is what Satanists do--override nature. They are evil. They hate us and we have every right to hate them and their minions (liberals) in government, education and the media. 
     
     
     
    ---
     
    First Comment from M in Brazil


    Good post and very true; too bad it's getting worsE.  Man and woman are lost, at least here in Brazil. I am so sick and tired of this feminist, LGBT, race theory, communist agenda, white man-enemy agendas, but unfortunately, it's all over from commercials, companies, celebrities, gov.  pushing this on us on every occasion.

    I am glad my daughter reads this site, she can learn and have a better outcome in life than I had.

    Here in Brazil, women (not all but most), have to pay half of all expenses in the household even if their husband makes 10 times more, it doesn´t matter. They have to pay their share and do most housework since men here say it's their job. What we see nowadays is no longer the sacred union between a men and woman where man treat their wives as a gift given to them by the Lord and woman reverence their husbands and give them children. Instead we are living in times where modern relationships are the norm. Because of that, what we can expect from a marriage is two colleagues living together where each person has their own lives, share their bills 50/50 and if things get too hard they'll just get a divorce and move on to the next partner as if their actions won't have consequences to their children or themselves.

    Then you have good men that cannot find a Christian woman to marry because the women are not committed to the relationship nor to God.  It has been hard for both good man and a good woman here. This world is definitely not what it used to be.

    In my work and at my daughter's college, we see more and more incentives for women to abandon their children with strangers and go to work. From speakers to projects aiming at mothers and women, the effort to put women in their unnatural place is astonishing. At my work, I see women with high paying jobs making all the decisions in their household while their husbands stay home with their kids. And this is a difficult situation because since the feminist agenda has been active for so long, both genders are complacent in maintaining these ungodly roles.

    My daughter tells me about her college, where the girls if they want to have a boyfriend they have to pay for all their expenses on dates and this goes on into the marriage and how most people engage in premarital sex as if it's nothing but a sport. So the women have to pursue a carrier because they can't rely on men. It's truly sad where humanity is heading to.

     Coincidentally, in Brazil there is a youtube channel called Casamento de Verdade (Marriage biblically) from Professor Afonso (he lives in the US now), he mentioned why its important to be submissive (women) marriage. Its was really good and all women liked it and had no problem with it. The 90 thumbs down were basically from men and not the women. In the comments, woman were complaining about having to pay the bills either 50/50 in the marriage and in some cases all of it and having to do all the house work.  
  32. Site: Zero Hedge
    8 hours 55 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    India And US Advance Toward Interim Trade Deal After Four-Day Talks

    Indian and US negotiators have made progress in their latest round of talks in New Delhi on Tuesday on a bilateral trade deal, having focused on market access for industrial and some agricultural goods, tariff cuts and non-tariff barriers, Reuters reported citing Indian government sources.

    "The negotiations held with the U.S. side were productive and helped in making progress towards crafting a mutually beneficial and balanced agreement including through achievement of early wins," one of the sources said.

    The U.S. delegation, led by senior officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, held closed-door negotiations with Indian trade ministry officials headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal. 

    Among the preliminary agreements reached, both sides discussed increasing bilateral digital trade, by improving customs and trade facilitation measures, the sources said, adding that "negotiations will continue" for early conclusion of the initial tranche of the trade pact.

    U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed in February to conclude a bilateral trade agreement by fall 2025 and to more than double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.

    Here are some of the highlights of the preliminary agreement:

    • India and US aim to sign first tranche of trade pact by fall 2025, with both sides agreeing to hold more talks on bilateral pact.

    • The two sides are expected to sign an interim agreement by the end of the month, before the expiry of Trump's 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs on major trading partners, including a 26% tariff on India.

    • Both sides discussed increasing bilateral digital trade, by improving customs and trade facilitation measures, the sources said.

    • Indian and U.S. negotiators made progress in their latest round of talks in New Delhi on Tuesday on a bilateral trade deal, having focused on market access for industrial and some agricultural goods, tariff cuts and non-tariff barriers, Indian government sources said.

    • The next phase of negotiations could tackle more complex matters, with the goal of signing the first tranche of the bilateral trade pact by September or October, the officials added.

    • India resisted U.S. demands to open its markets to wheat, dairy and corn imports, while offering lower tariffs on high-value U.S. products such as almonds, pistachios and walnuts, one of the sources said.

    • India also asked the U.S to revoke its 10% baseline tariff. However, the U.S. side opposed this, noting that even Britain was subject to this under its recent bilateral trade agreement.

    • Additionally, India sought an exemption for its steel exports from a 50% tariff.

    According to Reuters, the potential 26% tariff on India would be devastating to Indian goods - including rice, shrimp, textiles and footwear, which together comprise nearly one-fifth of India's merchandise exports - and could severely hit exports and dampen foreign investment inflows.
     
    India has pledged to increase purchases of American goods, including energy products like liquefied natural gas, crude oil, coal and defence equipment.
     
    India’s exports to the U.S. rose 28% to $37.7 billion in the first four months of 2025, while imports increased to $14.4 billion, widening India’s trade surplus, according to U.S. government data.
    Tyler Durden Tue, 06/10/2025 - 12:15
  33. Site: LifeNews
    9 hours 25 min ago
    Author: Melissa O'Rourke

    Democrats in the New York Legislature approved a bill on Monday that gives individuals with terminal illnesses the right to end their own lives, known as medical aid in dying (MAID).

    The New York State Senate approved S138, or the “Medical Aid in Dying Act,” which allows those with incurable illnesses to be prescribed medication to “hasten the patient’s death,” according to the bill’s text. The legislation will now head to Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk, and if enacted, New York will join 11 other states and the District of Columbia with similar assisted suicide laws.

    “It’s not about hastening death, but ending suffering,” said state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat who sponsored the proposal, according to ABC News. Hoylman-Sigal did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

    The bill was approved by the Senate with a 35-27 vote, with no Republicans supporting it and six Democrats joining the opposition. In April, the State Assembly passed the bill by a vote of 81-67, also with no Republican votes in favor.

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

    New Yorkers who are expected to die within six months, as confirmed by two doctors, would be able to request lethal medications, according to the bill’s text. Two witnesses must sign the request to confirm that the patient has decision-making capacity and is acting voluntarily, without any coercion.

    “Assisted suicide? That’s the priority, with all the issues facing New Yorkers?” Republican state Sen. Rob Ortt said at a news conference on Monday, as reported by The New York Times.

    Critics are concerned that the bill could put New York on a similar path as Canada, which has among the most expansive MAID laws in the world. In 2023, 4.7% of deaths in Canada were assisted by physicians.

    “This is a dark day for New York State. For the first time in its history, New York is on the verge of authorizing doctors to help their patients commit suicide,” said the New York State Catholic Conference in a statement following the Senate’s passage of the bill. “We reject the false notion that suicide is ever a solution. Instead, we call on New York State to expand palliative and hospice care, mental health services, and family caregiver support.”

    The Medical Aid in Dying Act has been endorsed by several medical organizations, including the Medical Society of the State of New York, New York State Academy of Family Physicians, the New York State Psychiatric Association and the New York State Nurses Association.

    Hochul’s office has indicated that she will be reviewing the legislation, though it is not yet known whether she will sign it into law, according to the NYT.

    “Make no mistake – this is only the beginning, and the only person standing between New York and the assisted suicide nightmare unfolding in Canada is Governor Hochul,” the New York State Catholic Conference said.

    LifeNews Note: Melissa O’Rourke writes for Daily Caller. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience.

    The post Democrats Think Killing People is a Solution appeared first on LifeNews.com.

  34. Site: AsiaNews.it
    9 hours 56 min ago
    This morning, Pope Leo XIV met with 98 representatives of the Holy See diplomatic corps in the Clementine Hall. They are a model, "certainly not perfect", of the Church's message in favour of "human fraternity and peace among all peoples, [. . .] serving the dignity of the human person'.
  35. Site: Mises Institute
    11 hours 8 min ago
    Author: Jane L. Johnson
    With US Government bonds being downgraded, another sign that Washington's borrowing and spending is out of control, not that anyone in power is listening. Think of the downgrade as a canary in a coal mine.
  36. Site: Catholic Conclave
    11 hours 20 min ago
    Every year at Pentecost, the thousands of pilgrims returning from Chartres on specially chartered trains sing a traditional song upon their arrival. One of them received a ticket this Monday for "disturbing the station."The success of the Chartres pilgrimage continues unabated. Year after year, the ranks of these traditionalist Catholics who walk from Paris to Chartres at Pentecost grow, and the Catholic Conclavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.com0
  37. Site: Ron Paul Institute - Featured Articles
    11 hours 49 min ago
    Author: Jeffrey A. Tucker

    The excuse that this regime is better than it was, or might otherwise have been, only lasts so long. 

    Every transition government in history has deployed that trope. Think the Girondins in France, Kerensky in Russia, Weimar in Germany, the Second Spanish Republic, Chiang Kai-shek in China, and so on. In order, they were replaced by Robespierre then Napoleon, Lenin then Stalin, Hitler, Franco, and Mao. 

    In each of these cases, the transitional government was caught between and ultimately smashed by pressures from both sides: industrial and intellectual partisans of the old regime with legacy control, on one side, and the radicalism of the populist movements that brought new people to power on the other. 

