Individual Economists

Trump's New World Order

Zero Hedge -

Trump's New World Order

Authored by Nick Giambruno via InternationalMan.com,

The US-led world order has undergone several distinct phases since the end of World War 2.

From 1945 to 1991, it was defined by the Cold War—a global struggle between the US and the Soviet Union.

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the post-WW2 world order experienced a massive shift, with the US emerging as the undisputed global superpower. This era, often called the “unipolar moment,” lasted from 1991 until Trump’s inauguration in 2025.

Yuval Harari is a key advisor to Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF). He recently stated that if Trump were to become president again, it “is likely to be the kind of death blow to what remains of the global order.”

While I think it’s premature to declare the end of the post-WW2 world order, Trump’s return to the White House undoubtedly marks one of the most significant shifts in international relations since the Soviet Union’s fall.

Marco Rubio serves as Trump’s Secretary of State, tasked with executing Trump’s vision for America’s role on the world stage.

His statements—during his Senate confirmation hearings and in an interview with journalist Megyn Kelly—have made that vision unmistakably clear.

Here’s what Rubio stated during his confirmation hearings (emphasis added):

“Out of the triumphalism of the end of long Cold War emerged a bi-partisan consensus that we had reached ‘the end of history.’ That all the nations of Earth would become members of the democratic Western led community. That a foreign policy that served the national interest could now be replaced by one that served the ‘liberal world order.’ And that all mankind was now destined to abandon national identity, and we would become ‘one human family’ and ‘citizens of the world.’

This wasn’t just a fantasy; it was a dangerous delusion.

Here in America, and in many of the advanced economies across the world, an almost religious commitment to free and unfettered trade at the expense of our national economy, shrunk the middle class, left the working class in crisis, collapsed industrial capacity, and pushed critical supply chains into the hands of adversaries and rivals. An irrational zeal for maximum freedom of movement of people has resulted in a historic mass migration crisis here in America and around the world that threatens the stability of societies and governments.

While America far too often continued to prioritize the ‘global order’ above our core national interests, other nations continued to act the way countries always have and always will, in what they perceive to be in their best interest.

And instead of folding into the post-Cold War global order, they have manipulated it to serve their interest at the expense of ours. We welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into this global order. And they took advantage of all its benefits. But they ignored all its obligations and responsibilities. Instead, they have lied, cheated, hacked, and stolen their way to global superpower status, at our expense.

The postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us.

And all this has led us to a moment in which we must now confront the single greatest risk of geopolitical instability and generational global crisis in the lifetime of anyone alive here today.

Eight decades later, we are called to create a free world out of chaos once again. This will not be easy. And it will be impossible without a strong and confident America that engages in the world, putting our core national interests above all else once again.”

Here are Rubio’s remarks to Megyn Kelly (emphasis added):

Megyn Kelly: America First?

Secretary Rubio: Well, and that’s the way the world has always worked. The way the world has always worked is that the Chinese will do what’s in the best interests of China, the Russians will do what’s in the best interest of Russia, the Chileans are going to do what’s in the best interest of Chile, and the United States needs to do what’s in the best interest of the United States.

Where our interests align, that’s where you have partnerships and alliances; where our differences are not aligned, that is where the job of diplomacy is to prevent conflict while still furthering our national interests and understanding they’re going to further theirs. And that’s been lost.

And I think that was lost at the end of the Cold War, because we were the only power in the world, and so we assumed this responsibility of sort of becoming the global government in many cases, trying to solve every problem.

And there are terrible things happening in the world. There are. And then there are things that are terrible that impact our national interest directly, and we need to prioritize those again.

So, it’s not normal for the world to simply have a unipolar power. That was an anomaly. It was a product of the end of the Cold War, but eventually you were going to reach back to a point where you had a multipolar world, multi-great powers in different parts of the planet.

We face that now with China and to some extent Russia, and then you have rogue states like Iran and North Korea you have to deal with.

So now more than ever we need to remember that foreign policy should always be about furthering the national interest of the United States and doing so, to the extent possible, avoiding war and armed conflict, which we have seen two times in the last century be very costly.

They’re celebrating the 80th anniversary this year of the end of the Second World War. That – I think if you look at the scale and scope of destruction and loss of life that occurred, it would be far worse if we had a global conflict now. It may end life on the planet. And it sounds like hyperbole, but you have multiple countries now who have the capability to end life on Earth. And so we need to really work hard to avoid armed conflict as much as possible, but never at the expense of our national interest. So that’s the tricky balance. “

Rubio’s words are a reflection of Trump’s vision and policy. Frankly, it’s a much-needed dose of realism and pragmatism.

It’s worth emphasizing several key points from Rubio’s remarks:

  • The idea that the US could uphold a unipolar world order indefinitely “wasn’t just a fantasy; it was a dangerous delusion.”

  • “The postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us.”

  • “We must now confront the single greatest risk of geopolitical instability and generational global crisis in the lifetime of anyone alive here today.”

  • “It’s not normal for the world to simply have a unipolar power. That was an anomaly.”

  • “Eventually, you were going to reach back to a point where you had a multipolar world, multi-great powers in different parts of the planet.”

Though it endured for 34 years, the notion that the US could maintain a unipolar world order indefinitely was never realistic.

President Trump seems to recognize that maintaining it is not just unrealistic but unsustainable. He appears to have decided that it is in the US’s best interest to transition to a multipolar reality on its own terms rather than be forced into it by a chaotic collapse.

We are now in a volatile adjustment period as the unipolar world order gives way to a multipolar one (click image below to enlarge).

Does this mean World War 3 is over?

I don’t think so. But it does mean we have entered a new phase of it.

There is still much to be determined—most crucially, the boundaries of the US, Russia, and China’s spheres of influence in this emerging multipolar world.

With the war in Ukraine all but lost and the prospect of victory in Taiwan shrinking by the day, the US government appears to have accepted that the complete subjugation of Russia and China under its unipolar dominance is no longer an achievable goal.

The goalposts of World War 3 have shifted.

Rather than total victory and preserving the unipolar world order, the US is now focused on maximizing its power within the new multipolar landscape—while limiting the influence of its most formidable rivals: Russia, China, and their allies, including Iran.

While the US seems to be moving away from the unipolar model and begrudgingly acknowledging the existence of rival powers, it still seeks to be the dominant force in a multipolar world.

The new global boundaries have yet to be defined, and the situation remains volatile and dangerous. Whether Trump can successfully guide the US—and the world—through this transition without descending into greater conflict remains an open question.

On a smaller scale, this mirrors how powerful criminal organizations—such as mafias and street gangs—operate within a city. Ideally, a gang or mafia would eliminate all rivals. However, when certain rivals prove too strong to destroy, the conflict shifts toward defining boundaries until a formal arrangement is reached that divides territories.

The same dynamic is now unfolding on a global scale between the US, Russia, and China as World War 3 plays out.

Each side is maneuvering to expand its power and influence until a new arrangement is reached that defines the balance of the multipolar world.

The Global Order Is Changing—Are You Ready?

The unipolar world is fading, and a volatile new multipolar reality is taking shape.

The global power structure is shifting fast—and the consequences will be massive.

Most people will be caught off guard—don’t be one of them.

What does this mean for America? For the economy? For you?

That’s why I’ve put together an urgent report revealing the hidden forces shaping this new era and how to prepare for the massive geopolitical and economic shifts ahead.

This could be the most important dispatch you read all year.

Don’t get caught unprepared.

Click here to see it now.

Tyler Durden Sun, 03/30/2025 - 10:30

BlackRock's Panama Port Deal With CK Hutchison Won't Be Signed Next Week

Zero Hedge -

BlackRock's Panama Port Deal With CK Hutchison Won't Be Signed Next Week

President Trump's master plan to strengthen hemispheric defense—aimed at eliminating Chinese influence in the Panama Canal—appears to have hit a bottleneck at the end of last week.

A new report Saturday reveals that Hong Kong's CK Hutchison will not sign a deal next week to sell its two ports on either side of the canal to a BlackRock-led consortium. It's back to the drawing board for the Trump administration, which will now need to implement new tactics to pressure Panama to rid itself of Chinese Communist influence.

