Individual Economists

Most COVID Lung Abnormalities Heal Over Time, New Guidelines Confirm

Zero Hedge -

Most COVID Lung Abnormalities Heal Over Time, New Guidelines Confirm

Authored by Rachel Ann T. Melegrito via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Up to half of hospitalized COVID-19 patients show lung abnormalities on chest CT scans long after the acute infection is over. Many fear these changes mean lasting damage or worsening lung disease.

However, new guidelines on treating long COVID confirm that lung abnormalities usually stabilize or even improve over time.

Magic mine/ShutterStock

“The lungs are an organ, like skin, that are in constant contact with the environment. Because of that, they have a significant amount of stem cells in reserve and cells ready for healing,” Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician and an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told The Epoch Times.

Recovery Takes Time

Researchers found that in patients with lung damage following a COVID-19 infection, around 90 percent who continued to show lung abnormalities at the time of hospital discharge began to see improvements one to three years after infection.

After a COVID-19 infection, roughly six in 100 people are estimated to develop persistent symptoms that can last for months to years—a condition known as long COVID. Common complaints include fatigue, joint and muscle aches, breathlessness, headaches, and difficulty concentrating, often called “brain fog.” Symptoms typically improve over time—usually within four to nine months.

Lung recovery tends to follow a similar trajectory. After infection, the lungs can show changes that resemble scarring—such as inflammation, collapsed air sacs, or temporary thickening of lung tissue—but these often heal on their own, Dr. Joseph Varon, president and chief medical officer of Independent Medical Alliance, who is not one of the authors of the treatment guideline, told The Epoch Times.

Based on Varon’s clinical experience, most patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-related lung issues show improvement on scans and of symptoms within three to six months. However, he noted that some people, especially older adults or those who had severe illness, can have lingering lung changes or symptoms for a year or more.

In COVID-19, the early lung damage is mostly due to inflammation, not permanent destruction, he said. Once the infection clears and inflammation goes down, the lungs can start to heal, absorbing fluid and repairing tissue, a process that can take several months.

“The body has the capacity to heal,” Dr. Pierre Kory, founder of Leading Edge Clinic, which treats long COVID patients, told The Epoch Times. COVID is typically an acute illness that heals over time rather than a chronic inflammatory condition—though in some cases, lingering lung inflammation or fibrosis can persist, he said.

Many post-COVID lung changes seen in scans are not signs of permanent damage. They often reflect the lung’s natural healing process after inflammation, similar to what’s seen in other viral pneumonias or recovery from acute respiratory distress syndrome. Over time, these abnormalities often fade as the tissue repairs itself.

Unlike chronic conditions such as interstitial lung disease, which involve ongoing triggers and progressive scarring, post-COVID changes are typically non-progressive.

However, older patients who had been on mechanical ventilation or had severe or critical initial infection were more likely to have persistent lung changes, possibly due to the extent of initial lung injury.

Residual Signs Versus Permanent Damage

Chest CT scans often reveal lung changes long after COVID-19 infection that may look severe on imaging. These include ground glass opacities, which are hazy areas suggesting inflammation, or fibrous strands, thin bands of tissue left over from healing. However, many of these findings are residual effects from the infection, not signs of irreversible damage.

“Radiologic findings often lag behind clinical recovery and must be interpreted within a broader clinical framework,” said Varon, “I have seen patients that have ‘white lungs’ for months and are doing well.”

The disconnect between imaging and the actual patient condition may lead to confusion, unnecessary follow-up, or even overtreatment of long COVID.

“Some patients report persistent symptoms despite near-normal imaging,” Varon said, likely due to lingering viral effects or nervous system issues rather than actual lung damage.

“The key takeaway is that both lung damage and symptoms often improve—but not always in synchrony, and not always completely,” he said. That’s why an individualized, symptom-based follow-up approach remains essential in managing long COVID patients.

Preventing Costly Overtreatment

The new guidelines specifically address the tendency to over-interpret nonspecific findings as signs of progressive lung disease.

The new consensus advises using CT only when clinically indicated, such as in patients with persistent or worsening respiratory symptoms.

Mislabeling can also lead to costly treatments, repeated imaging, and even affect life insurance or disability claims. “These medications can cost up to $60,000 per year—and patients may not really need them,” Varon said.

The new guidelines suggest providers request follow-up chest CT only in patients whose respiratory symptoms persist or worsen three months after infection, with those symptoms lasting at least two months and with no other identifiable cause. They also recommend low-dose protocols for follow-up imaging to reduce radiation exposure.

CT was invaluable early in the pandemic, especially when RT-PCR testing was unreliable, Varon said, but its continued use in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic long COVID patients is often unnecessary.

The guidelines also urge radiologists to avoid using terms such as “fibrosis” or “interstitial lung disease,” which often imply progressive or permanent scarring, when describing nonspecific residual findings.

The bigger concern, Kory said, is the tendency to over-label nonspecific findings, like ground-glass opacities or mild fibrotic changes, as definitive signs of fibrotic interstitial lung disease. “I see this in my practice every single day,” he said. “These interpretations can trigger unnecessary anxiety, inappropriate referrals, and misguided treatment plans.”

Kory takes a symptom-focused approach, monitoring patients clinically and repeating imaging only if conditions worsen. “My experience in general is that yes, most things in medicine are overused, including imaging,” he said.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 18:25

​​​​​​​Gun Sales Fall Under 1 Million For First Time In Six Years; Ammo Prices Sink To Lows

Zero Hedge -

​​​​​​​Gun Sales Fall Under 1 Million For First Time In Six Years; Ammo Prices Sink To Lows

After years of pandemic-fueled surges and politically driven buying sprees, the U.S. gun market is sliding deeper into a downturn. With Republicans controlling both Congress and the White House, fears of sweeping federal gun bans from far-left Democrats have abated, stripping away one of the industry's most reliable sales catalysts. 

The latest July figures from the FBI show 1.94 million National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background checks, down 4.2% from July 2024. After removing permit-related checks, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) estimated 978,731 checks directly tied to gun sales, an 8.1% drop year-over-year and the first sub-million reading in six years. 

"Summer months routinely show lower background check figures than other times of the year, and we've watched as the background check figures came down from astronomical highs several years ago," Mark Oliva, public affairs officer with the NSSF, told firearms website Guns.com via an emailed response. 

Oliva noted, "There are factors that contribute to this, including relief of concern that politics would deny some from being able to exercise Second Amendment rights to purchase a firearm of one's choice and economic uncertainty."

The gun panic-buying frenzy of 2020 and 2021 was never sustainable and has since ended in a complete bust for the industry. Notably, the downturn is likely to persist through President Trump's second term, given that a pro-2A administration won't infringe on gun owners, unlike the Biden-Harris regime, which aggressively did so.