    Threading this needle is not easy in revolutionary moments. Of such times, history teaches one lesson more than any other. The new regime must be brutally honest about the criminality of the old one and work with focus to dismantle it as fast as possible. Anything short of that leads to its own discrediting and eventual replacement. 

    In every area of government today under the Trump administration, now entering its second phase, we witness these very historical forces at work. The grassroots movement that beat all odds to put the new people in power had high and even revolutionary expectations following the five most horrid years of our lives. 

    Some of these hopes are being partially met in good ways but blocked and neglected in too many other ways that are unbearably conspicuous. This dynamic affects the budget disaster, the demand for transparency, and in the realm of public health. 

    As a result, the wild optimism that greeted the inauguration of Trump has turned to something different, a mixture of incredulity from the grassroots combined with outrage and disgust from the legacy media and establishment that fought this revolution at every turn. 

    This further raises the prospect about which we’ve repeatedly warned: the Trump administration could go down in history as a transitional regime like we’ve seen so many times in history, a four-year experiment in moderation bookended by different brands of totalitarianism on either side. 

    This is a serious matter, not a parlor game. Nor is this a typical political battle. What happened over the last five years was for the ages. The world economy was smashed by nearly all states due to a lab leak for a product partially funded by the US government. The unannounced fallback plan, pushed in the name of science, was to universally distribute a new shot with a new gene-altering technology. 

    The shot did not work. It was not effective. It was not safe. Nor were they properly vetted because they were imposed by military edict under the cover of emergency. Other therapeutics were disparaged and banned. The critics in all areas were censored and shut down. People who refused the injection were fired. Public health collapsed in the name of preserving it. 

    Those harms have seen no justice. 

    Meanwhile, to finance this calamity, debt-financed spending ballooned by $8-10 trillion, leaving the federal government’s budget $2 trillion higher than it otherwise would have been. The shots are still on the market despite undeniable and widely known harms. 

    None of this is a secret, as it might have been in former times. Because of information technologies, people are well aware of every detail. The so-called “populist movement” has become a vast community of in-depth expertise, fully capable of running circles around legacy people and institutions. 

    The new leaders – elected to change course on all the above and more, including the accompanying crime and migration chaos – began with tremendous bravado and sweeping edicts that seemed promising. Four months later, they are asking for patience while dealing with legacy barriers on all sides from media harassment to court blockages. 

    The trouble is that public trust is completely gone. The whole country, traumatized by years of lies, has become Missouri: show me. 

    First, no one believes that the “one big beautiful bill” is just a first step on the way to future draconian cuts. We’ve seen this too many times, which is why Elon Musk finally broke his silence and denounced the entire “massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill” as “a disgusting abomination.” That has set off a power struggle for the ages. 

    Second, in areas of government transparency, there have been some steps but not nearly enough to fulfill the promises. There are still no new Epstein files. The JFK files are a mess and incomplete. We know no more than already public information about the two shooters who tried to kill Trump. There are still many lingering questions about 9-11, the Covid disaster, and so much else. This is not the opening for which the people had hoped. 

    Third, let’s talk more at length about the public health area of policy where we’ve seen the most progress. We have a new and excellent Executive Order on science. Tax-funded Covid testing has ended. A contract of $750M for a Bird flu shot has been cancelled. There are new limits on gain-of-function research, and experiments on beagles and other animals are over. Many terrible contracts from NIH have been cancelled while parts of the CDC have been dismantled. 

    As for the mRNA shots, the market has been narrowed from everyone to only vulnerable populations, leaving aside the known issue that vulnerable populations should not risk them either. 

    There are new standards for randomized controlled trials with placebos, but no assurance that these companies will do them in a timely way. RCTs for a five-year-old product with massive immune-altering effects can never cobble together a valid sample selection at this late date, nor is a continuation of this experiment in any form morally justified. 

    In two tremendous victories, the shots have been removed from the routine childhood schedule, the first time this has ever happened to any product targeting a specific disease apart from eradication or replacement. In effect, the CDC/FDA are saying: it is better to get Covid than risk these products. Such a message will drive uptake to new lows approaching zero eventually. 

    In addition, the outrageous advice from the CDC that expectant women should take them is gone, finally. The champion of that policy has fled the CDC. 

    These are all welcome changes in policies that never should have existed in the first place. Even now, however, no one says the quiet part out loud: even if these shots had been safe and effective, which they are not, they were never necessary for the overwhelming number of people. Which raises the profound question of how and why all this came to be in the first place. 

    There are other initiatives too concerning food nutrition, mental health, and other matters in the MAHA Commission report that are hugely welcome changes from what has existed before. 

    The people in power in these agencies are pleading for patience. That is not unreasonable. Remember that these few appointees are confronting a beast larger, more entrenched, and better financed than any hegemon in human history. The pharma/media/tech/NGO/academia complex is larger and more powerful than the slave trade, the East India Company, Standard Oil, or even the munitions industry that started the Great War. 

    It’s certain that such a Leviathan cannot be ended in three months, not even with the best people in charge. All the grassroots really need to see is evidence of progress plus a transparent reason for delays. If the shots cannot be pulled now, people need to know why. If Covid emergency powers cannot be ended, explain why. If the new Moderna shot was already in the works and could not be stopped, people need to know the reasons. 

    Everyone who has watched all this unfold is of two minds, never mind the endlessly mutating factions within the dissident movements that have seen their leadership ascend to power. The people in the MAGA/MAHA/DOGE movements are as thrilled by the progress so far to the same extent that mainstream media and the legacy establishment are furious about all the changes. 

    For my own part, having watched public affairs for decades, this is the first time I’ve witnessed some progress in at least one area of state operations. That is worthy of celebration. I don’t even need to dwell on the many ways in which improvement over the darkest times of our lives is perhaps not as great an achievement as it would be otherwise. 

    That said, the release of yet another shot, implausibly called NexSpike, especially in light of all evidence and promises, is a tremendous shock for which no one was prepared. If they were in the works and the appointees could not stop them, we should be told that and the full explanation should be given to all. If President Trump himself is still attached to the foul spawn of Operation Warp Speed, and has forced them back onto the market despite vast public opposition, we should know that too. 

    Above all else, what we really need is the blunt truth about the last five years. We need to know that the people in office, whether elected or appointed, still share the deep outrage that fueled the movement that put them in power. We need to hear frank talk about the harms, the mandates, the suffering, the deceptions, the payoffs, the graft, the abuses, the illegal vanquishing of freedom, science, and human rights. 

    It is not enough to proclaim a new Golden Age and be done with it. This pertains to every aspect of public life. Press conferences by the new officeholders, with smiles and promises of better behavior in the future, don’t cut it given the mass loss of trust, rampant cynicism, and grassroots fury. There must be more straight talk, more decisive action that goes to the heart of what happened, and some degree of accountability. 

    We hear daily rumors that all of this is coming. Great. In which case, the new leaders need to make that clear. The masses are not inherently unreasonable. But they are the people within whom the leadership must reason – not “message,” not presented with flim-flam, not entertained with digital Punch and Judy shows, and not sniffily dismissed as ignorant extremists and conspiracy theorists. 

    Every new leadership in government that inherits that kind of disaster of the last five years is necessarily going to be squeezed between the legacy regime – including its vast bureaucracies and industrial interests – and the populist movements that put them in power. In these cases, the status quo usually proves irresistible but with disastrous consequences later. 

    Now is the time to stop that unfolding disaster, one which can only compound the errors of the past. 

    Reprinted with permission from Brownstone Institute.

  38. Site: Ron Paul Institute - Featured Articles
    12 hours 9 min ago
    Author: Alastair Crooke

    Russia’s leadership is in “conclave” determining its riposte.

    Trump has been silent for two days. Unprecedented. In the last days, Ukraine and its facilitators attempted a massive attack on Russia’s strategic nuclear bomber-force; succeeded in collapsing two bridges onto civilian trains heading to Moscow; attacking the Kerch Bridge; and assassinating a Russian general via explosive body bomb.

    As Clausewitz noted two centuries ago, the point of military force is to compel an outcome: i.e. that an adversary finally does what is wanted of him. Thus, in respect to military adventures there is need for clarity of thought from the outset. It must have a realisable political objective that has a prospect to be implemented.

    What then, was the objective behind these Ukrainian “irregular” attacks? One certainly was demonstrative – PR exercises to say that Ukraine and allied services are still capable of mounting special forces style, innovative operations. And are therefore worthy of continued support. As Colonel Doug Macgregor cautions:

    For the most part it was a PR stunt to try and convey the impression that Ukraine is capable of carrying on the war. Anything you hear from the Western outlets … are probably untrue or at least grossly exaggerated … We damaged ourselves and our relationship – what there is left of it – with Moscow … that’s the real fallout from this.

    Okay. But PR stunts are no strategy, nor do the attacks hold any prospect for a shift in the overall strategic military paradigm. It doesn’t say that the West or Ukraine has suddenly discovered a political strategy towards Russia per se. That doesn’t exist. For the most part, the innumerable western declarations come as a hodge-podge of fantasies.

