Video Games Have Become Rife With DEI And Some Fans Aren’t Buying It

Authored by Stacy Robinson via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

BioWare, developer of the wildly popular Mass Effect and Dragon Age video game series, is at the center of a new battle.

Following the failed launch of two costly triple-A titles, the studio was banking on a win. Its latest offering is the fourth title in the Dragon Age series; the last was released 10 years ago.

Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock

Initial reactions to trailers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard were decidedly negative. Longtime fans of the series criticized the softer, stylized art of the new game, comparing it to a Disney-Pixar movie.

But after BioWare invited a group of streamers and critics to a private, hands-on demo of the game, hope was rekindled. Those who had experienced Veilguard firsthand were generally positive, and encouraged fans of the series to wait for the full release.

Days before its release, clips of Veilguard were leaked, revealing that the game was rife with transgender ideology and messaging based on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

One scene showed a character doing pushups as penance for forgetting to use “they/them” pronouns, and then lecturing about how a simple apology was not enough for the crime of “misgendering.”

Another scene, in a high fantasy setting with dragons and elves, showed a character revealing to her parents that she identified as nonbinary.

The game’s character customization system does not allow for the creation of curvy female characters but it does allow players to add mastectomy scars.

Laura Kate Dale, “queer representation critic and consultant” and author of “Gender Euphoria,” posted on social media platform X about having worked on the project.

Corinne Busche, Veilguard’s game director, is also transgender. Busche told co-workers that the goal for the Dragon Age team at BioWare is to use games to create a safe space for the LGBT community.

“It’s such a rare thing for marginalized communities to have representation where we feel proud and powerful in how we are depicted. It’s so deeply meaningful for so many,” Busche said in a developer interview on BioWare’s website.

While it is true that previous Dragon Age titles featured LGBT characters—and allowed players to romance same sex characters in-game—Veilguard’s approach seems to have struck a different chord this time.

Visitors play the Dragon Age video game by American video game company, Electronic Arts, during a preview of the Paris Games Week on Oct. 22, 2024. Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images Critics’ Reviews

While some fans were still scratching their heads at the leaked clips, early critic reviews for Veilguard were mostly positive.

The game received the thumbs-up from Eurogamer, Game Rant, and GamingBible—all of whom awarded it a perfect 100 out of 100. Even Finger Guns, which gave it a lower-end score of 60, called it “a solid, albeit, unspectacular RPG experience.”

IGN—notorious for giving scores of seven—gave Veilguard a nine out of 10. [ZH: lol]

That review was received differently when it was revealed the critic identifies as transgender; IGN released an alternate, less positive review shortly thereafter.

Some critics were more tepid in their response.

Games journalist Skillup gave the game a “cannot recommend” evaluation. He didn’t mention the progressive content and instead referred to the game’s “silly and childish” tone, and lack of narrative subtlety.

“This game cannot surface any ideas without just saying them aloud,” he said.

“Every interaction sounds like HR is in the room.”

He—and others—also criticized the “hollow and repetitive” gameplay loop. “Zero variety in mission design,” he noted. He said he eventually lowered the game’s difficulty settings, just so he could rush through it more quickly.

The disparity between professional critic reviews and those by consumers is stark: Metacritic shows the game’s audience score is 3.8 out of 10 for Playstation users; the score for PC users is 2.5.

Video game enthusiasts play the latest released games at the Eurogamer Expo in London on Sept. 26, 2013. Oli Scarff/Getty Images Costly Business

Triple-A game development is a risky, expensive business. Games can cost hundreds of millions and take years to develop; one failure may drive a studio out of business.

Official sales numbers for Veilguard have not been released—a common practice unless a game does very well—but speculation abounds. It is unlikely the real numbers will be known before EA’s earnings call in February

One way of gauging sales is to look at the number of concurrent players on STEAM, the world’s largest digital PC video game marketplace. Veilguard reached a maximum of just over 89,000 players on Nov. 3.

By comparison, Farming Simulator 25 peaked at more than 135,000 concurrent players.

Veilguard is reported to have sold more than a million copies—not a great result for a triple-A title that may have cost between $80 million and $200 million to develop.

By contrast, Game Science’s recent release Black Myth: Wukong sold 18 million copies within its first two weeks.

And while Veilguard was given positive reviews by gaming media, Wukong’s development team was accused of sexism, fat-shaming, and homophobia just ahead of the release.

Read the rest here...

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 19:50

Saudi 2034 Selection Raises Eyebrows As Global Footprint Of FIFA World Cup Grows

As expected, FIFA confirmed this week that Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup.

In addition, in view of the centenary of the first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930, there will also be a ceremony in the country's capital Montevideo, as well as three opening matches being played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

The 2030 World Cup will therefore have an unprecedented format, as it will be held in six countries and on three continents (Africa, Europe and South America). Until now, the World Cup has never been held in more than two countries or on different continents. In 2002, South Korea and Japan held it jointly, while in 2026 it will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Despite FIFA president Gianni Infantino hailing how "In a divided world, FIFA and football are coming together," the plans have come in for some initial harsh criticism - mainly for the effect the geographical spread will have on the tournament's carbon footprint.

Concerns have also been raised that, due to a change in hemispheres, some teams will end up having to play the competition in two different meteorological seasons.

As Statista's Felix Richter shows in the infographic below, since 1930, the FIFA Men's World Cup has been held every four years, with only two interruptions caused by the Second World War, in 1942 and 1946.

You will find more infographics at Statista

The 2034 World Cup will be hosted by Saudi Arabia, a decision that drew its fair share of criticism as well.

By making sure that only federations from Asia and Oceania could bid for the 2034 World Cup and setting a deadline too tight to meet for other applicants, FIFA effectively fast-tracked Saudi Arabia’s hosting ambitions, shortly before announcing a multi-year global partnership with Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant.

In its official “Bid Evaluation Report”, FIFA largely swatted human rights concerns aside, giving the Saudi bid an overall score of 4.2 out of 5 – the highest score ever awarded.

According to the report, the inclusion of human rights within the criteria for evaluating bids is “about making decisions based on evidence of how effectively bidders intend to address human rights risks connected with a tournament. It is not about peremptorily excluding countries based on their general human rights context”.

Reacting to the report, Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport, said:

“As expected, FIFA’s evaluation of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid is an astonishing whitewash of the country’s atrocious human rights record. There are no meaningful commitments that will prevent workers from being exploited, residents from being evicted or activists from being arrested.”

As Statista's chart shows, Saudi Arabia’s “general human rights context” is in fact sub-optimal, as the country routinely ranks near the bottom of international indices on governance and human rights.

You will find more infographics at Statista

So, evidently, the same sport that pride-fully pushes a strong LGBTQ+ agenda seems more than willing to put all that aside when it comes to money, giving World Cups to the explicitly homophobic sharia law theo-monarchy of Saudi Arabia.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 19:15

'Gladiator II' Is A MAGA Metaphor

Authored by Richard Porter via RealClearPolitics,

Hollywood sequels rarely achieve the magic of the original, but “Gladiator II” comes close.  Except for the familiar populist framework of a lone man taking on “the system” against all odds, the echoes to the original are sufficiently distant that the new movie feels fresh and original. 

Plus, it turns out that Ridley Scott’s blockbuster is a timely, if unwitting, metaphor for Donald Trump’s own sequel, which is off to a better start than his original. This time he won the popular vote and his transition is smoother, most recently featuring Trump’s triumphant trip to Paris, Kash Patel’s appointment to lead the FBI, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s obeisant visit to Mar-a-Lago.  

This is what Trump’s “revenge” looks like. Compared to a Gladiator-inspired populist revolt, it’s both genteel and more satisfying: What red-blooded American viewer doesn’t enjoy seeing Trump arm-wrestling with Macron again and making a nanny-state bully like Trudeau heel, or seeing him appoint bold populists like Patel, Bobby Kennedy Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard to lead, and turn upside down, politicized government agencies that sought to do him in?

Ancient Rome has always been both an inspiration and a cautionary tale for America’s leaders. George Washington modeled on Cincinnatus by relinquishing his military power to enhance civilian government, and he frequently quoted the Roman senator Cato, who sacrificed his life in support of the Roman Republic. The Founders chose an eagle as our national symbol – the symbol of the Roman god Jupiter used to represent Roman power. Both John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams idolized the Roman orator Cicero. More ominously, Abraham Lincoln’s stage-actor assassin John Wilkes Booth played the role of Mark Antony in an 1864 New York City performance of “Julius Caesar,” with his brother Edwin playing Brutus. And as he leapt from the president’s box in Ford’s Theater, Booth shouted “Sic semper tyrannis,” the words attributed to Brutus as he killed Ceasar.

