The Hidden Heavy Metals Damaging Your Brain... And Where They Come From

Authored by Shan Lam & JoJo Novaes via The Epoch Times,

A woman in her 50s had multiple dental mercury amalgam fillings placed during childhood—the routine treatment at a time when dental care offered few alternatives. Although durable, the fillings can be a source of chronic mercury exposure.

(fizkes/Shutterstock）

Decades later, she had the amalgams removed by a dentist who was not trained in safe removal protocols. During drilling, toxic mercury vapor was released and rapidly absorbed through her oral cavity into her brain and nervous system.

Soon after, devastating symptoms emerged: sudden, profound memory loss, chronic insomnia, emotional turmoil, and roving, electric-shock-like neuropathic pain. Her immune system weakened sharply, leading to frequent illnesses, loss of appetite, and an inability to perform everyday activities. Her life unraveled.

The consequences extended beyond the patient—the treating dentist also suffered health complications from the unprotected exposure to mercury vapor.

Mercury: Acute and Chronic Hazards

Dr. Lin Shao-zhen, a neurologist and director of Pinxin Clinic, presented the above mercury-poisoning case—the most severe she has ever handled—to raise public awareness of the hidden dangers of mercury exposure.

In an episode of “Health 1+1” on NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times, Lin recommended that people with mercury amalgam fillings should seek treatment only at dental clinics equipped with professional mercury-removal tools and staffed by trained practitioners.

For physicians, Lin suggested optimizing a patient’s nutritional status before proceeding with mercury removal. This ensures normal liver and kidney function and builds sufficient antioxidant capacity, thereby minimizing heavy metal damage during the procedure.

In addition to acute poisoning, chronic mercury overload is equally dangerous, potentially triggering a range of symptoms, including chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, insomnia, tremors, and impairments in liver or kidney function and blood sugar regulation. In children, mercury exposure may increase the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning difficulties.

Beware Heavy Metals in Fish

The adage claims that “eating fish boosts brainpower,” however, Lin said that selecting the wrong species can have the opposite effect—potentially harming memory and brain function. Environmental mercury enters the food chain via plankton, she said. Small fish accumulate it first, and concentrations rise dramatically with each step up the trophic ladder. As a result, large predatory species such as tuna, swordfish, and shark harbor the highest levels of methylmercury—the form most toxic to the nervous system.

Many mistakenly assume that heavy metals concentrate mainly in a fish’s head, skin, or organs; however, Lin said they primarily accumulate in the muscle tissue—the flesh we most often eat. By comparison, the skin is relatively safe, whereas organs tend to retain mostly inorganic mercury.

Occasionally eating large predatory fish poses little risk for most adults. However, Lin urged pregnant women and children to avoid them entirely. Safer choices are small fish about the size of an adult’s palm—lower on the food chain, they contain far less accumulated heavy metals.

Lead: The Ever-Present Threat

Beyond mercury, lead remains one of the most insidious and overlooked heavy metals. Lin recounted a case where a patient suffered rapid cognitive decline, slowed movements, profound memory loss, and disrupted circadian rhythms—symptoms closely mimicking atypical Parkinson’s disease. A detailed investigation identified the likely culprit as long-term use of lead-contaminated cookware.

Lead’s toxicity is far-reaching and multifaceted. Chronic exposure can impair vascular smooth muscle function, narrowing blood vessels and raising the risk of cardiovascular disease. In children during critical brain development stages, even low-level exposure can cause attention deficits, delayed language skills, and an increased likelihood of cognitive impairment later in life. For women of reproductive age, lead poisoning may elevate risks of infertility and miscarriage.

These health threats can stem from hidden sources within our homes. Lin said that many unexpected routes of lead exposure exist in daily life:

• Brightly Colored Cups and Utensils: To achieve brighter, more vivid hues and greater contrast, some manufacturers add lead and other heavy metals to glazes or coatings. If these coatings have poor adhesion, lead can gradually leach out during routine washing or when the vessels are used to hold acidic or hot foods.
• Lead Pipes in Older Houses: If an old house still has lead pipes, the water running through them may contain lead.
• Paints and Building Materials From Before the 1960s: When old, colorful paints chip off, touching them with bare hands or cleaning without proper protection can cause lead to enter the body through skin contact or inhalation.
• Cosmetics: For example, Kohl eye makeup contains ingredients such as lead powder. Applying it directly around the eyes poses significant health risks.
• Cheap Metal Jewelry: Some inexpensive jewelry uses lead alloys to increase weight. Prolonged contact with the skin can lead to absorption into the body.

How to Assess Heavy Metal Risk and Protect Yourself

If you’re struggling with chronic pain, memory decline, or autoimmune disorders, and are meeting any of the following conditions, you may be at high risk for heavy metal poisoning if you:

• Have Mercury Fillings: Lin routinely checks for and examines mercury fillings in consultations.
• Frequently Eat Large Fish: Certain fish and other seafood may lead to the accumulation of heavy metals.
• Smoke or Are Exposed to Secondhand Smoke: Tobacco smoke contains heavy metals.
• Have Occupational Exposure: Working with machinery, organic solvents, auto repair, or factory environments with metal dust may lead to heavy metal toxicity.
• Live in a Home Near Environmental Risks: Living near industrial zones or coal-fired power plants can lead to exposure.
• Take Herbal or Traditional Chinese Medicines of Unknown Origin: Some herbs may be contaminated with heavy metals during cultivation or processing.

For daily prevention of heavy metal poisoning, Lin suggested:

When purchasing everyday items, select only those bearing certified safety labels, and replace cookware and tableware regularly. Steer clear of vessels from unknown sources, those with excessively bright colors, or any showing scratches or wear. In older homes, keep children away from peeling paint to prevent contact or ingestion.

For cooking, Lin recommended stainless steel and cast-iron pots. Choose cast iron with a natural matte-black interior over colorful enameled versions. Even if scratched, it primarily releases iron—an essential trace element beneficial to the body. Scratched stainless steel may leach small amounts of iron, nickel, and chromium. While nickel can trigger reactions in sensitive individuals, cast-iron pots are generally safe for most people.

How to Safely Reduce Heavy Metal Burden

While eliminating stored heavy metals from the body often requires medical supervision, Lin noted that we can significantly reduce exposure risk and support the body’s natural detoxification through targeted diet and lifestyle changes.

Incorporate Detox-Supporting Foods

• Sulfur-Rich Foods: Garlic, onions, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, coriander, and other sulfur-containing vegetables support liver function and maintain its detoxification capacity.
• Balanced Mineral Intake: Supplementing with iron, selenium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc enables these essential minerals to compete with heavy metals for cellular receptors, thereby reducing metal absorption.
• Antioxidants: Vitamins C and E exhibit potent antioxidant activity, neutralizing free radicals generated by heavy metals and thereby minimizing oxidative cellular damage.
• Liver-Supporting Nutrients: Alpha-lipoic acid, N-acetylcysteine, and glutathione promote detoxification processes.

Lin underscored the importance of dietary variety—aim for a broad range of foods and avoid eating any single item, even if it is considered healthy.

Revamp Your Lifestyle

• Stay Well-Hydrated: Water is the primary medium in which the kidneys filter and eliminate toxins.
• Support Gut Health: A balanced intestinal microbiome serves as a critical protective barrier in the body.
• Promote Regular Bowel Movements: This reduces the chance of toxins being reabsorbed in the intestines.
• Encourage Regular Sweating: Toxins can be excreted via sweating during exercise, foot baths, or sauna sessions.

Tyler Durden Sun, 12/28/2025 - 12:50

Courts Cap Off Year Of Major Decisions, Confrontations Over Trump Agenda

Authored by Sam Dorman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The federal court system returned some landmark rulings for the American people in 2025, but many legal questions remain unanswered as judges absorb the flood of litigation challenging President Donald Trump’s policies.

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Nov. 10, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

In his second term, Trump has pursued an ambitious agenda on spending, diversity, gender, federal workforce reductions, and immigration, among other things.

With those moves towards change came major constitutional questions that have, or are likely to result in, landmark precedents.

Within months of Trump’s second term, hundreds of court cases led to a spike in roadblocks to executive action and a wave of emergency docket decisions that have led many to question the Supreme Court’s discretion.

So far, the justices have considered more than 20 emergency appeals and held three oral arguments over major challenges to Trump’s policies, including tariffs, firing employees, and nationwide injunctions.

Meanwhile, the ensuing court battles have prompted tense confrontations with federal judges and reinvigorated debate about how much the third branch of government can restrain the second.