Nowhere is the gun bust more evident than in the decline of Smith & Wesson's shares: SWBI vs. NICS... 

Meanwhile, precious metals such as gold might be at an all-time high, but ammo prices are at lows...

9mm retail prices via data from Black Basin.  

. . . 

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 18:00

​​​​​​​Gun Sales Fall Under 1 Million For First Time In Six Years; Ammo Prices Sink To Lows

Zero Hedge -

​​​​​​​Gun Sales Fall Under 1 Million For First Time In Six Years; Ammo Prices Sink To Lows

After years of pandemic-fueled surges and politically driven buying sprees, the U.S. gun market is sliding deeper into a downturn. With Republicans controlling both Congress and the White House, fears of sweeping federal gun bans from far-left Democrats have abated, stripping away one of the industry's most reliable sales catalysts. 

The latest July figures from the FBI show 1.94 million National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background checks, down 4.2% from July 2024. After removing permit-related checks, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) estimated 978,731 checks directly tied to gun sales, an 8.1% drop year-over-year and the first sub-million reading in six years. 

"Summer months routinely show lower background check figures than other times of the year, and we've watched as the background check figures came down from astronomical highs several years ago," Mark Oliva, public affairs officer with the NSSF, told firearms website Guns.com via an emailed response. 

Oliva noted, "There are factors that contribute to this, including relief of concern that politics would deny some from being able to exercise Second Amendment rights to purchase a firearm of one's choice and economic uncertainty."

The gun panic-buying frenzy of 2020 and 2021 was never sustainable and has since ended in a complete bust for the industry. Notably, the downturn is likely to persist through President Trump's second term, given that a pro-2A administration won't infringe on gun owners, unlike the Biden-Harris regime, which aggressively did so.

Nowhere is the gun bust more evident than in the decline of Smith & Wesson's shares: SWBI vs. NICS... 

Meanwhile, precious metals such as gold might be at an all-time high, but ammo prices are at lows...

9mm retail prices via data from Black Basin.  

. . . 

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 18:00

Watch: Feds Jump Out Of Truck, Ambush Illegals At LA Home Depot

Zero Hedge -

Watch: Feds Jump Out Of Truck, Ambush Illegals At LA Home Depot

Via Headline USA,

U.S. Border Patrol agents jumped out of the back of a rented box truck and made arrests Wednesday at a Los Angeles Home Depot store during an immigration raid that an agency official called “Operation Trojan Horse.”

“For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again,” acting U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli posted on the social platform X after the raid.

“The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government.”

Messages were sent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security seeking details on the raid, including how many people were arrested. U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Greg Bovino reposted Fox News reports of Monday’s arrests on X, calling the action “Operation Trojan Horse.”

Photos on social media showed the moment the rear door of the rented Penske truck opened, revealing several uniformed agents with guns.

A spokesperson for Penske Truck Rental said the company was looking into the use of its vehicles by federal officials, saying its regulations prohibit transporting people in truck cargo areas.

“The company was not made aware that its trucks would be used in today’s operation and did not authorize this,” spokesperson Randolph P. Ryerson said in an email.

“Penske will reach out to DHS and reinforce its policy to avoid improper use of its vehicles in the future.”

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 17:40

Watch: Feds Jump Out Of Truck, Ambush Illegals At LA Home Depot

Zero Hedge -

Watch: Feds Jump Out Of Truck, Ambush Illegals At LA Home Depot

Via Headline USA,

U.S. Border Patrol agents jumped out of the back of a rented box truck and made arrests Wednesday at a Los Angeles Home Depot store during an immigration raid that an agency official called “Operation Trojan Horse.”

“For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again,” acting U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli posted on the social platform X after the raid.

“The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government.”

Messages were sent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security seeking details on the raid, including how many people were arrested. U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Greg Bovino reposted Fox News reports of Monday’s arrests on X, calling the action “Operation Trojan Horse.”

Photos on social media showed the moment the rear door of the rented Penske truck opened, revealing several uniformed agents with guns.

A spokesperson for Penske Truck Rental said the company was looking into the use of its vehicles by federal officials, saying its regulations prohibit transporting people in truck cargo areas.

“The company was not made aware that its trucks would be used in today’s operation and did not authorize this,” spokesperson Randolph P. Ryerson said in an email.

“Penske will reach out to DHS and reinforce its policy to avoid improper use of its vehicles in the future.”

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 17:40

Epstein's Butler Of 18 Years Breaks Silence: 'No Way He Killed Himself’

Zero Hedge -

Epstein's Butler Of 18 Years Breaks Silence: 'No Way He Killed Himself’

The longtime butler of Jeffrey Epstein is speaking out about the death of the deceased pedophile and disgraced financier, joining the chorus of voices expressing disbelief that he committed suicide.

Valdson Vieira Cotrin, who oversaw Epstein's residence in Paris for 18 years, made the admission in an interview with The Telegraph.

"I am like his brother [Mark Epstein]. I don't believe this was suicide. He loved life too much," Cotrin told the British newspaper.

Cotrin described his final encounter with Epstein, painting a picture of a man who appeared far from suicidal. Epstein was relaxed and discussing future plans, including additional investments in his islands, having discreetly purchased a second property that Cotrin had visited, and spending more time in Paris.

"I drove him to Le Bourget airport. It was a Saturday, because on Monday he was supposed to appear before the judge regarding all these accusations," the longtime servant said.

The gravity of the situation became clear shortly after Epstein's departure, according to Cotrin. "When I got home, two young women rang, his main girlfriend who had been with him officially for several years, Karyna [Shuliak] and another who worked for him. And then they told me, 'Mr Epstein has gone to prison. He arrived in New York. The police were waiting for him'."

Cotrin also claimed that he worked dozens of times at Epstein's properties in New York, Palm Beach, Florida and on Little St James, Epstein's private Caribbean island, dubbed by the media as "pedophile island," where he is said to have trapped and raped often underage victims.

"He trusted me completely," said Cotrin, who has not worked since his boss's death six years ago, adding that he never saw Epstein commit any sex crimes.

"I was his chauffeur, his cook, his housekeeper. I did everything in Paris, I was his only full-time, paid-up employee and worked for him from 2001 until his death. If someone could have seen something, it's Valdson, there's no one else," he said.

Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019, at 6:30 a.m., hanging from his bed. The shadowy investor was pronounced dead at New York Downtown Hospital at 6:39 a.m. The Department of Justice and the New York City medical examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging.

However, Mark Epstein, the brother of Jeffrey Epstein, has consistently rejected the government's conclusion and repeatedly stated that he does not believe his brother took his own life.

"I believe he was killed because I believe that, a day after he died, and I heard on CNN that he was found dead from assumed suicide," Mark Epstein said. "They came out of the autopsy and they both concurred that this looked more like a homicide than a suicide."

