Why Some LA Biz Owners Want To Leave Because Of The Riots, But Can't

As unrest once again disrupts parts of Los Angeles, many small business owners are asking a painful question: should we leave California?

For some, the answer is yes. But for a growing number, the real problem is they can’t.

According to a February 2024 survey of 80,000 small business owners by PublicSquare and RedBalloon, only 13% of California small businesses say they’re happy with their current location — nearly 40% lower than the national average. Nationally, almost half (47.7%) of business owners report being satisfied and having no plans to relocate.

In California, however, 67% say they are either planning a move (10%), considering one (30%), or feel stuck — wanting to move but unable to afford it (27%).

“Nearly a third of small businesses feel they’re stuck in Hotel California, where they can check out anytime they like, but they can never leave,” said RedBalloon CEO Andrew Crapuchettes. “California used to be the engine of small businesses in America, but those still California dreaming are finding it’s become a nightmare – 67% want to escape.”

The reasons behind this discontent are no mystery. Among California business owners, 86.4% cite high taxes as a driving factor, while 84.9% blame anti-business government policies. Nationally, these same issues rank high, but not nearly to the same extent — 64.5% and 59.4%, respectively.

Still, as businesses clean up broken glass and rebuild yet again, relocation is often a luxury. Many can't sell their property at a decent price, relocate employees, or find affordable alternatives elsewhere. For the 27% who say they feel “trapped,” economic and logistical realities outweigh the dream of a more business-friendly home.

And so, many stay — not because they want to, but because they have to.

The weather may still be nice, but for California’s small business owners, the climate is anything but.

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/18/2025 - 06:55

Why Some LA Biz Owners Want To Leave Because Of The Riots, But Can't

As unrest once again disrupts parts of Los Angeles, many small business owners are asking a painful question: should we leave California?

For some, the answer is yes. But for a growing number, the real problem is they can’t.

According to a February 2024 survey of 80,000 small business owners by PublicSquare and RedBalloon, only 13% of California small businesses say they’re happy with their current location — nearly 40% lower than the national average. Nationally, almost half (47.7%) of business owners report being satisfied and having no plans to relocate.

In California, however, 67% say they are either planning a move (10%), considering one (30%), or feel stuck — wanting to move but unable to afford it (27%).

“Nearly a third of small businesses feel they’re stuck in Hotel California, where they can check out anytime they like, but they can never leave,” said RedBalloon CEO Andrew Crapuchettes. “California used to be the engine of small businesses in America, but those still California dreaming are finding it’s become a nightmare – 67% want to escape.”

The reasons behind this discontent are no mystery. Among California business owners, 86.4% cite high taxes as a driving factor, while 84.9% blame anti-business government policies. Nationally, these same issues rank high, but not nearly to the same extent — 64.5% and 59.4%, respectively.

Still, as businesses clean up broken glass and rebuild yet again, relocation is often a luxury. Many can't sell their property at a decent price, relocate employees, or find affordable alternatives elsewhere. For the 27% who say they feel “trapped,” economic and logistical realities outweigh the dream of a more business-friendly home.

And so, many stay — not because they want to, but because they have to.

The weather may still be nice, but for California’s small business owners, the climate is anything but.

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/18/2025 - 06:55

Why Have Any COVID-19 Vaccines, 2025?

Authored by Randall Bock via The Brownstone Institute,

Five years on, SARS–CoV–2 is a ghost.

It’s not the beast it was (or was purported to be); yet (as of this last “flu season”) young medical students were still required to get the “jab.”

This reads more as LOYALTY– rather than Covid–testing.

The current iteration of coronavirus, Omicron, LP.8.1–feels like a cold now, nothing more – moreover, its epitope is not even included in the “bivalent” Covid vaccine handed out, 2025. 

Prior to 2003’s SARS, coronaviruses were just that: colds, the kind you shook off with soup and sleep.

No one demanded shots. No one cared. So why are we still doing this? The numbers, the past, the plain truth say it’s hollow—a rule for the sake of rules.

Back in 2020, the virus (or the overreaction to it) hit like a storm.

Hospitals were packed. People died–350,000 in the US, mostly old, mostly sick – either “from” or “with” coronavirus.

Kids? They were fine.

The American Academy of Pediatrics counted 112 deaths under 18 by December—0.005% of cases; however, those children had problems: diabetes, obesity, and bad lungs. Healthy ones sneezed and moved on. Medical students, in their 20s, were close behind. The CDC pegged that age group’s mortality rate at 0.02%–1,200 out of 6 million cases. Two percent landed in hospitals; near zero needed ICUs. There was no real danger for them, 2020 – and beyond.

Now it’s 2025. The virus hasn’t vanished, but it’s weak. Immunity—from shots, or from previously having contracted one or another of the Covid variant strains–covers essentially everyone.

The current Omicron virus is no monster.

It’s a nuisance– moreover, it’s likely conflated with background “common cold” coronavirus.

Omicron showed up in 2021, spread like crazy, but didn’t hit hard. My 2022 piece “Is it Time to Accept That Omicron is not COVID-19?” noted it was not even genomically and offspring of Covid-19—just another coronavirus, like the ones that give you a runny nose.

The current version is much weaker.

So what’s the reason for medical students’ “booster” mandates’ continuation?

The shots aren’t harmless.

Myocarditis hits young guys–1–10 per 100,000 mRNA doses, says a 2022 JAMA study. Medical schools, in particular, should know better. They should move away from anachronistic, lockstep, doctrinaire mandates.

In February 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order prohibiting federal funding for educational institutions that mandate Covid–19 vaccines for in–person attendance. Medical schools reliant on federal funds may reconsider these pointless mandates, paeans to outdated orthodoxy.

Republished from the author’s Substack

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/18/2025 - 05:00

Abu Dhabi Makes Major Push Into LNG With $19 Billion Santos Takeover

Abu Dhabi is making its biggest energy play yet, as it seeks to become a major global force in liquefied natural gas (LNG). Its state oil company, ADNOC, through its investment arm XRG PJSC, has led a $19 billion takeover offer for Australia’s Santos Ltd., a move that would give it direct access to LNG production and exports into booming Asian markets, according to Bloomberg.

“Abu Dhabi is long oil, but is seeking to be a more material player in LNG markets,” said Bernstein analysts led by Neil Beveridge. “The acquisition of Santos would help enable Adnoc to become a bigger LNG player in key growth markets in Asia.”

Santos’ LNG capacity is expected to hit 7.5 million tons annually once Australia’s Barossa project begins later this year. Combined with ADNOC’s existing 6 million tons of domestic LNG capacity and a planned 9.6 million-ton terminal, the deal would position Abu Dhabi as a competitive mid-tier global LNG supplier.

“If completed, the deal could push Adnoc into the ranks of majors like Shell and ExxonMobil,” Bernstein analysts noted. Bloomberg Intelligence adds that it could give Adnoc a 15–20 million ton per year (MTPA) portfolio, depending on how it scales operations. “It would still be a big leap from where they are now, which is mostly domestic-focused,” said BI analyst Salih Yilmaz.