Sources told Reuters that Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing's deal to sell the Panama ports, including Balboa and Cristobal on either side of the canal, will not have the proper paperwork signed with the BlackRock-led investor group by the April 2 deadline for "obvious reasons."

Those obvious reasons include an infuriated Chinese Communist Party, which views Li as having bent the knee to Trump and the Americans by agreeing to give up such critical infrastructure around the canal.

For weeks, various Chinese media outlets called CK Hutchison's billionaire founder "spineless" and questioned which "side he should stand on." 

Another source said that talks are still very much underway regarding the $19 billion deal, which includes 43 ports in 23 countries. 

On Friday, the South China Morning Post first revealed that CK Hutchison Holdings "will not go ahead with the expected signing of a deal next week to sell its two strategic ports at the Panama Canal ... with Beijing saying it will launch an antitrust probe into the sale." 

In another report, The Telegraph noted, "Chinese authorities have effectively blacklisted CK Hutchison and the business interests of the Li family by telling Chinese state-backed firms they will struggle to get regulatory approval for any work involving the group."

And earlier this month...

It's crucial to understand that eliminating Chinese Communist influence from the Panama Canal is part of Trump's master plan to strengthen hemispheric defense. This strategy also encompasses developing hardened defense layers around Canada and Greenland. It includes efforts to purge Chinese triad gangs, Mexican cartels, and other terrorist organizations from the North American financial system as the world fractures into a bipolar state. 

If the communists in Beijing actually nuked the port deal with BlackRock. Then expect some angry Truth Social posts from Trump. 

Tyler Durden Sun, 03/30/2025 - 09:55

Greenland, Denmark Push Back On Vance's Visit

Zero Hedge -

Greenland, Denmark Push Back On Vance's Visit

Authored by Andrew Thornebrooke via The Epoch Times,

Leadership in Denmark and Greenland are pushing back against the Trump administration’s proposal to take over Greenland following a controversial visit to the territory by Vice President JD Vance.

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland’s new prime minister, said on March 28 that Vance’s visit signaled a “lack of respect,” and called for political unity to combat foreign interference.

“At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together,” Nielsen said during a press conference in Nuuk on March 28.

The comments came just hours after Vance led a delegation to a U.S. Space Force base in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. He accused Danish leadership of underinvesting in defense, which he said had allowed Chinese and Russian infiltration into the Americas.

“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance said at the Pituffik Space Force Base on Friday.

“Denmark has not kept pace and devoted the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view, to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China, and other nations.”

Vance has repeatedly said that the Chinese and Russian militaries are using Greenland’s waterways, without providing details about the alleged incidents.

The United States has significantly scaled back its own Arctic defense spending over the decades, including in Greenland.

To that end, Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that the United States had maintained 17 bases and more than 10,000 service members across the territory during the Cold War, but now only maintained the one base with about 200 personnel.

Denmark, meanwhile, is currently engaged in a $2 billion push to modernize its capabilities in the region. Rasmussen also noted a desire to spend more.

“[Vance] has a point that we haven’t done enough, but I’m a little provoked because it’s also the Americans who haven’t done enough,” Rasmussen said.

Similarly, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the Trump administration’s characterization was not a fair one and went against the spirit of the close alliance the two powers have shared for more than 80 years.

The souring in relations comes amid an aggressive push by President Donald Trump to annex Greenland. Trump has vowed to bring the territory under U.S. control and has refused to rule out using military force to do so.

Trump has said owning Greenland is an “absolute necessity” for maintaining international security, and Vance has said that controlling Greenland’s minerals will be vital to fueling the future economy of the United States.

Polls have shown that Greenlanders overwhelmingly oppose becoming part of the United States.

Likewise, Vance’s visit brought about some of the largest public demonstrations in Greenland’s history, with protesters wearing hats or waving banners with slogans including “Make America Go Away” and “Yankees Go Home.”

Tyler Durden Sun, 03/30/2025 - 09:20

Sanctioned Syrian Population Desperately Trying To Access Oil & Gas

Zero Hedge -

Sanctioned Syrian Population Desperately Trying To Access Oil & Gas

Syria's severe power shortages have continued throughout the country, also as many towns and cities remain largely destroyed following well over a decade of war. Rebuilding seems nowhere on the horizon as access to global investment and materials has been blocked by Washington.

The post-Assad Hayat Tahrir al-Sham government under Jolani (former AQ/ISIS commander) has just announced a tender to purchase around 7 million barrels of light crude oil, according to a fresh petroleum ministry statement.

The purchase of 7 million barrels of light crude oil is to supply to the Baniyas refinery, Syrian media has specified.

Further, this week has seen limited efforts the ease the population's ongoing petrol woes. State-run SANA announced Tuesday, for example, that ship carrying 5,600 tons of gasoline arrived at the oil terminal of the Syrian Oil Transport Company Syrian Petroleum in Baniyas.

The last several years, as US sanctions have tightened, have seen long lines at gas stations and people having to ration fuel. 

Additionally, cities and households have had to endure the majority of the day with no electricity. Often this is merely an hour of power to homes a day, but there are reports that Damascus this month has improved to several hours of electricity daily.

Baniyas power station, via AP

This bettered energy situation in the capital may be the first fruits of a deal which was struck with Qatar two weeks ago. "Qatar will provide natural gas supplies to Syria with the aim of generating 400 megawatts of electricity a day, in a measure to help address the war-battered country’s severe electricity shortages," as quoted in SANA.

"Syria’s interim Minister of Electricity Omar Shaqrouq said the Qatari supplies are expected to increase the daily state-provided electricity supply from two to four hours per day," AP also reported.

"Under the deal, Qatar will send 2 million cubic meters of natural gas a day to the Deir Ali power station, south of Damascus, via a pipeline passing through Jordan," the report indicated.

It's still unclear what future fate awaits the oil and gas fields of Syria's northeast Deir Ezzor and Hasakah regions. US troops and their proxies - the Syrian Democratic Forces - still occupy these. Pre-occupation Syria drew enough resources from these fields in order to supply domestic needs.

US sanctions have all the while sought to cut off the flow of Iranian or Russian oil to the country. For now Trump appears willing to keep the sanctions in place, even with Assad gone.

Tyler Durden Sun, 03/30/2025 - 07:35

If Everything Is Going To Be Okay, Why Are The US & The EU Feverishly Preparing For World War III?

Zero Hedge -

If Everything Is Going To Be Okay, Why Are The US & The EU Feverishly Preparing For World War III?

Authored by Michael Snyder via The End of The American Dream blog,

If there is going to be peace in the Middle East, why has the Pentagon sent 25 percent of our entire fleet of B-2 stealth bombers to the region? And if there is going to be peace in Europe, why is the European Union telling all of their citizens to store up food and water for a war with Russia?  We keep being told that everything is going to be okay, but meanwhile western officials continue to make moves that indicate that more war is coming.

According to Newsweek, the United States has “significantly increased its military presence” in the Middle East during the past couple of weeks…

The U.S. has significantly increased its military presence in both the Gulf and Indian Ocean, deploying B-2 stealth bombers, cargo planes, and aerial refueling tankers, alongside key assets like the USS Carl Vinson and USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carriers.

I am particularly concerned about the deployment of highly advanced B-2 stealth bombers to the region.

It is being reported that “at least five” B-2 stealth bombers have been deployed to the island of Diego Garcia…

The US military has sent at least five B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to highly strategic island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

These heavy bombers can obliterate targets with their huge 25 tonne bomb payload per jet.

This means the US’s deadly fleet of five could carry an astounding 125 tonnes of bombs.

For those that do not know, Afghanistan was relentlessly bombed by U.S. air assets based in Diego Garcia during the invasion of that nation in 2001, and Iraq was relentlessly bombed by U.S. air assets based in Diego Garcia during the invasion of that nation in 2003.

Currently, the U.S. only possesses 20 B-2 stealth bombers, and so that means that 25 percent of them are now in Diego Garcia.