The autopsy findings have become a key source of dispute. Epstein's autopsy was performed by New York City's Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Barbara Sampson and a pathologist hired by the Epstein family, Dr. Michael Baden.

Mark Epstein has pointed to specific forensic evidence that he believes contradicts the suicide ruling.

"One of the major things was the three broken bones in his neck. Now, Dr. Baden has done about 500 autopsies. He's been doing this for over 50 years. And I've spoken to other pathologists and they say, you know, on a soft hanging. Which is supposedly what Jeffrey was supposed to have done. You know, you might get a broken bone, maybe two, but no one's ever seen three broken bones in this kind of hanging," Mark Epstein said.

Earlier July, the joint DOJ-FBI memo declared an "exhaustive review" of evidence from Epstein's death definitively ruled out murder.

The agencies also denied the existence of a "client list" tied to Epstein, directly contradicting earlier remarks by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bondi had previously suggested on Fox News that such a list was "sitting on my desk" for review, igniting speculation about Epstein's possible blackmailing of globalist elites.

Trump has repeatedly sought to dismiss the scandal, accusing Democrats of fabricating a hoax around Epstein to thwart his agenda.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 17:20

Epstein's Butler Of 18 Years Breaks Silence: 'No Way He Killed Himself’

Zero Hedge -

Epstein's Butler Of 18 Years Breaks Silence: 'No Way He Killed Himself’

The longtime butler of Jeffrey Epstein is speaking out about the death of the deceased pedophile and disgraced financier, joining the chorus of voices expressing disbelief that he committed suicide.

Valdson Vieira Cotrin, who oversaw Epstein's residence in Paris for 18 years, made the admission in an interview with The Telegraph.

"I am like his brother [Mark Epstein]. I don't believe this was suicide. He loved life too much," Cotrin told the British newspaper.

Cotrin described his final encounter with Epstein, painting a picture of a man who appeared far from suicidal. Epstein was relaxed and discussing future plans, including additional investments in his islands, having discreetly purchased a second property that Cotrin had visited, and spending more time in Paris.

"I drove him to Le Bourget airport. It was a Saturday, because on Monday he was supposed to appear before the judge regarding all these accusations," the longtime servant said.

The gravity of the situation became clear shortly after Epstein's departure, according to Cotrin. "When I got home, two young women rang, his main girlfriend who had been with him officially for several years, Karyna [Shuliak] and another who worked for him. And then they told me, 'Mr Epstein has gone to prison. He arrived in New York. The police were waiting for him'."

Cotrin also claimed that he worked dozens of times at Epstein's properties in New York, Palm Beach, Florida and on Little St James, Epstein's private Caribbean island, dubbed by the media as "pedophile island," where he is said to have trapped and raped often underage victims.

"He trusted me completely," said Cotrin, who has not worked since his boss's death six years ago, adding that he never saw Epstein commit any sex crimes.

"I was his chauffeur, his cook, his housekeeper. I did everything in Paris, I was his only full-time, paid-up employee and worked for him from 2001 until his death. If someone could have seen something, it's Valdson, there's no one else," he said.

Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019, at 6:30 a.m., hanging from his bed. The shadowy investor was pronounced dead at New York Downtown Hospital at 6:39 a.m. The Department of Justice and the New York City medical examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging.

However, Mark Epstein, the brother of Jeffrey Epstein, has consistently rejected the government's conclusion and repeatedly stated that he does not believe his brother took his own life.

"I believe he was killed because I believe that, a day after he died, and I heard on CNN that he was found dead from assumed suicide," Mark Epstein said. "They came out of the autopsy and they both concurred that this looked more like a homicide than a suicide."

The autopsy findings have become a key source of dispute. Epstein's autopsy was performed by New York City's Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Barbara Sampson and a pathologist hired by the Epstein family, Dr. Michael Baden.

Mark Epstein has pointed to specific forensic evidence that he believes contradicts the suicide ruling.

"One of the major things was the three broken bones in his neck. Now, Dr. Baden has done about 500 autopsies. He's been doing this for over 50 years. And I've spoken to other pathologists and they say, you know, on a soft hanging. Which is supposedly what Jeffrey was supposed to have done. You know, you might get a broken bone, maybe two, but no one's ever seen three broken bones in this kind of hanging," Mark Epstein said.

Earlier July, the joint DOJ-FBI memo declared an "exhaustive review" of evidence from Epstein's death definitively ruled out murder.

The agencies also denied the existence of a "client list" tied to Epstein, directly contradicting earlier remarks by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bondi had previously suggested on Fox News that such a list was "sitting on my desk" for review, igniting speculation about Epstein's possible blackmailing of globalist elites.

Trump has repeatedly sought to dismiss the scandal, accusing Democrats of fabricating a hoax around Epstein to thwart his agenda.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 17:20

DOJ To Expunge Employees' COVID-19 Vaccination Records: Lawyers

Zero Hedge -

DOJ To Expunge Employees' COVID-19 Vaccination Records: Lawyers

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

The government has agreed to a settlement that involves expunging records showing the COVID-19 vaccination status of employees, lawyers representing workers who sued said on Aug. 7.

Officials must expunge the records under the settlement and bar discrimination based on vaccine status, Feds for Freedom, the workers group, and its lawyers said in a statement.

An email to the Department of Justice attorney who filed a voluntary dismissal in the case on Thursday returned a message saying he is on leave until Aug. 11. The department’s media office did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

The formal settlement has not been entered on the court docket, but lawyers for Feds for Freedom said it includes the reimbursement of some of the legal fees incurred in the case the organization brought against the government over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal workers.

Feds for Freedom sued the government in 2021, after President Joe Biden imposed COVID-19 vaccine requirements on all federal workers. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown entered a preliminary injunction in January 2022 that blocked the mandate as the case proceeded, finding that Biden lacked the authority to issue such a mandate.

A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit several months later lifted the injunction, saying the federal workers who sued should have taken their complaints to an administrative board rather than the courts. The full appeals court in 2023 kept the mandate in place.

The Supreme Court in late 2023 vacated the rulings in the case because Biden had rescinded the mandate, meaning none of the decisions will serve as precedent in future cases.

Brown in March vacated the injunction. He also directed the government and plaintiffs to file a status report.

The government in filings since then requested extensions to respond, saying officials were discussing appropriate next steps for the litigation and that they were dealing with staffing issues.

Brown’s last order told the parties to enter a proposed briefing schedule no later than Aug. 7.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James Gillingham on Aug 7 said in a stipulation that the parties had agreed to the dismissal of the case with prejudice.