Over the course of our nation’s history, comparisons between the United States and ancient Rome have focused on the fall of the latter as a caution for the former. The comparisons range from financial mismanagement to far-flung and over-extended military commitments.

So, Roman lessons for the U.S. are nothing new. Ridley Scott, who produced and directed “Gladiator II,” drew parallels between his movie and contemporary American politics in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, but – this is fun! – he’s spectacularly wrong about both. 

Scott told the Hollywood Reporter that he modeled the heavy in Gladiator II – a creepy, Machiavellian opportunist whom Denzel Washington brings to life – on Donald Trump. “He evolved into a very rich merchant selling shit to the Roman armies – food, oil, wine, cloth, weapons, everything,” Scott said. “He maybe had a million men spread around Europe. So he was a billionaire at the time, so why wouldn’t he [have ambitions toward the throne]? ‘Why not me?’ He’s also a gangster – very close to Trump. A clever gangster. He creates chaos and from chaos he can evolve.”

Is anyone surprised that a Hollywood liberal misses the point about Trump in his own movie? Ridley Scott has it precisely backwards: The Trump parallel is not the scheming creature of the Roman political swamp, but the hero, a prince who would not bow to those who sought to crush and kill him. It’s Trump’s rivals, scheming, duplicitous power seekers seeking to whip up hate, who are whispering in the ear of a non-compos mentis leader.

And what ultimately drove the young prince to become the populist leader of Rome? As he approaches the inevitable climatic death match, the Gladiator himself reprises the core idea from the first film: “The dream that was Rome.” It’s a fragile dream of a Republic that will only be achieved by taking back power from corrupt, weak leaders and scheming politicians.

The gladiator’s speech about Rome applies to contemporary America. It’s about recapturing the American Dream and refreshing government of, by, and for the forgotten people – instead of the powerful – the very ideas that bring cheers to a Trump rally.

With that in mind, consider the words ascribed to Marcus Aurelius – words that the film’s hero and villain both quote: “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury” or “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.”

Trump’s many enemies, the folks whipping up fear that he will use government power to go after political enemies as the Democrats did to him, misunderstand MAGA “revenge,” as Trump made clear again during his long Sunday interview with Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.” Government institutions that have been infused with politics and corrupted away from their purpose are not reformed by changing the politics, but by purging the politics. 

Trump’s revenge is to be different, to empower allies to reveal and reform corruption, and to reduce the power of government over the people instead of expanding it.

Nothing will crush his haters more than being a great president. “I’m really looking to make our country successful,” Trump told Kristen Welker. “I’m not looking to go back into the past. I’m looking to make our country successful. Retribution will be through success. If we can make our success â?? this country successful, that would be my greatest, that would be such a great achievement. Bring it back.”

Trump’s 2024 victory against all the forces arrayed against him is just the opening act of his sequel. Now the fun really begins. Someday, Hollywood will understand what most Americans already see: Donald Trump is a gladiator for the dream that is America.

Richard Porter is a lawyer in Chicago and a former policy advisor to President George H.W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 18:40

Natural Gas - Not Nuclear - Is the Key To Powering North America's Future

Authored by Gwyn Morgan via The Epoch Times,

After decades on the outs with environmentalists and regulators, nuclear power is being heralded as a key component for a “net zero” future of clean, reliable energy. Its promise is likely to fall short, however, due to some hard realities.

As North America grapples with the challenge of providing secure, affordable, and sustainable energy amidst soaring electricity demand, it is time to accept this fact: Natural gas remains the most practical solution for powering our grid and economy.

Nuclear power’s limitations are rooted in its costs, risks, and delays. Even under ideal circumstances, building or restarting a nuclear facility is arduous. Consider Microsoft’s much-publicized plan to restart the long-dormant Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. This project is lauded as proof of an incipient “nuclear revival,” but despite leveraging existing infrastructure it will cost US$1.6 billion and take four years to bring online.

This is not a unique case. Across North America, nuclear energy projects face monumental lead times. The new generation of small modular reactors (SMRs), often touted as a game-changer, is still largely theoretical. In Canada—Alberta in particular—discussions around SMRs have been ongoing for years, with no concrete progress. The most optimistic projections estimate the first SMR in Western Canada might be operational by 2034.

The reality is that nuclear energy cannot scale quickly enough to meet urgent electricity needs. Canada’s power grid is already strained, and electricity demand is set to grow significantly, driven by electric vehicles and enormous data centres for AI applications. Nuclear power, even if expanded aggressively, cannot fill the gap within the necessary time frames.

Natural gas, by contrast, is abundant, flexible, low-risk—and highly affordable. It accounts for 40 percent of U.S. electricity generation and plays a critical role in Canada’s energy mix. Unlike nuclear, natural gas infrastructure can be built rapidly, ensuring that new capacity comes online when it’s needed—not decades later. Gas-fired plants are cost-effective and capable of providing consistent, large-scale power while being capable of rapid starts and shut-downs, making them suitable for meeting both base-load and “peaking” power demands.

Climate-related concerns surrounding natural gas need to be put in perspective. Natural gas is the lowest-emission fossil fuel and produces less than half the carbon dioxide of coal per unit of energy output. It is also highly adaptable, supporting renewable energy integration by compensating for the intermittency of wind and solar power.

Nuclear energy advocates frequently highlight its zero-emission credentials, yet they overlook its immense challenges, not just the front-end problems of high cost and long lead times, but ongoing waste disposal and future decommissioning.

Natural gas, by comparison, presents fewer risks. Its production and distribution systems are well-established, and North America is uniquely positioned to benefit from the vast reserves underlying all three countries on the continent. Despite low prices and ever-increasing regulatory obstacles, Canada’s natural gas production has been setting new records. Streamlining regulatory processes and expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity would help revive Canada’s battered economy, with plenty of natural gas left over to help meet growing domestic electricity needs.

Critics argue that investing in natural gas is at odds with the “energy transition” to a glorious net zero future, but this oversimplifies the related challenges and ignores hard realities. By reducing reliance on dirtier fuels like coal, natural gas can help lower a country’s greenhouse gas emissions while providing the reliability needed to support economic growth and renewable energy integration.

Europe’s energy crisis following the recent reduction of Russian gas imports underscores natural gas’s vital role in maintaining reliable electricity supplies. As nations like Germany still phase out nuclear power due to the sheer blind ideology of their left-wing parties, they’re growing more dependent on natural gas to keep the lights (mostly) on and the factories (partially) humming.

Europe is already a destination for LNG exported from the U.S. Gulf Coast, and American LNG exports will soon resume growth under the incoming Trump administration. Canada has the resources and know-how to similarly scale up its LNG exports; all we need is a supportive federal government.

For all its theoretical benefits, nuclear power remains impractical for meeting immediate and medium-term energy demands. Its high costs, lengthy timelines, and significant remaining public opposition make it unlikely to serve as North America’s energy backbone.

Natural gas, on the other hand, is affordable, scalable, and reliable. It is the fuel that powers industries, keeps homes warm and provides the stability our electricity grid needs—whether or not we ever transition to “net zero.” By prioritizing investment in natural gas infrastructure and expanding its use, we can meet today’s energy challenges head-on while laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s innovations.

*  *  *

The original, full-length version of this article was recently published in C2C Journal.

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, 12/14/2024 - 16:20

We Are Not Looking For A Fight With Israel: HTS Leader Jolani 

Israel has already conducted at least 300 major strikes on Syria since Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took over Damascus and much of the country, with President Assad having fled to Moscow, where's he's been given asylum.

Israeli warplanes have been able to launch attacks with impunity, having decimated airbases, missile storehouses, and even chemical weapons facilities. Israel has finally degraded and destroyed what was once among the most feared anti-air defense system and network in the region (which is why previously Israeli warplanes only launched attacks on Syria from over Lebanese airspace). 

Throughout this past week, HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (who is now reverting to his birth name of Ahmad al-Sharaa) remained noticeably silent on the non-stop Israeli attacks which have kept all of Damascus awake at night and involved low flying Israeli warplanes.

AFP/Getty Images

But on Saturday Jolani is seeking to give Israel 'assurances' - also as IDF tanks and troops have crossed into Syria and have expanded occupation of more parts of the south. He said his new government has "no intention of confronting Israel."

"We are not looking to engage in a conflict with Israel and cannot bear such a battle," Jolani continued, and further pointed out he's not looking for war with Iran either.

He signaled intent for "no hostilities with the Iranian people" but also called Assad's ouster "a victory over the dangerous Iranian project in the region."