Bloomberg writes that the acquisition also advances Abu Dhabi’s broader strategy: convert oil wealth into sustainable economic growth. Beyond LNG, the UAE is investing in tech, tourism, and manufacturing while aiming for gas self-sufficiency this decade.

XRG PJSC, ADNOC’s $80 billion investment arm launched in late 2023, is leading the charge. It aims to double its value within 10 years and become one of the top five integrated global gas and LNG businesses. XRG already has LNG deals in place, including a 20-year supply contract for 1.9 million tons per year from NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG in the U.S.

With Santos’ addition, XRG’s portfolio would swell to about 14 million tons per year in projects, stakes, and supply contracts — expanding its reach into high-demand Asian markets and reducing reliance on U.S. deals.

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/18/2025 - 04:15

Purging Of Top Chinese Generals Shows Central Military Commission In "Disarray"

General He Weidong, once the second-highest-ranking officer in China’s military and a close ally of President Xi Jinping, has been purged—three months after vanishing from public view.

His removal is now clear, following his absence from a high-profile funeral and other political signals, according to Nikkei.

He was vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the top body overseeing the People's Liberation Army (PLA), and a Politburo member. His sudden downfall marks the first time a sitting CMC vice chairman has been purged since the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s.

Nikkei writes that the clearest sign of He’s fall came during the funeral of former CMC vice chairman Xu Qiliang. Footage from the event showed floral tributes from top leaders—but none from He. His absence, unedited by state media, underscored his political erasure.

This continues a broader purge within the PLA under Xi. Since the early 2010s, multiple high-ranking generals—including Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou, and Fang Fenghui—have been arrested, imprisoned, or died under investigation. Another, Zhang Yang, committed suicide in 2017 while facing charges.

While such purges have become more common, He’s case is notable because he was an active member of Xi’s inner circle. He was promoted under Xi, seen as trusted, and attended the final session of China’s parliament just in March—his last public appearance.

The PLA has seen significant internal turmoil, especially since the Communist Party’s 20th Congress in late 2022. Several top military figures—including Defense Ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, and CMC Political Work Department head Miao Hua—have also disappeared or been removed.

These purges have left the CMC in disarray. Its membership has dropped from seven to just four, including Xi himself. Nearly half of the leadership selected in 2022 is now gone, signaling instability at the military’s highest levels, the article details. 

In China, the military is controlled by the Communist Party, not the state, and survival at the top depends on absolute loyalty. He Weidong’s fall suggests that even the most senior and trusted officers are not safe in today’s political climate.

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/18/2025 - 02:45

Slovak PM Fico Questions NATO Membership, Sparks Backlash Over Call For Neutrality

Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has sparked a political debate after publicly suggesting that Slovakia might benefit from adopting a neutral stance in foreign policy — an idea that would mean withdrawal from the NATO alliance.

Speaking during a visit to the Ministry of Economy, Fico asked, “Wouldn’t Slovakia’s neutrality be good in this crazy period? I put this question very officially, very clearly.”

Though he admitted the decision was not in his hands, he added, “What are we all dragged into? What kind of war are you talking about? Who on earth wants to fight with whom? I still don’t know.”

As reported by Denník Postoj, the Slovak premier also denounced plans by the European Union to increase defense spending, criticizing what he called the “senseless times of armaments” and comparing weapons manufacturers to pharmaceutical firms profiting during the COVID-19 pandemic. “How do you want to spend the €800 billion that the Union is talking about? That’s impossible,” he said.

His remarks sparked outrage among his political opposition.

Michal Šimečka, leader of Progressive Slovakia (PS), described Fico’s remarks as “absolutely scandalous,” saying, “He is questioning our entire foreign policy anchorage, breaking our relations with key partners and throwing us to Putin.”

Karol Galek of the center-right Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, pointed to Ukraine’s experience as a warning, noting that its neutrality was supposedly guaranteed by Russia — until it was invaded. “If there is a war in our country, there is only a threat from Russia,” Galek said, adding that neutrality would place the full financial burden of national defense on Slovakia.

“The Baltics and Poland are already at 5 percent [in defense spending] because they are aware that the threat is already behind their gates. The threat is Russia,” added Milan Majerský of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), who warned neutrality would result in an overwhelming and unsustainable hike in Slovakia’s defense budget.

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini also responded to Fico’s remarks. “I respect his opinion. Maybe he really thinks that Slovakia should be a neutral country, but in this way, a general discussion can be provoked, which can again result in some kind of petition action,” he said.

“A statesman can never question the security of the state. Neutrality does not mean that you are friends with everyone around you and no one can hurt you, but that you have to guarantee everything yourself,” he warned.

The Slovak president did, however, acknowledge the political nature of Fico’s comments, which he suggested have been made to spark a political discussion.

“I consider it a provocative idea, for which the prime minister is an expert – to overwhelm the public space with a topic that we will all discuss, but nothing will come of it anyway,” Pellegrini said. “At the moment, it is unnecessary and risky.”

Read more here...

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/18/2025 - 02:00

Impervious To Suffering

Authored by Todd Hayen via Off-Guardian.org,

Can I be so bold as to say I may have figured something out? It is probably something all of you already know, as I can be a bit slow on the uptake. I keep hearing from the sheep-types that they really don’t care if we lose all of our freedoms. They don’t care about losing privacy because they don’t have anything to hide, they don’t care about losing free speech because people should be punished for saying bad and/or dangerous things (and they have nothing to say that would be considered bad and/or dangerous).

They have no fear of the government getting too much control because there will never be a reason the government would want or need to control them.

They don’t fear communism or fascism primarily because they don’t know what those two ideologies clearly mean, and besides, that would never happen in a free society—which they are ready to give up anyway.

Of course, to all of us shrew-types, we practically lose our cookies thinking about living in a society where basic freedoms have been stripped away, or where the government, or any other authority, has power over our movements, our money, and our fundamental existence.

When we hear someone say, “I don’t care how much control the authorities have, I have nothing to hide, and I do nothing wrong, therefore it is not something to worry about for me,” we blow a gasket.

Don’t they know?

Don’t they know that when the control over the masses surely does take effect it won’t matter a tinker’s damn if they “have nothing to hide” or “don’t do anything bad.” Oppression comes in many flavours, and its primary purpose is not to punish wrongdoing, but rather to keep people, in a very general way, compliant and under control.

Control sets the tone of the behaviour of a society. A good example of this came about during the Canadian Trucker’s Convoy. People who donated to that cause ran the risk of having their bank accounts frozen. (I was one that this happened to.) Was donating to a “cause” such as the Trucker’s Convoy a “bad thing”—was it against the law, was it criminal? In a free society, protesting (peacefully) and standing up against any sort of injustice an individual finds abhorrent is one of our fundamental rights as citizens of a free country.

However, punishing people who do something the government does not approve of sets a bar that indicates what is acceptable and what is not. People seeing friends and family being punished for contributing to a cause such as the truckers convoy, will categorize their activity as the activity of “a bad person”—whereas before the punishment was laid upon them (the freezing of their bank accounts) these same people would have had no trouble wearing a pussy hat and marching against Donald Trump.