Biden defended the mandate, saying it prevented infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. President Donald Trump has criticized COVID-19 vaccine mandates, saying he supported people choosing not to receive a vaccine. In February, he signed an order that bars funding to schools that require COVID-19 vaccination.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 17:00

DOJ To Expunge Employees' COVID-19 Vaccination Records: Lawyers

Zero Hedge -

DOJ To Expunge Employees' COVID-19 Vaccination Records: Lawyers

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

The government has agreed to a settlement that involves expunging records showing the COVID-19 vaccination status of employees, lawyers representing workers who sued said on Aug. 7.

Officials must expunge the records under the settlement and bar discrimination based on vaccine status, Feds for Freedom, the workers group, and its lawyers said in a statement.

An email to the Department of Justice attorney who filed a voluntary dismissal in the case on Thursday returned a message saying he is on leave until Aug. 11. The department’s media office did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

The formal settlement has not been entered on the court docket, but lawyers for Feds for Freedom said it includes the reimbursement of some of the legal fees incurred in the case the organization brought against the government over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal workers.

Feds for Freedom sued the government in 2021, after President Joe Biden imposed COVID-19 vaccine requirements on all federal workers. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown entered a preliminary injunction in January 2022 that blocked the mandate as the case proceeded, finding that Biden lacked the authority to issue such a mandate.

A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit several months later lifted the injunction, saying the federal workers who sued should have taken their complaints to an administrative board rather than the courts. The full appeals court in 2023 kept the mandate in place.

The Supreme Court in late 2023 vacated the rulings in the case because Biden had rescinded the mandate, meaning none of the decisions will serve as precedent in future cases.

Brown in March vacated the injunction. He also directed the government and plaintiffs to file a status report.

The government in filings since then requested extensions to respond, saying officials were discussing appropriate next steps for the litigation and that they were dealing with staffing issues.

Brown’s last order told the parties to enter a proposed briefing schedule no later than Aug. 7.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James Gillingham on Aug 7 said in a stipulation that the parties had agreed to the dismissal of the case with prejudice.

Biden defended the mandate, saying it prevented infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. President Donald Trump has criticized COVID-19 vaccine mandates, saying he supported people choosing not to receive a vaccine. In February, he signed an order that bars funding to schools that require COVID-19 vaccination.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 17:00

Going, Going, Gone...

Zero Hedge -

Going, Going, Gone...

Authored by James Howard Kunstler,

“Because they can no longer distinguish between fantasy and reality, they are too crazy to lead this country, and Americans know it.”

- Sasha Stone on the Democratic Party

In case you’re wondering why the Democratic Party is in a death spiral, it is the proportionate response to the damage they have done to American culture and politics. You might think that they fell haplessly into error, but their turn to Marxian idealism was a cover for a matrix of hustles and rackets to make up for a void of any sane political program.

Coming into the 21st century, our country was beset by looming decline. Our industrial base was going, going, gone, and with it millions of well-paying blue-collar jobs, the Democratic Party base. It was replaced by a so-called “financialized economy,” which was sanitized language for sets of swindles and frauds allowed to operate in the de-regulated banking system, in concert with the politicized Federal Reserve and crooked Congressional interests — you notice how many politicians paid $175-K a year somehow acquired multi-million-dollar fortunes?

What mainly grew in this period was government and things that fed off of it, such as the war industries, computer tech allied with the Intel gang, and especially the burgeoning universe of government-sponsored non-profit advocacy orgs, which became the jobs program for otherwise unemployables churned out of higher education, a racket that fed on federal loan guarantees. It was in the racketeering ecosystem that billionaires such as George Soros and Bill Gates could use their fortunes to advance their own personal obsessions through webs of non-governmental orgs (NGOs) to influence public affairs.

By 2016, that was really all that the Democratic Party had left. It was the source of their money and their power. They also had the accumulated political capital of race advocacy, starting with the civil rights crusades of the 1960s. After our victory over manifest evil in World War Two, the Jim Crow system had to go, or else America could not pretend to lead the so-called “free world.”

By some paradoxical alchemy of government policy and human nature, the civil rights campaign eventually produced a larger and more intractable “underclass” than existed before. This baffled liberal idealists who had expected a new era of brotherhood and equality. They could only account for it by “structural racism,” and the Marxian trope of “oppressors-and-victims” fit into that scaffold perfectly. It lured them into Marxian “praxis” generally, which by then was already failing everywhere else in the world it had been tried as “communism.”

One way to counter “structural racism” was to declare a new ethos of “multiculturalism,” meaning each ethnic or racial group could behave according to its own particular standards and values. It was like waving a magic wand to make failure disappear and it worked through the 1990s, (which happened to be the fattest years of cheap oil production in America). The trouble with multiculturalism was that it negated the thing that had held America together through vicissitudes such as the Great Depression and World War Two: The American common culture, the thing that belonged to everyone.

The MAGA movement has largely been an effort to reconstruct an American common culture, a consensus of values and behaviors we can all agree on. The Democratic Party opted to oppose that — a poor choice. In fact, they apparently viewed that effort as an existential threat to the hustles and rackets that were sustaining the party. For instance, the jobs program for otherwise unemployable college grads who styled themselves as “activists” working for NGOs under the umbrella of USAID.

This was the party’s army of influencers, organizers, ward-heelers, and ballot-harvesters, laboring on behalf of the “victims of oppression.” Quite a few of them resided in Academia, where they cultivated a whole lexicon of arcane, gnostic, crypto-Marxian ideology aimed not just at opposing the recovery of a common culture, but destroying whatever remnants of it remained.

The catch was: they didn’t believe in “social justice” or “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” That was just a smokescreen of verbiage over their race hustle, which means extorting money, unearned advantages, and status dishonestly. Thus was DEI birthed. And, with it, colossal frauds of “victimhood” such as the beatification of George Floyd and a long line of similar “justice-involved” cases that generated an impressive revenue flow for the Democrats.

That revenue flow and its utility for holding power was all they had left in 2024. It explains the empty symbolism of running Kamala Harris for president. Now, the money flow is gone and so is the party’s power and perhaps its last remaining reason for existence: the maintenance of its own power. Notice that the Democrats can’t even advocate for the return of USAID, now that it has been unmasked as rife with financial fraud and crime.

There is surely a need for an opposition party to any in-party, which happens to be Mr. Trump’s Republicans at the moment, if only because power corrupts. You can see the outline of what that new opposition party might be: a party of re-localization, of small business and small farmers, of traditional towns as opposed to still-rampant and malignant suburban sprawl.

Some related issues already belong to MAGA, such as smaller government, the protection of privacy, respect for the Bill of Rights — but these would be implicit in the restoration of an American common culture, a set of values and standards of behavior that both parties in a two-party system can subscribe to.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 16:20

Going, Going, Gone...

Zero Hedge -

Going, Going, Gone...

Authored by James Howard Kunstler,

“Because they can no longer distinguish between fantasy and reality, they are too crazy to lead this country, and Americans know it.”