Immigration

Perhaps Trump’s top policy priority, immigration, has been the focal point of these tensions—testing not only the parameters set up by Congress but how the judiciary can enforce those as well.

By June, Trump’s birthright citizenship restrictions had led the Supreme Court to weaken judges’ longstanding but controversial practice of issuing sweeping blocks—otherwise known as nationwide injunctions—on presidents’ policies.

That decision and others involving Trump amplified tensions judges had with each other and the president; each side accusing the other of overstepping their authority and disrupting the nation’s separation of powers.

A particularly tense exchange saw Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson accusing Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the other conservatives of undermining the rule of law.

In a biting response, the majority said Jackson was advancing a view of injunctions that was “at odds with more than two centuries’ worth of precedent, not to mention the Constitution itself.”

Barrett, who released a book in September, maintained that she respected Jackson.

Charged rhetoric also emerged from cases challenging Trump’s attempt to deport Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act.

After U.S. District Judge James Boasberg blocked those deportations in March, Trump called for his and other judges’ impeachment.

That appeared to prompt a rare response from Chief Justice John Roberts, who admonished impeachment over legal rulings.

The following months saw tense exchanges between federal judges and the Justice Department, which faced potential contempt from Boasberg and U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis.

Xinis was the Maryland judge who ordered the return of a deportee, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, despite the administration’s contention that she was intruding on its authority over foreign affairs.

Meanwhile, the administration has filed a formal complaint against Boasberg in the D.C. Circuit, which is also reviewing whether he overstepped his authority in the way he probed potential contempt.

Social Issues

In a February hearing, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes pressed the administration on its attempt to ban military troops with gender dysphoria.

That led the Justice Department to file a formal complaint, which was dismissed in September.

Regardless, Reyes’s conflicts with the administration appear far from over.

After she blocked the troop ban, the administration was able to win some temporary relief through a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Writing for the majority, U.S. Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas indicated that Reyes’s block conflicted with at least two recent Supreme Court decisions.

Among Trump’s many wins on the Supreme Court’s emergency docket was a temporary stay on another judge’s decision to block his troop policy.

Although the court has been working out its approach to gender issues, that decision and another—in U.S. v. Skrmetti—cited by Katsas provided legal support for Republicans’ position.

In June, the Supreme Court delivered a win for social conservatives when it upheld Tennessee’s ban on certain gender-related medical interventions for minors.

Other decisions allowed states greater flexibility in regulating pornography and defunding Planned Parenthood.

The high court has yet to provide final rulings on Trump’s policies targeting “gender-affirming care,” Planned Parenthood funding, and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

However, its decisions on the emergency docket have indicated Trump faces an advantage on at least some of those issues.

Executive Authority

One of the primary ways Trump has put forth socially conservative values is through attempts to defund organizations that engage in certain activities.

Those defunding efforts extended to other issues, such as National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, as well.

While lower courts questioned whether Trump is intruding on Congress’s power of the purse, the Supreme Court has indicated that many of the legal challenges weren’t even brought in the right court.

A majority of the court did allow a lower court’s order requiring the disbursal of billions in foreign assistance.

That prompted a fiery dissent from Justice Samuel Alito, who, with Justice Clarence Thomas, issued criticisms of their colleagues’ decisions to block some of Trump’s deportations.

More tension was revealed in dissents by the three liberal justices when the court halted blocks on some of Trump’s policies.

Justice Elena Kagan, for example, suggested the Supreme Court was abusing the emergency docket by disregarding precedent at a more preliminary stage of litigation.

One of those cases involved Trump’s decision to fire Rebecca Slaughter, a member of the Federal Trade Commission, without following Congressional limits that a 90-year-old Supreme Court precedent had upheld.

Slaughter’s case underwent oral argument in December when the justices appeared poised to overturn that landmark precedent, known as Humphrey’s Executor v. United States.

Tyler Durden Sun, 12/28/2025 - 11:40

The post Did Mark Zuckerberg Throw $77 Billion of Our Money into the Toilet? appeared first on CEPR.

The UK Health Care Disaster Is A Cautionary Tale For America's Rising Class Of Armchair Socialists

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

The Washington Post shocked many of its Democratic readers this week by telling the truth about the growing disaster in the UK’s National Health Service — a cautionary tale as a few Republicans plan to join Democrats to extend the failed Obamacare subsidies rather than reform our own broken health care system.

Socialism is in vogue in America. Various socialists are assuming greater power in the Democratic Party and mayors such as Zohran Mamdani (New York) and  Katie Wilson (Seattle) are taking over the leadership of major cities.

I discuss the rising class of American socialists in my new book, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution. The young voters fueling this shift have never experienced life under socialism and have no memories of the meltdowns in prior such systems. As former socialist and communist countries move toward capitalism, many Americans are embracing socialism, according to polls.

The Washington Post editorial board exposed the myth of nationalized systems in its scathing column on the UK’s National Health Service, which is asking sick people to stay away from hospitals as the system struggles to offer basic care.

The NHS has existed for years in a perpetual state of emergency. This was the case before the pandemic hit, and it has only gotten worse. Hospital corridors overflow and routine procedures get canceled due to a catastrophic event commonly known as “winter.” It comes around every year, yet the system, despite annual funding increases, still somehow remains unable to cope.

A campaign to keep people away from hospitals during the holidays is underway, which includes begging the public to seek out other forms of treatment for “less serious” injuries and ailments. The British press compares the messaging to “Covid-era stay-at-home pleas,” which included asking patients who needed care to avoid medical facilities in order to “protect the NHS.”

With strikes and shortages, UK hospitals have turned into a nightmare:

In November, some 50,468 people waited 12 hours or more in emergency departments, often on trolleys in corridors. This is the highest on record for that time of year. Some 2.35 million people went to A&E in November, the highest on record for that month.

What is troubling in the debate over Obamacare is that some Democrats admit that it has failed. Democrats touted the law with an enabling class of academic experts as promising lower health care costs in a system that would pay for itself. Obama himself spread the false claim that you could keep your doctor under Obamacare. (later called the “lie of the year.”)

It proved to be a disaster. Health care costs soared under Obamacare and Democrats stepped in to pass massive subsidies that pay a fortune to insurance companies without doing anything to correct the underlying problems.

The shocking increase in costs under Obamacare should galvanize a nation in seeking a major overhaul without delay.

Health care is now unaffordable for many. Yet, that desperation is political gold for many in dangling subsidies before voters as an inducement to return them to power.

With the midterm elections approaching, Congress is about to repeat the same pay-now-worry-later approach.

For some, the directions may even be reassuring. As Obamacare craters, it will become increasingly difficult to return to a market-driven system. Instead, many Democratic members want a single national health care system or a Medicaid-like system for all.

It does not matter that the UK is struggling with its own system to provide basic care, and NBC is describing the UK system as “broken.”

With the threat of the Democrats taking over the House in the midterms and producing gridlock in Washington, it is unlikely that the GOP can remain firm and unified on creating an alternative. Some will join Democratic members admitting that Obamacare failed, but this is not the time to correct the problem. Instead, we will pour more money into a broken system and kick the can down the road.

Tyler Durden Sun, 12/28/2025 - 09:20

Earlier I posted some questions on my blog for next year: Ten Economic Questions for 2026. Some of these questions concern real estate (inventory, house prices, housing starts, new home sales), and I posted thoughts on those in the newsletter (others like GDP and employment will be on this blog).

I'm adding some thoughts and predictions for each question.

Here is a review of the Ten Economic Questions for 2025.

6) Monetary Policy:  The FOMC cut the federal funds rate three times in 2025 from "4-1/4 to 4-1/2 percent" at the beginning of 2025, to "3-1/2 to 3-3/4" at the end of the year. The mid-range on the "dot plot" suggests many FOMC participants expect around one to two 25 bp rate cuts in 2026.  What will the Fed Funds rate be in December 2026?