It is being speculated that these B-2 bombers could be involved in the ongoing campaign to bomb the Houthis in Yemen, but it is important to note that these B-2 bombers would also be ideal for carrying out the sort of “bunker buster” strikes that would be necessary to take out Iran’s nuclear program…

The bombers present a unique mix of capabilities, particularly their ability to penetrate past dense enemy air defenses to carry out ‘bunker buster’ strikes employing 30,000-pound class GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs. MOP, which only the B-2 is currently certified to employ operationally, itself offers a unique conventional option for striking deeply buried and fortified targets, of which there are many in Iran.

We do know that President Trump recently delivered a letter to the Iranians that gives them a choice with a very clear deadline.

Either the Iranians must make an agreement to end their nuclear program within two months or they will be attacked

Recently, President Trump revealed that he had sent a letter to Tehran, demanding a new nuclear agreement within two months or face significant military consequences. With negotiations stalled and the deadline looming, the diplomatic window for de-escalation is quickly closing, leaving military action as an increasingly likely outcome.

The Iranians have already told us that they have no plans to negotiate.

So it appears that it is just a matter of time before the second option is implemented.

In a recent interview with “Face the Nation”, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz made it clear that there will be no compromises

“Iran has to give up its program in a way that the entire world can see,” Mike Waltz, Trump’s National Security Advisor, said during a separate interview on CBS News‘ “Face the Nation” this weekend. “It is time for Iran to walk away completely from its desire to have a nuclear weapon, and they will not and cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapons program. That is its weaponization and its strategic missiles program.”

If B-2 stealth bombers start hitting Iran’s nuclear facilities, we will officially be at war with Iran.

I hope that everyone understands the implications of that.

Meanwhile, the European Union is “pushing for every household in the 27-nation bloc” to prepare an emergency kit in case a direct war with Russia breaks out…

European Union bureaucrats are pushing for every household in the 27-nation bloc to prepare the kit for war and natural disasters.

It is expected that will be part of a union’s broader “preparedness strategy” amid the threat from Russia.

Key items they will ask the bloc’s 450 million citizens to gather includes water, energy bars and a flashlight.

Why does every home in the EU need to prepare for war with Russia if there is going to be peace?

Do EU bureaucrats know something that the rest of us do not?

Sadly, it appears that even the very limited agreements that Russia and Ukraine just agreed to are not going to hold.  The Ukrainians just launched more strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, and the Russians just keep sending waves of drone attacks at Ukrainian cities

Overnight, Russia said it had taken down nine drones, including two over the Black Sea. It also said Ukraine tried to attack a gas storage facility in Russian-occupied Crimea and energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kursk and Bryansk regions. Ukraine said it conducted no such strikes.

Ukraine’s military reported 117 Russian drone attacks overnight. Local officials said the city of Kryvyi Rih had been hit by the biggest drone attack it has faced yet.

Hopefully both sides will come to their senses, because this is our one shot at peace.

If negotiations ultimately fail, it is inevitable that both sides will escalate matters, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is warning that an attack on Poland or any other NATO member “will be met with the full force of this fierce alliance”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte issued a stern warning to Vladimir Putin, stating that any attack on Poland or another NATO member would be met with a “devastating” response.

“If anyone were to miscalculate and think they can get away with an attack on Poland or on any other ally, they will be met with the full force of this fierce alliance. Our reaction will be devastating” he declared in Warsaw. “This has to be very clear to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and anyone else who wants to attack us.”

Those are unusually strong words.

Is he expecting something to happen?

Ominously, we are being told that four U.S. soldiers were just found dead near Lithuania’s border with Belarus

Four US soldiers have reportedly been found dead in Lithuania after going missing during a training mission. A major search operation was launched after the tracked vehicle they were travelling in disappeared at around 4.45pm yesterday.

The Embassy in Vilnius has yet to confirm the deaths after releasing a statement to confirm only that four soldiers were missing. But speaking to reporters while visiting Warsaw, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said: “Whilst I was speaking the news came out about four American soldiers who were killed in an incident in Lithuania,” as he confirmed he had no further details. The search, involving Lithuanian and US assets, has identified a “possible location” of where they are believed to have disappeared.

This is a very alarming incident.

Hopefully we will learn more details shortly.

There is one last thing that I wanted to mention today.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just told European journalists that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will die soon”

Volodymyr Zelensky has predicted that Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘will die soon’ in a candid assessment as he discussed the war on Ukraine. Speaking during a round table with journalists including the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, the Ukrainian leader said: “He will die soon, and that’s a fact, and it will come to an end.”

What an irresponsible thing to say.

Yes, Putin has been experiencing health problems for a long time.

But if Putin does die soon, the Russians will remember what Zelenskyy just said.  At that point it would be exceedingly difficult to convince the Russians that nothing nefarious was going on, and getting both sides to agree to any sort of a peace deal would almost certainly become impossible.

We are at such a delicate moment.

The decisions that global leaders make over the next several months could dramatically alter the course of human history, and right now I am not particularly optimistic about where things are heading.

*  *  *

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

Tyler Durden Sun, 03/30/2025 - 07:00

10 Sunday Reads

The Big Picture -

Avert your eyes! My Sunday morning look at incompetency, corruption and policy failures:

This Is the Land of Wolves Now: Masked agents snatching people off the street. Government officials using caged prisoners for propaganda videos. We are the villains. (The Bulwark)

The Scammer’s Manual: How to Launder Money and Get Away With It: Documents and insiders reveal how one of the world’s major money laundering networks operates. (New York Times)

IRS Predicts DOGE Lost Half a Trillion Dollars for the USA. IRS’ internal projections estimate that the DOGE-driven disruptions to the IRS since the inauguration are on track to have reduced tax receipts by more than $500 billion by April 15th (Talking Points Memo). see also Tax revenue could drop by 10 percent amid turmoil at IRS: Staff cuts and disruptions related to the U.S. DOGE Service have officials bracing for a sharp loss of revenue. (Washington Post)

How a Global Online Network of White Supremacists Groomed a Teen to Kill: Neo-Nazi influencers on the social media platform Telegram created a network of chats and channels where they stoked racist, antisemitic and homophobic hate. The influencers, known as the Terrorgram Collective, targeted a teen in Slovakia and groomed him for three years to kill. Juraj Krajčík subscribed to at least 49 extremist Telegram chats and channels, many of them nodes in the Terrorgram network, before he killed two people at an LGBTQ+ bar.(ProPublica)

We Mapped DOGE’s Silicon Valley and Corporate Connections: If Elon Musk is America’s CEO, DOGE is the Silicon Valley executive branch. (Wired)

Delete your DNA from 23andMe right now: The genetic information company declared bankruptcy on Sunday, and California’s attorney general has issued a privacy “consumer alert.” (Washington Post)

In His Second Term, Trump Fuels a ‘Machinery’ of Misinformation: President Trump’s first four years in the White House were filled with falsehoods. Now he and those around him are using false claims to justify their policy changes.(New York Times)

The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans: U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling. (The Atlantic) see also Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal: The administration has downplayed the importance of the text messages inadvertently sent to The Atlantic’s editor in chief. (The Atlantic) see also American Foreign Policy Is Being Run by the Dumbest Motherfuckers Alive: The fuckwittery on display right now by Trump’s foreign policy team boggles the mind. (Note: That is the actual headline and not my editorializing). (Drezner’s World)

The Global Glacier Casualty List: Since the year 2000, global warming has led to the disappearance of thousands of glaciers across the world. At first, many of these glaciers were small. But now we are seeing larger glaciers melting, many with vital cultural, economic and environmental importance to human communities. The Global Glacier Casualty List exists to remember their names and tell their stories. (Glacier Casualty)

Why DOGE is struggling to find fraud in Social Security: Claims of massive problems by Elon Musk and President Trump are at odds with the agency’s audits and reports.(Washington Post) see also Long waits, waves of calls, website crashes: Social Security is breaking down: A flood of cuts led by Elon Musk has sent the agency into chaos as a new commissioner prepares to take charge (Washington Post)

Be sure to check out our Masters in Business interview  this weekend with Michael Lewis, author of MoneyBallThe Big ShortLiar’s Poker, and many others. His new book is Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service.

 

Trade War Retaliation Will Hit Trump Voters Hardest

Source: New York Times

Sign up for our reads-only mailing list here.