He said Syrian state "should not be governed with a revolutionary mindset, and we need laws and institutions [to this end]" - as he pledges to bring stability and has said he won't let his forces embark on revenge killings.

There have been reports of Sunni Islamist militants targeting Alawite villages in the Latakia or possibly central Syrian countryside, but thus far no evidence of attacks on ethno-religions minorities in Damascus or major cities have emerged.

The Druze community, which is an Islamic offshoot in the south and considered heretical by hardline Sunnis, is deeply fearful and some tribes near Golan are actually seeking Israeli production. The Druze leadership doesn't trust the jihadists of HTS and are actually petitioning Israel to annex their villages:

In a video posted to X on Friday that features captions in English, a Hader resident claiming to be a representative of the Druze people, an esoteric ethnoreligious group, urged a large crowd to consider what their future will be like. The village is located within the buffer zone between Israel and Syria, which IDF troops entered last week.

“If we have to choose, we will choose the lesser evil,” he said. “And even if it’s considered evil to ask to be annexed to the [Israeli] Golan, it’s a much lesser evil than the evil coming our way,” the man added, apparently referring to the HTS, which was formerly known as the Al Nusra front - an offshoot of Al Qaeda in Syria.

BREAKING: The Druze leader of al-Suwayda in southwestern Syria issued a statement for his village.

“We will not agree to live under the rule of the rebels, who are identical to ISIS, we want to live under Israeli rule and become part of Israel.”
pic.twitter.com/x5y1IqSqrM

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) December 13, 2024

The man warned, clearly in reference to the armed jihadist factions now all over Syria: "That evil might take our women, might take our daughters, they might take our houses."

Israel has meanwhile signaled it plans to keep its military presence in southern Syria, and will maintain a forward operating base on the Syrian side of Mt. Hermon. 

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 15:45

"Watch Credit Spreads" For Crash Signals - Insights From Pento & Roberts On 2025 Positioning

Are markets headed for a cliff? Most analysts flipped bullish following the Trump win with promises of peace, lower taxes, and business-friendly regulation. But one strategist, Michael Pento, is calling for a major crash as severe as 50% off the S&P.

Friday night concluded another ZeroHedge live-premium debate with Pento, founder of Pento Portfolio Strategies, and Chief Investment Strategist at RIA Advisors Lance Roberts. 

Expertly moderated by Real Vision’s Ash Bennington, we’ve compiled key moments below but encourage all readers to listen to the full debate (linked at the bottom).

Credit Spreads Canary

Unlike the stock market, driven by sentiment and speculation, credit markets are "fundamentally based" on assessing inflation, credit risk, and returns — according to Roberts.

He points out that these spreads have historically served as a “good early warning indicator” of bear markets. Roberts concedes Pento’s thesis about the precarious state of the market and even admits, “we’re going to crash” (but strongly advises against all-cash and shorting, explained later).

“If there's anything you're going to watch to tell you a crash is going to come, watch credit spreads.”

pic.twitter.com/ND3KGlVihm

— ZeroHedge Debates (@zerohedgeDebate) December 14, 2024

Fed Is Finished

Pento argues that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to intervene aggressively in the event of another economic crash due to significant changes since pre-COVID conditions. He challenges the assumption that "the Fed's got your back" by pointing to current constraints that make a return to policies like zero interest rates (ZIRP) and quantitative easing (QE) less feasible.

Pento: “It's a little sophomoric to say, ‘well, the Feds got your back. Well, the Fed’s just going to print money.’” 

“Look at what happened in 2020. The Fed's balance sheet went from $4 trillion to $9 trillion from 2020 to 2022… the reason why the Fed is going to be loathe and reticent and reluctant to do that again, is because we had inflation in this country for the first time really since 1981. And if you measure inflation the way they did pre-Boskin in 1996, inflation was really about 20%.”

“Inflation has already wiped out the bottom four quintiles of the middle class.”

pic.twitter.com/lAQGGjMH19

— ZeroHedge Debates (@zerohedgeDebate) December 14, 2024

Even if the Fed tries to put up a fight, says Pento, there’s no guarantee that they can save markets. Japan has thrown the kitchen sink at its markets to levels well beyond the American central bank but to no avail:

“Japan has zero percent interest rates. The Bank of Japan owns every JGB that's ever issued. They own half of the ETF market, and their market is below where it was 35 years ago.”

pic.twitter.com/RM6Skuu0Mz

— ZeroHedge Debates (@zerohedgeDebate) December 14, 2024

Harmful Doomer Predictions 

Roberts blasts doomsday predictions for causing massive losses for retail investors, encouraging them to remain permanently out of markets while the S&P climbs to new highs. 

“If you’re going to say a crash is coming… it's got to have a specific timeframe.” 

He highlights the market’s resilience during events like the 2020 shutdown. “If there was ever a reason the market should be down 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, it should have been that event.” Though Roberts concedes that the federal government kept stocks afloat with stimulus checks, debt forgiveness, zero interest rates, and $120 billion in monthly quantitative easing.

Overall, he strongly discourages investors against crash predicting because current conditions, fueled by liquidity and support, may sustain the rally longer than expected. “They might be surprised how long this can last because of what’s still fueling the underlying market.”

pic.twitter.com/EvzvoUZNDh

— ZeroHedge Debates (@zerohedgeDebate) December 14, 2024

To hear Pento’s entire case for the 50% crash and his full discussion with Roberts that went for over an hour, you must sign up for the ZeroHedge Premium or Professional tiers. Pro subs additionally gain access to institutional research from the major banks to help you gain an edge when trading. Also tune in this Tuesday evening for a debate between Jonathan Turley and GW Professor Dave Karpf on free speech and Elon’s acquisition of Twitter, moderated by Gene Epstein of the SoHo Forum.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 14:35

"We're Kinda Worried..." - Judicial Watch Helps Unearth 911 Call Made By Trump Shooter's Dad

Authored by Ken Silva via Headline USA,

Thanks to the help of the non-profit transparency group Judicial Watch, Headline USA has obtained a recording of the 911 call Thomas Crooks’s father made on the day his son allegedly tried assassinating Donald Trump during his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Allegheny County—where Crooks lived with his parents, Matthew and Mary Crooks—provided the call to Headline USA on Friday after a four-month legal process.

The call lasts roughly 2 minutes before abruptly ending. Matthew Crooks initially called Allegheny County 911 dispatch, which transferred him to the Bethel Park Police Department.

Headline USA · crooks-911-call-headlineusa

“Hi, yes. Uh, my name is Matthew Crooks. I was calling in regards to my son, Thomas. Uh, he belongs to the Clairton Sportsman Club in Clairton, and I don’t have the number for Jefferson Police on hand. The reason I’m calling is he left the house here at about a quarter to two this afternoon, and we’ve gotten no contact from him, no text messages, nothing’s been returned, and he’s not home yet,” Matthew said.

“That’s totally not like him. So we’re kind of worried, not really sure what we should do.”

The recording ended after Matthew confirmed his son was 20 years old. Headline USA is filing an appeal in an attempt to obtain the rest of the recording—if it exists.

Obtaining the 2-minute recording was a lengthy process in the first place.

After requesting the call on Aug. 12, Bethel Park Police denied disclosure nine days later— citing Section 708(b)(18) of the RTKL, which exempts 911 recordings from public disclosure.

However, the exact same RTKL paragraph cited by Bethel Police also states that law enforcement can release 911 recordings that are in the public interest.

Headline USA appealed accordingly, but an appeals officer ruled that he didn’t have the power to force disclosure. Only a police department or a court has the power to force disclosure of 911 calls, the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records ruled in October. The Office of Open Records made a similar ruling that same month in an appeal filed by NBC News, which also sought the call.

That’s where Judicial Watch came in. The non-profit watchdog agreed to take on this publication’s case, filing a lawsuit in late October in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas to force Bethel Park Police to disclose the 911 call.

“Disclosing the 911 recording would further aid the public’s interest in completing a timeline of events surrounding the attempted assignation of President Trump on July 13, 2024,” attorney J. Chadwick Schnee argued on behalf of Judicial Watch and Headline USA—asking the court to reverse the appeal office’s decision and to deem the 911 recording to be in the public interest.

Unfortunately, I couldn't obtain the 911 phone call

BUT THE MAN WITH THE LARGEST ARMS IN WASHINGTON DC COULD!!!!@JudicialWatch @TomFitton https://t.co/R3nNBbbG19 https://t.co/O7HNRm2543 pic.twitter.com/jPS7krVSIH

— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) December 13, 2024

However, a judge never had the chance to rule on Judicial Watch’s lawsuit. Last week, ABC News published a story about the call, reporting that it obtained the 911 call via a Right to Know Law request—the same method by which both Headline USA and NBC had requested it. Though Headline USA’s request was with Bethel Park Police, NBC had tried obtaining the recording via Allegheny County—and the county fought NBC all the way to appeal, and won.