As of December, looking at the "dot plot", the FOMC participants see the following number of rate moves in 2026:
25 bp Rate MovesFOMC
Members
2026 One Rate Hike3 No Change4 One Rate Cut4 Two Rate Cuts4 Three Rate Cuts2 Four Rate Cuts1 More than Four1
This is a wide range of views.
Goldman Sachs economists think there will be 2 rate cuts in 2026:

"We expect the FOMC to compromise on two more 25bp cuts to 3-3.25% but see the risks as tilted lower. "

A key question: How accommodative is current policy?  With core PCE inflation at 2.8% year-over-year in September (the data for October and November is delayed due to the government shutdown) and the "neutral rate" at 1.5% would suggest a Fed Funds Rate at around 4.3% (Of course, estimates of the neutral rate vary widely). 
Currently the target Fed Funds rate range is '3-1/2 to 3-3/4' percent.  And the FOMC projections show core PCE inflation only declining to 2.4 to 2.6% by the end of 2026 (Q4-over-Q4).
However, the FOMC believes inflation will come down as the tariff pass-through fades, and also because of a further declines in housing inflation.   Asking rents have been flat for almost three years, and measures of rent (housing / shelter) are steadily declining.
If we look at recent readings over the last 6 months annualized (through September):PCE Price Index: 2.7% Core PCE Prices: 2.7%Core minus Housing: 2.6%
In Q1 2025, PCE inflation was high.  There might be some residual seasonality in Q1, so it seems likely inflation will be lower in Q1 2026, lowering the YoY measures.
The next FOMC meeting ends on January 28th, and the FOMC will likely hold rates steady at that meeting.  
Due to the ongoing weakness in the labor market, my guess is there will be 2 rate cuts in 2026 with many dissents!  We might even see the 1st ever Fed Chair dissent
As long as the Fed remains independent, FOMC policy will depend on what happens with inflation and employment in 2026.  
Here are the Ten Economic Questions for 2026 and a few predictions:

• Question #7 for 2026: How much will wages increase in 2026?

• Question #8 for 2026: How much will Residential investment change in 2026? How about housing starts and new home sales in 2026?

• Question #9 for 2026: What will happen with house prices in 2026?

• Question #10 for 2026: Will inventory increase further in 2026?

High-Pressure NatGas Line Ruptures Outside Los Angeles, Forcing Major Highway Shutdown

A rupture of a high-pressure 34-inch natural gas transmission line late Saturday afternoon forced the temporary closure of Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles for several hours and led to a shelter-in-place order for thousands of residents in Castaic.

Capt. Brian Knight, a spokesman for L.A. County Fire, told ABC News that a loud blast was reported around 4:20 p.m. local time. Knight said there were no reports of any injuries.

BREAKING: A massive 36-inch underground natural gas pipeline rupture sent high-pressure gas spewing into the air across the Santa Clarita Valley moments ago, prompting emergency evacuations and shelter-in-place orders in the Castaic area.

The rupture was reported shortly before… pic.twitter.com/37GsIfx9fI

— Austin Dave (@AustinDave_) December 28, 2025

WATCH: Loud booms heard as major gas line explosion triggers shelter-in-place in Castaic, California https://t.co/7pHnuSxNVu pic.twitter.com/0Xf8jcviAe

— Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) December 28, 2025

The damaged line was identified as a 34-inch, 600-psi transmission pipeline that released NatGas into the air and led to a shelter-in-place order for 14,900 people across the Charley Canyon, Hillcrest, and Wayside communities.

The northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 5 were closed due to the leak, sparking traffic mayhem across the area.

Drivers were stranded on the 5 Freeway on Saturday night after a natural gas leak in Castaic left all northbound and southbound lanes shut down. The gas has since been shut off, but a shelter-in-place was issued for nearby residences, including the Charley Canyon, Hilcrest and… pic.twitter.com/05KVc81fU1

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 28, 2025

It is unclear what caused the NatGas line to rupture. Officials believe a mudslide could be the cause.

A SoCalGas spokesperson told CBS LA that "the cause of the break has not been determined. However, significant land movement has been observed near the break," adding there were "no indications" of an ignition or explosion.

The transmission line is used for transportation and will not affect service to homes or businesses in the Los Angeles area.

Tyler Durden Sun, 12/28/2025 - 07:00

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

• Scams, Schemes, Ruthless Cons: The Untold Story of How Jeffrey Epstein Got Rich: For years, rumors swirled about where his wealth came from. A Times investigation reveals the truth of how a college dropout clawed his way to the pinnacle of American finance and society. (New York Times)

• How Did DOGE Disrupt So Much While Saving So Little? The group’s biggest claims were largely incorrect, a New York Times analysis found. And its many smaller cuts added up to few savings. (New York Times) see also A Year In, the MAGA Labor Market Story Has Fallen Apart: The administration bet on government cuts, tariffs, deportations, and a gendered theory of growth. The data say otherwise. (Mike Konczal)

• How Starbucks Came Undone: In the ’90s, it became a once-in-a-generation triumph. Then it fell apart. What happened? (Slate)

• The latest government inflation and GDP figures are worthless, and will be for months to come: The federal government’s monthly releases of economic statistics — especially the inflation rate and growth as tracked by gross domestic product — have long occasioned partisan preening (or denunciation) and for a general public stock-taking of the health of the economy. Not this month. This time, they’re the occasion for doubt and confusion. (LA Times)

• These kitchen items may be contaminating your food with chemicals: See the thousands of plastic chemicals in what we eat. These chemicals act on the body in multiple ways — confusing hormones, disrupting immune systems and boosting cancer cells. But they all have one thing in common: They are intimately linked to plastic. (Washington Post)

• 15 People Have Died in Crashes Where Tesla Doors Wouldn’t Open: There are no official statistics on the dangers of electric handles. So Bloomberg did its own analysis. (Bloomberg)

• There’s a 92 Percent Chance Trump Is Making It Up: When riffing, the president exhibits an unusual tell. (The Atlantic) see also Here’s how Trump gets away with using dubious numbers: Trump doesn’t use numbers the way most of us do, as “things that can be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided,” as Columbia University statistician Andrew Gelman put it. Rather, he uses them as rhetorical objects. (Los Angeles Times)

• The Florida Divorcée’s Guide to Murder: Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors inspired a triple murder and led to a major First Amendment case. Still, the book is just one chapter in the bizarre story of its author, “Rex Feral,” a 77-year-old great-grandmother wrestling with decades of guilt and living anonymously—until now. (Vanity Fair)

• Bari Weiss spiked a major migrant story — and told on herself: Weiss’ catch-and-kill puts her editorial incompetence at CBS News on public view. (Salon) see also Bari Weiss is Not on the Level: When Fairness Becomes Permission for Lawlessness. (Notes from the Circus) see also Here’s the 60 Minutes Segment Trump and CBS News Executives Don’t Want You to See: Hours before it was set to air last night, CBS News executives pulled the segment, but Canada’s Global TV app received it prior to broadcast. It’s now all over the internet… (The Reset)

• Russia’s Puppet Tulsi Gabbard Strikes Again: How the Director of National Intelligence Is Laundering Kremlin Lies, Undermining NATO, and Endangering U.S. National Security. (Unmasking Russia)

Be sure to check out our Masters in Business interview this weekend with comedian Jay Leno, former Tonight Show host, and creator of Jay Leno’s Garage.

Have tariff policies been benign for the economy? The data implies otherwise

Source: LinkedIn

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

Netanyahu's New Slant To Lure Trump Into War With Iran

Authored by Alastair Crooke via The Ron Paul Institute 

In these last days, the Trump Administration has boarded or seized three tankers either loaded with Venezuelan oil or destined for Venezuela (such as the Bella1). The most egregious seizure – in terms of illegality – being a Chinese-owned, Panama-flagged vessel reportedly destined for China – and on no one’s sanctions list.

In a different zone of conflict, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) last Friday claimed that it had struck a Russian so-called "shadow fleet" tanker, the Qendil, with aerial drones in waters of the Mediterranean Sea off Morocco. The SBU did not give further details of the attack, including how the SBU deployed a drone in the Mediterranean (2,000 Km from Ukraine), or the site from which it was launched. The SBU source said the cargo ship was empty at the time of the attack. President Putin, in midst of his annual question and answer marathon, vowed that Russia would retaliate.

"Blockades," seizures and attacks, very plainly, are acts of war (despite the US claim that America owns all oil produced by Venezuela – until all historical US legal claims against Venezuela are satisfied). This tanker-episode is yet another ratchet to the drift to lawlessness in US foreign policy.

Anadolu/Getty Images

These acts pre-eminently are aimed at China (which has large equities in the Venezuelan oil industry) and Russia, which has longstanding ties to both Venezuela and Cuba (now under Trump “blockade” too). Add to that the $11bn in weapons being sent to Taiwan — with a significant amount of medium to long-range missile systems being part of the planned transfer, including 82 HIMARS launchers with Army ATACMS missiles, allowing Taipei forces to hit targets across the Taiwan Strait.

This latter transfer has infuriated China.