They find what the government did (freezing accounts) as “reasonable” and they tell themselves that whoever contributed was a “bad person” and deserves to be reprimanded.

There is no better word for this than indoctrination: people are being taught what is right and wrong, and being taught what the punishment is for being wrong. It is much like training a dog, but not with positive reinforcement (although there is a lot of that going on as well) but with negative reinforcement.

Needless to say this negative punishment starts out mildly. And this is the thing I figured out—people don’t know yet what the real punishment is going to be for wrongdoing, and for straying away from the desires of the agenda. They have never experienced real suffering at the hands of their captives, so they don’t know what is in store for them. None of them have lived in North Korea, or Soviet Russia, or Nazi Germany, or Mao’s China. None of them know what it means to live a life in any of these environments where you don’t have to be a criminal to be seriously persecuted and physically punished for just being.

Well, neither have the shrews (more than likely anyone reading this is a shrew). So, what gives? This is the part I have not yet figured out. I have a few theories, but most of them are rather lame. One theory is that shrews are more aware of history and world events than their sheep brethren. I can’t imagine that this is as true as it would need to be to have any sort of impact. But I have noticed that the shrews I have met are very well informed about totalitarian regimes—current ones and past ones. Shrews seem to be more well-read than the sheep-types—history (as mentioned), philosophy, psychology, biography, classic literature, etc. Maybe there are a few Nora Roberts romances in there, but not many.

I am sure there are lots of shrews who haven’t read a book since High School, but that doesn’t seem to be the truth. It isn’t book reading altogether either, it is just information, awareness, and understanding that seems to be prevalent. Combine that with common sense and critical thinking, and you may have a viable formula there for shrew-ness.

Like I said, I don’t think I have that one figured out yet. But I do think there is some viability to the idea that the sheeple don’t really know what they are handing over to the agenda. They don’t know what politically inflicted pain feels like. And they are rather certain that this sort of pain is not down the pike.

Of course, there are always strange anomalies to these theories.

Why are the same people obsessed and terrified that Trump is going to make this oppressive, fascist, totalitarian world for them, where they will all, if they are lucky, writhe in pain on the streets, deprived of food, water, and any sort of decency in life?

This is strange, for sure, as it makes no sense that if they are so terrified of this happening with Trump, they can’t see it with Carney in Canada, Merz in Germany, Macron in France, Xi Jinping in China, and Starmer in the UK. Of course, they have no problem seeing it in Putin of Russia. But Zelenskyy of Ukraine is the hero of all time. Go figure.

So, I guess I was wrong. I haven’t figured this out at all. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Todd’s new book The View of the Shrew launches later this month, and is available for pre-order, or you can enter a draw to win a free copy by signing up to his mailing list here.

Notypist Tue, 06/17/2025 - 23:25

Gold vs The Dollar: The Death Of Fiat In One Chart

Earlier today we reported that the latest BofA Fund Manager Survey confirmed what most already knew: that the shoeshine boy, the kitchen sink, and the basement-dwelling daytrader, not to mention everyone on Wall Street, were short the dollar. In fact, according to the FMS respondents, professional traders were effectively shorting the dollar in record amounts. 

But while we will leave aside the debate whether this record dollar short will transform into a record squeeze, another question is just as appropriate: is the decline and fall of the US dollar just a one-time flash in the pan, or is there something much more ominous here than meets the eye.

The answer, it turns out, is the latter: the decline of the dollar has been truly a secular development, one which started over a decade ago but was kicked into higher gear in the aftermath of the 2022 Ukraine war when the weaponization of the US Dollar sparked a flight away from the greenback - i.e., dedollarization - by any regime that was worried it may be on the receiving end of SWIFT sanctions. 

But what is perhaps far more notable is that as Socgen shows, since 2024, dedollarization has not benefited any of the major reserve currencies as one would expect in a fiat world where one currency's loss is another currency's gain. Instead, the share of gold in the IMF's classification has increased.

As the French bank goes on to note, the erosion of the dollar's share in global FX reserves, or de-dollarization, paused during the COVID crisis in 2020 but resumed in the second half of 2023. Since 3Q23, the share of USD FX reserves has fallen below 50%, representing a decline of -5.8%. The main beneficiary has been gold, which increased by +7.9% to 23.3%, reflecting how central banks are diversifying their dollar holdings...

... although one look at the price of gold would have been sufficient.

Perhaps the most surprising outcome of the dedollarization process is that process it has not benefited any of the major reserve currencies; indeed, the share of EUR, GBP, CNY and JPY has been declining too.

Meanwhile, despite the laughable attempts of ECB head Christine Lagarde to paint the Eurozone and the euro as somehow more stable than the world's reserve currency - when just over a decade ago the euro was hours away from disintegration and only Mario Draghi's a last ditch gambit to do "whatever it takes" prevented the complete disintegration of the Eurozone - Gold has now overtaken the euro as the world’s second-most important reserve asset for central banks, driven by record purchases and soaring prices, according to the European Central Bank.

As shown in the chart below, gold accounted for 20% of global official reserves last year, surpassing for the first time the euro’s 16%, and second only to the US dollar at 46%, data from an ECB report published on Wednesday showed.

“Central banks continued to accumulate gold at a record pace,” the ECB wrote, adding that central banks for the third year in a row acquired more than 1,000 tonnes of gold in 2024, a fifth of the total global annual production and twice the annual amount in the decade of the 2010s.

As the FT notes, the stock of gold held by central banks worldwide is approaching the historic highs of the postwar Bretton Woods era. Until 1971, global exchange rates were fixed to the dollar, which in turn could be converted into gold at a fixed exchange rate. That all ended with the Nixon gold shock in 1971. 

Central bank gold reserves, which peaked at 38,000 tonnes in the mid-1960s, rose again to reach 36,000 tonnes in 2024, according to the latest ECB numbers. “Central banks worldwide now hold almost as much gold as they did in 1965,” the ECB report said.

Large buyers last year included India, China, Turkey and Poland, according to the World Gold Council.

While there are no indications that the relentless demand for gold among official buyers is slowing, the ECB noted that the supply of gold in recent decades increased during times of high prices: “If history is any guide, further increases in the official demand for gold reserves may also support further growth in global gold supply.”

Which is a wonderful theoretical thought experiment, the only problem is that now that gold has become a Giffen good (where demand only goes up with price), any incremental supply will be quickly absorbed by even more demand. 

And if that is indeed the case, and the current trajectory of gold accumulation and dedollarization persist, expect gold to surpass the dollar as the world's preferred reserve currency sometime in 2030... right around the time US debt will be $50 trillion and bitcoin will be well over $1 million. 

Which is ironic: a handful of powerful brought the end of the Bretton Woods world in the early 1970s, sparking an anti-gold regime which was adopted by a world kicking and screaming in disgust. 50 years later, without any outside influence, the world in which gold is once again the reserve "currency" has effectively returned. 

Nature is healing. 

More in the full Socgen note available to pro subs.

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 22:35

Don't Even Think About Living In This State Unless You Make At Least $300,000

If you want to live comfortably in Massachusetts, the most expensive state in the United States, a family of four should have an income of at least $300,000 annually, according to research conducted by SmartAsset. 