- Sasha Stone on the Democratic Party

In case you’re wondering why the Democratic Party is in a death spiral, it is the proportionate response to the damage they have done to American culture and politics. You might think that they fell haplessly into error, but their turn to Marxian idealism was a cover for a matrix of hustles and rackets to make up for a void of any sane political program.

Coming into the 21st century, our country was beset by looming decline. Our industrial base was going, going, gone, and with it millions of well-paying blue-collar jobs, the Democratic Party base. It was replaced by a so-called “financialized economy,” which was sanitized language for sets of swindles and frauds allowed to operate in the de-regulated banking system, in concert with the politicized Federal Reserve and crooked Congressional interests — you notice how many politicians paid $175-K a year somehow acquired multi-million-dollar fortunes?

What mainly grew in this period was government and things that fed off of it, such as the war industries, computer tech allied with the Intel gang, and especially the burgeoning universe of government-sponsored non-profit advocacy orgs, which became the jobs program for otherwise unemployables churned out of higher education, a racket that fed on federal loan guarantees. It was in the racketeering ecosystem that billionaires such as George Soros and Bill Gates could use their fortunes to advance their own personal obsessions through webs of non-governmental orgs (NGOs) to influence public affairs.

By 2016, that was really all that the Democratic Party had left. It was the source of their money and their power. They also had the accumulated political capital of race advocacy, starting with the civil rights crusades of the 1960s. After our victory over manifest evil in World War Two, the Jim Crow system had to go, or else America could not pretend to lead the so-called “free world.”

By some paradoxical alchemy of government policy and human nature, the civil rights campaign eventually produced a larger and more intractable “underclass” than existed before. This baffled liberal idealists who had expected a new era of brotherhood and equality. They could only account for it by “structural racism,” and the Marxian trope of “oppressors-and-victims” fit into that scaffold perfectly. It lured them into Marxian “praxis” generally, which by then was already failing everywhere else in the world it had been tried as “communism.”

One way to counter “structural racism” was to declare a new ethos of “multiculturalism,” meaning each ethnic or racial group could behave according to its own particular standards and values. It was like waving a magic wand to make failure disappear and it worked through the 1990s, (which happened to be the fattest years of cheap oil production in America). The trouble with multiculturalism was that it negated the thing that had held America together through vicissitudes such as the Great Depression and World War Two: The American common culture, the thing that belonged to everyone.

The MAGA movement has largely been an effort to reconstruct an American common culture, a consensus of values and behaviors we can all agree on. The Democratic Party opted to oppose that — a poor choice. In fact, they apparently viewed that effort as an existential threat to the hustles and rackets that were sustaining the party. For instance, the jobs program for otherwise unemployable college grads who styled themselves as “activists” working for NGOs under the umbrella of USAID.

This was the party’s army of influencers, organizers, ward-heelers, and ballot-harvesters, laboring on behalf of the “victims of oppression.” Quite a few of them resided in Academia, where they cultivated a whole lexicon of arcane, gnostic, crypto-Marxian ideology aimed not just at opposing the recovery of a common culture, but destroying whatever remnants of it remained.

The catch was: they didn’t believe in “social justice” or “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” That was just a smokescreen of verbiage over their race hustle, which means extorting money, unearned advantages, and status dishonestly. Thus was DEI birthed. And, with it, colossal frauds of “victimhood” such as the beatification of George Floyd and a long line of similar “justice-involved” cases that generated an impressive revenue flow for the Democrats.

That revenue flow and its utility for holding power was all they had left in 2024. It explains the empty symbolism of running Kamala Harris for president. Now, the money flow is gone and so is the party’s power and perhaps its last remaining reason for existence: the maintenance of its own power. Notice that the Democrats can’t even advocate for the return of USAID, now that it has been unmasked as rife with financial fraud and crime.

There is surely a need for an opposition party to any in-party, which happens to be Mr. Trump’s Republicans at the moment, if only because power corrupts. You can see the outline of what that new opposition party might be: a party of re-localization, of small business and small farmers, of traditional towns as opposed to still-rampant and malignant suburban sprawl.

Some related issues already belong to MAGA, such as smaller government, the protection of privacy, respect for the Bill of Rights — but these would be implicit in the restoration of an American common culture, a set of values and standards of behavior that both parties in a two-party system can subscribe to.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 16:20

AAR: Rail Traffic in July: Intermodal and Carload Traffic Increased

Calculated Risk -

From the Association of American Railroads (AAR) AAR Data Center. Graph and excerpts reprinted with permission.
Rail volumes are holding up, indicating goods movement remains resilient despite the headwinds. Looking ahead, though, sustained pressure on labor markets and consumer demand could eventually weigh on freight activity.
emphasis added
Intermodal
U.S. rail intermodal shipments rebounded in July, rising 2.4% over last year and reversing a 2.9% decline in June (intermodal’s first year-over-year decline in 22 months). In July 2025, intermodal originations averaged 270,175 units per week, the second most ever for July (behind July 2018).

Meanwhile, U.S. total carloads rose 4.6% in July 2025 over July 2024, their fifth straight increase. In July, 15 of the 20 carload categories tracked by the AAR saw gains, the most since December 2023. Total carloads averaged 224,568 per week in July 2025, the most for July since 2019. In 2025 through July, total carloads were up 2.8%, or nearly 186,000 carloads, over last year.

Massachusetts Sheriff Federally Indicted On Extortion Charges Tied To Boston Weed Business

Zero Hedge -

Massachusetts Sheriff Federally Indicted On Extortion Charges Tied To Boston Weed Business

A Massachusetts county sheriff, Steven W. Tompkins, 67, was federally indicted on charges of extorting an executive at a cannabis company so that he could own stock in the business - and then demanded his money back when his investment dropped in value, according to the US Attorney's Office.

Tompkins - who has led the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department since his 2013 appointment, was indicted on two counts of extortion under color of official right.

The cannabis company, which was unnamed in the announcement, applied for a license to open a retail dispensary in Boston in 2019 - which required a 'positive impact plan' or PIP, which was satisfied by a partnership with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department in order to employ released offenders as part of a re-entry program.

According to federal prosecutors, Tompkins pressured a company executive to allow him to purchase stock as the company prepared to go public. The executive, who feared the sheriff could use his position to threaten the PIP plan and their licensing approval - or impact the timing of their IPO, bent the knee to Tompkins' demands.

In November 2020, Tompkins wired $50,000 to purchase stock at around $1.73 per share. After a reverse stock split, he was left with 14,417 shares at a price of $3.46 per share. 

When the IPO launched in 2021, the stock was valued at around $9.60 per share, however by May of 2022 the stock's value had dropped and Tompkins had lost money on the investment. He then demanded a refund of his $50,000 - which the company executive agreed to, and did so in the form of checks issued between May 2022 and July 2023. The executive wrote "loan repayment" or "company expense" to hide their nature, 10 Boston reports.