What this suggests is that the National Strategy Statement (NSS) in respect to China (it states that Washington views China as no longer constituting a “prime threat,” but only as an economic competitor) is meaningless rhetoric. China is being treated as an adversarial threat and will respond as such.

China and Russia will "read" the Trump Administration by its actions, rather than its NSS rhetoric. And the signals speak plainly to escalatory steps.

Put all this into the context of “leaks” by senior Trump officials which Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says are “lies and propaganda.” She says the claims that “the ‘US intelligence community’ agrees to, and supports the EU/NATO viewpoint, that Russia’s aim is to invade/conquer Europe (in order to ‘gin up support’ for their pro-war policies)” — that these are lies being pushed by what she terms “Deep State warmongers and their Propaganda Media … to undermine Trump’s efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.”

“The truth,” Gabbard writes on Twitter, is the opposite:

‘[That] the US intelligence community has briefed policymakers, including the Democrat HPSCI member quoted by Reuters, that US Intelligence assesses that Russia seeks to avoid a larger war with NATO. It also assesses that, as the last few years have shown, Russia … does not have the capability to invade and occupy Europe’ — and that ‘US Intelligence assesses that Russia seeks to avoid a larger war with NATO.’

So, what Gabbard is telling us is that there is open intra-warfare at the top of the Trump Administration. On one side, there is the CIA, the hawks and their European collaborators, and on the other, Gabbard’s Intelligence analysts and a larger US constituency.

Where is Trump in this brew? Why is he positioning himself at the cusp of another round of conflict with China? Why would he do that when US economic structures are so fragile, and when China has shown that it has economic leverage with which to fight? Is the explanation the simplistic response that it is a diversion from the release of further Epstein images?

Why too did Trump dispatch Messrs Witkoff and Kushner to Berlin when the intent of Europeans to wreck the negotiating process with Russia was quite evident aforehand? The two American “Envoys” did not sign the Euro-proposal. They sat silently; yet neither did they enter a dissent, not even when (NATO-like) Article 5 security guarantees were mooted?

Also who was it who provided the targeting data by which Ukraine (apparently) was able to attack the Qendil off the North African coast 2,000 kms from Ukraine? What conclusion was intended for Putin to draw from the two incidents? Certainly, Russians will have made their own surmise.

And why draw-in Iran too, by seizing the Iranian Bella 1, ostensibly flagged to Guyana heading toward Venezuela? Does this represent the start to another round to the Iranian tanker war originally pursued by Israel? Does it suit Netanyahu’s and certain constituencies in Israel’s purposes to heat up the situation in respect to Iran?

It is worth asking because Netanyahu is scheduled to leave for Palm Beach, Miami, on December 28 with a view to have one or perhaps two meetings with Trump at Mar-a-Lago during the following days (though the meetings with Trump have yet to be confirmed at time of writing).

It seems that it is neither Hamas, nor Gaza Phase Two, that lies predominantly behind Netanyahu’s summit intent – but rather Iran.

The Gaza and Hamas issues therefore are likely to play second fiddle to the “new” narrative being framed by the Israeli PM’s office: Iran will not be presented to Trump as rushing toward “a nuclear breakthrough” as per the old cliché.

That is the “old narrative.” The new one is, as leading Israeli commentator Anna Barsky writes in (Hebrew) in Ma’ariv:

The more immediate threat here: [more] than the nuclear itself … [is] the systematic [Iranian] reconstruction of the middle layer: the ballistic missile industry, its production lines and the ability to restore the functionality to damaged air defence systems.

Not because the nuclear issue has fallen off the agenda … but because missiles are the key that allows Iran to protect everything else – and also to attack. Without missile and air defense shields, nuclear facilities are a vulnerable target. With a shield [by contrast] they become a much more complex strategic problem … And here is a point that often escapes public discourse: Iran is not ‘rehabilitating’ just to return to what it was, but to return differently.

In other words: ‘missile restoration’ and ‘nuclear restoration’ are not two separate axes, but one system – and it is of great concern to Israel. The missile builds a shell, the shell enables a nuclear power, and the nuclear power – even if rejected – remains the ultimate [Iranian] goal.

The message that Netanyahu will take to Mar-a-Lago is that "Israel will not allow Iran to rebuild a missile and defense umbrella that will close the skies over sensitive sites."

Trump may be more preoccupied with creating a new regional order without being dragged into a war with no clear end. Netanyahu likely will claim nonetheless (as he has been doing for over 25 years) that the “window” in which Iran can rebuild its defense umbrella is fast closing, and will likely gently remind the President that Trump was placed in power, not just to promote Israel’s image, but for the Realpolitik purpose of expanding Israel’s real-world power in the region and control over territory.

Happy Christmas, Donald!

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 23:20

Leaked Details Of Trump's Plan To Control Dangerous Virus Research

Authored by Paul D. Thacker via The DisInformation Chronicle,

A few days back I took several calls from officials working on President Trump’s policy to limit and track dangerous, gain-of-function pathogen research, the very studies that likely created the COVID virus, which most American believe leaked from a Wuhan lab. Trump signed an Executive Order on May 5 to stop risky gain-of-function scientific studies, leading to controversy and claims by media outlets politically aligned with virologists and the Democratic Party that it will harm science.

“Executive order on gain-of-function experiments could chill research on infectious diseases,” reported Science Magazine.

“Trump freezes ‘gain of function’ pathogen research ― threatening all US virology,” reported Nature Magazine.

In one of the more bizarre, confusing articles to splash across social media, the Daily Caller falsely reported that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is somehow subverting the White House policy process, and that an NIH contractor is somehow creating a potential virus bioweapon, even though he doesn’t work in a lab.

Yes. It’s that nutty out there, people. You’ve been warned.

Last Wednesday, senior officials from several dozen agencies assembled at the White House to review the plan, and the State Department “blew up the meeting”, I was told by several people. For some of the senior officials who showed up, it was likely their first time reviewing the policy which had been handled by lower-level employees in prior meetings. This might have led to the problems at the Wednesday meeting.

As I previously reported, employees from HHS, FDA, USDA, CDC, DOW, State Department, DNI, CIA, FBI, and branches of the military are among the dozens of officials putting the new policy together. Two employees at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), I am told, are actually holding the pen to write the strategy.

The White House was expected to roll out the rules earlier this month, but the government shut down and several employee problems caused unexpected delays. Dr. Gerald Parker, for example, was considered a key appointment for the White House, but resigned this summer to deal with some personal health issues.

However, I have learned that White House OSTP has decided Trump’s policy will take a “risk-based” approach to determine whether a particular pathogen study will be green lighted. Entities responsible will be penalized if they fail to heed the system.

Four entities will provide multiple checks in the process:

1. Scientist proposing the study;

2. Institution where the scientist works;

3. Funding agency (NIH, DOW, USDA, State Department, etc.);

4. Independent Review Board (this does not yet exist and will scrutinize all studies across the government).

Each entity will have different responsibilities and different penalties if they evade the new policy. For example, a researcher who submits a virus study to an agency for funding without running it through the system may be debarred from federal participation if one of the entities later finds the study is dangerous. That researcher’s institution could also be debarred as well, for not ensuring the scientist followed the new process.

Submitting research proposals to the new Independent Review Board, however, will provide a safe harbor, protecting both scientist and institutions. Program officers at agencies funding research—NIH, State Department, DOW, USDA, for example—will also be forced to evaluate the studies they fund to ensure they follow the rules.

It remains unclear what penalties might befall federal employees who try to evade the rules, and those details will likely be worked out by each separate agency. The Department of Energy, for example, funds millions of dollars in pathogen research each year.

The Independent Review Board will review science study proposals from across the federal government, and might require a new charter and congressional action. The White House is expected to release the final plan in January or February.

NOTE TO READERS: While nobody will reveal who exactly is working on this new policy, an intelligence official, who wishes to remain anonymous, sent me several emails from the last major update to gain-of-function virus research policy in 2017. When White House National Security Council Advisor Hillary Carter emailed the research policy’s final version, she copied in those who had participated in the process.

The list of government employees stretches on for four pages, which you can view here.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 22:10

Europe's Farmer Protests Are A Warning America Can't Ignore

Authored by Mollie Engelhart via The Epoch Times,

I want to be very clear.

Yes, I am a regenerative farmer.

Yes, I farm without chemicals.

Yes, I speak publicly—on podcasts, from stages, and in print—about better ways to grow food.

But I never villainize farmers. Not conventional farmers. Not farmers locked into systems they did not design. Not farmers working with razor-thin margins, massive equipment debt, weather risk, and policy pressure stacked against them.