    The second objective however, may indeed have had a clear strategic end-state – and has demonstrated feasibility and the possibility to compel a desired outcome: The various attacks have imposed on Trump the uncomfortable reality that he, as President, does not control US foreign policy. The collective Deep State has just made that plain.

    As General Mike Flynn has warned:

    The Deep State is now acting outside of the control of the elected leadership of our nation … These persons in our Deep State are engaged in a deliberate effort to provoke Russia into a major confrontation with the West, including the United States.

    In effect, the likes of Generals Keith Kellogg and Jack Keane, with their adolescent narratives that only through pressure, more pressure and pain will compel Putin (always presumed to be weak) to accept a frozen conflict in the hope that it can obvert from an American defeat in Ukraine.

    The British during WW2 similarly believed that the Nazi regime was not strong, and could be overthrown by strategic bombing, intended to bring about the collapse of German society. Today, General Kellogg advocates “bombing” Russia with sanctions – mirroring the British conviction that such tactics “must be bad for morale.”

    Trump’s advice from his Generals either did not meet the criterion of political realism – because it was based on fantasies of incipient Russian collapse and a hopeless misreading of Russia and its Army. Or perhaps his Advisers, either inadvertently or deliberately, “shafted” Trump and his agenda of normalising relations with Russia.

    What will Trump say now to Putin? That he was indeed forewarned (recall his writing just days ago that “bad things – if it were not for me – I mean REALLY BAD things would already have happened to Russia”) and claim that his advisers did not give him the full details; or will he candidly admit that they deceived him? Alternatively, will he take the line that the CIA was merely operating to an old Presidential “Finding” that authorised attacks into the depth of the Russian hinterland?

    All such putative answers would spell one thing – that Trump is not in control. That he and his European allies (such as Britain) cannot be trusted.

    Either way, Trump’s advisers will have understood that Zelensky and by extension his NATO enablers, were exploiting the SALT/START Treaties’ vulnerability – in order to use concealed drones, hidden in civilian containers, to attack the very bombers covered by USA-Russia treaties: Article XII of the START treaty specifically requires “a display in the open of all heavy bombers within the airbase.” This provision was a confidence building act (visible monitoring) to guard against a surprise “first strike” nuclear attack.

    START 1 cut long-range or strategic nuclear arsenals by 30-40 percent. New START slashed accountable deployed strategic arms by another three-quarters. In 2021, Presidents Biden and Putin extended New START until February 2026.

    Of course, these unidentified enablers understood the gravity of striking the strategic nuclear force of a major rival nuclear weapons power.

    How would the US respond if an adversary (perhaps a non-state actor) launched a strike against strategic long-range nuclear capable bombers in the USA using cheap and easily available drones hidden in containers? We are in a new era of risk – one in which pagers and cell phones can be weaponised as bombs – and of “sleeper” drones that can be remotely activated to attack airfields, either civilian or military.

    Larry Johnson has observed that after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, intended to destroy the US aircraft carriers berthed there, the Japanese Admiral Yamamoto reportedly said the following in the aftermath of Japan’s great victory at Pearl Harbour: “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve … We have won a great tactical victory at Pearl Harbour and thereby lost the war.”

    The silence of the bears will soon be ended and we will know more about Russian resolve; but a relationship in which Trump is understood to “mean what he says, and does what he says” likely is over. The Russians are furious.

    What happens next is unknown.

    Reprinted with permission from Strategic Culture Foundation.

  39. Site: PaulCraigRoberts.org
    12 hours 49 min ago
    Author: pcr3

    Is Putin’s Soft Approach Bringing War in its Train?

    Paul Craig Roberts

    “If Mr. Putin genuinely wants to save the lives of his soldiers and of his civilians then he should end the war conclusively and dramatically right now. This, I believe, is well within his power if he has the will and the vision to act as the situation requires.” — Gilbert Doctorow

    I am pleased to see Gilbert Doctorow’s concurrence with my longstanding position that the greatest threat to peace is Putin’s reluctance to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a quick decisive end. Putin’s ongoing war is a direct road to wider war. 

    In his ever-widening war Putin has done nothing to prevent the Kiev government from continuing the war.  I have suggested that Putin hoped to use peace negotiations to achieve a wider understanding with the West.  Others have attributed Putin’s inaction to his concern that if Russia acts decisively, the result will be to unite the West to more hostile action.  Still others attribute the never-ending conflict to Russian weakness.  Whatever the cause, the longer the war continues the more it spins out of control.  Although dismissed by Putin, the attack on Russia’s triad is a very serious matter.

    Gilbert Doctorow and John Helmer are commentators, analysts, whatever you want to designate them, who seek out the facts instead of pushing official narratives. They don’t always see eye-to-eye, but I read them as a check on my own thinking.  The fact that most so-called experts are pushing narratives instead of correct explanations is why we are in danger from such reckless actions as attacking Russian strategic nuclear forces.  As I have said, that attack should scare the world to death.

     

    Use it or Lose It

    Gilbert Doctorow

    https://gilbertdoctorow.substack.com/p/more-on-use-it-or-lose-it 

    I note with some satisfaction that my last two essays questioning Vladimir Putin’s ‘softly, softly’ approach to conduct of the war in Ukraine attracted particular support from the Community. In what follows, I intend to take this logic one big step further for the sake of argument. Let us do what Herman Kahn famously proposed in his controversial book of 1962 and think about the unthinkable.

    I do this in the knowledge that a fair percentage of readers in Alternative Media, including this web platform, may be pacifist minded. My intention is not to offend them, but to allow them to consider other positions on how this war can be prosecuted to bring it to a close sooner rather than later and to spare the lives of combatants and civilians on both sides of the conflict. All the while, my first concern is to avoid escalation to nuclear exchanges, which is what the Community surely believes to be the underlying motive of Putin’s ‘softly, softly’ approach.

    In a world of demented politicians occupying highest office, as in the case of Joe Biden, assisted by wholly irresponsible, insane assistants like Jake Sullivan and Tony Blinken, ‘softly, softly’ may have made sense. In a world dominated by Realists like Donald Trump it no longer makes sense.

    *****

    As readers of yesterday’s essay here will be aware, the Russian government is presently pretending that the attack by Ukrainian drones on its strategic bombers last weekend never happened. Mr. Putin spoke about the Ukrainian attempts to sabotage the peace talks the day before they were scheduled to resume in Istanbul on 2 June by staging terror attacks on civilian rail infrastructure in the Kursk and Bryansk oblasts. This allowed him to attach the ‘state supported terror’ label to the Kiev regime and to prepare the world community for a possible decapitating strike some time in the future. But in time present, Russia’s response to the attacks of last weekend were just more of the same destruction it has rained down on Ukrainian drone manufacturing facilities, design offices and arms caches over the past year or more, all without any apparent effect on the intensity of Ukrainian drone counter-strikes on civilian targets within the Russian Federation, not to mention Ukrainian sabotage by paid agents inside Russia.

    The only indirect Russian response to the Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s heavy nuclear capable bombers in air bases across the Federation was the seemingly offhand remark by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ryabkov during this past week that it is unlikely there will be any renewal of the New START treaty which mandated the vulnerable stationing of Russian bombers out in the open when that treaty expires early next year.

    The logic of Putin’s conduct of the war has been to minimize casualties among Russian soldiers. That prioritization has dictated against Russia’s staging any further storming of Ukrainian fortified cities such as was practiced in the first year of the war in the capture of Mariupol and Bakhmut. Though Russian forces have been advancing steadily along the entire 1200 km Donbas front for many months now, the big summer offensive that Western military commentators are talking about is unlikely to happen precisely because such offensives normally result in much higher casualties on the attacking side than in the defending side and the Kremlin does not want to reverse its overall advantage in casualties incurred till now, which may be reckoned at 7:1 or better.

    Let us be clear eyed: this laudable concern for its soldiery results not only from humane considerations. I believe that uppermost are political considerations. Russia today is not the USSR in 1942. It is a democracy, not an iron-fisted, murderous dictatorship and it is responsive to the wishes of its citizenry, who do not want to lose vast numbers of men on the battlefield for the sake of national interests.

    The Kremlin is sticking to its plan of a slow war of attrition that has played out reasonably well till now. However, this war of attrition has not brought Ukraine to the point of capitulation, which is the fundamental precondition for their agreeing to the peace terms set out in the Memorandum that the Russian delegation handed over to the Ukrainians a week ago in Istanbul and made available publicly by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since then.

    Considering the size of Ukraine and of its population; considering the residual military aid it may yet receive from friends around the world even if the USA steps aside; considering the hatred of moskali (pejorative for Russians) in the broad Ukrainian population that the past decade of intense U.S.-paid propaganda has fanned – the naturally arrived at point of capitulation by Kiev is unforeseeable, even if many, myself included, have suggested it could come soon. Supporting this view are the videos of Russia’s war correspondents speaking to front-line soldiers, especially those manning artillery or tanks shown on Russian state television daily: these soldiers are constantly moving positions to stand clear of incoming artillery and drone strikes coming within minutes of what they themselves are firing. This means that the Ukrainian forces are not fleeing the battlefield but are staying and fighting with deadly effect. Regrettably I do not see any of this reflected in the commentaries of my peers.