"Elected officials, particularly those in law enforcement, are expected to be ethical, honest and law abiding – not self-serving. His alleged actions are an affront to the voters and taxpayers who elected him to his position, and the many dedicated and honest public servants at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. The people of Suffolk County deserve better," US Attorney Leah B. Foley wrote in a media release. 

More via the release:

As Sheriff, Tompkins oversees approximately 1,000 correctional officers and other employees responsible for operating and maintaining correctional facilities in Boston at the House of Correction and the Nashua Street Jail.

The charges of extortion under color of official right each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorneys John Mulcahy of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 15:05

Airlines Using Personalized AI Ticket Pricing Would Face Probe: Transportation Secretary

Zero Hedge -

Airlines Using Personalized AI Ticket Pricing Would Face Probe: Transportation Secretary

Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize airline ticket prices, saying on Aug. 5 that his department would investigate if any business were found doing so.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy testifies in Washington on July 16, 2025. Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP Photo

“Let’s sell prices on seats for what they should go for,” Duffy said in response to a question during a press conference on whether he had any concerns over airlines using AI to dynamically price tickets based on personal data, such as income. “To try to individualize pricing on seats based on how much you make or don’t make or who you are, I can guarantee you that we will investigate if anyone does that.”

Last week, Delta Air Lines told lawmakers that it does not and will not use AI to set prices for individual travelers.

Duffy said: “Delta has clarified that they are not going to do that. I'll take them at face value and in their clarification, but we would engage very strongly if any company tries to use AI to individually price their seating.”

The Atlanta-based airline said last month it planned to expand its AI dynamic pricing pilot across more of its domestic network. Delta is running the pilot in partnership with Fetcherr, an AI pricing company.

Delta President Glen Hauenstein said during a second-quarter earnings call on July 10 that Fetcherr currently handles 3 percent of its domestic network and that the goal is for that to increase to 20 percent by the end of 2025. He added that Delta was in the “heavy testing phase” with AI.

“We’re going to take out time and make sure the rollout is successful,” he said.

On its website, Fetcherr says it is “trusted by the world’s leading airlines,” listing Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Westjet, Viva, and Azul.

Data Privacy Concerns

On July 21, Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) wrote to Delta CEO Ed Bastian to clarify the airline’s plans to expand the use of AI to set individualized fares.

The senators said they believed that AI-based individualized pricing would not only present data privacy concerns but also mean that fare prices would increase up to “each individual consumer’s personal ‘pain point,’ at a time when American families are already struggling with rising costs.”

Delta responded on July 31, saying that the presupposition that the airline would use AI for individualized or “surveillance” pricing, which leverages consumers’ personal data or circumstances, was incorrect.

“There is no fare product Delta has ever used, is testing or plans to use that targets customers with individualized prices based on personal data,” Delta Chief External Affairs Officer Peter Carter said in the letter to the lawmakers. “Furthermore, we have zero tolerance for discriminatory or predatory pricing and fully comply with applicable laws in privacy, pricing and advertising.”

The airline said that its AI-powered pricing functionality is designed to enhance its current pricing processes using aggregated data, noting that the functionality could recommend that prices go down as well as up.

Delta said it does not share any personal information with Fetcherr.

Carter added that for the past three decades, Delta and other airlines have been using dynamic pricing for seats and that pricing is influenced by a wide range of fluctuating market conditions, including customer demand, fuel costs, competition, and purchasing data at an aggregated level—but not on specific consumers’ data.

Proposed Legislation

In their letter, the senators said that the implications of AI-driven personal dynamic pricing for privacy “are severe on their own.”

Citing a January Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report, the lawmakers said, “Surveillance pricing has been shown to utilize extensive personal information obtained through a variety of third-party channels, including data about a passenger’s purchase history, web browsing behavior, geolocation, social media activity, biometric data, and financial status.”

Blumenthal, Gallego, and Warner said former FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan cautioned against a “particularly egregious but conceivable example” of an airline’s use of AI to charge a higher fare to a passenger because “the company knows that they just had a death in the family and need to fly across the country.”

On July 23, Reps. Greg Casar (D-Texas) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) introduced proposals that would ban companies from using AI to set prices or wages based on Americans’ personal data.

Casar said in a statement that the “Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act” would prohibit practices such as raising prices for a customer after seeing the customer search for a family obituary online.

The Epoch Times reached out to Delta for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 14:05

Appeals Court Nukes Boasberg's Contempt Order In Trump Admin Deportations Case

Zero Hedge -

Appeals Court Nukes Boasberg's Contempt Order In Trump Admin Deportations Case

Activist judge James Boasberg has just been slapped down, after an appeals court removed an order which could have resulted in the Trump administration being found in contempt as part of a tense confrontation with the US District Judge. 

Earlier this year, Boasberg said he found probable cause to hold the administration in contempt because it purportedly violated his orders to halt deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.

However in a 2–1 decision on Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit indicated that Boasberg went too far. Judge Gregory Katsas said that one of Boasberg’s orders could have been read in different ways.

"The district court here was placed in an enormously difficult position," wrote Judge Gregory Katsas. "Faced with an emergency situation, it had to digest and rule upon novel and complex issues within a matter of hours. In that context, the court quite understandably issued a written order that contained some ambiguity."

Katsas noted that the appellate court ruling doesn't center around the lawfulness of Trump's Alien Enemies Act removals in March, when the administration invoked the 1798 immigration law to send over 250 Venezuelan nationals to CEDOT, El Salvador's maximum-security prison. 

"Nor may we decide whether the government’s aggressive implementation of the presidential proclamation warrants praise or criticism as a policy matter," he added. "Perhaps it should warrant more careful judicial scrutiny in the future. Perhaps it already has."

"Regardless, the government’s initial implementation of the proclamation clearly and indisputably was not criminal."

As the Epoch Times notes further, Judge Neomi Rao described Boasberg’s decision as an “egregious” abuse of the court’s contempt power and said Boasberg had lost the authority to try and “coerce compliance” with his original order. That’s because his initial halts on the deportations had been vacated by the Supreme Court in another decision from April.

One of the judges, Judge Cornelia Pillard, defended Boasberg and said the Trump administration appeared to have disobeyed his directions.

“Our system of courts cannot long endure if disappointed litigants defy court orders with impunity rather than legally challenge them,” Pillard said. “This is why willful disobedience of a court order is punishable as criminal contempt.”

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 13:45

Government Has Frozen $584 Million In UCLA Funding, University Resumes Talks

Zero Hedge -

Government Has Frozen $584 Million In UCLA Funding, University Resumes Talks

Update: The Trump administration is seeking a $1 billion settlement from the University of California, Los Angeles, CNN has exclusively learned, marking the latest effort by the White House to shape higher education and extract significant concessions from universities.