To live comfortably, a household must allocate 50% of income to essential expenses, 30% to discretionary spending, and 20% to debt repayment and savings, adhering to the 50/30/20 budgeting framework,

The same analysis found that Boston’s cost of living of more than 4% outpaced the U.S. national average of 3.87% in 2024. A separate analysis conducted by SmartAsset found that Boston is also the most expensive city in the country to raise a child, with the bulk of the annual $39,22 cost coming from child care. 

“In comparison, the national average of raising a child in the U.S. is about $15,800," ConsumerAffairs media relations specialist Brooklyn Bannister said. “[A key factor] that attributes to it is they have also the 4th highest housing cost, with about $5,000 extra annually for families.”

SmartAsset drew on MIT Living Wage Calculator data to assess the basic cost of living for a single individual without children and for two working adults with two children, incorporating expenses for housing, food, transportation, income taxes, and other miscellaneous costs.

CNBC reports: 

The cost of living for families in other states may not be quite as high as in Massachusetts, but three states — Vermont, New Jersey and Montana — are on track to rapidly catch up, with double-digit growth rates from 2024, found SmartAsset’s report.

On the flip side, overall costs of living actually shrank from 2024 in six states, the report said: Hawaii, New York, Georgia, Delaware, Michigan and Iowa.

In contrast, Mississippi stands as the most affordable state, where a family of four needs a minimum annual income of $186,618 to live comfortably, according to SmartAsset. 

More key findings from SmartAsset:

• Hawaii is the most expensive state for a single adult to live comfortably. It takes a salary of $124,467 for a single adult to cover needs, wants, long-term savings and income taxes in the Aloha State. This is up 9.48% from just a year ago, when the same level of comfort was estimated to be earned at $113,693.

• Adults in West Virginia need just $80,829 to live comfortably. Singletons in West Virginia need least of any state, maintaining its ranking from last year when a single adult needed $78,790. However, families need the lowest income in Mississippi, where the 2025 household income needed is just $186,618 across two earners.

• Families in Vermont and New Jersey may be feeling their income squeezed. When it comes to the household income needed for a family to live comfortably, Vermont saw the highest one-year increase at 15.48% to $286,790. New Jersey followed closely behind with a 12.55% increase to $282,714.

• The salary needed to live comfortably for an adult jumped nearly 10% in Montana. Montana saw the highest annual increase in income needed for an adult, with a 9.57% increase to $92,851. The income needed for families had a similarly abrupt change, jumping 11.14% to $234,957 – third-highest studywide.

Meanwhile, here are the top 10 states where the salary needed to live is the lowest. 

//--> //-->

 

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 22:10

Iron Ore Prices Tumble To 9-Month Low, Citi & Goldman Ratchet Down Price Target 

Iron ore, widely seen as a real-time barometer of China's economic pulse, is flashing fresh warning signs. Prices slid for a fourth straight session in Singapore, dropping below $93 a ton and hitting their lowest level in nine months.

China, the world's largest consumer of iron ore, imports more than 70% of globally traded volumes. That gives iron ore prices an outsized role as a proxy for Chinese economic momentum, and the latest trade data suggests the world's second-largest economy is still struggling to gain momentum, remaining mired in deflation.

At the start of the week, figures from China showed that nationwide steel output in May declined on a daily basis compared to April. Output was down about 7% from a year ago, marking the weakest May since 2018.

"Steel demand in China is likely to remain weak over the coming months over the upcoming seasonal lull," Citigroup analysts wrote in a note, slashing iron ore forecasts.

They noted that China's property market weakness has yet to show a meaningful turnaround while manufacturing continues to face headwinds. As a result, their three-month price forecast was lowered to $90 a ton from $100, and the six-to-twelve-month target was revised down to $85 from $90.

In a separate note, Goldman analyst James McGeoch provided a gloomy outlook for iron ore by ratcheting down price targets...

Not taking a lot of lead, notable that China has been a very very quiet tape, waiting, watching….. clearly Iron ore at $93.00 stands out, when I talk to trading they suggest the most convincing trade is further curve flattening out on back of mounted physical selling pressure in front months and continuous consumer hedging in the back end of the curve, Both miners and phys traders are selling tonnes aggressively, yes there is a flat price call that you can play the $90-95 range, however it's a downward sloping trend. Recall start o year we kind of liked this $100-110 range (china infra seen as supportive and property policy creating a trough), that became $95-105, which became $90-100 (as infra in particular didn't see the post winter pickup we expected) and its now $90-95 range.

McGeoch pointed to sliding steel prices in China. 

China's steel exports remain elevated. 

The key takeaway is that China's subdued iron ore market reflects the broader economic downturn, with persistent weakness in the property sector and no meaningful signs of recovery.

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 20:30

Kraft Heinz Will No Longer Launch Products In US With Artificial Colors

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

Kraft Heinz said on Tuesday that it will not launch any new products with artificial colors in the United States and will remove the additives from its existing product portfolio by the end of 2027.

The company added that, by net sales, nearly 90 percent of its U.S. products are already free of food, drug, and cosmetic (FD&C) colors.

For the remaining products, the company will remove colors “not critical to the consumer experience,” replace them with natural alternatives, or create new colors and shades when alternatives are not available.

The company’s June 17 announcement follows a call by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply.

“For too long, some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an April 22 statement.

Kennedy said that the “poisonous compounds” offered no nutritional benefits and adversely impacted children’s health and development. He said the department was working with the industry to get rid of the “toxic dyes” from the food supply.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said that the agency asked food companies to substitute artificial colors with “natural ingredients for American children as they already do in Europe and Canada,” citing an epidemic of childhood diabetes, obesity, depression, and ADHD.

In Tuesday’s statement, Heinz said the company had used FD&C colors since it had a “longstanding history of approval” from the FDA.

Kraft Heinz North America President Pedro Navio said that most of his company’s products use natural or no colors.

“In fact, we removed artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors from our beloved Kraft Mac & Cheese back in 2016,” Navio said. “Our iconic Heinz Tomato Ketchup has never had artificial dyes – the red color comes simply from the world’s best tomatoes. Above all, we are focused on providing nutritious, affordable, and great-tasting food for Americans and this is a privilege we don’t take lightly.”

Companies, including cereal manufacturer WK Kellogg, meatpacker Tyson Foods, and Walmart’s Sam’s Club, have announced plans to remove artificial food dyes from their product lines following the HHS announcement.

Dye Ban Opposition

The Consumer Brands Association, which represents manufacturers, said food colors have been widely used in the supply chain because they were deemed safe.

“The ingredients used in America’s food supply have been rigorously studied following an objective science and risk-based evaluation process and have been demonstrated to be safe,” the association said in an April 22 statement in response to the HHS decision to ban food dyes. “As we increase the use of alternative ingredients, food and beverage companies will not sacrifice science or the safety of our products.”

The association also asked the HHS and FDA to develop a coordinated set of rules when setting food regulations.

“A state patchwork of differing laws creates confusion for consumers, limits access to everyday goods, deters innovation, and increases costs at the grocery store,” it said.