No one wants to be the generation that loses the farm.

And yet that is exactly what is unfolding across Europe right now...and quietly, steadily, in the United States as well.

Over the past two years, farmers across Europe have mobilized at a scale that should dominate headlines. Instead, it has been treated as background noise.

In the Netherlands, farmers have protested nitrogen rules that would force mass farm closures—even among low-input and regenerative operations. In France, farmers have blocked highways and surrounded Paris with tractors, protesting fuel taxes, land-use restrictions, and impossible compliance burdens. In Germany, tens of thousands of farmers drove tractors into Berlin over the removal of diesel tax exemptions that many farms rely on to survive. In Belgium, farmers dumped produce and manure outside EU buildings in Brussels. In Poland, Romania, and Hungary, farmers have protested cheap imports and regulations that apply to domestic producers but not foreign competitors.

These are not isolated events. They are sustained, multinational protests by people who feed entire continents.

And yet the coverage is minimal, fleeting, or framed as an inconvenient disruption rather than an existential warning.

European farmers are not protesting environmental responsibility. Many already practice conservation, reduced inputs, rotational grazing, cover cropping, and soil-building methods.

What they are rejecting is regulation divorced from reality.

Under policies driven by the European Union and initiatives like the European Green Deal, farmers face rules that impose arbitrary nitrogen caps per acre, treat synthetic nitrogen and organic nitrogen as if they are identical, require land to be taken out of production regardless of local context, and demand extensive reporting and compliance that small and mid-size farms cannot absorb.

This is no longer about practices. There are fully regenerative farmers—no chemicals, integrated livestock, biologically active soils—who are still being regulated to death.

Biology cannot be legislated by spreadsheet.

Cows on grass are not the same as animals in confinement. Cover-cropped fields with livestock integration are not the same as continuous monocropping. Rainfall, soil type, slope, climate, and ecosystem function matter.

Yet modern regulation ignores all of this.

Instead, it relies on modeling, averages, AI projections, and “eco-science” disconnected from outcome-based measurement. These rules are written far from the fields, enforced uniformly across radically different landscapes, and paid for by farmers who were never invited to the table.

If governments want fewer chemicals in the food system, the solution is straightforward: ban the chemical. Then step back and let farmers adapt and innovate.

What does not work is regulating farmers themselves with arbitrary input limits that punish nuance and reward consolidation.

When farming becomes unworkable, land changes hands.

Small and mid-size farms fold first. Family land is sold. Consolidation accelerates. Institutional capital moves in. Farmers become tenants—or disappear entirely.

European farmers understand this. That is why they are angry. They are not fighting for comfort. They are fighting for their land, their livelihoods, and their way of life.

They want to be left alone to grow food.

What Europe is experiencing is not a foreign anomaly. It is a preview.

In the United States, the regulatory burden on farmers and food entrepreneurs is already staggering. Joel Salatin titled his book “Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal” because for many farmers, that is not hyperbole—it is daily life.

Every permit, inspection, compliance mandate, and fine functions as a form of taxation without representation.

No founding generation imagined a country where every carcass must be stamped by a federal inspector, where farmers are criminalized for selling food directly to their communities, or where innovation outside industrial models is functionally illegal.

And yet here we are.

If all this interference produced extraordinary health outcomes, perhaps the argument could be made that it was worth it.

But Americans are sicker than ever.

More than 40 percent of adults are obese. Nearly half of adults have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Metabolic dysfunction is now normal.

This is not happening despite regulation. It is happening alongside it.

So why, after decades of food and farm regulation, are health outcomes collapsing?

Because regulation does not target the true problem. It protects corporate interests.

Farmers do not have powerful lobbies. Chemical companies do. Seed conglomerates do. Large processors do.

Regulation often preserves harmful substances in the food system while making it illegal for farmers to operate outside centralized, industrial pipelines.

After the Food Safety Modernization Act under President Barack Obama, many farmers were suddenly unable to sell directly to grocery stores.

Food had to travel farther. Middlemen became mandatory. Small producers were pushed out.

The result was less fresh food, lower nutrient density, and greater distance between people and their food.

We may have reduced certain types of foodborne illness—but we did not create a healthier population.

Every layer of interference pulls us further from food, farmers, and biological truth.

European farmers are not extremists. They are early warning systems.

They are telling us that overregulation destroys resilience, undermines food security, and centralizes control of land and food.

They are telling us that stewardship cannot be mandated by spreadsheet.

And they are asking something profoundly reasonable.

Talk to us. Not at us.

Invite farmers to the table. Regulate at the chemical level if something is unsafe. Measure outcomes, not inputs. Reduce bureaucracy instead of expanding it.

Why are tractors filling European cities while the media barely notices?

Because acknowledging these protests would require admitting something uncomfortable: that governments are overreaching, that farmers are right, and that the systems sold as “for the public good” are failing both the public and the people who feed it.

What’s happening in Europe should concern every American.

Because once you regulate farmers out of existence, you don’t get them back.

And no society survives long after it breaks its relationship with the land—and the people who know how to work it.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 21:00

Key Bolsonaro Ally Caught In Neighboring Paraguay After Fleeing House Arrest

Brazilian authorities are really going after some of the loyalists of imprisoned ex-President Jair Bolsonaro. In the latest, a former Brazilian police chief who fled the country after being convicted for his role in an alleged "attempted coup" linked to Bolsonaro has been arrested in Paraguay.

Silvinei Vasques was detained Friday at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Asunción, Paraguay authorities confirmed in a statement. He was detained charges of "identity theft" after trying to bypass immigration checks by posing as a Paraguayan citizen.

Paraguay border police image after Silvinei Vasques caught in country illegally. 

He was trying to board a flight to Panama, claiming El Salvador as his final destination. Apparently he didn't enter Paraguay legally, but entered "clandestinely" while "evading justice in his home country."

Vasques as a powerful former police official in Brazil was accused of ordering highway patrol officers to block voters in left-leaning regions during the 2022 election, which Bolsonaro eventually lost to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

He was arrested in 2023 and released under supervision with an electronic ankle monitor while awaiting trial. His legal proceedings have been running simultaneously to the more high profile Bolsonaro case.

At the conclusion of his trial, Vasques was sentenced to more than two years in prison to be served under house arrest, after which he fled the country. Regional reports indicated that he broke his ankle monitor and drove into Paraguay.

But he apparently made a break for it after on Friday Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the former police chief's preventive detention as a precaution.

Other alleged co-conspirators who are allies of Bolsonaro have also fled. One notable one is former intelligence agency director Alexandre Ramagem, who earlier left Brazil in September and has since been living in the United States.

Fake passports found on 'wanted' ex highway police chief as he was trying to make it to El Salvador...

El exdirector de la Policía de Tránsito Federal brasileña, Silvinei Vasques, llega a Brasil tras ser entregado por las autoridades paraguayas.

El Director de Migración de Paraguay, Jorge Kronawetter, informó que al contrastar datos se confirmó que Vasques portaba un documento… https://t.co/XXtJH58nV6 pic.twitter.com/EBzOw5PFBz

— Nacho Lemus (@LemusteleSUR) December 27, 2025

As for Bolsonaro himself, once dubbed the "Brazilian Donald Trump" - at the age of 70 he is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted in September of trying to prevent Lula from taking office.

Last week the former president underwent surgery for a hernia, and has been suffering a variety of health problems while first under house arrest and now under confinement, after he too was caught trying to break his ankle monitor.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 20:25

Let Americans Choose Their Cars - Not The Government

Authored by James K. Glassman via RealClearEnergy,

There’s a lot of crowing in certain quarters about the 2% decline in U.S. electric vehicle sales in 2025 compared to the year before. Francis Menton, the lawyer who writes the Manhattan Contrarian blog, for instance, claims vindication for his prediction in February 2023 that electric vehicles would not “sweep the country and become the dominant form of transportation.”

The reasoning behind his forecast: “It is always wise to bet against central planning of the economy.” In this case, central planning amounted to state CO2 emissions goals, CAFE mileage requirements and federal and state tax subsidies. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act ended the $7,500 tax credit for EV purchases, and President Trump on Dec. 3 issued an order to roll back CAFE standards “to levels at which combustion vehicles can comply.”

Like Menton, I don’t like central planning. Nor do I support mileage standards or subsidies. Americans have proven in the past that the best route to prosperity and health is free competition without government meddling. Unfortunately, that is not what we have anymore.