It’s not clear why Allegheny County disclosed the call to ABC after denying it to NBC—and successfully arguing in October that it wasn’t in the public interest. However, Allegheny County only disclosed the call after Judicial Watch filed its lawsuit.

ABC did reveal that the call was made at 10:56 p.m., which settles conflicting reports of whether the father called before or after his son shot at Trump at 6:11 p.m.—grazing Trump’s ear, killing a firefighter, and seriously wounding two others before dying from law enforcement’s return fire.

The timing of the call wasn’t included in the response Headline USA received.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 14:00

Fury Erupts As Biden Commutes Sentence Of Infamous 'Kids-For-Cash' Judge

Earlier this week, President Biden broke the record for the largest one-day act of clemency, dishing out 39 pardons and commuting 1,499 sentences. Now, as journalists and citizens begin sifting through that massive pile, some troubling discoveries are coming to light -- perhaps none more disturbing than Biden's commutation of a sentence given to a Pennsylvania judge convicted of railroading children to prison in exchange for $2.1 million in kickbacks from the private prison's operator to himself and Judge Mark Ciaverella.    

In a truly sinister scandal that came to be known by the nickname "Kids-for-Cash," Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan pled guilty to racketeering charges and was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison. By some estimates, the scheme affected more than 2,500 juveniles. In many cases, the minors were provided no defense counsel, and the crooked judges creatively applied laws in order to lengthen sentences. In a case handled by Ciaverella, a 15-year-old girl who created a MySpace page to mock her school's assistant principal had a 90-second, no-lawyer trial, and was sentenced to three months in confinement.

Former Luzerne County PA Judge Michael Conahan pleaded guilty to handing out lengthy juvenile sentences in return for millions of dollars in kickbacks  (via The Citizen's Voice) 

Sandy Fonzo is among those who are outraged by Biden's commutation of Conahan's sentence. Her son, a star wrestler with college scholarship prospects, was sentenced to confinement for his senior year on a minor drug paraphernalia charge. He emerged depressed and angry, and would late commit suicide. “I am shocked and I am hurt,” said Fonzo. "Conahan‘s actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son‘s death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power.”

Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was among those rushing to condemn Biden's move. “I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Shapiro at a Friday event -- held, believe it or not, on "Biden Street" -- in the president's first hometown, Scranton. "[Conahan] deserves to be behind bars, not walking as a free man.”

I grew up in the Scranton area. All you have to say is “Kids for Cash” and people will know the deep scar you’re referencing that was left on the area.

— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) December 13, 2024

Amid the uproar, a Biden administration official told Politico that the specifics of Conahan's situation weren't taken into account; instead, the commutations were dished out en masse to anyone who fit a general set of criteria. (Is that supposed to make it sound better?) As Politico explains, "those commutations were extended to people on Covid-related home confinement after federal authorities verified that their offenses were nonviolent and not a sex offense or terrorism related."

Joe “fuck them kids” Biden commuted Judge Michael “Kids For Cash” Conahan’s sentence. One of the worst presidents of my lifetime.

— That radical social work chick (@sandinistaoliva) December 13, 2024

Those sloppy parameters left plenty of room for serious evil-doers -- like Conahan and who knows how many else -- to be set free.  As GOP Pennsylvania state Sen. Lisa Baker asked, "Where does ruining the lives of vulnerable kids in order to enrich oneself warrant a presidential commutation?”

The firestorm comes two weeks after Biden issued a blanket pardon of his son Hunter for any federal crimes he "has committed or may have committed or participated in" between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 1, 2024. Coming after promises that he would not issue such a pardon, the move received condemnation from Republicans and Democrat alike, and an AP-NORC poll found only two out of ten Americans approve it. 

Kids for Cash is Biden's entire family model. https://t.co/0iHlkT3Uuw

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) December 13, 2024

“I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities," said Biden in a statement issued alongside last week's pardons and commutations.

There's a great, sickening irony in Biden shortening the sentence of a man who unjustly lengthened the sentences of others -- out of pure greed. 

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 13:25

Trump Appoints Former Fox Anchor Kari Lake To Lead Voice Of America

Authored by Melanie Sun via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

President-elect Donald Trump has named former Fox 10 Phoenix news anchor Kari Lake to lead the federally funded international broadcasting network Voice of America (VOA).

Kari Lake speaks at the Faith and Freedom Road to Majority conference at Hilton in Washington on June 24, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

“I am pleased to announce that Kari Lake will serve as our next Director of the Voice of America,” Trump said in a number of announcements for positions in his administration on Dec. 11.

“She will be appointed by, and work closely with, our next head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, who I will announce soon, to ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World fairly and accurately, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media.”

VOA was founded on Feb. 1, 1942, with a non-American audience in mind, to share the “policies of the United States clearly and effectively.” At the time, its goal was to combat Nazi propaganda.

Lake ran in both the 2024 U.S. Senate election and Arizona’s 2022 gubernatorial election, with her Democratic competitors named winners in both races.

“I am honored that President Trump has asked me to lead the Voice of America,” Lake said in a post on social media platform X shortly after being named.

“VOANews is a vital international media outlet dedicated to advancing the interests of the United States by engaging directly with people across the globe and promoting democracy and truth,” she said of the network that has an audience of 326 million people across 48 languages.

“Under my leadership, the VOA will excel in its mission: chronicling America’s achievements worldwide,” she said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Other Appointments

Also on the night of Dec. 11, Trump nominated Michael J. Rigas as deputy secretary of state for management and resources. The position requires confirmation by the Senate.

“Michael will bring accountability to the State Department as he did Government wide, when he served in my First Term as the Deputy and Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management, and the Acting Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget,” Trump said of the Harvard alumnus.

“Mike is a conservative warrior who knows how Government works, and will help Make America Great Again!”

Trump also named Daniel J. Newlin as his administration’s ambassador to Colombia.

An entrepreneur and former lawman, Newlin dedicated a 28-year career to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando, where he investigated major crimes, including armed robbery, gang violence, human trafficking, and illegal gun and narcotics trafficking.

“With his Law Enforcement expertise enabling him to navigate complex international issues, and his business insights fostering economic partnerships, Newlin stands as a powerful advocate for U.S. interests, and a Champion for strengthening ties, and making a difference in the World. Dan will do a great job!” Trump said.

The president-elect also named philanthropist and physician Dr. Peter Lamelas as ambassador to Argentina and Leandro Rizzuto Jr., as ambassador to the Organization of American States.

Lamelas, a refugee from communist Cuba, is known for creating the largest urgent care health care company in Florida. He was previously chosen by Trump to serve on the Department of Justice’s Medal of Valor Review Board to recognize first responders.

Rizzuto, son of chairman and co-founder of the Conair Corporation Leandro Rizzuto, formerly served as U.S. consul general to Bermuda in the first Trump administration.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 12:50

NJ Drone 'Invasion' Just In Time For Congress To Reauthorize Orwellian Law

A series of drone sightings over New Jersey that began in mid-November has left residents and lawmakers spooked about the possibility of foreign adversaries breaching US airspace with drone swarms. While officials have attempted to reassure the public, some lawmakers have stoked fear, leading to widespread panic on social media, with people interpreting anything moving in the night sky as a potential drone (even commercial jets and stars). 

Source: Fox News

Days ago, the FBI and the US Homeland Security Department released a statement indicating, "We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus." 

"Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft," the federal agencies said. 

White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said many of the purported drone sightings are commercial jets with no evidence of a national security or public safety threat. 

If actual 'truck-sized' drones (some say Iranian origin) were flying in some of the world's most restricted airspace, let's use common sense—the Pentagon would have scrambled F-22s and F-35s on the East Coast almost immediately. Since that hasn't happened (as far as we know), we can't help but be suspicious about the whole drone situation. Additionally, no private satellite data shows that Iranian drone carriers are parked off the coast; in fact, these vessels are located 7,500 miles away.

Let's take a step back and review some of Elon Musk's tweets on X:

• Sept. 30: "Drone swarm battles are coming that will boggle the mind" 

• Sept. 29: "Epic drone wars coming" 

• Jan. 5, 2023: "The Drone Wars are already a big deal, but we ain't seen nothing yet …" 

What did Elon know ahead of time?

Even President-elect Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform: "Can this really be happening without our government's knowledge? I don (sic) think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shot (sic) them down!!! DJT." 

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin asked Musk on X his thoughts on the situation... "Alien spaceships controlled by Iran obv," Musk replied.