 

~~~

To learn how these reads are assembled each day, please see this.

 

The post 10 Sunday Reads appeared first on The Big Picture.

SpaceX Offers Starlink To Myanmar, Thailand After 1000 Dead In Massive Earthquake

Zero Hedge -

SpaceX Offers Starlink To Myanmar, Thailand After 1000 Dead In Massive Earthquake

SpaceX announced on Friday that it is "prepared to provide Starlink kits to assist with communications and relief efforts" in Thailand and Myanmar (also known as Burma), after more than 1,000 people were killed when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country earlier in the day.

In addition to a death toll of 1,002 as of Saturday, there are 2,376 injured and 30 missing according to the military government, up sharply from the 144 dead reported by state media on Friday.

As the Epoch Times notes further, the U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the earthquake—which was 6.2 miles deep—was close to the city of Mandalay in Burma.

A dramatic video circulating on social media shows a high-rise building in Bangkok collapsing in a cloud of dust as construction workers run for their lives. Thai authorities said nine people had died and 101 were missing in Bangkok, mostly laborers trapped in the rubble of the collapsed tower.

The high-rise building was being built for the auditor general of the Thai government by the China Railway Construction Corporation.

The USGS’s predictive modeling estimated the death toll could exceed 10,000 people in Burma, and that losses could be greater than the value of the country’s gross domestic product.

In Burma, the military government has declared a state of emergency in six regions and states, including Mandalay and the capital, Naypyidaw.

It said on the Telegram messaging app, “The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid.”

The Red Cross said: “Initial reports from the ground suggest the earthquake has caused significant damage. Information on humanitarian needs is still being gathered.”

Machinery is moved on the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Burma and Thailand. Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images

The Burmese government’s spokesman, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, told state-run MRTV television channel that blood was in high demand in hospitals in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyidaw.

The president of the European Commission wrote on X: “Heartbreaking scenes from Myanmar and Thailand after the devastating earthquake. My thoughts are with the victims & their families. Europe’s Copernicus satellites are already helping first responders. We are ready to provide more support. We stand with you in full solidarity.”

Chinese media reported that the earthquake was felt in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.

Burma’s second biggest city, Mandalay, was close to the epicenter, and a local resident, Htet Naing Oo, said several people had been trapped inside a tea shop which had collapsed.

She said, “We couldn’t go in. The situation is very bad.”

Photographs and videos posted on Facebook showed widespread damage in Mandalay.

Most houses in Mandalay are low-rise structures.

A 90-year-old bridge in the Sagaing region, southwest of Mandalay, collapsed, and the highway connecting Mandalay with Burma’s largest city, Yangon, was also damaged.

In the capital, Naypyidaw, Buddhist shrines were toppled and some homes damaged.

The tremor, which took place around midday on Friday, was followed by an aftershock with a magnitude of 6.4, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The greater Bangkok area is home to around 17 million people, many living in high-rise apartments.

Many people have been evacuated from office and residential buildings, pending the all-clear.

‘A Lot of Panic’

Fraser Morton, a British tourist who was in downtown Bangkok shopping for camera equipment, said, “All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic.”

“I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall,” he added.

Morton said, “I got outside and then looked up at the building and the whole building was moving, dust and debris, it was pretty intense. Lots of chaos.”

Water from infinity pools in several high-rise hotels can be seen in videos pouring down the sides of the buildings as they shook.

Rescue teams at a construction site where a building collapsed in Bangkok on March 28, 2025, after an earthquake. Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images

Thousands of residents, workers, and tourists took shelter in the city’s Benjasiri Park, which is away from high buildings.

Thailand’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, called an emergency meeting on Friday to assess the impact.

Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention said the tremor was felt in almost every region of the country.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 23:55

Federal Judge Halts Shutdown Of Voice Of America

Zero Hedge -

Federal Judge Halts Shutdown Of Voice Of America

Authored by Bill Pan via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America (VOA), the government-funded international news service whose 1,200 reporters and employees were placed on paid leave earlier this month.

The Voice of America building in Washington on June 15, 2020. Andrew Harnik/AP Photo

The judge, J. Paul Oetken of the Southern District of New York, on Friday issued a temporary restraining order in favor of VOA employees and their unions. The order prevents the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, from shutting down the broadcasting network and its associated radio programs.

VOA employees filed the lawsuit against USAGM, its acting Director Victor Morales, and special adviser Kari Lake on March 21. The complaint accused the agency of failing to fulfill its legally mandated missions and violating both press freedom and the separation-of-powers doctrine when it took a “chainsaw” to the outlet, ordering the entire staff not to report to work, turning off the service, and locking the agency’s doors.

In his ruling, Oetken stated that VOA was likely to succeed on its claims, noting that USAGM’s actions appeared unconstitutional. He said that Lake lacked legal authority to withhold congressionally appropriated funds or terminate USAGM staff, programming, or contracts.

By withholding the funds statutorily appropriated to fully administer USAGM, VOA, and its affiliates ... the executive is usurping Congress’s power of the purse and its legislative supremacy,” he wrote.

The judge did not require VOA to resume broadcasts, but made it clear that employees must not be terminated while the court determines whether the shutdown violates the Constitution or other federal administrative laws.

Friday’s order echoed a similar ruling by another district judge earlier in the week, which granted a temporary restraining order to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, blocking its funding freeze. The Trump administration has since stated in court filings that it has resumed funding for these outlets.

President Donald Trump and his supporters have been critical of VOA for years over alleged bias against conservative Americans and in favor of America’s adversaries.

In 2020, the White House sent an email accusing VOA of spending taxpayers’ money to “speak for authoritarian regimes.” It took issue with, among other things, a VOA social media post featuring a video of a light show celebrating the end of the lockdown in Wuhan, the Chinese megapolis where the COVID-19 virus first emerged; as well as the agency’s characterization of China’s effort to control the outbreak as a “model” for other nations.

VOA too often speaks for America’s adversaries—not its citizens,” The White House said. “Journalists should report the facts, but VOA has instead amplified Beijing’s propaganda.”

The VOA first began broadcasting in 1942 in German-occupied territories as part of the Allies’ effort to engage Axis propaganda broadcasts with counterpropaganda. In the following decades, it became a staple in the propaganda war against the Soviet Union and other communist regimes. Over time, it evolved into a global news organization, now operating in more than 40 languages.

Elon Musk, a tech billionaire and Trump’s top adviser for downsizing the federal government’s spending and workforce, has echoed calls to shut down VOA and its sister networks, arguing that they have outlived their purpose.

“Yes, shut them down. Europe is free now (not counting stifling bureaucracy). Nobody listens to them anymore,” he wrote on X, accusing the outlets of being “radical left” and “torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money.”

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 23:20

"Damning Conduct": FBI Agents Stationed In Asia Paid For Sex From Prostitutes Over Several Years

Zero Hedge -

"Damning Conduct": FBI Agents Stationed In Asia Paid For Sex From Prostitutes Over Several Years

FBI agents stationed overseas engaged in sex with prostitutes in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Thailand—sometimes while colleagues attended anti-human trafficking training, the New York Times reported.

The "damning conduct", which occurred between 2009 and 2018, involved agents paying for or accepting sex while socializing with each other and local police, revealing a culture where women were routinely exploited.

The report, made public after a New York Times lawsuit, offers the most detailed account yet of a scandal kept largely under wraps since the early Trump years. It surfaces as new FBI Director Kash Patel vows to overhaul the agency.

Prostitution is widespread but illegal in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Thailand—countries where FBI agents engaged in misconduct, despite the bureau’s ban on paying for sex and its stated focus on fighting human trafficking.

“The F.B.I. took swift action once alerted to the behavior,” the agency said, adding that those involved were fired and overseas personnel training has since been updated.

Some incidents occurred during official events. In 2017, agents in Bangkok twice visited bars to negotiate sex while accompanied by local police. That same year, the FBI co-hosted anti-trafficking training with Thai authorities. It's unclear if the misconduct occurred during that specific training.

The Times wrote that in 2018, during another event in Manila, FBI employees accepted prostitutes reportedly paid for by a local law enforcement agency, according to the report.