The International Association of Color Manufacturers (IACM), representing the interests of the color additives industry, said in a statement that “despite common misconceptions, synthetic (FD&C) colors are approved and continue to be used worldwide, including in Europe.”

The IACM’s website lists Fast Green No. 3 as approved for use in the United States but not authorized for food use in the European Union or the UK.

FD&C Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Quinoline Yellow, Azorubine (Carmoisine), and Ponceau 4R (Cochineal Red A) are listed as being subject to a warning on European labels.

Proposing reformulation within 2026 “ignores scientific evidence and underestimates the complexity of food production. This process is neither simple nor immediate, and the resulting supply disruptions will limit access to familiar, affordable grocery items. IACM and its members remain committed to science-based dialogue on color additives,” the IACM said.

According to the HHS, authorization for two synthetic food colorings—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—will be revoked within the coming months.

Six dyes—FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, and FD&C Blue No. 2—will be eliminated from the food supply by the end of next year. FD&C Red No. 3 will also be removed.

Four new natural color additives will be authorized soon, and the agency has partnered with the National Institutes of Health to conduct comprehensive research on how food additives impact children’s health and development.

Health officials said the administration had not yet made a formal deal with corporations on food dyes.

“There are a lot of tools at our disposal,” Makary said. “Let’s start in a friendly way.”

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 20:05

Fort Cavazos Officially Redesignated As Fort Hood 

Fort Hood is back, soon after the Trump administration vowed to restore military bases which had name changes under the Biden administration due to Confederate linkages. 

What was briefly formerly called Fort Cavazos has been officially renamed Fort Hood, and even the gate signs have been quickly changed and updated. 

source: https://www.kcentv.com

Unlike its previous Confederate association, the new Fort Hood honors Col. Robert B. Hood, a World War I hero awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery in battle, and not the Confederate General John Bell Hood.

The Army is fast updating digital platforms and physical signage to reflect the large Killeen Army base in the heart of Texas reverting back to Ft. Hood. An official renaming ceremony will follow.

There's a bit of twist behind the renaming which gets around WW2 era law preventing the US government ever issuing new names to bases inspired by Confederate soldiers, hence the 'new' Ft. Hood honoring Col. Robert B. Hood.

This is certainly a creative way to bring the name back, and the same was done for iconic Fort Bragg back in February.

That was when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced he signed the order restoring the name of the storied special operations forces base in North Carolina back to Fort Bragg. Hegseth had announced: "That’s right. Bragg is back!" 

And just like that... "The Great Place" is named Fort Hood in our system again.

(This post is not meant as a political post - and aggressive comments will not be tolerated) pic.twitter.com/yvJ6PN87BM

— Josh Johns (@JoshJohnsWx) June 17, 2025

The Biden administration had changed the name to Fort Liberty in 2023 as part of a national policy of ditching names for military bases named after Confederate leaders. Several other bases were impacted in the sweeping change.

And for people in central Texas who still had not gotten used to saying or referencing Fort Cavazos - a bit of a mouth full - google maps can make sense again.

Fort Cavazos has been redesignated as Fort Hood to honor WWI hero Col. Robert B. Hood, an official renaming ceremony will be held at a later time. https://t.co/xqIYOsynJb

— KCENNews (@6NewsCTX) June 17, 2025

Locals in and around Killeen, the city outside of which the sprawling base is located, really never stopped referencing 'Hood'. Even enlisted troops kept the old name in daily conversation, but with officers in official briefings expected to comply. Soldiers and civilians alike can now drop the confusion and revert back to the old days.

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 19:40

NYC Comptroller Attempts To Block ICE Apprehension, Promptly Arrested

Authored by 'Sundance' via The Last Refuge blog,

Hopefully these are the political stunts that will force the reluctant hand of Attorney General Pam Bondi to intervene. 

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander locked arms with an illegal alien as immigrations officials were removing the target for deportation. 

Judicial warrants are not required to apprehend and deport illegal aliens.

Lander purposefully interfered in a federal apprehension of a criminal alien, and should be prosecuted.

NEW YORK — New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander was handcuffed and detained by federal agents Tuesday afternoon while escorting migrants from immigration hearings in Lower Manhattan.

Footage and video of the hectic incident is firing up the third-place candidate’s suddenly energetic campaign, as he shows himself taking on an issue that’s central to President Donald Trump’s political agenda.

“I’m not obstructing, I’m standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant,” the candidate says in the video.

Lander, the New York City comptroller, was at 26 Federal Plaza in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday morning to observe an immigration hearing when he walked out of the courtroom locking arms with a Yoruba-speaking immigrant, according to Lander’s wife, Meg Barnette. (more)

The media are selectively showing a portion of the video after Lander is handcuffed by police. 

However, in the earlier segment below you can clearly see Mr Lander intentionally locking arms with the target in an effort to stop ICE enforcement from taking custody.  

WATCH:

.@bradlander just arrested at immigration court pic.twitter.com/nDqEK1Lzcw

— Courtney Gross (@courtneycgross) June 17, 2025

Criminal arrests and federal prosecutions of politicians pulling these stunts are needed.
 

*  *  *

Anza Knives are made in the USA!

Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back, lifetime guarantee. And if you're looking for a great daily carry, check this one out.

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 19:15

Chinese Automakers Target Using 100% Domestic Made Chips In New Vehicles

Not only is China starting to dominate the auto market throughout the world, now they're seeking to do it using exclusively home-grown chips, according to a new report from Nikkei.

Chinese automakers, including SAIC, Changan, BYD, Geely, Li Auto, and Great Wall, are planning to launch models using only domestically made chips, with at least two aiming for mass production as early as 2026, according to Nikkei Asia. These efforts are part of Beijing’s push for semiconductor self-reliance amid growing U.S.-China tech tensions.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is leading the initiative, urging automakers—especially state-owned ones—to assess and increase their domestic chip usage. The latest policy goal is for all automotive chips to be 100% locally developed and manufactured by 2027. "The 100% target is not mandatory," sources said, but companies are expected to show strong efforts toward meeting it.

Nikkei writes that most Chinese automakers still rely on U.S. and foreign chips, particularly for high-end features like autonomous driving. Nvidia’s and Qualcomm’s solutions remain common in smart cockpits and AI-driven systems. “Rapidly shifting to 100% domestic supplies would be challenging,” several suppliers said.

However, domestic momentum is building. Automakers like GAC Group are working with foundries such as SMIC and CanSemi to verify homegrown chip alternatives. “Some of [our] carmaking customers such as Geely have told them they would prioritize using locally developed chips if those options existed,” said an executive with a Chinese chip developer.

Supply chain localization is accelerating across the board. One display maker said, “We are required to replace not only driver ICs with China-made chips, but also some components and materials, such as optical films… We have to switch them to Chinese suppliers by next year at the earliest.” Another noted that “it only takes six to nine months for testing and qualification for Chinese automobile makers,” compared to three to five years for European clients.

China’s EV manufacturers are also becoming more flexible by using consumer-grade chips for noncritical functions like infotainment systems. This shift reflects both localization goals and cost pressure, especially as global chipmakers like STMicroelectronics, NXP, and Infineon increase partnerships with Chinese foundries to localize production. “Chinese clients were asking the chipmaker to localize production of chips for their home market,” Infineon CEO Jochen Hanebeck told Nikkei.