Our own government is denying Americans the opportunity to buy the cars of their choice by imposing huge tariffs on low-priced electric vehicles, which are pouring into the rest of the world.

EV sales in the U.S. are languishing for many reasons, including a lack of charging stations, but the biggest problem is cost. Our EVs are absurdly expensive. Competition from China, India and perhaps even Mexico and would help bring down prices – and make U.S. EV makers more efficient.

In the rest of the world EV sales are booming,  up 21% through November compared to last year. In all, sales of cars and trucks powered by electricity will reach 20 million by year-end. In 2020, global sales were just 3 million.

One of the biggest changes is the advent of inexpensive Chinese-built EVs, which carry a special 100% U.S. tariff, initially imposed by Joe Biden in 2024 and extended under Donald Trump. These EVs are effectively barred from the U.S. market, the world’s second-largest (after China itself). Nevertheless, China sells 62% of the world’s EVs and 71% of global EV batteries.

The European Union also has high tariffs on Chinese EVs (43%), but the UK does not. As a result, the British are rushing to buy electrics like those offered by BYD in its more than 100 retail outlets across the country. BYD, now the world’s largest EV maker, is selling 10 times as many cars in the UK as it did last year. Total EV sales in the UK have jumped 25% this year, and 22.7% of vehicles registered in the country in 2025 are  fully electric, compared with a little less than 10% in the U.S.

BYD is building EVs 25% more cheaply than Western competitors. The company has a broad lineup, but what’s happening in the UK and around the world is that the EV is no longer a rich person’s novelty. The small BYD Dolphin Surf has list price of 18,650 British pounds, or $25,129. The company’s Seagull starts at under $8,000 in China. Meanwhile, Mexico is promising to build a line of economy EVs that will debut next year and cost $4,400 to $7,400 U.S. dollars.

Electric cars and trucks have far fewer moving parts than vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, and they are cheaper to build and operate. “The battery, motor, and associated electronics require little to no regular maintenance,” says the U.S. Department of Energy. And EVs have instantaneous torque, that is, maximum power from the starting line, so even a large vehicles like GM’s Hummer EV can go from zero to 60 in just three seconds. They are fun to drive.

Nations concerned about climate change have been subsidizing EVs, but the economics of have changed, and subsidies are no longer necessary to get people to buy electric. We see the same phenomenon in electricity generation at utility plants. Because of technological innovation, solar and wind, with battery back-up, have become the cheapest and fastest way to add power to the grid – without subsidies. This is not about climate-change ideology.

My own conclusion is that, because of economics and the driving pleasure they provide, EVs are the future. But I could be wrong. To find out, let’s drop the subsidies and the tariffs and leave the choice of cars and trucks to consumers themselves.

James K. Glassman served as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the George W. Bush Administration. He was also formerly a fellow in ecnoomics and technology at the American Enterprise Institute. Long ago, he was the car columnist for The Washingtonian magazine. 

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 19:50

75 US Deportees To End Up On Tiny Island In Cash Deal With Local Rulers

In the Trump administration's latest display of creativity when it comes to unloading unwanted immigrants, the United States has made a deal with the rulers of the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau, which will take 75 rejected migrants off Uncle Sam's hands in exchange for $100,000 per head. The deportees in question will be a diverse group, but they'll likely share one thing in common -- none of them are from Palau, or ever heard of it.  

Palau will serve as a small relief valve for situations where a migrant's home country refuses to take them back. “Palau and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing up to 75 third country nationals, who have never been charged with a crime, to live and work in Palau, helping address local labor shortages in needed occupations,” said Palauan President Surangel Whipps in a statement. 

Located in the Pacific region of Micronesia, Palau comprises some 350 tiny coral and volcanic islands, with a population of only 18,000. It was administered by the US government from World War II to 1994, when it became independent. However, it has maintained close relations with America via an arrangement called "free association," which lets Palauans work, live or study in the United States -- but we're guessing that privilege won't be extended to the 75 deportees. Palau also uses the US dollar as its currency, and its mail is delivered by the USPS.

Most Americans who previously heard of Palau probably did so when it was the setting of Season 10 of the reality-competition show "Survivor"

The cash-for-unwanted-migrants deal was opposed by Palau's legislature. “We strongly advise against proceeding further on this matter,” said the leaders of both houses in a joint letter. “We cannot afford to overpromise or commit to something we cannot fulfill.”  Palau's advisory Council of Chiefs firmly objected too, similarly concerned that the island chain already has enough challenges on its hands without having to assimilate 75 deportees from who-knows-where speaking who-knows-what languages: 

“Our position has not been an easy one to reach because the request comes to us from our number one ally, the U.S. We are certain, however, that our best friend understands our precarious and fragile situation as a tiny island nation seeking to exist in this complex world.”

Palau's president plunged ahead anyway, after trying to reassure skeptics by saying, "These are not criminals. Their only offense was entering the United States illegally and working without proper permits.” Beyond raking in $7.5 million from the United States for "public service and infrastructure needs" associated with handling the newcomers, Palau will also get a $6 million injection "to prevent collapse of the civil service pension plan," plus another $2 million for law enforcement initiatives.  

Israeli President Isaac Herzog with Palau's then-UN Ambassador Ilana Seid. Palau is routinely among a tiny group of states that join the US in voting against anti-Israel resolutions

Palau is a regular beneficiary of US wealth transfers, and a hefty 12% of Palau's GDP comes from US and other foreign aid. Not coincidentally, Palau is one of four tiny, inconsequential Pacific states that routinely join the US in voting against anti-Israel resolutions at the UN; the others are Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Nauru. 

Palau joins a small handful of third-world nations who've either agreed to take third-country deportees from the United States, or are deliberating that pitch -- among them, Eswatini, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda. Unlike Palau, the tiny African kingdom of Eswatini has accepted violent illegal immigrants, whom a senior US Homeland Security official described as "so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back." 

The Trump administration's "safe third-country" agreements create a novel and amusing deterrent for illegal immigrants and bogus asylum-seekers -- a veritable roulette wheel that could have them waking up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and playing their own version of "Survivor." 

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 19:15

Wealthy Chinese Elites Use US Surrogacy System To Have Dozens Of Children

Authored by Michael Zhuang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Chinese billionaires and elites are increasingly using the United States’ permissive surrogacy system to have large numbers of children—sometimes dozens, or more—according to allegations made in Chinese media.

Increasing numbers of wealthy Chinese couples are hiring the services of American surrogate mothers to give birth to their babies to circumvent China's one child policy. In the photo, hundreds of Chinese babies accompanied by their parents prepare to take part in a baby swimming contest. STR/Getty Images

The surrogate children become U.S. citizens through birthright citizenship. 

According to Chinese media, Chinese gaming company Duoyi Network released a statement on social media disputing a report from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) saying that Xu Bo, Duoyi’s founder and chairman, fathered potentially more than 100 children in the United States via surrogacy. The statement said that Xu “only had 12 children in the United States via surrogacy.”

Xu’s company later issued a statement on social media acknowledging that Xu had more than 100 children born via surrogacy in the United States.

WSJ cited court documents saying that in 2023, Xu petitioned a Los Angeles family court for parental rights over four unborn children. During the proceedings, the judge determined that Xu was already the father—or in the process of becoming the father—of at least eight children through surrogacy.

Xu, who was in China at the time, appeared at a closed-door hearing by video. Through an interpreter, he reportedly told the court he hoped to have more than 20 U.S.-born children and expressed a preference for sons, saying boys were better suited to inherit a family business, according to WSJ’s account of the hearing.

Xu said the children were being raised by nannies in the United States while awaiting travel documentation to China. He told the court he had not yet met the children due to his work commitments. 

Amy Pellman, the judge overseeing the case, reportedly ruled that surrogacy is intended to help people build families—not to facilitate large-scale reproduction beyond the scope of ordinary child-rearing. In a rare move, she denied Xu’s parental rights petition.

The Epoch Times cannot independently verify the details of the court case because such family court proceedings take place behind closed doors and are not published.

Xu was a former senior executive at China’s online gaming giant NetEase. His personal fortune has been estimated by Chinese media at roughly 28 billion yuan (about US$3.9 billion).

Claims About Scale of Surrogacy

The case has drawn renewed attention in China following social media posts by Tang Jing, described in Chinese media as Xu’s former girlfriend. In a post published on Weibo in November, Tang alleged she had helped raise 13 of Xu’s children in Japan, including two daughters she said were born naturally to the couple and 11 children born through surrogacy using donated sperm.