    *****

    During the first Istanbul face to face meeting of Russian and Ukrainian peace negotiators, the head of the Russian delegation Medinsky pointed out that Russia is ready to continue the fight with Ukraine to complete victory however long that takes and he made reference to the Great Northern War with Sweden conducted to victory by Peter the Great…over the course of 21 years.

    Twenty-one years!

    However, the logic of this argument does not hold. As I said long ago, Vladimir Putin launched the Special Military Operation in February 2022 because he and his advisors saw a window of opportunity to end the military build-up of Ukraine and its planned accession to NATO. The window of opportunity was defined by Russia’s having reached a new plateau in development and first deployment of cutting-edge strategic weapons systems giving it an edge of perhaps five years over the United States. It was also defined by the way the economy had been made sanctions proof since 2014.

    This window of opportunity would close within five years as the USA caught up in strategic weapons and as Putin’s holding center stage in Russian politics comes to an end for natural reasons of health, life longevity and so on.

    In the meantime, the war itself has created new ‘sell by dates’ on its continuation. The rise to power of Donald Trump has pointed to the possible withdrawal of US military support for Europe under NATO, all of which has empowered those voices in Brussels calling for a big expansion of military production and expansion of military budgets in Europe. It is now conceivable that Europe will pose a serious threat to Russia in conventional warfare within a five-year time horizon unless Russia scores a military victory in Ukraine soon, compelling a capitulation not only in Kiev leading to the country’s neutrality but also capitulation in Brussels and Washington leading to negotiations redrawing the European security architecture and bringing Russia in from the cold.

    If Mr. Putin genuinely wants to save the lives of his soldiers and of his civilians then he should end the war conclusively and dramatically right now. This, I believe, is well within his power if he has the will and the vision to act as the situation requires.

    As I suggested a couple of days ago, an Oreshnik strike on the headquarters of Ukrainian terror operations headed by Kyrylo Budanov in downtown Kiev would seriously curtail if not completely shut down the terror dimension of Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Why wait?

    An Oreshnik strike on wherever in Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and his closest advisors happen to be would free up Ukrainian politics for a genuine move towards peace talks as opposed to the charade we see today.

    But why stop there? It is widely assumed that the leading country in the West promoting delivery of a humiliating defeat on Russia and the country’s subjugation is the United Kingdom. It is widely assumed that the planners and likely help-mates to the Ukrainians in their implementation of Operation Spider Web last weekend were the Brits.

    Accordingly, I believe that the best response to the attack on the Russian nuclear triad of last weekend would be for Russia to quietly sink a couple of British nuclear submarines.

    Who would back Britain in a retaliatory strike against Russia? No one! Mr. Trump is not going to put the entire USA under threat of instantaneous destruction from unstoppable Russian missiles by rising to the defense of Mr, Keir Starmer and his warmonger ministers.

    To those who fear for Mr. Putin, who admire his saintly forbearance, I repeat the bit of folk wisdom I received from my boss in a multinational corporation back in the 1980s: the cemeteries are filled with irreplaceable people.

    ©Gilbert Doctorow, 2025

    Further comment by PCR:

    An alternative to Doctorow’s view that “the logic of Putin’s conduct of the war has been to minimize casualties among Russian soldiers” is that Putin, having foolishly relied on the Minsk Agreement that was used to deceive him was not prepared for the conflict that Washington forced upon him. Therefore, the Russian intervention had to be restricted to clearing Ukrainian forces from the independent Donbas republics. Having been trapped into a limited response, Putin was kept in the trap by Western accusations that he had “invaded Ukraine” and would go on from there to Western Europe. If Putin finally mobilized sufficient forces to destroy resistance, the West would find its prediction confirmed and unite to enter the conflict. Thus was Putin trapped in his “Special Military Operation.”

    Fearful of an expanded conflict, Putin’s failure to respond to provocations and to enforce his red lines has expanded the conflict into attacks on Russia’s nuclear triad, and Putin side-stepped reality again. The consequences of Putin’s acceptance of provocations is his lack of credibility. The West does not believe that he will really fight. This belief, reinforced by Putin’s behavior, will result in a provocation that cannot be ignored, and WW III will begin.

    Doctorow is correct that the only way to avoid a real war is for Putin to quickly produce an overwhelming Russian victory that completely removes Ukraine from the conflict and sends a believable message to the West. This can be done with conventional weapons. At the moment Putin’s non-action has eviscerated the credibility of Russia’s war doctrine.

    Will Putin end the conflict with victory, or will he condemn the world to war?

    I seldom see intelligent and relevant analysis from Russian commentators . Whether this reflects censorship or a misunderstanding of events I do not know. The Western foreign policy community simply repeats official narratives.

  40. Site: Zero Hedge
    12 hours 49 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Futures Rise As Market Awaits Outcome US-China Trade Talks

    US equity futures are little changed, paring earlier gains along with European stocks, as Commerce Secretary Lutnick says US-China trade talks are "going well" and that they’re expected to go on all day. The bar for an improvement risk appetite appears high after Chinese stocks suddenly fell toward the end of trading day earlier, sparking a broader souring of sentiment. As of 8:00am S&P futures were up 0.1% into today’s trade talks and tomorrow's CPI print; Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.1%, with Mag7 names seeing muted returns ex-TSLA which is +3%. Semis/Cyclicals are seeing a bid. The UK’s FTSE 100, however, was poised to close at an all-time high for the first time since March. US/China talks continue for a second day with Bessent empowered to alter US export controls; US/Iran talks are set for Thursday.
    US Treasuries extended gains ahead of a $58 billion auction of three-year bonds; the USD is higher into tomorrow's CPI; commodities are higher led by Ags/Energy. Today’s macro data print is the Small Business Optimism survey, which rose from 95.8 to 98.8, beating expectations of a 96.0 print. 

    Inpremarket trading, Mag 7 tech giants were miexed: Tesla +2%, Nvidia +0.2%, Alphabet -0.2%, Amazon -0.1%, Meta Platforms +0.6%, Apple -0.3%, Microsoft -0.3%. McDonald’s fell 1.6% after Redburn downgrades the restaurant chain to sell from buy, saying weight-loss drugs are suppressing consumer appetites and presenting an under-appreciated longer-term threat. Here are some other notable premarket movers: 

    • Brown & Brown (BRO) falls 3% after agreeing to buy privately-held insurance brokerage Accession Risk Management Group for $9.825 billion.
    • Insmed (INSM) rises 17% after the company announced positive topline results from Phase 2b study of treprostinil palmitil inhalation powder as a once-daily therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
    • JM Smucker (SJM) falls 7% after the packaged-food company projected profit for the coming fiscal year that trailed Wall Street’s expectations, continuing a challenging run for the biggest US packaged food producers.
    • TechTarget (TTGT) drops 4.8% after the marketing software firm was downgraded to underweight at JPMorgan on a lack of catalysts.
    • Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) ADRs rise 5% after agreeing to buy Chinese podcasting startup Ximalaya Inc. for $1.3 billion in cash plus an issuance of stock, a deal that propels its ambition to become China’s answer to Spotify

    While Monday’s negotiations in London between the US and China delivered no breakthrough, American officials had sounded optimistic that the two sides could ease tensions over shipments of technology and rare earth elements. With a key inflation read on tap Wednesday, investors are waiting for fresh drivers after stocks rebounded to near record levels from their April lows.

    We believe the path of least resistance for equities remains upward and potentially see room for some US performance catch-up,” wrote Alastair Pinder, global equity strategist at HSBC Holdings Plc.

    As delegations from the US and China arrived at London’s Lancaster House for the start of talks on Tuesday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said discussions were “going well” and expected negotiations to continue “all day today.” 

    Meanwhile, analysts at firms including Barclays and JPMorgan Chase & Co. see further upside for US stocks, in part because they expect institutional investors to abandon their cautious stance and ramp up exposure to equities.  Citigroup strategists said that technology heavyweights have attracted a flurry of bullish bets as optimism around the trade outlook overshadows trade concerns.

    “Flow activity has been largely one-sided, driven by new risk flows for large caps,” the team led by Chris Montagu wrote. “While tariff policy issues remain a concern, investors have also been assessing the evolving macro backdrop.”

    European stocks were little changed, with investors reluctant to make big bets ahead of a second day of trade negotiations between the US and China. Stoxx 600 fell 0.2% with energy and auto sectors leading gains, while financial services stocks among the biggest laggards. Among individual stocks, UBS fell after Vontobel analysts wrote that Swiss capital demands could impact its competitiveness. The FTSE 100 surpassed its previous closing peak as investors took comfort from an improving economic outlook and easing trade tensions, with the UK becoming the first nation to strike a deal with President Donald Trump after his April 2 tariff announcements. That said, sentiment remains fragile as London faces an exodus of companies moving listings to the US and shelving initial public offerings.