The Wall Street Journal first reported in 2018 that several FBI employees had been recalled from Asia amid an investigation into alleged contact with prostitutes and other misconduct.

A 2021 inspector general summary confirmed five employees had solicited sex abroad, and one had given a colleague “a package containing approximately 100 white pills to deliver to a foreign law enforcement officer.”

The full report, now released after a legal battle with The New York Times, details multiple violations involving groups of FBI employees. In one case, agents at a karaoke bar were handed room keys or numbered slips tied to hotel rooms—at least one was a supervisor. Two employees reportedly engaged in sex acts with prostitutes while sharing a room.

The Justice Department under both Trump and Biden fought to keep the details sealed, citing privacy concerns. A federal judge ultimately ordered the release of the less-redacted version on Thursday.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 22:45

China's Tech Triple Play Threatens US National Security

Zero Hedge -

China's Tech Triple Play Threatens US National Security

Authored by Craig Singleton via RealClearWire,

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping has defiantly declared that technological innovation is the “main battlefield” in China’s quest for global preeminence. But, Beijing’s bold bid to transform itself into a global science superpower is not merely an economic imperative—it is a means to strengthen China’s military might and cyber capabilities, with grave implications for the United States.

At the center of Xi’s vision are what he calls China’s “new productive forces”—breakthroughs in advanced batteries, biotech, LiDAR, drones, and other emerging technologies that promise to redefine the next industrial revolution. By dominating these sectors, Beijing aims to ensure Chinese technology is deeply embedded within critical American supply chains—everything from power grids and ports to communications networks —thereby converting China’s commercial success into a powerful geopolitical tool of leverage.

Here at home, Beijing’s strategy is unfolding in three interlocking phases—penetrating, prepositioning, and profiting—which together form an insidious framework that both erodes America’s technological edge and undermines homeland security.

Recently exposed Chinese state-sponsored hacking campaigns—Salt, Volt, and Flax Typhoon—exemplify Beijing’s systematic approach to penetrating U.S. networks and critical infrastructure. The Salt campaign exploited vulnerabilities in telecommunications systems, allowing attackers to intercept voice and text communications and thereby compromise both civilian privacy and government operations. The Volt operation targeted industrial control systems, breaching energy and manufacturing networks to gain remote control over essential infrastructure. Meanwhile, Flax Typhoon focused on defense and government networks, exfiltrating sensitive data and installing persistent backdoors to facilitate future sabotage.

Collectively, these campaigns reveal how Chinese hackers methodically exploit software and hardware weaknesses to harvest critical intelligence and maintain enduring access to sensitive U.S networks, often with next-to-no consequences. Yet infiltration is not an end in itself. Once inside, Beijing systematically prepositions latent capabilities throughout our physical and digital supply chains, setting the stage for future coercion.

Today, Chinese-made LiDAR devices underpin smart city systems, autonomous vehicles, and certain aerial reconnaissance platforms. Similarly, Chinese-produced surveillance cameras and drones are integrated throughout our transportation network, including at major U.S. airports. Even critical infrastructure components like cranes in U.S. ports and batteries connected to our grids have morphed into strategic choke points, according to Congressional investigations.

In a conflict—or even a severe diplomatic crisis—these systemic dependencies could confer a decisive advantage to China. By withholding critical parts or inflating prices at a pivotal moment, Beijing can exploit these supply chain choke points to hamper U.S. readiness.

Prepositioned exploits could degrade or disable U.S. command-and-control systems, sabotage energy grids, or paralyze transportation networks—potentially stalling America’s response before a single shot is fired. Even if such disruptions remain hypothetical, the mere suspicion of sabotage can erode policymaker confidence and delay military mobilization efforts, effectively handing Beijing a silent veto over our crisis decision-making.

The final phase of Beijing’s strategy is profiting from these dependencies, turning commercial dominance into a revenue stream that reinforces its military-civil fusion. Chinese high-tech exports, ranging from advanced sensors and biotech innovations to drones and surveillance cameras, generate billions in revenue every year for Beijing. These profits are not reinvested merely for commercial growth; they are often funneled directly into programs bolstering People’s Liberation Army’s R&D efforts.

The stakes could hardly be higher. The House Homeland Security Committee, along with other congressional panels, has convened hearings spotlighting how Chinese hackers sit in vital infrastructure systems and how Beijing’s infiltration extends into our supply chains. The bipartisan consensus emerging from these discussions is clear: we must move swiftly from passive defense of American networks to proactive deterrence.

Policymakers can begin by tightening outbound investment screening and export controls. That means scrutinizing U.S. capital and technology flows into Chinese firms linked to China’s military-industrial base, ensuring that American money and know-how no longer subsidize Beijing’s military modernization. Simultaneously, federal agencies should adopt “clean network” standards for software, hardware, and data, effectively establishing cyber quarantines for critical infrastructure. This would bar high-risk Chinese devices from power grids, ports, and telecommunications systems—treating them as inherently untrusted until proven otherwise.

Equally important is imposing meaningful consequences on Beijing’s cyber intrusions. Diplomatic protests and token indictments of mid-level hackers have failed to alter China’s calculus. Instead, Washington should consider stronger penalties—including financial blacklisting of major Chinese firms or banks—to send an unmistakable message that continued infiltration carries real costs.

Finally, we must commit to robust innovation at home. America can’t meet the Chinese challenge simply by playing defense. Expanding federal R&D, incentivizing private-sector breakthroughs, and aligning workforce development with future technology needs will ensure that the United States remains a leader in the very fields—biotech, AI, quantum computing, energy storage—where China seeks supremacy.

Xi’s “main battlefield” is already upon us, and America can no longer afford complacency. China’s triple threat—penetrating, prepositioning, and profiting—targets the core of our national resilience. If we fail to respond decisively, we risk losing our technological edge and compromising our security. By fortifying our networks, enforcing meaningful consequences on malicious actors, and investing in American innovation, we can ensure Xi’s ambitions do not come at the expense of our prosperity and safety.

 

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 22:10

"Reimagine New Jersey": Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Shown in Video Supporting Farrakhan’s Racist, Violent Views

Zero Hedge -

"Reimagine New Jersey": Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Shown in Video Supporting Farrakhan’s Racist, Violent Views

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

Across the country, Democratic leaders are resorting to what I have called “rage rhetoric” as supporters are turning to actual violence, including arson and other crimes directed against Tesla. 

In Hawaii, Gov. Josh Green (D) even reacted to Novak Djokovic playing tennis with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by hoping that he is hit in the head. However, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, currently one of the top Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor, appears to have gotten an early lead in this race to the bottom. In a video that has now attracted interest in his run for governor, Baraka gives a full-throated endorsement of the violent and racist rhetoric of Nation of Islam leader (and raging anti-Semite) Louis Farrakhan.

In a newly released video from 2004, Baraka is shown applauding and embracing Farrakhan as he calls for violence and denounces White people as “demons.” 

Those “demons” compose roughly 52% of the state that Baraka wants to lead.

The video from a Newark church shows Baraka introducing Farrakhan as “the leader of every Black person.”

“I don’t think that there’s any man today, present today, that has the kind of moral authority or spiritual strength. Not president, not community leader, not political international activist, nowhere that has the moral authority, the historical and political framework, that the Minister Farrakhan has, that. Who can stand where he stands and truly say that he is the leader of black people anywhere and everywhere.”

The New York Post uncovered the video showing Baraka giving Farrakhan a standing ovation as he denounces non-violence:  “We didn’t believe in no non-violence. The cracker hit you on your jaw, you break his neck. That’s the way we think.”

He also gives him a standing ovation in denouncing all white people as the “enemy.”

“Now the enemy comes in. You, the Crips, and the Bloods, they’ll send people in to give you rumors about your brother over there. These demons will even kill a policeman and then blame it on you. You dealing with a devil, man. You’re not dealing with righteous people. This cracker is the real devil. And you better wake up and realize that.”

Once again, this is the mayor of a major city and a leading Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey.

Baraka later arranged for Farrakhan to give a speech to over 1,000 high school students at Central High School in Newark, where he was principal.