Tang alleged that Xu had “no fewer than 300 children.” 

Although Xu’s company rejected the figure of 300 children in a statement posted online, Xu has publicly referred to himself as “China’s No. 1 Dad.”

Verified social media accounts linked to Xu show repeated statements about his desire to build what he called a large “family dynasty.” In posts dating back several years, Xu wrote that “having more children can solve all problems” and said he hoped to have “50 high-quality sons.” 

Others Linked to US Surrogacy

Xu’s case is not isolated. According to Chinese state-controlled media reports, other wealthy Chinese individuals have also reportedly used surrogacy services in the United States to produce large families.

According to state-controlled The Time Weekly, one former executive of XJ International Holdings paid large sums to obtain eggs from American models and musicians and used surrogacy to have 10 daughters. The supposed goal was to groom the children for future marriages into powerful or influential families around the world. Online discussion of the case briefly surfaced in China in 2021 before being quickly censored. Chinese media said that the executive’s father declined to comment on the matter, while the company’s staff disputed the claim and said it was a mere “rumor.”

Some senior Chinese officials have also been linked to overseas surrogacy. In 2023, the Financial Times, citing six anonymous sources familiar with the matter, reported that former Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang had an extramarital relationship with a Chinese state-owned Phoenix Television host and that they had a son born in the United States via surrogacy. Qin was later removed from office amid unrelated political turmoil.

The U.S. surrogacy industry has developed into a full-service ecosystem involving agencies, law firms, fertility clinics, and childcare providers. Some foreign clients are able to complete the process by only providing genetic material and never entering the United States.

A single surrogacy arrangement could cost anywhere from $100,000 to $250,000, according to American Surrogacy.

Most states do not prohibit foreign nationals from using surrogacy services, and many court proceedings related to parental rights are sealed. There is also no comprehensive mechanism for sharing surrogacy-related data across states, creating regulatory blind spots.

Lin Yan contributed to this report. 

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 18:40

Mamdani Picks DEI Poster Child To Head FDNY

New York City’s incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has named retired EMS chief Lillian Bonsignore to run the FDNY, and the pick has generated some legitimate skepticism from those who believe that she wasn’t picked for her qualifications. The appointment makes Bonsignore only the second woman to serve as fire commissioner and the first openly gay person to hold the position. But critics zeroed in on a far more consequential fact: she has never served as a firefighter.

New FDNY Captain (center) via FDNY

While it’s true that Bonsignore spent 31 years with the FDNY, all of it was on the emergency medical services side. She joined as an EMT in 1991 at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx and climbed through the ranks, eventually running EMS operations during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2022. She retired in 2022 and will now return to oversee 11,000 firefighters, 4,500 EMTs, and more than 2,000 civilian employees.

"I am honored, so honored, and humbled to stand before you as the new fire commissioner," she told reporters. "I know the job. I know what the firefighters need, and I can translate that to this administration who's willing to listen. I know what EMS needs, I've been EMS for 30 plus years.”

But even Bonsignore isn’t oblivious to the identity politics at play. She also highlighted the symbolic value of her appointment for the LGBTQ community. 

"There are some young LGBTQ members that maybe don't see this as a possibility for them, and I want them to know that there's nothing that can stop them from finding success," she said. 

That remark drew swift criticism from those who view the appointment as driven by Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) priorities rather than actual firefighting credentials for someone picked to lead one of the world's largest fire departments.

Mamdani presented Bonsignore's appointment as a component of his larger plan for public safety. He insists that reducing response times, enhancing hospital coordination, increasing e-bike charging stations to prevent lithium-ion battery fires, and addressing EMT pay parity are among Bonsignore's top priorities.

"I am dedicated to the fostering of a culture of support, innovation, and continuous improvement within the department," Bonsignore said. "My goal is to ensure that every member has the resources and environment they need to perform their roles safely and effectively.”

Despite Mamdani’s claim that the appointment of Bonsignore is part of his safety agenda, Elon Musk blasted the appointment.

“People will die because of this,” Musk wrote Friday. “Proven experience matters when lives are at stake.”

He is not wrong, and the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year proved how a city’s obsession with DEI and politics can cripple a Fire Department’s readiness when it matters most. 

Instead of making sure the department was adequately staffed, trained, and equipped, LAFD leadership and Mayor Bass's administration had used their political capital on image, ideology, and diversity box-checking while residents faced "life-threatening" wind and fire conditions. 

Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, the first openly gay and female leader of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), spent her tenure more focused on DEI initiatives than readiness or preparedness. In fact, on her watch, the LAFD spent millions to create a DEI bureau that developed programs to recruit more women and LGBTQ+ firefighters.

The result was an ill-prepared force that could not fully mobilize when the January fires hit, even though internal documents showed the department had the capacity to send hundreds of firefighters and additional engines into high‑risk corridors. In fact, former fire chiefs argued that long‑standing wildfire tactics could have significantly reduced the damage.

Los Angeles offered a cautionary tale to all of us, and New York, under Zohran Mamdani’s leadership, clearly didn’t learn the lesson. When DEI takes precedence over experience and competence, public safety suffers. Los Angeles paid a colossal price to learn that lesson.

The troubling question now is whether New York City is heading down the same path. Hopefully, it won’t take a disaster like the Palisades fire to answer that question.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 18:05

Coinbase CEO Says Reopening GENIUS Act Is 'Red Line', Slams Bank Lobbying

Authored by Amin Haqshanas via CoinTelegraph.com,

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said any attempt to reopen the GENIUS Act would cross a “red line,” accusing banks of using political pressure to block competition from stablecoins and fintech platforms.

In a Sunday post on X, Armstrong said he was “impressed” banks could lobby Congress so openly without backlash, adding that Coinbase would continue pushing back on efforts to revise the law.

“We won’t let anyone reopen GENIUS,” he wrote.

“My prediction is the banks will actually flip and be lobbying FOR the ability to pay interest and yield on stablecoins in a few years, once they realize how big the opportunity is for them. So it’s 100% wasted effort on their part (in addition to being unethical),” Armstrong added.

The GENIUS Act, passed after months of negotiations, bars stablecoin issuers from paying interest directly but allows platforms and third parties to offer rewards.

Coinbase CEO warning against reopening the GENIUS Act. Source: Brian Armstrong

Bank lobbying targets stablecoin “rewards”

Armstrong’s comments came in response to a post by Max Avery, a board member and business development executive at Digital Ascension Group, who outlined why parts of the banking sector are pushing lawmakers to revisit the legislation.

Avery argued that proposed amendments would go beyond banning direct interest payments by stablecoin issuers and instead restrict “rewards” more broadly, cutting off indirect yield-sharing mechanisms offered by platforms and third parties.

Avery pointed out that while banks currently earn around 4% on reserves parked at the Federal Reserve, consumers often receive close to zero on traditional savings accounts. Stablecoin platforms, he said, threaten that model by offering to share some of that yield with users.

“They're calling it a ‘safety concern.’ They're worried about ‘community bank deposits,’” he wrote, adding that independent research “shows zero evidence of disproportionate deposit outflows from community banks.”

US lawmakers propose tax relief for stablecoin payments

Last week, US lawmakers unveiled a discussion draft aimed at reducing the tax burden on everyday crypto users by exempting small stablecoin transactions from capital gains taxes. The proposal, introduced by Representatives Max Miller and Steven Horsford, would allow payments of up to $200 in regulated, dollar-pegged stablecoins to avoid gain or loss recognition.

Beyond payments, the bill targets taxation issues around staking and mining by allowing taxpayers to defer income recognition on rewards for up to five years.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 17:30

Does It Get Any More Cringe Than This?

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

Just when you thought Gavin Newsom couldn’t get any more cringe, he drops a video with his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom wishing Californians a “joyful Kwanzaa” – a made-up holiday that’s about as authentic as his political posturing.

In the awkward clip posted to his official X account, Newsom and his wife deliver a rehearsed message stating “As families come together to light the kinara, we wish you all a joyful Kwanzaa.”

Newsom further referenced “the seven principles of Kwanzaa, in particular community, purpose, and unity, guide our way toward a better future.”

As families come together to light the kinara, Jen and I wish all those celebrating a joyful Kwanzaa.

May the seven principles of Kwanzaa, in particular community, purpose, and unity, guide our way toward a better future.

Happy Kwanzaa, California! pic.twitter.com/317XOId1Ki

— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) December 27, 2025

Everything about this is focus-grouped and phony. It’s the kind of performative nonsense that turns stomachs and highlights how out-of-touch Democrat leaders remain, even after their electoral drubbing.