Alien spaceships controlled by Iran obv

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 13, 2024

No actual drones have been recovered, and footage on X frequently features amateur videos mistaking drones for commercial aircraft. Furthermore, as far as we know, the FAA has not closed large sections of airspace or diverted planes. While we are not dismissing the possibility of foreign adversary-operated drones breaching heavily restricted airspace, we are pointing out the extraordinary hype on social media (with no substance), which has caused widespread panic with some users on X calling this a "psyop." 

This is a psyop in and out. I have been tracking flights in and out of the NY, NJ region while these drones were in the sky, and not a single airspace alert or diversion was issued for flights passing overhead. If the US government suspected foreign controlled, possibly hostile,… pic.twitter.com/ilmrqiGKB2

— Kobus Swart (@k0busswart) December 11, 2024

Elon Musk put this out months before the current drone psyop over New Jersey ..

Wait for the prepackaged "solution" from this latest government manufactured crisis to come in the form of Elon's Starshield and Peter Thiel's Palantir pic.twitter.com/CMkagUncEH

— Nightwatch N8 (@NightwatchN8) December 14, 2024

Is this the cause of the drone uproar? The FAA reauthorization act of 2018 expires on Dec 20th. The “replacement” being pushed is a bigger grab at taking our freedoms.

New H.R.8610 (Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act of 2024) which will include… https://t.co/UtNSGZ2IGY

— B Husker (@blittle47) December 14, 2024

The "FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018" expires on December 20th of this year.

So the Federal Government is literally using a terrorism drone mystery psyop against you to manipulate Congress into passing the new H.R.8610 (Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and…

— Wyatt (@austerrewyatt1) December 14, 2024

Let's say some of these drone sightings were real. Then, maybe... 

pic.twitter.com/a8NHe1HIJa

— Bob's News (@dyversityhire) December 14, 2024

X user mcm_ct_usa makes the point the purported drone sightings could be a "psyop against you to manipulate Congress into passing the new H.R.8610 (Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act of 2024) which will include appropriations and enhanced government powers to control you, and they're even going so far as to use it to push for acts of war against other countries." 

DRONE MYSTERY SOLVED

The "FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018" expires on December 20th of this year.

So the Federal Government is literally using a terrorism psyop against you to manipulate Congress into passing the new H.R.8610 (Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and… https://t.co/4to0q3xx15

— @mcm_ct_usa (@mcm_ct_usa) December 14, 2024

It's coincidental that last week, a Homeland Security joint subcommittee held a hearing on H.R.8610, the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act. This bill would renew and reform counter-UAS legal authorities and strengthen the FAA's oversight powers of drones.

"The reason we need legal authority is that without it, use of the most effective types of drone detection and counter-drone technologies could violate criminal laws, including those that prohibit destroying or disabling aircraft in flight and intercepting signals and communications," said Brad Wiegmann, the DOJ's deputy assistant attorney general for national security.

With current drone-countering authorities set to expire on Dec. 20, the sudden surge in purported drone sightings and the accompanying MSM and social media panic might make a bit more sense—as an effort to push for the reauthorization of Orwellian drone laws.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 12:15

Elizabeth Warren And UnitedHealthcare: Ignorance And Manipulation

Authored by Stephen Soukup via American Greatness,

In the wake of the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, many on the political left have demonstrated a level of moral degeneracy that is, paradoxically, both shocking and entirely unsurprising.

The celebration of the murder, of its perpetrator, and of the violent populist spirit that animated him has been both off-putting and edifying. They have exposed certain influential figures among the American media and political elites as incorrigibly depraved. More to the point, they have exposed these same figures as monstrously ignorant, not just about the moral necessities of a functional society but also about the fundamentals of governance and finance.

Let us stipulate a few things upfront.

• First, the most important aspect of this story is the moral dimension. Those who celebrate the premeditated, cold-blooded murder of any individual—and a father of two children, in this case—are wicked.

• Second, attempting to veil one’s support for murder by first offering a pro forma condemnation of violence is worse than inadequate. It is every bit as monstrous as simply supporting the murder and the murderer outright—maybe even more so.

• Third, although it is her moral weakness that matters most in this discussion, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (as well as New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) has also shown herself to be far too ill-informed ever to be taken seriously again.

Warren, as you may know, got caught the other day with her “but” hanging out. “Violence is never the answer,” she conceded, “BUT….” She then went on to explain why she didn’t really mean that violence is never the answer:

…people can be pushed only so far. This is a warning that if you push people hard enough, they lose faith in the ability of their government to make change, lose faith in the ability of the people who are providing the health care to make change, and start to take matters into their own hands in ways that will ultimately be a threat to everyone.

What, one might wonder, does Senator Warren mean when she says that this will “ultimately be a threat to everyone”? Does she mean that other CEOs should be worried about being gunned down on the streets? Should all healthcare providers be likewise concerned? Or does she mean to include everyone, everywhere, all people on the face of the earth? Does she think that health insurance is going to be the impetus for global Armageddon?

One supposes she has a specific population in mind, health insurance company CEOs, presumably, but she doesn’t say. Those who understand how government and finance work might wonder if she includes herself on this list of people who should feel threatened. What about AOC and other members of Congress? How about former President Barack Obama?

The simple truth of the matter—which both Senator Warren and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez choose to ignore—is that health insurance in this country is anything but a “private” industry. Indeed, it is almost certainly more a product of government than it is of markets. The American healthcare system—such as it is—had its origins in the wage caps imposed by the National War Labor Board on American business in 1942. Companies could not lure employees with higher wages, and so they did so with fringe benefits, the most notable of which was health insurance. In short, then, the government created the system more than 80 years ago and has been meddling in it ever since.

Today, health insurance is one of the most aggressively micro-managed industries in the country. In large part because of Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, insurers are told what they must cover, whom they must cover, when they must provide coverage, and at what price they must do so. In this sense, the ACA seems like a horrible imposition on health insurers. In truth, however, the companies supported the scheme when it was enacted and are even more enthusiastic about it today. It has been a boon to their operations.

“Obamacare” mandated by law that every single person in the country become a client of a health insurance company (unless they happened to be covered under one of the government’s own price-setting, cost-cutting programs). It created a massive pool of new customers and, in so doing, enhanced insurers’ bottom lines significantly. Because of the massive amount of regulation involved, the ACA also created significant barriers to entry into the industry. What that means is that, in addition to providing insurers with millions of new customers, the federal government also, essentially, killed any potential new competition for the insurers. Nice work, if you can get it.

I have spent the last roughly five years of my career focusing on the government and corporate collusion that is best described as “corporatism.” This sort of corporatist collusion is probably nowhere more developed and burdensome than in the health insurance industry. Or to put it more bluntly for Senator Warren: any problems with health insurance are as much the fault of the government as they are of industry.

Senator Warren and her cohorts celebrating Brian Thompson’s murder also seem to be more than a little confused about who and what UnitedHealthcare is. When they complain about the company, its policies, and especially its profits, they speak of it as if it were some living, breathing entity. Obviously, it is not. The “company” is comprised of millions of different people. When UnitedHealthcare earns a profit, for example, that profit doesn’t go to some big, otherwise empty building somewhere, and it doesn’t go to Brian Thompson or any of the other executives in the company. It goes to the shareholders, both in the form of dividends and (usually) higher share prices. Thompson was merely the agent for the shareholders. Everything he did that benefitted “the company” benefitted its shareholders. That’s how publicly traded companies work.

Who, then, are the shareholders of United Healthcare? Well…given that it’s an S&P 500 company, almost anyone who has a 401(k) or an IRA that invests in index funds is a United Healthcare shareholder. Interestingly, because she joined Congress after January 1, 2013, Senator Elizabeth Warren is a member of the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS), which includes a basic retirement annuity, Social Security, and mandatory participation in the Thrift Savings Plan. The Thrift Savings Plan, in turn, has one “fund” that is its most popular and generally produces its best returns. That is its “C Fund”—a common stock fund that is built to “match the performance of the Standard and Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) Index.” We can safely assume that Senator Warren has some of her TPS money in the C Fund, which means that we safely assume that Senator Warren is a shareholder of United Healthcare. Brian Thompson may have done some things as the CEO of United Healthcare that made people angry or unhappy, but he only did so as the agent of people like Elizabeth Warren. She, not he, was the ultimate beneficiary of whatever the company did to “push people” too far.

Elizabeth Warren is not stupid.

One would presume that she knows all of this. And yet…

One has no choice but to conclude that Senator Warren is incredibly ignorant, incredibly manipulative, or some combination of the two.