Many on the far left shrug off such connections to racist or violent groups. It is reminiscent of former Democratic National Committee deputy chair Keith Ellison, now the Minnesota attorney general, who once said Antifa would “strike fear in the heart” of Trump. This was after Antifa had been involved in numerous acts of violence, and its website was banned in Germany. Ellison’s son, Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison, declared his allegiance to Antifa in the heat of the protests this summer.

With violence on the left increasing around the country, Democratic leaders continue to try to appease the most radical elements in their party. That was evident last week when Rep. Dan Goldman (D., N.Y.) denounced the investigation into the attacks on Tesla dealerships and owners as “political weaponization.”

This is a long history of downplaying or shrugging off such violence, including some who seem to fuel the violence.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., told George Floyd protesters in Minnesota to “get more confrontational” if a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin not guilty. And when Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was threatened in 2018 because she had not opposed Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., mocked the concern over her safety with “boo hoo hoo.”

For her part, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to condemn left-wing mobs destroying statues and historic displays in her home city of San Francisco. Pelosi shrugged and said, “People will do what they do.”

In the case of Baraka, he appears to have a long history of associating with such violent and racist speech. In 2017, he organized another speech for Farrakhan titled “Separation or Death,” reportedly calling for a separate black state.

With the release of the videos, Baraka is standing firm in support of his association with Farrakhan, bizarrely defending his record of supporting “peace, equality, and equity.” He is blaming the “political establishment” for “false” claims based on these videos.

In his campaign for governor, Baraka is calling for voters to “reimagine New Jersey” and promising to “deconstruct the state budget and reassemble with equity as our north star; judging every decision as either a step towards equity or a step towards inequity.”

*  *  *

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 21:00

Paper Promises, Golden Truths

Zero Hedge -

Paper Promises, Golden Truths

Authored by Adam Sharp via DailyReckoning.com,

Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value – zero.

— Voltaire, 18th century

In films and TV shows set in the future, money is usually a digital government currency.

Credits, cubits, and chits are a few names I recall. This is a globalist CBDC-based vision of the future. Bleak.

But in one of my favorite sci-fi movies, Looper, precious metals reign supreme as money. In that film, the inevitable breakdown in fiat currency has already occurred and hard money has made a comeback.

This latter scenario is far more likely. Time and time again, central banks and governments have proven they cannot be trusted with the power to create unlimited money. It doesn’t matter whether it’s paper or digital money, central bankers will print too much of it given the chance.

Without exception, every fiat currency in history has trended towards zero. Government digital money will be no different.

Voltaire wasn’t exaggerating when he said, “paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value – zero”. In fact, he had just experienced it first-hand following France’s disastrous fiat experiments of the 1700s.

It’s a question of when, not if. And time is running short.

Our Unusual Fiat Era is Ending

Since 1971, the world has been under a highly unusual 100% fiat monetary system. Not a single country operates on hard money today.

Never before in history was every country simultaneously using fiat. We are living through an incredibly rare, and increasingly dangerous, monetary experiment.

For most of history, developed countries were on a gold and/or silver standard. Coinage was default for thousands of years.

Switching to paper money was always a desperation move. It often happened during or after a major war, when governments were running low on cash. So they switch to fiat to pay the bills, and debase everyone’s savings in the process.

The world has only been on a fiat standard since 1971. Which, not coincidentally, was when the U.S. abandoned the gold standard following huge deficits from the Vietnam War.

It has happened hundreds of times. After it all goes horribly wrong, gold and silver make their inevitable return.

The Dollar Had a Good Run

This fiat period has lasted longer than most. The dollar has been an unusually robust paper currency, and due some clever engineering, it essentially became an oil-backed currency (for many decades, oil producers would only accept dollars for oil).

The dollar will remain an important player for some time to come. But the era of the petrodollar system, where the dollar was the only way to buy oil, is over.

We are entering a new multi-polar era where countries use their own currencies to buy oil and other goods. And the U.S. is no longer the sole superpower.

Central banks around the world are gobbling up gold and diversifying away from the dollar as debt spirals out of control.

We’re approaching the end game now. This is why we’ve been pounding the table on gold and silver so much lately. And it’s why we will continue to going forward.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 18:40

Trump Administration Using Spy Satellites To Monitor Southern Border

Zero Hedge -

Trump Administration Using Spy Satellites To Monitor Southern Border

The Trump administration ordered two Pentagon intelligence agencies—the NGA and NRO—to use spy satellites to monitor the U.S.-Mexico border in a broader effort to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking., according to Reuters.

The involvement of spy agencies and troop deployments highlights the growing militarization of the southern border, where Trump declared a national emergency.

Though the extent of satellite surveillance over U.S. territory remains unclear, the NGA confirmed forming a task force for the border mission, while the NRO said it was working with the Pentagon and intelligence community to secure the border.

The Reuters report says that their role stems from Trump’s executive orders targeting illegal crossings, trafficking, and the deportation of up to 14 million undocumented immigrants.

Trump, who made immigration central to his 2016 campaign, is now expanding the use of military tools—originally designed for foreign conflict—to the U.S.-Mexico border.

While AI and drones have long been used for border surveillance, the new initiative taps battlefield-grade capabilities. AI could scan satellite imagery for people or objects of interest, sources said, much like it does overseas.

Though the full scope remains unclear, experts warned the administration must address legal limits on domestic surveillance. U.S. law bars spy agencies from targeting citizens, but immigration officials can operate within 100 miles of the border.

“If they follow the law, these agencies should only collect on the other side of the border in foreign territory,” said national security lawyer Paul Rosenzweig. “But how they implement that, and if they do, are legitimate oversight questions.”

An intelligence official insisted all surveillance is “legal and authorized” and respects Americans’ privacy. The NGA and NRO declined to detail their border operations, citing security concerns. The CIA, sources said, has no role in domestic enforcement: “Once foreign criminals are inside the United States, they are not within the purview of the CIA.”

Trump has elevated border security to a top national intelligence priority, channeling more resources to it. A recent U.S. intelligence report placed transnational crime above threats from Iran or North Korea.

Meanwhile, the National Security Council is reportedly receiving daily briefings on immigration arrests, including minors.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 18:05

University Of Michigan Guts DEI Programs

Zero Hedge -

University Of Michigan Guts DEI Programs

Authored by Bill Pan via The Epoch Times,

The University of Michigan said it will eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts following the Trump administration’s warning that colleges with discriminative policies could lose federal funding.

The changes, announced on Thursday, include shutting down two diversity offices and ending its “DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan.” This follows earlier steps to phase out DEI-related requirements, such as removing mandatory DEI statements in admissions, hiring, promotions, awards, and performance reviews.

The university said individuals who previously worked on DEI initiatives across various schools, colleges, and departments will now “refocus their full effort on their core responsibilities.”

“These decisions have not been made lightly,” University of Michigan President Santa Ono and three top administrators said in a joint statement. “We recognize the changes are significant and will be challenging for many of us, especially those whose lives and careers have been enriched by and dedicated to programs that are now pivoting.

“We are deeply grateful for the meaningful contributions of leaders, faculty, and staff who have advanced our ongoing efforts to create an ever-more inclusive and respectful community.”

Federal Pressure Intensifies

The changes come as the Trump administration ramped up the enforcement of federal anti-discrimination laws, including Title VI and Title IX, which prohibit discrimination based on race and sex, respectively, in education settings.

The University of Michigan specifically pointed to a “Dear Colleague” letter from the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights division. The Feb. 14 letter warned that the 2023 Supreme Court decision that declared the use of racial preferences in college admissions unconstitutional would now extend to all university policies and programs beyond admissions.

“At its core, the test is simple: If an educational institution treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that person’s race, the educational institution violates the law,” the letter stated.

Moving forward, the university said it plans to increase investments in student-facing programs, including financial aid, mental health support, academic advising and counseling, and a scholarship for students from foster care.

Massive DEI Spending Under Scrutiny