    Here are the most notable European movers: 

    • SoftwareOne shares rise as much as 12% to hit a seven-month high after the company said its deal to buy Crayon will close on July 2.
    • Umicore shares jump as much as 10% to hit a seven-month high, after Goldman Sachs analysts upgraded the chemicals firm to buy and doubled the price target.
    • Tecan shares gain as much as 5.4% after Berenberg started coverage of the Swiss laboratory-equipment maker with a buy rating, saying it is a high-quality operator that currently trades at a discount.
    • Bellway shares rise as much as 4.1% after the UK housebuilder reported robust trading and said it expects to build more houses and sell them at higher prices than previously thought.
    • Aberdeen rises as much as 5.9%, climbing to highest since August 2023, as JPMorgan upgrades to overweight and places the UK investment firm on a positive catalyst watch.
    • Puuilo gains as much as 8.5%, setting a new record high, as DNB Carnegie says the Finnish home-improvement retailer’s results surpassed what had been already bullish expectations.
    • European energy stocks are outperforming as oil prices rise for a fourth straight day due to investor optimism around extended US-China trade talks and signs of near-term tightness in the physical market.
    • FirstGroup rises as much as 7.2%, hitting the highest since Sept. 2012, as analysts welcome a full-year beat from the UK bus and rail company.
    • UBS shares drop as much as 7.4%, erasing all of Friday’s gains that followed the Swiss government proposing new rules that could see the bank hold up to $26 billion in fresh capital.
    • Renk shares fall as much as 10% after Bank of America double-downgraded the stock to underperform, saying it has run too far in the short term and noting the German firm’s lack of exposure to defense electronics.
    • Hochschild Mining shares plummet as much as 21%, the most in over two years, after the company warned the Mara Rosa mine in Brazil will produce far less gold than hoped this year.
    • GB Group shares drop as much as 13% after the identity verification and fraud prevention specialist delivered another year of “underwhelming” growth, according to Jefferies.

    Earlier in the session, Asian equities rose before the second day of trade talks between the US and China began, as traders stayed cautiously optimistic over any potential progress. The gains in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index narrowed to 0.3% from 0.7% earlier. TSMC, MediaTek and Commonwealth Bank of Australia were among the biggest boosts. Taiwan led the charge among local markets, with notable advances also in Indonesia and South Korea. 

    Chinese stocks slid suddenly in the afternoon session amid speculation that the US-China trade negotiations might have hit bumps. The move came on an elevated trading volume with major index ETFs also see surging volume. Rare earth names on the opposite saw a sharp move higher. Defensive names including high-div and agribusiness sector managed to claimed the loss first, and lead the index to rebound around 13:28. China managed to recovered part of the loss and ended up small loss by end of day. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index dipped almost 1% during the session and then recovered most of the losses.

    Focus continues to be on the US-China trade talk in London of which more active headlines are expected to rise. From a full day perspective, Pharma continued the positive momentum, banks picking up buyers as risking off. Growth names all pulled back in PM.

    “Beyond the very short term dynamic, I think our expectation should be very low because I think that what we have seen from Geneva talks, London talks now is that this is going to be a protracted, long period of discussions between the two,” Bilal Hafeez, CEO at Macro Hive, said in a Bloomberg TV interview.

    In FX, the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index also trims gains, up 0.1%, while the Swiss franc tops the G-10 FX leader board, rising marginally along with haven assets. USD/JPY rises as much as 0.5% to the day’s high of 145.29, before paring gains; the yen came under selling pressure after Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Japan’s price trend still has some ways to go to reach 2.  The dollar index would likely stay in a range “given the tariff uncertainty and the need for investors to keep assessing conditions,” Malayan Banking Bhd strategists wrote in a note.

    In rates, treasuries hold modest gains in early US session, supported by bigger advance for gilts after soft UK labor-market data boosted expectations for Bank of England interest-rate cuts this year. US yields are 2bp-3bp richer across maturities with the curve flatter; 10-year is around 4.45%, about 2.5bp lower on the day with UK counterpart outperforming by around 4bp. Gilts outperformed their US and European peers after UK employment fell by the most in five years and wage growth slowed more than forecast. UK 10-year yields fall 7 bps to 4.56% as traders also boosted their Bank of England interest-rate cut bets; swaps tied to Bank of England’s policy rate price in around 47bp of easing by year-end vs 41bp at Monday’s close.

    The US session features first of this week’s three Treasury coupon auctions, a 3-year new issue for $58 billion at 1pm New York time; $39 billion 10-year and $22 billion 30-year reopenings follow Wednesday and Thursday. WI 3-year yield near 3.955% is ~13bp cheaper than last month’s, which stopped through by 0.2bp. Traders will be closely watching Tuesday’s three-year Treasury auction as a read on whether or not foreigners are reducing their holding of US assets, wrote Chris Turner, head of foreign exchange strategy at ING Bank in London. “The focus therefore will be on the indirect bid at the auction and also the general gauge of auction success,” Turner wrote. “A poor auction could rekindle the weaker dollar story.”

    In commodities, spot gold reversed an earlier fall and is now a few dollars higher on the day. Oil prices rise for a fourth day, with WTI up 0.1% at ~$65 a barrel. Bitcoin rises 0.4% and above $109,000.

    Looking to the day ahead now, and data releases include UK unemployment and Italian industrial production for April, and in the US there’s the NFIB’s small business optimism index for May (printed at 98.8, above the est. of 96.0 and up from 95.8 prior).. Meanwhile from central banks, we’ll hear from the ECB’s Villeroy, Holzmann and Rehn.

    Market Snapshot

    • S&P 500 mini little changed
    • Nasdaq 100 mini little changed
    • Russell 2000 mini +0.2%
    • Stoxx Europe 600 -0.1%
    • DAX -0.6%
    • CAC 40 little changed
    • 10-year Treasury yield -2 basis points at 4.45%
    • VIX +0.2 points at 17.38
    • Bloomberg Dollar Index +0.1% at 1211.05
    • euro -0.1% at $1.141
    • WTI crude +0.4% at $65.58/barrel

    Top Overnight News

    • US military confirmed it has activated 700 marines to help protect federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area: RTRS
    • US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 members of one of the main committees that advises the government on vaccine safety and policy. BBG
    • META is creating a new AI research lab dedicated to achieving “superintelligence,” and Alexandr Wang, the founder and CEO of Scale AI, is set to join the initiative (Meta is in talks to invest billions into Scale AI). NYT
    • House Speaker Johnson said they are on track to get a budget bill passed by Independence Day and urged the Senate to modify SALT as little as possible.
    • US GOP Rep. Green notified the Speaker he would resign from Congress after the reconciliation package vote.
    • China is tapping its $1.5 trillion housing provident fund to salvage its property sector, with the government program outpacing banks in providing mortgages. BBG
    • TSMC reported a 40% jump in May revenue, fueled by companies stockpiling chips in response to mounting trade uncertainty. BBG
    • Huawei’s founder said US export controls won’t have an impact on the company as Washington exaggerates the firm’s capabilities. Ren Zhegfei said Huawei’s Ascend chip, the main rival to NVDA’s products in China,  
    •  “still lags behind the US by one generation.” FT
    • Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said the central bank is still some distance from its inflation goal in comments that helped accelerate a weakening of the yen. While Ueda also talked down the possibility of any rate cut to boost the economy, the mention of a possible need to offer support for the economy likely gave the impression that the bank’s next move to raise rates will be more distant. BBG
    • The U.K.’s labor market cooled in the three months to April, offering reassurance to Bank of England policymakers despite the level still being well above that required to return inflation to target any time soon. Average weekly earnings excluding bonuses rose 5.2% from a year earlier, down from 5.5% in the three months to March. The unemployment rate climbed to 4.6% in the period from 4.4% in the prior quarter, the highest since May-July 2021. WSJ
    • Britain approved a £14.2 billion investment to help build its nuclear plant Sizewell C. The country’s wide-ranging spending review — set to be announced tomorrow — includes plans to offer cheaper financing for housebuilders. BBG
    • META is creating a new AI research lab dedicated to achieving “superintelligence,” and Alexandr Wang, the founder and CEO of Scale AI, is set to join the initiative (Meta is in talks to invest billions into Scale AI). NYT
    • Autos are a key component of trade negotiations and Trump might need to make a choice: he can’t keep his auto tariffs and strike trade deals. Politico

    Tariffs/Trade

    • US-China talks in London were scheduled to continue on Tuesday at 10:30BST/05:30EDT (delayed from 10:00BST/05:00ET, no reason provided) following talks on Monday which concluded after 6 hours and 40 minutes; the US Treasury announced Tuesday's talks began around 10:44BST/05:44ET. Heading into the talks, US Commerce Secretary Lutnick said discussions with China are "going well", and talks are to continue all day Tuesday.
    • US DoJ requested that judges extend a hold on the ruling against Trump tariffs.
    • Japanese PM Ishiba and US President Trump will hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada.
    • Japanese Economy Minister Akazawa said the key is if Japan and the US can agree on a trade package, while it was separately reported that he is to visit the US and Canada from June 13th-18th for tariff talks, according to Nikkei.

    A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newsquawk

    APAC stocks traded mostly higher with risk sentiment underpinned amid some optimism surrounding US-China talks which are set to resume on Tuesday and have been described so far by US officials as a 'good meeting' and "fruitful". ASX 200 gained on return from the long weekend with the advances led by outperformance in Consumer Discretionary, Financials, Energy and Tech, while further upside was capped amid mixed consumer and business sentiment surveys. Nikkei 225 initially outperformed as it coat-tailed on the recent upside in USD/JPY which was partially facilitated alongside comments from BoJ Governor Ueda who stated that the BoJ is keeping the real interest rate negative, so underlying inflation achieves 2% and keeps inflation sustainably and stably at 2%. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp kept afloat as the attention centred on US-China talks in London which are scheduled to extend for a second day.