The chip landscape in cars is rapidly evolving. Traditionally dominated by microcontrollers and analog chips for basic functions, modern EVs now require far more components for computing, battery management, cameras, and displays. Fortunately, many of these chips can be made with mature-node technology, which China is aggressively expanding.

“Specifically, the analog market and a large portion of the microcontroller units (MCUs) market have endured a few years of soft market growth due in part to pricing pressures on these devices that are built mostly on mature process nodes,” said TechInsights analyst Brian Matas. Still, “China has a long way to go.” In 2025, only about 17.5% of China’s $185 billion IC market will be met by local production, according to TechInsights.

SEMI projects that by 2027, China will account for nearly 40% of global mature-node chip production capacity—up from 31% in 2023—while the U.S. will account for just 5%.

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 18:50

Democrats Chase Trump's Laser Pointer On Immigration

Authored by J.T. Young via RealClearPolitics,

In his first term, Trump chased Democrats’ laser pointer; now, they’re chasing his. No issue illustrates this like immigration; it’s become the Democrats’ red dot. Whenever, wherever, and however Trump moves it, Democrats can’t help pouncing. 

In his first term, Trump reacted to everything Democrats and the establishment media did. He couldn’t help himself, as though always compensating for having lost the 2016 popular vote. Forever taking their bait, his tweets poured forth. His frequently abrupt policy and political changes cost him on Obamacare – and popular support, too: Throughout his first term, Trump never had a favorable job approval rating in the RealClearPolitics Average of national polls.  

In his second term, circumstances have markedly reversed. Democrats have been reacting to Trump since before he took office – if not since before he won it. 

Even before his inauguration, Democratic leaders ran to microphones to announce their defiance. As they did, they picked politically questionable issues. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker proclaimed he was opening his state to more transgender surgeries; California Gov. Newsom proclaimed support for electric vehicle credits.  

When Trump talked about a third term, even with the Constitution clearly blocking it, Democrats and the establishment media were apoplectic. Once in office, they were opposed to DOGE with equal vehemence.

In short, if Trump proposed it, Democrats opposed it. They couldn’t help taking the bait. However, of all the things Trump has pursued, nothing has exorcised Democrats like his crackdown on illegal immigration.

New Jersey’s governor, boldly proclaiming he was harboring an illegal immigrant, dared ICE to come…until ICE said they intended to. Democratic officials stormed a New Jersey ICE holding center. When a Milwaukee judge was arrested for helping an illegal immigrant avoid ICE capture, Democrats rallied around her, despite a judge’s job being one of impartiality on cases before the bench. 

When Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported from Maryland, the accused MS-13 gang member became a Democratic cause célèbre.  Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) went to El Salvador to have cocktails with Garcia; other Democratic members of Congress followed. Nationwide, Democrats have prominently counseled illegal immigrants on evading ICE. 

Still, the Los Angeles uprising over the last several days took Democratic efforts (or lack thereof when it comes to enforcement) to another level. Mayor Karen Bass (who already had bungled wildfires that caused enormous damage) and Gov. Gavin Newsom stood by as the city descended into anarchic chaos from protests over ICE doing its job. 

Trump called in the National Guard. Next, the Marines. Newsom called press conferences. And sued. He sought to cast himself as a political paladin, a knight-errant in defense of not enforcing immigration law.

The better term for Newsom and the rest of the Democrats rallying to the cause of blocking the deportation of immigrants in the country illegally would be “knights-in-error.” More accurate in terms of immigration and law enforcement policy, it would be more accurate still in terms of politics.

Having already given Trump a winning issue, they are now gift-wrapping it in images: attacking law enforcement, rioters, outside agitators, destruction, looting, burned-out vehicles, a city aflame. Each picture a winner for Trump, each one a loser for Democrats.

To understand how big a loser these visuals are for Democrats, just look at the polling numbers. 

RCP’s final average for President Biden’s job approval on crime was 38% approval and 59% disapproval – a negative 21 percentage-point margin. On immigration, Biden’s final job approval average was 33.5% approval and 64.8% disapproval – a negative 31.3 percentage-point margin. 

With negatives like these, why do Democrats insist on fighting on this terrain? Why Trump does is clear: His job approval on immigration is 51.5% approval versus 47% disapproval – a positive 4.5 percentage points. 

The figures on reduced illegal immigration and overall crime since he took office only burnish the law-and-order credentials Democrats are thrusting on him.

Even in California, increased law enforcement is a winner. California’s ballot measure that increased penalties for shoplifting and drug possession – and undid an earlier ballot measure relaxing these – passed overwhelmingly last November. 

Non-deluded Democrats have also voiced their concerns with picking this losing fight. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) have both had the temerity to swim against Democrats’ lemming tide. 

Immigration has become a laser pointer for Trump to use on Democrats. With every flash of the red dot, Democrats instinctively respond, each time believing one more pat of the paw, one more snap of the jaw, and they will have seized what is forever a pounce away.

It is not true that Democrats do not have an agenda; they do: Trump’s. Or rather, Trump’s agenda has them. And on immigration, it has Democrats right where Trump wants them.

J.T. Young is the author of the recent book, Unprecedented Assault: How Big Government Unleashed America’s Socialist Left from RealClear Publishing and has over three decades’ experience working in Congress, the Department of Treasury, the Office of Management, and Budget, and representing a Fortune 20 company.

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 18:25

Indicted Atlantic City Mayor Wins Democratic Primary By Over 1,000 Votes

It's only fitting that corruption pays off in a town that was bankrolled by the mob...

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small is, to put it gently, in legal hot water. Facing criminal charges related to child abuse and witness tampering, Small is heading toward a July 2025 trial in a courtroom rather than a campaign trail.

And yet, none of that seemed to matter to Democratic primary voters in Atlantic City, according to WPUR.

In what might be the most on-brand moment for Atlantic City politics, Small not only won his primary — he cruised.

The report says that he beat challenger Bob McDevitt by over 1,000 votes (2,683 to 1,580 at last count), Small proved that being under indictment is apparently not a dealbreaker in local elections. If anything, it might just be a résumé booster.

Even more impressive (or bewildering), he dragged his entire slate of council-at-large candidates to victory with him, making it a clean sweep in the primary.

So what’s next for the embattled mayor? A general election date with Republican nominee Naeem Khan on November 4, 2025 — and, oh right, that little thing called a felony trial.

Small and his wife, La’Quetta Small, are both facing serious charges, and he’s also been hit with a separate indictment for allegedly tampering with witnesses. They’re trying to split their cases to delay the trial, which is currently set for July.

It’s not every day that a sitting mayor campaigns while preparing to defend himself in court. But then again, this is Atlantic City — a place where political drama and casino odds have always gone hand in hand.

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 18:00

Who Really Decides What "America First" Means?

Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,

Trump recently told The Atlantic that “considering that I’m the one that developed ‘America First,’ and considering that the term wasn’t used until I came along, I think I’m the one that decides that.