The university has been known for a sprawling and costly DEI bureaucracy. According to an analysis by UMich economics professor Mark Perry, as of January 2024, the university spent $30.7 million each year on salaries for 241 employees who work in DEI offices or have the keywords diversity, equity, or inclusion in their job titles. This figure does not account for additional staff and resources spent to support those DEI employees.

A New York Times investigation published in October 2024 further estimated that UMich spent $250 million on DEI since 2016. The Times noted that despite this enormous investment, race- and gender-based grievances on campus actually increased, with students filing more complaints than ever before.

Following the Times report, UMich published a lengthy response in which Chief Diversity Officer Tabbye Chavous accused the article of being “filled with misinformation, disinformation, and, sadly, sexism.”

Some officials agreed that the university’s massive DEI spending failed to directly benefit students. Jordan Acker, one of the six Democrats on UMich’s eight-member board of regents, said on Thursday that the resources have not been effectively used to achieve its goals.

“Over the past several years, the university has spent 250 million on diversity efforts, but yet the population of minority students at UM has grown little, and much of the resources we’ve devoted to these efforts have gone into administrative overhead, not outreach to students,” he said in a statement on social media platform X.

“At Michigan, the focus of our diversity efforts needs to be meaningful change, not bureaucracy.”

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 17:30

Trump Inks $100 Million Deal With Skadden Law Firm

Zero Hedge -

Trump Inks $100 Million Deal With Skadden Law Firm

Authored by Samantha Flom via The Epoch Times,

A prominent Wall Street law firm has struck a deal with the White House to provide $100 million in pro bono legal services.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP will dedicate the services to causes supported by both the firm and the Trump administration, including assisting veterans and other public servants, ensuring fairness in the U.S. justice system, and combating anti-Semitism.

The firm also committed to funding at least five law graduates under a fellowship dedicated to supporting the causes each year and employing merit-based hiring practices, vowing not to deny representation to members of politically disenfranchised groups.

This deal comes as President Donald Trump has, in recent weeks, issued executive orders targeting multiple major legal firms, directing government agencies to revoke their security clearances and terminate contracts. While Trump has not issued one against Skadden, the deal seems to be a way to prevent that from happening.

“This was essentially a settlement,” President Donald Trump said in announcing the deal at a White House event.

“We appreciate Skadden’s coming to the table. As you know, other law firms have likewise settled the case. And … what’s gone on is a shame.”

A White House statement explained that Skadden had approached Trump about its “strong commitment to ending the weaponization of the justice system and the legal profession.”

Jeremy London, the firm’s executive partner, said the two parties worked “constructively” to reach an agreement.

“The firm looks forward to continuing our productive relationship with President Trump and his administration. We firmly believe that this outcome is in the best interests of our clients, our people, and our firm,” London said.

News of the agreement came just hours after two other law firms, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, sued the president for ordering the retraction of their security clearances and the termination of their government contracts.

In WilmerHale’s case, Trump cited the firm’s employment of former special counsel Robert Mueller and his aides as one of the top reasons for the move.

Mueller “wielded the power of the Federal Government to lead one of the most partisan investigations in American history,” Trump wrote in the executive order, referring to Mueller’s investigation of claims Trump colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Those claims proved to be unfounded.

Jenner, on the other hand, hired Andrew Weissmann, Mueller’s top prosecutor.

In separate legal actions filed in the District of Columbia, the two firms accused the administration of punishing its political opposition and asked the court to find Trump’s orders unconstitutional.

Paul Weiss, another Wall Street law firm, brokered a deal with the White House last week to provide $40 million in free legal services for mutually supported causes. In return, the administration revoked an order similar to those targeting Jenner and WilmerHale.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 16:20

Maryland Democrats Pass "Sleep Tax" - Is A Thinking Tax Next?

Zero Hedge -

Maryland Democrats Pass "Sleep Tax" - Is A Thinking Tax Next?

Maryland lawmakers are scrambling to address a staggering $3.3 billion budget shortfall.

To close the gap, far-left Governor Wes Moore and activist Democrats have proposed a wave of tax hikes that would hit Marylanders' wallets the hardest amid a deepening affordability crisis. 

With power bills already skyrocketing to record highs for many folks due to backfiring and disastrous green energy policies, these same progressive lawmakers are creating even more nightmares for taxpayers—this time by proposing a tax that effectively targets sleep.

A small but vocal group of conservative Republicans in the Maryland House of Delegates were stunned on Friday when far-left Democrats pushed through HB 858—a bill that establishes a mattress stewardship program under the guise of promoting safe disposal and recycling. This is another tax on Marylanders as the state sinks into financial turmoil and elevated credit downgrade risks. The new 6% tax on mattresses is on top of the existing 6% sales tax. 

Del. Mark N. Fisher (R-Calvert), one of the leaders of the Maryland House Freedom Caucus, blasted the "Sleep Tax" and asked if there would be a "snoring surcharge."

Torrey Snow of WBAL Radio said this about the ridiculous tax passed on sleep...

Meanwhile...

Also, Moody's Ratings recently warned that Maryland—a state heavily dependent on the federal government—faces heightened recession risk in the era of DOGE-related cuts. The warning comes amid a twin crisis: a ballooning state deficit and a power bill crisis

If far-left Gov. Moore and Democrats are willing to tax Marylanders' sleep, these woke activists could easily push another bill to tax thinking. 

Maryland Dems...

It's time for common sense to re-enter Maryland politics after decades of Democrats torpedoing the state to the brink of financial crisis. Perhaps the Maryland House Freedom Caucus will be those heroes needed to rescue the imploding state.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 15:45

Rep. Masssie Pushes For Nationwide Right To Carry Firearms Without Permit

Zero Hedge -

Rep. Masssie Pushes For Nationwide Right To Carry Firearms Without Permit

Authored by José Niño via Headline USA,

Earlier this week, the House Judiciary Committee passed a bill HR 38, a bill that allows licensed concealed firearm holders to carry in other states that allow concealed carry

However, for Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, this bill does not go far enough. On X, he said “ I support this bill, but there is a better option, and it is National Constitutional Carry.” 

He added, “29 states already have Constitutional (i.e. permitless) Carry. Why not extend it to all 50 states?” 

Constitutional carry is the simple concept that any lawful individual can carry a firearm without having to ask the government for permission.

Under HR 38, Massie noted that residents of constitutional carry states can carry firearms in any state that issues permits to its citizens. The recent Bruen Supreme Court decision requires all non-constitutional carry states to issue carry permits.

Massie highlighted how when HR 38 passes, residents of the 29 constitutional carry states will be able to carry in all 50 states without a permit. Though paradoxically, residents of the 21 states without constitutional carry will need permits in their own states, while visitors from constitutional carry states won’t.

In the Kentucky congressman’s view, if Congress can mandate California to allow permit-less carry for out-of-state visitors based on the Second Amendment, it only makes sense to extend this right to California residents as well. 

Massie posed the following question: “Why not pass national constitutional carry and afford everyone in the United States the right to ‘bear arms’ which is enshrined in the Constitution?”

He also called attention to how HR 38 may create a situation where a Kentucky resident could carry an AR-15 pistol with a 20-round magazine in California, while Californians themselves cannot own or carry such equipment. This appears to contradict the framework established by the Supreme Court decision in DC v. Heller.

In contrast, Massie’s proposed national constitutional carry bill stipulates that if a state allows possession of a particular firearm, it must also allow the carry of said firearm.

He introduced this bill as a substitute amendment to HR 38 in committee but withdrew it to avoid forcing his colleagues to choose between National Reciprocity and National Constitutional Carry. The current consensus is that HR 38 can pass the House, while Constitutional Carry may not have sufficient support.

Pro-gun organizations such as the National Association for Gun Rights are firmly behind Massie’s Constitutional Carry bill. NAGR President Dudley Brown tweeted, “Massie’s bill is INFINITELY better than *smirk* John Cornyn’s.”

Massie’s bill is INFINITELY better than *smirk* John Cornyn’s.

Headline USA reached out to Brown, who said the following about Massie’s bill: 

“Massie’s Real Constitutional Carry law skips all the big-brother-may-I requirements and assumes citizens are law-abiding.  National reciprocity is a half measure compromise, as evidenced by the Senate sponsor, Sen John Cornyn.”

HR 38 was introduced by Rep. Richard Hudson, R-NC, and currently has 178 co-sponsors.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 12:50

These Are The Best States For House Flipping

Zero Hedge -

These Are The Best States For House Flipping