Officials from UCLA have returned to the negotiating table, a source familiar with the matter said, and have made clear they would like to reach a deal to restore that funding.

The Trump administration, in turn, is laying its marker for a high-dollar settlement.

* * *

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The federal government suspended $584 million worth of grants to the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA), the university’s Chancellor, Julio Frenk, said in an Aug. 6 statement to community members.

Pro-Palestinian protesters rebuild the barricade surrounding their encampment after clashes erupted overnight on the campus of the University of California–Los Angeles on May 1, 2024. Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images

“If these funds remain suspended, it will be devastating for UCLA,” he said.

The funding cancellation affects UCLA departments that rely on grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy.

“The suspension of these funds is not only a loss to the researchers who rely on critical grants,“ he said. ”It is a loss for Americans across the nation whose work, health, and future depend on our groundbreaking research and scholarship.”

The university announced the funding cancellation on July 31 without identifying the exact amount to be cut.

The announcement was made after the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a July 29 statement that UCLA violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by “acting with deliberate indifference in creating a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students.”

The DOJ said that UCLA failed to appropriately respond to complaints about Jewish and Israeli students facing “severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive harassment and abuse” on its campus since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel by the Hamas terrorist group.

“This disgusting breach of civil rights against students will not stand: DOJ will force UCLA to pay a heavy price for putting Jewish Americans at risk and continue our ongoing investigations into other campuses in the UC system,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in the statement.

Under Title VI, the federal government has the authority to withhold funding from educational institutions found to be discriminating on the basis of race, national origin, or religion.

In a July 29 notice of violation issued to UCLA, the DOJ said that Jewish students reported being assaulted or denied access to campus facilities due to their faith. In one instance, a student was knocked down by protestors, suffered a head injury, and had to be hospitalized, the DOJ stated.

The DOJ gave UCLA until Aug. 5 to reach a voluntary agreement resolving the issue, failing which, the agency planned to file a federal lawsuit against the university by Sept. 2, the notice said.

In the July 31 message, Frenk said that UCLA has taken “robust actions” to make its campus safe for all students.

Earlier this year, the university instituted new policies to manage campus protests and has taken action against conduct violating the institution’s policies, he said.

UCLA has launched an initiative aimed at extinguishing anti-Semitism on the campus “completely and definitively,” Frenk wrote.

“As part of this initiative, UCLA is implementing recommendations of the Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias,“ he wrote. ”These include enhancing relevant training and education, improving the complaint system, ensuring enforcement of current and new laws and policies and cooperating with stakeholders.”

Frenk said federal research grants are not “handouts,” that researchers from the university “compete fiercely” to secure such funding, and that the work conducted by these researchers is crucial to America’s safety, health, and economic future.

On Aug. 4, senior leaders at the university held a town hall attended by 3,150 faculty and staff to discuss the issue, following which the university estimated that grant suspensions by federal agencies would put $584 million in funding at risk, Frenk said.

“We are doing everything we can to protect the interests of faculty, students, and staff—and to defend our values and principles,“ he said. ”The UC Board of Regents and the UC Office of the President are providing counsel as we actively evaluate our best course of action.”

Removing Discrimination, Harassment

Other U.S. universities have agreed to adhere to the federal government’s policies, often after the Trump administration threatened federal funding cuts.

Columbia University was, until recently, in conflict with the administration over the issue of alleged anti-Semitic incidents on campus. In March, government agencies cut $400 million in university funding because of this issue.

Last month, the university announced it would pay $200 million to resolve allegations that it discriminated against Jewish students, securing restoration of federal grants in return.

“While Columbia does not admit to wrongdoing with this resolution agreement, the institution’s leaders have recognized, repeatedly, that Jewish students and faculty have experienced painful, unacceptable incidents, and that reform was and is needed,” the university said, announcing its deal with the federal government.

On July 30, Brown University said it reached an agreement with the federal government after being in conflict over the issue of violating Title IX, which prohibits sexual discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal funding.

Under the deal, the university committed to making policy adjustments such as using the Trump administration’s definitions of “male” and “female” for athletes and housing on campus. This includes installing female-only floors at dormitories and offering male and female bathrooms. The university also vowed to take measures to address anti-Semitism on campus.

The agreement restores federal funding to the university for research and ends the government’s investigation into racial and sexual discrimination.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon applauded the deal.

“Restoring our nation’s higher education institutions to places dedicated to truth-seeking, academic merit, and civil debate—where all students can learn free from discrimination and harassment—will be a lasting legacy of the Trump administration, one that will benefit students and American society for generations to come,” she said.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 13:25

Gen Z: Nationalists vs. Communists

Zero Hedge -

Gen Z: Nationalists vs. Communists

Authored by Adam Sharp via Daily Reckoning,

Young Americans are fracturing along ideological fault lines.

They are breaking into two camps. For lack of better terms, we will call them the far-right and far-left.

Unfortunately, there are few surveys which ask these kinds of questions. Pollsters still query along legacy party lines, Democrat vs. Republican, even though those labels are losing relevance.

Fortunately I have two teenage kids, and friends in the same boat. So I have a pretty good read on young Americans’ political leanings.

Most kids I know fall into one of two buckets. Let’s call them America First nationalists and hardcore socialists.

Girls are more likely to be on the far-left, while young men are increasingly right-wing. This gender divide couldn’t be clearer, at least in my area.

This shift to the extremes is understandable. Both sides are angry, and for good reason. The system isn’t working for them.

Young people today see a world in which they have no chance of affording a house. See the chart below, which shows how the average age of homebuyers has soared over recent decades.

The median homebuyer is now 56 years old! That’s up from 31 in 1981. Wages simply haven’t kept up with housing costs. The American dream is increasingly out of reach.

As kids, Gen Z was told to go to college and they’d get a 6-figure desk job. Now they’re graduating, often saddled with unpayable debt, into a rough market for new white-collar workers. Blue-collar workers are having less trouble finding steady work, but inflation is a pervasive problem.

The young left sees the solution in more socialism. The young right wants politicians to put America first and shrink the government. Both want to end corruption and tear down the status quo.

Strangely, on certain issues these two seemingly distant emerging political wings agree.

Increasing Nationalism

On both the left and the right, different kinds of nationalist sentiment is rising. Both right and left are increasingly against immigration, for example. For too long, mainstream politicians spurred immigration into the States. Broad support for this is ending.

And the more hardcore wings of each side are increasingly angry about America’s many foreign entanglements. They want the war in Ukraine to end. And Gen Z as a whole tends to disapprove of American support for Israel. This is in sharp contrast to older conservatives, who still tend to support Israel.

In general, young people want more focus on America’s issues, and less on the world’s. Again, this is completely understandable. Our youth is struggling, and they see trillions of dollars being spent overseas. Meanwhile our debt load continually rises.  It is politically and economically unsustainable.