If I were a betting man, I’d bet on Option 3.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 11:40

Ukraine Identifies 238 Tankers It Says Are In Russia's Shadow Oil Fleet

Ukraine has identified 238 tankers it said belong to a shadow fleet of ships that Russia is using to keep its oil and fuels moving around the world, with hopes this information (which the west has had for years) will force western authorities to sanction the carriers.

Ukraine has identified this shadow fleet as having a total deadweight of over 100 million tons, approximately 17% of the world’s oil tanker fleet. It has included a number of vessels that it says have been switched from the “Iranian ghost armada” to carry Russian oil.

The Military Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said the list, published on its website, details an armada built up by Russia at a cost of about $10 billion. That “consists of over a thousand mostly outdated, poorly maintained vessels without proper insurance, with ‘confused’ ownership and management structures, located in ‘friendly’ jurisdictions, under ‘convenient’ flags,” it said.

“We work on sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet,” Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said. “This should be supported at the level of the entire European Union. It is the tanker fleet that provides Putin with the largest part of the income for the war against Ukraine.”

The issue is that it won't be supported - not now, not back in 2022, when Europe had every opportunity to permanently block Russian oil exports - for the simple reason that the west has zero interest in actual sanctions as these would send oil prices sharply higher. Instead what the west wants is to pretend it is sanctioning Russia to virtue signal to the population, meanwhile the population pretends to care and applaud every toothless action from its elected (and unelected) rulers.

It’s hard to gauge if the list would have any influence on western sanctioning authorities, who’ve already targeted large numbers of shadow fleet tankers with zero effect for the reasons noted above. The outgoing Biden administration is mulling a widening of measures against Russia’s shadow fleet and possibly even targeting some of the nation’s oil exports, Bloomberg reported this week. Expect zero impact on actual oil exports.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 11:05

South Korean President Impeached Over Martial Law Turmoil 

President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea was impeached by a National Assembly vote on Saturday, suspending him from office after he declared a brief emergency martial law earlier this month. The move sparked widespread outrage and plunged the nation into a constitutional crisis. Now, the Constitutional Court must decide whether to reinstate Yoon or formally remove him—a process that could take 180 days. 

The National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, with 204 lawmakers in the 300-member house in favor of the motion and 85 against. Eight votes were declared invalid, while three lawmakers abstained from voting. 

Source: Bloomberg 

The vote comes one week after Yoon survived an impeachment vote last Saturday, capping a week of political turmoil in the country that borders North Korea. This follows Yoon's declaration of the briefest martial law in South Korean history on December 3, lasting only a few hours, after accusing the opposition party of engaging in 'anti-state activities.' Notably, this political turmoil is some of the worst in South Korea since full-scale martial law was declared in the spring of 1980. 

Under South Korea's Constitution, Yoon's impeachment allows Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to become interim leader. 

WATCH: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to fight for his political future after he was impeached in a second vote by the opposition-led parliament over his attempt to impose martial law https://t.co/y99UrVbhzz pic.twitter.com/X2VNnwzJ40

— Reuters Asia (@ReutersAsia) December 14, 2024

At a news conference earlier, Park Chan-dae, the opposition leader of the Democratic Party, told reporters: "This is a victory for the South Korean people and for democracy." 

Given that the Constitutional Court will now decide whether to reinstate or remove Yoon, Goldman's Goohoon Kwon and Andrew Tilton provided clients with the possible transition scenarios last week. That process could take up to six months. Here's what comes next: 

Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, told The Guardian that South Korea's political turmoil is unlikely to subside even with Yoon's impeachment: "It is not even the beginning of the end." 

"Opposition leader Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in 2022 and is favored to win an election to replace him, is also in legal jeopardy, with a conviction on appeal and other rulings pending that could disqualify him from office," The Guardian noted. 

Easley added, "So before the final race in the polls, there will be a race in the courts." 

Shortly after the impeachment, Yoon said, "Although I am stopping for now, the journey I have walked with the people over the past two and a half years toward the future must never come to a halt. I will never give up."  

Also, the Goldman analysts warned of another scenario that could unfold: "... muddling through in a political gridlock." 

The unfolding political turmoil was enough for the analysts to maintain a below-consensus growth forecast for South Korea of 1.8% in 2025, with "risks increasingly skewed to the downside ..."

South Korea's finance minister and central bank governor are expected to meet on Sunday to discuss the future economic impact of the political turmoil storm. 

Bloomberg Economics' economist Hyosung Kwon provided readers with a summary of today's events:

"With today's impeachment vote passing, concerns over a leadership vacuum in South Korea's policy-making may ease. But it doesn't mark the end of political uncertainty."

"The key question now is whether Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo can effectively navigate the deeply divided political landscape to address the threats from the Trump administration's trade and foreign policies, while awaiting the Constitutional Court's ruling."

The question for market observers is whether Yoon's impeachment eases political uncertainty and helps stabilize sentiment.

MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY)

Graham Ambrose, managing director of Goldman Sachs' equity franchise sales team in London, told clients last week that there could be "buying opportunities in Seoul in coming days."

Yoon's impeachment should relieve some market uncertainty. However, the focus now shifts to a long waiting period as the Constitutional Court deliberates its decision.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 09:55

UK Government Wants To Ban Communities From Stopping Wind And Solar

By Irina Slav of OilPrice.com

The UK government is considering curbing communities’ rights to protest against wind and solar power projects, which extends to preventing these projects from being built.

Currently, communities can oppose projects through judicial reviews and they can do it repeatedly.

The Starmer government’s proposal is to limit potential opponents of wind and solar installations to just one judicial review per project, a new document published today has suggested.

The document features plans to speed up planning and permitting processes for large wind and solar projects and “streamlining” those processes to make sure that there is nothing to “unduly slow down vital infrastructure development,” the FT quoted from what was probably an earlier version of the document.

The final version published on the UK government’s website does not contain references to community opposition to wind and solar.

In the FT report, however, a quote says “For example, this could include changing the rules so that claimants in each case only have one attempt to seek permission for judicial review,” while another says “Any changes that we decide to make will strike the right balance between reducing delays to infrastructure projects and maintaining access to justice in line with our domestic and international legal obligations.”

The Keir Starmer government wants to build a net-zero grid in the UK by 2030, which it plans to do by building a huge amount of wind and solar generation capacity, including in areas previously protected by conservation legislation. Local communities have protested several such projects due to their impact on the environment, which the government appears to see as an obstacle on the road to net zero.

“A new era of clean electricity for our country offers a positive vision of Britain’s future with energy security, lower bills, good jobs and climate action. This can only happen with big, bold change and that is why the government is embarking on the most ambitious reforms to our energy system in generations,” energy minister Ed Miliband said in the document.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 09:20

Russia Rapidly Packing Up Military Equipment At Bases In Syria

The future fate of Russia's two military bases in Syria—the Tartus naval base on the Mediterranean coast and the Khmeimim Air Base near the port city of Latakia—is still a big unknown in the wake of the collapse of the Assad government.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has since said that Moscow is currently in direct contact with the political committee of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which holds Damascus and major cities, as Moscow aims to keep its military bases within Syria.

Via Washington Post/Maxar: Cargo planes at a Russian airfield in Syria with their nose cones opened to receive heavy equipment on Friday.

Since the HTS takeover of Damascus there have been no reported incidents of Russian troops or the bases coming under fire; however, troops are on high alert.

Huge Russian armored and troop convoys have been seen withdrawing from the capital area and some other parts of Syria, headed to the safety of Hmeimim airbase in Latakia province.

Negotiations with the new leaders in Damascus for Russia's bases to be maintained appear to be ongoing. Several videos have emerged showing significant amounts of Russian equipment being moved to the coast, and presumably being readied for evacuation.

Russian military convoy consisting of 250 military vehicles withdraw from Damascus towards Hmeimim base in the Latakia countryside pic.twitter.com/j1xPKRGmWe

— Rojava Network (@RojavaNetwork) December 13, 2024

The base at Tartus has long been Russia's only Mediterranean naval port, which goes back to Soviet times and Moscow's decades long relationship with the Assad's, going back to President Hafez al-Assad.

But now even as negotiations over the future continues, Russia's military appears to be quickly packing up the bases. According to Al Jazeera on Friday:

The images taken on Friday show what appear to be at least two Antonov AN-124s, one of the world’s largest cargo planes, with their nose cones open at the Hmeimim airbase in Syria’s coastal Latakia province.

“Two An-124 heavy transport aircraft are at the airfield – both with their nose cones lifted and prepared to load equipment/cargo,” Maxar said. “Nearby, a Ka-52 attack helicopter is being dismantled and likely prepared for transport while elements of an S-400 air defense unit are similarly preparing to depart from its previous deployment site at the air base.”