For those people who say they want peace—you can’t have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon. So for all of those wonderful people who don’t want to do anything about Iran having a nuclear weapon—that’s not peace.”

This was in response to vehement opposition within MAGA over a possible hot war with Iran.

His remarks preceded Tucker Carlson telling Steve Bannon, both of whom have enormous influence over MAGA, that such a war would “see the end of the American Empire” and Trump’s presidency.

That prompted Trump to respond as follows on social media:

“Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, ‘IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!’”

Quite clearly, MAGA is now divided over who exactly decides what “America First” means: Trump or top influencers who channel his base’s interests.

Trump’s most zealous supporters believe that every MAGA member should “trust the plan”, as QAnon infamously urged, and insist that their political hero knows better than they do due to his access to the world’s most classified information. By contrast, their critics – who also deeply respect Trump and are grateful that he’s back in the White House – believe that he was manipulated by anti-MAGA forces during his first term, thus explaining their worries about him possibly being manipulated yet again.

Regardless of whether or not the US gets involved in a possible hot war with Iran, which is what Netanyahu is very clearly lobbying for and might have expected given reports that Israel can’t destroy Iran’s nuclear program without American bunker-buster bombs, MAGA is now divided from within. Each faction believes that the other is disloyal to the movement in their own way by correspondingly doubting its figurehead and blindly going along with everything that he says.

While Trump formally leads MAGA, he only coined the movement’s name and popularized its platforms that far predated his first campaign, which is why the Tucker-Bannon camp of “dissidents” and “purists” have no qualms about challenging and even condemning him for deviating from these positions. At the same time, his most zealous supporters argue that current realities sometimes require “pragmatism”, “flexibility”, and even “compromises” on these same positions in pursuit of the “greater MAGA good”.

Trump is convinced (whether rightly per Israeli intelligence’s assessment or wrongly per US intelligence’s own) that Iran really is secretly trying to build nukes, which if true could greatly limit the US’ freedom of action in West Asia and thus – as he sees it – undermine his envisaged MAGA goals.

The Tucker-Bannon camp disagrees and is concerned not only about the costs of a hot war with Iran, but also that this is what would undermine MAGA’s true (understood as domestic-centric) goals, not a possibly nuclear Iran.

The real divide within MAGA isn’t over Iran, but over who decides what “America First” means, with Iran being the catalyst for bringing this long-simmering debate to the forefront. The base and those top influencers who channel their interests (and at times add their own insight) arguably define MAGA, but Trump is the only one with the power to implement it at scale, and he now believes that he knows better than them.

This zero-sum divide risks irreconcilably splitting the movement if one of them doesn’t relent.

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 16:20

Hold The Lettuce, Bring The Raids: Trump Reinstates Immigration Enforcement On Farms, Hotels, & Meat Plants

Via beefnews.org,

They paused the raids. Then un-paused them. For a moment, it looked like meatpackers and hoteliers had secured a get-out-of-jail-free card—courtesy of last-minute lobbying and soft-handed memos. But less than 72 hours later, the White House yanked the leash back. Again.

Immigration policy under Trump 2.0 has one rule: expect reversals. One week, ICE is told to steer clear of farms and restaurants. The next, they’re ordered to flood the fields. For now, the message is clear: no sanctuary for cartel labor.

But ask anyone who’s watched multinational meatpacker JBS dodge regulations for a decade—how long before the exemptions quietly return?

The Quiet Pause That Didn’t Last

Last Thursday, a quiet internal email from senior ICE official Tatum King directed agents to pause immigration enforcement at agricultural worksites, aquaculture operations, meatpackers, restaurants, and hotels. The memo went out just hours after lobbyists warned that mass deportations could gut food supply chains and derail hospitality services. The Washington Post confirmed the directive, noting that it had come under pressure from the agriculture and hospitality sectors.

But less than 72 hours later, the pause was dead.

The Reversal Order from the Top

By Sunday night, Trump posted to Truth Social, ordering ICE “to do all in their power to achieve the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.” The next morning, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations division held an 11 a.m. call with 30 field offices nationwide. The message: resume raids immediately—including at farms, hotels, and meat plants.

“There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, confirming the reversal in follow-up statements to the press.

Who Pushed Back—and Who Won President Trump with Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins

Behind the scenes, the policy fight had been a tug-of-war. Trump was hearing conflicting arguments. On one side, Brooke Rollins, the Secretary of Agriculture, pushed for protections—arguing that farms would collapse without access to low-wage migrant labor. Business groups like the American Business Immigration Coalition pleaded for exemptions, hoping to buy time before ICE agents hit the field.

On the other side stood Stephen Miller and Tom Homan, architects of the administration’s strict immigration posture, who reportedly pushed back hard against the idea of letting any industry off the hook.

They won.

The Numbers Behind the Crackdown

According to Homan, ICE is now executing over 2,000 arrests per day. The goal is 3,000. That’s not speculation—that’s the administration’s own stated target. And the only way to meet it, officials admit, is to raid the industries with the most concentrated pools of illegal labor: meatpackers, row crop farms, warehouses, hotels, and fast food chains. A leaked DHS memo even acknowledged the obvious: “By taking this off the table, we are eliminating a significant number of potential targets.”

Sovereignty vs Supply Chain Excuses Images released by the US labor department show children working illegally for JBS and Tyson. Photograph: US Department of Labor

This isn’t just about border policy. It’s about labor economics—and sovereignty.

For years, cartel-linked multinationals like JBS and Tyson have quietly offloaded the true cost of meat production onto the backs of the undocumented. They’ve used front companies, fake Social Security numbers, and labor contractors with shady records. When child labor was exposed in the kill floors, they claimed ignorance—and paid a fine. Now they want the protection of “supply chain stability” while the rest of the country plays by the rules?

No more.

This is the showdown that’s been coming for decades: industrial food versus lawful labor. If that means higher wages for legal workers, so be it. If that means the cartel packers have to scramble while family-owned operations regain footing, even better.

The message has been sent: no more exceptions. And for the first time in a long time, the law might apply to the meatpackers, too.

*  *  *

Grow your own food with HEIRLOOM SEEDS (39 varieties - 4,500 seeds) from ZH Store!  Free shipping in the USA.

Click pic... buy seeds... take food supply into your own hands... Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 15:40

Secret Service Followed Protocol In Padilla Incident

Authored by Susan Crabtree via RealClearPolitics,

California Sen. Alex Padilla is getting plenty of mileage out of his scuffle with the Secret Service and federal authorities in Los Angeles Thursday.

Padilla’s Senate and campaign X.com accounts posted a total of seven outraged videos in the first 24 hours after the altercation.

Viral videos of the incident show a Secret Service agent dragging a fuming Padilla out of a press conference with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and he identifies himself as a senator only as he’s being pushed out the door. The agent then forces Padilla to the ground, while two agents handcuff him.

Padilla, however, wasn’t arrested. Within the hour, agents released him with no charges.

Dozens of Democratic members of Congress then jumped to Padilla’s defense, denouncing the action while casting the Secret Service and FBI agents involved as an extension of what they labeled as President Trump’s totalitarian police state.