    Top Asian News

    • Chinese President Xi and South Korean President Lee held a phone talk, while Xi said that China and South Korea should promote strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level and he urged the countries to inject more certainty into regional and international situation. Furthermore, Xi urged they jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade and ensure stable, smooth global and regional industrial and supply chains.
    • Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with French President Macron in France and said that China is ready to work with the EU to further expand areas of cooperation and promote new development in China-EU relations, while Han said at the UN Ocean Conference that China will carry out bilateral and multilateral cooperation projects to support small island states and other developing countries in implementing sustainable development goals.
    • Chinese Finance Ministry announced that China is working on setting up a childcare subsidy system.
    • BoJ Governor Ueda said if the economy and prices come under strong downward pressure, the BoJ has limited room to underpin growth with rate cuts with the short-term rate still at 0.5% and noted that underlying inflation is still below 2%. Ueda stated the BoJ is keeping the real interest rate negative, so underlying inflation achieves 2% and keeps inflation sustainably and stably at 2%, but reiterated that the BoJ will raise interest rates if it has enough confidence that underlying inflation nears or moves around 2%.

    European bourses (STOXX 600 -0.1%) opened mixed and on either side of the unchanged mark; sentiment did gradually improve just after the cash open but then a bout of hefty pressure took most European indices back into negative territory. No clear driver for the downside, but perhaps in anticipation of the US-China talks.
    European sectors are mixed and with no clear theme or bias. Energy takes the top spot, following closely by Autos & Parts; the latter likely benefitting from the optimism surrounding the US-China talks. Financial Services sits at the foot of the pile, with the downside driven by losses in UBS (-6.6%), reversing some of the upside seen on Friday and as traders digest the latest government proposals which aim to force the bank to hold an extra USD 26bln in extra capital.

    Top European News

    • UK Chancellor Reeves is planning a ‘housing bank’ to provide cheaper financing for builders and is considering a funding settlement of up to GBP 25bln for social housing in Wednesday’s spending review, according to FT.
    • ECB's Holzmann said the pause in cutting rates could last a while and if economic data worsens there could be more cuts, while he is moderately optimistic about what will happen with Trump and tariffs, according to Orf TV.
    • ECB's Villeroy says ECB has successfully normalised policy; policy and inflation are now in a favourable zone Being in a favourable zone does not mean the Bank is static. ECB will be as agile as needed.
    • ECB's Rehn says will take decisions on a meeting by meeting basis, must avoid complacency over the inflation outlook.
    • French President Macron says he does not rule out the possibility of dissolving the National Assembly and calling snap elections, according to Bloomberg.

    FX

    • USD has kicked the session off on the front foot with support stemming from the positive readout of the US-China trade talks which saw US Treasury Secretary Bessent state that it was a 'good meeting' with China, whilst Commerce Secretary Lutnick said talks were "fruitful". Focus today will be on the US 3yr auction, to give further indication of if the "Sell America" theme is still at play. DXY currently around 99.15.
    • EUR is a touch softer vs. the broadly firmer USD with fresh macro drivers lacking for the Eurozone. Markets continue to be drip-fed ECB speak with known hawk Holzmann noting the pause in cutting rates could last a while. Elsewhere, France's Villeroy remarked that the Bank has successfully normalised policy, adding that policy and inflation are now in a favourable zone. However, being in a favourable zone does not mean the Bank is static. EUR/USD continues to pivot around the 1.14 mark and is currently contained within Monday's 1.1386-1.1439 range.
    • JPY is fractionally lower vs. the USD, albeit off worst levels which saw the pair hit a new high for the month during APAC trade at 145.29. The price action took place alongside the broad pick-up in the USD and mostly positive risk appetite, which eventually faded. In terms of Japanese-specific newsflow, BoJ Governor Ueda reaffirmed the familiar rate hike signal but also stated the BoJ has limited room to underpin growth with rate cuts if the economy and prices come under strong downward pressure. On the trade front, Japanese Economy Minister Akazawa is reportedly to visit the US and Canada from June 13th-18th for tariff talks. USD/JPY has returned to a 144 handle but is holding above its 50DMA at 144.34.
    • GBP is sat at the foot of the G10 leaderboard in the wake of the latest UK jobs which report which showed an expected uptick in the unemployment rate to 4.6% from 4.5%, a 109k slump in the HMRC payrolls change metric for May (largest decline since May 2020) and a further cooling of average earnings. In reaction, BoE market pricing moved dovishly, now fully pricing in a 25bps cut in September vs November pre-data. Cable has slipped onto a 1.34 handle for the first time since June 2nd with a current session low at 1.3457 (June 2nd low was at 1.3451).
    • Antipodeans are both are slightly softer vs. the USD with price action choppy during APAC hours on account of mixed Business Sentiment data from Australia and the overall constructive risk tone. However, of greater interest for both will likely be the outcome of the US-China trade talks in London today given that China is both nation's largest trading partner.
    • PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 7.1840 vs exp. 7.1853 (Prev. 7.1855).

    Fixed Income

    • Gilts are outperforming, gapped higher by 55 ticks after a dovish UK labour market series. This caused Gilts to open at 92.36 before extending to a 92.66 peak with gains in excess of 80 ticks on the session at best. In brief, HMRC Payrolls fell more-than-expected with the accompanying wage figures also cooler than expected. In the near term, there is around a 10% implied probability of a June cut while August has increased to -18bps vs 15bps pre-release - a cut is now fully priced in September vs November pre-data.
    • Bunds are in the green but with upside of only around half of that seen in Gilts at best. Specifics for the bloc include the latest ECB SMA and remarks from Villeroy, who said that while policy has now been normalised and the ECB is in a “favourable zone” this does not mean they are “static”. Bunds were only a little firmer in APAC trade, then caught a slight bid as the risk tone dipped in early morning trade before taking another leg higher alongside the Gilt open. Currently at 130.63, if the move continues, Friday’s high is just above at 130.77 before 130.99 from Monday and then last week’s 131.47 peak.
    • USTs are broadly in-line with Bunds though the magnitude of gains is a little less, given that US equity futures have proven to be more resilient than European peers this morning; though, US equity sentiment is still very much on the back foot. Thus far, this has taken USTs to a 110-12 peak. If surpassed, Friday’s pre-NFP high resides at 110-29. The US data docket is light, focus turns to US-China talks in London and a 3yr auction thereafter.
    • Netherlands sells EUR 2.45bln vs exp. EUR 2-2.5bln 2.50% 2035 DSL: average yield 2.749% (prev. 3.011%).
    • Germany sells EUR 3.078bln vs exp. EUR 4bln 2.40% 2030 Bobl: b/c 1.8x (prev. 1.20x), average yield 2.14% (prev. 2.07%) & retention 23.05% (prev. 22.67%)
    • Books have opened on the UK's 1.75% September 2038 I/L Gilt via syndication; price guidance 11.75-12.25bps above November 2037 I/L. Orders for the UK's 2038 I/L are in excess of GBP 46bln; price guidance unchanged. Orders for new UK 2038 I/L Gilt exceed GBP 58bln, according to a bookrunner; guidance set at 2037 I/L +11.75bps.

    Commodities

    • Crude prices are indecisive on a day when two major events (US-China talks and the Iranian nuclear counteroffer) are taking place. Ahead of the Iranian proposal, both sides confirmed the sixth round of nuclear talks will take place this weekend - the timing is unclear. Brent Aug'25 currently trades in a USD 66.95-67.40/bbl range.
    • Spot gold is looking to build on Monday’s gains, as ongoing US-China tariff negotiations continue to support safe-haven demand - but with gains capped by modest Dollar strength. XAU/USD trades around 3,330/oz.
    • Base metals are broadly lower, tracking the mood seen in Gold ahead of further trade/mineral-specific updates. EV sensitive metal Lithium is the outperformer, however, Palladium, used only in combustion cars, is suffering, given optimism on a rare earth deal. Copper has been rangebound, though is ultimately lower after the prior session of gains. The industrial metal looks to test the USD 9,760 mark, and sits within a USD 9,724-9,782.55 range.
    • Kazakhstan says its oil exports to Germany via Druzhba pipeline +48% Y/Y in Jan-May; via Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline at +10% Y/Y in Jan-May.

    Geopolitics: Middle East

    • The sixth round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran will take place either on Friday in Oslo or on Sunday in Muscat, according to an Axios reporter citing a US official, while Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed that the sixth round of Iran-US talks is being scheduled for Sunday, June 15th in Muscat.
    • Security sources estimated if nuclear talks fail, Israel would have to decide whether to attack Iran, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.
    • Israel launched strikes on Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, according to Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV.
    • Israel's navy attacked Houthi targets in the Hodeidah port of Yemen, via an army statement.

    Geopolitics: Ukraine

    • Russia launched an air attack on Kyiv which Ukraine's defence systems attempted to repel, while emergency units were dispatched to several districts in Kyiv after Russian drone attacks, according to the mayor.
    • Flights were halted at all airports serving Moscow following a Ukrainian drone attack, according to Russia's civil aviation authority.