Earlier, our colleagues on the ground reported that hundreds of armored vehicles flying Russian flags are travelling on the Damascus-Homs highway towards the Syrian coast.

They added that Russian forces in central and southern Syria gathered in Qudssaya near Damascus before the fall of the regime and are now withdrawing to the Khmeimim airbase and the port of Tartous.

Syrian rebels meanwhile fly drones over the Russian air base in Hmeimim — pretty amazing upclose look. https://t.co/VnKByxSz68 pic.twitter.com/Vuuw8NsmCi

— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) December 12, 2024

Starting in 2015 President Assad had formally asked his Russian ally Putin to intervene militarily in Syria against the jihadist 'rebels' - as by then the crisis was clearly a full-blown proxy war for regime change backed by the West.

That's when Russian planes and assets rapidly increased their deployments to Khmeimim, and Russia has also for years been flexing its naval might by staging drills in the eastern Mediterranean. With Assad gone and now given asylum in Moscow, Russia is likely to divert these military assets to the Ukraine war.

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 08:45

Norway Considers Nationalizing Power, Limiting Exports, Amidst European Price Surge

A jump in power prices in Europe has made the case for Norway’s ruling party to limit power exports, according to a new Bloomberg report. 

The Labor Party plans to prioritize ending Denmark's power link in its 2026 renewal in its election manifesto for next September, according to insiders cited in the report.

Power prices in Oslo hit their highest since December 2022 on Thursday but dropped 65% by Friday.

Lawmaker Ingvild Kjerkol commented: “In spite of full water reservoirs, power prices are sky high. It’s very hard to explain to people in Norway why a country with a large power surplus should have high electricity prices.”

This aligns with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store’s Labor Party and its coalition partner, the Center Party, which previously advocated curbing power exports during the energy crisis. While not an EU member, Norway is part of the single energy market, which restricts prolonged export limitations.

Norway’s stance on electricity contrasts with its pivotal role as the EU’s top natural gas supplier, providing a third of the bloc’s needs. Analyst Bjorn Inge Vik attributed recent price spikes to cold weather and low wind output, which pressured Europe’s gas reserves and electricity costs.

According to the Bloomberg report, Norwegians, long accustomed to low, stable hydroelectric power prices, now face higher rates due to increased market integration and volatility. With 17 international power cables, Kjerkol noted that Norway will remain tied to the global power trade.

Volue analyst Bjorn Inge Vik commented: “It’s been cold and with very little wind, so those are the fundamentals that have eaten into gas storage in Europe and underpin electricity prices as well.”

Norwegians have traditionally enjoyed low power prices thanks to over 1,000 hydroelectric plants, but growing market integration has brought continental price volatility to the Nordic region.

Norway’s grid connects to Sweden and several countries via subsea cables, including Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. Last year, Norway rejected a proposal for a second UK electricity cable to retain more power for its own growing electrification needs.

Though Norway typically exports power to the UK, Thursday saw fluctuating power flows as northwest Europe faced soaring prices. An industry leader cautioned that severing market connections could lead to future supply challenges.

Bard Standal, deputy leader of renewables lobby Fornybar Norge concluded: “The trend is that there is very little renewable energy being built in Norway, while there is a lot being built around us. In a few years time, the cooperation with these countries may be what ensures energy security and low power prices.”

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 07:35

Tax Junk-Food To Lengthen Children's Lives, UK Chief Medical Officer Says

Authored by Rachel Roberts via The Epoch Times,

Lack of available healthy food in cities combined with junk food advertising is setting children up to live “shorter and unhealthier” lives, England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty has said in his annual report, which suggests a tax on junk food to improve the health of the urban poor.

The wide-ranging report into the urban landscape and public health, released on Thursday, urges the government to do more to tackle what Whitty terms “healthy food deserts” in cities, which the report finds is a major cause of unhealthy eating.

Whitty, who became a well-known and controversial figure during the COVID-19 lockdown era, also points to the cost of food as a key factor impacting poorer people the most, finding that per calorie, healthy food “is almost twice as expensive as unhealthy food.”

Children and families in inner city areas are less likely to have access to healthy, affordable food choices in local shops, restaurants, and takeaways, and are “disproportionately exposed to unhealthy food advertising,” the 430-page report finds.

Four out of five outdoor billboards in England and Wales are in poorer areas, with many advertising junk food, while poorer regions are often “saturated with fast-food outlets,” both physically and online, the study found.

Targeted Food Taxes

Whitty said that businesses must be made to play a part in encouraging healthier eating habits, with proposed solutions including healthy food sales targets, specific taxes on unhealthy foods, and making it mandatory rather than voluntary for firms to report on what types and volumes of food they sell.

“Such measures could level the playing field for large industry actors, pave the way for progressive business and improve accountability for those who hold huge influence over children’s health,” the report said, finding that “meaningful change to food environments is possible.”

Research highlighted in the study shows that, for seven of the 10 biggest global food and drink businesses operating in the UK, more than two-thirds of their packaged food and drink sales came from products classed as high in fat, sugar, or salt.

While “past and present governments have recognised the importance of reformulating the recipes of food and drink options to reduce the amount of fat, salt and sugar in products,” the “failure to mandate this approach” and instead leave it up to industry has led to a lack of meaningful progress, Whitty said.

A number of different groups are quoted in the report, with solutions including an “excess profits” tax on retailers or producers of products with high sugar and salt content.

Supermarkets and shops, especially those where families on lower incomes shop, are often “saturated” with unhealthy food choices, which the report found was exacerbating health inequalities.

Health Inequalities

“Food-related ill health is not experienced equally by children, families and communities across the country, with children and families living in more deprived areas more acutely affected by a food system where the unhealthy options are often the most available,” it said.

The report added that the most deprived fifth of the population would need to spend half of their disposable income on food to meet the cost of the government-recommended healthy diet, compared with just 11 percent for the wealthiest fifth.

It said: “The food environment in parts of cities entrenches inequalities in health and promotes obesity.

“Healthy food deserts combine with junk food advertising to set children and adults up to live a shorter and unhealthier life through obesity and the diseases it causes, particularly in the more deprived areas of our cities.”

Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty photographed giving a media briefing during the COVID-19 lockdown era. Jack Hill/The Times/PA

The report also looks at how food is produced in the UK, finding that almost as much land is dedicated to growing sugar (110,000 hectares) as to growing all of the nation’s vegetables combined (116,000 hectares).

Humans are “genetically wired to crave calorie-rich food,“ Whitty said, so it is “unwise to think we can rely on education and willpower alone to curb our appetites and to prevent the many diet-related diseases that constitute some of the biggest threats to public health.”

Advertising Ban

Other measures suggested to improve the nation’s health include promoting “active travel” in cities so people use cars less, as well as tackling air pollution and reforming local health services to better serve communities.

Whitty said: “Cities provide great opportunities for a healthier life but many, especially in areas of deprivation, have poor access to healthy food choices, exercise and are exposed to air pollution. These are soluble problems.”

The government announced a pre-watershed ban on TV advertising of junk food earlier this month, with restrictions due to come into effect in October 2025.

The legislation will also impose a 24-hour restriction on paid-for online advertising for the same products, with the aim of removing 7.2 billion calories annually from children’s diets.

The latest survey by the NHS found that around one in eight children aged 2 to 10 in England are obese.

As well as looking at diet and obesity levels, Whitty’s report looks at other public health issues, such as problems with housing, disease, the threat of epidemics, and declining vaccination rates in cities.

The annual report is designed to give recommendations to the government, and although it is not binding it has led to policies such as the sugar tax on soft drinks in 2018, brought in by the Conservatives with the support of Labour.

Critics argue that that such taxes disproportionately impact the poor, because the higher price of healthier food and other factors mean poorer people are likely to consume more junk food.

In a recent article, published in PLOS Medicine, two academics argued that less affluent people could be negatively impacted by blanket health warnings about so-called “ultra-processed foods” without more scientific evidence.

Professor Eric Robinson of the University of Liverpool, one of the authors, said: “Foods classed as ultra-processed which are high in fat, salt and/or sugar should be avoided, but a number of ultra-processed foods are not.

“We should be thinking very carefully about what advice is being given to the public, as opposed to providing simplified and potentially misleading messages that grab headlines.”