Nothing to see here, just Alex Padilla pushing and shoving law enforcement officers as he tries to force his way up to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. When you disobey law enforcement, don’t be surprised if they put you on the ground and cuff you.

No one is above the law!! pic.twitter.com/JifCeuJhe9

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 12, 2025

Sen. Schumer called the Secret Service’s use of force “cruel and unacceptable.”

“This was a deliberate attempt to intimidate an elected official whose only offense is standing up for the voiceless,” Schumer said. “But it’s not just about Sen. Padilla, it’s about every person who dares to speak truth to power.”

Republicans and conservative commentators countered that it was all a big publicity stunt and noted that a Padilla staffer filmed the tussle and then quickly distributed it to the media in the room.

Alex Padilla cries talking about the experience of being detained after disrupting Sec. Noem’s press conference

pic.twitter.com/xrMhRiHdI9

— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) June 17, 2025

“Sen. Padilla didn’t want answers – he wanted airtime,” Rep. Byron Donalds said on Fox News Thursday night. “Shoving past security for a viral moment is a stunt, not leadership. If he cared about solutions, he’d have asked for a meeting. But like most Democrats, he just wants the spotlight.”

“Alex Padilla is an embarrassment to California,” said Steve Hilton, who is running for governor in California as a Republican. “He’s a complete nonentity. That’s why they didn’t recognize him … [he has] zero accomplishments and now this pathetic stunt as his only claim to fame.”

Yet, one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, an ardent Trump critic, condemned Padilla’s treatment as “shocking at every level” and “not the America I know.”

Secret Service experts argue nothing could be further from the truth – that the agent was simply following normal protocol. Padilla, they said, actually received preferential treatment by not being arrested and jailed for his menacing display. The Secret Service agent warned Padilla, whom agents did not recognize as a senator and who wasn’t wearing his Senate pin, to back away from Noem and then forcibly removed him when he ignored their entreaties.

“They can represent this however they want, but those agents made the right decision to get him out of the room,” Charles Marino, a former Secret Service agent told RealClearPolitics. “He did not have a congressional pin on, he was yelling and closing distance very quickly to make it to the front of the room to confront Noem.”

“Look, he’s not above the law. Anyone taking those actions would been treated far worse – they would have been arrested and been forced to spend some time in jail,” Marino said. “Who was escalating the situation? When you look at Padilla’s action, taken in totality, the agents had no other choice.”

Instead of dragging him to a cell, federal agents released the senator after the incident. Then Noem met with Padilla for 15 minutes and gave him her cell phone number to discuss matters further.

“We probably disagree on 90% of the topics, but we agreed to exchange phone numbers and continue to talk – that is the way it should be in this country,” Noem told Fox News Thursday afternoon.

The Homeland Security Department issued a statement Thursday defending the federal agents’ actions, arguing that Padilla chose “disrespectful political theater” over constructive congressional oversight.

Padilla, the agency said, “interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem.”

“Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands,” the department added. “@Secret Service thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately.”

Several other Secret Service sources backed up Marino’s account.

“Any sudden movement towards a protectee that feels threatening, especially when that person has not been identified, the policy is 100% to prevent further escalation or movement toward Noem,” said a source in the Secret Service community. “We would have done the same thing for anyone threatening [former DHS Secretary] Mayorkas.”

Even though the situation escalated very quickly, the agent still followed the basic rules of engagement for law enforcement, the source asserted. Agents and officers first ask a person to move away from the protectee, then they tell them firmly to move away, and if those warnings aren’t abided, then they can use physical force to move the threatening person away. 

“It’s a pretty common law enforcement way of relaying information and taking action, because emotions can get the best of people, and agents are forced to err on the side of protection,” the source added.

After the two assassination attempts against Trump, agents are highly attuned to aggressive behavior and working to ensure they’re not involved in any security lapses.

“In this day and age, you can see what a split-second hesitate could result in,” one former agent remarked. “Could you imagine if the agent didn’t respond, and Padilla got on the stage and hit [Noem]?”

The agency has been knocked around for months for the egregious security failures in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 and then nearly two months later during another close call against Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course.

And just because it’s Padilla who was attending a press conference doesn’t mean assaults against a Cabinet secretary or president are unlikely to occur. During a December 2008 press conference in Iraq, an Iraqi journalist threw both of his shoes at former President George W. Bush in a pique of outrage.

Secret Service agents with their zero-fail mission have to be poised to respond to all types of unexpected threats, which sometimes come with no warning at all.

Back in 2005, during Bush’s visit to the country of Georgia, a man attempted to assassinate Bush and then-Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili by throwing a hand grenade at both of them.

“Listen, we don’t always know who you are if you’re not wearing your [congressional] pin,” the source said. “You’re coming at [Noem] in an aggressive manner, and you didn’t heed our warnings to stop. If you get into the buffer zone, we have to take you down. All public officials should know, and I would hope understand, that.”

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 15:00

"It's Disgusting": Erik Prince Torches RINOs For Screwing America Out Of DOGE Cuts, Warns Of Primaries

Blackwater founder Erik Prince unleashed on Congressional Republicans, blasting their failure to codify spending cuts identified by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Prince also declared that GOP lawmakers’ reckless overspending will trigger a brutal primary season, as fed-up conservative voters hold them accountable at the ballot box.

"It's disgusting,” Prince said when the topic of Congress failing to act on the DOGE cuts came up during an interview on the Shawn Ryan Show. 

“It speaks really badly to the Republican Party, to a huge amount of those Republicans, to not even cut the most egregious, stupid waste,” Prince continued. "It speaks to the problems of the uniparty, and why Trump was fighting not just against the Democrats, but against most of the Republican Party, because most of the Republican Party is as bad as the Democrats."

"And so voters, when they go to their voting booth in another year and a half, they need to elect somebody that is fiscally responsible, because we have a lot of people that are not,” he added. 

Last week, the House of Representatives narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s $9.4 billion proposal to rescind federal funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1 billion for NPR and PBS, with a 214-212 vote. 

Democrats voted against the bill and were joined by moderate Republican Reps. Mike Turner (OH), Nicole Malliotakis (NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), and Mark Amodei (NV).

The Senate is now on the clock to pass the measure as the proposal requires approval within 45 days or it will be rejected. 

Even if enacted, the $9.4 billion in cuts represents a small fraction of the $180 billion in savings identified by the Department of Government Efficiency, underscoring the broader fiscal challenges facing lawmakers.

Earlier this month, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced legislation to expand Congress's oversight of federal spending, building on DOGE efforts. The legislation provides lawmakers real-time access to Treasury Department invoices exceeding $25,000.

"DOGE lifted up the hood of federal government spending and put on full display the massive programs and inefficiencies wasting American taxpayer dollars," Roy said in a statement to Fox News. "Billions were splurged on waste, fraud and abuse – but also on programs that clearly do not align with the core values of the American people. Regardless of which party controls the White House, the mission of DOGE in identifying wasteful spending must continue.”

Additionally, the Texas Republican said that the bill offers "the best tools available to identify this ridiculous spending in real time and allow us to reform government spending well into the future."

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/17/2025 - 14:40