    US Event Calendar

    • 6:00 am: May NFIB Small Business Optimism 98.8, est. 96, prior 95.8

    DB's Jim Reid concludes the overnight wrap

    Who knew quiet Mondays were still a thing? Its only taken until June but maybe we can start easing back into weeks again. Famous last words I’d imagine. To be fair we were all waiting for the outcome of the US-China trade talks, which will now carry on into today. Indeed, after the volatility of the last two months, it was striking just how little any of the major assets shifted yesterday, with the S&P 500 (+0.09%) barely budging while 10yr Treasuries (-3.2bps) saw their narrowest daily trading range in over 6 weeks. The calm is unlikely to last though with more trade talk headlines likely to come through today, US CPI to look forward to tomorrow and that 30yr Treasury auction on Thursday.
    In terms of those trade talks, the US and Chinese negotiators started to talk in London yesterday, with talks reported to resume again today at 10am London. There were some positive noises heading into the meeting, with US NEC Director Kevin Hassett saying to CNBC that they expected that “after the handshake”, that “any export controls from the US will be eased and the rare earths will be released in volume”. So that suggested a potential compromise whereby the US would ease their export controls in return for China easing their own restrictions on rare earths. There were few substantive comments after yesterday’s round of talks, with Treasury Secretary Bessent saying they had a “good meeting” and Commerce Secretary Lutnick calling the discussions “fruitful”. While we await any concrete news, it’s worth remembering that markets have been used to a lot of back-and-forth in recent weeks. After all, US tariffs on China went all the way up to 145%, before they were then slashed back to 30%. Then Trump said that China “HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US.” But the following week he had a phone call that he said “resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries.” So there’ve been several twists and turns already, and markets are getting fairly used to this uncertainty by now. Note that US / India trade talks are also quietly expected to end today so maybe we'll see some headlines there soon too.
    In a generally light session, one supportive factor was some positive news on the inflation side, as the New York Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations showed a clear decline in inflation expectations. 1yr expectations came down four-tenths to 3.2%, whilst 5yr expectations were down to a 14-month low of 2.6%. So that was a far more benign assessment of inflation relative to other measures, as the University of Michigan’s reading had shown 1yr expectations surging up to 6.6% in May. So that was seen as encouraging ahead of the CPI print tomorrow, and that in turn supported a rally in front-end Treasuries, with the 2yr yield down -3.3bps on the day to 4.00% and the 10yr down -3.2bps to 4.47%, while 30yr yields were -2.8bps lower ahead of that monthly supply on Thursday.
    Against that backdrop, the risk-on move broadly continued, which helped the S&P 500 (+0.09%) to a very modest advance. That was driven by the Magnificent 7 (+0.92%), which hit a 3-month high led by a +4.55% rise for Tesla which continued to recover as last week’s Trump-Musk feud appeared to wane. Small-cap stocks also outperformed, with the Russell 2000 (+0.57%) hitting a 3-month high of its own. On the other hand, defensive sectors within the S&P 500 lost ground, including utilities (-0.66%) and consumer staples (-0.24%). It was also a more negative story in Europe, with the STOXX 600 (-0.07%) losing ground after 4 consecutive gains, whilst the German DAX (-0.54%) saw a particular underperformance in thin trading due to a holiday.
    In the quiet session, Italian BTPs continued to edge tighter, with the spread of 10yr Italian yields over bunds falling to just 92.1bps (-0.6bps), which is the tightest they’ve been since February 2021. In fact, the spread is getting increasingly close to the post-Euro crisis low of 88bps, back in 2015. Meanwhile in the UK, gilts did briefly underperform after the government announced a U-turn on paying winter fuel payments to most pensioners. But that had unwound by the end of the session, with 10yr gilt yields (-1.2bps) performing broadly in line with elsewhere.
    Commodities gained amid the sanguine market mood, with WTI crude (+1.10%) posting its fifth advance in six sessions to reach a two-month high of $65.29/bbl.
    Asian equity markets have picked up a bit of momentum overnight led by the Nikkei (+0.91%) and the ASX (+0.71%). Other markets are up but off their highs with the Hang Seng (+0.33%) and Shanghai Composite (+0.11%) slightly higher. S&P 500 (+0.35%) and NASDAQ (+0.45%) futures are optimistic we'll get positive trade headlines today.
    In FX, the Japanese yen (-0.19%) is dipping, trading at 144.85 against the dollar, following comments from BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda, who noted that Japan’s price trend still has a considerable distance to cover to reach the 2% target. Some market participants have interpreted these remarks as diminishing the likelihood of an imminent interest rate hike.

    To the day ahead now, and data releases include UK unemployment and Italian industrial production for April, and in the US there’s the NFIB’s small business optimism index for May. Meanwhile from central banks, we’ll hear from the ECB’s Villeroy, Holzmann and Rehn.

    Tyler Durden Tue, 06/10/2025 - 08:20
  41. Site: Zero Hedge
    13 hours 5 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    Trump Travel Ban, Restrictions Go Into Effect On 19 Nations

    Authored by Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

    A travel ban signed by President Donald Trump has gone into effect, barring nationals from 12 countries from entering the United States and restricting entry by nationals from seven others.

    Travelers cart their luggage through the international arrivals area at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025. William Liang/AP Photo

    The ban, instituted through a presidential proclamation rather than an executive order, went into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on June 9. As a proclamation, it isn’t legally binding but signals a shift in federal policy.

    A total of 12 countries face complete bans under the proclamation, including Afghanistan, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Burma (also known as Myanmar), the Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

    People from these nations are barred from entering the United States for immigration or other reasons.

    The seven countries that the president partially restricted travel from are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

    Trump suspended the entry of individuals from those seven countries “as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants,” on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, according to the directive.

    Those who are already in the country from these nations with a valid visa will be permitted to remain.

    Trump tied the proclamation to national security and public safety. In a video on social media, Trump linked the new ban to the June 1 terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas.

    The suspect in that attack, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, was an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

    “It is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks and other national security or public-safety threats,” Trump’s order reads. “Screening and vetting protocols and procedures associated with visa adjudications and other immigration processes play a critical role in implementing that policy.”

    He tied the Afghanistan ban to the Taliban’s current control of the nation, the Iran ban to the Islamic state’s status as a “state sponsor of terrorism” and noncooperation with the United States, and Somalia’s to the nation’s internal terrorism issues.

    The proclamation also mentions the significant influx of illegal immigrants from Haiti.

    “This influx harms American communities by creating acute risks of increased overstay rates, establishment of criminal networks, and other national security threats,” the proclamation reads.

    Others were tied to noncooperation by foreign governments, including not accepting deported foreign nationals.

    For example, according to the White House, Chad had visa overstay rates of 37 percent, 49 percent, and 55 percent, depending on the type of visa, in 2022 and 2023.

    “The high visa overstay rate for 2022 and 2023 is unacceptable and indicates a blatant disregard for United States immigration laws,” the directive said.

    The travel ban results from a Jan. 20 executive order that Trump issued requiring the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on “hostile attitudes” toward the United States and whether entry from certain countries represented a national security risk.

    The order met with criticism from some international and immigrant groups, including the International Refugee Assistance Project.

    In a statement, the group said that the ban “weaponizes and distorts immigration laws to target people that the president dislikes and disagrees with” and would create “chaos.”

    The African Union Commission also expressed concerns about the “potential negative impact” of the move.

    “The African Union Commission respectfully calls upon the U.S. administration to consider adopting a more consultative approach and to engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned,” the commission said in a statement.

    Jack Phillips contributed to this report. 

    Tyler Durden Tue, 06/10/2025 - 08:05
  42. Site: AsiaNews.it
    13 hours 8 min ago
    As the local assembly passes a controversial anti-terrorism law allowing three-month detentions without charge, human rights organisations launch a new appeal against the repression of activists.Of concern are the recent cases of missing students, a phenomenon that is part of a decade of autonomist claims and human rights violations.
  43. Site: AsiaNews.it
    13 hours 10 min ago
    The president of the Philippine Bishops' Conference has taken a stance on the start of proceedings for the impeachment of the vice-president and daughter of Rodrigo Duterte, which after several postponements linked to the clash with the Marcos clan is set for tomorrow.The cardinal: 'Although impeachment is by nature a political process, it is not exempt from the moral demands of truth, justice and accountability'.
  44. Site: Mundabor's blog
    13 hours 15 min ago
    Author: Mundabor
    We are now well into the month of June. Here in Blighty, this month has been abused, for many years now, to promote the satanical agenda of the Sodomites. I had already noticed, in past years, that the craze was attenuating. This year, it’s a total collapse. You might say that Trump’s victory has created […]
  45. Site: PaulCraigRoberts.org
    13 hours 24 min ago
    Author: pcr3

    This website relies on readers’ support — https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/pages/donate/

     

    Can Reality Any Longer be Acknowledged? “The Attack on Russia’s Strategic Forces”

    Paul Craig Roberts

    https://www.globalresearch.ca/reality-acknowledged-paul-c-roberts/5889833 

    The attack on Russian strategic forces by Ukraine, with or without President Trump’s knowledge and with or without help from Washington and the British, could have been the most dangerous event in East-West relations during my lifetime. The reason is that recently revised Russian war doctrine states that an attack, even by a non-nuclear country, on the Russian strategic triad requires a strategic response. Strategic usually means nuclear or at least a disabling response.  