Tyler Durden Sat, 12/14/2024 - 07:00

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a mug of Colombia Tolima Los Brasiles Peaberry Organic coffee, grab a seat outside, and get ready for our longer-form weekend reads:

• You Want That Gift to Arrive Today? This Is What It Takes. Retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target have figured out that if they get you your online order today, you will probably spend more tomorrow. (New York Times)

• Have we reached peak PreCheck? Trusted travelers may have more company in the security line, but TSA says waits don’t top 10 minutes. (Washington Post)

• The Quest to Turn Human Waste Into Medicine: After success in early stage trials, MaaT Pharma is on the verge of becoming the first company to have an approved microbiome-related product for cancer care. (Bloomberg) *unlocked

• Everybody Loves FRED: How America Fell for a Data Tool: From Facebook political debates to college classrooms, the St. Louis Fed’s data tool has gained a major following. (New York Times)

• The Big Guide to Fusion: Nuclear fusion will not be “cracked” in a single breakthrough. Instead, there is a fixed checklist of requirements that it must work through. This guide will walk through the checklist. I call it “The Fusion Ladder”. By the end, you will understand the important milestones in taking fusion from kid to grid. (Ben James)

• Khamenei Loses Everything: The October 7 attack on Israel has now cost Iran its regional proxy forces. (The Atlantic)

• A Miracle: Notre-Dame’s Astonishing Rebirth From the Ashes: Restorations on that scale could take decades. The country was already rattled by uprisings over gasoline prices and a frayed social safety net that, like Notre-Dame, had long been a source of national pride and identity. The symbolism of the cathedral’s fire was unmistakable. Then came Covid. Yet here we are. (New York Times) see also How Notre-Dame Was Reborn: It took about 250 companies, 2,000 workers, about $900 million, a tight deadline and a lot of national pride. (New York Times)

• Exploding the Big Bang: It was thought that science could tell us about the origins of the Universe. Today that great endeavour is in serious doubt (Aeon)

• The Mets Stole Juan Soto From the Yankees. Who’s the Big Spender Now? The Yankees didn’t just lose a superstar; they lost him to the Mets. Is the balance of power shifting in New York? (New York Times)

• Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Changed Everything: The biggest tour of the 21st century is coming to an end. Will concerts ever be the same? (Wall Street Journal)

Be sure to check out our Masters in Business this week with Tony Kim, Head of Technology Investing, Fundamental Active Equity at Blackrock. He is manager of the firm’s Technology Opportunities Fund (BGSAX), which has trounced the Nasdaq 100 and the MSCI World Net benchmarks since its inception in June 2000; his new AI-focused fund, the iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF, just began trading.

 

Ranked: The Top Performing S&P 500 Stocks in the Last Two Decades

Source: Visual Capitalist

 

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Global South's Energy Rebellion At COP29 Signals A New Future

Authored by Vijay Jayaraj via RealClearWire,

The climate movement’s annual showpiece, the United Nation’s Conference of Parties (COP), held this year in Baku, Azerbaijan, has been exposed to an unprecedented level of disinterest—even dissent—from developing nations.

Leaders of some of the world’s most resource-rich, economically aspiring countries have opted to sit this one out, sending only low-level delegates, if any. This is the latest signal of a growing resistance to an anti-fossil fuel “gospel” advanced by the United Nations.

Last year’s COP28 in the Middle East, where oil wealth underpins entire economies, forced the climate community to confront its contradictions. Today, COP29 in central Asia continues this reckoning and presages the demise of an unscientific and anti-developmental policy framework wrecking global economies.

Host of COP29 Educates Climate Woke Delegates

The tone of COP29 itself is a marked departure from prior gatherings. In Azerbaijan, where oil and gas production are integral to the national economy, the summit’s host, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, called fossil fuels “a gift from God,” lauding their contribution to global prosperity and stability.

Fossil fuels have moved from being a taboo “elephant in the room” to a subject of open discussion at COPs. The leaders of countries in Africa and Latin America are freely questioning the premise of banning their use of fossil fuels while much of the developed world continues to consume record amounts of coal, oil and natural gas. The notion that high-income nations can dictate the energy agenda is seen as a remnant of a power structure that primarily serves the interests of the world’s most privileged.

The International Energy Agency projects that developing countries will see substantial growth in energy demand over the next decade, an expansion that cannot be met by renewables. Leaders in these regions understand that hydrocarbons are critical to achieving their development goals.

Unprecedented Pullout From COP Conference and Resistance From Global South

In a surprising move, Argentina’s newly elected president, Javier Gerardo Milei, withdrew his country’s 80-person delegation from Baku less than a third of the way into this year’s 11-day COP. He cited the need for pragmatic energy policies that encourage development rather than stymie it.

For Milei, whose presidential campaign was based on a pro-business, anti-bureaucracy platform, the message is clear: Policy must serve the economic needs of his country first. Argentina’s ongoing energy crisis, its untapped shale gas reserves and a crippling economic situation demand a level-headed approach that prioritizes national interests over global climate ideals that are both batty and corrupt.

Milei’s political philosophy resonates with a growing number of leaders in the Global South who view economic growth as paramount and recognize that access to energy is fundamental to achieving it.

Argentina’s departure from COP29 is a turning point that should serve as a wake-up call to the U.N. and its allies. The time for one-size-fits-all mandates is over. The rigid orthodoxy of fossil fuel divestment pushed by the U.N. and wealthy nations is losing ground, challenged by leaders who refuse to sacrifice their national interests to a destructive agenda.

For much of the Global South, the idea of an immediate energy transition remains, at best, aspirational and, at worst, profoundly out of touch. The reality is that fossil fuels still power 80 percent of global energy consumption. This isn’t just an inconvenient truth; it’s an inescapable basis of modern civilization that developing nations understand viscerally.

As the COP29 circus concludes in Baku, the world is seeing the crumbling of the long-held illusion that a global transition to green energyis feasible, much less fair and desirable. Developing nations are proclaiming that they will not be deprived of necessary energy sources by nations that continue to feast on the very fossil fuels they frown upon. The disconnect between rhetoric and reality is stark, and developing countries are calling attention to it.

Fossil fuels are not a relic of the past; for many countries, they are the key to a prosperous future—truly “a gift from God.”

 

Tyler Durden Fri, 12/13/2024 - 23:25

Russian Forces Positioned To Take Key City Of Pokrovsk As Ukrainian Manpower Falters

The key logistical hub of Ukraine's eastern front, Pokrovsk has been under steady contention for the past three months. Russian forces have spent the better part of that time pushing westward to flank just south of the city.  They have now taken Kurakhove and cut off supply routes coming from Pokrovsk to a large portion of the front line.  Some reports indicate that Ukrainian troops trying to leave Kurakhove may be cut off.  The slow motion flanking maneuver has set the stage for Pokrovsk to be enveloped from the south.  

Since the beginning of the war the area has been the primary staging ground for resupply of Ukrainian troops across the east.  After Pokrovsk is cut off or taken, it is expected that Russia will then be able to gain significant ground across the entire front and move closer to controlling all of Donetsk.  

Losses for Ukraine have been stacking up in 2024 and lack of manpower has been the overarching theme.  Though numerous western officials and think-tanks (including The Institute For The Study of War) claim that Russian gains have been paid for with "massive casualties", they've provided no concrete proof so far to support their stats.  The "Russian meat grinder" narrative is beginning to sound like a coping mechanism or propaganda as it becomes clear that Russia is gaining troop strength instead of losing momentum.

(There has been similar propaganda surrounding mass casualties of North Korean troops in Kursk - There are still no verified reports or video footage of actual DPRK troops in combat against Ukraine.  Rumors abound, like the "Ghost of Kyiv")

What we do know is that Ukraine is desperate for new soldiers to refresh their defensive lines.  NATO leaders and the Biden White House have been putting pressure on Vladimir Zelensky to draft men from the 18-25 age bracket; a move Zelensky has avoided to prevent the complete loss of a generation.  The average age of conscripts is now well over 40 years old.  

This may be why Joe Biden recently gave the green light for Ukraine to use long range missiles (ATACMs and Storm Shadows) within Russian territory.  Every time Ukraine faces a strategic failure, NATO offers up new weaponry as a public distraction.  They said Abrams tanks would be a game changer for Ukraine, then they said the F-16s would be a game changer.  Now they claim the long range strikes using smart weapons will be a game changer.

Most military analysts agree that these weapons have had little effect on the course of the war.   

Russia's typical methodology for dealing with urban centers has been to surround and then bombard with artillery and FABs until the majority of buildings and defenses are rubble.  A renowned Ukrainian military officer, Serhii Filimonov, commander of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion of the 59th Motorised Brigade, described Pokrovsk’s defense as a “disaster”.  Senior officers are placing “unrealistic” demands on units and are unfamiliar with circumstances on the front line, Filimonov wrote on his Telegram channel this week.   

Tyler Durden Fri, 12/13/2024 - 23:00