Who exactly is Newsom trying to impress here? The video is a blatant pander to an almost nonexistent crowd. The tiny sliver of ultra-woke activists who still cling to outdated identity politics? In reality, most Americans – including the vast majority of African Americans – don’t celebrate Kwanzaa, given that it is an artificial construct rather than a genuine tradition.

What the Hell Is Kwanzaa, Anyway? no, it isn’t some ancient African tradition passed down through generations. It was invented in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a black separatist and activist, in the wake of the Watts riots. Karenga, whose real name was Ronald McKinley Everett, created it as a non-Christian alternative to Christmas, drawing loosely from various African harvest festivals.

But here’s the kicker: Karenga was later convicted in 1971 of felony assault and false imprisonment for torturing two women in his organization. He served time in prison, yet his fabricated holiday lives on as a symbol of cultural separatism.

Basically the only people actually celebrating this are east coat white ultra woke ‘progressives’ attempting to tick every diversity checkbox possible as they virtue signal their way through life.

Newsom’s stunt reeks of desperation, especially as he eyes a 2028 presidential run. Under his watch, California grapples with skyrocketing homelessness, unchecked crime, and an exodus of residents fleeing his failed policies. Yet here he is, blathering about “unity” while his state fractures under open borders and economic mismanagement.

It’s peak ideological capture: Newsom is so ensnared by leftist dogma that he can’t resist alienating the mainstream. This from the guy who just last month urged his party to dial back the cultural extremism.

Instead of projecting normalcy, he’s amplifying fringe elements that repulse everyday voters. This disconnect only fuels the MAGA surge – Americans crave leaders who prioritise real issues like border security and economic freedom over contrived cultural gestures.

The backlash on X was swift and savage, with users calling out the pandering and fakery.

Reminder: Kwanzaa is a fake, subversive, degenerate “holiday” invented by a communist, pervert, and convicted criminal, Ronald McKinley Everett aka Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga.

In other words, it’s the perfect “holiday” for the American Left. https://t.co/P4bRze239Y

— William Wolfe ?? (@WilliamWolfe) December 26, 2025

A man who went to prison for kidnapping and assaulting women with extension cords made up your fake and gay holiday in the 60s.

— The Redheaded libertarian (@TRHLofficial) December 27, 2025

You shot your happy Kwanzaa video right after the Christmas take? ? Is anything genuine with you?https://t.co/NottKrM5OP

— Freedom 2 Fart (@Freedom2Fart) December 27, 2025

Aw, c’mon, the wife change out of the ‘colorful’ clothes.

Do they seem genuine to you? Or do they seem like the trope of the politician who lies professionally to get power?

— Peter de Vietien (@peterdevietien) December 27, 2025

Tell me…what’s your favorite Kwanzaa memory Gav? ?

— Kristen Mag (@kristenmag) December 27, 2025

Name the 7 principles without looking it up

— Casey Flores (@caseyjflores) December 27, 2025

Stuff like this is why Gavin Newsom will never be President.

— Jeremy Carl (@realJeremyCarl) December 27, 2025

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

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 16:20

JPMorgan Freezes Accounts Of Two Stablecoin Startups Over Sanctions Concerns: Report

Authored by Amin Haqshanas via CoinTelegraph.com,

JPMorgan Chase has reportedly frozen bank accounts linked to two venture-backed stablecoin startups after identifying exposure to sanctioned and high-risk jurisdictions.

The accounts belonged to BlindPay and Kontigo, two stablecoin startups backed by Y Combinator that primarily operate across Latin America, according to a report by The Information. Both companies accessed JPMorgan’s banking services through Checkbook, a digital payments firm that partners with large financial institutions.

Per the report, the freezes occurred after JPMorgan flagged business activity tied to Venezuela and other locations subject to US sanctions.

A spokesperson for JPMorgan reportedly said the decision was not driven by opposition to stablecoins themselves.

“This has nothing to do with stablecoin companies,” the spokesperson told The Information.

“We bank both stablecoin issuers and stablecoin-related businesses, and we recently took a stablecoin issuer public,” the spokesperson added.

Chargeback surge triggers JPMorgan account closures

Checkbook CEO PJ Gupta reportedly told The Information that BlindPay and Kontigo were among several firms linked to a surge in chargebacks that prompted the bank to close accounts.

According to Gupta, the spike was driven by rapid customer onboarding.

“They opened the floodgates and a bunch of people came in over the internet,” he said.

The account freezes come as JPMorgan and Checkbook deepen their partnership. In November 2024, the two companies announced that Checkbook would join the J.P. Morgan Payments Partner Network, enabling corporate clients to send digital checks. Checkbook also expanded its B2B payment offerings earlier in 2024, targeting sectors such as legal services, government and banking.

As Cointelegraph reported, cryptocurrencies are becoming a core part of the economy in Venezuela as citizens turn to digital assets to shield themselves from a collapsing currency and tighter government controls.

Cointelegraph reached out to JPMorgan for comment, but had not received a response by publication.

Winklevoss accuses JPMorgan of retaliating against Gemini over criticism

In July, Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss claimed JPMorgan Chase paused the crypto exchange’s re-onboarding process in response to his public criticism of the bank’s new data access policy.

Winklevoss accused the bank of engaging in anti-competitive behavior that could damage fintech and crypto firms.

Meanwhile, JPMorgan is weighing plans to offer crypto trading, including spot and derivatives products, to its institutional clients as interest grows amid a more favorable US regulatory environment.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 15:10

Chevrolet's Pro-Family Christmas Ad Reinforces Death Of Woke Marketing

Chevrolet's new pro-family, long-form Christmas advertisement clearly reinforces that the Overton Window has shifted back toward what made America - and much of the Western world - strong in the first place: the family unit.

Credit goes to the executives at the US automaker for avoiding the kind of self-inflicted "Bud Light" moment that comes with pushing woke propaganda in the era of 'America First.' Fresh in many minds is how Jaguar ruined its brand by embracing tasteless, toxic identity politics.

"Chevrolet has outdone themselves once again with their new profoundly emotional, pro-family Christmas commercial. Chills from beginning to end. This is what it's all about. Be ready to cry," Benny Johnson wrote on X.

Chevrolet has outdone themselves once again with their new profoundly emotional, pro-family Christmas commercial.

Chills from beginning to end.

This is what it’s all about. Be ready to cry. pic.twitter.com/SMF7mNpVrU

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 28, 2025

"The message is simple. No, raising children is never easy. It's loud. It's messy. It's expensive. It can be frustrating. But in the end, we wouldn't have it any other way. Children are life's greatest gift. Treasure every moment!" another X user said.

The message is simple.

No, raising children is never easy.

It's loud.
It's messy.
It's expensive.
It can be frustrating.

But in the end, we wouldn't have it any other way.

Children are life's greatest gift.

Treasure every moment!

— Kevin | Large Fam Dad (@LargeFamDad) November 28, 2025

The Democratic Party's nation-killing woke agenda has run its course and is no longer marketable. You might have noticed this holiday week that more and more people are continuing to break out of the left-wing censorship matrix and are saying "Merry Christmas" more than ever.

Nature is healing. Family is everything. Those seeking to undermine America from within, including left-wing dark-money funded nonprofits and the Democratic Party, are intent on destroying the family unit. At the same time, there are signs of a Christian revival as the nation reconnects with its roots.

Late last year, Volvo produced a pro-family ad by Hoyte van Hoytema, the cinematographer of Interstellar and Oppenheimer, that sent chills from beginning to end.

Volvo posted a 3 min and 46 second ad on Instagram, shot by Hoyte Van Hoytema, the cinematographer of Interstellar and Oppenheimer.

It goes against every single rule you can think about as a social lead. Length. Format. Over-produced.

Every comment under the ad said it… pic.twitter.com/wkmghuP4ye

— Guillaume Huin (@HuinGuillaume) November 21, 2024

America needs more pro-family adverts.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/27/2025 - 14:35

At the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter this week:

Click on graph for larger image.

• Fannie Mae Multi-Family Delinquency Rate Almost to Housing Bust High

• Question #8 for 2026: How much will Residential investment change in 2026? How about housing starts and new home sales in 2026?

• Question #9 for 2026: What will happen with house prices in 2026?

• Question #10 for 2026: Will inventory increase further in 2026?

• Final Look at Housing Markets in November and a Look Ahead to December Sales

This is usually published 4 to 6 times a week and provides more in-depth analysis of the housing market.