    Putin dodged the responsibility (more later), but no one knew for certain that he would. In other words, whoever is responsible for the attack on Russia’s strategic bombers subjected Ukraine, Europe, the US to the possibility of nuclear attack, depending on whom the Russians decided was responsible. This person (or persons) is a madman, a maniac who must be identified and removed from his position. Try to imagine how it is possible for, say Zelensky, to launch an attack that could result in nuclear war between the US and Russia.  How can control over whether or not the US faces nuclear war be in the hands of Zelensky?  If Zelensky is responsible, the US and NATO have a massive failure in command and control. If Trump or someone in the Trump administration gave the green light, they should be removed for committing the most potentially dangerous act during my lifetime.

    The extraordinarily reckless and extremely dangerous attack on Russia’s nuclear triad is being treated by all concerned as a nothing event, a mere terrorist act, not an act of war. The fact that there is no acknowledgement in Washington, Europe, Moscow, or the media of the seriousness of an attack on Russian strategic forces, and thereby no measures put in place to prevent such dangerous acts, means either full scale, not proxy, war between Russia and the West or Russia’s surrender. Perhaps Putin would like to surrender in order to avoid nuclear war, but he won’t be permitted to surrender.

    Putin took the lead in burying the seriousness of the attack on Russia’s nuclear triad. By designating the attack a “terrorist act” he evades the responsibility that Russian strategic doctrine imposes on him for a strategic response.  

    Nothing of consequence has happened, says the President of Russia. Amen say Washington and Europe. Therefore, whoever is responsible for the attack knows that the next attack can go further. It too will be unacknowledged as an act of war.

    How many times can Putin pretend that attacks on Russia’s sovereignty, which is what attacks on Russia’s nuclear triad are, are mere terrorist events before he discredits himself with the Russian people?  

    The purpose of the recent revision of Russian strategic doctrine was to discourage or prevent attacks by Western proxies such as Ukraine on Russian strategic forces. It failed because Putin has taught the West not to take him seriously. He is ever ready to turn the other cheek. Now Putin has shown that he will not acknowledge attacks on Russian strategic forces as anything other than a terrorist event, not an act of war. So Putin has negated Russian strategic doctrine. It means nothing. Now that the West knows this, Russia can expect escalating provocations. All of Putin’s good intentions have ended in disaster, and a major war will be the consequence.

    It could be that Russia is doomed. Decades of successful Western propaganda have turned most of the Russian professional and intellectual class into Atlanticist Integrationists. They think that Russia belongs as part of the West and are willing to make concessions of sovereignty to be part of the West. Clearly this point of view is strong in the Kremlin and the Russian Foreign Ministry.

    The Zionist American neoconservatives are very much aware of this Russian weakness, and they are adept at taking advantage of it. They don’t have to do much, because Putin does their work for them. 

    Putin has declared Ukraine to be conducting terrorism, not war, against Russia. Putin’s declaration also absolves Washington and Europe for any responsibility.

    Here are English language Russian headlines of Putin’s hiding from reality that apparently he is unable to face up to. Or perhaps he is not yet ready, being at work constructing a powerful military that US/NATO cannot resist. 

    “‘Illegitimate Kiev regime’ turning into terrorist organization” – Putin

    “The latest terrorist acts carried out by Ukraine in Russia are the outcome of decisions made by the Ukrainian political leadership.”  Putin added that “the decisions to carry out such crimes were, of course, made in Ukraine” by the political leadership in Ukraine. In other words, Washington and Europe have no responsibility for the act of war, which is not an act of war, but merely terrorism. See this:  https://www.rt.com/russia/618651-kiev-regime-rejecting-peace/ 

    In other words, the Kremlin has said that Washington and Europe have nothing to do with the attack on Russia’s strategic triad, and that Ukraine is merely creating terrorist incidents, not making war against Russia. 

    I find it hard to believe that Putin is this stupid. My bet is that he is not yet ready. He keeps the minor Ukraine conflict going while he builds up to remove NATO from Russian borders.

    Trump can remove the coming conflict by giving Putin the mutual security agreement Russia has been requesting for years. This would be the costless solution, but Trump is not really in power, and the power and profit of the US military/security complex needs the Russian Enemy.

    So, how will a devastating war be avoided? Information such as I have just presented is banned by the official narratives.  It is scary how many Americans are gleeful over the attack, brainwashed as they are by their indoctrination that “the Russian enemy” needs to be taught a lesson if not destroyed.  How can such indoctrinated people be saved from their own folly?

    Indeed we might find ourselves in more than one devastating war.  The American neoconservatives are still trying hard to get a war going with Iran by raising the specter of Iranian nukes.  It is a false charge, but the indoctrinated American public, according to recent polls, supports war with Iran to prevent an Iranian nuke.  Mike Whitney tells the story: https://www.unz.com/mwhitney/will-tuckers-article-on-x-stop-a-war-with-iran/ 

    If two devastating wars are not enough, China is there to be provoked into a third war.   Democracy and an ignorant population make a mixture for disaster.

     

    Paul Craig Roberts is a renowned author and academic, chairman of The Institute for Political Economy where this article was originally published. Dr. Roberts was previously associate editor and columnist for The Wall Street Journal. He was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy during the Reagan Administration. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.

  46. Site: Zero Hedge
    13 hours 25 min ago
    Author: Tyler Durden
    UBS Survey Finds "Little Growth" In Smartphone Units "Over Next Few Years" 

    Apple's annual developer conference on Monday underwhelmed on the artificial intelligence front, and new survey data from UBS showed softening demand for iPhones. On a broader note, UBS highlighted a cooling period has arrived in overall interest in purchasing smartphones, with the U.S. market seeing the sharpest pullback.

    According to UBS Evidence Lab's 2Q25 survey of 7,500 consumers across five countries (US/UK/Germany/Japan/China), the 12-month forward smartphone purchase intent fell from 36% in 2Q25 from 39% in 4Q24, flat YoY. The U.S. experienced the sharpest decline, sliding to 37% from 50% in 4Q24 and 44% in 2Q24. 

    "Of particular note was a sharp decline in 12M forward purchasing intents in the US to 37% (from 50%/44% in 4Q24/2Q24)," UBS analyst David Vogt wrote in the note, attributing the drop to front-loaded demand ahead of potential new U.S. tariffs.

    Sources: UBS Research, UBS Evidence Lab

    The 12-month forward purchase intent share for iPhones fell to 14% from 18% in 4Q24, with the U.S. showing a significant drop to 17% from 24%. Samsung's purchase intent remained stable at around 9%. 

    The aspirational replacement cycle, or the expected or intended time that consumers plan to wait before replacing their current smartphone with a new one, lengthened to 31.1 months (2.59 years), up from 29.7 months in 4Q24, indicating slower replacement rates, particularly in the U.S. 

    Sources: UBS Research, UBS Evidence Lab

    "Among the respondents that indicated they are likely to purchase a device within the next 12M, 82% of indicated they would be willing to accommodate some sort of price hike should smartphone OEMs decide to raise ASPs to offset pressures to BoM cost from tariffs," Vogt noted. 

    Sources: UBS Research, UBS Evidence Lab

    On the Generative AI front, the much-hyped upgrade supercycle that Wall Street analysts forecasted last fall with the launch of AI-enabled iPhones has largely failed to materialize.

    Interest in Generative AI-enabled smartphones rose to 19% from 16% in 4Q24), with China showing the most enthusiasm at 78%. Japan was the only region with negative net interest, while the U.S. had only 8%. 

    Sources: UBS Research, UBS Evidence Lab

    Only 34% of respondents would pull forward purchases or pay extra for AI features... 

    Sources: UBS Research, UBS Evidence Lab

    Overall, UBS forecasts modest year-over-year growth in smartphone unit sales of around 1% in 2025, followed by flat growth in 2026. 

    "We believe investors expect little growth, if any, in smartphone units over the next few years," Vogt emphasized. 

    Not the great news for Apple...

    Tyler Durden Tue, 06/10/2025 - 07:45
  47. Site: PaulCraigRoberts.org
    13 hours 26 min ago
    Author: pcr3

    The Inside Story of Washington’s Cover-up of Israel’s Attack on the USS Liberty

    Republished from seven years ago.

    https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/06/09/israel-completely-owns-america-subject-people/ 

  48. Site: PaulCraigRoberts.org
    13 hours 26 min ago
    Author: pcr3

    Are George Soros Funded NGOs Behind the LA Orchestrated Riots?

    Dumbshit Americans let the Democrats steal the 2020 election and bring in 12.8 million immigrant-invaders over the next four years.

    https://sputnikglobe.com/20250609/whos-behind-la-anti-ice-riots-1122221077.html 

  49. Site: PaulCraigRoberts.org
    13 hours 26 min ago
    Author: pcr3

    Most of them are white liberals.

  50. Site: Rorate Caeli
    13 hours 34 min ago
    You are already, as people, an image of the Catholic Church, since a diplomatic Corps as universal as ours does not exist in any other country in the world. However, at the same time, I believe that one may equally say that no other country in the world has a diplomatic Corps as united as you are: because your, our, communion is not merely functional, nor an idea; we are united in Christ and we New Catholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04118576661605931910noreply@blogger.com

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