Consequences and Direction

For the past 30 years, the left has dominated the culture wars. Think political-correctness, DEI, LGBTQ propaganda in schools, and immigration. Even mainstream conservatives gave way on these issues.

Now everything is changing.

The young right is on the rise, and the consequences of this shift will be dramatic and long-lasting.

A recent post by Robert Sterling on X summed up the situation perfectly:

The left has no idea the monster they’ve created with Gen Z men. Absolutely no idea.

These guys spent their formative years navigating an unprecedented social experiment—COVID lockdowns; DEI struggle sessions; pronouns, micro-aggressions, land acknowledgements, intersectional justice—and, as a demographic, they simply snapped. They stopped fearing cancellation, they realized black marks on social credit scores don’t leave permanent stains, and they started owning—rather than futilely trying to defend against—the accusations of villainry they had suffered since young age.

It’s a wholesale reactionary movement against a political system—more than that, a culture at large—which, rightly or wrongly, they see as dedicated to their emasculation. A system that, in their view, creates little of value, affords them scant opportunity, celebrates that which is ugly and mediocre and profanes that which is sacred.

From the fires of this crucible is emerging the most right-wing generation I’ve ever seen. And from the unhinged group chats of today are emerging the legislators and congressmen of tomorrow.

The left has no idea what they have done, and they can’t imagine what the second- and third-order effects of this will be.

Nailed it. Historically, major political shifts are driven by disaffected young men. That’s where we are with America’s youth today. Especially on the right.

President Trump is responsible for some of this shift, but I suspect the young right movement will eventually outgrow his brand of conservatism. Don’t get me wrong, Trump is a vast improvement from Biden and past GOP leaders. But he’s still too mainstream for these disaffected young Americans.

For the past 3 decades, mainstream Democrats, neocons, and RINOs had their way with the direction of America. This new generation will lead the way to change that.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 12:45

Update: Lumber Prices Up 24% YoY

Calculated Risk -

This is something to watch again. Here is another update on lumber prices.
SPECIAL NOTE: The CME group discontinued the Random Length Lumber Futures contract on May 16, 2023.  I switched to a physically-delivered Lumber Futures contract that was started in August 2022.  Unfortunately, this impacts long term price comparisons since the new contract was priced about 24% higher than the old random length contract for the period when both contracts were available.
This graph shows CME random length framing futures through August 2022 (blue), and the new physically-delivered Lumber Futures (LBR) contract starting in August 2022 (Red).
On August 8, 2025, LBR was at $652.50 per 1,000 board feet, up 24% from a year ago.
Lumber PricesClick on graph for larger image.

There is somewhat of a seasonal demand for lumber, and lumber prices frequently peak in the first half of the year.
The pickup in early 2018 was due to the Trump lumber tariffs in 2017.  There were huge increases during the pandemic due to a combination of supply constraints and a pickup in housing starts.  

Trump Orders Surge Of Law Enforcement In Washington To Combat Crime

Zero Hedge -

Trump Orders Surge Of Law Enforcement In Washington To Combat Crime

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

President Donald Trump had ordered the federal government to increase law enforcement presence in Washington to combat violent crime, the White House said on Aug. 7.

U.S. Capitol Police Officers patrol the East Front plaza of the Capitol Building in Washington on March 7, 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

“President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, noting that the city “has been plagued by violent crime for far too long.”

The White House said that additional law enforcement officers would be deployed on the streets for seven days commencing midnight following an 11 p.m. roll call on Thursday at an established command center.

The operation, led by U.S. Park Police, will involve officers from the U.S. Capitol Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Protective Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The number of officers had not been disclosed.

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

Before the announcement, Trump said on Aug. 5 he was considering placing the District of Columbia under federal control after the recent assault of former Department of Government Efficiency staffer Edward Coristine.

The assault allegedly involved underage gang members. Two 15-year-olds were arrested in connection with the attack, and police said they are still looking for other members of the group.

“Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control,” Trump stated on Truth Social. “If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore.”

The president demanded that the city—which is run by a locally elected city council and mayor—change its ordinances regarding the prosecution of minor offenders. He said that offenders as young as age 14 should be subject to trial as an adult for violent offenses.

“Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released,” he stated.

On March 28, Trump signed an executive order establishing the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which will be tasked with ensuring “maximum enforcement” of federal immigration law in the city, reviewing federal prosecutorial policies on pretrial detention for criminal defendants, and monitoring the city’s sanctuary-city status.

The order also directed the task force to work with local law enforcement to facilitate the deployment of “a more robust local law enforcement” in areas of Washington and to ensure strict enforcement of “all applicable quality of life, nuisance, and public-safety laws” in the city.

The Associated Press and Joseph Lord contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 12:05

Trentadue To Trump, Bondi: Release The OKC Tapes

Zero Hedge -

Trentadue To Trump, Bondi: Release The OKC Tapes

During last night’s ZeroHedge panel on the Oklahoma City bombing, attorney Jesse Trentadue (whose brother Kenneth Trentadue was murdered by the FBI then covered up in the wake of the OKC bombing) had two requests for the Trump administration: “[release] the videotape of the bombing and unseal John Matthews’ deposition, because the Department of Justice has it sealed, and President Trump’s Department of Justice is fighting to keep it sealed.”

Trentadue filed a FOIA lawsuit in 2008 to get the surveillance tapes — which the FBI is on record acknowledging exist — but the bureau has told him “they can’t find it”.

“You would think if you had a videotape showing who committed this horrific crime, wouldn't that have been exhibit number one in McVeigh's criminal trial? The reason it wasn't because I believe that second person was an FBI operative who got out of that truck.”

Investigative reporter and author Peter Schweizer, who hosted the ZH panel, responded: “Let’s make sure that those two messages are delivered to Pam Bondi.” 

Well as our other guest, Margaret Roberts, pointed out… it already has been delivered… by Jesse.

“Those are the two critical calls to action. Jesse has a letter on Attorney General Bondi’s desk since March asking the Justice Department to stand down from its opposition to unsealing the John Matthews deposition.”

Roberts recently published her book Blowback: The Untold Story of the FBI and the Oklahoma City Bombing (available here).

She continued, “The other area here that needs addressing is the FOIA process. This is supposed to be the citizens’ last resort for obtaining records that belong to the American public. This story belongs to the public, not locked away in secret government vaults. The many exclusions available to the secret keepers inside these government agencies make it almost impossible.”

“Jesse has navigated this flawed process so masterfully, and yet this FOIA action to release the videotapes has just been sitting marooned for more than a decade. John Matthews told Jesse he had been pressured by the FBI not to tell his story… FOIA needs to be fixed.”

Check out the full discussion here, shorter than our typical debates but packed with info:

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/08/2025 - 11:45

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