A new study ranks the best states for house flipping, using data on sale prices, remodeling costs, sales volume, and time on market. By standardizing these metrics into a single House Flipping Score, the study identifies where flipping is most profitable—higher scores mean better conditions for flippers.

Vermont tops the list of best states for house flipping with a score of 99, thanks to fast sales (32 days on market) and high transaction volume. Maine follows with a score of 95, offering the lowest remodeling costs ($27,486) among top states and similarly quick sales, the study from Badeloft shows.

New Hampshire ranks third (score: 93), combining low renovation costs with high average sale prices ($462,492). Delaware takes fourth (score: 86) with moderate remodeling expenses and solid sales volume.

Rhode Island (score: 85) has the second-fastest market (under 28 days) and low renovation expenses. Hawaii places sixth (score: 83), driven by the highest sale prices nationwide ($829,941).

Connecticut (score: 79) has the shortest time on market—just 27 days—and solid resale value. Virginia (score: 76) offers decent profits with moderate remodeling costs. North Carolina (score: 74) boasts the most active housing market among top states.

Massachusetts rounds out the top ten (score: 71) with high property values ($605,614) and a market time of 36 days.

Virginia is ranked eighth for house flipping potential, achieving a score of 76. Home improvement projects here generally require an investment of $39,215, with investors able to sell properties for an average of $382,930.

Finally, North Carolina is positioned ninth on the list of best states for house flipping, achieving a score of 74. The state features the most active housing market among the top-ranking states, with 6,649 houses sold per 100,000 residents.

A Badeloft study spokesperson said: “House flipping proves to be a profitable endeavor in many states, particularly those where the cost of remodeling is relatively low, and the potential for high sale prices is strong. It’s important to consider that prioritizing premium quality renovations is essential to maximizing the property’s value and securing a profitable return."

"Carefully selected and stylish furnishings that complement these renovations can further enhance the home’s appeal, making it even more marketable and increasing its overall value”.

The full study data can be found here

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 12:15

Trump Puts The System On Trial

Zero Hedge -

Trump Puts The System On Trial

Authored by Waters and Ellwanger via RealClearWorld,

President Trump’s supporters have denounced the federal judges seeking to stall or stop this administration’s government overhaul. But there is at least one person who, despite a show of outrage and condemnation, is neither surprised nor intimidated: Trump himself.

The politically appointed judges have ordered, among other actions, that federal agencies reinstate thousands of fired probationary employees; that billions of taxpayer dollars be paid to questionable USAID projects and contractors; and that foreign-born criminals deported to their native countries be returned and granted due process. Regardless of the legal merits, the American people recognize these orders as obstructions to what Trump said he would do if elected, and what voters elected him to do. Yet the judges’ resistance is expected—they’re bound up in and rewarded by the system Trump seeks to reform.

Two-thirds of Americans believe the “system” is broken, but for years progressive politicians and their mouthpieces posited that the system couldn’t be fixed. Intellectuals on the Left, including New York Times columnist David Brooks, said America’s flaws were “systemic” in nature: systemic racism, systemic sexism, and systemic injustice. They whined and preached but offered no solutions for the millions of Americans of all races and both genders struggling and failing to unlock their potential to succeed.

When Trump announced his candidacy for president in 2015, he too claimed the system was broken, but not because we are racist or sexist by nature, but because the system itself is old, soft, and corrupt, with leaders grown unresponsive to the people they are supposed to serve. That core belief guided his first term and remains unchanged at the start of his second.    

For decades, politicians failed to respond to real problems because their agendas, even their identities, were phony, crafted by consultants and pollsters who aimed not for the truth, but for whichever lies or provocations were most efficacious in winning the next election. But one need not resort to craven and conspiratorial explanations of this sort, which hint that elected officials deliberately ignore the public will. The truth is simpler. They have to ignore voters, if only because they have no idea how to fix the problems we face.

*  *  *

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In one sense, the elites’ ineptitude is understandable: we have a highly complex society that has undergone a recent, rapid, destabilization brought on by technological advance. But to admit that they simply don’t know how to address any contemporary issue would be to concede that it is only their mere status as “elites” that qualifies them to rule. Thus, to conceal their befuddlement, they explain their inaction by a vague demand that we address the “root causes” of every issue – which further justifies them in doing nothing.

The bad faith inherent to the “root causes” strategy was nowhere more obvious than at the border. For years, establishment voices told us that border security measures would fail without addressing the “root causes” of the problem: central American poverty and climate change. These appeals allowed the political class to avoid doing what they didn’t want to do (securing the border) and to manufacture a duty to do the things they did want to do (diverting American revenue to foreign aid “relief programs” and enacting more restrictive environmental policies). Aside from those interventions, they assured us, there was nothing we could do about the illegal immigration crisis.

But as it often happens, Trump called their bluff. Somehow, he managed to end the flood of illegal crossings within weeks of taking office. And contrary to the best wisdom of the “experts,” it didn’t require a grand congressional bargain like the betrayal that Sen. Lankford (R-OK) offered as a solution. Nor did it require a new climate deal. We didn’t have to make Honduras great again to stop the caravans. No – as it turned out, the answer was staring us in the face. The solution was one that could be intuited by any American voter: just secure the border. Only a class as feckless and clueless as our politicians couldn’t grasp this. But Trump understood it. And Americans see that.

Barring any real action to improve the lot of regular Americans, the lost and divided Democrats cast about for a “message” and a “messenger” to improve their chances in the next election. They believe a magic word or slogan (“nazis,” “oligarchs,” “authoritarians,” and “autocrats” all have been tried and failed), rather than concrete beliefs and plans, will “meet this moment” and win over American voters. But voters know the Democratic Party lacks anything affirmative or real.

Politicians will never make America great again, Trump said at his campaign kick-off in 2015. “They’re controlled fully by the lobbyists, by the donors, and by the special interests. “[And] it’s destroying our country.” Unlike Bush, Obama, and Biden, Trump spoke to what people felt in the Rust Belt and the Bible Belt and the Farm Belt. He looked into the vast interior of the country and understood what many Americans knew all too well: that working hard and playing by the rules no longer guaranteed their children would be better off than they had been. 

Speaking about politicians in 2015, Trump said: “I hear their speeches. They don’t talk jobs. [They] have no competence. [They] don’t know what’s happening.” His message of “America First” was clear and authentic, and it implied real action and solid outcomes: protect jobs, livelihoods, and futures of Americans. The hapless politicians had nothing to counter.

“The Resistance” to the first Trump administration was advanced by the machinations of bureaucrats in the vast regulatory state. But with the president rapidly dismantling that apparatus, a new strategy was needed. For the Resistance 2.0, it seems the establishment will depend on the courts to thwart the democratically-expressed will of the people. But there is a higher court in this land, where American voters serve as judge, jury, and executor.

Earlier this month at the Department of Justice, Trump warned of the “violent, vicious lawyers” who persecute the president and bully the American public to get their way. Expect these lawyers to “play the ref,” Trump said, weaving in a story about former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight, who once threw a chair across the court and screamed like a madman at the referees for a call to be overturned. The referee wasn’t going to change the first call, Trump said of Knight’s rationale for throwing the tantrum. “But he’s going to change for the next play. And sure as hell, he did.” Trump understands that activist lawyers and progressive pundits will put heat on the judiciary, and that, on occasion, they’ll get their way.

For 10 years, Trump has confronted the political class, calling out their incompetence and dishonesty, and the voters continue to reward him. Federal judges, egged on by the politically-motivated legal establishment, may try to frustrate the president in his pursuit of long-held promises to build a better country. But Trump is building his case outside the courts – and he’s betting on a sympathetic hearing with the American people, who will note the overt evidence of bias, corruption, and incompetence, whether it occurs in the media, executive branch, or the judiciary. Judges will rule on procedure and technicalities, but the people will evaluate the legitimacy of our institutions and credibility of our leaders.

In 2028, the jury will render its verdict.

John J. Waters is a lawyer. He served as a deputy assistant secretary of Homeland Security from 2020-21. Follow him at @JohnJWaters1 on X. 

Adam Ellwanger is a professor at University of Houston – Downtown, where he teaches rhetoric and writing. Follow him at @1HereticalTruth on X.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/29/2025 - 11:40

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